All good things must come to an end, and on Monday evening in London, Premier League contenders Tottenham Hotspur’s unbeaten run came to a screeching halt. Manager Ange Postecoglou suffered his first top-flight defeat in England since joining the club from Scottish Premiership champions Celtic in the summer. Spurs lost 4-1 at home to Chelsea in a thrilling contest.
The game was another great advert for Premier League soccer and a timely reminder of why the EPL is considered the best club soccer division in the world. With five goals, two red cards, a penalty, and a hattrick for Blues star Nicolas Jackson, Monday’s London derby had it all. Spurs entered hoping to make home advantage count and grab a ninth win of the campaign that would’ve moved them above last season’s champions, Manchester City, and into pole position. Instead, the defeat to neighbors Chelsea saw Spurs remain in second.
They may have lost the battle, but the war rages on, and everyone connected to the north London club hopes Ange will return his side to winning ways as soon as possible. They remain on the coattails of a supremely talented City, and oddsmakers working at the leading gambling apps believe there’s still plenty of life left in this campaign. Whether you’re online betting in California or gambling in Las Vegas, the top sportsbooks believe Tottenham remains a threat.
Spurs strike first
They may have ended on the losing side more than 90 minutes later. Still, when Dejan Kulusevski’s deflected shot hit the net to put Spurs ahead, it seemed the challengers would dismantle another high-ranking opponent. With confidence in the camp and a 1-0 lead inside six minutes, all was good in the home dugout as Postecoglou instructed his players to continue with their high press and attacking soccer.
It was getting results, too, with Chelsea pinned back in their half, looking to capitalize on any mistakes by hitting on the break. But regular followers know the Premier League rarely follows a script, especially on Monday evenings. Cristian Romero was sent off for the fourth time since joining Spurs, conceding a penalty that was gratefully dispatched by summer signing Cole Palmer to get the Blues level.
With the game locked at 1-1, as the teams emerged for the second half, it was likely that Postecoglou would aim to shut up shop and defend a draw with ten men or go for the jugular and attack Chelsea. He chose the latter, and things were going well until they dropped to nine men with 10 minutes played in the second half. Destiny Udogie was sent packing following a reckless challenge on Raheem Sterling, forcing the referee to brandish a second booking and another red.
With two extra men and their opponents continuing to play a high press, Chelsea took full advantage. They went ahead thanks to a goal from Jackson on 75 minutes, and the same player finished the game as a contest with a quickfire double in stoppage time.
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What the managers said
Pundits were stunned by Monday evening’s game, with several ex-players saying it was an incredible contest and unlike anything they’d ever seen before. With five goals and two players sent off, it was a fascinating near-100 minutes of Premier League action. The final scoreline flattered Chelsea as it looked for long periods like Spurs would make it 2-2 before the Blues went 3-1 on the break and then pulled clear, putting the game to bed with late goals.
It goes down as a much-needed win for the struggling blues, but Spurs’ never-say-die-attitude captured the imagination of neutrals everywhere. Despite the plaudits, Tottenham lost the game, and some fans thought the manager should’ve instructed his nine men to defend and limit the damage. Did Ange agree? Not judging by his post-match interview with the media.
Speaking to the press, the Premier League’s first Australian manager credited his players, saying the nine men couldn’t have worked any harder. On learning from the loss and being more defensive after losing a player, Ange smirked; that’s not the way we do things, mate.
What we learned
Despite their gung-ho attitude and battling performance, when the dust settles, everyone at Tottenham will know they lost the game and missed the chance to go top of the league. A home game against Chelsea isn’t a guaranteed win for any team in world soccer, but the Blues are struggling, and Spurs were favorites to win on their patch.
The home defeat to Chelsea took Spurs season tally to eight wins, two draws, and a defeat, scoring 23 goals and conceding 13. When comparing those numbers to the teams around them in the division, Tottenham is the joint-lowest scorer in the top seven, and they’ve conceded the most goals in the top four. The loss of Harry Kane is beginning to take its toll on the Spurs attack, and fans can only dream of where they’d be with Super Harry leading the line this season.
Tottenham now has 26 points against their name, one point less than leaders and defending champions Manchester City. Liverpool is third on the list at 24 points, which is the same as fourth-place Arsenal before we drop to Aston Villa at 22 points. Chelsea is down in 11th, with their stats showing four wins, three draws, and four defeats. The 15 points collected means they’re five behind Newcastle and a place in the Premier League top six.
Updated betting odds
The leading sportsbooks shuffled their pack following Monday’s game and now have Man City as the red-hot betting favorites ahead of Liverpool and Arsenal, with Spurs the fourth most likely winner of the league, according to the betting.
Traders fail to give Ange’s team the credit they deserve for their early good work, and despite being second in the league and the last team to suffer defeat, they dropped to fourth in the betting. That’s a surprise and will likely catch the eye of soccer value-hunters.
