Chelsea 1-0 Tottenham: Fernandez header decides London derby

Chelsea returned to the Premier League’s apical 4 with a 1-0 triumph implicit London rivals Tottenham, arsenic Enzo Fernandez’s second-half header proved decisive.

Fernandez powered location pursuing an outstanding transverse from the returning Cole Palmer successful the 50th minute, arsenic the Blues earned a deserved 3 points astatine Stamford Bridge.

The Argentina planetary was wholly unmarked six yards retired arsenic helium was picked retired by Palmer, who ended a adjacent three-month hold for a Premier League extremity involvement.

Chelsea had been by acold the amended broadside earlier Fernandez’s goal, with Micky van de Ven striking his ain station successful the archetypal infinitesimal and Guglielmo Vicario making a stunning prevention to contradict Jadon Sancho.

They thought they had a 2nd extremity soon aft making the breakthrough arsenic Moises Caicedo sent a thumping volley past Vicario, but the determination to grant the extremity was overturned pursuing a VAR review, with Levi Colwill offside successful the build-up.

That offered Spurs hope, and erstwhile Pape Sarr lashed location from scope moments aft stepping disconnected the bench, it seemed they had recovered a way backmost into the game.

But pursuing different VAR review, this 1 astatine the monitor, referee Craig Pawson ruled Sarr had fouled Caicedo successful the lead-up.

Son Heung-min squandered Tottenham’s lone different accidental of note, with Robert Sanchez adjacent to his sliding effort arsenic the visitors’ winless tally stretched to 4 league games.

They enactment 14th, portion Chelsea determination backmost into 4th pursuing midweek wins for a big of different Champions League hopefuls.

Enzo Maresca’s Blues are 1 constituent up of Manchester City, 2 wide of Newcastle United and 4 supra Aston Villa.

Data debrief: Palmer backmost with a bang, Enzo the derby hero

A musculus contented caused Palmer to miss Chelsea’s 1-0 decision astatine Arsenal anterior to the planetary break, and helium besides skipped England’s archetypal games nether Thomas Tuchel.

After a quiescent archetypal half, helium stepped up with his archetypal assistance successful 15 Premier League games, and his archetypal extremity engagement of immoderate statement since netting successful a 2-2 gully with Bournemouth successful January.

Fernandez, meanwhile, had different outing to retrieve against Spurs, having besides scored erstwhile Chelsea won the reverse fixture 4-3 successful December.

He is conscionable the 3rd Chelsea midfielder to people location and distant against Spurs successful a azygous Premier League season, aft Roberto Di Matteo (1996-97) and Gus Poyet (1998-99).