Cole Palmer scored twice from the penalty spot as Chelsea roared back from a two-goal deficit after just 11 minutes to defeat Tottenham Hotspur 4-3 in a thrilling London derby. This victory closed the gap with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday.
Two comical slips by Chelsea full back Marc Cucurella led to Dominic Solanke and Dejan Kulusevski giving the hosts a dream start. However, their joy quickly turned to despair as the visitors demonstrated why they should be considered title contenders.
Jadon Sancho's powerful shot after 17 minutes gave Chelsea momentum, and Palmer equalized from the spot just past the hour mark. Chelsea dominated the second period, with Enzo Fernandez's powerful shot putting them ahead. Palmer effectively sealed the win with his second penalty late in the game, before Son Heung-min scored a stoppage-time consolation goal for Tottenham.
Chelsea now sit in second place with 31 points from 15 games, four points behind Liverpool, whose game at Everton was postponed due to high winds on Saturday. Tottenham's second defeat of the week left them in 11th place with 20 points, increasing the pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has downplayed his expensively-assembled squad's title chances, despite their unbeaten run of seven games and four consecutive Premier League wins. They are the top scorers in the division with 35 goals, and Palmer is at the peak of his powers, having contributed to 50 goals (33 goals and 17 assists) in 48 Premier League games since joining from Manchester City.
Things looked bleak for the visitors early on as Cucurella's tumbles led to two quick goals for Tottenham. However, after changing his footwear, Cucurella's side's fortunes quickly changed. Sancho's wonderful shot off the post and Palmer's penalties turned the tide, with Fernandez and Palmer sealing the victory.
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