Spurs lose 3-0 as Chelsea go top of the league

It was very much a game of two halves this weekend as Tottenham Hotspur welcomed Chelsea to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for this Super Sunday clash of titans.

With news of the late, great, Jimmy Greaves passing away on Sunday morning, football fans up and down the country mourned one of the most talented strikers this country has ever seen.

4th highest goalscorer for England and the top goal scorer for Tottenham Hotspur, Jimmy Greaves left behind an inspiring legacy to many. Greaves was also considered a club hero by the Chelsea fans. The entire stadium all stood and clapped for a minute in respect of Jimmy’s memory. 

Spurs v Chelsea: A game of two halves

It was a great start by Spurs in the first half. Tottenham fans were excited to see Heung-Min Son in the starting XI after a short injury spell. The Argentines, Cristian Romero and Giovani Lo Celso were released from their quarantine in Croatia, also returning to the lineup.

Both Spurs and Chelsea came out looking for an opening goal. It was high press from the start, which lent a sense of real excitement around the Spurs stadium. Heung-Min Son looked the most lively, and creative, for Tottenham.

After a couple of Chelsea breaks, Tottenham looked to score the opening goal of the game after Son sent a beautiful pass behind the Chelsea defence to Sergio Reguilon. Reguilon had Lo Celso steaming into the box in support, he only needed to circumvent Rudiger with a ball in but alas, the seasoned Chelsea defender cut in and broke the attacking press.

Moments later, Son had a chance to convert Tottenham’s best attack of the first half but was let down by a heavy touch when the moment mattered most.

It was obvious to anyone watching that one moment of magic from Thomas Tuchel changed the momentum and character of the game at half-time. And that was the introduction of the magnificent N’Golo Kante. With him, Chelsea’s formation changed. It shocked Spurs and they simply could not adjust or provide any creative outlet to break the Chelsea backline after that.

Thiago Silva grabbed the opener from a corner. Lo Celso lost possession in his defensive third, the ball found its way from Kovacic to Kante, whose deflected effort glided past Hugo Lloris for the 2nd. Rudiger was on hand to score the 3rd after a flurry of second-half attacks.

This marks Tottenham’s second 3-0 defeat in two Premier League games following the disappointing defeat against Crystal Palace. But Spurs were without Steven Bergwijn and Lucas Moura. Both players have looked creative and fierce this season and may have made a difference in this London Derby. 

Harry Kane was extremely quiet. He’s not playing like a striker who commands a £120m+ transfer fee at the moment. This is the first time Harry Kane has failed to score in his first four opening Premier League matches since 2015. He has registered just four shots so far during the 2021/2022 Premier League season.

The Starting Line Up

GK

Lloris

DEF

Reguilon

Dier

Romero

Emerson

MDF

Hojbjerg

Alli

Ndombele

Lo Celso

Heung-Min Son

FWD

Kane

Nuno’s thoughts

In a post-match interview, Spurs manager, Nuno Espirito Santo said that,

“In the second half, the set-piece and goal changes the game. Then it becomes much harder, the game totally changed and Chelsea took control and were the better team in the second half.

“It’s difficult, but I’m proud of the first half and of all the game because we had troubles in the team and the players went to their limits.”

What’s next for Tottenham Hotspur?

Tottenham have an actioned-packed week ahead of them. Spurs are back in action against Wolves at the Molineux in the 3rd round of the league cup on Wednesday 22nd September.

Sunday, 26th September, marks the first of the North London derbies. Arsenal vs Tottenham… No words can describe how important this fixture is to both clubs.

Spurs then face N.S. Mura at home the following Thursday in the Europa Conference League, before welcoming Aston Villa to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday 3rd October.

Spurs vs Mura hospitality tickets start from just £49. However, you can also purchase the Europa Conference ‘3 Match Bundle’ and see all home group games for just £129.

It’s a busy period for Spurs, let’s see if they can get back to winning ways after a fabulous start to the season! Come on you Spurs!