Oliver Skipp scored his first ever Premier League goal as Spurs beat Chelsea 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to pile more pressure on Graham Potter. Harry Kane doubled Tottenham’s lead late in the game as Chelsea struggled to create chances. The Blues remain in 10th place in the league, now 14 points off the Champions League qualification spaces.
Kepa Arrizabalaga- 5/10
The Spaniard must take partial responsibility for Spurs’ opening goal. Emerson Royal’s initial shot at him was tame and should have been held. Skipp’s vision strike then came straight at Kepa, who could only parry it into his own net.
Reece James- 5/10
Chelsea’s dangerous right-back struggled to have an impact going forward today. Someone who the Blues often rely on to have an attacking output just seemed pinned back for the majority of the game.
Thiago Silva- N/A
A big blow for Chelsea with Silva forced off through injury early on.
Kalidou Koulibaly- 6/10
Perhaps a surprise to see Koulibaly in the team sheet today, with Badiashile left on the bench. The Senegalese giant was left with a lot of responsibility after the veteran Silva went off injured early. He made eight clearances in the match, more than any other player on the pitch.
Ben Chilwell- 5/10
Another fullback who struggled to have an offensive impact on the game. Defensively Chilwell was solid and managed to keep Dejan Kulusevski quiet for the majority of the time. Going forward he did not manage much, and at times was sloppy with the ball.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek- 6/10
A very safe performance from Loftus-Cheek today. He does the basics well but at times it would be good to see him make more ambitious passes. Was substituted early in the second half.
Enzo Fernández- 4/10
Two big errors made by Fernández in the build-up to Tottenham’s opening goal. First, he should have left the ball spilt by Kepa for the Spaniard to pick up on the second attempt. After he had made the decision to take the ball himself, he compounded his error by attempting a really poor clearance, which went straight into the path of Skipp, who opened the scoring. The Argentine’s passing was also poor today, with a number of long passes not finding their target.
Hakim Ziyech- 5/10
Perhaps fortunate to avoid a red card after a debacle with VAR after Ziyech appeared to connect with Emerson Royal’s face with his hand. It was the most involved in the game that the Moroccan had been. He managed only 31 touches of the ball – the least of any Chelsea starter bar Silva.
João Félix- 6/10
The Portuguese attacker had a lively start to the game and looked as though he would be capable of helping Chelsea to a positive result. His impact faded throughout the game, however, as Chelsea struggled to create attacking chances. Félix was replaced late in the game.
Kai Havertz- 4/10
Starting up top for Chelsea again, it was another disappointing display from the German. Havertz failed to take a single shot in the game and was easily managed by Tottenham’s back line. If he is to continue up top for Chelsea, he must have more of an impact on the game.
Raheem Sterling- 5/10
At times Sterling looked lively, but for the majority he was sloppy. The Englishmen just seemed off the pace, making simple mistakes and losing the ball too easily. He probably came closest to scoring for the Blues, cutting inside and striking a shot that was comfortably saved.
Substitutes :
Wesley Fofana- 7/10
A big moment for Fofana as he replaced Silva early in the game, and the Frenchman stepped up to the task. He looked assured making tackles and extremely composed on the ball. The 22-year-old was probably the only player on the pitch for Chelsea who had a positive game.
Denis Zakaria- 6/10
Introduced in the second half, Zakaria didn’t have much impact on the game. In fairness, however, Chelsea already looked like they were beaten the moment Skipp opened the scoring.
Mason Mount- 5/10
Being on the bench seems to be irritating Mason Mount. Two times now the Englishman has been brought onto the pitch and got himself booked quickly after. This time the midfielder was unnecessarily booked for dissent.
Mykhailo Mudryk- N/A
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang- N/A
Graham Potter- 2/10
Things are going from worse to worse for Graham Potter. A derby defeat to Tottenham, another toothless attacking performance, and if anything, the Blues looked worse today than they did against Southampton. Serious questions need to be asked about Potter at this point, and if he wants to survive at Chelsea, he has to find a way to win – and fast.
