Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham: Spurs win at Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2018

From a Mateus Fernandes corner, Mike Penders punched the ball into his own net under pressure from Jan Paul van Hecke (77th). Three minutes later Cole Palmer, already booked, stepped on Conor Gallagher’s ankle and picked up a second yellow. On 87 minutes Mathys Tel won the ball in his own half, ran the length of the pitch and finished low inside the near post. Chelsea lost 2-0.

Tottenham were on top: 70 per cent of possession in the first half, and decisive saves from Antonin Kinsky from Palmer, Henderson and Rogers. Without the injured João Pedro, Chelsea had no recognised striker: Morgan Rogers led the line and 19-year-old Geovany Quenda made his first start. For Spurs, James Maddison went off injured early in the second half.

Eight years without a win, and a calm manager

The day before, Roberto De Zerbi had brushed the history aside. “I was not the Tottenham coach in the last seasons. We have already many problems and this is not a problem,” he told The Guardian, and he had called the poor run an extra motivation. The numbers explain his calm: one win in 36 league visits to Chelsea (Sky Sports), two in 42 matches in all competitions (The Guardian), none since 2018.

Palmer’s red card split the pundits. On Sky Sports, Gary Neville felt the forward had “lost his head”, having earlier escaped a straight red for a movement towards Fernandes’ head; ESPN called the decision harsh, with no real intent. The club milestone is cold arithmetic: Chelsea’s 100th Premier League red card, the third team to reach the mark after Everton (113) and Arsenal (110).

What it changes

Tottenham, still 17th, now sit three points clear of the relegation zone; Chelsea stay fourth. Both clubs play again on 31 October: Chelsea host Manchester United, Tottenham welcome Crystal Palace.

My pick for this derby is a loser: Chelsea to win at 1.755 with 1xbet, 0.25 units, $25 gone, with the closing price drifting out to 1.93. The pre-match read stays in the derby preview, and the line is counted in the public record. 18+. Only bet what you can afford to lose.