"The days when Tottenham were capable of ending this fixture with nine men trying to pull off a high line against Nicolas Jackson are over, but on current evidence the decision to replace the excesses of Angeball with something more restrained and grown-up has merely invited soul-searching of a different nature. The loud, sustained blast of booing that broke out when the final whistle arrived at the end of this sorry defeat to Chelsea said much about the identity crisis gripping the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium."
"One goal was enough for Chelsea to climb into fourth place and go level on points with Spurs. Joao Pedro ended his barren run and Moises Caicedo was superb in midfield. Chelsea, though, did not have to be anything more than clinical and efficient to win. It was worth recalling that Spurs took the lead in this fixture in each of the past two seasons, only to lose because they were too gung-ho on both occasions."
"Frank, though, is more of a chameleon than Ange Postecoglou. The Dane is prepared to adapt his tactics and he met the threat posed by Chelsea by looking to compress space, with Joao Palhinha sticking to Enzo Fernandez and Spurs' box midfield full of runners but perhaps a little light on ideas with the ball. The worry for Spurs had to be a lack of invention."
Tottenham lost 0-1 to Chelsea, producing almost no attacking threat and registering an xG of 0.05. Fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium loudly booed as concern about the club’s identity emerged. Manager Thomas Frank has adopted a more restrained, adaptable approach than his predecessor, compressing space defensively with Joao Palhinha tracking Enzo Fernandez and a box midfield of runners. Home form remains poor, with 13 points from the past 19 home games and only one shot on target in this match. Chelsea’s Joao Pedro ended his barren run, Moises Caicedo excelled, and a single clinical goal decided the game.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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