Chelsea host Tottenham Hotspur on Stamford Bridge On Thursday evening, live on sky Sports, almost a decade after the infamous 'Battle of the Bridge' meeting.
Tottenham traveled to Stamford Bridge in May 2016, knowing that they just had to win to keep in touch with Leicester City at the top of the table and to stay hunting for a first title of the top flight since 1961.
The side of Mauricio Pochettino, however, made their journey back over the capital with their title hopes in smoke what has fallen as one of the filthiest collisions in the Premier League history.
So what exactly happened that evening in the southwest of London? Why was it such a bad game and what was the fall-out?
The background
The visitors arrived at the bridge, where they had not won since February 1990, with Bristling, after they had thrown the leadership and two vital points, in their previous match at West Brom.
Their already spiky mood was not improved by various interviews that were given in the run-up to the competition in which Chelsea players said they were looking for their city rivals and Leicester helping to win the competition.
“For various reasons, we came to that game at a very sensitive moment,” Pochettino would explain. “We were very aggressive in everything that happened. It was a special moment, very special. We can say from context:” Why did Tottenham behave like that? “But with all the context, at that time, I think it was normal.”
A warning story
Not that you had known something else, however, was about to unfold, in which the visitors racing in a dominant lead of two goals when the peace approached thanks to good content of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son.
Until that moment, Spurs defenders Kyle Walker and Jan Vertonghen were the only players booked, but everything that was about to change as the game arrived at the end of the first half of injury time.
It was Danny Rose's late challenge at Willian's right for the Dugouts, which was the catalyst for a massive fight that saw of all people, Mousa Dembele Eye Gouge Chelgea Striker Diego Costa.
At that time, even Spurs -head coach Pochettino had entered into battle after he had come to the field to try to separate Rose and Willian, something that the Argentinian later gave, was a judgment of the judgment.
“I was involved in the game and I forgot my thoughts,” Pochettino said after the game. “It was a mistake. I can't go on the field.”
Rose himself was not seeing happiness for his tackle on Chelsea's Brazilian attacker – “The linesman has bottled the decision there, he [Rose] Should have been sent away, “was Jamie Carragher's assessment on Sky Sports at the time – but it laid the foundation for a tough second half.
The two players in question were both warned, which means that the total of the first half yellow to four, with eight more to come after the rest-including a record-breaking nine for the North London Club-Toen replacement Eden Hazard de Vechtback of the hosts to draw 2-2.
'I allowed them to destroy themselves'
Unbelievable, however, no red cards were published by referee Mark Clattenburg, despite the fact that Erik Lamela deliberately cleans up at CESC Fabregas' Hand and Eric Dier too late.
“It was theater,” Clattenburg recalled later. “I went in with a game plan: that I didn't want Tottenham Hotspur Mark Clattenburg to blame them for losing the title. There should have been three red cards at Tottenham.
“I allowed them to destroy themselves so that all the media, all people in the world,” Tottenham lost the title “.
“If I have sent three players from Tottenham, what are the headlines?” Clattenburg cost Tottenham the title “. It was a pure theater that Tottenham destroyed himself against Chelsea and Leicester won the title.”
However, the last whistle – which confirmed the end of the title challenge of Spurs – brought more ugly quarrels as the two teams walked out of the tunnel, with the back -up goalkeeper Michel Vorm and Costa, before Vertonghen also became involved in a heated Touchline row.
Even Chelsea's gentle boss Guus Hiddink was there after he was beaten in the Dugout area during the Melee, although the 69-year-old Dutchman saw the funny side, jokes: “Even at my age I had no problem falling down!”
What they said …
“It was a London derby that we had not lost in 26 years,” said Chelsea captain John Terry full-time.
“It would always be a boil. A few times it got out of hand, but players fight for points and titles. They are emotions – that's football.”
In the meantime, the former top decorator Dermot Gallagher thought that the collision was the most difficult he had ever seen to officially officer in the Premier League era.
“I think that's the most difficult game I have seen in 24 years for a referee,” he said. “That was a tough, difficult test. The referee realized the effort, realized the emotions and everything. I think he was trying to referee the opportunity.
“It is really extraordinary to end with 12 yellow cards in a match. He tried to make a support and let the players play the game and he was commissioned by the players, but the players did not bought what he wanted to do. That's why he really got really tough.”
What happened afterwards?
The football club calculated both clubs with three infringements not to control their players, with Spurs affected with a fine of £ 225,000 – on top of a fine of £ 25,000 for collecting six bookings in the game – while Chelsea received a fine of £ 375,000 who had more previous crimes.
Dembele, who should also have been sent away, then had to transfer a ban of six games for his attack on Costa, which spilled in the next campaign.
“It was a very emotional game and you respond to things,” he said three weeks later.
“Now I have to learn from this. My intention was not to do something bad for him. It is not in my character to be so emotional. I am disappointed about the six-game ban, but I know they want to give a message. I will continue. Hopefully we can keep the passion, but we can be proud of ourselves and the positives in the next season.”
As far as Spurs itself is concerned, the Pochettino team – which had fought throughout the season for that elusive first top -flight title in more than 50 years – would lose their last two league games to Southampton and Newcastle and somehow the season behind the Arsenal Arsenal Arsenal.
Comments