Chelsea claimed a crucial 1-0 win over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Thursday night, a result that lifted the Blues into the Premier League’s top four and intensified the pressure on under-fire Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou.

Enzo Fernández was the hero for Chelsea, heading home the decisive goal in the 50th minute from a precise delivery by Cole Palmer. The Argentine midfielder’s contribution came shortly after Moisés Caicedo had a goal disallowed for offside following a VAR review.

For Tottenham, the evening unravelled quickly. Despite a brief moment of hope when Pape Matar Sarr found the net, VAR once again played a role ruling out the goal due to a foul on Caicedo in the buildup. Postecoglou, visibly frustrated, lashed out at the excessive use of VAR after the game. “VAR was called in for clear and obvious errors,” he said. “How long did it take tonight? Six minutes.”

The tension between Postecoglou and the Spurs fanbase boiled over in the second half. When he substituted Lucas Bergvall for Sarr in the 64th minute, disgruntled supporters chanted, “You don’t know what you’re doing.” Postecoglou responded by cupping his ear toward the away end an act he later explained as a misinterpreted gesture, claiming he simply “wanted to hear them cheer” after Sarr’s earlier goal.

The loss was Tottenham’s 16th in the league this season and continued Postecoglou’s dismal run against Chelsea, becoming the first Spurs manager in history to suffer four consecutive league defeats to the Blues. The result leaves Tottenham languishing in 14th place, a far cry from the high expectations that followed Postecoglou’s arrival from Celtic.

Chelsea, in contrast, are surging. The win lifts Enzo Maresca’s side into fourth place, reinvigorating their push for Champions League qualification. Maresca praised his side’s composure and determination in a tightly contested derby, calling the victory “massive” for their top-four aspirations.

With a Europa League quarter-final clash against Eintracht Frankfurt looming, Postecoglou must now navigate mounting criticism, both on the pitch and from the stands. His relationship with the supporters appears strained, and the coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether he can salvage Spurs’ season and restore belief at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.