Ange Postecoglou has suffered his first loss as Tottenham’s manager after Spurs lost two players to red cards in an extraordinary clash with Chelsea.
The eventual 4-1 scoreline was flattering for Chelsea, with Tottenham having several chances to draw even late in the match despite having two fewer players on the pitch.
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“It is pretty hard to process,” a disappointed Postecoglou said at full time.
“It is almost impossible to analyze the game because it just seemed to get out of control for large parts of it.
“Disappointed by the result but really proud of the players, they gave everything and that is the positive we will take.”
Spurs led early through Dejan Kulusevski, but their hot start was extinguished by a red card to center back Cristian Romero after a foul in the penalty area and a lengthy VAR check.
Cole Palmer converted from the spot to draw Chelsea level, who had two other goals disallowed for marginal offside calls.
Spurs then lost Micky van de Van and James Maddison to injury in a first half that featured 12 minutes of added time.
Any hopes of Spurs fighting back ended soon after half time when Destiny Udogie — who was lucky to still be on the pitch for a wild two-footed first half challenge on Raheem Sterling — was sent off for a second bookable offense.
Chelsea eventually made their numerical supremacy count, with Nicolas Jackson scoring a hat trick of tap ins by exploiting Spurs’ high defensive line, as Tottenham remained committed to their attacking policy under Postecoglou.
‘They’ll be questioning him’
It was a tactic that Spurs legend Glenn Hoddle branded “naive” in a rant at full time.
“It’s so naive,” Hoddle said.
“I just don’t get it.
“You’ve got spare men on the ball, runners getting in behind. They’re like mannequins the Spurs defenders, just standing there.
“It makes no sense.
Postecoglou though, will not be changed.
“It’s just who we are mate,” Postecoglou said on Sky Sports in the UK.
“It is who we are and who we will be for as long as I am here. If we go down to five men we will have a go.”
It also helped Stymie Chelsea’s intent as well.
“It was really difficult as they continued to maintain their line,” Jackson told Sky Sports.
“[But] We have quality players to give us the ball and we won. We were dreaming about winning the big games and the confidence within the team is coming really slowly.”
The sight of Chelsea strikers lining up on the defensive line before racing onto long balls was more reminiscent of wide receivers waiting for a pass from their quarterback in the NFL matches that took place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier in the season.
That, coupled with the interminable VAR delays that resulted in 21 minutes of added time gave the entire event a stop-start feeling that helped quell what had been stunning atmosphere early in the match.
“The red card affected the game,” Postecoglou said.
“I felt like I was standing around waiting for things to happen, with VAR intervention.
“It felt like a lot of standing around.”
Spurs, who remain second, just a point behind Manchester City, now must regroup ahead of a trip to Molineux, and start hoping the injuries to Maddison and van de Van are not too serious as Postecoglou’s squad depth is tested.
Look back on how all the Premier League action from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London in our live blog.
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By Simon Smale
Thanks for joining us
Well, it was ultimately a disappointing night for Ange Postecoglou and Spurs, whose unbeaten start to the Premier League campaign has come to a crashing halt.
But oddly enough, Spurs fans will probably take a lot out of the way their side performed there, given the two sendings off and the injury to Micky van de Ven.
Thanks for joining us for that match – it was a wild one, so thanks for being with us.
We’ll see you next time.
By Simon Smale
‘It’s ruining the game’: Glenn Hoddle
I hate VAR. It has ruined the game. It is robbing us of real time joy. We now have to wait for VAR before celebrating
– Thiru
You’re not the only one Thiru.
Glenn Hoddle says on the Optus coverage that “VAR is ruining the game” and that it felt like an NFL game tonight.
By Simon Smale
‘It’s hard to process’: Ange Postecoglou
“It’s hard to process,” Ange Postecoglou says on Optus Sports.
“It’s almost impossible to analyze the game because it just seemed to get out of control for large parts of it.
“Just really proud of the players efforts… they gave everything and that’s what we’ll take out of it.
“It just shows the character and spirit.
“Just a bridge too far.”
Postecoglou has also had a pop at the VAR interventions that saw 21 additional minutes added to the overall match time, with 12 coming in the first half.
“I thought the game was going the way we wanted it to, the red card affected the game,” he says.
“I dunno, I just felt like I was standing around waiting for something to happen with the VAR interventions.”
By Simon Smale
‘It’s so naive’: Glenn Hoddle slams Ange tactics
Glenn Hoddle has slammed Ange Postecoglou’s tactics on Optus Sport’s coverage.
He says that the high line Spurs persevered with was a terrible idea.
“It’s so naive,” former Spurs great Glenn Hoddle
“I just don’t get it.
“You’ve got spare men on the ball, runners getting in behind.
“They’re like mannequins the Spurs defenders, just standing there.
“It makes no sense.
“They’ll be questioning him in the dressing room. Did we need to play like that?”
By Simon Smale
A first league defeat for Ange Postecoglou
Three manager of the month awards, a stunning start to his Spurs career, but all the good fortune that he has enjoyed until now all reversed in the space of a barmy game of football against Chelsea.
Both red cards were probably justified, but the two injuries were also key.
By Simon Smale
Terrific match
What an amazing game! The boys in white gave it everything, great effort!
-Brendon
By Simon Smale
Full time: Spurs 1-4 Chelsea
Nine man Spurs fall to defeat.
The scoreline will say a big three points for Chelsea, but that barely tells half the story as Mauricio Pochettino makes a successful return to Spurs.
By Simon Smale
90+9′ Chance Chelsea
Chelsea could, should have another here.
Jackson gets the ball off Mudryk’s pass from the byline, but the striker blazes over.
By Simon Smale
90+7′ GOAL CHELSEA!
It’s a hat trick for Nicolas Jackson!
He had Mudryk alongside him, but the Ukrainian strayed offside, so Jackson shifted the ball away from Vicario, who is sat on his backside, and Jackson strokes the ball into the empty net.
By Simon Smale
90+6′ Chance Spurs
A free kick is chipped in by Porro, but Dier’s header back across goal is from an offside position.
By Simon Smale
90+5′ GOAL CHELSEA
Game over for Spurs.
The counter attack straight from that Spurs chance, and it’s Nicolas Jackson who gets his second.
It’s another tap in for the striker, and the game is surely safe now for Chelsea.
Still, it’s a huge chant of When the Spurs go marching in that echoes around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It’s been a heroic effort by Spurs.
By Simon Smale
90+4′ CHANCE SPURS!
Brilliant from Spurs, winning the turnover in midfield and playing the ball to Son, who races to the penalty area, shifts to his right and forces a really good save.
By Simon Smale
90+2′ Chance Spurs
A free kick on the left side is greeted by a roar from the Spurs fans.
The ball is swept in, Dier heads it back across goal to Son, who controls brilliantly, but the ball falls into the one part of the box without a white shirt.
Chelsea clear, but Spurs are still pressing.
By Simon Smale
90’There will be nine added minutes
So a combined injury time for this match is 21 minutes.
It’s been a long night in north London.
By Simon Smale
89′ Mudryk yellow card
Mudryk leaves his boot in on Vicario, who flips around acrobatically in pain.
The Spurs crowd bay for a red card but they aren’t going to get one.
It’s a yellow card for the Ukrainian, but he’s left Vicario in a heap on the ground.
Spurs don’t have any more changes to make so he’ll have to stay on – but if the Italian is injured here it would make a bad night even worse for Spurs and Ange Postecoglou.
By Simon Smale
87′ CHANCE SPURS!
What a lovely ball across the face of goal.
Rodrigo Bentancur was there making a run, but the bounce was horrible for him and he’s forced the ball down into the ground wide of the target from a yard or two out.
Tough chance, but Spurs will not likely get too much more.
By Simon Smale
86’Yellow card to Malo Gusto
Strange foul to give away by Gusto.
Spurs, the nine men of Spurs, are moving the ball around so nicely on the edge of the penalty area and eventually Chelsea loses its composition.
By Simon Smale
82’Chance? Spurs
Seems harsh to call it a chance, but Pierre-Emile Højbjerg has chanced his luck from a long way out to try and lob the keeper.
But he can’t get enough contact.
By Simon Smale
78′ GOAL SPURS! NO! THE FLAG IS UP! IT WON’T COUNT!
Eric Dier thought he had scored, but he was in an offside position as the ball was flicked on.
However… if Axel Disasi got a touch here, Dier will have been played offside.
It was a lovely finish from Dier, but he was offside. Just.
No goal.
By Simon Smale
75′ CHELSEA TAKE THE LEAD!
It’s Nicolas Jackson with the tap in!
Raheem Sterling timed his run brilliantly – the Chelsea forwards have been lining up to make those runs like wide receivers in an NFL game.
Jackson was in the middle, Sterling found him, and he scored easily.
VAR is, incredibly, still checking, but there are no issues there.
Chelsea lead 2-1.
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Tags: Tottenham Chelsea live Ange Postecoglous Spurs lose players red carded Premier League clash
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