Tottenham 3 Chelsea 4: Sancho shines as Spurs fail and Maresca’s side end up second in the table

Chelsea made a brilliant comeback at Tottenham Hotspur, moving to second place in the Premier League and increasing the pressure on Ange Postecoglou.

Tottenham took an early two-goal lead thanks to Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski, but Chelsea responded brilliantly and equalized before half-time through the impressive Jadon Sancho.

Cole Palmer added two penalties after the break, with Enzo Fernandez firing a volley past Tottenham goalkeeper Fraser Forster on either side.

A late stoppage-time goal from Son Heung-min made it 4-3, but it was too little, too late and the result leaves Tottenham in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Liam Twomey, Jay Harris and Jack Pitt-Brooke analyze the key talking points from Chelsea’s 4-3 win…

Chelsea played with a confidence that bordered on arrogance

Chelsea won 4-1 at this stadium last season and somehow managed to emerge from the experience with battered, sometimes even funny characters.

Postecoglou’s volatile team Tottenham were riding high back then and appear to be on a very different path today. But the nature of this comeback at the home of their arch-rivals – when was the last time Chelsea even fought back to win a game? – ensures they get every inch of the recognition they deserve.

Chelsea under Graham Potter or interim champion Frank Lampard would probably have collapsed completely in the face of Tottenham’s early onslaught. But Enzo Maresca’s side are made of much sterner stuff and although they took advantage of their luck here at times, they felt they were on the right track to turning the tide against Spurs long before Moises Caicedo won the penalty that leveled the game brought.

Jadon Sancho brought them to life with a superb intervention in the 17th minute, silencing the home crowd with a sharp run upfield from the left and a dagger-like shot at the far post.

From then on, Chelsea applied sustained pressure, and with each extended period of defense, Tottenham’s audible fear grew.

(Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Maresca’s half-time reshuffle cemented their dominance. Romeo Lavia had produced some brilliant passes in the first 45 minutes, but the introduction of Malo Gusto and the shift of Benoit Badiashile to the left side of central defense eliminated the corridor of uncertainty that Spurs had exploited to such great effect in the opening minutes .

From then on, Chelsea played with a confidence that bordered on arrogance, pushing Spurs back and dragging them into uncomfortable areas, ultimately leading to fatal mistakes.

Fernandez’s emphatic half-volley – his third goal in four games from midfield – simply confirmed the momentum of the game and Palmer’s Panenka penalty was as brilliant as it was completely disrespectful.

Chelsea turned a devastating setback into another victory over their favorite punching bags and the question of a surprise Premier League title challenge will keep coming up.

Liam Twomey

It was painful déjà vu for Spurs fans

So far this season, Spurs have alternated between dizzying highs and painful lows. Today they achieved both in the same game. The football Tottenham played in the first 35 minutes or so was brilliant as they took an early 2-0 lead. It felt like a repeat of the 4-0 win at Manchester City last month.

But Spurs collapsed and lost 4-3. With Spurs players continually getting injured and Chelsea continually scoring, it all felt eerily similar to the 4-1 defeat in this game last November. When Palmer scored his second penalty, some Spurs fans began to boo and others began to leave.

Many fans will be wondering why Spurs are facing the same problems today as they were a year ago and whether the disparity in performance could ever be reduced to a more bearable level.

It’s all well and good playing great football at times, but this was Spurs’ seventh league defeat of the season. They have only played 15 games.

Jack Pitt Brooke

Has Cucurella recovered from his boot drama?

Premier League history was made at Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium on Sunday: for the first time in the competition’s history, a pair of football boots hung on the hook well before half-time.

There’s no telling whether Marc Cucurella would have acted so decisively had his two slips in the first 11 minutes not quickly led to goals for Tottenham, but his immediate reaction when he saw Kulusevski’s low shot sneak past Robert Sanchez was to take the boot of the attacker held up in a pained gesture towards the Chelsea dugout.

To the kiter’s credit, a fresh pair was immediately available, and the fact that Cucurella didn’t slip again supports the idea that this wasn’t just an excuse.

Tottenham’s reckless finishing was hard on Cucurella, who has been one of Chelsea’s better and more consistent players this season – but he didn’t let it dictate his play.

Cucurella had already begun to have a more positive impact as the first half progressed, passing the ball quickly and accurately to Jadon Sancho, who cut upfield from the left and scored the brilliant goal that gave Chelsea life before half-time.

In the second half, his attacking role increased as Maresca’s tactical shift forced him to move into an advanced midfield position. Tottenham struggled to track his movements and he continued to link well with Sancho on the left, where Chelsea did their best work in possession.

At the end of the game, Cucurella was exactly where he wanted to be on a match day: he was booed by the opposing supporters rather than taunted.

Liam Twomey

Even more injuries compound Tottenham’s misery

When the lineups were announced there was a surprise twist as Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero both started for Spurs. Romero only returned to full training on Friday, while Postecoglou said in the latest update on Van de Ven’s fitness that he would be back “mid-December”.

It was a big boost for Spurs, but things quickly went south when Romero went off injured shortly after Dejan Kulusevski made it 2-0 after 10 minutes. The central defender fell to the ground with his hands in front of his face. He left the field with his shirt over his head and appeared to be on the verge of tears.

(Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Van de Ven made some exceptional tackles on his return after over a month out with a thigh injury, but only lasted until the 78th minute. The Netherlands international went down and medical staff stretched his right leg, but he had to be replaced by Archie Gray. It was a bold gamble to start both, and it backfired.

To make matters worse, Brennan Johnson also suffered an injury a few minutes into the second half. The 23-year-old went down just outside Chelsea’s penalty area, tried to get up and continue but was replaced by Timo Werner.

When Maresca was able to bring Christopher Nkunku, Joao Felix, Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto off the bench, Postecoglou had to rely on Werner, James Maddison and two teenagers in Gray and Lucas Bergvall. Tottenham are stretched to the bone in their busiest period of the season. The lack of options and quality in the squad has put them in a precarious position.

Jay Harris

What’s next for Tottenham?

Thursday, December 12th: Rangers (away), Europa League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET

What’s next for Chelsea?

Thursday, December 12th: Astana (away), Conference League, 3:30pm UK, 10:30am ET

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(Top photo: Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images)