Most traditional rivalries and derbies in the Premier League are falling apart as one team outclasses the other. Chelsea and Tottenham, on the other hand, are perfectly matched as the best head-to-head battle to treat us twice a year.
The Premier League is a tangled web of derbies and rivalries. There are the geographically-based (e.g. the Merseyside and North London derbies), the historically-based (Liverpool vs. Manchester United), and the ones that defy rational explanation (Crystal Palace vs. Brighton). The general level of interest in each rivalry waxes and wanes depending on how good each side is, their relative positions in the league table, and, in some cases, whether they’re even in the same league (looking at you, Portsmouth. Southampton misses you).
At the moment, most of the top tier rivalries have hit a bit of a rut. With the Merseyside derby, the gap in class between Liverpool and Everton is so massive that Everton might as well be one of those non-league teams that pops up in the FA Cup whose players work as mechanics, accountants, and bakery owners.
The Manchester derby is in a similar spot, even if United did win the last matchup. City managed an 8-0 win over Watford, while United just slumped to a 2-0 defeat. They’re on different levels.
Same goes for North London. Arsenal have been a dumpster fire for a majority of the decade, while Spurs just made their way to a Champions League final.
So we’re headed into the 2020s with most of the traditional rivalries lacking in intrigue and competitiveness. Fortunately, Sunday showed that there is a growing rivalry between two sides who are roughly equal in talent, are battling for the same spot in the table, and who clearly do not like each other. The Chelsea – Tottenham Hotspur rivalry is now the best derby in the Premier League.
The rivalry between the two clubs isn’t new. After all, it’s one of ten London derbies in the current Premier League. For a host of reasons, however, it has quickly become more competitive and interesting than any other derby in the league.
Tottenham are the most recent addition to what is now the “Big Six” in the Premier League. As much as it pains a Chelsea fan to admit it, they’ve done an excellent job of growing both on and off the field, and they deserve credit for that (albeit begrudgingly). They’ve bought shrewdly, developed young players, and had a manager who instilled a winning mentality at all levels of the club.
And yet, their trophy cabinet remains barren.
The current state of the rivalry between the two clubs arguably stems from the notorious “Battle of Stamford Bridge” in May 2016. While Chelsea’s season was an unmitigated disaster, they still enjoyed the pleasure of clinching the Premier League title for Leicester City by drawing 2-2 against Tottenham.
It was a spectacle that belonged on a grainy VHS tape from an Argentinian second tier match in the 1990s. Spurs racked up a mind-boggling nine yellow cards without any red cards shown. And even then you would probably criticize the referee (Mark Clattenburg, naturally) for not being strict enough. Eric Dier should have walked at least twice. The violence was mostly borne out of frustration, as Chelsea battled back from being down 2-0 at halftime, with Eden Hazard scoring an incredible curler in the 83′ to clinch the draw.
While eight of Chelsea’s starting XI from that match have since moved on, nine of Spurs’ starters are still around. They clearly haven’t forgotten that night. Cesar Azpilicueta, Pedro, and Willian probably remember it as well, presumably with much fonder memories.
Fast forward to Sunday’s match, and it’s clear there was an element of “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” The stakes were high, Tottenham had all the momentum, and they ultimately lost the plot and things turned ugly. In that sense, they were just playing the hits from the 2016 debacle.
Of course, the reintroduction of Jose Mourinho to the conversation added an extra layer of friction between the two sides. The match came four years (almost to the day) after Mourinho parted company with (read: was sacked by) Chelsea. Much was made about his former claim of never wanting to coach Tottenham, his relationship with Frank Lampard, and his seemingly immediate positive impact on Spurs’ form. More narratives than you could shake a stick at.
Jump to the end of the match.
Mourinho’s side trudged off the field in defeat, having been blunted by Lampard’s tactics and Chelsea’s execution. Son Heung-Min had been sent off for lashing out in frustration at Antonio Rudiger, and the resulting racial abuse towards Rudiger turned the final half-hour of the match into a conversation about an issue much larger than the actual football being played. It was a stain on what was an otherwise excellent night for Chelsea.
As an aside, it’s a dangerous game to try and incorporate the racial abuse into the overall tensions between the clubs. To their credit, a large number of Spurs fans offered words of support to Rudiger, and the club have opened an investigation into the matter. Unfortunately, there have been reports of a Chelsea fan being arrested for racial abuse of Son as well. The small grain of good news is that it was apparently fellow Chelsea fans who reported the abuse to the authorities.
The topic of racism in football extends far beyond this particular rivalry, and it deserves deep reflection and meaningful change beyond the scope of this discussion. However, there is something to be said for both fan bases’ efforts to address these incidents. Some degree of respectful camaraderie is necessary for a healthy and mutually beneficial rivalry.
Focusing on football matters, Chelsea’s 2-0 win was Lampard’s first against a “Big Six” side, and validated his managerial credentials to a large extent.
The dynamic between the clubs was at risk of flipping, with Tottenham taking over as the “bigger” side. Perish the thought. The last six matches between the clubs are a string of three wins for Tottenham followed by three straight wins for Chelsea. The last draw between the two sides was that May 2016 match. While the two sides have been at a similar level of quality for the past few seasons, the fact that one side seems to come into each match with the upper hand just adds to the emotional relevance of each showdown. Every loss is crushing, while every victory is euphoric.
Just watch Lampard’s celebrations after Sunday’s match to see just how much this particular fixture matters.
Of all of the significant rivalries in England, this one seems to be the most equal and least predictable. The clubs are entwined with one another in many ways, both on and off the field. Other derbies and rivalries may have richer histories and more memorable moments, but at the moment, Chelsea and Tottenham offer the most competitive and fascinating rivalry in England.
At the moment, Chelsea rein supreme. Take that, Spurs.