Match Report: Errors Costly as Chelsea Put Spurs to the Sword
Chelsea moved 7 points clear at the summit of England's top tier as goals from Samuel Eto'o, Eden Hazard and Demba Ba secured a 4-0 win over Tottenham in Saturday's late kick-off. The visitors will feel aggrieved to have come away with nothing having been more than a match for their London rivals prior to Younes Kaboul's questionable red card on the hour mark, but were made to pay for their mistakes at Stamford Bridge.
José Mourinho's side were perhaps second best in the first half as Spurs attacked with intent to secure their first win at Stamford Brige since 1990. Chelsea however made home advantage count after the break as Jan Vertonghen's calamitous back pass was pounced upon by Eto'o, who slotted past Hugo Lloris for his 7th league goal of the season. Hazard then doubled the hosts' advanatge from the spot 4 minutes later, before Ba netted a late brace to wrap up the 3 points for Chelsea.
The main talking point before kick-off was Tim Sherwood's decision to deploy both Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker on the right flank, with the sole aim of countering the attacking threat of Hazard. The winger, who had been in scintillating form, saw his impact limited early on, with the duo doubling up on the youngster ensuring his WhoScored rating reached just 6.2 in the first half.
Despite his goal, Hazard put in a performance that was more solid than spectacular as the pairing successfuly stifled his impact early on. With 42% of Chelsea's offensive touches coming on the left flank, the Belgium international was again the primary threat for the home side, further highlighted in the combined 5 tackles made by Naughton and Walker, though ultimately it wasn't enough to hamper the Blues' attack.
However, individual mistakes rather than any match-winning displays from Chelsea cost Spurs at Stamford Bridge, with Vertonghen's error for the opener 1 of 3 in a disappointing second half display for Tim Sherwood's side.
The 3 goal-inducing errors that Spurs committed is a figure that no team has topped in a single Premier League match this season. The psychological blow caused by Kaboul's red card and Hazard's subsequent penalty, coupled with Michael Dawson's injury with 20 minutes to play, proved too much for Spurs in an encounter that will undoubtedly effect the race for a top-4 finish.
Much like the win over Everton however, the result doesn't necessarily reflect the overall performance of the home side. In the first half, Chelsea endured spells where they were on the back foot, with Spurs having more shots (4 to Chelsea's 3) and enjoying more possession (55%) in the opening 45 minutes.
Yet, as expected, the hosts ended the game as the dominant outfit, with more shots (12 to 6) and a larger share of possession (54%), though 5 of Chelsea's 12 shots on goal came after the 59th minute sending off. Naturally, going down to 10-men would be hard enough for any team, but the lack of character shown by Spurs in the final 30 minutes will significantly dent their quest for a place in next season's Champions League.
With Benfica up next, Sherwood afterwards admitted they must not dwell on the defeat in west London as they look to end the campaign strongly, though the poor mentality of his players means that's easier said than done. Chelsea, however, will draw on the confidence of a thumping 4-0 win over their rivals in their pursuit of a 4th Premier League title and despite not being at their best, have taken a monumental leap towards ending the season top.
Do you think Spurs have the mental toughness to secure a top-4 finish? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
