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

Alonso selected Morgan Rogers to lead the attack in the absence of the injured João Pedro. However, Rogers struggled throughout the match, losing 14 of his 17 duels, while Cole Palmer was sent off during Chelsea’s frustrating performance.

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

Despite Chelsea’s disappointing display, McCoist believes they can finish above Tottenham. Speaking on talkSPORT, presenter Jeff Stelling highlighted the four-point gap between the two clubs before McCoist interrupted to make his prediction.

"No, Chelsea will finish higher than Spurs," McCoist declared confidently, standing by his view despite Tottenham’s impressive victory and Chelsea’s recent struggles under their Spanish manager.

McCoist admitted that Tottenham deserved the win but questioned whether De Zerbi’s side could maintain that level of performance consistently. He had previously expected James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski to strengthen Tottenham’s performances, although Maddison has suffered another injury setback.

"Tottenham thoroughly deserved the victory," McCoist admitted, while expressing doubts about the team’s consistency. He also described Chelsea’s performance as very poor but maintained that the Blues have enough quality to recover from their setback.

Chelsea’s campaign 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 weaknesses exposed during Saturday’s defeat.

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

Meanwhile, Opta’s latest Premier League predictions indicate that Chelsea could finish sixth, behind Aston Villa, rather than retain their current fifth position. 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 time to improve their position and strengthen their bid for Champions League qualification. However, Alonso must restore consistency and discipline if his side are to finish above Tottenham.