EPL: Chelsea beat Spurs in seven-goal thriller to reach second

Chelsea's midfielder #8 Enzo Fernandez shoots the ball past Tottenham Hotspur's defender #23 Pedro Porro to score their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, on December 8, 2024. (Photograph: AFP)
Chelsea mounted a thrilling comeback from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 on Sunday, climbing to second in the Premier League thanks to two cool penalties from Cole Palmer.

Tottenham’s dream start, with goals from Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski, put under-pressure Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou in control early on. However, his bold attacking tactics came under scrutiny as Chelsea roared back to extend their unbeaten Premier League run to seven games.

Jadon Sancho’s stunning long-range strike gave Chelsea a lifeline, before Palmer’s two penalties, sandwiched around an Enzo Fernandez goal, sealed the win.

Chelsea’s victory brings them to within four points of leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand after their match against Everton was postponed due to bad weather on Saturday.

Son Heung-min’s 96th-minute goal provided little consolation for Spurs, who have now won just once in their last seven matches and remain in 11th place.

Postecoglou, already reeling from a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on Thursday, found himself at the center of an angry confrontation with Spurs fans after another lackluster performance.

Spurs have often delivered their best performances in big games this season, beating Manchester City twice and securing a 3-0 victory at Manchester United early in the campaign. However, they were caught off guard as Chelsea struggled early on.

Solanke opened the scoring by darting in at the near post to turn in Brennan Johnson’s cross. Kulusevski then added a second, curling a shot past Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez after a clever dribble along the edge of the box, giving Spurs a 2-0 lead inside the first 11 minutes.

Sancho, making his first start for Chelsea following a goal-scoring display in a 5-1 win at Southampton, quickly got his side back into the game with a brilliant strike from distance that beat Spurs keeper Fraser Forster.

The first half remained frantic, with chances at both ends. Pape Sarr’s header hit the crossbar, while Solanke missed an opportunity to extend Tottenham’s lead when he failed to convert Son’s cross. Forster made vital saves to deny Palmer and Pedro Neto from equalizing.

Both sides were fortunate to go into the break with 11 players on the field. Moises Caicedo avoided a red card for a studs-up challenge on Sarr, while Kulusevski escaped further punishment for an elbow on Romeo Lavia.

Chelsea came out firing in the second half, with Palmer playing a pivotal role. Yves Bissouma’s rash challenge on Caicedo gifted Palmer another penalty, which he confidently converted to level the score.

Palmer was also involved in Chelsea’s third, as his shot was blocked after a brilliant solo run into the box, but the ball fell to Enzo Fernandez, who blasted it into the net from the edge of the area.

Tottenham’s defensive problems were compounded when both of their starting center-backs, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, were forced off with injuries after being rushed back from fitness.

Chelsea’s fourth goal arrived in a moment of madness when Sarr fouled Palmer inside the area. Palmer made no mistake, cheekily converting the penalty with a Panenka-style finish down the middle of Forster’s goal.

Son’s late strike from James Maddison’s cross gave Spurs a glimmer of hope, but Chelsea held on for the win, leaving Postecoglou’s future in question and propelling Chelsea into the title race as unexpected contenders.