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JOãO PEDRO’S STRIKE PROVES ENOUGH AS CHELSEA SURVIVE LATE SPURS PRESSURE

João Pedro's first-half goal, set up by Moisés Caicedo, gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over Tottenham. Spurs recorded their lowest expected goals (xG) in over a decade, offering little threat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

João Pedro’s strike proves enough as Chelsea survive late Spurs pressure
Pedro finish secures Chelsea victory - Photo Credit: Getty Images

Enzo Maresca's team defeated Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Saturday, with João Pedro scoring the game's first goal since August to give Chelsea all three points.

At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Moisés Caicedo's outstanding play in the 34th minute to win the ball twice before setting up his colleague was all the Blues needed to defeat a Spurs team that did not seem particularly motivated in the last third.

During the entire game, Thomas Frank's team managed just three shots and one on goal, which is the fewest they have had this season.

Spurs' xG total of 0.05 in their 504th Premier League game at that time was their lowest on record (since 2012–13).

With a win or draw, Tottenham might have moved up to second position, but instead they are now in third place, behind leaders Arsenal and Bournemouth, while Chelsea moves up to fourth place and is tied with Spurs (17).

Early on, Xavi Simons replaced Lucas Bergvall, who had been forced after sustaining a knock to the head, dealing a setback to the home team.

Early in the game, however, there was not much movement in front of the goal; neither team's first non-blocked attempt came until Reece James struck a long, long shot in the 19th minute.

When Pedro Porro threw the ball away immediately after the break, João Pedro should have given Chelsea the lead, but Guglielmo Vicario stopped the Brazilian, and a few seconds later, Mohammed Kudus sent Spurs' first attempt over the bar from the edge of the Chelsea box.

However, a few minutes later, Caicedo did well to regain the ball from Micky van de Ven for Chelsea on the outskirts of the Tottenham penalty area, then locate his colleague for a straightforward finish, ensuring João Pedro would not be denied.

It was not the first careless blunder the hosts had made this season; in the Premier League in 2025–26, only Wolves (4) have committed more mistakes that resulted in goals for the opposition than Tottenham (3).

When João Pedro was on the receiving end of a cross from Malo Gusto, he had another chance, but Vicario tipped his first-time attempt over the bar.

Spurs had the first attempt on goal in the first half, but Kudus forced a save from Robert Sánchez in stoppage time but The home team was behind at halftime. That was not encouraging because Tottenham have lost 13 of their previous 15 Premier League games while behind at halftime (D2).

However, anything was possible because Chelsea, along with Brentford, has lost more Premier League points than any other team this season (eight).

João Pedro took Kevin Danso out of his own box as Chelsea pressed Spurs high in the second half, but Pedro Neto's subsequent shot went directly at Vicario.

In the 74th minute, James sent a shot over the crossbar after Neto was again denied.

Frank's team nearly paid for it when the visitors countered, but Jamie Gittens blasted over after João Pedro set him up for a spectacular chance. The boos came from the stands as the hosts hesitated to hit a deep free-kick into Chelsea's half in stoppage time.

The fact that Chelsea managed to secure the victory, however, will worry Spurs the most because there was never much chance that this match would end in anything other than an away victory.

WHY WAS COLE PALMER SUBBED? THE REAL REASON BEHIND THE STAMFORD BRIDGE BOOS

Fans booed as Cole Palmer was subbed in Chelsea's draw with Bournemouth. Learn why Maresca was absent and what’s next for the Blues.

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Managing Cole Palmer’s return

After Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth, assistant coach Willy Caballero defended the choice to sub off Cole Palmer, even though fans at Stamford Bridge were angry about Enzo Maresca's move.

Fans booed, yelling, You don't know what you're doing! when Palmer—who'd been one of the team's better players—was taken out in the 63rd minute. The home team was trying to score and break their bad Premier League streak at the time.

Chelsea has only won one of their last seven league games. Caballero said afterward that head coach Enzo Maresca, who wasn't there for the post-game interviews due to illness, is still a role model for everyone at the club.

Still, the pressure is on the coach after yet another result slipped away. Chelsea has now lost 13 points at home from winning positions.

The mood got especially sour when Palmer, who just came back from an injury, was taken off in the second half.

Every fan wants the best players on the field, Caballero said. We do, too. But Cole is coming back from a long injury. So we have to figure out the best substitutions to win the game while also keeping our players healthy. We need them for the entire season.

Caballero said about Maresca's absence, "He hasn't been feeling well for the past two days." He had a fever two days ago. He did the last two practices because he wanted to get the team ready. But after the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in because he wasn't feeling well.

He's handling it well and is very professional. He puts in a lot of hours every day, even when he wasn't feeling well the last two days. He loves to train and coach. He's a role model for me and the rest of the staff.

Bournemouth took the lead after six minutes when David Brooks scored on his second try after Robert Sanchez made a save. Then, Palmer scored a penalty to tie the game for Chelsea.

Next, Enzo Fernandez put the home team ahead, but the Blues couldn't hold on to their lead again. Justin Kluivert tied the score before halftime after Chelsea failed to handle a long throw-in from Antoine Semenyo.

There's been a lot of talk that this would be Semenyo's last game for Bournemouth before he moves to Manchester City soon. Before leaving the field, he seemed to say goodbye to the fans who had traveled to see the game.

Still, head coach Andoni Iraola was sure he'd play against Arsenal on Saturday.

It's not his last game here with us, he said. I can't say for sure, but I think he'll play.

He needs to rest. We've played two tough games in three days. We have Arsenal at home, so we're getting ready for another one, a tough game against the leaders. He's going to be important for us.

BREAKING: ENZO MARESCA SKIPS MEDIA AS CHELSEA CRISIS DEEPENS! GET THE HEALTH UPDATE

Enzo Maresca missed the post-match media due to a fever after Chelsea's 2-2 draw. Willy Caballero provides an urgent update on his health.

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Chelsea's winless run continues as Maresca falls ill

Enzo Maresca skipped media interviews after Chelsea's 2-2 tie with Bournemouth because he was sick.

The Blues coach was supposed to chat after his team snagged a point against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night.

But right before he was about to talk about the game, news dropped that Maresca wasn't feeling good.

So, his assistant, Willy Caballero, stepped in to handle things in west London.

Caballero shared an update on Maresca: He's been under the weather for a couple of days, Caballero said. He had a fever two days ago.

After the game, he went to the locker room and asked me to fill in for him since he wasn't feeling well.

Caballero was asked if he'd be in charge against Manchester City on Sunday, like he was against Villa during Maresca's suspension.

"I'm not sure," he said. I just want Enzo to get better. I think he'll be fine in a day or two.

The draw with Bournemouth means Chelsea has only won one of their last seven Premier League games.

Fans were clearly annoyed during the second half when Cole Palmer was subbed out for Joao Pedro.

Palmer just got back to playing regularly after a groin injury, but some Chelsea fans wondered why he was taken out.

About the boos, Caballero said, "Of course, every fan wants their best players on the field, and so do we."

But Cole is coming off a long injury, so we have to figure out the right subs for the game and also look out for our players since we didn't have him for a while.

Chelsea and Bournemouth had a boring 0-0 draw in their previous match earlier in the month.

But the game at Stamford Bridge was totally different, with Bournemouth taking the lead early on through David Brooks.

Palmer leveled the score with a penalty, and then Enzo Fernandez blasted a shot into the top corner to put Chelsea ahead.

But Chelsea failed to defend a long throw for the second time, allowing Justin Kluivert to score for Bournemouth.

After playing City, Chelsea will face their west London rivals Fulham before an FA Cup game away against Charlton Athletic.

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