De Zerbi's Tottenham end 36-year Stamford Bridge drought to stun 10-man Chelsea 2-0

Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday to record only their second Premier League victory at the ground in 36 years, with Roberto De Zerbi declaring afterwards that his side have “suffered enough” after a turbulent start to the season.

It was Spurs’ most complete performance of the campaign, their control of midfield proving too much for a Chelsea side who were further undermined when Cole Palmer received a second yellow card late in the second half. Palmer’s first booking came after he clattered Mateus Fernandes to the ground with the ball out of play — a flashpoint that ignited tempers on the pitch and in the dugout — while his second arrived for a reckless challenge on Conor Gallagher.

The opener, with 13 minutes remaining, was fortunate in nature: goalkeeper Mike Penders, making his first league start, punched a corner into his own net in difficult, rain-soaked conditions. But Mathys Tel’s goal to seal it was anything but, the forward driving in from the left and finishing past the beleaguered 21-year-old with a strike that underlined Tottenham’s growing confidence.

“I love watching my players fighting on the pitch,” said De Zerbi of the Fernandes flashpoint. “I want to see him with personality, enjoying with the ball, can make a mistake, it doesn’t matter. I want to see this personality from my team.”

The win arrives just days after Spurs finally claimed their first league victory of the season — a 7-1 rout of Coventry — having gone without a goal until 19 September. The transformation in their performances has been marked.

“Changing the spirit of the group, changing the performance of the players, especially the more fragile players, maybe the younger players,” De Zerbi said. “Mateus Fernandes maybe was one of the best players on the pitch, like Mathys Tel. Archie Gray is younger, but he’s older as a mentality. I’m very, very happy.”

The only previous Premier League win for Spurs at Stamford Bridge had come in 2018, a 3-1 victory that itself ended a 28-year wait. Their last triumph at the ground before that dated back to 1990.

“It’s not our responsibility the results of the past,” said De Zerbi. “We are a big club. In the last period the results have been not so good, but we are a top club. We must show personality. We must show mentality. We have suffered enough.”