Saturday, January 18, 2025

EPL: Chelsea beat Tottenham; Arsenal face setback in title pursuit

The win also put Chelsea two points ahead of Arsenal.

• December 8, 2024
Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka (credit: Goal)
Cole Palmer and Bukayo Saka (credit: Goal)

Cole Palmer’s brace inspired Chelsea to a 4-3 comeback away win over Tottenham in a London Derby as Enzo Maresca’s side leapfrogged Arsenal to second position on the Premier League table.

The Blues found themselves behind five minutes into the game after Marc Cucurella slipped with the ball in his feet, which allowed Brennan Johnson to set up Dominic Solanke who easily found the back of the net.

Same scenario played out six minutes later after the Spanish defender slipped once again with Pedro Porro immediately laying a pass to Dejan Kulusevski from a resultant possession as the Swedish put the ball right into the tight low corner of the post.

Chelsea pulled one back in the 17th minute through loanee Jadon Sancho who beat goalkeeper Fraser Forster with a low shot into the down right corner of the net from metres outside the 18-yard box.

Unlike the first half, Chelsea started the second half stronger with much more control of the ball and eventually went on level with Tottenham in the 61st minute after Palmer scored from the spot following Yves Bissouma’s foul on Moises Caicedo in the box.

Enzo Fernandez put Chelsea in the lead for the first time in the 73rd minute when the Argentine midfielder volleyed a deflected cross from Palmer into the net.

In the 84th minute, Palmer scored again from the spot to make it 4-2 for the Blues.

Meanwhile, Son Heung Min pulled one back for Tottenham late on in injury time but the time had already passed for the hosts to salvage something from the tie as Chelsea secured the three points to go four points adrift of leaders Liverpool.

The win also put Chelsea two points ahead of Arsenal, who met an upset in the title pursuit following a 1-1 draw against Fulham on Sunday.

Raul Jimenez put Fulham ahead in the 11th minute but William Saliba cancelled it out in the second half.

Late on in the game, the Gunners thought they had secured a late winner at the Cottage after Bukayo Saka headed home a cross from Gabriel Martinelli into the far end of the box.

However, the goal was chalked off by VAR for an offside.

In the other Premier League game on Sunday, Leicester City came back from a two-goal deficit to force Brighton to a two-all draw at the King Power Stadium as Ruud van Nistelroy remains unbeaten as new manager of the Foxes.

Also, Bournemouth overturned a goal deficit to second a dramatic late 2-1 win over Ipswich Town on their home ground.

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