Tottenham 3-4 Chelsea: Palmer penalty double seals comeback for title-chasing Blues

Cole Palmer's penalty double completed a remarkable 4-3 victory over Tottenham as Chelsea cut the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool to four points.

Chelsea thumped nine-man Spurs 4-1 in the corresponding fixture last term but required an almighty comeback as Marc Cucurella's errors gifted the hosts an early 2-0 lead on Sunday.

Dejan Kulusevski's pinpoint finish followed Dominic Solanke's well-taken opener at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, though Jadon Sancho reduced the arrears with a delightful finish with just 17 minutes on the clock.

Palmer levelled just past the hour with his first penalty after Yves Bissouma needlessly felled the marauding Moises Caicedo, who had earlier survived a VAR check for a lunging tackle on Pape Sarr in the first half.

The Chelsea talisman won another spot-kick after Sarr's mindless push, with Palmer coolly drinking beyond Fraser Forster, after Enzo Fernandez had blasted the Blues ahead with 17 minutes remaining.

Son Heung-min’s stoppage-time strike appeared to tee up a nervy ending for Chelsea, though, as the Spurs winger slotted past Robert Sanchez from substitute James Maddison's cutback pass.

However, Enzo Maresca's side held firm to move two points clear of Arsenal in second and make ground on Liverpool, while Spurs sit 11th after a second defeat in the space of three days.

Standard.#CFC | #TOTCHE pic.twitter.com/c3NJlb89qv

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 8, 2024

Data Debrief: Chelsea powered by ice-cold Palmer

It seems there is no doubt when Palmer steps up from 12 yards out he will score, as the Chelsea man converted his 11th and 12th penalties in the Premier League on Sunday.

The former Manchester City man has a perfect record from his 12 penalty attempts, the most any player has taken in the competition without ever missing, surpassing Yaya Toure (11).

12 - Cole Palmer has scored all 12 of his penalties in the Premier League; the best 100% record of any player in the competition (overtaking Yaya Touré's 11/11). Cold. pic.twitter.com/pTsnOj1g8l

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 8, 2024

Palmer has also been directly involved in 38 Premier League goals in 2024 (25 goals, 13 assists), the outright most in a calendar year by a Chelsea player in the competition.

He reached 50 goal involvements (33 goals, 17 assists) in 48 Premier League games for Chelsea here; only Erling Haaland for Man City (39), Andy Cole for Newcastle United (43), and Mohamed Salah for Liverpool (46) have ever reached that total in fewer appearances for a club in England's top competition.

Palmer's heroics saw Tottenham lose an 11th Premier League game after having been two or more goals ahead – at least four more such defeats than any other side in Premier League history.