Akin Ayomide
Joao Pedro finally brought a halt to his Chelsea goal drought as the Brazilian striker sealed a 1-0 win to extend Tottenham’s dismal record on their home turf on Saturday.
Enzo Maresca’s side took the lead when Joao Pedro netted late in the first half of the London derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was his first goal in nine games in all competitions dating back to his last strike against Fulham on August 30.
The 24-year-old has netted only three times for the Blues since signing from Brighton in a £60 million ($78 million) move in the close-season.
Chelsea’s third win in their last four Premier League games lifted them into fourth place, behind third-placed Tottenham on goal difference.
Tottenham haven’t won at home in the league since beating Burnley on the opening weekend of the season in August.
Their wretched home league form in 2025 started under Frank’s predecessor Ange Postecoglou and the former Brentford boss is yet to find a cure.
Although they lost in the League Cup fourth round at Newcastle in midweek, Tottenham have fared much better on the road this season, with an emphatic 3-0 win at Everton in their previous top-flight game.
But Tottenham fans are beginning to show signs of discontent at Frank’s prosaic tactics, which stand in stark contrast to the club’s ‘to dare is to do’ ethos.
Frank was hit by an early injury blow when Lucas Bergvall suffered a head injury and was replaced by concussion substitute Xavi Simons.