Tottenham Hotspur secured back-to-back wins in the Premier League following an impressive 2-0 victory over London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Spurs went into the London derby after a morale-boosting 3-1 win over Coventry City, but they were still considered underdogs, given that the Blues had won the previous six league encounters between them.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side showed more determination from the off yesterday and should have been a 1-0 ahead at the half-time break. Omar Marmoush was guilty of squandering a brilliant goalscoring opportunity.
The second half had a similar complexion as Spurs dominated possession and eventually got their break through a goalkeeping error from Mike Penders, who punched the ball into his own net from a corner in the 77th minute.
Mathys Tel put the gloss on the performance with a stunning solo goal in the 87th minute. The Frenchman took possession in his own half and beat a couple of defenders before unleashing a low strike beyond Penders’ reach.
Tel made the headlines with his brilliant Eden Hazardesque goal at Stamford Bridge, but there were several other top performers including Mateus Fernandes, who stepped up on his return to the starting XI for Spurs.
De Zerbi opted for an extra central midfielder alongside Sandro Tonali and James Maddison yesterday, and Fernandes did not disappoint with a superb all-round performance for the north London giants.
Fernandes did make a few loose passes including one that saw goalkeeper Anton Kinsky make a big save, but overall, it was undoubtedly his best performance in the Spurs shirt since arriving from West Ham United.
After the game, Fernandes posted a picture on Instagram to celebrate and he was hailed by several Spurs teammates. Maddison said that he has finally ‘arrived’, while Dominic Solanke described him as ‘some player’.
The 22-year-old had 124 touches against Chelsea, the most for any player on the pitch, as per Fotmob. Fernandes completed 92% of his passes (94/102), while winning six ground duels and making six recoveries. He received a 9/10 rating from football.london.
The former Hammers man also played a huge part in the opening goal from a corner. His brilliant delivery into the six yard box contributed to Penders’ mistake. The young Belgian ended up punching the ball into his own net without any kind of contact.
Fernandes made a terrific return to the starting line-up after being a substitute for the last two league matches. He proved why Spurs spent big on him with a sublime display. The onus is now on repeating the same against Crystal Palace at home next weekend.
