Full time: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Chelsea
Chelsea’s astonishing winning run is over. Spurs were at their charming, admirable best to win an unyielding match between two excellent sides. Dele Alli headed two lovely goals to make it six in three games and seven in four. He’s on quite a run; Chelsea’s is over, but they are still five points clear at the top of the table. Could be worse, eh. Thanks for your company; here’s Mac Millings with the last word.
“Wrong. Roy Walker.”
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90+3 min Son replaces Harry Kane, who has done plenty of sour metres up front tonight.
90+2 min “Kyle Walker or Des Walker?” says Simon Frank. I’m appalled you even had to ask the question. Always, always Des. At his best, either side of Italia 90, he pretty much perfected defending. Best England defender of my lifetime.
90+1 min There will be four additional minutes of futile defiance from Chelsea.
90 min David Luiz, in the Huth-at-Camp-Nou-bugger-dignity-we’re-losing role, flicks a header high over the bar from 12 yards. It was maybe slightly better than a half-chance.
88 min If only Spurs had played their Champions League games at White Hart Lane, eh. They are good enough to beat any team in the world on this ground - with the obvious exception of Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao, reigning champions of the much admired Chinese Super League.
87 min Costa, frustrated, has a little tug of Dier’s right ear. Not sure where that stands on Niall Mullen’s hygiene-o-meter. Moments later, Danny Rose is booked for something or other. Rose and Walker have been so good again.
86 min Spurs make another change: Moussa Sissoko replaces the wonderful Dele Alli.
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85 min Chelsea make their final change: Michy Batshuayi comes off the missing persons list to replace Victor Moses.
83 min Chelsea haven’t done a huge amount wrong tonight. The timing of the goals - one just before half-time, one when Chelsea were rampant just after the break - was really important. Spurs have done unto Chelsea as Chelsea have done unto so many other teams this season.
81 min “Tactics question,” says Zulfiqar Shah. “What do you think Spurs are doing to exploit Chelsea’s 3-4-3 system?”
Scoring goals. You’re welcome!
80 min For the first time, Chelsea are hinting at an acceptance of defeat. The good news for them is that the next two league games - Leicester away, and Hull at home, and by the way I hope Hull are relegated in each of the next 48 seasons after that utterly scandalous decision to sack Mike Phelan - are winnable. They are still strong favourites, but at least the rest of the Big Six have hope.
79 min Cesc Fabregas gets a warm welcome as he comes on to replace N’Golo Kante.
78 min “The correct portmanteau is Delisen,” says Shaun, “which sounds as delicious as their link-ups.”
Look, all of it, just let it go.
77 min Rose is fouled 30 yards from goal, slightly to the left of centre. Eriksen has a pop nonetheless and curls a nice effort just wide of the near post. Courtois had it covered.
76 min “Deliksen,” suggests Gustav Björklund for the Alli/Eriksen portmanteau. I think I’m just going to call them Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen.
74 min A Spurs substitution: Harry Winks replaces the excellent Mousa Dembele. You have to love Pochettino’s faith in young players. You have to love Pochettino full stop.
73 min Chelsea have won 13 matches in a row and yet - cliche alert - a draw here would feel like the biggest victory of all.
72 min Pedro, who has been lively since going to left wing-back, wins a corner. That leads to another, of which he makes a Horlicks.
68 min Pedro’s fast cross is cleared superbly in the kung-fu style by Vertonghen, in his own six-yard box. Moments later, Alderweireld blocks Costa’s scissor-kick. Chelsea are as incessant as the aliens in Space Invaders, and almost as inexorable.
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67 min Eriksen combines yet again with Walker and hits a shot that is blocked by Cahill. It would be entirely wrong to say that Eriksen and Alli are Spurs’ version of Xavi and Iniesta, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. You know what I mean. They are nowhere near that all-time-great class, but they go together beautifully and they are so lovely to watch. The portmanteau isn’t quite as good as Xaviesta, though: Allikesen? Elli?
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66 min “Don’t forget the Snoop Dogg posters, Bobby,” says my university buddy James Hatfield, whose memory is apparently not what it was.
65 min That second goal has rocked Chelsea, who were playing so well at that point. Willian is coming on to replace Marcos Alonso, so Pedro will play as the left wing-back.
62 min Moses is a little fortunate not to be booked for a lunge at Alli.
59 min Eriksen’s cross deflects towards Kane, eight yards out, and Courtois gets there just before him to palm the ball away. Dele Alli, as you probably know, has now scored six in his last three games.
57 min This is a great test for Chelsea, who will be pretty aggrieved by the scoreline. Many players would sulk and/or give up in this situation, but you can’t see a Conte team doing that.
55 min If you’re not truly, madly, deeply in love with Dele Alli, you’re either a Chelsea fan or you’re living the wrong life. He makes football fun, just like it used to be. He’ll soon be a national treasure.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Chelsea (Alli 54)
They’ve done it again! Another lovely cross from Eriksen on the right, and a fine header from Dele Alli. This was a superb ball, clipped beyond the far post, and Alli hung in the air for an age before cushioning a header back across Courtois and into the net. Brilliant.
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54 min “A note to wantaway MBM blogger Rob Smyth, if you’re still there Rob: any Spurs fans who gave up smoking for the New Year may be in for a tough 45 minutes,” says Justin Kavanagh, who has a friend who supports Spurs and has just given up smoking. “Stay resolute! Let’s hope Spurs do too! Rob?”
52 min This is the match we expected. It’s lurching from end to end now, with Chelsea looking especially menacing.
50 min “Rob,” says Thaddeus Verhoff. “I thought it an entertaining first half--if a tad sloppy. Wanted to shout out to my friend Brian in CA, Carmen in NYC (where I am watching live while he wanders about selling beer) and Melissa who couldn’t be bothered to show up for the first half. If Melissa did show up at the pub we could engage in some good-natured banter, as she somehow roots for Chelsea and I for Spurs. Here’s to the second half!”
Are you suggesting not all banter is good-natured? Next you’ll be saying 98 per cent of banter is just bullying by another name!
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49 min This is a furious start to the second half from Chelsea. Moses falls over in the box after a challenge from Dembele. Martin Atkinson waves play on. It was probably a foul, a shove to the side, but the original contact was outside the box.
48 min Hazard misses a great chance! A cross from the right was half cleared to Alonso, who headed it back towards goal. It bounced up to Hazard, just beyond the far post, and he headed wide from a few yards. He did have Lloris and Vertonghen between him and the goal but should still have scored.
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47 min Chelsea aren’t going to go quietly. Diego Costa works some space 20 yards from goal and hits a fierce low shot that is excellently palmed away by Lloris. Then Hazard slides a dangerous ball across the face of goal that Rose puts behind for a corner.
47 min “It’s therefore inevitable that you’ll move to cover the Chinese Super League (if your comments are anything to go by),” says Jerome Mallon. “And when you do, it will have always been a boyhood dream, am I right?”
Exactly. At university, while everyone else had profound posters of Che Guevara and Pamela Anderson on their wall, I preferred an artist’s impression of Fan Zhiyi.
46 min Pee peep! Chelsea begin the second half. They have only needed to come from behind twice in this run - against City and Spurs - but teams managed by Antonio Conte will never shy away from adversity.
Half-time chit-chat
“Continuing on the Chinese Super League theme,” says Gerrard Catesby, “I pose another question: do you think that players are selfish putting their financial situation (which in reality isn’t exactly unsustainable in the European leagues) above their fame, prestige, and, ultimately, their career, or do you think that it is - as mentioned - a slice of their own downfall, initiated by their own actions? Thus, it is no longer selfish, but ignorant. Thoughts please.”
Well, Gerrard, China are certainly looking to develop their football, looking at their signings and their recruitment. If an opportunity came along I am contracted to the Guardian but I have to look at my long-term strategy of my career. How long can I last as a liveblogger? I have been at the Guardian 13 years. It’s been a wonderful 13 years. There is no offer on the table but if they made an offer it would be under consideration. But at the moment I still enjoy working for the Guardian.
Half time: Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Chelsea
Well, that changes things. Chelsea won’t panic - they were behind at half-time against Manchester City last month and ended up stuffing them. Spurs are a much better side defensively, mind. See you in 10 minutes what should/will/may be a belting second half.
45+2 min Alli is booked for expressing joy towards other human beings.
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GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Chelsea (Alli 45+1)
This is a fine goal. Walker runs at Alonso and gives the ball back to Eriksen, who curls a fine ball towards the far post. Alli gets between two defenders and loops a high-class header back across the leaping Courtois and into the net. What a joyous footballer he is. Chelsea won’t be happy with the defending but Eriksen and Alli, two lovely footballers, played their parts immaculately.
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45 min “How much,” says Juan Torres, “would it take for you to uproot and move to China to cover the Chinese Super League?”
Well, Juan, China are certainly looking to develop their football, looking at their signings and their recruitment. If an opportunity came along I am contracted to the Guardian but I have to look at my long-term strategy of my career. How long can I last as a liveblogger? I have been at the Guardian 13 years. It’s been a wonderful 13 years. There is no offer on the table but if they made an offer it would be under consideration. But at the moment I still enjoy working for the Guardian.
44 min Steve Waterhouse (2 min) is a clairvoyant. There hasn’t been a single shot on target.
41 min “Fistbumps are just more hygienic than handshakes,” says Niall Mullen, sending a medical graphic as proof. My whole handshake world has been shattered. Everything I know is wronDON’T EFFING SHAKE MY HAND OKAY.
40 min Wanyama is booked for a sliding foul on Hazard.
38 min Cahill gives the ball to Eriksen, panics, pulls him back and is booked. Well played Gary. The resulting free-kick, taken by Dembele on the right, is swung beyond the far post. Dier heads it across the six-yard box and Courtois dives to his left to push it away. It wasn’t a save as such, as it wasn’t going in, but it may have saved a goal nonetheless.
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36 min Hazard’s penetrative square pass from the left finds Costa in space just outside the box. He moves the ball into the D and then belts it into Row Q.
35 min This game is still waiting for an innocuous incident and/or a goal to spark it into life. Chelsea will be the happier team, just about.
34 min “Where were you when you were shit?” chant the Spurs fans. It’s a bit of an inaccurate slur given that all the Chelsea supporters were following their team last season.
32 min “Re: the fistbump,” begins Mike Perrry. “Are you not up with “Gangs of the EPL” [on the Athletico Mince podcast]? Clearly Toby Alderweireld is trying to drum up support for his gang.”
I didn’t get a word of that. It’s me, not you.
3o min I knew this game would be a stinker.
29 min The more Spurs dominate possession, the more you feel a deadly Chelsea counter-attack is coming. Chelsea can play more than one way, it’s true, but they are the masters of Contenaccio.
27 min “Hey Rob,” says JR in Illinois. “Just before Eriksen took that last Spurs corner David Luiz gave Toby Alderweireld a fist bump. What’s that all about?”
No idea. Homoeroticism?
25 min David Luiz wobbles a 30-yard free-kick over the bar.
23 min Kante, under pressure from Alli, gives the ball straight to Eriksen. He runs to within 22 yards of goal before whipping a lovely shot across Courtois and just wide of the far post.
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22 min Danny Rose wins a corner down the left. He’s been the most influential attacker so far. Eriksen’s dipping inswinger is headed away and Chelsea break menacingly, four on three. Eventually Diego Costa stabs a pass towards Pedro that goes through to Lloris, whereupon Costa gives Pedro a huge rollocking. It wasn’t quite Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer but they were arguing about it for at least 30 seconds.
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21 min “Mousa Dembélé is criminally underrated,” says Gustav Björklund. “That is all.”
It’s the right answer! As well as being bloody good, he is so elegant, particularly when he runs with the ball and hugs it on his left foot.
19 min A brilliant left-footed cross from Eriksen is cleared admirably by the sliding Cahill at the far post. Spurs are starting to dominate.
18 min That’s the first booking! Pedro slides ineptly through Danny Rose, and gives Martin Atkinson an easy decision.
17 min “Plenty of needle under the surface so far,” says Dave Adams. “Lots of barely controlled aggression. Has the air of a ‘lively’ boozer early on a Saturday night - just waiting for something innocuous to result in a completely disproportionate and unnecessary ruck.”
Haha that’s a perfect analogy for this. It will kick off because of something innocuous. Either that or somebody will get bored of waiting and do a Begbie.
16 min David Luiz makes an excellent headed clearance from Eriksen’s dangerous inswinging free-kick. He’s had a superb start to the game.
15 min To borrow a metaphor from the old fight game, both teams are sparring rather than slugging.
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13 min Vertonghen’s long, bouncing pass almost puts Rose - who is more wing than back at the moment - through on goal. David Luiz scurries across to make a crucial tackle.
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11 min Spurs have won four of out 49 Premier League games against Chelsea. Antonio Conte has won 43 of his last 49 league games.
10 min A lovely, elegant run from Dembele, who slips past both Kante and Matic before scooping a through pass towards Kane. Courtois gets there first to claim.
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8 min We know how good Chelsea are on the counter-attack but they have not played that way at the moment. I don’t have a personal Opta dripfeed but I suspect they’ve had more possession so far.
7 min “I feel like there is a lot of pressure around this match,” says Yoann Lechenault. “Do I have to bet a Costa red card?” Only if the fun hasn’t stopped.
6 min Vertonghen, who looks up for this, gets in a tangle with Pedro and is then shoved over by Azpilicueta. Pedro signals for Vertonghen to be booked, presumably for something sly while they were playing Twister on the floor. Martin Atkinson decides not to book anybody, and he’s probably right.
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5 min Hazard almost gives Chelsea the lead. Matic lofted an angled pass over the top to Hazard, who was played onside by Vertonghen on the other side of the pitch. As the ball bounced up on the left side of the box he dragged a left-footed shot across Lloris and wide of the far post. He didn’t get hold of it properly, though it wasn’t far wide.
3 min Vertonghen robs Pedro on the halfway line and keeps running down the left to receive Alli’s return pass. David Luiz comes across and Vertonghen, on the stretch, crosses too deep.
2 min “Huge build up to this game, two outrageously in-form teams,” says Steve Waterhouse. “0-0 innit?”
I think you’ll fin the appropriate phrase, in accordance with the Guardian style guide, is “is it not”. They are the best two defences in the division, so it’s not beyond the realms. Can’t see it, mind.
1 min Peep peep! Spurs, in white, kick off from right to left. Chelsea are in blue.
The players are in the tunnel, diligently applying their business faces. This could be immense.
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“You will have to try hard to find a more pessimistic Spurs-fan than me - but a new year, a new mentality, right?” says Lars Bøgegaard. “So: when Manchester City arrived they were unbeatable and running away with the league. So once more unto the breach. It could be the charge of the white brigade and... oh! Old habits die hard.”
No offence, but that email puts you in the all-time top five Spurs-supporting optimists I’ve met in my life. Also: what’s Peter Oh got to do (got to do) with it?
The dark side of neutrality
“Spare a thought for us Gooners, Rob,” writes Allan Castle. “Hard to want a Tottenham victory. But want to keep Chelsea in sight (I’m an optimist). Yet want to finish above Tottenham. But having the record broken by Chelsea… shudder. ‘Mass brawl’ seems like the best outcome to some of us, yet the last two times WE were implicated in one of those we won the league. Yours, Deeply Conflicted.”
“Happy New Year Rob!” says Peter Oh. “As a Liverpool fan, I need Chelsea to drop points so they stay in sight. On the other hand, Spurs are only five points behind the ‘Pool, so I don’t necessarily want to have them breathe down the Reds’ necks after tonight. What I’d like to see is a dour, draining, mud-slinging 0-0 draw, but given the two teams’ scoring form of late, I don’t think I’ll get my wish. How about a thrilling, draining, mud-slinging 3-3 draw? Not too much to ask, is it?”
Pre-match reading
Tottenham must put gloss on their finishing against leaders Chelsea, says Paul Doyle
David Hytner writes: Antonio Conte can see the bigger picture even if Chelsea’s winning run falls short
Also, check out Michael Butler’s timely pick for our Golden Goal series: Claude Makélélé for Chelsea v Tottenham Hotspur (2006)
Team news
Tottenham Hotspur (3-4-2-1) Lloris; Dier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen; Walker, Wanyama, Dembele, Rose; Alli, Eriksen; Kane.
Substitutes: Wimmer, Vorm, Trippier, Davies, Son, Winks, Sissoko.
Chelsea (3-4-3) Courtois; Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Cahill; Moses, Kante, Matic, Alonso; Pedro, Diego Costa, Hazard.
Substitutes: Begovic, Ivanovic, Zouma, Willian, Chalobah, Fabregas, Batshuayi.
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Preamble
Tomorrow? Nah, don’t care mate. Yesterday? Not interested! Every now and then, the post-McKenna mantra of “living in the moment” really does apply - even in sport. A few precious matches exist in isolation, where the bigger picture is almost entirely irrelevant. All that matters is winning, right here, right now. That is emphatically the case for Spurs at White Hart Lane tonight, where they want to end their beloathed Chelsea’s run of 13 consecutive league wins in the grand manner
We know that Spurs want to finish in the top four. They might still win the league. But whatever happens for the rest of the season, a win over Chelsea – and perhaps a draw – would be a memory to cherish for decades. Under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs have become an excellent big-game team and they have already beaten the champions-elect once this season; their stirring 2-0 win over Manchester City in October changed the Premier League title race completely.
Chelsea can equal Arsenal’s top-flight record of 14 consecutive wins, and would love to do so by beating Spurs yet again. It would be an astonishing achievement, especially given the backstory - they won only 12 league games all last season, and the last match before this run was that desperate defeat at the Emirates - and the apparent return of old-style competitiveness to the Premier League. It would also take them eight points clear: not an insurmountable lead, but a pretty Kilimanjaric one. The extent of their achievement in the last few months may only be apparent with hindsight.
These two sides also have unfinished business after last season’s heartwarming Battle of Stamford Bridge. Football entertainment, like hope, comes in many forms: skill, drama, records, human stories, naughtiness. At least one of those is surely guaranteed tonight.
Kick off is at 8pm.
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