Match ends, Chelsea 2, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to keep them in the hunt for European football - and deal a massive blow to their London rivals' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League next season.
Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring when the defender rose to meet a Conor Gallagher free-kick with a powerful header mid-way through the first half.
There was a lengthy video assistant referee check for a possible block by Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella on Brennan Johnson in the build-up, but the goal was given.
Spurs did not create many chances and Cristian Romero had their best opportunity when he headed wide inside the six-yard-box in the first half.
But Chelsea took control in the 71st minute when Cole Palmer's free-kick from the edge of the area struck the bar and Nicolas Jackson headed the rebound into an empty net.
Victory sent Chelsea into eighth place, just two points behind Newcastle in seventh and a possible European spot.
Tottenham, meanwhile, are seven points behind Aston Villa with a game in hand in their battle for fourth place.
Their defeat means Liverpool have now clinched Champions League football in 2024-25.
Chelsea's strong home form continues
Chelsea had only lost one of their 17 previous home games in all competitions and that defeat was back in February against Wolves.
They put in another good performance here and Jackson - a constant menace to the Spurs defence - had a great chance early on when he was played through but saw his shot half-saved by Guglielmo Vicario before Micky van de Ven then cleared off the line.
Van de Ven's clearance went straight to Palmer but he could not steer the ball in from close range.
With 14 first-team players out injured and a substitute bench packed full of youngsters - the 21-year-old Cesare Casadei the oldest member - manager Mauricio Pochettino had to rely on his first XI to give him victory on his 400th game in English football.
Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke caused Tottenham plenty of problems on the counter attack but could not find the final ball to give Chelsea a third goal.
Stand-in captain Gallagher meanwhile, having set up the first goal, rewarded Chelsea supporters with a fine performance after they displayed a banner in his support before the game.
The England midfielder only has one year left on his contract and Chelsea are open to offers for him with Spurs one of the interested clubs.
Tottenham slip further behind in race for fourth
Ange Postecoglou made five changes from the side that lost the north London derby at the weekend but that did not seem to galvanise his Spurs side.
The Australian cut a frustrated figure in the first half as he tried to get his team going, with much of his frustration aimed at midfielder Yves Bissouma.
Tottenham have lost their past three Premier League games and are losing ground and hope of getting a Champions League place.
They are seven points behind Aston Villa, who would guarantee fourth place with two wins from their final three games, even if Spurs won all four of theirs.
Tottenham have also now kept just two clean sheets in their past 25 Premier League games and conceded from yet another set-piece in this match.
Player of the match
GallagherConor Gallagher
Chelsea
Avg
- Squad number23Player nameGallagherAverage rating
6.95
- Squad number3Player nameCucurellaAverage rating
6.88
- Squad number14Player nameChalobahAverage rating
6.88
- Squad number25Player nameCaicedoAverage rating
6.80
- Squad number15Player nameJacksonAverage rating
6.70
- Squad number63Player nameAcheampongAverage rating
6.68
- Squad number11Player nameMaduekeAverage rating
6.64
- Squad number10Player nameMudrykAverage rating
6.44
- Squad number42Player nameGilchristAverage rating
6.41
- Squad number31Player nameCasadeiAverage rating
6.35
- Squad number49Player nameTauriainenAverage rating
6.23
- Squad number5Player nameBadiashileAverage rating
6.22
- Squad number28Player namePetrovicAverage rating
6.10
- Squad number20Player namePalmerAverage rating
4.60
Tottenham Hotspur
Avg
- Squad number37Player namevan de VenAverage rating
4.89
- Squad number17Player nameRomeroAverage rating
4.70
- Squad number7Player nameSon Heung-minAverage rating
4.58
- Squad number23Player namePorroAverage rating
4.39
- Squad number22Player nameJohnsonAverage rating
4.39
- Squad number13Player nameVicarioAverage rating
4.38
- Squad number8Player nameBissoumaAverage rating
4.32
- Squad number21Player nameKulusevskiAverage rating
4.08
- Squad number9Player nameRicharlisonAverage rating
4.07
- Squad number29Player nameSarrAverage rating
4.06
- Squad number12Player nameEmerson RoyalAverage rating
4.01
- Squad number10Player nameMaddisonAverage rating
3.36
- Squad number30Player nameBentancurAverage rating
3.30
- Squad number5Player nameHøjbjergAverage rating
3.20
- Squad number18Player nameLo CelsoAverage rating
3.08
- Squad number11Player nameGilAverage rating
2.90
Line-ups
Chelsea
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 28Petrovic
- 42GilchristSubstituted forAcheampongat 85'minutes
- 14Chalobah
- 5Badiashile
- 3Cucurella
- 25Caicedo
- 23Gallagher
- 11Madueke
- 20Palmer
- 10MudrykSubstituted forCasadeiat 75'minutes
- 15JacksonSubstituted forTauriainenat 90+4'minutes
Substitutes
- 13Bettinelli
- 31Casadei
- 36de Souza Eugênio
- 46Sturge
- 49Tauriainen
- 54Castledine
- 63Acheampong
- 67George
- 78Dyer
Tottenham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Vicario
- 23Porro
- 17Romero
- 37van de VenBooked at 67mins
- 12Emerson RoyalSubstituted forLo Celsoat 86'minutes
- 8BissoumaSubstituted forHøjbjergat 63'minutes
- 29SarrSubstituted forMaddisonat 63'minutes
- 22JohnsonSubstituted forGilat 78'minutes
- 21Kulusevski
- 7Son Heung-min
- 9RicharlisonSubstituted forBentancurat 63'minutes
Substitutes
- 4Skipp
- 5Højbjerg
- 6Dragusin
- 10Maddison
- 11Gil
- 18Lo Celso
- 30Bentancur
- 40Austin
- 59Moore
- Referee:
- Robert Jones
- Attendance:
- 39,086
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home37%
- Away63%
- Shots
- Home16
- Away19
- Shots on Target
- Home5
- Away3
- Corners
- Home4
- Away9
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away16
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Chelsea 2, Tottenham Hotspur 0.
Post update
Attempt missed. Bryan Gil (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is too high. Assisted by James Maddison.
Post update
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Moisés Caicedo.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. Jimi Tauriainen replaces Nicolas Jackson.
Post update
Attempt missed. James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Giovani Lo Celso.
Post update
Attempt missed. Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Son Heung-Min following a fast break.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Giovani Lo Celso with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Moisés Caicedo.
Post update
Attempt blocked. James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the left is blocked. Assisted by Son Heung-Min.
Post update
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Conor Gallagher.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Bryan Gil.
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Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Benoît Badiashile (Chelsea).
Post update
Attempt saved. Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Son Heung-Min.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Guglielmo Vicario.
Post update
Attempt saved. Cole Palmer (Chelsea) left footed shot from long range on the right is saved in the top centre of the goal.
Post update
Foul by Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur).
Comments
Join the conversation
Easiest 6 pointer you're gonna get all season.
We were clueless tonight, totally lacking in idea's.
We were comfortably beaten by a Chelsea reserve team tonight.
Ange or no Ange, where do we go next?
He cost £32m... Darwn Nunez cost double and is no better, then Hojlund cost even more and goes under the radar.
Jackson can improve, but he can play.
He deserves a break, it’s his first ever season in England and they’re 5th in the league.
If them few fans thought they’d win the league or even a cup in his first year, they’d be slightly ETH sorry, deluded.
Alex Ferguson or Pep Guardiola won nothing in they’re first season in England.
Funny thing was on talkSPORT, was the normal rubbish being spouted, about the spurs, something we hear around every 2 years
We better than last year (no)
We improving (nope)
Needs another window (yeah right)
Needs more time (yeah right)
You can see what he trying to do (er nope, lose?)
Same rubbish year in year out
Always in Arsenals shadow
By the way, how many fouls a game does Kulusevski have to do in a match to get booked?
Aston Villa you are welcome - a proper European Champions club.
How? Why? On what evidence? Ludicrous.
Do the players recognise that or even care?
A football fan is not about success. You support your team whatever.
You just want the players to be 100 percent effort
Spurs players no way near that .
Spurs look like they season can't end soon enough... as poor as I've seen.
🏀
The trophy dodgers concede one goal in three on set pieces! But the BOTTLER-in-chief says: "Nah... I couldn't care less about them".
And the hysterical Spuds "fans" still love him like a Telly Tubby!
Big Ange OUT!