Ange Postecoglou was left furious during Tottenham’s loss against Chelsea. An angry Postecoglou watched on in horror as his Tottenham Hotspur side suffered a killer blow to their hopes of finishing inside the Champions League positions. Trevoh Chalobah proved the unlikely hero for Chelsea, as the centre-back popped up with the opener after 24 minutes.
Rising highest in the penalty box, Chalobah’s header looped over the top of a helpless Guglielmo Vicario in the Spurs goal. Set pieces proved to be Tottenham’s nemesis throughout the evening, with Nicolas Jackson also capitalizing on some lax defending from the Lilywhites. It leaves Postecoglou’s men a whopping seven points off fourth-placed Aston Villa, and while they do hold a game in hand over their Champions League rivals, Spurs will now require a major slip-up from Unai Emery’s side.
As for Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino is still clinging to hopes of sneaking into seventh place. The two-time European champions are two points behind Newcastle United – the side currently occupying the final continental qualification spot. It wasn’t a good day for Spurs boss Postecoglou, whose side once again struggled against high-quality opposition at Stamford Bridge.
And during the first half, the Australian made no attempt to hide his emotions, as he lost his rag at two Tottenham stars. The television cameras spotted Postecoglou berating both Pape Matar Sarr and Cristian Romero, with the tactician unhappy about his team’s approach both in and out of possession. Chalobah put together one of his best performances in a Chelsea shirt, as he helped strengthen the Blues’ European hopes.
The defender broke the deadlock midway through the first period, while helping protect his side’s lead with a brave block just before the half-time break. For several years, it was Chelsea legend Didier Drogba who haunted Tottenham, with the Ivorian having netted seven goals against Spurs during his Blues career. However, Chelsea’s latest marksman is already following in Drogba’s footsteps.
On the back of his hat-trick earlier in the season, Jackson was once again on target for the two-time European champions. Chelsea fans made their opinion about academy ace Gallagher clear before kick-off, with a banner draped across the Shed End. Gallagher has been one of the few standout players for the capital club this season.