Nicolas Jackson’s hat-trick guides Chelsea past nine-man Tottenham in electrifying derby.

Amidst a whirlwind of action and uncertainty, Chelsea edged ahead of nine-man Tottenham with Nicolas Jackson’s goal, raising questions of whether there was a fault in the play. With four goals previously disallowed by the officials and extensive use of the video assistant referee, the game played out as much on replay screens as it did in the stadium.

The occasion marked Mauricio Pochettino’s return to Tottenham, this time as the Chelsea manager, creating an expectation that he would dominate the narrative. However, the events would soon take unexpected turns.

Pochettino experienced a moment of celebration when Jackson’s goal, which would have put Chelsea ahead 2-1, was disallowed by VAR. The game featured dramatic twists and turns before Pochettino could reflect on his first significant win as Chelsea’s manager, while Ange Postecoglou considered his first Premier League defeat at Tottenham.

Tottenham’s woes were compounded as Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie received red cards, and they lost influential players Micky van de Ven and James Maddison to muscle injuries. Yet, they fought fiercely, displaying the resilience that has characterized Postecoglou’s tenure. Their efforts earned them the applause and admiration of the fans.

In the 78th minute, Eric Dier, a substitute, believed he had equalized when he scored at the far post following a free-kick. However, the VAR intervened, determining Dier was offside.

The drama continued as another substitute, Rodrigo Bentancur, missed a crucial header from a Pedro Porro free-kick. The intense match eventually saw Son Heung-min breaking through in stoppage time, but his shot lacked power and was saved by Robert Sánchez.

Chelsea would have regretted not winning, but in the closing moments, Jackson added two more goals. Tottenham’s defense was vulnerable, and Jackson capitalized on passes from Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer.

At full time, Pochettino entered the pitch and embraced Son in the center circle. The anticipated boos from the crowd did not materialize. Some fans had already applauded him when he arrived at the touchline, and now he received more applause, along with hugs and kisses from Tottenham’s staff.

Pochettino’s feelings had changed from the beginning of the game, when Tottenham had surged through Chelsea’s midfield, setting the tempo and tone. Postecoglou’s team was poised for more than Dejan Kulusevski’s deflected goal early on. However, the first half turned into a rollercoaster, with Tottenham losing their lead, along with Romero, Van de Ven, and Maddison.

Tottenham missed an opportunity to go up 2-0 when Son scored, but the goal was disallowed for offside. The video assistant referee’s lines confirmed the decision. Chelsea regrouped, but Udogie escaped a red card in the 18th minute, and another VAR check saw Sterling’s goal disallowed for handball. The game went through numerous VAR checks.

Chelsea celebrated a goal when Moisés Caicedo struck from a distance, but the goal was disallowed as Jackson, in an offside position, deflected the ball into the net. The match saw multiple fouls, contentious challenges, and incidents, with the managers reacting passionately to the officials’ decisions.

Postecoglou had to reorganize in the 55th minute when Udogie fouled Sterling, resulting in a red card, and he changed to a 4-3-1 formation with Dier and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg in central defense. Chelsea had their chances, including a missed header by Jackson from close range and a one-on-one denied by Vicario against Marc Cucurella. Chelsea’s victory was hard-fought, and to Pochettino’s relief, they came out on top.