Toothless Tottenham were booed off as Chelsea recorded a fifth straight win over their London rivals, with Joao Pedro’s first-half goal giving them a 1-0 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
A sorry Spurs, who could have moved second with victory, recorded the lowest expected goals (0.05xG) by a Premier League team this season and their lowest on record since Opta started collecting Premier League xG data in 2012/13.
Tottenham’s lack of creativity and spark once again proved a huge issue as the home fans showed their frustration throughout, as they watched their side fail to have a shot on target in the second half.
Loud boos greeted the full-time whistle as Chelsea deepened Spurs’ home woes, with Thomas Frank’s side suffering a 12th loss in their last 19 league games at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp believed it was “one of the worst performances” he has seen from Tottenham.
Chelsea, who move into the top four, will feel they should have won by a greater margin after Joao Pedro powered in a 34th-minute opener.
The Brazilian had the outstanding Moises Caicedo, whom Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher labelled a “monster in midfield”, to thank for ending his 10-game goal drought for club and country as the Ecuadorian robbed Micky van de Ven of the ball to superbly tee up Pedro.
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Moisés Caicedo wins possession before squaring it in the box to Chelsea striker Joao Pedro, who scores in their Premier League match against Spurs.
The goal came after Xavi Simons, brought on in the seventh minute as a concussion change for Lucas Bergvall, sold Van de Ven short. The £51m signing, who was linked with Chelsea in the summer, struggled to recover – and his evening got worse as he was substituted off in the 73rd minute.
A miserable Spurs were fortunate not to concede a second in stoppage time as Chelsea substitute Jamie Gittens and Pedro missed glorious chances.
Enzo Maresca’s side, though, comfortably saw out the win for a fourth straight away victory in all competitions that puts them fourth in the Premier League and level on points with third-placed Spurs.
Maresca: A big derby win
Cheslea boss Enzo Maresca speaking to Sky Sports:
“Yeah. Was a good performance for sure. Spurs look very very good. You need this kind of performance to win.
“I think you have to be brave on the ball and off the ball. Off the ball we were good but on the ball we create many chances. We are very happy, for us, for the fans – it’s a big derby, and we move on.
On the perforamnce of Caicedo:
“He’s top. He’s up there with Rodri as one of the best defensive midfielders, probably in the world.
“In England, 1-0 is not a finished game. We could have scored one or two more and it would have been a lot more relaxed for us. But a win against Tottenham, clean sheet, and we’re happy.”
Analysis: Caicedo is a beautiful monster
Moises Caicedo dispossesses Pape Matar Sarr
Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones:
Sometimes this job is a real privilege. Watching Moises Caicedo up close was a real thrill – even the Tottenham fans would have to agree. This was a performance that showcased everything you want from a world-class midfielder. Tenacious, intelligent, full of quality and affecting the game in the final third. Jamie Redknapp called him “world class, perhaps the best of his type in world football.”
It’s hard to argue.
The £115m price tag had seemed to hang around his neck like a glittering weight in his early days at Chelsea but we’re now seeing the player that bulldozed opposition players at Brighton.
There’s something N’Golo Kanté-esque about him, not just in engine or energy, but in humility. He doesn’t crave the spotlight, he craves the ball. And when he gets it, the whole game dances to his tune. Xavi Simons looked almost frightened at times to dribble near the Chelsea enforcer such was the domination in the duels.
He has that fear factor now. And that’s one of the main reasons why he’s the best in the world at what he does.
Analysis: Sanchez shows how to stop Spurs
Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones:
To beat Tottenham looks simple at the moment: defend set pieces properly and you’re onto a winner. Chelsea, who before this game had conceded the most expected goals from set pieces this season, stood up and were counted against the Spurs set-piece machine that had blown away Everton last weekend.
Enzo Maresca’s side didn’t concede a single shot from set-piece situations as Robert Sanchez commanded his area like he was the king of the skies. Yes, Spurs’ delivery was unusually poor but the goalkeeper time-after-time took the pressure off his defenders by coming to catch and purposefully punch clear high balls. In a season where being able to defend your box under pressure from dead balls counts for a lot, Chelsea took a huge step in the right direction with this resolute defensive showing.
Opta stats: Chelsea spook Spurs yet again
Chelsea have lost just one of their last 18 games against Tottenham in all competitions (W14 D3), winning each of the last five in a row since a 2-0 loss in February 2023.Tottenham have won just three of their last 19 home Premier League games (D4 L12), with no ever-present side winning fewer home matches during this period (since 10th November 2024 – level with West Ham).Tottenham have lost three consecutive Premier League London derbies on home soil for the first time since April 2004, with the third defeat in that run also coming against Chelsea.Only Wolves (4) have made more errors leading to opposition goals than Tottenham in the Premier League this season (3 – level with Man Utd, Nottingham Forest & Fulham).
