“Needs 5 years in an academy”, “End his Chelsea career” - Fans blast Chelsea star despite dramatic 4-1 win over Tottenham
Chelsea picked up an important 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur as manager Mauricio Pochettino returned to his former club for the first time since 2019. The Blues, however, looked unconvincing for large periods of the encounter, and needed two red cards to win the game.
It was a match full of talking points as the Blues turned up for their London derby against unbeaten Tottenham in North London. They came into the match on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Brentford in their previous league match and needed a win at all costs.
Chelsea had to come from behind to defeat Angel Postecoglou's side, who lost James Maddison and Micky Van de Ven, two of their most important players, to injury. Senegalese striker Nicolas Jackson scored a hat-trick for the Blues, the first of his short career at the club.
Despite the win, many of the club's fans and neutrals were unimpressed with the performances of some of the players in the match, especially Mykhailo Mudryk. Having come off the bench for the Blues in the second half, the winger was called out for his performance by fans on X (formerly Twitter).
Some fans believe that the Ukrainian's cameo was so bad that it warranted him getting kicked off the team, while many others complained about his display.
Chelsea did not need to depend on Mudryk in the match as a number of other players showed up for them and helped them pick up three points.
Bravery or Naivety: Tottenham lose to Chelsea after suicidal tactics
Chelsea found themselves under the cosh in the first 15 minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Dejan Kulusevski had put the home side ahead. The Blues struggled to keep up with the movements of Spurs' wide players but improved as the half wore on.
The Blues leveled matters when Tottenham defender Cristian Romero was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge in the box. Cole Palmer stepped up to slot home the resulting penalty for his third goal of the season.
Despite being a man down, Tottenham boss Postecoglou chose to stick with his high defensive line, which was nearly exploited in the first half. He then lost Van de Ven and Maddison and saw Destiny Udogie pick up a red card in the second half.
Tottenham kept their high line, and Chelsea picked them apart at will, scoring three times in the second period. Mauricio Pochettino's side was far from convincing, and a better team would have pumped Spurs full of goals in this encounter.
Chelsea would not mind the process as they picked up the win they have craved so badly this season. They face champions Manchester City in their next league match, with a lot on the line in the clash.