Tottenham’s unbeaten record in the English Premier League came crashing down in a wild 4-1 loss to Chelsea, ignited by Nicolas Jackson’s late hat trick on Monday.
Jackson’s three-goal frenzy, starting from the 75th minute, finally broke Tottenham’s resistance in a frenetic game that defied logic.
Spurs remarkably held their ground for a while despite being reduced to nine men due to the red cards shown to Cristian Romero in the 33rd minute and Destiny Udogie in the 55th.
Tottenham had initially surged ahead with Dejan Kulusevski’s goal in the sixth minute, but the London derby soon turned fiery, marred by a series of wild challenges and crazy incidents.
Amid the madness, Cole Palmer equalized from the spot after Romero conceded a penalty and was subsequently sent off for a reckless tackle on his Argentina teammate Enzo Fernandez.
When Udogie received a second yellow card, Tottenham faced the monumental task of preserving their undefeated start to the season under Ange Postecoglou.
Chelsea struggled initially to penetrate Tottenham’s high defensive line, which was both brave and perhaps a tad naive.
However, they eventually succeeded, to devastating effect.
Jackson’s final two goals came during stoppage time, sealing a memorable win for visiting manager Mauricio Pochettino on his return to the club he coached from 2014-19 and famously led to a Champions League final.
Postecoglou acknowledged that the game had spiraled "out of control," but he expressed no regrets about his team’s audacious tactics, even while down to nine men. He stated, "It is just who we are. It is who we are and who we will be for as long as I am here. If we go down to five men, we will have a crack."
The result leaves defending champions Manchester City one point ahead of second-placed Tottenham after the 11th round of games, with both Liverpool and Arsenal, the other teams in the top four, failing to secure victories.
The first half, in particular, was sheer mayhem.
Aside from the two goals and Romero’s red card, there were four disallowed goals, injuries forcing Tottenham players James Maddison and Micky van de Ven to exit the game, yellow cards for Postecoglou and Udogie, a brawl initiated by a scuffle between Chelsea’s Levi Colwill and Tottenham’s Pape Sarr, and a staggering 12 minutes of stoppage time.
Remarkably, Romero avoided punishment for kicking out Colwill off the ball, only to be shown a red card a few minutes later, marking his fourth red card in less than 2 1/2 years at Spurs, alongside 26 yellow cards during that time.
This match will likely be remembered for its on-field drama as well as for Postecoglou’s bold attempt to win the game rather than settle for a draw.
"I am very proud of the players," the Australian coach declared. "Right to the end, they were trying to create something for us. The players couldn’t give any more than they did. Part of this game is will, effort, and determination, and they showed that."
Ultimately, Tottenham faces the challenge of maintaining its strong start to the season without its two central defenders, as Udogie is suspended for the upcoming match against Wolverhampton, and there is an injury concern for star playmaker Maddison.
The hat trick marked a significant milestone for Jackson, a Senegalese striker who endured a tough initiation in the league following his summer move from Villarreal.
While his finishing had previously been criticized, he displayed great composure in his goal-scoring, particularly in close-range finishes after Chelsea exploited Tottenham’s high line.
His final goal in the hat trick saw him break through on goal, leaving goalkeeper Vicario bewildered with a clever shimmy before rounding him to tap the ball into an empty net.
"This will boost his confidence," Pochettino remarked regarding Jackson’s hat trick. "I hope this hat trick allows him to play with more ease and the confidence he needs."