LIVE BLOG:
SECOND HALF:
FULL TIME: CHELSEA HAVE DONE THE DOUBLE OVER MOURINHO’S TOTTENHAM. 2-1. Superb from all involved and very, very well deserved. Get in.
90+4min: Abraham holds it up well again, lays off to Mount and he tries to take the ball to the corner flag but takes a heavy touch for a throw-in.
90+2min: Mount powerfully gets to the byline inside the area and attempts a cross for Abraham who’s there to tap it in but it’s too close to Lloris.
90+1min: Tammy Abraham holds up against Sanchez, retains possession and wins a free-kick in the opposition half. Well played.
90min: Willian makes a searing run into the Spurs penalty are but shoots weakly at Lloris.
89min: Spurs get one back in a freakish manner. Lamela is on the receiving end of a through-ball from Moura and tries to square it for Alli but it catches Rudiger’s trailing leg and is in the back of the net somehow..
2-1.
81min: ALONSO hits the post! He goes for the top-corner from the free-kick and makes for Chelsea’s second strike of the woodwork in this match.
80min: Winks is the next victim from serious sauce by a Chelsea player, Reece James is the one to leave him spinning and cross to a disappointingly empty middle of the penalty area. Eventually it comes to Mount, who is fouled right outside the box.
79min: Superb bit of play from Mason Mount, who leaves Vertonghen for dead with a swift turn, advances and sends in a low cross for Abraham who just can’t manage to get enough on it to beat Lloris. He then also clatters into the upright.
78min: Double-substitution from Spurs, Alderweireld and Bergwijn have their places aken by Aurier and Alli. Presumably Tanganga will move to CB.
77min: Willian replaces Ross Barkley.
74min: VAR looked at a challenge on Winks from Rudiger in the Chelsea penalty area following a sustained spell of possession from Spurs but rules against giving a penalty.
71min: Tammy Abraham replaces Olivier Giroud.
70min: Bergwijn is the intended recipient for a through-ball from Moura but Christensen shepherds the ball out safely.
66min: Caballero punches the initial corner out strongly, then has to deal with another awkward, looping header from Vertonghen which he manages to hold.
66min: It’s Lamela who ends up shooting, it takes a deflection off the wall and goes above.
65min: Christensen is booked for a foul on Moura. Spurs now have a free-kick from a dangerous position. Lo Celso to take. Surely not?
61min: Coincidence? Who knows, but Ndombele is taken off for Lamela almost instantly. It’s a tough one to recover from, Tanguy, don’t blame yourself.
60min: Ndombele gets into his stride and beats multiple players, running into the penalty area and looks to be clear on goal but Reece James almost nonchalantly shrugs him off the ball.
59min: Caballero arrives outside the area to do his second Neuer impression of the day but somewhat uncomfortably chests the ball down and clears. Oh well, got the job done, right?
53min: Lo Celso should be off. He’s clearly stamped on Azpiliceuta’s shin and VAR is considering it. Miraculously almost (but not really), VAR deems it to be harmless and Lo Celso stays on the pitch.
50min: Barkley receives from a wide angle outside the area and stings the palms of Lloris from distance.
49min: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL MARCOS ALONSO!
Giroud flicks the ball on from a long Azpilicueta throw. Mount is set through down the right, he cuts inside, squares it to Barkley at the edge of the area who squares it first-time to Alonso. Marcos has a penchant for the spectacular; he lets rip from outside the area and leaves the bottom corner of the net rippling.
47min: Reece James picks up on a small Giroud lay-off, makes a diagonal run to the edge of the are and shoots wide.
46min: Tottenham kick things off.
FIRST HALF:
45+1min: Michael Oliver blows his whistle to signal the end of the first half. Chelsea have clearly been the better side thus far. Game on.
39min: Kovacic heroically charges down Lo Celso, regains possession and passes to Barkley who shoots with his left foot from inside the area but his grounded effort fails to hit the target.
36min: Kovacic tries a quick give-and-go with Barkley and comes within touching distance of the ball in the six-yard box but is outmuscled.
35min: Alderweireld’s cross-field diagonal finds Tanganga, who beats Alonso for pace and threatens to take Caballero out of the game with his first touch but it is too heavy.
33min: Ndombele passes to Bergwijn on the edge of the area, he puts Moura through with a flick but Azpilicueta is there to block his shot. Davinson Sanchez’s looping header from the ensuing corner is tipped over by Caballero.
31min: Bergwijn turns away from Azpilicueta and looks to run into space but Christensen dispossesses him with a strong challenge. Reece James then attempts to break the midfield line and is fouled once again, this time by Ben Davies.
30min: Reece James muscles past Ndombele, gets fouled by Vertonghen but Giroud picks up possession and plays advantage, only to fire well above from far out.
26min: Spurs look to threaten from a set-piece after Mount brought Lo Celso down in the Chelsea half following a turnover. Thankfully Sanchez’s attempt is weak.
23min: Alonso attempts a right-footed half-volley on the turn from the resulting free-kick and it almost rifles into the top corner. Almost.
22min: Harry Winks has the honour of being the first to have his name taken down by the referee for a cynical pull-back on Jorginho.
19min: Spurs recover possession during a Chelsea attack deep in their own half and proceed to launch a ball behind the Blues’ defence. Caballero does his best Neuer impression and comes some way off his line to intercept and send it out for a throw-in.
13min: GOAL GOAL GOAL GOAL GOOOOOOOOOOOAL OLIVIER GIROUD
An astute run in behind sees Giroud’s initial shot parried by Lloris, after which Barkley’s follow-up attempt hit the upright. The ball fell back to Giroud who fired home with a powerful half-volley with his left foot. AND VAR DOESN’T CHALK THIS ONE OFF.
12min: Ross Barkley unleashes from distance after a few strides forward from midfield. Goes diagonal and wide but a well-struck effort all the same.
11min: Chelsea have their first attempt on goal as Alonso plays a sumptuous through-ball to the onrushing Mason Mount who can’t finish past Lloris from a close-range acute angle. Two successive corners follow but amount to nothing.
8min: Jorginho passes to the opposition within the Chelsea half and Spurs breaking, ultimately getting a corner out of it. After an initial half-clearance, the ball is presented to Lucas Moura at the edge of the area and he strikes, only to be denied by Caballero.
7min: This time it’s Giroud and Mount with a deft one-touch exchange. Spurs snuff it out and play in behind the Chelsea defence but Rudiger sweeps and clears.
4min: After a number of overtures in Tottenham’s third, Barkley and Alonso look to combine well and open up space but the left wing-back plays a squared pass to Moura.
2min: Spurs appear to be going with 4 in midfield as opposed to two up top, Bergwijn playing up front. Chelsea are in a 3-4-2-1 shape as expected.
1min: Giroud gets us underway.
Only one point separates Chelsea from Tottenham in the Premier League table. Let’s make it four today!
Chelsea starting lineup (3-4-3):
Caballero | Azpilicueta (c), Rüdiger, Christensen | James, Jorginho, Kovacic, Alonso | Barkley, Giroud, Mount
Substitutes from: Arrizabalaga, Zouma, Emerson, Gilmour, Loftus-Cheek (!!!), Willian, Abraham
Tottenham starting lineup (3-5-2?):
Lloris | Sanchez, Alderweireld, Vertonghen | Tanganga, Ndombélé, Winks, Lo Celso, Davis | Bergwijn, Lucas
Substitutes from: Gazzaniga, Aurier, Dier, Gedson, Skipp, Lamela, Dele
Date / Time: Saturday, February 22, 2020, 12.30 GMT; 7.30am EST; 6pm IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Michael Oliver
On TV: BT Sport 1 (UK); NBCSN, Universo (USA); Star Sports Select HD1 (India); Canal+ Sport 1, SuperSport 3 (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming online: BT Sport Live (UK); NBC Sports Live, Universo Now (USA); Hotstar (India): DStv Now (NGA)
As always, remember to be awesome to each other!