According to a report by Football London on Monday October 26, 2026, Chelsea suffered a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge, with Roberto De Zerbi tactically outmanoeuvring Xabi Alonso. Despite the setback, Ally McCoist believes Chelsea will finish above their London rivals this season.

Alonso selected Morgan Rogers to lead the attack because João Pedro was unavailable through injury. However, Rogers struggled, losing 14 of his 17 duels, while Cole Palmer received a red card during Chelsea's frustrating performance.

Tottenham secured victory through an own goal and a stunning finish from Mathys Tel. Although Chelsea remain fifth in the Premier League standings, they are already eight points behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

Despite Chelsea's disappointing performance, McCoist remains confident they can finish higher than Tottenham. Speaking on talkSPORT, presenter Jeff Stelling raised the four-point difference between both clubs before McCoist interrupted with his prediction.

"No, Chelsea will finish higher than Spurs," McCoist declared confidently, making his position clear despite Tottenham's impressive victory and Chelsea's recent struggles under their Spanish manager.

McCoist acknowledged Tottenham deserved their victory but questioned whether De Zerbi's players could maintain similar performances consistently. He had previously expected James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to improve Tottenham, although Maddison has suffered another injury setback.

"Tottenham thoroughly deserved the victory," McCoist admitted, while expressing doubts about their consistency. He also described Chelsea's display as very poor but maintained that the Blues possessed sufficient quality to recover.

Chelsea's season has been affected by injuries to Reece James, Emi Martinez and João Pedro. Palmer must also improve his discipline, while Alonso needs to address the shortcomings exposed during Saturday's disappointing defeat.

The result could have been different had Jordan Henderson or Pedro Neto converted their opportunities. Goalkeeper Mike Penders also contributed to Chelsea's problems after punching the ball into his own net.

Meanwhile, Opta's latest Premier League predictions suggest Chelsea will finish sixth, behind Aston Villa, rather than retaining fifth place. Villa's recent victory over Manchester City, inspired by Nicolas Jackson's brace, influenced the updated forecast.

With 30 league fixtures remaining, Chelsea still have opportunities to improve their position and challenge for Champions League qualification. However, Alonso must restore consistency and discipline if his team hopes to finish above Tottenham.