Nicolas Jackson of Chelsea scores the group’s fourth objective for his hat-trick through the Premier League match in opposition to Tottenham at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 6, 2023 in London, England
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Tottenham’s gamers misplaced their heads and the remaining unbeaten file within the English Premier League.
A late hat trick by Nicolas Jackson sealed a 4-1 victory for Chelsea in a chaotic London derby on Monday that includes two pink playing cards — to Tottenham defenders Cristian Romero and Future Udogie — 5 disallowed objectives and a maverick tactical strategy by Spurs supervisor Ange Postecoglou in his unlikely bid to outlive with 9 males.
Jackson broke the resistance of Tottenham together with his three objectives from the seventy fifth minute, settling a frantic recreation that defied logic at occasions as hosts survived for some time regardless of enjoying a excessive defensive position following the sending-offs of Romero within the thirty third and Udogie within the fifty fifth.
“It’s fairly arduous to course of,” Postecoglou mentioned. “It is nearly unimaginable to research the sport as a result of it simply appeared to get uncontrolled.” Dejan Kulusevski gave Tottenham a flying begin by scoring off a deflected shot within the sixth minute, just for the derby to show fiery amid a blaze of untamed challenges and loopy incidents.
Amidst all of the insanity, Cole Palmer equalized from the spot after Romero conceded a penalty — and earned a fourth pink card in 2 1/2 years at Tottenham — for a harmful lunge on Argentina teammate Enzo Fernandez.
And when Udogie collected a second yellow card, Tottenham confronted an uphill battle to protect its undefeated begin to the season.
Chelsea initially didn’t get previous Tottenham’s courageous however presumably naïve excessive line however did so finally to devastating impact. Jackson’s closing two objectives got here deep into stoppage time to clinch a memorable win for visiting supervisor Mauricio Pochettino on his return to the membership he coached from 2014-19 and led to a Champions League closing.
Postecoglou had no regrets relating to his techniques whereas his group was all the way down to 9 males, saying: “It’s simply who we’re. It’s who we’re and who we might be for so long as I’m right here.
“If we go down to 5 males, we could have a crack.”
It left Manchester Metropolis, the defending champion, some extent away from second-placed Tottenham after an eleventh spherical of video games that noticed Liverpool and Arsenal, the opposite groups within the high 4, additionally fail to win.
The primary half, particularly, was mayhem.
Except for the 2 objectives and the pink card to Romero, there have been 4 disallowed objectives, game-ending accidents to Tottenham gamers James Maddison and Micky van de Ven, yellow playing cards to Postecoglou for complaining and Udogie for a flying two-footed lunge, a free-for-all sparked by a scuffle between Chelsea’s Levi Colwill and Tottenham’s Pape Sarr, and 12 minutes of stoppage time.
Romero additionally prevented punishment for kicking out at Colwill off the ball, just for the World Cup winner to see pink a couple of minutes later. Together with the 4 pink playing cards, he has additionally had 26 yellow playing cards in his time at Spurs.
The sport was paying homage to the so-called “Battle of the Bridge” between the groups on the finish of the 2015-16 season, when Tottenham’s title hopes evaporated at Stamford Bridge.
There was additionally the denouement of a match between the rivals on the similar stadium early final season when respective managers Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte pushed one another after failing to shake palms on the closing whistle.
This match might be remembered for what occurred on the sphere, and particularly Postecoglou’s try to win the sport fairly than simply maintain on for a draw.
“I’m very happy with the gamers,” the Australian coach mentioned. “Proper to the top, they have been attempting to create one thing for us.
“The gamers could not give any greater than they did. A part of this recreation is will, effort and willpower they usually confirmed that.” In the end, Tottenham must maintain its sturdy begin to the season with out its two first-choice central defenders for some time, with Udogie additionally suspended for the journey to Wolverhampton on Saturday and an damage concern to star playmaker Maddison.
It was a primary profession hat trick for Jackson, a Senegal striker who has had a tricky first few months within the league after his summer time transfer from Villarreal.
His ending potential has typically been criticized however he took his objectives nicely, albeit from shut vary after Chelsea broke the offside entice at will by the top. His hat trick-clinching objective noticed him run via on objective from Palmer’s cross, sit down goalkeeper Vicario with a shimmy, after which spherical him to faucet into an empty web.
“This may construct his confidence,” Pochettino mentioned of Jackson. “I hope this hat trick permits him to play extra relaxed and play with the arrogance he wants.”
