Tottenham vs. Chelsea: Winners and Losers from Premier League London Derby
Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea played out a scoreless draw on Sunday in the Barclays Premier League.
Chelsea's team selection dominated the headlines before kickoff, with Jose Mourinho dropping Diego Costa and choosing a lineup without a recognized striker. Near the end of the game, a frustrated Costa tossed his training bib in Mourinho's direction, a gesture that's sure to spark plenty of discussion in the coming days.
The draw left Tottenham in fifth place with 25 points. Chelsea moved up to 14th with 15 points.
Here, Bleacher Report selects winners and losers from the match.
Loser: Diego Costa
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So much for kisses and cuddles.
Diego Costa did not feature Sunday as Chelsea played the full 90 minutes without a recognized striker on the pitch. The Spain international has been his side's first-choice striker since joining in 2014, and his omission undeniably spoke volumes.
Last week, Costa and manager Jose Mourinho appeared to engage in an argument at halftime of Chelsea's victory over Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the UEFA Champions League. At issue was Costa's movement, or lack thereof, but Mourinho insisted any rift between the two had healed.
“With Diego I wanted him to do a certain movement that he didn’t and I was disappointed and reacted and he reacted too, but at half-time in the dressing room there were a few kisses and cuddles,” Mourinho said after the game, per Reuters (h/t The Guardian).
As Costa sulked on the bench throughout Sunday's match, one had to wonder how effective that cuddling was as a healing measure. The Brazil-born forward cut a forlorn figure, visibly scowling at various times as the game progressed. Costa did warm up momentarily in the second half but did not enter the action, with Mourinho using only two of his three allotted substitutions.
At ESPN FC, Miguel Delaney argued Chelsea fared better without Costa:
"Costa's absence left Chelsea a little toothless and without a man in attack at times, but it's hard to argue it didn't lead to a more cohesive team performance.
…
There was more direction and sharpness to Chelsea's attack without Costa, with Pedro also looking more dangerous than at any point since his debut against West Brom in August. (Eden) Hazard is also recovering his creativity, although his wait for a 50th Chelsea goal continues.
"
Costa's goals fueled Chelsea's title drive last season. But six months after lifting the Premier League trophy, the striker's place in the team is in doubt.
Loser: Jose Mourinho
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As full time approached, Diego Costa returned to his seat in the Stamford Bridge stands, took off his training bib and flung the garment in the general direction of manager Jose Mourinho.
Now, admittedly, the bib did not strike Mourinho, and one interpretation of the gesture could be simple frustration. But this had to be something more. Costa must have known where he was tossing the bib, and he had to know such an act would convey insubordination.
And thus Mourinho has a problem on his hands. Costa was Chelsea's only senior striker available for selection on Sunday, and Mourinho left him out. That in itself is not a problem, though. At issue is Mourinho's relationship with Costa, which appears to be deteriorating rapidly.
Shortly after the match, Chelsea's official Twitter account moved quickly to downplay the situation. "Jose says Diego Costa is physically fine, his mood is good, he is working hard in training & it is normal he is not happy to be a sub," the club wrote.
Maybe that's it, but Costa's outburst suggested a deeper problem.
Winner: Hugo Lloris
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Hugo Lloris faced only one shot on target over 90 minutes on Sunday, but in that one moment the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper had to be at his best.
In the 67th minute, Branislav Ivanovic picked out Eden Hazard with a cross from the right. Hazard, playing as Chelsea's most advanced player in Diego Costa's absence, powered a low half-volley on target from a tight angle.
Hazard's technique was excellent and his shot appeared destined for the bottom corner. But Lloris stuck out his left hand as the ball passed by his side, pushing it around the post to keep the game scoreless.
It was a top-class save produced by a top-class goalkeeper. It ensured Tottenham held on to the draw.
"Chelsea had only one shot on target and it was a good save from Hugo Lloris," Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino told BBC Sport. "They did not do much to win the game. We deserved more; we tried to win it. I think Chelsea will be happy with the point. It is more important to them than us."
Winner: Tottenham's Unbeaten Run
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This was not the result Tottenham wanted. Victory would have taken Spurs into the top four ahead of Arsenal, for a few hours at least, and perhaps even underlined the side's title credentials.
A draw leaves Mauricio Pochettino's side fifth, with Arsenal still yet to play this weekend. And yet, avoiding defeat meant Tottenham set a new club record.
Before the game, the Premier League's official Twitter account noted Spurs were unbeaten in 12 league matches. The club had never gone 13 without defeat until now.
That run has seen Tottenham climb into contention for a top-four spot and Champions League football next season. With a bit more ruthlessness in the final third (this was Spurs' third scoreless draw of the season, joint-most in the league, per Opta Joe), that dream could become a reality.
Up next, Tottenham play at West Bromwich Albion before hosting Newcastle United on Dec. 13. Six points would extend the unbeaten run yet further and send Spurs into the festive period with both momentum and confidence.
Winner: Chelsea's Defending
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One of the key characteristics of Chelsea's wretched start to the season was poor defending. In their first 11 league matches, the Blues conceded three goals on five occasions.
Playing with such defensive fragility is no way to defend a title, and not coincidentally Chelsea found themselves just four points above the relegation places at kickoff on Sunday.
But this scoreless draw represented the second time in as many league matches the Blues have kept a clean sheet. It's probably also no coincidence Jose Mourinho's men have taken four points from those two matches.
On Sunday, Chelsea kept their shape and discipline to repel Tottenham with relative ease. The hosts held the majority of possession but frequently struggled to penetrate the Blues' organized defensive ranks. According to former Premier League footballer Stan Collymore, they were "solid, combative and cohesive," a combination that characterizes all of the best Mourinho defenses.
Will this game serve as a turning point? We won't know for several weeks. But back-to-back clean sheets are an encouraging sign for a side that struggled so desperately at the defensive end early in the season.
