Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham (Ziyech ’47, Silva ’55)
Hakim Ziyech was only at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon because of a falling out with Vahid Halilhodzic, the Morocco coach who deigned to leave him out of the Africa Cup of Nations against all conventional wisdom and advice.
There are indeed flaws to Ziyech’s game which have meant he has not always been a mainstay in this Chelsea side, but technique is not one of them, as Tottenham well know. It was the playmaker whose fizzing first-time shot put Ajax 2-0 up on that famous night in Amsterdam, and as Thomas Tuchel’s side inflicted a first Premier League defeat on their London rivals since Antonio Conte’s appointment, Ziyech pulled another spectacular strike out of the locker.
With time on the ball, receiving it on the edge of the box after Callum Hudson-Odoi had shrugged off a struggling Japhet Tanganga, he took a breath before lifting it into the highest corner of the net. Hugo Lloris, days after he was rewarded for his decade of service with a new two-and-a-half year contract, was powerless.
It was the perfect start to the second half, though Tottenham had spent the interval irate having thought they had taken the lead shortly before the break. With Steven Bergwijn briefly on the floor, Harry Kane capitalised on the confusion to turn and fire past Kepa Arrizabalaga. The goal was chalked off immediately, Kane having placed a faint hand on Thiago Silva and the defender vindicated in his theatrical collapse.
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Instead, Conte tried to switch to a 4-3-3, bringing on Lucas Moura and Oliver Skipp. Seconds before he could make the change, however, Eric Dier brought down Hudson-Odoi out wide and as Mason Mount whipped in the resulting free-kick – a decision which also irked Kane – Silva headed in Chelsea’s second.
There was to be no magical turnaround this time, despite a Kane header forcing Kepa into a save that appeared to injure the goalkeeper’s hand.
Painfully soon after being outclassed over two legs in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, Conte won’t have enjoyed his latest return to his old club any more.
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Chelsea
- Kepa – 6
- Azpilicueta – 6
- Thiago Silva – 6
- Rudiger – 7
- Sarr – 6
- Jorginho – 7
- Kovacic – 6
- Ziyech – 8
- Mount – 8
- Hudson-Odoi – 6
- Lukaku -6
Substitutes:
- Kante – 6
- Alonso – 6
- Saul – 6
Tottenham
- Lloris – 6
- Tanganga – 4
- Sanchez – 6
- Dier – 7
- Davies – 6
- Doherty – 5
- Hojbjerg – 5
- Winks – 6
- Sessegnon – 6
- Bergwijn – 6
- Kane – 7
Substitutes:
- Lucas – 6
- Skipp – 5
- Gil – 5
Analysis
Kane vs Silva
Kane made his way straight over to Paul Tierney to remonstrate with him at half-time over his disallowed goal. The striker’s touch looked innocuous and though Silva was running at pace, which might have been what brought him down, we are in danger of a situation where attacking players are discouraged from making any contact in the box.
i‘s verdict: Not a foul
Spurs’ line-up
Conte said beforehand that he was working with what we had when he started Ryan Sessegnon as part of his attack (not an unheard of experiment, incidentally) and fielded Matt Doherty on the left wing, with Japhet Tanganga at right-back. Aside from Mount twice tricking his way past Davinson Sanchez in the early stages, Conte’s plan did work for large spells.
“It was never going to be a beauty contest from the moment we saw Spurs’ team,” pointed out Gary Neville on commentary. After the League Cup semi-final, Conte repeatedly spoke of the gap between his side and the top teams and it was proven once again.
Respite for Tuchel
Tuchel will this week celebrate his one-year anniversary at Chelsea and while the mood has soured of late, this was a statement win and secured three points for the first time since Boxing Day.
Lo Celso’s post
In case you missed it, Giovani Lo Celso may have risked the wrath of Conte before kick-off with an Instagram post declaring he was “100 per cent in good physical condition” having been left out of the matchday squad.
Feel-good Chelsea are back
By Kevin Garside, i‘s chief sports correspondent
Though the first anniversary of Tuchel’s appointment at Stamford Bridge is still a week away, there was a celebratory feel about this occasion. Well, it was Chelsea’s first win in the Premier League since Boxing Day and went some way to easing incipient top-four anxieties.
It helped they were playing Spurs, of course. This was Chelsea’s third victory against their north London rivals this month after tucking them up easily in the Carabao Cup semi-final. Though a pot against Liverpool at Wembley would be nice and meet the need for silverware, the points bagged here were arguably of greater value.
Had Romelu Lukaku been remotely connected to the rhythm of this team Chelsea might have led inside the first minute. Lukaku’s failure to convert what was a clear chance was symptomatic of his form. That it didn’t matter tells how little Spurs offered. There was no lack of effort just design. Antonio Conte set up Spurs not to lose, a plan that had no merit once the breach came.
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