Ange Postecoglou appears to be in a dire situation, as the Europa League rescue seems improbable following Spurs’ absence against Chelsea, who ought to cover the costs for sending Jadon Sancho back to Manchester United...
Chelsea's lackluster display against Arsenal raised doubts about their desire to win, as Enzo Maresca's team seemingly let their London competitors secure a comfortable victory.
This poor performance resulted in Chelsea having the same points total as Manchester United since their pursuit of the Premier League title began to fade in mid-December.
During this period, Spurs have fared even worse since only Championship-bound Southampton, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town have garnered fewer points in 2025 than Postecoglou’s team in the Premier League.
Tottenham’s injury issues are a relevant factor, but even their makeshift squad has significantly underachieved and failed to show up in far too many matches this season.
Their injury concerns have lessened with all their hopes pinned on the Europa League, as Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven played together against Chelsea.
This marks the first occasion they have both started since the reverse match against Chelsea in December, where they were compelled to leave the game after being hurried back from injuries.
History did not repeat itself on Thursday night, but the Spurs pair faced a challenging evening against a returning Nicolas Jackson, who provided Chelsea with the central presence that was desperately needed against Arsenal and in earlier pre-international break matches.
Jackson's energetic comeback played a role in Chelsea's enhanced performance, as they displayed determination from the first whistle and nearly scored within a minute when Van de Ven redirected the ball to the post.
The forward's progress has reduced Chelsea's urgency to acquire a high-caliber striker, yet challenges persist in the flanks, with Jadon Sancho and Pedro Neto still causing frustration.
Sancho had the greatest opportunity at the start of the first half; his shot was brilliantly pushed over the bar by the overly unpredictable Guglielmo Vicario.
Nonetheless, it was another frustrating match for Sancho as he predominantly chose to dribble into a challenge or attempt a pass during a scoring chance, which greatly irritated the home supporters.
Sancho’s strong beginning to this season has been overshadowed by a significant downturn; months of poor performance have drained his confidence to such an extent that the £5m fee to return him to Man Utd appears to be a good deal.
Cole Palmer's confidence has taken a hit as Chelsea’s laid-back key player has shown he's just like everyone else, but order was reinstated against Tottenham when he delivered a significant moment.
Chelsea controlled the first half while the visitors struggled, failing to hit the target in a lackluster display. However, the hosts’ inability to finish – even against a weak rival – risked increasing the pressure on Maresca and his team due to a clear missed chance to take advantage of a visit from Dr Tottenham.
Fortunately for Maresca, Palmer saved him from embarrassment. Enzo Fernandez headed the ball into the net from close range after a precise cross. He and Moises Caicedo were Chelsea’s standout performers on the night; the latter is sadly omitted from our team of the season thus far.
This derby did not nearly reach the excitement of the seven-goal spectacle in December, but Thursday’s game had its moments as VAR ruled out goals by Caicedo (rightly for offside in the buildup) and Pape Sarr (justifiably for a foul), which a sensitive and desperate Postecoglou highlighted after his recent disputes with Spurs fans indicated they have become weary of each other.
Despite the return of the World Cup victor and Van de Ven, Spurs were vulnerable defensively and would have faced a lopsided defeat against a more aggressive Premier League opponent.
Before the match, Jamie Redknapp remarked that this season would be “unbelievable” for Spurs if they clinch the Europa League; however, this seems quite a challenge after Postecoglou’s underperforming team failed to pose a significant threat to a Chelsea side not at their best, and they will likely struggle against Eintracht Frankfurt, currently third in the Bundesliga, unless there’s a noticeable improvement to preserve the Aussie’s job, which is at risk.
Regarding Chelsea, there were hopeful signs with Jackson's encouraging return, Palmer breaking his drought with his first goal contribution since February, Fernandez’s energetic display, and Caicedo asserting himself as “one of the top defensive midfielders globally”.
The Blues have changed significantly since the beginning of this season, but – similar to Liverpool in Wednesday’s Merseyside derby – the win was crucial tonight to bring back stability.
As Redknapp stated before the match, a victory tonight might serve as the "catalyst" for an improvement in performance during the final stretch to secure Champions League qualification, which they must seize since this Chelsea side can still be outmatched by teams stronger than Spurs.
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