In a city as massive as London, one with so many clubs, there are naturally tons of derby matches. Unquestionably, Arsenal vs. Tottenham in the North London derby tops the list, while Millwall vs. West Ham, Arsenal vs. Chelsea and Tottenham vs. West Ham are also up there. Lately, we've seen tons of matches between Chelsea and Tottenham. Those matches are always heated and sometimes entertaining but they've also been anything but a rivalry. You've got the Blues, reigning European champions, against Spurs, who haven't won a meaningful trophy since 1991 (don't give me that Football League Cup from 2008, please).
The amount of success each club has had over the last decade or so is kind of representative of how uncompetitive this derby has become, and Sunday was another example. Chelsea's 2-0 win over former manager Antonio Conte and Spurs wasn't as close as the score would indicate, and that's primarily because Tottenham were as threatening as a fly. Spurs recorded an xG of 0.34, their second-worst performance of the league season and worst since September. In fact, every other league game has seen them above 0.63 and more often than not above 1.00.
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We've reached a point where this really isn't a rivalry. Just take a look at the last 11 results head to head, all the way back to 2019.
- Chelsea 2, Tottenham 0
- Chelsea 1, Tottenham 0
- Chelsea 2, Tottenham 0
- Chelsea 3, Tottenham 0
- Chelsea 1, Tottenham 0
- Chelsea 0, Tottenham 0
- Chelsea 1, Tottenham 1
- Chelsea 2, Tottenham 1
- Chelsea 2, Tottenham 0
- Chelsea 2, Tottenham 0
- Chelsea 2, Tottenham 0
That's now six games without a goal for Tottenham against Chelsea and just two goals in three years against their fellow London club. They've lost to Chelsea three times this month alone. Spurs crave the limelight, and they want to be considered a big club, but until they start getting the better of clubs like Chelsea consistently, or even, at least, occasionally, and showing more in the process, they'll still be staring at what they aspire to become, while looking away from the scoreboard.
Here are our grades for all 20 clubs based on their games this past weekend:
Chelsea 2, Tottenham 0 (xG: 1.09-0.34)
Chelsea: Always in control. It took a Hakim Ziyech's golazo, but the win was always there for the taking against a team that didn't show up to play. Grade: B
Tottenham: How Spursy of them to produce a staggering 4.58 xG against Leicester last time out to then record just 0.34 against Chelsea. Consistently inconsistent. Grade: D
Liverpool 3, Crystal Palace 1 (xG: 1.39-1.80)
Liverpool: The Reds continue to look sharp without Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, putting on a clinical display to keep a little pressure on Manchester City. The only team that can truly compete for the title if they continue this form. Though they did let Palace hang around a little too easily in the second half. Grade: A-
Crystal Palace: Created some really dangerous chances but it was not nearly enough. The defense was shredded time and time again, and it could have been worse. They need help defensively, and it needs to happen now. Applied a lot of pressure after falling behind, but never enough to place the match in doubt. Grade: C
Leicester City 1, Brighton 1 (xG: 1.71-1.21)
Leicester: Another blown three points from a defense that just hasn't been the same since Wesley Fofana's injury. While the potential is there, it feels like their ceiling this season is just being a mid-table side. Grade: C
Brighton: Four draws in their last five has likely ended any faint chances of pushing European spots, but what they've accomplished is quite incredible. While no team has drawn as many matches as they have (12), only Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea have lost fewer games this season than Brighton's four. Grade: B
Arsenal 0, Burnley 0 (xG: 1.39-0.48)
Arsenal: Twenty shots, 75.2 % possession and the Gunners walk away with only a point at home to show for it. This was a game they could have used to greatly boost their top-four hopes, and they failed to deliver. Grade: D
Burnley: A typical Burnley game. It was ugly and defensive and they get a point out of it. Considering they were expected to lose, and probably deserved to, they'll be pleased with this result. Grade: B
Aston Villa 1, Everton 0 (xG: 0.95-1.43)
Aston Villa: What a win that was as Steven Gerrard was able to get the best of Everton once again -- this time as manager. They probably didn't deserve a win in the end, but the defense held tough with Tyrone Mings coming up big. They dominated the first half and kept Everton from creating anything at all, but were lucky to withstand a second half barrage. Grade: B+
Everton: A cruel defeat. They created enough chances to get something from it, with Richarlison coming close on a couple occasions, but in the end, the defense had already let them down. Who in the world was marking Emiliano Buendia on his goal in the first half? There is no way a player of his height should freely head a ball inside the box unmarked. That moment ended up being the difference in the match and it's now five league games without a win and 10 straight games conceding in all competitions. Grade: D
Newcastle United 1, Leeds United 0 (xG: 1.05-1.19)
Newcastle: A potentially season-changing victory. They still aren't out of the drop zone thanks to Norwich winning, but it gives them confidence and a renewed spirit. It might have been fortunate in the end, but they'll take it anyway they can get it. Grade: A
Leeds: Absolutely no excuse for not beating one of the league's worst teams. Newcastle had just one win in their first 20 league games. Just when you think Leeds have turned the corner, they go out and lay an egg. Grade: F
Wolves 2, Brentford 1 (xG: 0.27-1.47)
Wolves: What a second-half performance by a team that is fine conceding more chances because they feel confident in taking theirs at any moment. A fine finish from Ruben Neves puts them in contention for European places. Who remembers them losing their first three games of the season? You can't always depend on wonder strikes, like Rueben Neves' 78th minute thumper from outside the box, but when they go in, it's a thing of beauty. Grade: B
Brentford: Thoroughly outplayed Wolves in terms of xG yet could not consistently beat an inspired Jose Sa. A frustrating night where they know they deserved something but got nothing. Grade: D
Manchester United 1, West Ham 0 (xG: 1.63-0.28)
Manchester United: It was deserved in the end. They dominated the chances but had their second-worst performance of the season in terms of percentage of the shots on goal, with an impressive 18 attempts resulting in only three on target. But, Marcus Rasford's 90th minute game winner makes goals in back-to-back games for United's attacker, who is stepping up at quite an opportune time. Grade: B
West Ham: The Hammers never really threatened, taking only six total shots, which is alarming when you consider the state of United at the back. They were far from creative, nowhere near sharp and looked nothing like the Hammers we've become accustomed to seeing. Grade: D-
Southampton 1, Manchester City 1 (xG: 0.72-1.53)
Southampton: What a deserved point. Mohammed Salisu was absolutely immense at center-back, and they bent but never broke after taking an early lead through fullbac Kyle Walker-Peters. Considering their defensive struggles, it's a point that tastes like victory. Grade: B+
Manchester City: A frustrating result, all the more so because it allowed Liverpool to breathe a bit of life into the title race. Long term, they will be fine, and Pep Guardiola will just be thinking that this was simply an off night. Grade: D
Norwich City 3, Watford 0 (xG: 0.97-1.07)
Norwich: American Josh Sargent, finally, was the hero. Not only did he get his first Premier League goal, he scored twice in a game that lifts the Canaries out of the drop zone. What a time to show up. Grade: A
Watford: Losing to Norwich is ugly in itself, but falling 3-0 and at home? That rescued point at Newcastle now feels like such a waste after a result like this. The chances were there, but this was as much of a nightmare performance as possible.
Grade: F
