Tottenham won at Stamford Bridge for the first time since 2018 on 24 October 2026, beating Chelsea 2-0 in round 8 of the Premier League. A rain-soaked London derby, which kicked off at 23:30 Vietnam time, was goalless until the 77th minute, when Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders punched a Mateus Fernandes corner into his own net. Cole Palmer was sent off for a second yellow card three minutes later, and Mathys Tel sealed the win with a solo goal in the 87th minute.
The defeat was Chelsea's first at home this season, according to the Guardian, and Dan Tri said it ended a six-match unbeaten home run. Alonso's side had arrived on the back of wins over Bournemouth and Everton, the club noted. For Roberto De Zerbi's side, bottom of the table at the start of the week according to the Guardian, it was a second straight league win. Spurs climb to 12th on 10 points, while Chelsea stay fourth on 15, per BongdaPlus and VnExpress, although that could change after the matches on 25 October.
How the derby turned
Chelsea's official website described a game in which little separated the sides for long spells. Penders made good saves from Omar Marmoush and Tel before half-time, and Antonin Kinsky kept out Palmer and Jordan Henderson at the other end. Spurs had far more of the ball but could not turn that control into a goal before the break.
Tottenham lost James Maddison to injury early in the second half, and Conor Gallagher, a former Chelsea player, replaced him in the 51st minute to boos from the home stands, BongdaPlus reported. Around the 70-minute mark the game boiled over. Fernandes stopped a Palmer run and was on his knees when Palmer barged into him, and Palmer, Micky van de Ven and Fernandes were all booked. Sky Sports said Palmer "escaped with only a booking", and its pundit Gary Neville said he had "lost his head".
The breakthrough came from a corner on the left. Fernandes delivered, Penders came for it under pressure from Jan Paul van Hecke and punched the ball into his own net, with Maxence Lacroix unable to clear. Three minutes later, referee Chris Kavanagh showed Palmer a second yellow for a late tackle on Gallagher. Tel then carried the ball from deep on the left, went past Josh Acheampong and Lacroix, cut inside and beat Penders with a low shot. VnExpress reported that De Zerbi was booked for protesting a decision, and that by the closing minutes the away fans were cheering every Spurs pass while many home supporters had already left.
By the numbers
The table below collects figures published by the outlets cited, with each row naming its source.
| Stat | Chelsea | Tottenham | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goals | 0 | 2 (Penders own goal 77th min, Tel 87th min) | Chelsea FC |
| Possession | 33% | 67% | VnExpress |
| Shots | 7 | 15 | VnExpress |
| Players booked | Palmer, Neto, Rogers | Gallagher, van de Ven, Mateus Fernandes | Chelsea FC |
| Red cards | Palmer (80th min, second yellow) | None | Chelsea FC |
| League position after the match | 4th, 15 pts | 12th, 10 pts | BongdaPlus |
Sky Sports added three telling figures. Seven attempts was Chelsea's lowest total in a Premier League game this season. It was only the second time in their last 17 home Premier League London derbies that Chelsea failed to score, after a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace last season. And Chelsea have now conceded eight set-piece goals in the league, double any other side. The attendance was 39,402, according to Chelsea's official website.
A rare day for Spurs at the Bridge
- According to the Guardian, this was only Tottenham's second away win in 35 Premier League attempts against Chelsea (D11 L22) and their first since a 3-1 win in April 2018. Sky Sports put it as one win in their previous 34 league visits.
- It was Spurs' first win at Stamford Bridge with a clean sheet, in any competition, since December 1986, also 2-0 (Guardian, Sky Sports).
- At 21 years and 85 days, Penders became the second-youngest goalkeeper to score a Premier League own goal, after Illan Meslier (20 years, 354 days) for Leeds against Wolves in February 2021, the Guardian said. Sky Sports added that he is the second Chelsea goalkeeper to do so, after Petr Cech against Everton in December 2009.
- Palmer's dismissal was Chelsea's first red card of the season and their 100th in the Premier League, excluding rescinded cards. According to the Guardian, only Everton (113) and Arsenal (110) had reached that mark before them.
Selection and set pieces under scrutiny
Chelsea's official website said Alonso was forced into two changes by injury. He was without Emiliano Martinez, out with a broken jaw according to the Guardian, so the 21-year-old Belgian Penders made his full Premier League debut. Joao Pedro was then injured in training on Friday, 23 October, and Alonso handed 19-year-old winger Geovany Quenda his first start instead of using a recognised striker. Palmer and Morgan Rogers operated as false nines, and Danny Welbeck came on only in the 88th minute.
The Guardian called that setup a mistake, along with the decision to wait until it was too late to bring on Welbeck. Sky Sports pundit Daniel Sturridge agreed: "The manager got it wrong in terms of playing Quenda." The Guardian also highlighted set-piece coach Austin MacPhee telling four Chelsea players to stay high before the decisive corner, which left the box short of bodies. Its match report still defended the goalkeeper: "It would be harsh to pin the defeat on Penders," it said, arguing that Palmer and Alonso deserved more of the blame.
What the managers said
"We all take the blame for the result and for the performance," Alonso told Chelsea's official website. "Today we were not at our best. I felt that in the second half, the game was even and could have gone either way. Once we conceded that first goal, and then with the red card, it was difficult." He conceded that Chelsea are better with Joao Pedro but said the focus should be on the players who were on the pitch, and that the team can do better. To Sky Sports, he said: "Collectively and individually, I do not think we were at our best level."
Alonso agreed that the red card should be a lesson for the 24-year-old Palmer, the Guardian reported. He said he had not seen the incidents again on TV but had been told the referee probably got it right, adding: "We need to have this maturity to deal with difficult moments." On wider concerns about Palmer's character, he said: "Today, for sure, yes, but it is not a concern," and he backed his goalkeeper too. "We win, we lose together," he said. "We support Mike and we support the rest of the team. He will learn from that." There is no return date yet for Joao Pedro. "He has a lot of fluid," Alonso said, explaining that Chelsea must wait for tests to know how serious the injury is.
De Zerbi was in a far better mood. He told Sky Sports: "Now we are a complete team. The players are playing better and we have improved our style." Speaking to the Guardian, he said Spurs want to keep improving game by game and week by week, adding: "I think we have suffered enough."
What's next
According to the club, Chelsea are back in action on the evening of Wednesday, 28 October 2026 (UK time) against Liverpool in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, with Joao Pedro's fitness the main question. In round 9 of the Premier League on 31 October 2026, Chelsea will host Manchester United, a few hours before Tottenham host Crystal Palace that evening, Vietnam time, VnExpress reported. Spurs will be waiting on news of Maddison, whose injury the Guardian described as a concern.
Before the game, our preview of Chelsea v Tottenham covered Gusto's return and Penders' expected start in place of Martinez.