December 26 always dishes out some late Christmas gifts, and shocks, around the PL.
This year should be no different…
Liverpool to stay unbeaten? – Liverpool v. Newcastle United, 10 a.m. ET NBCSN [STREAM]
It is 18 and counting for Jurgen Klopp‘s men, who host Newcastle United at Anfield in a fixture which has historically provided plenty of goals and dramatic moments. Klopp and the Liverpool faithful will be hoping it is nothing more than a routine win to keep them four points clear atop the table. With just seven goals conceded so far this season, Virgil Van Dijk in majestic form and squad rotation working out very well, the Reds should be just fine. Newcastle have the potential to cause a shock with Salomon Rondon getting on the end of things, but everything points to Liverpool being unbeaten for the first half of the season.
Man City, Guardiola need a positive response – Leicester City v. Man City, 10 a.m. ET – NBC Sports Gold [STREAM]
After their shock loss at home to Crystal Palace, Pep Guardiola needs a big response from his stars away at Leicester. Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero have returned form injury in recent weeks, but the loss of David Silva and Fernandinho has arguably been a bigger blow in City’s engine room. Leicester will be buoyed by their win away at Chelsea and they will look to stay tight and use James Maddison and Jamie Vardy on the counter to cause City problems. Ahead of their Jan. 3 game against Liverpool, City need to keep the gap between themselves and Liverpool to at least four points. But Leicester is a tough place to go, especially on Boxing Day and especially with plenty of doubts creeping in about City repeating their title heroics of last season.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s Old Trafford return – Man United v. Huddersfield Town, 10 a.m. ET – NBC Sports Gold[STREAM]
A perfect start for Solskjaer at Cardiff saw United score five times in a Premier League game for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge. After that big win, the Norwegian’s return to Old Trafford as United’s manager will have the home fans lauding him even more. He is a club legend and he is trying to help them return to the glory years of the Ferguson era. Alongside him is Mick Phelan, Sir Alex’s former assistant, and they’ve simply taken the shackles off this team. Jose Mourinho asked this group of young, attack-minded players to play in a safety-first manner and they couldn’t do it. Solskjaer may not be the right man to lead United beyond this season when his caretaker role is due to expire, but beating Huddersfield (who have lost five on the trot) and Bournemouth in the next two games will give the Red Devils plenty of momentum heading into the next year. The top four dream is now back on for United.
Chelsea aim to get back on track – Watford v. Chelsea, 2:30 p.m. ET – NBCSN [STREAM]
Antonio Rudiger called Chelsea’s defeat at home to Leicester “stupid” and that was a fair summation. Maurizio Sarri‘s men are the most Jekyll and Hyde team in the Premier League this season. They’ve beaten Man City and Arsenal, pushed Liverpool all the way but lost to Wolves and now Leicester and were humiliated by Tottenham. The mentality issue is something Sarri and his players keep bringing up and that is a pretty easy excuse. The issues run a lot deeper at Chelsea, as this squad is largely the same one which downed tools first under Mourinho and then under Antonio Conte just a season after winning the Premier League title for both. A trip to Watford, who have won two on the spin and sit seventh, will be a real test for Chelsea’s creaking defense. It will be intriguing to see if either Alvaro Morata or Olivier Giroud return to the starting lineup as the false nine with Eden Hazard as the fulcrum faltered against Leicester. More than that, it will be intriguing to see if Chelsea can get themselves up for a clash against a team outside of the top six.
Big home games for basement boys – Fulham v. Wolves, 7:30 a.m. ET – NBCSN [STREAM] & Burnley v. Everton, 10 a.m. ET – NBC Sports Gold [STREAM]
Boy, how both Fulham and Burnley need big wins on Boxing Day. Both play at home and both have tricky tests against top 10 teams. Fulham host Wolves, while Burnley welcome Everton to Turf Moor. Being in the bottom three for Christmas has been compounded by big wins for Southampton, Crystal Palace and Newcastle over the past few weeks. The only saving grace for Fulham is that Claudio Ranieri‘s men are just four points from safety despite all of their struggles, while Burnley are two points from safety. Both teams need to focus on sorting out their defensive issues if they’re going to remain in the top-flight and getting big wins on Boxing Day can propel an upturn in the second half of the season.
The German league begins its latest run on Sept. 18 with that Friday afternoon tilt between two mainstays of the Bundesliga.
The league schedule runs through May 22, when Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will tangle in a potentially spicy final day match-up at the Westfalenstadion.
Union Berlin v Mainz — 2:30 pm ET Friday
Stuttgart v Bayer Leverkusen — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Koln v Borussia Monchengladbach — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Eintracht Frankfurt v Hoffenheim — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Freiburg — 9:30 am ET Saturday
Werder Bremen v Arminia — 9:30 am ET Saturday
RB Leipzig v Schalke — 12:30 pm ET Saturday
Wolfsburg v Augsburg — 9:30 am ET Sunday
Bayern Munich v Hertha Berlin — Noon ET Sunday
Matchday 4
Mainz v Bayer Leverkusen — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Hoffenheim v Borussia Dortmund — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Augsburg v RB Leipzig — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Hertha Berlin v Stuttgart — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Freiburg v Werder Bremen — 9:30 am ET Oct. 17
Arminia v Bayern Munich — 12:30 pm ET Oct. 17
Borussia Monchengladbach v Wolfsburg — 2:30 pm ET Oct. 17
Koln v Eintracht Frankfurt — 9:30 am ET Oct. 18
Schalke v Union Berlin — Noon ET Oct. 18
Matchday 5
Stuttgart v Koln — 2:30 pm ET Oct. 23
RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin — 9:30 am ET Oct. 24
Mainz v Borussia Monchengladbach — 9:30 am ET Oct. 24
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt — 9:30 am ET Oct. 24
Union Berlin v Freiburg — 9:30 am ET Oct. 24 Borussia Dortmund v Schalke — 12:30 pm ET Oct. 24
Wolfsburg v Arminia — 10:30 am ET Oct. 25
Werder Bremen v Hoffenheim — 1 pm ET Oct. 25
Bayer Leverkusen v Augsburg — 3:30 pm ET Oct. 26
Matchday 6
Schalke v Stuttgart — 3:30 pm ET Oct. 30
Augsburg v Mainz — 10:30 am ET Oct. 31
Eintracht Frankfurt v Werder Bremen — 10:30 am ET Oct. 31
Arminia v Borussia Dortmund — 10:30 am ET Oct. 31
Koln v Bayern Munich — 10:30 am ET Oct. 31
Borussia Monchengladbach v RB Leipzig — 1:30 pm ET Oct. 31
Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen — — 9:30 am ET Nov. 1
Hertha Berlin v Wolfsburg — Noon ET Nov. 1
Hoffenheim v Union Berlin — 2:30 pm ET Nov. 2
Matchday 7
Werder Bremen v Koln — 2:30 pm ET Nov. 6
Augsburg v Hertha Berlin — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7
RB Leipzig v Freiburg — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7
Stuttgart v Eintracht Frankfurt — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7
Union Berlin v Arminia — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7
Mainz v Schalke — 9:30 am ET Nov. 7 Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich — 12:30 pm ET Nov. 7
Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim — 9:30 am ET Nov. 8
Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Monchengladbach — Noon ET Nov. 8
Der Klassiker between Bayern Municih and Borussia Dortmund (Photo by FEDERICO GAMBARINI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Matchday 8
Bayern Munich v Werder Bremen — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Arminia v Bayer Leverkusen — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Borussia Monchengladbach v Augsburg — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Hoffenheim v Stuttgart — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Schalke v Wolfsburg — 9:30 am ET Nov. 21
Eintracht Frankfurt v RB Leipzig — 12:30 pm ET Nov. 21
Hertha Berlin v Borussia Dortmund — 2:30 pm ET Nov. 21
Freiburg v Mainz — 9:30 am ET Nov. 22
Koln v Union Berlin — Noon ET Nov. 22
Matchday 9 — Nov. 28
Mainz v Hoffenheim
Wolfsburg v Werder Bremen
Bayer Leverkusen v Hertha Berlin
Augsburg v Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund v Koln
RB Leipzig v Arminia
Borussia Monchengladbach v Schalke
Stuttgart v Bayern Munich
Union Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt
Matchday 10 — Dec. 5
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin
Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Hoffenheim v Augsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich v RB Leipzig
Werder Bremen v Stuttgart
Koln v Wolfsburg
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen
Arminia v Mainz
Matchday 11 — Dec. 12
Borussia Dortmund v Stuttgart
Bayer Leverkusen v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Arminia
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen
Mainz v Koln
Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Monchengladbach v Hertha Berlin
Augsburg v Schalke
Matchday 12 — Dec. 16
Hoffenheim v RB Leipzig
Stuttgart v Union Berlin
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach
Bayern Munich v Wolfsburg
Schalke v Freiburg
Arminia v Augsburg
Koln v Bayer Leverkusen
Werder Bremen v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Mainz
Matchday 13 — Dec. 19
Borussia Monchengladbach v Hoffenheim
Schalke v Arminia
Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich
Union Berlin v Borussia Dortmund
Mainz v Werder Bremen
Wolfsburg v Stuttgart
RB Leipzig v Koln
Augsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Freiburg v Hertha Berlin
A German Cup Final rematch will help finish the first part of the 2020-21 Bundesliga schedule (Photo by Annegret Hilse/Pool via Getty Images)
Winterpause — Dec. 21 – Jan. 1
Matchday 14 — Jan. 2
Arminia v Borussia Monchengladbach
Koln v Augsburg
Bayern Munich v Mainz
Hoffenheim v Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund v Wolfsburg
Werder Bremen v Union Berlin
Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayer Leverkusen
Stuttgart v RB Leipzig
Hertha Berlin v Schalke
Matchday 15 — Jan. 9
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Koln
Union Berlin v Wolfsburg
Mainz v Eintracht Frankfurt
Arminia v Hertha Berlin
RB Leipzig v Borussia Dortmund
Augsburg v Stuttgart
Matchday 16 — Jan. 16
Werder Bremen v Augsburg
Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen
Borussia Dortmund v Mainz
Bayern Munich v Freiburg
Stuttgart v Borussia Monchengladbach
Koln v Hertha Berlin
Wolfsburg v RB Leipzig
Eintracht Frankfurt v Schalke
Hoffenheim v Arminia
Matchday 17 — Jan. 20
Mainz v Wolfsburg
Hertha Berlin v Hoffenheim
Borussia Monchengladbach v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Koln
Arminia v Stuttgart
Augsburg v Bayern Munich
Freiburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Dortmund
RB Leipzig v Union Berlin
Matchday 18 — Jan. 23
Hoffenheim v Koln
Hertha Berlin v Werder Bremen
Augsburg v Union Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg
Schalke v Bayern Munich
Freiburg v Stuttgart
Mainz v RB Leipzig
Borussia Monchengladbach v Borussia Dortmund
Arminia v Eintracht Frankfurt
Matchday 19 — Jan. 30
Stuttgart v Mainz
Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach
Koln v Arminia
Bayern Munich v Hoffenheim
RB Leipzig v Bayer Leverkusen
Werder Bremen v Schalke
Eintracht Frankfurt v Hertha Berlin
Wolfsburg v Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund v Augsburg
Matchday 20 — Feb. 6
Hoffenheim v Eintracht Frankfurt
Augsburg v Wolfsburg
Hertha Berlin v Bayern Munich
Arminia v Werder Bremen
Freiburg v Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Monchengladbach v Koln
Schalke v RB Leipzig
Bayer Leverkusen v Stuttgart
Mainz v Union Berlin
Matchday 21 — Feb. 13
Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim
Bayer Leverkusen v Mainz
RB Leipzig v Augsburg
Werder Bremen v Freiburg
Stuttgart v Hertha Berlin
Eintracht Frankfurt v Koln
Bayern Munich v Arminia
Union Berlin v Schalke
Wolfsburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Matchday 22 — Feb. 20
Augsburg v Bayer Leverkusen
Hoffenheim v Werder Bremen
Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayern Munich
Schalke v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v RB Leipzig
Koln v Stuttgart
Borussia Monchengladbach v Mainz
Freiburg v Union Berlin
Arminia v Wolfsburg
The Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Matchday 23 — Feb. 27
Bayern Munich v Koln
Stuttgart v Schalke
Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz v Augsburg
Union Berlin v Hoffenheim
Borussia Dortmund v Arminia
Bayer Leverkusen v Freiburg
RB Leipzig v Borussia Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg v Hertha Berlin
Matchday 24 — March 6
Koln v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Mainz
Eintracht Frankfurt v Stuttgart
Arminia v Union Berlin
Freiburg v RB Leipzig
Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Augsburg
Matchday 25 — March 13
RB Leipzig v Eintracht Frankfurt
Wolfsburg v Schalke
Stuttgart v Hoffenheim
Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen v Arminia
Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin
Union Berlin v Koln
Augsburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Mainz v Freiburg
Matchday 26 — March 20
Werder Bremen v Wolfsburg
Arminia v RB Leipzig
Freiburg v Augsburg
Koln v Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich v Stuttgart
Eintracht Frankfurt v Union Berlin
Schalke v Borussia Monchengladbach
Hertha Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen
Hoffenheim v Mainz
Matchday 27 — April 3
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt
Stuttgart v Werder Bremen
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin
Mainz v Arminia
Wolfsburg v Koln
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg
Augsburg v Hoffenheim
BERLIN, GERMANY – NOVEMBER 02: Sebastian Andersson of Union and Dedryck Boyata of Hertha in a Berlin derby (Photo by Maja Hitij/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Matchday 28 — April 10
Koln v Mainz
Werder Bremen v RB Leipzig
Arminia v Freiburg
Hertha Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach
Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg
Stuttgart v Borussia Dortmund
Bayern Munich v Union Berlin
Schalke v Augsburg
Hoffenheim v Bayer Leverkusen
Matchday 29 — April 17
Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich
Bayer Leverkusen v Koln
Augsburg v Arminia
RB Leipzig v Hoffenheim
Union Berlin v Stuttgart
Freiburg v Schalke
Borussia Monchengladbach v Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz v Hertha Berlin
Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen
Matchday 30 — April 21
Werder Bremen v Mainz
Bayern Munich v Bayer Leverkusen
Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Dortmund v Union Berlin
Arminia v Schalke
Hoffenheim v Borussia Monchengladbach
Stuttgart v Wolfsburg
Hertha Berlin v Freiburg
Koln v RB Leipzig
Matchday 31 — April 24
Freiburg v Hoffenheim
Borussia Monchengladbach v Arminia
Bayer Leverkusen v Eintracht Frankfurt
Schalke v Hertha Berlin
Union Berlin v Werder Bremen
Mainz v Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig v Stuttgart
Augsburg v Koln
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
Matchday 32 — May 8
Stuttgart v Augsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz
Hertha Berlin v Arminia
Koln v Freiburg
Borussia Dortmund v RB Leipzig
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg v Union Berlin
Hoffenhem v Schalke
Matchday 33 — May 15
Arminia v Hoffenheim
Hertha Berlin v Koln
Augsburg v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Eintracht Frankfurt
RB Leipzig v Wolfsburg
Borussia Monchengladbach v Stuttgart
Mainz v Borussia Dortmund
Bayer Leverkusen v Union Berlin
Freiburg v Bayern Munich
Matchday 34 — May 22
Stuttgart v Arminia
Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach
Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg
Union Berlin v RB Leipzig
Wolfsburg v Mainz
Koln v Schalke
Bayern Munich v Augsburg
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin
Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen
Will Davy Klaassen, Josh Sargent, and Werder Bremen need a result on the last day? (Photo by Fabian Bimmer/Pool via Getty Images)
Frank Lampard’s Chelsea will not be winning the League Cup and the Blues boss know it’s down to missed chances to put away second-choice Tottenham on Tuesday.
While Spurs boss Jose Mourinho was glowing after the win, Lampard refused to sound too gloomy a note after Mason Mount’s missed penalty sent Chelsea out of the tournament after spot kicks in the fourth round.
“We were dominant and we want to score more goals at that point because of the amount of possession,” Lampard said, via Football.London. “They had chances in the second half but so did we. At 1-0, the second goal finishes it for us and we didn’t get that.”
Chelsea had 64 percent of the ball but was out-attempted 11-7 and gave up the only big chance of the game, as the Blues’ opening goal was outside-the-18 wizardry from Timo Werner.
The German striker wasn’t the only new player to have a nice day. Edouard Mendy won’t be pleased that he couldn’t save a penalty or two to push his new club to the quarterfinals, but Lampard loved how the Senegalese shot-stopped fared in denying Sergio Reguilon and Erik Lamela on either side of halftime.
“I thought he was very good. He made a couple of good saves, one particularly good save. He came and caught a few balls, even the one where he came and didn’t catch, the idea that he wants to be positive is not a bad thing.
As for that argument on the touchline with his former manager Jose Mourinho?
Lampard’s not too bothered about that; The pair shook hands after the game and will remain pals.
“We were having some fun on the line,” Lampard said. “I commented on the fact that he seemed to speak more with the referee than he speaks with his players so it is just a moment with us. … All was well at the end of the game and that will never change.”
Jose Mourinho’s insane September in three competitions continues with a Thursday’s Tottenham-Maccabi Haifa fixture in the Europa League, the final playoff match coming exactly three weeks before the first matchday of the group stahe.
The visitors head into North London on a five-match unbeaten run and if they manage a show-stopping upset it will likely star an American.
California native Josh Cohen, 28, has started all five of those matches between the sticks for Maccabi Haifa. The ex-USL and UC San Diego goalkeeper has been with the club since leaving the Sacramento Republic in 2019.
Ukraine-born Australian striker Nikita Rukavytsya is the key man for Maccabi Haifa’s attack, boasting seven goals and three assists in five appearances this season.
Spurs should have a pretty strong group despite their fixture weariness as Harry Kane, Lucas Moura, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, and Matt Doherty started on the bench for Tuesday’s League Cup fourth-round win over Chelsea.
In other action, Steven Gerrard’s Rangers certainly would’ve loved to have drawn any number of opponents rather than Turkish powers Galatasaray.
Rangers boss Gerrard (left) was teammates with Galatasaray striker Ryan Babel while at Liverpool (Photo by Peter Byrne – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)
While there’s been good humor online regarding Gerrard managing while former teammate Ryan Babel hits the pitch for Gala, the Turkish side arrives in Glasgow in a foul mood.
Here’s manager Faith Terim, who is upset that his side drew derby rivals Fenerbahce 0-0 at home.
“I will turn all my attention to Rangers now,” Terim said, via the Daily Record. “The Europa League is very important to us in many ways and of course, we will play our strongest team. At the moment, we are playing every three or four days and that can be a factor. But we just have to deal with it. It always hurts when you don’t win a derby game and we have a chance to put it right this week in Glasgow.”
Rangers are favorites in the match, which shows how far Gerrard has brought Scotland’s second-best side in points-per-game. Watch out for Babel, who’s scored six times in 25 matches for Gala after his 2018-19 star turn in Fulham’s relegation season.
Which brings us to Celtic, who is a point behind their eternal rivals but has a match-in-hand.
Neil Lennon’s men have disappointed in Europe this season and are heavy favorites going into Sarajevo, as they were when needed almost every minute to get past Riga 1-0 in Latvia last week after being bounced from the Champions League by Ferencvaros.
Elsewhere, AC Milan won’t have Zlatan Ibrahimovic when it visits Portugal’s Rio Ave.
How to watch Tottenham – Maccabi Haifa + Europa League playoff round streams, start times
Thursday
CFR Cluk v KuPS — 11:30 am ET
Malmo v Granada — 1 pm ET
Charleroi v Lech Poznan — 1 pm ET
Rosenborg v PSV Eindhoven — 1 pm ET
Dinamo Zagreb v Flora — 1 pm ET
Ararat-Armenia v Red Star Belgrade — 1 pm ET
Liberec v APOEL Nicosia — 1 pm ET
Hapo’el Beer-Sheva v Viktoria Plzen — 1:30 pm ET
Sarajevo v Celtic — 2pm ET
Standard Liege v Fehervar — 2pm ET
Dinamo Brest v Ludogorets Razgrad — 2pm ET
Copenhagen v Rijeka — 2pm ET
Legia Warsaw v Qarabag — 2pm ET
Dundalk v KI — 2:30 pm ET
Young Boys v Tirana — 2:30 pm ET
Basel v CSKA Sofia — 2:30 pm ET
AEK Athens v Wolfsburg — 2:45 pm ET
Rangers v Galatasaray — 2:45 pm ET
Rio Ave v AC Milan — 3 pm ET
Tottenham Hotspur v Maccabi Haifa — 3 pm ET
Sporting Lisbon v LASK — 3 pm ET
Sarajevo (+800) v Celtic (-358) | Draw (+400)
AEK Athens (+235) v Wolfsburg (-103) | Draw (+235)
Rangers (+108) v Galatasaray (+220) | Draw (+225)
Rio Ave (+300) v AC Milan (-125) | Draw (+240)
Tottenham Hotspur (-667) v Maccabi Haifa (+1200) | Draw (+550)
Sporting Lisbon (+115) v LASK (+215) | Draw (+215)
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A League Cup game in September is far from a Champions League Final, but Tuesday’s League Cup match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea was a Jose Mourinho performance culled from his best designs.
The ex-Chelsea manager spent weeks planting the underdog sees in the media, had a touchline argument with current Blues boss his former midfielder Frank Lampard, and saw his Spurs come back to win in penalties with a performance very much set up by the tactics.
Mourinho played down the touchline spat with Lampard, but would do no such thing in describing his side’s performance.
Spurs used a 3-5-2 and gave Chelsea possession, something that helped the visitors claim a 1-0 lead, but Tottenham registered more shots on target and claimed a deserved late equalizer set up by Mourinho’s latest signing Sergio Reguilon.
“We were ready to fight, I told you,” Mourinho said after the game, via the BBC. “I told the players before the penalties that they were magnificent in the second half, we made Chelsea look ordinary. The team waited for the right moment…. I have to think about three games at the same time but the players only thought about this game, they were phenomenal. Phenomenal.”
There was a concerning moment that turned out to be comical when Eric Dier ran off the field in the second half and Mourinho zipped down the tunnel.
The manager followed Dier into the bathroom, apparently, and encouraged the English back to handle his business quickly.
“Jose wasn’t happy but there was nothing I could do about it, nature was calling,” Dier said after the game. “I heard there was a chance while I was off the pitch but thankfully they didn’t score.”
It is a bit surprising that this doesn’t happen more often. Hey, when you gotta go…
“With Eric you can imagine what happened, to leave the pitch,” Mourinho said via Football.London. “I was just going to push him a bit as we had one player less. It was the consequence of what he did, tired, dehydrated. I cannot play him on Thursday or I would kill him.”
There’s more good news for Spurs, who move within three wins of a first trophy under Mourinho: Heung-min Son’s hamstring injury isn’t too serious and the South Korean should be back after the international break.
Mourinho also lavished praise on goal scorer Erik Lamela, Spurs’ danger man on the day. The manager said neither Lamela nor Dier will play in Thursday’s Europa League tie against Maccabi Haifa in North London.
