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Chelsea fans haven't had much to celebrate over the past two seasons, but by battling to a 2-0 victory over Tottenham on Thursday evening they did at least give their fans the chance to celebrate a satisfying double over their bitterest rivals.
This contest could not have contrasted more starkly with that insane 4-1 win, though. On that bonkers evening in north London, Chelsea were all over the place, only finally securing the three points when Spurs lost half of their starting XI to red cards or injuries. This time around, they were immeasurably more controlled and cohesive, reviving further hope that Mauricio Pochettino can turn this team of individuals into a coherent unit, following that demoralising thumping at the hands of Arsenal.
The hosts deservedly went ahead inside 25 minutes when Tottenham's woeful set-piece defending was highlighted once again. This time, it was Trevoh Chalobah who punished Ange Postecoglou's side, looping a header home at the back post after being left completely unmarked.
Mykhailo Mudryk then spearheaded the Blues' charge for a second before half time, causing all sorts of problems and fizzing one curling effort a whisker wide. Spurs sporadically offered reminders of their threat, with Cristian Romero putting a header narrowly past the post just before the break.
The second half presented a different task for the Blues. After Cole Palmer blazed over early on, Spurs piled on the pressure. However, Pochettino's charges kept their shape diligently and put in the hard yards. And they were rewarded for their discipline 18 minutes from time when Palmer's free kick cannoned off the bar and straight to Nicolas Jackson, who headed past the scrambling Guglielmo Vicario.
The victory keeps Chelsea's hopes of playing in some sort of European competition next season alive, with the Blues now three points adrift of Manchester United in sixth place.
GOAL rates Pochettino's players from Stamford Bridge...
