Have you ever seen anything quite like it? In one of the most chaotic matches in Premier League history, there were five goals, five more ruled out, two red cards, and the potential for several more, all topped off with nine VAR checks. In the end, Chelsea emerged victorious with a 4-1 win against Tottenham, earning themselves three valuable points.
In a frenetic match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Chelsea staged a remarkable comeback to secure a 4-1 victory against a nine-man Spurs team. Nicolas Jackson’s hat-trick in the final 20 minutes added a sensational climax to a game that will be remembered as one of the most action-packed in Premier League history, featuring five disallowed goals, numerous VAR reviews, and two red cards. The high-octane drama began just six minutes into the match when Dejan Kulusevski’s deflected shot put the hosts in the lead.
In a night filled with technological interventions, Son Heung-min’s goal was disallowed for offside after a VAR review, followed by a similar fate for Raheem Sterling at the other end. Moises Caicedo’s powerful long-range shot was then nullified after an extensive VAR intervention, which also led to Tottenham’s defender Cristian Romero receiving a straight red card for a foul on Enzo Fernandez in the lead-up. This resulted in a penalty being awarded, which Cole Palmer successfully converted to even the score.
Ange Postecoglou’s woes were compounded when Romero’s defensive partner, Micky van de Ven, was forced off due to a hamstring injury. To make matters worse, James Maddison also sustained an injury and had to be substituted. Tensions ran high during the additional 12 minutes of stoppage time. The drama continued after the restart, as Destiny Udogie, who had been fortunate not to receive a red card in the first half, received a second yellow for a late challenge on Sterling.
The inevitable Chelsea bombardment commenced but faced against an inspired Guglielmo Vicario and a ridiculously high Spurs defence, the visitors had made hard work of finding a second.
Eventually The Blues found the breakthrough with just 15 minutes remaining when Jackson tapped in from Sterling’s pass.
A thrilling finish was in store and Tottenham, to their immense credit, continued to carry a threat as Eric Dier’s volleyed finish was denied by the offside flag before fellow substitute Rodrigo Bentancur missed the target with a free header.
Their biggest chance for an equaliser fell to Son who was repelled by Sanchez in stoppage-time, and on the counterattack, Jackson grabbed his brace and moments later, his hat-trick.
The result means Spurs remain in second place, a point behind leaders Manchester City, while Chelsea climb to 10th.
