Chelsea climbed to fourth place within the Premier League as Enzo Fernandez sealed a 1-0 win that piled stress on beleaguered Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou on Thursday.
Fernandez’s thumping header early within the second half settled a bruising London derby at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester Metropolis and Newcastle had each received on Wednesday to knock Chelsea from fourth all the way down to sixth within the race to qualify for subsequent season’s Champions League.
However Chelsea’s response lifted them one level away from fifth-placed Metropolis and two forward of sixth-placed Newcastle.
The highest 4 are assured to achieve the Champions League, with fifth additionally more likely to safe a spot relying on the outcomes of the English golf equipment left in European competitions this season.
Chelsea, who’ve now misplaced simply certainly one of their previous 13 league video games towards Tottenham, had been removed from convincing not too long ago, with boss Enzo Maresca criticised for his cautious techniques.
Overwhelmed 1-0 at Arsenal of their final sport earlier than the worldwide break, Chelsea’s gamers had a deliberate time without work cancelled by Maresca attributable to a poor effort proven throughout an off-the-cuff match towards one of many membership’s youth sides.
The Blues had been extra dynamic towards Tottenham, however nonetheless lacked a leading edge regardless of holding on for a fifth win of their final six video games in all competitions.
For Postecoglou, it was one other dispiriting loss in a wretched season that might finish along with his sacking.
Tottenham are and not using a victory of their final 4 league matches and have received solely certainly one of their final six video games in all competitions.
The north Londoners are languishing in 14th place after a sixteenth defeat from 30 league video games.
The final time they completed as little as 14th was in 2003-04, whereas their worst last place within the Premier League period was fifteenth in 1993-94.
Tottenham followers have grown more and more pissed off with their aspect’s decline, staging a sequence of protests towards chairman Daniel Levy.
They turned on Postecoglou as effectively throughout the second half, chanting “you do not know what you are doing” on the Australian.
Tottenham’s final likelihood of ending their 17-year trophy drought and fulfilling Postecoglou’s boast that he all the time win a significant prize in his second season lies within the Europa League, the place they face Eintracht Frankfurt within the quarter-finals.
Postecoglou frustration
Chelsea nearly made the proper begin inside the primary minute when Trevoh Chalobah’s cross reached Nicolas Jackson, whose shot was saved by Guglielmo Vicario and hit Van de Ven earlier than bouncing off the submit.
The Blues had been on prime within the opening minutes and Malo Gusto’s blast flashed simply large from the sting of the realm.
Vicario needed to smother the ball on the goal-line after Fernandez tried to bundle dwelling from Cole Palmer’s deflected cross.
Maresca had urged Jadon Sancho to offer extra leading edge amid mounting criticism of the winger’s spluttering kind throughout his mortgage from Manchester United.
Sancho practically rose to Maresca’s problem with a curling effort that Vicario brilliantly tipped over.
Tottenham defender Cristian Romero pushed Levi Colwill to the bottom in a conflict that sparked a mass confrontation on the stroke of half-time.
The row appeared to fireplace up Chelsea they usually lastly made the breakthrough within the fiftieth minute.
Palmer’s cross picked out Fernandez and the Argentine powered his header previous Vicario from 5 yards.
When Postecoglou despatched on Brenan Johnson and Pape Sarr for Wilson Odobert and Lucas Bergvall, Tottenham followers taunted the Australian with derisive chants.
For a number of moments, it appeared Sarr had silenced Postecoglou’s critics as he drilled dwelling from long-range within the 69th minute.
However the aim was disallowed by VAR for Sarr’s foul on Moises Caicedo, leaving Postecoglou shaking his head in frustration.
Son Heung-min was inches away from rescuing Postecoglou within the 89th minute, just for Robert Sanchez to make an excellent save from the ahead’s close-range shot.
