HOT SPURS RUN RIOT!
Chelsea’s unbeaten record demolished at Wembley
AS night closed over Wembley and Chelsea and their shiny unbeaten record emerged from the tunnel before kick-off, the upper tier of the stadium that remains Spurs’ residence was a sea of empty bright red seats, darkened only by a smattering of home supporters.
Spurs fans have grown disillusioned with the interminable saga of their delayed move to their new palace at White Hart Lane but, as their resentment simmered, their manager and their team rose above all the frustration as effortlessly and as gracefully as if they had wings.
Tottenham have lost already to Manchester City and Liverpool at Wembley this season and, if the third of the clubs that sat above them had come away with a victory, there would have been a sense that they were on the verge of being cut adrift from the title race.
Players like excuses as much as any of us and it would have been easy for them to take refuge in the stadium fiasco. It is to their credit that they have ignored it and forged on regardless.
Instead, Mauricio Pochettino’s team produced a performance of such beauty and irresistibility that, by the time the match was over, it was they and not Chelsea who were being bracketed with City and Liverpool as this season’s big three.
Spurs were a blur of movement and Chelsea simply could not cope with them. By the time Spurs had finished with them, they had been so utterly outclassed that it was hard to see how they had remained unbeaten this long.
So much for Chelsea’s historic dominance over Spurs, too. That was scattered to the winds. All those years when Chelsea had an unblemished record over Tottenham counted for nothing. Any more performances like this and Spurs will be Chelsea’s bogey team, not the other way round. It was not even Spurs’ strongest side. Most of their first-choice defenders were missing. But it did not matter. Their attacking players were unstoppable. Son Heung-min destroyed Chelsea with his pace. Christian Eriksen destroyed Chelsea with his vision. Harry Kane destroyed Chelsea with his ambition. Eriksen was so good it was a reminder to Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that he really ought to offer the Dane an improved contract.
Eriksen, who has created more chances than any other midfielder since the start of last season, earns a relatively modest £70,000 a week but his deal expires at the end of next season. He is the brain of this team. Keeping him should be a priority.
Chelsea had come into the match two games away from a club-record undefeated run from the start of a top-flight campaign but it was obvious from the opening exchanges that the record was not going to survive the evening.
Chelsea were in disarray in the opening exchanges, giving the ball away at will, unable to cope with Tottenham’s pressing without the ball and their movement with it. Inside the opening five minutes, Kane rose to head a Serge Aurier cross goalwards and, even though it was comfortably saved, it felt as though it might be the beginning of a long evening for Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Spurs took the lead two minutes later. Eriksen, recalled to the side after injury, whipped in a delicious free-kick from the right and Dele Alli, who had scored five times in his last four games against Chelsea, darted ahead of Mateo Kovacic to glance his header past the goalkeeper.
Two minutes after that, Spurs should have been further ahead.
Eriksen was the provider again, lifting a return pass into the path of Son, who blasted it too high with only Arrizabalaga to beat.
A minute after that, Son sold David Luiz with a sweet turn and bore down on the overworked Spain international again. This time, Arrizabalaga blocked the shot with his legs.
Eventually, Chelsea did force an opportunity. In fact, they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Eden Hazard tumbled in the area under a clumsy challenge from Juan Foyth. Foyth has got form in giving away spot-kicks and this should have been another. Martin Atkinson waved play on.
A few minutes after their reprieve, Spurs doubled their advantage. It was a strange goal. Kane took the ball with his back to goal 30 yards out and turned into space. He advanced a few yards and then hit an optimistic shot that whistled past Luiz.
It was struck hard but it was also relatively close to the centre of the goal. It should have been a routine save but Arrizabalaga stood rooted to the spot and watched the ball as it rolled past him into the net. Maybe he was unsighted by Luiz, who had acted as an unwitting screen. Maybe he did not expect Kane to shoot so early. Either way, it was embarrassing.
Chelsea’s defence looked ragged and disorganised. Example one was the way they kept allowing themselves to be outnumbered when Spurs took a short corner. Each time, Eriksen curled crosses into the area.
And he carved Chelsea open again on the stroke of half-time, drifting to the byline, then cutting it back for Son, who met it on the volley and was denied by a fine save from Arrizabalaga. Ten minutes into the second half, Spurs struck again. Son might have had a hat-trick already but he made up for his earlier misses with a goal of quite stunning quality. Released early by Alli, he picked the ball up just inside the Chelsea half and left Jorginho in his wake. He cut in from the right, advanced on goal and slid the ball past Arrizabalaga with his left foot.
It should have been four midway through the half. Son darted through the middle and fed Aurier as he overlapped on the right. Aurier slid the ball to Kane in front of goal but the striker leaned back and lifted his shot too high.
Chelsea grabbed a consolation five minutes from the end when Olivier Giroud, who had replaced the hapless Alvara Morata, headed home a Cesar Azpilicueta cross, but by then Spurs were home free.