Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham finished with Spurs winning at Stamford Bridge for only the second time in Premier League history, after a goalkeeper’s own goal, a Cole Palmer red card and a stunning solo strike in a game that had been going nowhere.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side did not need to be brilliant to take the points. They controlled the ball, waited for Chelsea to crack, and were rewarded in a crazy final quarter of an hour on Saturday night.
It is back-to-back Premier League wins for Spurs after the Chelsea vs Tottenham preview had pointed to a difficult night at a ground where they rarely get anything.
Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham match report: a first half with almost nothing in it
Neither side troubled the scoreboard before the break. Omar Marmoush’s saved effort from close range was the only truly notable chance of the first half, and it was a largely uneventful 45 minutes.
Tottenham kept hold of possession after the restart, but both teams struggled for quality in the final third. Spurs finished with 68% of the ball, 15 shots to Chelsea’s seven and six corners to four, though both sides had four shots on target.
Tottenham pinned Chelsea deep inside their own half for long spells. According to Squawka, Chelsea completed only 97 passes in the first half, one of only two Premier League games since 2016/17 in which they have managed fewer than 100 in a first half. The other was against Brighton, also this season.
How did Mike Penders’ own goal give Tottenham the lead?
The breakthrough came with just over 10 minutes left, and it came from a mistake. Mike Penders, making his full Premier League debut in goal for Chelsea, misjudged the flight of an in-swinging corner from Mateus Fernandes.
Jan Paul van Hecke was advancing on him, and Penders failed to make proper contact. He punched the ball backwards and over his own goalline in the 77th minute.
Spurs have taken the lead after Mateus Fernandes' corner ends up in Chelsea's goal ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/X65gyO9yPX
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 24, 2026
Why was Cole Palmer sent off against Tottenham?
It went from bad to worse for the home side within three minutes. In the 80th minute Cole Palmer stepped on Conor Gallagher’s ankle as the pair went for the ball, and referee Chris Kavanagh quickly showed him a second yellow card and then a red.
Xabi Alonso admitted his disappointment over the dismissal and said Palmer must learn from it. Chelsea now have to travel to Anfield to face Liverpool in the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday night with the red card still fresh.
Mathys Tel’s solo goal sealed the win
Chelsea were still on the floor when Mathys Tel finished it off. In the 87th minute he drove from inside his own half deep into Chelsea territory, and from just outside the box he drove a shot across the surface into the bottom left corner.
Tel was the man of the match. He completed the most dribbles of any player on the pitch with four, had more touches in the opposition box than anyone with 10, created two chances and scored the second goal.
MATHYS TEL WHAT HAVE YOU JUST DONE!!! pic.twitter.com/QLQhiN09mn
– Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 24, 2026
What does Chelsea 0-2 Tottenham mean for De Zerbi?
Spurs climb to 12th with back-to-back league wins, and the performances have been steadily improving all season. The results are now starting to follow.
De Zerbi will be delighted by the second goal in particular, even if Penders’ error did much of the work in opening the scoring. Chelsea did not help themselves either. Joao Pedro was absent, and Alonso’s decision not to start Danny Welbeck in attack looks even more peculiar given how little the home side created.
Tottenham were knocked out of the League Cup by Liverpool in the third round, so they now have a full week off before Crystal Palace visit in the Premier League next Saturday.
Author opinion
This was not a classic, and De Zerbi would be the first to admit Penders handed Spurs the lead. But Tottenham earned the luck by dominating possession for 90 minutes, and a team that has been steadily improving is starting to look like one that knows how to win. Tel’s goal showed what the Lilywhites can do when the game opens up. With Palace next, the N17 mood has not been this good for a while.
