Chelsea triumph over Tottenham in Premier League clash that had everything and more
A farce that sums up a lot of modern football, or one of the games of the season? It maybe sums up how confusing and contradictory this game was that it could genuinely be both. Chelseaās eventual 4-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur could have huge effects for both of their seasons too. Mauricio Pochettinoās side have got the win it feels like they have been waiting for, and that at the stadium that still means more to him than any other in football. Ange Postecoglouās scarcely believable high line with nine men and no main centre-halves did make it border-line for some time. Such a creditable approach earned the applause of the home crowd when it finally went wrong for Nicolas Jacksonās decisive second goal, but there was that unsettling feeling of momentum being undone. Spurs have not just lost their first league game under Postecoglou but also Destiny Udogie and Sergio Romero to suspensions and possibly James Maddison and Micky van de Ven to injury.
That all has the feeling of bringing down a flight that had been improbably soaring for some time.
Postecoglou could of course tell his players it was a freak game. Thatās one way of putting it. It was almost several different events in one, as we saw a spell akin to the infamous Battle of the Bridge as well as Saturdayās Copa Libertadores final, a grand staging for every debate about VAR over and over and then what amounted to a bizarre but brave training session, where Postecoglou seemingly set up the irrepressible Guglielmo Vicario against the entirety of Chelseaās young attack.
To top it off, and turn everything on its head, the previously misfiring Jackson got a hat-trick late on.
Chelsea triumph over Tottenham in Premier League clash that had everything and more
Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea: Nicolas Jacksonās hat-trick ensured Mauricio Pochettinoās men secured the points after a ridiculous encounter with Spurs
Ange Postecoglou reacts to VAR calls as Spurs earn two red cards in defeat to Chelsea
Tottenham manager, Ange Postecoglou, says he ādoes not likeā the amount of time it takes for VAR to come to their decisions in the Premier League as his teamās clash with Chelsea was disrupted several times over contentious issues.
Chelsea eventually triumphed 4-1 in the contest in north London as Spurs were shown two red cards, the first coming after a review by the video referee in which Cristian Romero was dismissed.
There were also three goals disallowed in the game and multiple checks for serious foul play which accumulated to 21 minutes of added time across both halves.
Ange Postecoglou reacts to VAR calls as Spurs earn two red cards in defeat to Chelsea
Lengthy VAR calls broke up play as Tottenham suffered their first Premier League loss of the season
FT Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino, speaking to BBC Sport: āThis is football. We won and deserved it. The technology is there and we need to accept. Many things happen on the pitch and you need to verify and check.
āLook at the game between Tottenham and Liverpool here, Tottenham won in the last minute. I think we deserve the credit. Tottenham are doing fantastic but tonight I think we were the better team.
āIt is amazing for him and really important to build confidence.
āI think 4-1 in the end we deserved the victory and the three points and it is really important because we have a really important game next with Manchester City.
āIt is clear from the beginning we didnāt have the whole squad. This momentum we need to build and on Sunday we have another opportunity to show we are in a good way.ā
FT Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea
Chelsea hat-trick hero Nicolas Jackson speaking to Sky Sports: āI am very happy and it has been a difficult time for everybody in the team. We are coming back really slowly and happy to have scored three goals. Itās my first hat-trick, so I am happy to have done it with the biggest club in England and everywhere.
āI need to always improve and work harder. We continue working. Tottenham have an amazing stadium and amazing fans, so we needed to fight and win the game.
āIt was really difficult as they continued to maintain their line [when down to 9-men]. We have quality players to give us the ball and we won. We were dreaming about winning the big games and the confidence within the team is coming really slowly.ā
FT Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou, speaking to BBC Sport: āThere was a fair bit going on, a lot of VAR intervention, a hard game for me to analyse but I am very proud of the players. Right to the end they were trying to create something for us.
āThe players couldnāt give any more than they did, part of this game is will, effort and determination and they showed that.ā
On VAR decisions and time taken to make them: āI donāt like it, it is the way the game is going. Some of it is self inflicted because if we come out every week complaining about decision that is what will happen, every decision gets forensically checked and we will be sitting around for a long time in every game trying to figure out what is going on.
āI donāt like it but I am probably in the wilderness with that because I keep getting told thatās where we want to go. I am too old school, Iāll respect the refereeās decision right or wrong. But it is the way the game is going.
On Maddison injury: āHe got a knock on the ankle, we were down one man already. It made sense to make a couple of changes at that point.ā
FT Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea
More from Ange Postecoglou on VAR decisions: āThere will be a forensic study of every decision out there, I think that is the way the game is going and I donāt like it. If you look at all that standing around we did today, maybe people enjoy that sort of thing but Iād rather see us playing football.ā
On Tottenham sending offs: āYou have to accept the refereeās decision, that is how I grew up. This constant erosion of the refereeās authority is where the game is going to get – they are not going to have any authority. We are going to be under the control of someone with a tv screen a few miles away.
āThe decision is the decision. In 26 years I have had plenty of bad decisions, I have had plenty fall in my favour. It is what it is.ā
On playing with a high line down to nine men: āIt is just who we are mate, it is who we are and who we will be for as long as I am here. If we go down to five men we will have a go.ā
FT Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou speaking to Sky Sports: āIt is pretty hard to process. It is almost impossible to analyse the game because it just seemed to get out of control for large parts of it. Disappointed by the result but really proud of the players, they gave everything and that is the positive we will take.
āWe were very close to getting an equaliser a couple of times and it shows their spirit. It was just a bridge too far today.
āI thought we started really well, scored a great goal and inches away from another. The red card affected the game, I felt like I was standing around waiting for things to happen, with VAR intervention. It felt like a lot of standing around.ā
Full-time! Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea
90+9 mins: This is the end. The score is heavily in favour of Chelsea but Tottenhamās persistance to play their way made this encounter extremely entertaining.
Ange Postecoglou suffers his first defeat as Spurs boss but heāll be proud of the players who dug deep until the end. Nicolas Jacksonās late goals put a dampener on things but the bottom line is that Mauricio Pochettinoās return to north London is a successful one.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-4 Chelsea (Jackson, 90+8ā)ā½ļø
90+8 mins: Four! Itās a very similar goal to the previous two but this time Jackson is the one sent in behind the high line. He carries the ball into the box, goes around the goalkeeper and slots it home.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-3 Chelsea (Jackson, 90+4ā)ā½ļø
90+4 mins: Thatās that.
Tottenhamās high line does for them as Conor Gallagher gets in behind again. He brings the ball into the box from the right and slots it back to Nicolas Jackson who belts it home.
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