Tottenham’s fight against relegation will go to the final day of the Premier League season after they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Chelsea on Tuesday evening. A late Richarlison strike wasn’t enough to maintain their four-game unbeaten run, as Roberto De Zerbi’s men couldn’t build on their recent form against fellow Londoners.
Spurs began the match with plenty of intent, coming close to an early lead when Mathys Tel met Pedro Porro’s cross at the far post, only to see his header rebound off the frame. Chelsea gradually found their footing, and after Antonin Kinsky parried away a Cole Palmer effort, the Spurs goalkeeper was beaten shortly afterwards by an Enzo Fernandez thunderbolt from distance that found the bottom corner.
Fernandez remained a constant threat and went close to doubling the advantage when his curling free-kick struck the bar. Palmer also had a chance before the break, dragging a shot wide as Spurs struggled to wrestle back control.
Tottenham pushed for a way back into the game after half-time, with Richarlison heading straight at Robert Sanchez. Chelsea then made the match more comfortable when Andrey Santos tapped in from close range following a well-weighted Fernandez lay-off.
Richarlison gave the visiting fans renewed belief shortly after, prodding home from the back post after Pape Matar Sarr’s flick. However, Spurs couldn’t manufacture a leveller in the dying stages, and now need at least a point against Everton on the final day to secure their top-flight status.
Player Ratings
Antonin Kinsky (5/10)
Made a fine stop to keep out Palmer early on but was slow to react to Fernandez’s opener. Dealt with aerial deliveries well throughout.
Pedro Porro (5/10)
Offered plenty going forward down the right and played a part in Richarlison’s goal, though he was defensively exposed on a number of occasions.
Kevin Danso (6/10)
Held his own physically against Delap and kept his composure through several testing moments at the back.
Micky van de Ven (5/10)
Comfortable with the ball at his feet and good at driving forward, but defensive lapses allowed Chelsea to exploit space at times.
Destiny Udogie (5/10)
Attempted to combine with Tel on the left side but too frequently chose the wrong option in advanced positions.
Midfield
Joao Palhinha (4/10)
Put in a committed shift but was often a yard off the pace, most notably in the build-up to Santos’ goal.
Rodrigo Bentancur (5/10)
Should have pressed Fernandez more aggressively before the opening goal. Otherwise kept the ball moving but offered little going forward.
Conor Gallagher (5/10)
Brought energy on his return to Stamford Bridge but couldn’t translate that into quality when it mattered in attack.
Attack
Randal Kolo Muani (3/10)
Showed early promise against Cucurella but his decision-making and final ball were consistently poor. A stray pass just before he was replaced contributed directly to Chelsea’s second.
Richarlison (5/10)
Put in a hard-working display and capped it with a late goal to give Spurs a flicker of hope.
Mathys Tel (7/10)
Spurs’ standout attacker on the night. Unlucky not to open the scoring and contributed meaningfully without the ball as well.
