LONDON — Losing to Chelsea for the third time this month won't do much for Antonio Conte's mission to quell Tottenham's inferiority complex, but it could strengthen his argument for taking action in the final week of the January transfer window. After losing both legs of their Carabao Cup semi-finals, Spurs thrashed Spurs 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to extend a frightening record to just one win from their last 37 visits in all competitions.
Blues boss Thomas Tuchel gave his faltering players two days off earlier this week to look for a spark to revitalize performances, but it turns out he was actually supposed to play Tottenham. (It was also Chelsea's 33rd Premier League victory over Tottenham, their most wins against any team in the history of the competition.) Conte, meanwhile, had a question about the difference between the two sides after one game. The bar was then left to speak in which he established his team in a match. A 4-4-2 shape, in front of Steven Bergwijn and Harry Kane, Son Heung-min missing due to injury and leaving Dele Alli and Giovanni Lo Celso, the latter as he searches for a move away from the club.
"The club knows very well what I think and how much time we need to bridge that gap," he said. “There isn’t [just] a transfer market [necessary] to bridge the gap. Over the years, this gap has become very, very large and it is no longer easy to find a solution in a short period of time.”
But that work begins now. The sight of full-backs Matt Doherty and Ryan Sessegnon acting as traditional wingers in midfield perhaps explains the urgency with which Spurs need to revise their squad in the coming week. Tottenham continue to pursue a deal for Wolves' Adama Traore, eyeing a more complicated move for AC Milan midfielder Frank Casey, among many other options.
It promises to be a busy few days, but Sunday's defeat is a reminder of what failure can look like. Either Trior or Casey would have added a whole new dimension to a team that at least competed better here than on their previous visit, but Hakim Ziyech opened the scoring with a brilliant curling 47th-minute strike. never found a way. The Moroccan didn't celebrate his goal against Brighton five days earlier, but before he could react this time around, his teammates wanted to share in a moment of class that turned the game irreversibly in favor of the home side. changed from
Aside from the break, a tactical adjustment to the 4-1-4-1 formation helped make Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi more threatening, even though it was another occasion on which Romelu Lukaku's efficiency in front of the goal postponed them.
"We thought maybe this might give us some solutions to avoid high pressure with the game in the opponent's half and a little bit more width without the wing-back," Tuchel said. "It was one of his [Ziyech's] best matches today because he was very reliable. To be fair, it's probably his best position, to be on the wing, wide to the right. Not that position normally He is present in that particular way when we play our 3-4-3 and it's more wing-back. It was good because it gave him a chance to take risks."
Spurs had reason to feel distressed; Kane had the ball just before interval, but a push in the back from Thiago Silva gave him extra space to complete his finish and VAR after referee Paul Tierney's decision to cancel it, despite opposition from the England captain. did not intervene. Conte was angry.
"The referee rejected a goal and I was very clear with him," he said. "I think it's best to politely tell the referee, it was incredible to see this type of goal disallowed."
Silva was clever at maximizing the contact, and delivered another blow to the Spurs on 55 minutes as he headed towards Mason Mount's free-kick. Tottenham's losing set-piece trend will further enrage Conte; He has allowed six goals from dead-ball situations in the Premier League this season. No team above him has suffered much.
Sunday was Conte's first league defeat since being appointed Spurs boss in November, and to the extent that they are playing catch-up in the second half of the campaign, Spurs still have two games ahead of fourth-placed Manchester United. And making a staggering four matches compared to his opponents this weekend. They are just two points behind United, but to make the most of those extra matches, Conte needs to back the club with a decisive transfer business over the next eight days. The football's managing director, Fabio Paratici, was at Stamford Bridge before kick-off - on his phone, of course - to see firsthand the latest installment in a rivalry that has had a team for so long.
Victory ensures Chelsea keep the distance between the top three and the scuffle below them, which has featured an inviting post-Club World Cup run of league fixtures including dates with Crystal Palace, Burley, Newcastle, Norwich and Brentford. Sadly for them, they probably won't face Spurs again this season.
"Can we play you every week?" Jubilant Home supporters sang. Conte needs help changing the tune.