Cole Palmer was sent off as Chelsea experienced a late capitulation to suffer their first home defeat to Tottenham since 2018.
The Blues fell behind in the 78th minute when 21-year-old goalkeeping understudy Mike Penders, making his full Premier League debut in the absence of the injured Emi Martinez, punched into his own net from a corner in the 78th minute.
Things then went from bad to worse for Xabi Alonso’s side in the pouring rain, with Blues talisman Palmer catching former team-mate and Chelsea youth product Conor Gallagher as he brought down a Spurs free-kick.
Palmer’s studs caught the ankle of the midfielder, who had replaced James Maddison after he suffered another gut-wrenching injury setback in a Tottenham shirt.
Palmer and Chelsea players vigorously appealed for the decision to be overturned, which VAR does now have the power to do with second yellow cards.
But Chris Kavanagh stuck with his decision and Chelsea were reduced to 10 men.
Palmer will now miss Chelsea’s trip to Liverpool for the Carabao Cup.
Palmer picked up his first yellow in similarly-dramatic circumstances, barging into a kneeled Mateus Fernandes with his torso after the Portuguese midfielder committed a cynical foul, pawing the bawl away while downed to stop Chelsea charging on goal.
A scuffle ensued which saw Fernandes and Micky van de Ven also booked. Roberto De Zerbi said after the match that he thought Palmer should have been sent off for this incident alone.
Speaking on the first caution and Palmer’s eventual sending off, Alonso said: “I haven't seen them on TV but as far as I have been told that probably he [the referee] got it right, so for sure for Cole but for everyone.
“We think [up until] now we haven't received any red card and we need to continue that way because we need to have this maturity to deal with difficult moments, when you have conceded 1-0, still probably was 15-20 minutes to go, so we have to be on the way. I need to check the action to talk with Cole but it is one to learn for the future for sure.”
Tottenham put the seal on a 2-0 victory seven minutes after Palmer’s dismissal, with Mathys Tel finishing off a superb individual goal to wrap up Spurs’ first triumph on Chelsea soil 2018.