Oliver Skipp scored a stunner to help Tottenham produce one of the close football scores of the weekend in the Premier League. Chelsea had beaten their opponents without surrendering a goal in all three previous Premier League encounters at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but they seldom threatened – producing an expected goals total of just 0.41 – to maintain that record as they delivered another dreadful performance. The west Londoners have now won only once in their previous 11 matches in all competitions, scoring only four goals in that period, and have not won an away encounter since October 16.
Chelsea’s chances of ending that run appeared to be jeopardised when Hakim Ziyech was sent off in first-half stoppage time for a shove on Emerson Royal’s face, but referee Stuart Attwell overturned the red card after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor. But the visitors were unable to take advantage of the reprieve, and they fell behind moments later when Skipp thumped the ball past Kepa Arrizabalaga for his first Tottenham goal, before the hosts sealed a crucial victory for their top-four hopes when Harry Kane turned home a corner at the far post eight minutes before full-time.
The message from Chelsea following last weekend’s humiliating home defeat to bottom-flight Southampton was that Todd Boehly and his fellow owners remained confident in Potter. Nevertheless, following yet another drab performance, this time against a club many Blues fans regard as their main adversary, it’s difficult to see how that support won’t be severely challenged in the coming days. Potter has now won just nine of his 26 Premier League matches as Chelsea manager since taking over from Brighton in September, and their defeat in north London is their longest run without an away win in the Premier League in 22 years.
The Blues were dealt an early blow when Raheem Sterling’s penalty appeal after a challenge from Skipp was denied, and Spurs nearly took the lead when Wesley Fofana diverted Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s drive from the edge of the box onto the post. The Morocco winger was subsequently at the heart of a lengthy and perplexing chain of events, with Attwell dismissing him after many minutes of deliberation among the officials until the referee altered his judgment after rewatching the incident.
That had been the most dramatic moment in a lackluster first half, but Skipp ensured the second half would not follow suit by taking advantage of Enzo Fernandez’s poor clearing to drill a shot past Kepa – his first goal in 67 outings for Spurs. Spurs comfortably kept their rivals at arm’s length, and Kane’s easy finish after being left unmarked in the area finished a superb afternoon’s work that puts the north Londoners in fourth place, four points ahead of fifth-placed Newcastle.
“Chelsea is dissatisfied with the findings. I accept full responsibility for those outcomes. I believe the guys gave it their all; it’s just that scoring changes the complexion of the game, which made it difficult for us. If the results aren’t good enough, as they aren’t right now, you can’t rely on help indefinitely,” Chelsea head coach Graham Potter said. “There is always that question, and you can’t stop the questions, and as long as the outcomes are what they are, I accept it – it’s part of the process. We were talking about viewing the Arsenal All or Nothing before the game, and two years into Mikel’s reign, he’s on the verge of being fired, and people want him out, and it’s a disaster. Obviously, things have changed little, but that is the way it is.”
“Look at Jurgen Klopp’s situation: they [Liverpool] haven’t gotten the results yet, and now everyone wants him out. That’s just the nature of football, and obviously, I haven’t done enough at this club to warrant too much trust, which I accept. My job is to make sure that doesn’t happen,” he added. “I get the question and completely see where it comes from, and all I can do is try to focus on helping the team and supporting the players because I really enjoy them. They’re wonderful lads who want to do better and win, but we’re suffering right now, and that’s my fault.”
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