Chelsea climbed into fourth place in the Premier League with a crucial 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night. Enzo Fernandez’s powerful header early in the second half proved to be the decisive moment in a fiercely contested London derby.
The win came at an important time for Chelsea, who had temporarily dropped to sixth after Manchester City and Newcastle both secured victories on Wednesday. However, with this result, Chelsea now sits one point ahead of City and two clear of Newcastle in the race for Champions League qualification.
Despite their win, Chelsea’s recent form had been inconsistent, with head coach Enzo Maresca facing criticism for his overly cautious tactics.
Before the international break, the Blues suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, prompting Maresca to cancel a scheduled day off for the squad after what he saw as a lackluster display in a training match against the club’s youth team.
Against Tottenham, Chelsea displayed more urgency, although their finishing still lacked sharpness. The home side had several early chances, including a near-breakthrough in the opening minute when Trevoh Chalobah played Nicolas Jackson through on goal, only for Tottenham’s goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario to make a crucial save. Moments later, Malo Gusto fired just wide from the edge of the box.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 50th minute when Cole Palmer’s pinpoint cross found Fernandez, who directed a powerful header past Vicario from close range. Stamford Bridge erupted in celebration as Chelsea took control of the game.
