Thank you very much for joining me. Here is Jacob Steinberg’s lovely report from Stamford Bridge.
Hakim Ziyech and Thiago Silva scored in the second half to earn Chelsea a fully-deserved victory
Updated
Sun 23 Jan 2022 13.55 EST
First published on Sun 23 Jan 2022 10.30 EST
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Key events
Ziyech: “We played well. Sometimes they had some counter-attacks but it wasn’t really dangerous at all.
“I think it [the goal] was 10/10.”
Mount: “You could see straight from the beginning the will to win. It is always difficult when a team play with so many defenders.
“Overall the last couple of weeks we haven’t had the results we wanted, so teams start to creep up on you. It was a massive result for us.”
Conte obviously wants new players but where does he need to invest? I think the central midfield underwhelmed today and a new right-back seems necessary.
“Hi Will,” says Nora. “Take up sewing and for sure you won’t miss football.”
I’m in!
Reports from earlier today ...
Palace 1-3 Liverpool
Arsenal 0-0 Burnley
Leicester 1-1 Brighton
It is almost two weeks until we have any Premier League football now. What will we all do? Talk up sewing? Speak to our loved ones? Play board games? Either way, I am very scared.
Full-time: Chelsea 2-0 Spurs
Chelsea were the better team from start to finish and certainly deserved the points. Spurs were unlucky to have a goal chalked off but didn’t merit anything from the fixture. Conte will be looking for a busy final week of the window, while Tuchel will be a lot happier with his lot.
90+2 mins: Ziyech is replaced by Saul. A great man of the match performance from the Moroccan who deserves his standing ovation.
90 mins: Five minutes added on (but Ziyech is currently on the deck being treated for cramp, so it might be longer).
89 mins: Bryan Gil is on for Winks. Good luck turning this one around, mate.
88 mins: Alonso comes on for Hudson-Odoi to add some defensive reinforcement.
86 mins: Spurs almost get themselves back into the match as Kane connects powerfully with a corner but Arrizabalaga moves quickly to his left to palm the header clear. The Basque goalkeeper goes down in agony immediately probably, as he is not used to making saves. He seems fine.
I’ve been watching this match for a very long time now and I can’t remember Matt Doherty doing anything of any real use. What a man.
84 mins: The latest stats show Chelsea have had 15 shots to four from Spurs. Possession is down as 68% to the hosts, another sign of the dominance.
82 mins: Kovacic bundles Kane over from behind as Spurs try to break.
Skipp does his best to get down the right but his cross into the box is a poor one and Rudiger clears. I think Spurs can give up on this one now.
80 mins: Hudson-Odoi is on the deck after Doherty inadvertently catches him in the jaw with his elbow.
78 mins: You will be shocked to hear that Chelsea have another corner but it is headed clear by Kane.
76 mins: Chelsea are completely in control here. It would take a change of gear from Spurs for them to get something out of this.
74 mins: The Spurs fans seem to be throwing items at Rudiger. This is not want you want to see. Pathetic stuff from the away support.
Jorginho departs with Kante coming on. Not a bad replacement.
72 mins: Winks is fouled by Kovacic then the two scrap a little before the free-kick is taken.
70 mins: Spurs have a corner! Winks has the responsibility of sending it into the box but it is a dreadful effort that is volleyed clear at the near post.
69 mins: Lukaku spins Sanchez and gets into space in the box from where he whacks a shot across goal but Lloris is equal to it.
67 mins: Lots of pushing in the box before the latest Chelsea corner, forcing the referee to intervene. When the ball does come in, Skipp and Azpilicueta go down in the area. It looks the two are partaking in a rugby maul. I have no idea who is at fault there but the referee gives Skipp the benefit of the doubt.
The ball goes over the top soon after resulting in Lloris legging it out of the box to head clear but he sends the ball against Doherty, sending back towards the Spurs net. In the end Spurs win a goal-kick to restore calm.
65 mins: Ziyech almost slides the ball through to Lukaku in the box but Sanchez stretches, risking his groin in the process, to intercept.
63 mins: Ziyech lines up the free-kick on the right before swinging it into the box for Kane to flick over his own bar. The subsequent corner is sent into the area by Ziyech but he fails to beat the first man.
61 mins: Davies catches Ziyech on the top of his foot to give away a foul in a dangerous position.
59 mins: Bergwijn and Azpilicueta pass the time with a bit of pushing. Paul Tierney runs over to intervene and tells the two to play nice.
Kane does well down the left flank and lifts a cross which Sarr heads out to Skipp who lays it into the path of Bergwijn but he makes a poor connection and it is an easy save for Arrizabalaga.
57 mins: Spurs spend a long time after the goal complaining to the referee about something or other. If it is for the original foul, then they have nothing to moan about.
Moura and Skipp on for Sessegnon and Tanganga.
GOAL! Chelsea 2-0 Spurs (Thiago Silva, 55)
Dier clips Hudson-Odoi, probably so Tanganga did not have to foul him again. The defender gets away without being booked. Mount swings in the set-piece from the left which Thiago Silva flicks across Lloris into the corner.
53 mins: Mount and Hudson-Odoi combine as the former picks up a pass from the latter which he strikes first time from the edge of the box but his shot flies inches over.
51 mins: Hudson-Odoi is causing all kinds of problems for Tanganga, who is on a booking and could be set for an early finish to his match (one way or another).
Gary Neville has just described the pitch as “scabby”.
49 mins: It is almost 2-0 thanks to Ziyech again. Sanchez blocks a Mount shot but the balls ends up with Ziyech who rifles a shot from 18 yards out which Lloris saves by sprawling to his right.
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Spurs (Ziyech, 47)
WHAT A GOAL! Chelsea keep the ball from kick-off. It eventually reaches Ziyech on the edge of the box after some lovely team play, he gets it onto his left foot and sets himself to curl the ball into the top corner.
Second half
Here we go again!
Two men have come to tie it together. Not all heroes wear capes. I must say, it does look very Sunday league now.
OH NO! ONE OF THE NETS HAS A HOLE IN IT! WE WILL BE DELAYED!
Honk honk.
@Will_Unwin hello Will, watching the Chelsea vs Tottenham and the commentator mentioned Mason Mount’s lack of hair product…he then went onto say “that he must be going for the bouffant look today…”
— J.Q Butter (@JQButter1) January 23, 2022
Personally I think he looks nothing like the Italian keeper.
Dan Christmas emails: “I think it’s just, just about enough to call that a push and disallow the goal. It’s definitely more than what happened with Pukki on Friday. It’s all in the fingers ...”
Conte’s plan is working well as Spurs look to secure a 0-0 draw, that’s for sure.
Half-time: Chelsea 0-0 Spurs
Chelsea have been the dominant side but have not threatened Hugo Lloris’ goal, while Spurs have been pretty passive but should be in the lead. That’s football for you. I think the disallowed Kane goal should have stood but my opinion means absolutely nothing.
45 mins: Three minutes added on.
44 mins: Lukaku drives into the box, does a few stepovers before letting rip but Dier blocks the shot. Ziyech sends in another corner for Spurs to clear.
The Moroccan gets another chance to send in a cross - and it is much better on this occasion with Sanchez’s head the only reason Chelsea don’t open the scoring.
42 mins: Jorginho goes into the book for trying to bring down Bergwijn.
40 mins: NO GOAL! Sessegnon pulls the ball back for Kane in the box who controls it and calmly slots in from eight yards. The referee blows up however, as he spots a push on Thiago Silva who is on the deck after throwing himself to the ground. It should be a goal but the referee’s decision stands. A very weak bit of officiating.
38 mins: Tanganga is awarded a yellow card after nudging over Hudson-Odoi after the winger pushes the ball past him and tries to run round the defender.
Spurs get the best chance of the match as the ball is dinked over the top for Sessegnon to latch onto; he gets the wrong side of the defence makes it into the box where he tries to let fly but drags the ball desperately wide.
36 mins: Another corner for Chelsea! Mount sends it into the box from the right but it does not get past the front post. Not Chelsea’s day when it comes to set-pieces.
34 mins: It is very much all Chelsea here once again ...