Tottenham suffered a 4-3 home defeat to Chelsea in Sunday’s Premier League clash. Here's a breakdown of the match and player performances:
Ange Postecoglou made four changes, including the returns of Cristian Romero from a toe injury and Micky van de Ven from a hamstring issue. Surprisingly, the two started together in defense. James Maddison moved to the bench, Dejan Kulusevski took a deeper midfield role, and Son Heung-min and Pedro Porro returned to the lineup. Spurs remained without Guglielmo Vicario, Richarlison, Wilson Odobert, Mikey Moore, and the suspended Rodrigo Bentancur, while Ben Davies joined the injured list after a hamstring problem in the Bournemouth game.
The match started quickly, with Dominic Solanke scoring in the fifth minute after Brennan Johnson capitalized on a slip by Marc Cucurella. Just five minutes later, Dejan Kulusevski doubled Spurs' lead with a well-taken strike after another Cucurella error. However, Spurs lost Romero to injury just 15 minutes in, and Chelsea responded when Jadon Sancho fired a precise shot off the post to make it 2-1.
Chelsea equalized on the hour mark when Yves Bissouma fouled Moises Caicedo in the box, conceding a penalty that Cole Palmer converted. Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea ahead shortly after, reacting to a deflection in the box, and Palmer added a second penalty following a foul by Pape Matar Sarr. Son Heung-min pulled one back in stoppage time from a Maddison assist, but it was too late.
Player Ratings:
Fraser Forster (7): Couldn’t stop Sancho's goal or either penalty but made some impressive saves, including a reaction stop from Sancho and a long-range Gusto shot.
Pedro Porro (6): Solid blocks but left Fernandez unmarked for Chelsea's third. Worked hard until the end.
Cristian Romero (5): Forced off after 15 minutes on his return from injury.
Micky van de Ven (6): Made a surprising return but had to play longer due to Romero's exit. Subbed late, hopefully just with cramp.
Destiny Udogie (6): Strong in the first half but struggled defensively in the second.
Pape Matar Sarr (4): Hit the crossbar with a header but gave away the decisive penalty with a reckless challenge.
Yves Bissouma (3): Poor in possession and gave away a penalty. His fifth yellow card means he’ll miss the next match.
Dejan Kulusevski (7): Scored Spurs’ second with a precise low strike but faded as the game progressed.
Brennan Johnson (6): Assisted Solanke’s goal and Kulusevski’s strike but was subbed off early in the second half.
Dominic Solanke (7): Opened the scoring with a strong finish and showed his quality when given chances in the box.
Son Heung-min (7): Worked hard, delivered good set pieces, and scored late from Maddison’s pass.
Substitutes:
Radu Dragusin (6): Made a crucial block and was generally solid.
Timo Werner (5): Struggled to create opportunities after coming on.
Archie Gray (N/A): Played in central defense briefly late on.
James Maddison (N/A): Provided the assist for Son's goal after coming off the bench.
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