Chelsea’s performance against Tottenham shows positive signs despite Anthony Taylor complaints

Chelsea’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday evening was nothing short of dramatic.

The Blues led their London rivals twice during the match, but left Stamford Bridge with just the single point after a 2-2 draw.

Managers Thomas Tuchel and Antonio Conte clashed on the touchline during the second half, and shared a feisty handshake at the full-time whistle.

They were both sent off by referee Anthony Taylor, who has been criticised for his performance during the game.

Chelsea fans feel as though neither of Spurs’ goals should have counted; Kai Havertz was fouled and Richarlison appeared to be in an offside position prior to the first, and Marc Cucurella’s hair was pulled by Cristian Romero just moments before the second.

Tuchel was far from pleased with Taylor in the aftermath of the match: "The referee had a huge say and unfortunately everything went in the opposite direction so, both goals should never, never stand, never for me. 

"It’s incredible and unbelievable how this can happen in the times we are in. The first goal is offside, not to speak about the foul on Kai in the possession build-up towards the goal. 

"But the goal itself is a clear, clear, clear offside from Richarlison. The second one, in the build-up, is an absolutely fair challenge from Reece on Harry Kane, they get a very, very dangerous position for a free-kick and from that they get the corners.

"Then when is it allowed to pull hair of opponents? If this is not a red card, if we check and the player can stay and can take the decisive corner, I’m sorry this is without words."

Fans have had concerns over Taylor’s performances in the past, something which the German boss acknowledges: "Not only the fans. You know the players, they know what’s going on when they are on the pitch. They know it."

When asked if his players share the same feelings when the referee is appointed, he simply replied: "Yeah, of course."

Despite the complaints regarding Taylor’s performance, there are no plans for the referee to be prevented from officiating Blues matches in the future.

Chelsea celebrate their first goal against Tottenham. (Alamy)

Chelsea will also wait for the report on their match against Spurs before deciding if they will make a complaint about Taylor.

Despite the controversy surrounding the match, and how close they came to winning, the Blues can still be pleased with their efforts.

There were visible improvements from the win against Everton on the opening weekend of the season.

After a mixed run of results during pre-season, Chelsea were clearly not at their best against the Toffees, but were still able to secure the win thanks to Jorginho’s penalty.

However, their performance against Spurs was dominant as the hosts enjoyed the majority of the possession throughout the match.

Kalidou Koulibaly not only scored his first goal for the club since his summer move, but also impressed in the backline alongside Thiago Silva and Reece James.

Thomas Tuchel on the touchline against Tottenham. (Alamy)

The latter also had a solid game thanks to his defending and second half goal, as well as Marc Cucurella, who assisted the first goal on his Stamford Bridge debut.

Even though they failed to score, the fluidity shown by Chelsea’s attackers was another positive sign.

Raheem Sterling, Kai Havertz and Mason Mount all showed good energy when going forward, and the trio could prove to be crucial to the side’s chances of success this season.

Conceding a 96th minute equaliser is a cruel blow to a side who played some very good football; the timing of the goal and the circumstances surrounding it will make the draw feel like a defeat.

However, they have still enjoyed a solid start to the season, and there is certainly a cause for optimism as they progress through their busy fixture schedule.

Should they repeat their performance against Spurs, and avoid another set of controversial calls, then Chelsea could be set for more success in their upcoming games.