Jackson scores hat-trick as Chelsea beat nine-man Spurs in chaotic derby
Nicolas Jackson’s hat-trick gave Chelsea victory over nine-man Tottenham in a chaotic derby.
Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie were sent off and there were five disallowed goals before the Blues eventually secured the points against boss Mauricio Pochettino’s former club.
In an incredible first half, Spurs took an early lead when Dejan Kulusevski’s shot deflected in off Levi Colwill, Romero was red-carded for a crude challenge on Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer equalised with the resulting penalty and there were four disallowed goals.
Udogie was also dismissed early in the second half and Jackson’s treble clinched the win for Chelsea – and consigned their London rivals to a first defeat of the season.
After Kulusevski cut in from the right and saw his effort strike Colwill’s back and end up in the net, Spurs thought they had doubled their lead when Son Heung-min slotted in after being set up by Brennan Johnson, but the South Korean was offside and the goal was chalked off.
The hosts were in control – and in luck, with Udogie somehow escaping a sending-off after a VAR check following a two-footed challenge on Raheem Sterling.
Then, when Sterling drove into the box and fired into the net, a VAR check led to the goal being disallowed for a handball, while Spurs again temporarily avoided being reduced to 10 men after Romero got away with lashing out at Colwill.
However, after another Chelsea goal was disallowed – this time after Moises Caicedo thumped a strike into the bottom corner but was offside – a VAR check not only rubber-stamped that decision but also led to a penalty being awarded to Chelsea for Romero’s tackle on Fernandez in the build-up, which earned the Tottenham defender a red card.
Palmer converted the spot-kick and before the interval Chelsea had a goal ruled out for a third time, because Sterling strayed offside in the build-up to Jackson netting, and Spurs duo James Maddison and Micky van de Ven both went off injured.
The madness continued in the second half and 10 minutes after the restart Udogie, earlier so fortunate to escape with a yellow card, picked up another one for a foul on Sterling.
As Chelsea drove forward looking to capitalise on their numerical advantage, keeper Guglielmo Vicario denied Jackson, Palmer and Marc Cucurella, and Jackson missed a sitter when he failed to score with a free header from three yards out, allowing Pierre-Emile Højbjerg to clear off the line.
But when another easy chance fell to Jackson with 15 minutes remaining, he managed to hit the target.
Sterling raced onto Reece James’ ball down the right and teed up the Senegalese forward, who finished from close range.
Spurs battled on though and there was another disallowed goal when an offside Eric Dier volleyed into the net after a free-kick had been flicked on by Rodrigo Bentancur.
Bentancur almost equalised when he headed wide from Pedro Porro’s late free-kick, and keeper Robert Sanchez kept out a low strike from Son before Jackson scored twice in stoppage time.
His second goal was similar to his first – a tap-in after being set up by Conor Gallagher – and in the final moments Jackson raced through and rounded Vicario for his third.
Chelsea: Sanchez; James (Gusto 77), Silva, Colwill (Cucurella 45), Disasi; Caicedo, Gallagher, Fernandez (Mudryk 58); Palmer, Jackson, Sterling (Ugochukwu 90).
Subs not used: Petrovic, Badiashile, Madueke, Maatsen, Deivid.
