COLE PALMER converted two penalties as Chelsea overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat Tottenham 4-3 on Sunday, moving to second place in the Premier League standings.
Early goals from Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski gave Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou a strong start. However, Chelsea capitalised on defensive lapses to extend their unbeaten Premier League streak to seven matches.
Jadon Sancho’s long-range strike gave Chelsea a foothold before Palmer scored twice from the penalty spot, with Enzo Fernandez adding another goal in a dominant second-half display. Chelsea are now four points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
"Mentally we showed how strong we are," said Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca, who maintained that his team is not in the title race. However, he added, "100 percent we are ahead of my expectation. In terms of the way we play on the ball, off the ball, and in terms of the results."
Tottenham's struggles continued, with Son Heung-min’s stoppage-time goal offering little relief. Spurs, who sit 11th in the table, have won only once in their last seven matches.
Postecoglou, already under pressure following a 1-0 loss to Bournemouth on Thursday, faced criticism from fans. Despite notable wins earlier in the season against Manchester City and Manchester United, Tottenham's defensive frailties were evident as Chelsea capitalised.
Solanke opened the scoring by turning in Brennan Johnson's cross, and Kulusevski doubled the lead with a low shot past Robert Sanchez. However, Cristian Romero’s injury and subsequent substitution disrupted Tottenham’s rhythm.
Sancho's goal sparked Chelsea’s comeback before Palmer, Fernandez, and a second penalty ensured their victory. Tottenham's defensive errors, including penalties conceded by Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr, proved costly.
"I thought both penalties were poor decisions by us; we have to show more discipline," said Postecoglou.
Son’s late goal narrowed the margin, but Chelsea held firm to secure the win.
(With inputs from AFP)
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