Chelsea's attacking front three has been billed as the most exciting and threatening trio, with them scoring 11 goals this season. But Joao Pedro was ruled out of the game against Tottenham Hotspur due to injury.

The Blues had a backup option in Danny Welbeck on the bench, but he didn't play, leaving their key attackers , Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers, without their third man, to link up with

Add in a sending-off on one of their main attacking players, and it was a rather toothless evening for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

No Joao Pedro leaves Chelsea toothless in attack

Chelsea missed Pedro, who was out of the squad after picking up an injury in training on Friday. Xabi Alonso started Rogers as a false nine, leaving Welbeck and Estevao on the bench.

They had four shots in the first half, with only three on target. They lacked intensity and drive, as they often do. They put five past Bournemouth last weekend; expectations were that they would maintain that attacking pressure, despite no Pedro.

But Chelsea were flat, lacked a forward threat, and made life easy for the Tottenham Hotspur defence. Rogers was ineffective as a nine, while Palmer had another quiet game.

Deadlocked at half-time, Chelsea didn't have their first shot of the second half until the 70th minute, when Palmer directed his chance directly into Antonin Kinsky.

That would end up being their best chance of the half, though, as the Blues didn't come close again and ended up conceding two goals after Mike Penders' error opened up the floodgates for Spurs to pounce.

A 0.50 xG that Chelsea finished the game with, summing up their attacking lows and how flat their key attacking players dropped off.

Cole Palmer lashes out

Two bookings in nine minutes didn't help Chelsea's attacking struggles after he collided his knee with Mateus Fernandes' head and then made a late challenge on Connor Gallagher.

Palmer lost his cool, and his team paid the price, not that they looked like they were scoring anyway before his second yellow, but with Palmer left on the pitch, it certainly would have given them a better chance.

Spurs usually lose their cool and act in the heat of the moment; Palmer seemed to inherit that, given his actions on the pitch earlier tonight.