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Jamie Carragher did not hold back when offering his assessment of Tottenham's woeful 1-0 defeat against Chelsea on Saturday evening.

Spurs have a tricky relationship with their London rivals, having not won a match against Chelsea since February 2023, and welcomed the Blues to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against the backdrop of a lacklustre run of home form.

While the visitors could only find the back of the net once via Joao Pedro, Enzo Maresca's side looked dominant for huge swathes of the tie, with Spurs registering their lowest xG (expected goals) metric - 0.10 - since records began in 2012-13.

Carragher's Sky Sports colleague Jamie Redknapp was among the first pundits to offer his verdict on the match, calling it one of the 'worst performances' by the club that he has ever seen.

Manager Thomas Frank admitted that he had been 'frustrated' and did not attempt to sugarcoat the nature of the defeat.

But Carragher suggested why the performance could prove a troubling one among the Spurs hierarchy when considering their decision to appoint Frank in the place of former manager Ange Postecoglou.

'It is worrying, and I’ve seen (Frank's) press conference today ahead of the Champions League,' Carragher began. 'And he may be looking at this (result), and saying, "I don’t know where this is coming from.

'"We’re doing well in the league, going into the weekend we’re the highest scorers in the league". But a big problem for Thomas Frank and other managers who make that jump from one of the smaller teams to one of the big boys is actually bringing the football to these teams.

'When you watch the game at the weekend, and the home games that the supporters have seen, that was like watching a League Two game against a Premier League team in the FA Cup.

'There was a huge contrast with the ball, and that is the biggest problem for any coach making the jump to one of the big boys.'

In his analysis of some of the match's flashpoints, Carragher also repeated his claim that he believed that Spurs were playing with a 'lack of courage'.

As well as lacking the backbone to seize the game by the scruff of the neck where possible, Carragher singled out one star - Xavi Simmons - for playing with a 'lack of confidence' too.

Looking at the build-up to Pedro's goal, in which Simons played a 'lackadaisical' pass that was feasted on by Chelsea just outside the box, Carragher continued: 'Simons, really poor throughout the game, he was'.

Simons joined Tottenham in the summer for a £52million fee from RB Leipzig, but has failed to make his mark yet in the Premier League.

Initially not part of Frank's starting XI against the west London side, Simons was quickly brought on when Lucas Bergvall was substituted as a precaution after suffering a head injury.

The 22-year-old was then forced to bear one of the greater indignities in football when he was substituted off again in the second-half as Spurs continued to hunt for an equaliser.

Redknapp had deployed more colourful language in his Tottenham takedown after full-time, by comparing the match to a boxing contest.

‘That was as easy as it gets,’ the 52-year-old said. ‘If it was a boxing match, they’d have stopped it. Tottenham were so poor, they never laid a glove on Chelsea. They made it so easy.

‘Tottenham just looked paceless today. They didn’t really have an idea of how to get up the pitch. And it just looked too easy for (Chelsea).'

But the most damning verdict on Frank's managing may have come from two of his own players, with the Danish head coach blanked by Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven as they made their way off the pitch and down the tunnel.

Daily Mail Sport reported exclusively that Spence is believed to have told Frank: 'I ain't doing it... go away' - but it is not clear what the England international was referring to.

'The players are of course frustrated,' Frank said when asked about the pair. 'They like to do well, like to win, like to perform well, so I understand that.

'We can be consistent in good times and bad times - that's why I went around to the fans as I did. It's more fun when we win, I can tell you that.

'I understand why you're asking the question but I'd say that's one of the small issues. Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence are doing everything they can. Everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way. I don't think it's a big problem.'

Tottenham will look to recover their form and start fresh in Europe, as they welcome Copenhagen to north London on Tuesday evening in the Champions League.

Jamie Redknapp has delivered a scathing verdict after Tottenham were booed off the pitch following another dismal home display against Chelsea.

The hosts were lifeless in attack, mustering just a single shot on target - Mohamed Kudus’ tame effort in the fifth minute of first-half added time - compared to Chelsea’s nine.

Joao Pedro’s 34th-minute strike ultimately proved decisive, the Brazilian pouncing after Moises Caicedo’s relentless pressing caught Spurs flat-footed.

In truth, the scoreline flattered Tottenham. Chelsea carved out chance after chance, with Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez both squandering fine opportunities before substitute Jamie Gittens blazed over from close range late on.

At full-time, former Spurs midfielder Redknapp didn’t hold back, labelling it ‘one of the worst performances I have seen from Tottenham’.

‘That was as easy as it gets,’ the 52-year-old said. ‘If it was a boxing match, they’d have stopped it. Tottenham were so poor, they never laid a glove on Chelsea. They made it so easy.’

Tottenham’s anaemic attacking output was reflected in the numbers. Their expected goals (xG) tally of just 0.05 was their lowest on record (since 2012-13) in a Premier League match, a staggering statistic across their 504 games in that period.

Redknapp, who made 49 appearances for Tottenham between 2002-05, continued: ‘At least when I look at Chelsea tonight there is a bit of excitement, a bit of flair. They’re bringing on players with excitement in Estevao who can do something.

‘Tottenham just looked pace-less today. They didn’t really have an idea of how to get up the pitch. And it just looked too easy for (Chelsea).

‘This year, if you actually look at the Premier League there’s one outstanding side in Arsenal. They’re head and shoulders above everyone else.

‘The rest are all really struggling. No one’s really finding that consistency.’

Spurs’ home form continues to haunt them. They have now won just three of their last 19 home Premier League games across the tenures of both Thomas Frank and Ange Postecoglou.

Frank, however, stopped short of criticising the supporters despite the chorus of boos that rang around the ground at full-time.

‘The fans started very well, they did everything they could to back the team throughout the game where we didn’t perform well,' the Tottenham boss said at full-time.

‘We met a Chelsea team that was better than us on the day. That’s it. We need to work hard to keep getting better.

‘Clearly we couldn’t match their energy and intensity today.

‘There’s a lot of things that hurt me today. I think we created very little. That’s part of many things and sometimes we can overanalyse it too much. I think we lacked the freshness today, unfortunately.’

Tottenham are contending with a raft of injuries to key attacking players, including James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, and Dominic Solanke.

Meanwhile, £52million summer signing Xavi Simons has struggled to find form since his arrival, with Frank bringing him on as a substitute only to withdraw him later in the match.

Next up for Spurs is a home clash with Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday, before Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United visit north London next Saturday.

As the clock ticked over into added time at the end of a distinctly ordinary match, Moises Caicedo, a distinctly extraordinary player, dispossessed Mohammed Kudus near the half-way line and set off down the left flank.

He rode one challenge but then a Spurs player brought him down. Still Caicedo would not be vanquished. As he lay on the turf, he swung his right leg at the ball and won a throw-in before he was engulfed in the congratulations of teammates who knew quite how much his spirit had counted in Chelsea’s approaching victory.

The victory lifted Chelsea up to fourth place in the Premier League, for some time at least, and was heavy with hints that they can kick on from here and become one of the leading challengers to Arsenal.

This had felt like a pivotal clash for Enzo Maresca and his players and they came through it impressively. It was not a classic performance but it was full of guts and resilience and a refusal to yield.

It was Caicedo whose hunger and strength and perseverance and refusal to accept a lost cause had created the only goal of the game for Joao Pedro in the first half. Reece James was not far behind him in the game’s most influential players.

No Spurs players made the top ten of that list. This was a desperately poor performance from Thomas Frank’s side, which looked devoid of attacking threat, stripped of belief and devoid of assurance.

Spurs were wretched. They may have remained in third place in the table but they managed one shot on target in the entire game. They were booed off at the final whistle and they deserved to be. This was the kind of display that asks questions about the club’s prospects after a bright start to the season.

The crowd here was dismayed by it. Once again, they were entitled to be. It even had some of them pining for Ange Postecoglou. With every performance like this, the lustre of Postecoglou’s penultimate game in charge, the Europa League triumph over Manchester United in Bilbao last season, will glow brighter.

There were other worrying signs for the home team. Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven marched straight past Frank and down the tunnel as he seemed to be suggesting to them that they should stay and acknowledge the supporters. Frank has much to do if things are not to curdle in N17.

Spurs suffered a blow inside the first five minutes when Lucas Bergvall was hit on the back of the head by a Chelsea clearance. The incident seemed innocuous but the impact did knock Bergvall off his feet and he seemed confused.

It was much to the credit of the Spurs medics who treated him that they were clearly unhappy with the idea of him returning to the pitch after they had conducted concussion protocols.

Bergvall protested but the physios were adamant. Too often, clubs still seem to look the other way when a head injury takes place, even now, but Spurs refused to do that. Bergvall was replaced by Xavi Simons.

Spurs found it hard to regroup. They were outplayed by Chelsea for the first half an hour. Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto caused issues down the flanks without ever creating clear chances. When Guglielmo Vicario went down with a convenient injury, the Frank beckoned the entire Spurs team to the bench to give them a tactics talk.

It did not have the desired effect immediately. A minute later, an attempted Spurs clearance rebounded off Garnacho and put Joao Pedro clean through on goal. It was a glorious chance but the Chelsea forward hit it straight at Vicario and he saved it with his legs.

MATCH FACTS

Tottenham (4-2-2-2): Vicario 6; Porro 5 (Udogie 73, 5), Danso 5 (Romero 60, 6), Van de Ven 5, Spence 4.5; Palhinha 5, Bentancur 4 (Richarlison 60, 5); Bergvall 5.5 (Simons 7, 3) (Johnson 73, 5), Sarr 4; Kudus 5, Kolo Muani 4 (Odobert 73, 5)

Subs (not used): Kinsky, Tel, Scarlett

Booked: Bentancur, Danso, Simons, Kudus

Manager: Thomas Frank 3

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 8; Gusto 6.5 (Lavia 76), Fofana 7.5 (Adarabioyo 89), Chalobah 7.5, Cucurella 6.5; James 8, Caicedo 9; Neto 6 (Estevao 85), Fernandez 7, Garnacho 6 (Gittens 66, 5); Joao Pedro 7

Subs (not used): Jorgensen, Santos, Hato, Acheampong, Guiu

Scorers: Joao Pedro (34)

Booked: Chalobah, Fernandez

Manager: Enzo Maresca 7.5

Referee: Jarred Gillett 5

Attendance: not provided

Not content with that escape, Spurs decided to give Chelsea another go. Spence lost the ball to Caicedo on the edge of the area but when Spurs recovered the ball, they gave it away again.

This time, Micky van de Ven and Xavi Simons were way too casual and Caicedo won the ball back again. He played a short square pass to Joao Pedro, who swept the ball past Vicario. It was an awful goal to give away. On the touchline, Frank marched back to the dug-out and booted a water bottle for all he was worth.

Chelsea nearly went further ahead three minutes before half time. Neto fed Malo Gusto who cut his cross back into the path of Joao Pedro 12 yards out. Joao Pedro lashed the ball towards the roof of the net but Vicario produced a fine reaction save to push it over the bar.

Tottenham’s evening should have got a lot worse in added time at the end of the first half when Rodrigo Bentancur caught Reece James with a nasty late tackle on his ankle that looked like an obvious straight red card. Referee Jarred Gillett chose only to brandish a yellow.

Spurs got their first hint of a chance early in the second half when a Kevin Danso long throw eluded the leaps of Chelsea defenders and fell to Bentancur in the box. Bentancur was too startled to take advantage of his fortune and Chelsea resumed their superiority.

Spurs were so distinctly second best that their supporters seemed stunned by their mediocrity. Chelsea pressed for another goal and a cross from Garnacho was just too far behind Neto for him to be able to guide it into the net.

Garnacho was substituted soon afterwards, which has often been his fate since he arrived at Stamford Bridge. That is what happens when you pay £40m for a winger with a huge ego and very little end product.

And now it was Chelsea’s turn to escape a red. Enzo Fernandez took out Joao Palhinha just below the knee but as the Spurs crowd bayed for an instant dismissal, Mr Gillett, once more, was content with a yellow.

Simons, who had come on for Bergvall in the first half and made very little impression, was himself substituted with little under 20 minutes to go as Spurs desperately tried to inject some conviction and penetration into their game.

They tried but they did not succeed. Chelsea should have scored twice more in added time. First, Joao Pedro squared the ball unselfishly to Jamie Gittens, who only had Vicario to beat. Gittens leaned back and lifted the ball high over the bar.

Joao Pedro put his head in his hands as he wondered at the profligacy of his teammate but seconds later, he became the culprit. This time, he only had Vicario to beat but when he tried to force his shot past him, Vicario made himself big and produced a fine save to deflect the shot wide.

A 1-0 defeat flattered Spurs. They were lucky to escape with that. Chelsea, who would have slipped into the bottom half of the table if they had lost, can afford to start looking up.

Joao Pedro's smart finish inside the penalty box was enough to earn Chelsea a comfortable 1-0 win over Tottenham in north London on Saturday — and the only regret Enzo Maresca's side will have is that they didn't pile on more misery for Spurs.

A convincing performance, led by the tenacity and rigour of Moises Caicedo in midfield, saw Chelsea dismantle Thomas Frank's side with ease and leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with the satisfaction of climbing level on points with their London rivals in the Premier League table.

Meanwhile, it was a torrid afternoon for Tottenham, who were booed off the pitch by their own fans after a disjointed and lacklustre display on home soil.

Daily Mail Sport's KIERAN GILL kept a watchful eye over the London derby and took note of how Enzo Maresca tactically managed to outfox Frank — and stump Tottenham's threat from set-pieces.

NEW WAY TO DEFEND LONG THROWS?

While limiting Tottenham to an xG worth only 0.05, Chelsea unveiled a brand new way of dealing with those pesky long throw-ins that have seen them concede goals in the Premier League this season, including in the previous weekend’s loss to Sunderland.

Enzo Maresca had told us at his pre-Spurs press conference that they had been working on how to defend such situations, and it was in the first half when they had the chance to debut it.

Spurs won a throw-in level with the Blues’ box and Kevin Danso ran over to grab the ball and wind up his arms for the rocket. Just as he was preparing to launch it long, three Chelsea players suddenly sprinted away from their own area and to the halfway line.

They were Malo Gusto, Joao Pedro and Alejandro Garnacho and with them, they took three Tottenham players, leaving the box a little less congested than it previously was.

Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had been told to show bravery in this match and while he hardly had a save to make, he was exemplary in claiming those balls into the box.

Danso chucked it in, Sanchez caught it, and immediately initiated a counter-attack as Enzo Fernandez led the charge, with Gusto, Joao Pedro and Garnacho already ahead of him.

It happened again in the second half when Spurs had a throw-in by the Blues’ box. Danso was readying his run-up when the same three players – Gusto, Joao Pedro and Garnacho – sprinted forwards for the halfway line. Chelsea cleared the danger on that occasion, too.

Wolves scored from a long throw during their Carabao Cup loss to Chelsea in midweek, remember, and they will be the next visitors to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. We will need to see if the Blues stick with this new unusual strategy.

GOALKEEPERS 'FAKING' INJURIES UP FOR DEBATE AGAIN

Goalkeepers do not need to go off the field when treated for an injury. The time in which they are being given that magic spray allows team-mates an opportunity to regroup if they wish to do so. They can even go over to the technical area to speak with their manager if they wish.

With that in mind, let’s discuss what happened after Spurs lost Lucas Bergvall to concussion.

That seventh-minute substitution was a problem. It upset Spurs’ game plan. Chelsea were on top.

This may not have been picked up by the television cameras, but I noticed from the press box how Guglielmo Vicario was called over to the touchline while the play was at the other end of the pitch. Not long after this, Vicario dropped down injured, for reasons unknown.

Maybe he needed legitimate medical attention. We do not know.

What we do know is Thomas Frank used this sudden break to call over his entire team for a chat.

What we do know is Tottenham’s substitute goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was not sent to warm-up while Vicario was being treated for whatever was wrong with him.

What we do know is Chelsea’s coaches and players were not happy.

They were not the only ones suspecting something curious was occurring. It made a fair few inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, myself included, wonder whether this was another case of a goalkeeper feigning injury so that his colleagues could use the time to receive a team talk. Again, we do not know whether this was the case here.

But I spoke to someone who works for Chelsea afterwards and he had a helpful suggestion for football’s lawmakers – simply make it so that players cannot go over to their coaching staff when a goalkeeper injury occurs. It’s a good idea, and would stop such scenarios swimming in scrutiny.

SPURS PLAYERS DON'T LISTEN TO AUTHORITY

Bergvall was not happy to be forced to leave the field after his concussion checks, but good on Tottenham’s club doctor Tamim Khanbhai for telling him what’s what, even while his player was giving him the odd push as he tried to help him.

I get the frustration, but head injuries are no joke, and I would sooner see a player’s welfare take priority over everything else.

Spurs' players could do with listening to authority. Bergvall, though perhaps not in the right frame of mind, protested here and the sight of Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven snubbing Frank after full-time was not a good look.

It was a striking image, the one of Frank looking back at them in disbelief, even if he was kind to Spence and Van de Ven when asked on it by us afterwards.

JAMES SHOWING PROPER CAPTAINCY

It was a year ago this week that Maresca, without much encouragement, had a pop at Reece James. It was during a huddle on a Conference League away day, before a 4-1 win over Panathinaikos, that the Blues boss said he ‘expected more’ leadership from his captain.

James showed how far he has come here. This was a proper skipper’s performance.

When the half-time whistle went, James called all of his team-mates over to join him. At first, I thought he was going to do a huddle there and then on the pitch.

Rather, he did not want them walking down the tunnel individually. He wanted them walking in as one, and all 11 players exited via the tunnel as a collective.

IS CAICEDO THE BEST GOING IN THE GAME?

Speaking of Caicedo, there’s been a debate on social media of late: basically, who is the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League?

Some say it is Declan Rice. Others reckon Rodri. Chelsea would not swap either of those for Caicedo. Maresca was asked for his opinion, and said he would put Caicedo and Rodri at the top.

TERRIBLE DRIVER, TERRIFIC DEFENDER

Opinion alert: Wesley Fofana is an idiot behind the wheel. You only need to watch that footage of him driving dangerously in his Lamborghini on the hard shoulder of the A3 Esher bypass in Hook, Hampshire to think so. He now has 47 points on his driving licence which, in Premier League terms, would be enough for him to survive relegation to the Championship.

Now that we have that off our chest, we can compliment Fofana on the football, because he and Trevoh Chalobah were titanic as a defensive duo in front of Sanchez here.

Thomas Frank admitted he was ‘massively hurt’ to have managed Tottenham’s lowest-ever expected-goals total in a Premier League game, adding he understood why his own players in Djed Spence and Micky van de Ven gave him the cold shoulder after full-time.

Spurs’ xG of 0.05 was the worst recorded by Spurs since the metric entered football in 2012. They were booed by their own supporters at the end of this loss to Chelsea, with Frank conceding he ‘100 per cent’ understood their outpouring of frustration.

Frank performed his usual post-match lap of appreciation to applaud those supporters left in the stadium, but a video by Chris Cowlin showed Spence and Van de Ven ignoring their manager when he tried speaking with them. Spence in particular appeared to wave his arms in disgust as they approached the tunnel.

‘The players are of course frustrated,’ Frank said when asked on the pair. ‘They like to do well, like to win, like to perform well, so I understand that. We can be consistent in good times and bad times – that's why I went around to the fans as I did. It's more fun when we win, I can tell you that.

‘I understand why you’re asking the question but I'd say that’s one of the small issues. Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence are doing everything they can. Everyone is frustrated. We do things in a different way. I don’t think it's a big problem.’

On managing only 0.05xG, Frank continued: ‘I would say that of course hurt massively. I’ve never been in charge of a team that created that little in one game. Never. That of course I will look into what we can do to make it better.’

On the boos at full-time, he added: ‘Yes, 100 per cent. We all sense the frustration and the emotions. That’s part of football. It’s extremely painful.

‘Of course it's part of the job to face you guys now and answer your very good questions when you are just burning inside and you would like to find solutions and you want to watch the game back and see what went wrong and all that. But it's about trying to stay calm. In general, I think Chelsea were good, we were definitely second best, we performed badly.’

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca hailed Moises Caicedo as the best defensive midfielder in the world alongside Manchester City’s Rodri.

Tottenham Hotspur were booed off the pitch tonight after slumping to a feeble defeat against Chelsea.

It was a night of drama in north London, where the two sides were - on the scoreboard at least - only separated by the fine margin of a first-half Joao Pedro strike.

But in reality, Enzo Maresca's men could have left with two, if not three goals, and Spurs fans would not have much room to complain. They are growing frustrated with their side, who at this moment appear devoid of any creativity under Thomas Frank.

Tonight, however, they will be mainly stinging from yet another defeat to their bitter rivals - who have extended their dominance in this fixture to five consecutive league victories.

Daily Mail Sport's Kieran Gill was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch it all unfold. Here's how he rated the players...

TOTTENHAM (4-2-2-2)

Guglielmo Vicario – 6

Denied Joao Pedro the first time, but not the second after Caicedo’s clinic in how to win the ball. Chelsea would have won by more than their one goal were it not for Vicario.

Pedro Porro – 5

Hardly had an impact on this game, which was surprising given we know how good he can be, though perhaps it was primarily due to Tottenham’s tactical set-up.

Kevin Danso – 5

The latest long thrower to try to hurt Chelsea, but on this occasion, the visitors managed to avoid conceding from such a scenario, even if Bentancur did come close once.

Micky van de Ven – 5

Caicedo never needs much invitation to get stuck in, but Simons’ pass to Van de Van was soft enough to entice him in. Chelsea’s midfield enforcer won his tackle cleanly and they scored.

Djed Spence – 4.5

Seconds before Chelsea’s opener, Spence seemed to fancy trying to take on multiple opponents, as if he wanted to go as a winger for Halloween. He lost the ball, and the Blues scored.

Joao Palhinha – 5

We wondered whether he might plop himself into the defence to create a back three – Chelsea hate that system, after all – but Spurs used their four midfielders much more traditionally.

Rodrigo Bentancur – 4

Lucky boy in that VAR did not order a review on his terrible tackle on James. It looked red-card worthy to me, but Bentancur was shown only a yellow as the monitor remained unvisited.

Lucas Bergvall – 5.5

Was not happy at all that Spurs’ club doctor Tamim Khanbhai forced him into being substituted after a rigorous concussion check. Good to see player welfare taking priority for once, though.

Pape Matar Sarr – 4

Anonymous, and so not worth trying to fill the word count here.

Mohammed Kudus – 5

Just so hard to get the ball off Kudus, who at least is the type to try to create something from nothing. He was one of the only attackers for Spurs attempting some invention.

Randal Kolo Muani – 4

Hardly provided any service while trying to lead the line for Spurs. All felt rather thankless as this side were devoid of any and all real creativity.

SUBS

Xavi Simons (for Bergvall, 7) – 3

Going to make a special exception and give a substitute a write-up here because Simons helped Chelsea score with an error, and was then the sub who was subbed. After a summer in which he flirted with signing for the Blues.

Cristian Romero (for Danso, 60) – 6

Richarlison (for Bentancur, 60) – 5

Brennan Johnson (for Simons, 73) – 5

Wilson Odobert (for Kolo Muani, 73) – 5

Destiny Udogie (for Porro, 73) – 5

MANAGER: Thomas Frank – 3

Courtesy of Opta, Tottenham’s xG of 0.05 from this 1-0 loss to Chelsea is their lowest ever recorded in a Premier League game. That says it all.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1)

Robert Sanchez – 8

I lost count of how many times Tottenham chucked the ball into the box, only for Sanchez to either clear or catch those crosses. Commanded his area brilliantly.

Malo Gusto – 6.5

Inverted from right back into midfield, but also had to track Simons. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but Maresca likes how he can take on whatever tactical instructions he gives him.

Wesley Fofana – 7.5

Nothing got through Fofana today. He may be a numpty what with his dangerous driving – Google it if you don’t know already – but he showed his defensive qualities here.

Trevoh Chalobah – 7.5

Not all Chelsea fans are fond of Chalobah despite him being own of their own and having amassed more than 100 appearances, but he refused to be beaten here.

Marc Cucurella – 6.5

Not easy trying to take possession from Kudus. Ball sticks to his foot like it’s been doused in PVA. But Cucurella held his own and still got forward whenever he could.

Reece James – 8

Proper captain’s performance from James who, by the end, was celebrating every tackle and block. He kept going, even after Bentancur’s ugly foul on him before half-time.

Moises Caicedo – 9

Some prefer Declan Rice. Others fancy Rodri. But Chelsea would not swap Caicedo for anyone. He won the ball not once but twice in the build-up to their opener and had the presence of mind to set up Joao Pedro rather than go for glory himself.

Pedro Neto – 6

Started over Estevao Willian but then Neto has been in good form, and stung the palms of vicario twice with vicious cracks in the second half.

Enzo Fernandez – 7

Headed chance for Chelsea’s second went over after he did well to get up there to meet James’ cross. Cautioned for a clumsy challenge on Palhinha which escaped further VAR scrutiny.

Alejandro Garnacho – 6

With Jamie Gittens pushing hard for a Premier League start, Garnacho had to impress. Despite getting into positive positions, wastefulness saw him replaced by Gittens after 65 minutes.

Joao Pedro – 7

Could have scored more than the one he did and so, as a goalscorer, he will be kicking himself for that. But still, he left here as the match-winner for Chelsea.

SUBS

Jamie Gittens (for Garnacho, 66) – 5

Romeo Lavia (for Gusto, 76) – N/A

Estevao Willian (for Neto, 85) – N/A

Tosin Adarabioyo (for Fofana, 89) – N/A

MANAGER: Enzo Maresca – 7.5

His players executed his plan to perfection, coming to Tottenham and controlling the game. They didn’t even finish it with 10 men! Progress is being made!

REFEREE: Jarred Gillett – 5

He showed a yellow to Bentancur for his awful foul on James, which in my book deserved a red or, at the very least, a pitch-side review.

Xavi Simons hit a new low when he was brought on and later substituted by Thomas Frank during Tottenham's Premier League defeat against Chelsea.

The £52 million summer signing began the match on the bench against their London rivals but was introduced as a concussion substitute after Lucas Bergvall sustained a head injury in the opening minutes.

With Spurs trailing, Simons on a yellow card and struggling to find his rhythm, Frank decided he had seen enough. The Spurs manager replaced the 22-year-old with Wilson Odobert in the 73rd minute.

Simons trudged off, visibly dejected as he watched his side fail to mount a comeback against a team that has now beaten Tottenham in their last five consecutive meetings. Joao Pedro's 34th-minute goal was enough to seal all three points for Enzo Maresca's side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Frank downplayed his substitution after the match, though, claiming he had not started Simons due to managing match fitness reasons.

'There's a reason why we played him on the bench,' he said. 'He played on Wednesday night (in their Carabao Cup defeat at Newcastle) and he can't play with that extra freshness, energy. There's not too much into that, that's just the way it is.'

Much like Liverpool’s £116 million signing Florian Wirtz, Simons has struggled to make the leap from the Bundesliga to the Premier League this season. Neither of the 22-year-olds has scored for their respective clubs since arriving in the summer to plenty of fanfare.

The Netherlands midfielder, who had been chased by several European clubs in the summer before settling on Tottenham, had scored 22 goals and assisted 24 others in his 78 appearances for RB Leipzig.

Yet Simons has now played over 500 minutes in all competitions for Spurs and is yet to score. He has registered one assist, on his debut at West Ham when one of his corners was headed in by Pape Matar Sarr.

His new manager has recently called for patience as the youngster adapts to the demands of the English top flight.

'It's a very good comparison,' said Frank, ahead of Spurs' Champions League tie in Monaco last Wednesday.

'Wirtz, also a very good player, just like Xavi coming into a new country, new club, new city, (they) just need to settle.

'We are all getting judged every game, but we also need to see the bigger perspective. I look for glimpses and with Xavi I asked him to arrive more in the box and when I looked back at the (Villa) game, he did.

'Was there a big eye-catching moment? No, but there were glimpses so it's going a little bit in the right direction.'

A product of Barcelona's La Masia academy, Simons moved to PSG in 2019 as a teenager before impressing during a loan spell at PSV in 2022-23.

He went on to spend the next two seasons at Leipzig before becoming the second major transfer from the club to the Premier League after Benjamin Sesko's £74million move to Manchester United.

Signed as a creative playmaker, Simons will be eager to establish himself quickly and justify the club’s investment.

Meanwhile, Tottenham’s defeat to Chelsea leaves them with just three wins in their last 19 Premier League home games with no ever-present team having won fewer home matches over this period.

Their expected goals (xG) of 0.05 against the Blues was the lowest they have recorded in a Premier League match since 2012-13, in what was their 504th game in the competition since that season.

The Premier League has issued an explanation to clarify why Tottenham midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur was not shown a straight red card for his tackle on Chelsea's Reece James on Saturday.

Towards the end of a feisty first half, Bentancur stopped Chelsea's counter attack with a forceful tackle on James, catching the defender on the ankle.

The Chelsea captain was furious to see referee Jarred Gillett only reach for a yellow card, convinced that it should have been deemed serious foul play.

As soon as Bentancur made contact with James' ankle, several players from both sides came together in a chaotic melee, which resulted in Trevoh Chalobah also being shown a yellow card after getting in the face of the Uruguayan.

Eager to clear up why VAR had not overturned Gillett's on-field decision, the Premier League Match Centre released an explanation on social media shortly into the second half.

'The referee’s call of yellow card to Bentancur was checked and confirmed by VAR – with the contact deemed to be a reckless challenge and not serious foul play,' the post read.

Former Spurs star Jamie Redknapp, who was working as a pundit in the Sky Sports studio, claimed that Bentancur only escaped serious punishment because the challenge was low on James' ankle.

'He knows he's leaving a little bit on him,' Redknapp said at half time. 'He's late, he's aggressive, he's over the top of the ball. A little bit higher, it's a red card.'

On Sky Sports commentary duty, Jamie Carragher hinted that Bentancur was lucky not to be given his marching orders.

'It catches him on the ankle and it'll be a sore one for him. It looks worse in slow motion,' the Liverpool legend said.

Meanwhile, during beIN Sports' half-time analysis, Richard Keys simply said: 'I'm lost for words. He's got to go!'

Despite feeling aggrieved by the decision, Chelsea still went on to claim all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with a comfortable 1-0 win.

Joao Pedro ended his goal drought with a cool finish inside the penalty box in the 35th minute, firing Chelsea in front after being set up superbly by the tenacity of Moises Caicedo.

The Ecuadorian showed great spirit to twice win the ball off Tottenham's defenders and lay the ball into Pedro's path, before the striker finished with aplomb.

Follow Daily Mail Sport's live blog for the latest score, team news and updates as Chelsea host London rival Tottenham at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, with Oliver Holt and Kieran Gill reporting from the ground.