Tottenham Hotspur

After a bright start - Mathys Tel headed against the post - Chelsea grabbed the initiative via Enzo Fernandez’s strike on 18 minutes and then doubled their advantage when Andrey Santos finished a counter-attack midway through the second half.

We responded when Richarlison tapped home from Pape Matar Sarr’s backheel assist on 74 minutes but couldn’t find the equaliser that would have left us three points clear of West Ham with a plus-12 goal advantage going into the final weekend of fixtures in the Premier League.

Instead, it’s a two-point advantage, plus that +12 goal difference, as we take on Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (4pm). West Ham host Leeds.

Off the bench for his second appearance since returning from an ACL injury, ‘Madders’ spoke to us afterwards...

Can you give us an insight into the changing room - what's the overriding emotion after that?

Madders: “Right now, frustration, obviously. We should have had a result tonight with the way the game went, especially when we were pushing in the last 20 minutes, but just didn't quite find the composure in a few moments, which is frustrating because we had some key moments that were almost broke down on us rather than good defending or a good save or whatever. So, frustration, but it's in our hands. We have a massive game on Sunday for this football club. So, we need to be ready. It's important every player is ready to come and have that responsibility and be brave and strong.”

I know at the moment it's very much about the team, but I think fans would definitely want to know how you're getting on and how you felt physically tonight...

Madders: “I felt good, yes. I've obviously been out for a long time, so I don't feel 100% sharp and fit, but I felt pretty good. That's why it's disappointing we didn't get anything out of the game, because I felt like we were pushing and I felt involved in that but, like I said, just that lack of quality in the front third just let us down on a few moments in a game where we probably should have got something, I think.”

It feels like in the immediate aftermath of that, the thing that is going to be most important is that everyone gives absolutely everything that they have over the course of these next few days, and that is across the club - fans, of course, playing their part. How crucial is it that everyone brings the best version of themselves on Sunday?

Madders: “Our fans just need to keep doing what they're doing. They were unbelievable tonight. They've watched the team lose a lot of games this season, which we should take personally from the players who have played, kind of thing. Even tonight, I just thought they were brilliant. They were so loud. We need to repay that on Sunday, just avoid the disastrous situation, come out of this relegation battle on the right side of the line and rebuild, because they deserve that. We'll be making sure we're ready to give back to them for the support that they give us, undoubtedly, every game.”

SPURSPLAY

SPURSPLAY

Here’s what he had to say...

How do you sum up the performance?

Roberto: “I think we played a good game. We could score at the beginning of the game with Mathys Tel. We conceded a goal, a great goal of Enzo Fernandez, but I think we could do something better, especially in the second ball, long ball, (Destiny) Udogie. And before to concede the second goal, we could score with Richarlison with a big chance. Anyway, I think we played well. I would like if we play Sunday like the last 20 minutes, because in the last 20 minutes we showed, I think, more energy, more passion, something more inside of us. But it's difficult, it's an opportunity for every one of us, because through this period, these games, these days, we can become better as a coach, as a player if we stay strong until the end, because when you fight for the relegation, you have to stay inside of the league until the last minute of the last game of the season.”

What did you make of the penalty appeals when Micky van de Ven went to ground?

Roberto: “It's not my business now. My focus is to prepare the next game and to make points, because Sunday is the final for Tottenham, not Bilbao against Manchester United. The most important game is Sunday, because last season they played for the trophy, now we play for something more important than the trophy, because the pride, the history of the club, the dignity are more important than the trophy. The trophy you can win, you can lose, nothing changes in your life. You can have one trophy more, but the most important is to keep the dignity, to keep the pride, to go on holiday like this (with heads up), and not like this (with heads down).”

If you play like you did in the last 20 minutes against Everton, will you be okay?

Roberto: “I think for the first 70 minutes we didn’t play badly. We played well. We played a good game, yes, but in the last third of the pitch we made too many mistakes. In the assist, in the last pass, the cross, in the finishing. I think we can show these values also in the last pass.”

Do the players understand the dignity factor that you mentioned?

Roberto: “Very well.”

How do you know?

Roberto: “Because I’m living just for Tottenham. I have lived the last 45 days just for one thing – Tottenham and for my players and I know them very well. Then we can make differences because not everyone is like their team-mate because the character, the level of passion, the level of personality is different because the people are different. But every one of them, they are focused on the target. They are working hard during the week and every one of us wants to achieve the goal.”

How much do you need James Maddison to play on Sunday?

Roberto: “Yes, but James Maddison can’t play more than 20 or 25. I have a medical staff behind me, I am not a doctor, I am not physical coach and I have to follow what they say, no? But I think we can stay up with James and without James.”

Can you understand why fans will be annoyed about the penalty incident, especially after the incident against Leeds?

Roberto: “The fans today have been fantastic, fantastic and we have to say thanks because they were incredible. If we speak about the penalty with Leeds, today we can speak about what you want but we lose focus and we lose energy. My focus is to stay on the pitch, to stay in the best first XI I can decide for Sunday and to transfer what I think about this game, about the football and to prepare in the best way the players. I think we played a final, we played an important game but in our stadium and we have two results out of three, so we have to stay alive but any way, it is a big day for us.”

Going into the game at Stamford Bridge two points ahead of West Ham United and with a much better goal difference, we knew one draw from our final two matches against Chelsea and Everton would pretty much do the job.

But in west London against a Chelsea side without a home win in six games, a goal in each half from Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos put the Blues in control and, although Richarlison scored from close range to reduce the deficit, we couldn’t find the goal we craved to level it up and slipped to defeat. One moment of note from the game was Richarlison’s goal – the 2,000th we have scored in our Premier League history.

With so much at stake, we needed a strong start and for the opening stages we were the better team. A defensive error almost gave us the lead when Jorrel Hato’s interception from Pedro Porro’s forward pass flew just past his own post on four minutes before a great chance followed. It was a lovely move as we switched play from left to right, Pedro Porro had time to deliver a deep cross and Mathys Tel sent his header against the post before Chelsea cleared the danger.

The home side’s first real moment of danger came on 14 minutes, Cole Palmer curling towards the far post but Antonin Kinsky made a smart diving save to his right. Just four minutes later though, they were ahead when Fernandez picked up the ball 25 yards from goal, took a touch and hit a right-footed shot which drifted away from Kinsky and hit the back of the net.

The goal lifted Chelsea and their fans as they enjoyed a good spell in the game, with Fernandez almost adding a second on the half-hour mark when his rasping free-kick from down the left side of the area hit the crossbar. We were getting the ball into the final third enough times but couldn’t really make anything count. Tel – who was looking lively down the left – did well on one occasion to work a yard of space on the left corner of the box only to blaze over with his shot. The half ended with Palmer being gifted possession 20 yards out in the centre of the pitch with time and space, but he dragged his effort wide of Kinsky’s post and we went in with work to do.

There wasn’t a great deal of goalmouth action to open the second period and it wasn’t until the 59th minute that a chance was created, Richarlison meeting Pedro Porro’s corner with a clean header but Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez gathered comfortably. That was our first effort on target in the game.

Just when we started to step up the tempo, we conceded again on 67 minutes. Randal Kolo Muani played a square pass on half-way which went straight to Palmer, he played wide to Pedro Neto whose deep cross was touched back into the middle by Fernandez and Andrey Santos was on hand to tap home.

A triple change was made straight after the goal – James Maddison, Pape Matar Sarr and Djed Spence on for Kolo Muani, Joao Palhinha and Destiny Udogie – and we pulled one back almost immediately. Marc Cucurella’s poor clearance was picked up by Pedro Porro, he eventually slid in a low cross which Sarr back-heeled to Richarlison and he tucked home our milestone goal from close range with 16 minutes left.

It was so nearly 2-2 in the 83rd minute, Richarlison and Maddison playing a lovely one-two into the area with the England midfielder in on goal, only for Hato to come across and make a goal-saving block. The final stages were tense as we threw men forward looking for the leveller, Maddison firing well over with a free-kick while Tel had two good opportunities to put dangerous balls into the box but failed to deliver. The final whistle signalled the end of another disappointing night at Stamford Bridge and now all eyes are on Sunday. We still just need a draw against Everton in N17, while the Hammers must beat Leeds United at home to stand any chance of climbing above us in the table.

Line-ups

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez, Acheampong (Chalobah 74), Fofana (Sarr 81), Hato, Cucurella, Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Palmer (Essugo 89), Enzo Fernandez (c), Neto (Garnacho 89), Delap (Mheuka 89). Substitutes (not used): Jorgensen, James, Derry, Kavuma-McQueen.

Spurs (4-2-3-1): Kinsky, Pedro Porro, Danso, van de Ven (c), Udogie (Spence 69), Palhinha (Sarr 69), Bentancur, Kolo Muani (Maddison 69), Gallagher, Tel, Richarlison. Substitutes (not used): Vicario, Dragusin, Souza, Gray, Bissouma, Bergvall.

Match data

Goals: Chelsea – Fernandez 18, Andrey Santos 67; Spurs – Richarlison 74.

Yellow cards: Chelsea – Hato, Cucurella, Delap, Essugo; Spurs – Pedro Porro, van de Ven, Udogie.

Referee: Stuart Attwell.

Venue: Stamford Bridge.

Weather: Light rain, moderate breeze, 14 degrees.

Attendance: 39,463.

Coming with just over 15 minutes left to play at Stamford Bridge, Richy was in the right place at the right time to send home Pape Matar Sarr's inventive back heel and give us new hope having trailed 2-0.

While the goal saw a milestone reached in the competition though, it paled into insignificance as we were unable to find another in the final minutes and take what would have been a very, very valuable point from west London...

Since the establishment of the Premier League back in 1992, we have now scored 2,000 goals in the competition - the fifth side to do so in the history of the league.

We scored our first Premier League goal on 22 August, 1992, with Gordon Durie opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at White Hart Lane.

Goal number 500 came nine years later as Les Ferdinand also scored an opener as we drew 1-1 with Aston Villa at Villa Park in December, 2001.

We hit goal number 1000 a decade later with Jermain Defoe on target in a 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion at the Lane in April, 2011.

Our 1,500th goal then came in November, 2018, as Juan Foyth scored his first goal for the Club to see us to a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.

Richy's strike at the Bridge has now sees us reach the milestone of 2,000 goals scored in the Premier League.

It sees him up to 12 goals for the campaign with 11 of them coming in the Premier League - his joint-best goalscoring campaign for us. He is now on 75 career Premier League goals with 27 them coming for us in 101 appearances.

Roberto De Zerbi has named an unchanged starting side for the third successive game as we face a crunch London derby in our final away game of the campaign.

There is one change amongst our substitutes as the returning Guglielmo Vicario comes in for Brandon Austin.

Starting XI: Kinsky, Danso, Palhinha, Richarlison, Tel, Udogie, Gallagher, Pedro Porro, Bentancur, van de Ven (c), Kolo Muani.

Substitutes: Vicario, Dragusin, Bissouma, Maddison, Gray, Bergvall, Spence, Sarr, Souza.

Here's how the hosts line up tonight...

Starting XI: Sanchez, Acheampong, Fofana, Hato, Cucurella, Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Palmer, Enzo Fernandez (c), Neto, Delap.

The 19-year-old defender, who has shone on loan at Hamburg this season, will be on the plane to the USA, Canada and Mexico for his first major tournament at international level, joining ex-Spurs Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic in his country’s travelling party.

The dynamic centre-back was first called up to Croatia’s senior side in June last year and has four caps to date, including a goal in a 2-1 win over Colombia in March.

Prior to that, he was a regular in the youth international age groups, all the way up to Under-21 level.

Croatia will face England, Panama and Ghana in Group L at the tournament finals.

Congratulations, Luka!

A global football icon who starred for us between 2015 and 2025, scoring 173 goals across 454 appearances and captained us to Europa League glory on that unforgettable night in Bilbao almost a year ago, Sonny continues to support us from across the pond and is rooting for us to get a positive result tonight at Stamford Bridge.

We take the Blues on in the Premier League tonight at a ground where it is well known we have endured a tough run, but Sonny is a player who does hold positive memories from the Bridge, having helped us to a win and three draws there during his time in Lilywhite, while he also scored there in 2016 in a game now coined 'The Battle of the Bridge'.

While the circumstances are different, we once again head to west London in need of a result and we will need to battle to secure it, but our iconic former number seven is full of belief that we can do it, and he'll once again be watching and cheering us on from his new home in Los Angeles, USA.

"The whole season I've been watching Spurs," he revealed in an interview with BBC Sport. "Every single game, watching the results, watching the highlights, watching the games as much as I can.

"Obviously, with the time difference (between London and LA) it is sometimes really difficult to watch the full game. But look, still, Spurs is in my heart, I'm supporting them and I hope they can do that - they can get a good result against Chelsea.

"I'm supporting from the other side of the world. I love them, I love the supporters, I love this club. I'm just sending my best wishes - all the best guys! Come on you Spurs!"

Predict the score | Chelsea vs Spurs

Named in the Austria squad for the tournament by former Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick, Kevin is set to head to his first ever World Cup.

A key part of the squad that secured qualification for the finals which are set to be hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada this summer, it will be Austria's first World Cup appearance this century with their last game at a World Cup coming at France '98.

Kevin played in all bar two of Austria's qualifying games, going unbeaten across those eight matches while he provided two assists, to help his nation win UEFA qualifying Group H.

Our number four and his side have been drawn into Group J for the tournament and will kick-off their campaign in Santa Clara, California, on 16 June when they will take on Jordan at the Levi's Stadium - home of the San Francisco 49ers.

They will then face tests against Cristian Romero's Argentina (22 June) in Texas and then Algeria (27 June) in Kansas as they aim to progress into the knockout stages.

Congratulations, Kev!