Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham match report: Relegation battle goes down to the final day

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Only needing a point to secure their Premier League status for next season, Tottenham were unable to break their eight-year Stamford Bridge winless run as they were beaten 2-1 by their London rivals Chelsea.

After 18th-placed West Ham lost their third consecutive Premier League game on Sunday, all Roberto De Zerbi’s men needed was a single point from their remaining two matches, but despite being the better side for large periods in west London, they leave with nothing and the final relegation spot will now be decided on the final weekend of the season.

For the third game in a row, De Zerbi named an unchanged starting XI, although poor individual mistakes ultimately proved costly on an evening where Tottenham once again paid the price for failing to take control of key moments.

First half: Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham

Although the visitors arrived at Stamford Bridge still hurting from their FA Cup final heartbreak, they started brightly and could easily have taken the lead inside the opening ten minutes when Mathys Tel met Pedro Porro’s cross, only to see his header bounce back off the left-hand post.

At the other end, Antonin Kinsky did well to deny Cole Palmer from the edge of the area, but the young goalkeeper was left with questions to answer soon after when Chelsea broke the deadlock through Enzo Fernandez.

With no Spurs player stepping out quickly enough to close him down, the Argentine midfielder was afforded far too much space before unleashing a fierce strike from distance, while Kinsky perhaps should have done better after failing to fully stretch his hand towards the effort.

The Blues nearly doubled their advantage before the interval when Fernandez’s curling free-kick caught everyone by surprise and rattled the woodwork, and Palmer, too, was inches away from adding a second in stoppage time as his low strike from the edge of the box flashed narrowly wide.

Second half: Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham

Richarlison was immediately involved in two huge chances, first being spared his blushes after missing from close range when the offside flag eventually went up, before Robert Sanchez saved to deny the Brazilian moments later.

However, just as Spurs looked to be building momentum, another costly mistake handed Chelsea a second goal shortly after the hour mark, with Randal Kolo Muani’s loose giveaway allowing Pedro Neto to break forward before Andrey Santos swept home Enzo Fernandez’s lay-off for his first Premier League goal.

A triple substitution that included James Maddison immediately injected fresh life into the Tottenham attack, with Richarlison pulling one back after latching onto Pape Matar Sarr’s clever backheel.

The visitors then came agonisingly close to snatching a late equaliser when Maddison found himself through on goal, only for Jorrel Hato to produce a last-ditch sliding challenge just as the midfielder attempted to lift the ball beyond Sanchez.

There was further frustration late on when Marc Cucurella bundled Micky Van de Ven over during a Tottenham corner, with referee Stuart Attwell explaining no penalty could be awarded because the ball had not yet come into play, much to the anger of the travelling support.

FT: CHELSEA 2-1 TOTTENHAM

Spurs Web man of the match: Rodrigo Bentancur

Whats next for Spurs?

This was a game Tottenham really should have won considering they generated almost 34 times the xG they managed against Chelsea in the reverse fixture. It is also worth remembering that the Blues themselves had arrived on the back of a seven-match winless run, and a visit to Dr Tottenham ultimately brought that miserable streak to an end.

Nevertheless, Spurs remain two points clear of the relegation zone and know that avoiding defeat against Everton at home on the final day of the Premier League season will be enough to secure their top-flight status.

Should West Ham beat Leeds United and Tottenham lose to Everton, however, De Zerbi’s side would suffer the unthinkable and spend next season in the Championship, and from a Spurs perspective, that simply cannot happen to a club of their size.