– Report: Late Kane goal saves Spurs draw at Chelsea | Premier League Table | Upcoming matches ESPN’s James Olley has the reaction to the tense 2-2 draw. JUMP TO: Player Ratings | Best/worst performance | Highlights and notable moments | Post Match Quotes | Basic Statistics | Upcoming matches
Quick Reaction
A new battle of the bridge Maybe the heat got to them. Arguments over refereeing decisions and some exuberant goal celebrations certainly did. But whatever the root cause, Tuchel and Conte — who had nothing but nice things to say about each other beforehand — sparked a rivalry here that looks every bit as fierce as some of its all-time greats Premier League, twice when they had to be split, once after Tottenham’s first equalizer (when he was booked) and again in stoppage time (when they were both sent off). At times it resembled the infamous ‘Battle of the Bridge’ in May 2016, when Chelsea’s victory over their London rivals ended Spurs’ hopes of winning the 2015-16 title, although on that occasion no less of nine Spurs players were booked and this time the star players were the two managers. Perhaps Conte was looking to lead from the front by helping Spurs close what he described in January as a “very big” gap between Tottenham and the top teams, including Chelsea. They were nowhere near their best but stayed in the game to grab a point thanks to Kane’s 96th-minute header. What was threatening to be a stressful afternoon could now be a stepping stone to close that gap. Either way, the Tuchel-Conte dynamic has changed forever. Kante excels… but suffers another injury blow It was about 95 degrees at kick-off — an almost nationwide heat wave that is forcing the introduction of drinks breaks this weekend — but you wouldn’t know it by looking at N’Golo Kante. After Spurs made a promising start, the 31-year-old French midfielder helped Chelsea take control of this match by suffocating Spurs, pinning them back in their own half for long periods. However, Kante left five minutes from the end with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, the latest setback for a player who has been plagued by a host of issues including knee and muscle problems as well as COVID-19. – Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (US only) – Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access He remains absolutely essential for Chelsea to deliver their best collective performances in big matches. In addition, there could be a notable knock-on effect for Conor Gallagher, who has been linked with a move away from the club as Crystal Palace, where he flourished on loan last season, lead a long list of suitors. Tuchel will be far less inclined to allow Gallagher to leave if Kante is ruled out for any significant period. Tuchel’s signings are paying off, but more is needed Marc Cucurella capped off a fine individual display with the corner for Koulibaly to open the scoring with a fine volley, although a Spurs man gave him the freedom of West London to play. Both were making their Premier League debuts on home soil and looked at home on a hostile, high-quality occasion like this. Tuchel has been given more transfer influence under the new Todd-Boehly/Clearlake-led ownership and his judgment has been vindicated in a sense by the dynamic performances of Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling and Kai Havertz. The trio alternated positions in attack and pressed the ball superbly – nothing that would have been possible with Romelu Lukaku still at the club. However, the need for a clinical striker remained clear: Sterling burst through when he was in a good position just after the hour mark before Havertz missed a superb chance moments before James put Chelsea 2-1 up. Tuchel is keen to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona and it was easy to see why here.
Player Ratings
Chelsea: Edward Mendy 6, Rhys James 8, Kalidou Koulibaly 7, Thiago Silva 7, Ruben Loftus-Cheek 6, N’Golo Kante 8, Jorginho 7, Mark Cucurella 7; Mason Mount 7, Kai Havertz 6, Raheem Sterling 7.Subs: Cesar Azpilicueta 6, Conor Gallagher 6, Christian Pulisic 6, Armando Broja 6. Tottenham: Hugo Lloris 6, Cristian Romero 7, Eric Dier 7, Ben Davies 6; Emerson Royal 6, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg 7, Rodrigo Bentancur 6, Ryan Sessegnon 5; Leave Kulusevski 5, Harry Kane 6, Son Heung-Min 6.Subs: Richarlison 6, Yves Bissouma 6, Ivan Perisic 6, Lucas Moura 6.
The best and worst performers
BEST: Rhys James, Chelsea He did a good job of keeping Son quiet and scored Chelsea’s second goal with the kind of attacking wing-back play that makes him so vital to Tuchel’s favored 3-4-3 system. WORST: Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham He has been a revelation since signing from Juventus in January, but has been unable to get into the game at all and has struggled to stop Chelsea’s left flank.
Highlights and notable moments
Every moment of this game was a highlight, but the tension, the instant classic nature of this essentially Chelsea-Spurs match was most evident in the first goal of Tottenham’s equaliser, when Conte celebrated on the edge of Tuchel’s area in front of the Blues’ bench . Tuchel and Conte got into it 😳 😳 pic.twitter.com/FKWmKLwbxE — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 14, 2022 Nine minutes later, Chelsea were back in the lead and Tuchel was enjoying the moment, running up and down the touchline in celebration. Tuchel went full Mourinho 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/cispSpBvt7 — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 14, 2022 The fireworks didn’t stop just because the full-time whistle blew. Conte and Tuchel have ensured that embers will continue to burn, hopefully until the two sides meet again on February 25. 🍿🍿🍿 (via @footballdaily) pic.twitter.com/VHtMSpW38T — ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) August 14, 2022
After the match: What players and coaches said
“I think it’s not that important. The most important thing is football. It was intense.” – Conte on his row with Tuchel after the full-time whistle. “When you shake hands, you look into each other’s eyes. Antonio had a different opinion.” – Tuchel on what started his fight with Conte.
Key Stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)
Next
Chelsea: The Blues are next in action on Sunday, August 21 at Elland Road when Tuchel & Co. will face Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United. Six days later, on August 27, Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge to welcome Leicester City to London. Tottenham: Spurs host Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, August 20, before traveling to the City ground for a date with Nottingham Forest on Sunday, August 28.
