Chelsea emerged victorious from their north London visit on Saturday evening, defeating Tottenham Hotspur by a solitary goal in a fiercely contested Premier League encounter.
The Brazilian forward Joao Pedro proved the match-winner, netting his first goal since late August to secure three crucial points for Enzo Maresca’s side.
The Blues controlled proceedings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, creating numerous opportunities throughout the ninety minutes whilst restricting their hosts to minimal attacking threat.
The narrow scoreline failed to reflect Chelsea’s dominance, with Guglielmo Vicario producing several important saves to keep the deficit at just one goal.
Joao Pedro scored his first goal since August to land all three points
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Pedro’s decisive strike arrived eleven minutes before the interval following excellent pressing from Moises Caicedo.
The Ecuadorian midfielder dispossessed Micky van de Ven near the penalty area before delivering a precise pass to Pedro, who confidently finished from six metres.
The £60 million summer signing from Brighton had endured a frustrating spell without finding the net across nine matches in all competitions.
His previous goal came against Fulham on 30 August, making this breakthrough particularly significant for the 24-year-old.
Pedro threatened to add further goals, testing Vicario on multiple occasions, but the Italian goalkeeper stood firm to deny him a brace.
The victory lifts Chelsea into fourth position in the Premier League standings, accumulating seventeen points from ten matches.
Tottenham were booed off by their own fans after the defeat, which saw them manage just one shot on target
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They now sit level with their London rivals, who remain third solely due to superior goal difference.
This latest triumph continues Chelsea’s remarkable record against Tottenham, with the Blues suffering just one defeat in their previous fourteen league encounters.
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The visiting supporters delighted in reminding their hosts of this dominance, chanting “Tottenham Hotspur, it’s happened again” as the final whistle approached.
Meanwhile, Spurs’ miserable run at their home stadium persists, having failed to secure a league victory there since defeating Burnley on the opening weekend in August.
Thomas Frank’s team endured another disappointing afternoon in front of their increasingly restless supporters, who expressed their frustration with audible boos at the final whistle.
The hosts managed just three attempts throughout the match, their lowest tally this season, with Mohammed Kudus forcing Robert Sanchez into their sole meaningful save in first-half stoppage time.
Chelsea squandered multiple chances to increase their lead, with Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez all guilty of wasteful finishing.
Chelsea have lost just once in their last 14 meetings with Tottenham in north London
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The match featured several contentious moments, including Rodrigo Bentancur’s fortunate escape from a red card following a reckless challenge on Reece James that sparked confrontations between both sets of players.
