Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham: Lampard and Mourinho cancel each other out at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 0-0 Tottenham: Lampard and Mourinho cancel each other out at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea and Tottenham failed to fully capitalise on Liverpool‘s slip-up as Frank Lampard and Jose Mourinho oversaw a tightly contested 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.

With Liverpool pegged back by Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday, Spurs could have moved two points clear of the Reds at the top of the Premier League. Chelsea – playing the 1,000th game of the Roman Abramovich era – were also vying for pole position.

Yet despite a bright start in Sunday’s London derby, with Timo Werner having a goal disallowed, neither side could make the breakthrough in what was an encounter short of clear chances.

Looking to score in three consecutive Premier League games for the first time since September 2019, Tammy Abraham missed three presentable opportunities as Chelsea had the better of the second half, with Olivier Giroud also fluffing his lines late on as the points were shared.

5 – Édouard Mendy has kept five clean sheets in the Premier League this season, the most of any goalkeeper. Presence. pic.twitter.com/P5Jg88ZJ0N

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 29, 2020

Hakim Ziyech sent a half-volley into Hugo Lloris’ gloves in the opening minutes, but Spurs showed their threat on the counter when Harry Kane slipped in Steven Bergwijn, who drilled over.

Chelsea mounted a swift break of their own two minutes later – Werner finishing in stunning fashion off the right-hand upright – but the offside flag spared Spurs.

Edouard Mendy then made a fine save from Tottenham full-back Serge Aurier, though that strike was the second of just two attempts on target in what became a cagey first half.

Chelsea got behind Spurs’ line in the 48th minute, with Reece James aiming a brilliant cross towards Abraham, who failed to make solid contact with his header.

Abraham missed a near-identical chance moments later, before he failed to tuck in from Werner’s pinpoint delivery.

Mason Mount saw a long-range strike kept out with nine minutes to go, though Abraham’s replacement Giroud had the best chance of the closing stages, only to lob a tame effort straight to French compatriot Lloris.

What does it mean? Defences reign supreme

There were just 18 attempts between the sides on Sunday, with 13 going Chelsea’s way and the Blues managing three on target compared to Spurs’ one.

It was a display which bucked the trend for two of the league’s three leading scorers, who sit either side of second-placed Liverpool in the standings, with Tottenham top on goal difference.

Silva keeps Kane and company quiet

Kane has been involved in 16 Premier League goals this season (seven goals, nine assists), more than any other player. However, Tottenham’s talisman and his sidekick Son Heung-min were kept under strict control by Chelsea captain Thiago Silva, who helped ensure that Spurs failed to have a single attempt during the second half of a Premier League game for the first time since December 2018.

Abraham fails to deliver

Chelsea forward Abraham has scored 18 Premier League goals since the start of last season, twice as many as any other player for the Blues, but on Sunday he squandered arguably the best three opportunities that Lampard’s side managed to create.

Key Opta facts

– Chelsea and Spurs played out a goalless draw in the Premier League for the first time since November 2015, and for the first time in the league at Stamford Bridge since March 2012.
– Spurs have taken 13 points away from home in the Premier League this season (W4 D1), their most in their opening five away games of a league campaign since 1991-92 (also 13).
– Following Sunday’s draw, Spurs (9) and Chelsea (8) are the two teams on the longest current unbeaten runs in the Premier League.
– Spurs have kept a clean sheet in three consecutive away games in the Premier League for the first time since November 2013, when they had a run of three under Andre Villas-Boas.
– This was the first Premier League game in which neither Kane nor Son scored for Spurs since September’s 1-1 draw with Newcastle, ending a run of six consecutive league games in which at least one of them netted.
– Chelsea’s Mendy has kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season, with this being his fifth in six appearances in the competition.

What’s next?

It is back to European action for both of these sides in midweek. Chelsea travel to play Sevilla in the Champions League on Wednesday, with Spurs facing LASK a day later in the Europa League.