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Chelsea were defeated 2-0 by Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs) in the Premier League on Sunday, February 26.
The Blues have endured a challenging run of games in which they have been unable to find their goalscoring touch. They have suffered two defeats and played out three draws in their last five games across competitions, failing to score more than one goal in any of those games. Their last two games were consecutive 1-0 defeats to Borussia Dortmund and Southampton.
However, Graham Potter was looking to turn things around as the Blues made several additions to their squad in January. Despite a few key players out, Potter fielded a strong lineup with the personnel available.
Chelsea made a good start to the first half as they controlled possession for the initial stages of the game. They attempted four shots in the first half but only one of them was on target. They kept the ball for 57% of the time but were not direct enough with their approach as Tottenham squeezed them out wide. The hosts attempted just three shots and failed to hit the target.
Most of the battles were fought in the central areas of the pitch as players from both sides did not hesitate before putting in crunching tackles. Both Harry Kane and Thiago Silva got away with cheeky but deliberate elbows on opposition players in the first half. The period even ended with a fracas that caused a lot of drama.
Hakim Ziyech was shown a straight red before it was dramatically reversed and reduced to a yellow card. Emerson Royal and Kai Havertz, too, were booked for their involvement in the incident.
Chelsea and Tottenham were deadlocked at 0-0 at half-time.
Tottenham made a blistering start to the second half as they scored inside the first minute after the restart. Oliver Skipp saw the ball bounce kindly in front of him before unleashing a powerful effort that whizzed past Kepa. It was his first-ever goal for Spurs in 67 appearances and what a time to get it.
The cards continued to be dished out as Ben Davies and Mason Mount were booked in the second period. Both managers also turned to their respective benches as Chelsea looked to get back into the game. However, Harry Kane had other ideas. He lept the highest to convert a set-piece from Eric Dier to make it 2-0 in the 82nd minute to put the result beyond doubt.
Tottenham held on to secure a 2-0 win over Chelsea, leaving the Blues 14 points adrift of the top four. With that said, let's take a look at the visitors' player ratings.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Kepa Arrizabalaga - 6/10
Kepa made just one save throughout the game and played five accurate long balls.
Reece James - 6.5/10
James had a decent game and was active on both the offensive and defensive ends. He won six of his 11 duels, making four clearances and two interceptions. He also played four accurate long balls and completed two dribbles.
Thiago Silva - 6.5/10
Silva made a decent start to the game but was forced off with an injury inside 20 minutes. Wesley Fofana replaced him at the heart of Chelsea's defense.
Kalidou Koulibaly - 6.5/10
Koulibaly had a good game on defense as he won three of his six duels, making eight clearances and one interception.
Ben Chilwell - 6.5/10
Chilwell was active on the left flank and helped with his team's build-up play. He won five of his nine ground duels, making three interceptions and two tackles. He also played one key pass and three accurate long balls.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek - 6/10
Loftus-Cheek played well in the central areas of the pitch, winning three of his six duels, making two tackles and one interception.
Enzo Fernandez - 6.5/10
Fernandez was eager to get on the ball as he pulled the string for Chelsea from central midfield. He won five of his 11 duels, making two tackles and one interception. He also played 13 long balls and one key pass.
Hakim Ziyech - 6/10
Ziyech's most notable moment of the game was his red card, which was remarkably reversed and changed to a yellow card on the cusp of halftime. He had 31 touches of the ball but was dispossessed eight times and attempted two shots but failed to hit the target.
Joao Felix - 6/10
Felix was clattered into on multiple occasions in the first half and was effectively kept quiet by Tottenham's disciplined defense. He had 64 touches of the ball and lost possession 14 times. He attempted three shots, hitting the target once.
Raheem Sterling - 6/10
Sterling struggled to get as involved in the game as he would have liked. He provided very little passing input and attempted just one shot on target.
Kai Havertz - 6.5/10
Havertz put in a decent performance for Chelsea but was booked for his part in a scuffle just before the halftime break.
Substitutes
Wesley Fofana - 6.5/10
Fofana replaced Thiago Silva in the first period and had a decent game.
Mason Mount - 6.5/10
Mount replaced Loftus-Cheek in the second half and was booked for arguing with the referee shortly after coming on.
Denis Zakaria - 6/10
Zakaria replaced Ziyech in the second half and played well.
Mykhaylo Mudryk & Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - N/A
The pair came on late in the game and did not play enough or do anything substantial to warrant a rating.
