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Forget just Cole Palmer, Chelsea should have been down to 9 men vs Tottenham – Gary Neville
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville is adamant that Chelsea should have been reduced to nine men in their defeat against Tottenham.

It was derby day delight for Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge as the Lilywhites ran rampant against an in-form Chelsea side.

The Blues came into Saturday’s encounter off the back of two consecutive wins, scoring seven and conceding just once against Bournemouth and Everton, and sat fourth in the Premier League table with 13 points from a possible 21.

Tottenham, meanwhile, had only just managed their first win of the season against Coventry City at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a result that lifted them from 20th up to 16th place.

Surely, with Spurs only beginning to gather momentum, the last thing they would have wanted was a trip to one of the most in-form sides in the league – and worse still, a visit to a ground where they had struggled for decades.

But that mattered little as Roberto De Zerbi’s side showed elite mentality and quality, finally ending Tottenham’s Stamford Bridge curse with an emphatic 2-0 win over their London rivals.

Chelsea FC v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League 2026/27 - Cole Palmer red card
Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images

Gary Neville says Morgan Rogers should have seen red against Tottenham

The Lilywhites managed to keep Chelsea’s attack quiet throughout and also got under the skin of their talismanic figure.

Cole Palmer lost his composure after Mateus Fernandes stopped Chelsea during a fast break, with the Blues midfielder picking up a yellow card following a violent barge.

How that was only a yellow card is controversial, but karma soon caught up with the Blues as Palmer was sent off after landing his studs on Conor Gallagher’s ankle.

Finally some luck for Tottenham, but former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville, who was on commentary duty, believes that another Chelsea man, Morgan Rogers, should also have been shown a red card.

This came after a cynical foul on Gallagher, with Rogers kicking the midfielder without any clear intent to play the ball. Neville believed the challenge was on the borderline of a straight sending off, but Rogers escaped with a booking.

Speaking on commentary for Sky Sports, he said: “That is a bad one, he’s got to be careful, it is a shocker that actually. Rogers, I hate those ones. Jordan Henderson has got loads of experience but he should actually be furious with Rogers. I actually think that these ones are near to reds as well. I actually think that’s a red. I do, I just think it’s absolutely reckless. He’s absolutely wellered him, no intent, the ball is nowhere near.”

Fans side with Neville over Rogers challenge

The majority of football fans appear to agree with Neville, as shown in a poll conducted by Sky Sports. Out of 7,692 votes, 51.4% believed Rogers should have been shown a red card, while 48.6% voted no.

How the match officials managed to miss that one remains unclear. However, sending off or not, Spurs did not need the extra help – they already had their noses in front when Chelsea had eleven men.

They then made the numerical advantage count, with Mathys Tel scoring a superb solo goal minutes after Palmer’s dismissal to seal the victory.

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