"You're ruining the game!".

BBC reported on the 4th (Korea time) that "Tottenham suffered its 16th defeat in 30 matches of the Premier League for the 2024-2025 season," noting that "sitting in 14th place, Tottenham has eight games remaining. There is a strong possibility of dropping out of the top 10 for the first time in 17 years. This is just one level above its worst performance recorded in the Premier League in 1994."

Tottenham lost 0-1 to Chelsea on the 4th in the 30th round of the Premier League at Stamford Bridge in London. Enzo Fernández's opening goal turned out to be the winning goal.

Tottenham needed a resurgence. Recently, they struggled with 1 draw and 2 losses in the last three league matches, dropping down to mid-table. Son Heung-min aimed for his 128th career goal in the Premier League, and the team sharpened their resolve to break a seven-year winless streak at Stamford Bridge since April 2018. However, the result was another defeat.

Chelsea's dominance continued. Including this match, Chelsea has recently achieved four consecutive victories against Tottenham in the league. They were especially overwhelming at home. In the last eight away matches against Chelsea in the Premier League, Tottenham has managed only 1 victory, along with 5 losses and 2 draws, scoring only 1 goal. Their scoring ability was also lacking. In this match, although there were attempts on goal, the team struggled with decisiveness.

Tottenham faced off using a 4-3-3 formation with Son Heung-min, Dominic Solanke, and Wilson Odobert as starters. Son created several threatening opportunities and even attempted a shot at the end of the game but was repeatedly denied by goalkeeper Sánchez.

James Maddison's free kick and Pape Sarr's long-range shot also went unrewarded. In this match, Tottenham failed to capitalize on their chances, while Chelsea converted theirs into goals.

Tottenham at Stamford Bridge appears strangely diminished. They are lethargically driven around, losing focus during chances. They seem to be gradually losing confidence as they continue to suffer defeats. Including last season, in the last 5 matches against Chelsea, they have had 1 draw and 4 losses, conceding a total of 12 goals. During their last 3-4 loss, Son shed tears over the disappointment. However, there was no change in this confrontation.

Every time they face Chelsea, any good momentum is quickly interrupted, patterns collapse, and core players who should take on leadership roles fail to perform their duties. It seems that a simple rivalry has cast a 'jinx' over the entire team.

With this defeat, Tottenham remains at 34 points (10 wins, 4 draws, 16 losses) and has plummeted to 14th in the league, moving further away from qualification for European competitions.

There is growing dissatisfaction directed towards head coach Ange Postecoglou. Postecoglou took over as Tottenham's manager before last season, and in his first season, he implemented an attacking style of football that lifted the team to 5th place in the Premier League.

However, this season is different. Tottenham currently sits in 14th place in the league, a humiliating ranking. They also failed to escape their trophyless drought for 17 years, being eliminated from the EFL Cup and the FA Cup last February.

After the match, Tottenham's head coach Ange Postecoglou noted, "VAR is ruining the game. It is no longer the game we know. No one knows what the outcome will be. We just had to stand and wait for 12 minutes. But no one cares about this." expressing his dissatisfaction with VAR.

The situation where Postecoglou expressed his frustration occurred in the 69th minute. Pape Sarr attempted a right-footed long-range shot after stealing the ball; his shot hit the goalkeeper's hand, struck the crossbar, and went into the net.

However, the referee pointed out a foul by Sarr after the VAR review. The VAR review took longer than expected, resulting in an additional 12 minutes being added.

Postecoglou stated, "We all love dramatic finishes and controversies. There will probably be many discussions about this over the next 24 hours. That is what everyone wants. VAR is ruining the spectacle of the game. If it takes 6 minutes to make a decision after the referee has seen the scene, is that certain and clear?" he didn't hide his grievances.

Regarding the gesture made to fans by placing his hand to his ear, he explained, "I just wanted to hear the fans' support. I thought if we maintained this momentum, we could win the game. I felt the momentum was shifting in our favor. I don't care about the jeers. It is not the first time fans have booed my substitutions or decisions. That can happen."

According to The Standard, Ange Postecoglou is the only manager to record four consecutive losses against Chelsea since taking charge of Tottenham. In his first season in charge of Tottenham, the 2023-2024 season, he also lost twice consecutively to Chelsea and failed to earn points in both matchups this season.

Meanwhile, Tottenham will face Southampton in the 31st round of the Premier League on the 6th. They will also play the first leg of the UEFA Europa League quarterfinals against Frankfurt on the 11th. The UEL is the only tournament left for their hopes of winning a trophy. Locally, it is expected that Postecoglou will be dismissed from his position as Tottenham's manager if they are eliminated from the UEL.

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