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'A big statement' as Maddison and Tel star
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- 'A big statement' as Maddison and Tel star
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Italian Roberto de Zerbi was appointed Spurs boss at the end of March 2026 with the club in crisis.
He arrived as the club's third manager of the campaign and, with seven games remaining, Tottenham were just one point clear of the drop zone.
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After securing safety, albeit after a few scares, the club spent more than £300m on summer signings for the first time in their history as they backed De Zerbi to restore them to former glories.
And, after a slow start to the campaign and still lacking firepower in attack, the long-suffering Tottenham fans will be left feeling more positive than they have done for a long time.
"Tottenham have made a big statement in a really convincing performance," former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told BBC Sport.
"I thought [James] Maddison was magnificent in midfield. He's like the Artful Dodger, isn't he? That midfield is full of mischief, but he's brave against the ball.
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"I thought Tel was magnificent out on the left-hand side, [Mohammed] Kudus on the right was also really effective, and everybody really managed to handle the ball really well on the night.
"Spurs had almost 70% possession, which is remarkable for a team which was just a few places from the bottom of the table. I think what's changed for Spurs is the key personnel."
De Zerbi ran on to the pitch to celebrate with the travelling supporters at the final whistle, while his coaches and substitutes raced towards the players in the corner of the ground.
He has previously spoken of how he inherited players that cried after matches and lost all confidence - and believed his unprecedented control over the summer transfers was vindication for Spurs from last season.
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It was fitting that Tel, who has attracted criticism from his own supporters since signing from Bayern Munich for £30m in June 2025, provided the decisive moment to seal just a second league success in 36 years at Chelsea - a stunning low finish after a driving run.
The French forward, 21, told Sky Sports: "It is very special because we have come to Chelsea so many times and not got a win. We showed great mentality today and we need to enjoy this win.
"We created a lot of chances today. We walk out together, the goal is something special for me, I'm happy about it and let's keep pushing now."
