Tottenham stun Chelsea for second league win in a week as Cole Palmer is sent off

There are days when Tottenham go into these big games and find ways to beat themselves. This time, though, they held their nerve at a ground where they have mostly only known doom. Spurs played with control, stayed patient and won at Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2018 after waiting for Chelsea to press the self-destruct button during a calamitous and comical ending to a cagey game.

Related: Glitch in Chelsea’s coding costs Alonso while resurgent Spurs are all systems go | Barney Ronay

Chelsea were meant to have grown. Xabi Alonso had even praised his side’s emotional control and ability to manage awkward spells during the buildup, but perhaps that was asking for trouble. Chelsea, short of poise on and off the pitch, deserved to be beaten at home for the first time this season and there was plenty of blame to go around after Alonso got his tactics wrong, Mike Penders scored a ridiculous own goal and Cole Palmer was sent off after a lunge on Conor Gallagher when he was already on a booking.

Alonso suggested this could be a learning moment for Palmer. He could have been sent off when he earned his first booking for bumping into the excellent Mateus Fernandes and the frustration is that Chelsea still had time to find an equaliser before their No 10 suffered his rush of blood to the head.

It summed up a haphazard display, bringing an abrupt end to talk of Chelsea’s improved discipline. There was a collective loss of nerve from Alonso’s edgy side and Spurs made them pay by pressing at an obvious weakness. Fernandes targeted Penders with a corner and the young goalkeeper ruined his full Premier League debut by punching the ball into his own net.

It would be harsh to pin the defeat on Penders, who started only because Emi Martínez is out with a broken jaw. Palmer was foolish and Alonso was culpable. Chelsea were muted without the injured João Pedro but their manager’s setup did not help. Playing without a recognised striker and giving Geovany Quenda his first start at this level was a mistake from Alonso, as was his failure to bring on Danny Welbeck until it was too late and Spurs were already coasting towards only their second win in 35 attempts in this fixture.

Related: Alonso urges Cole Palmer ‘to learn’ from red card in Chelsea’s defeat to Spurs

Chelsea lacked punch and balance without João Pedro up front. They need the Brazilian back soon. Palmer and Morgan Rogers were ineffective as false nines and Spurs had the tactical edge. De Zerbi was delighted with his side’s poise in possession and raced from his technical area to celebrate when Mathys Tel capped off a thrusting display by making it 2-0 in the 87th minute.

Spurs are a work in progress. They were bottom at the start of the week but have something resembling momentum now. Two consecutive wins have lifted them into 12th place and allowed De Zerbi to focus on some fine performances from his youngsters. Fernandes, who has had a slow start since joining from West Ham, was outstanding in a deep-lying role in midfield and Archie Gray was impressive in both full-back positions.

Tel was also positive on the left-wing and it was not hard for the Spurs back four to contain Chelsea. The hosts usually fly out of the traps but struggled to assert themselves during a tepid first half. Chelsea had nobody to hold the ball up and only threatened when Palmer and Jordan Henderson tested Antonin Kinsky from long range.

Spurs built confidence, their midfield of Fernandes, Sandro Tonali and James Maddison outplaying Moisés Caicedo and Henderson. As ever the challenge was finding a clinical touch. Mohammed Kudus and Tonali sent hopeful efforts off target. Omar Marmoush met Andy Robertson’s cutback but shot straight at Penders.

The game was there to be won. Fernandes kept making interceptions and moved the ball quickly. Spurs were comfortable. Too comfortable? Their luck was out at the start of the second half. Maddison, who was a doubt before the game, had played well before making way for Gallagher.

• Spurs gained just their second away win in 35 attempts against Chelsea in the Premier League (D11 L22) and their first since April 2018 (3-1).

• Spurs have beaten Chelsea in all competitions at Stamford Bridge while keeping a clean sheet for the first time since December 1986 (also 2-0).

• Chelsea’s Mike Penders (21yrs 85d) is the second-youngest goalkeeper to score an own goal (pictured) in the Premier League, after Illan Meslier (20yrs 354d) for Leeds against Wolves in February 2021.

• Cole Palmer’s sending-off was the 100th red card Chelsea have been shown in the Premier League (excluding rescinded cards), becoming the third team to reach this milestone after Everton (113) and Arsenal (110).

Not that there was a response from Chelsea. They played in random bursts and Pedro Neto drew another save from Kinsky but they had no focal point without João Pedro and it was strange that Alonso brought Estêvão Willian on before turning to Welbeck.

Estêvão at least made an impact, driving in from the right to shoot wide. Spurs responded, Solanke and Pedro Porro for Marmoush and Robertson positive moves, and the opener followed.

Austin MacPhee, Chelsea’s set-piece coach, was busy telling four home players to stay high when Spurs won a corner. The box emptied out, Fernandes delivered from the left and Penders got his angles horribly wrong. The 21-year-old, who struggled in the air when Chelsea beat Leeds in the Carabao Cup last month, was thrown by a challenge from Van Hecke and watched in horror when his weak punch sailed over the line.

Chelsea were still coming to their senses when Palmer’s exit ended any hope of a comeback. It was Chelsea’s first red card of the season and was followed by Tel skipping in from the left to clinch a precious win for Spurs with a crisp shot from 20 yards.