Chelsea feel the Blues as Spurs refuse to lose

Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea were denied victory late on in an entertaining 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge. In the process, Spurs ended a run of three visits to Stamford Bridge without a goal.

Chasing a fifth consecutive PL victory for the first time in almost four years, Spurs came into the game in high spirits. However, having failed to win an away London derby last season, Chelsea’s 19th-minute opener could come as little surprise. The Blues dominated the early exchanges, eventually culminating in a Marc Cucurella corner that was volleyed home thunderously by Kalidou Koulibaly for his first Chelsea goal. As the half progressed, the home side remained in control, coming closest to doubling their lead when Jorginho’s clipped ball into the box narrowly evaded the head of Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Tottenham had produced very little in the way of attacking threat in the first period, but offered travelling fans a glimpse when Harry Kane’s searching ball nearly resulted in a clear opening for Son Heung-min. Nevertheless, the home side remained firmly on top and could have pulled further ahead after Loftus-Cheek’s run ended with Raheem Sterling blazing over from close range. That miss almost proved costly seconds later when Kane found himself through on goal, but uncharacteristically dragged his effort wide.

As is customary whenever these two sides meet, tempers inevitably flared. Kai Havertz was seemingly fouled by Rodrigo Bentancur, enraging the Chelsea forward, before Pierre-Emile Højbjerg drove a low shot past Edouard Mendy to equalise at the other end. A ruckus ensued on the touchline, but ultimately, Spurs had their elusive equaliser. Given their dominance, Tuchel’s side could feel rightly aggrieved, especially after Havertz missed a golden opportunity minutes later. With time ticking away, Sterling found Reece James in acres of space following a swift transition, leaving the England defender with a simple task to restore his side’s lead.

There was no shortage of desire from either side as the FT whistle approached, and the drama continued when Kane got his head on a stoppage-time corner to snatch a point at the death. The result means Tottenham end a run of seven meetings against the Blues without a win.