Rain lashed down, tempers boiled, and Tottenham pulled off something they’d almost given up on. Spurs won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, only their second league win there in 36 years, and they did it against a Chelsea side that lost its head and then a man.
Palmer sees red, twice over
Cole Palmer’s night went wrong fast. He was booked for barging into Mateus Fernandes, then picked up a second yellow for a late challenge on Conor Gallagher. Both cards came within nine minutes, either side of Tottenham’s opener, and the second one, in the 80th minute, sent him off. It was a miserable evening for Xabi Alonso’s side.
Penders’ nightmare
Spurs took the lead in the 77th minute thanks to a huge slice of luck. Mike Penders was making his first league start in goal because Emi Martinez had broken his jaw against Everton. He jumped for a corner under pressure from Jan Paul van Hecke and punched the ball into his own net.
Tel finishes it
With Chelsea reeling, Mathys Tel made sure. In the 87th minute he ran from the halfway line and drove a low shot in from 25 yards.
Why it matters
Tottenham had won just one of their previous 36 league visits to this ground, with 11 draws and 24 defeats. That one win came on 1 April 2018, when Pochettino’s Spurs beat Conte’s Chelsea 3-1. The win before that was on 10 February 1990, when Terry Venables’ side won 2-1 in the old Division One.
Spurs have now won two games in a week, after their first league victory of the season, a 3-1 home win over Coventry City on Monday. They move up to 12th. This win was unexpected, given their record here, but they deserved it.
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