Chelsea staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 in a thrilling London derby, with Cole Palmer scoring twice from the penalty spot to help erase an early two-goal deficit. The dramatic victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday brought Chelsea within four points of Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Tottenham raced to a 2-0 lead within the opening 11 minutes, capitalizing on two costly slips by Chelsea full-back Marc Cucurella. Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski both found the back of the net as the hosts appeared poised for a statement win. However, Chelsea quickly turned the tide with a resilient performance.
Jadon Sancho’s superb strike in the 17th minute gave the visitors hope, and Chelsea dominated the second half. Palmer equalized with a penalty just past the hour mark following a reckless foul by Yves Bissouma on Moises Caicedo.
Enzo Fernandez’s stunning volley in the 73rd minute put Chelsea ahead, and Palmer sealed the victory with an audacious Panenka penalty after being brought down by Pape Matar Sarr.
Although Son Heung-min scored a late consolation goal, Tottenham’s struggles continued as they suffered their second defeat of the week.
“It’s a sore one for sure; it’s painful,” said Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, whose side lost center-back Cristian Romero to injury early in the game. “The momentum shifted pretty quickly, and we couldn’t recover.”
A Team Transformed
Chelsea’s remarkable turnaround came after an error-filled start, including Cucurella slipping twice in quick succession to gift Tottenham early goals. However, manager Enzo Maresca praised his team’s mental resilience.
“The first 10 or 15 minutes we conceded two easy goals, but overall, we were in control of the game,” Maresca said. “The reaction of the players was mentally strong both on and off the ball.”
Palmer, Chelsea’s standout player, has now been directly involved in 50 Premier League goals (33 goals, 17 assists) in just 48 appearances since joining from Manchester City.
Tottenham’s Woes Continue
The defeat leaves Tottenham languishing in 11th place with 20 points from 15 games, intensifying pressure on Postecoglou. Injuries to key defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven compounded their struggles.
For Chelsea, the victory extends their unbeaten run to seven matches and positions them firmly in the title race. While Maresca has downplayed championship aspirations, Chelsea’s recent performances suggest they are a force to be reckoned with.
With Liverpool’s game against Everton postponed due to high winds, Chelsea’s climb up the table sets up an intriguing title battle as the season progresses.
