Having already escaped relegation, West Bromwich Albion did the other thing Tony Pulis’ teams do best: spoil a team’s title run. Ahead of their clash with Tottenham, what did Chelsea FC learn?
Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: a Tony Pulis team shattered a team’s title hopes in London yesterday.
With three games remaining, Leicester City will take a seven point lead into Old Trafford on Sunday. The Foxes may be well over 24 hours into their championship celebration when Tottenham take the pitch at Stamford Bridge, with just as little to play for as their hosts. With Spurs having watched their hopes for a first-ever Premier League title vanish, and with Chelsea FC having…well, you know…we suspect winning the season’s final London derby would mean just a bit more to the men in blue.
There is still the chance that Spurs will come to the Bridge next week with a shred of hope remaining. A Manchester United draw or win would keep them mathematically in the title race for at least one more week.
We know we’ll be giving Leicester City a guard of honor at home on the last day of the season. We’re cool with it. So are Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard.
We can think of few better ways for the players to wrap up the season with a bit of redemption, and for Guus Hiddink to draw to a close his second spell as interim manager, than to win a London derby. And, if necessary, finish what Tony Pulis started and bury the Spurs’ title ambitions.
West Brom provided a blueprint for denying Mauricio Pochettino’s men three points. Here are four keys from their match at White Hart Lane that Chelsea can use next Monday.
Next: 1. Shut down the top of the box