toptop
Thomas
Tuchel and Antonio Conte were both sent off as tempers flared after Harry Kane's
last-gasp equaliser earned Tottenham the unlikeliest of points in a pulsating
2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Conte and Tuchel had already been booked for a face-to-face altercation in the
aftermath of Spurs' first equaliser, scored by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (68), but
came to blows after Kane had risen unmarked to head below-par Spurs level for
the second time in the 96th-minute.
The managers had to be separated before being shown red cards as this
notoriously fiery derby on a scorching hot day in the capital spilled over in
the most captivating of endings.
Kalidou Koulibaly's thumping volley (19) had given Chelsea a deserved lead after
a dominant first-half display, but Spurs somehow stayed in contention and
equalised when Hojbjerg's drilled shot punished Jorginho's error in the penalty
area.
Conte's exuberant celebration outside of his technical area angered Tuchel and
the Chelsea boss responded when Reece James (77) restored the hosts' lead,
streaking past the forlorn Italian and down the touchline in to celebrate with
the Chelsea fans.
Tuchel looked to have had the last laugh but, with Chelsea seconds away from
successive Premier League victories, Kane's dramatic stoppage-time equaliser lit
the fuse for the final confrontation between the coaches.
How Spurs snatched unlikely Chelsea point
Just three points separated third-placed Chelsea and fourth-placed Tottenham
last season but after a decisive summer recruitment drive and resounding
opening-day win over Southampton, Spurs travelled across the capital confident
of bridging the gap and securing only their second-ever Premier League victory
at Stamford Bridge.
There were early glimpses of the attacking threat possessed by the visitors but,
in the sweltering west London heat, Spurs withered as Tuchel's tactical
masterclass allowed Chelsea to take hold, with the majestic Jorginho and N'Golo
Kante anchoring a fluid and threatening 3-4-3 formation which Spurs simply could
not get to grips with.
The outstretched leg of Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris prevented Kai Havertz from
firing Chelsea into a deserved lead on 19 minutes, but the deadlock was broken
seconds later when Koulibaly was afforded the freedom of the penalty area and
emphatically volleyed Marc Cucurella's corner home.
Chelsea's dominance continued through to the interval but a second goal eluded
them, with Koulibaly and Mason Mount firing over in quick succession.
It would have been impossible for Spurs not to improve on their disjointed
first-half performance after the break, but progress was laborious, with Kane
feeding Heung-Min Son in behind within minutes of the restart only for Chelsea
goalkeeper Edouard Mendy to smother the South Korean's scuffed shot.
Chelsea should have had their second soon after but Raheem Sterling blazed over
the bar after Ruben Loftus-Cheek waltzed his way into the Spurs area. Seconds
later, Kane passed up a glorious opportunity to equalise, scuffing wide after
evading the offside trap.
Tempers flared when Spurs equalised through Hojbjerg, who rifled home after
Jorginho needlessly dithered on the ball in his area, with Conte's exuberant
celebration sparking a head-to-head clash between him and Tuchel.
Havertz volleyed wide from James' inch-perfect cross when he should have
restored Chelsea's lead, but the hosts' pressure finally told when Sterling
shifted the ball onto James to fire first-time into the Tottenham net.
Chelsea were then denied victory as Kane glanced home in the dying seconds
sparking the melee between Tuchel and Conte, who refused to let go of each other
after shaking hands while walking in opposite directions and were dismissed by
referee Anthony Taylor in the final act of a captivating derby.
Tuchel: It got heated, but red card not necessary
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel: "When you shake hands I thought we look into each
other's eyes but we had a different opinion so it was emotional. He was happy
when they equalised, and it got a bit heated but nothing big. We both got a red
card? It was not necessary. But a lot of things were not necessary. Another poor
decision from the referee today.
"It's emotional. You like it. We don't need comments now. It was heated up and
heated up. Just look at it. It's the Premier League, it's the game. You love it,
no? We love it. We are emotional coaches."
Rare Spurs moment to savour - Opta stats
- Despite conceding in injury time, Chelsea remain unbeaten across their last
eight Premier League encounters with Tottenham, taking 20 points from a possible
24 in this fixture (W6 D2).
- Tottenham have won just one of their last 38 away matches against Chelsea in
all competitions (D13 L24), a 3-1 win in April 2018 in the Premier League.
- Chelsea have conceded more goals at home than any other team in the Premier
League since the start of April (14 in seven matches). The Blues have conceded
in the 90th minute in three of their last six home Premier League matches, as
many as in their previous 75 league games at Stamford Bridge combined.
What's next?
Tottenham host Wolves in the Premier League on Saturday at 12.30pm, before
Chelsea travel to Leeds United on Super Sunday at 2pm - live on Sky Sports
Premier League.
Click Here For Official Team Sheet
Teams
Chelsea Mendy, James, Silva, Koulibaly, Loftus-Cheek, Kante
(Gallagher 85), Jorginho (c) (Azpilicueta 73), Cucurella, Mount, Sterling
(Pulisic 84), Havertz (Broja 90)
Subs Not Used Kepa, Chilwell, Chalobah, Hudson-OdoiZiyech
Booked James, Mendy, Havertz
Sent Off Tuchel 90+8
Goals Koulibaly 19, James 77
Tottenham Hotspur Lloris (c), Romero, Dier, Davies, Royal
(Moura 82), Hojbjerg, Bentancur (Bissouma 79), Sessegnon (Richarlison 57),
Kulusevski, Kane, Son (Perisic 79)
Subs Not Used Forster, Doherty, Sanchez, Tanganga, Gil
Booked
Sent Off Conte 90+8
Goals Hojbjerg 68, Kane 90+6
Attendance 39,946
Referee Anthony Taylor
VAR Mike Dean