Maresca's Chelsea win 1-0 against Tottenham to re-enter Premier League's top four

‎Chelsea secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, regaining a spot in the Premier League's top four in an ill-tempered affair at Stamford Bridge. The win lifted Chelsea above Manchester City and Newcastle United, while Spurs' disappointing record at the venue persisted, with only one win there since 1990.

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‎'Cole Palmer.'

‎Getty Images Sport 

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‎For Tottenham, the loss left them struggling in 14th place, with 34 points from 30 games, intensifying the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou. The match saw Postecoglou involved in a heated exchange with supporters, further exacerbating the team's woes.

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‎Chelsea nearly went ahead within the first minute when Trevoh Chalobah's long ball found Nicolas Jackson, whose collision with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario resulted in a shot that struck the post. Shortly afterward, Malo Gusto's powerful strike had the half of Stamford Bridge fooled as it narrowly missed the upright.

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‎As the first half unfolded, Chelsea's Cole Palmer delivered a cutback to Enzo Fernandez, but Tottenham's Destiny Udogie was quick to block the attempt. Just before halftime, Chelsea had another chance when Jadon Sancho's shot from Pedro Neto's cross was denied by Vicario’s quick reflexes.

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‎The second half began with Chelsea finding the breakthrough within five minutes. Palmer's precise cross to Fernandez allowed the Argentine to head home, escaping the attention of Spurs' defenders. Shortly after, Moises Caicedo thought he had doubled Chelsea's lead with a volley, but a lengthy VAR review disallowed the goal due to an offside in the initial delivery.

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‎Tottenham came close to equalizing when Pape Matar Sarr, just introduced as a substitute, fired a long-range shot that was parried by Robert Sanchez and hit the underside of the crossbar. However, another VAR review ruled that Sarr had committed a foul by clipping Caicedo's leg before regaining possession.

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‎Palmer nearly added a goal for himself, but Vicario kept him out, and at the other end, Sanchez made a crucial save to deny Son Heung-min from point-blank range. After 12 minutes of added time, caused by multiple VAR interruptions, Chelsea held on to secure all three points.

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‎Player Ratings

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‎Robert Sanchez (7/10): Quiet until the final moments, where he made a crucial stop to preserve the win.

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‎Malo Gusto (6/10): Solid defensive performance after a shaky start.

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‎Trevoh Chalobah (7/10): Played an important role with some excellent passes and solid defending.

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‎Levi Colwill (7/10): Not troubled by Spurs’ attack and was involved in a brief confrontation with Cristian Romero.

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‎Marc Cucurella (7/10): Dominated the left flank, frustrating Spurs' attackers.

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‎Moises Caicedo (7/10): Battled through injuries to control the midfield.

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‎Enzo Fernandez (8/10): Played a pivotal role with a goal and composed midfield performance.

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‎Cole Palmer (8/10): Contributed with an assist and a near goal, showcasing his talent after a slow start.

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‎Pedro Neto (5/10): Could not sustain his threat on the wing.

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‎Nicolas Jackson (6/10): Had a quiet return from injury but nearly scored early.

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‎Jadon Sancho (6/10): Frustrated the crowd with indecision, though he showed glimpses of quality.

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‎Substitutes

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‎Noni Madueke (6/10): Didn’t make a significant impact after coming on.

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‎Reece James (6/10): Came on late to help close out the match.

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‎Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (N/A): Limited involvement in the closing moments.

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‎Tosin Adarabioyo (N/A): Added depth to the defense in added time.

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‎Manager

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‎Enzo Maresca (7/10): Managed the game effectively but could have seen a more dominant win against a less clinical side than Tottenham.

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‎This victory allows Chelsea to focus on maintaining their position in the Premier League’s top four as the season enters its final stages.