An improving Tottenham Hotspur earned a well-deserved win over a flat Chelsea side missing their top goalscorer, Joao Pedro (£7.9m).

Here are our Scout Notes from Stamford Bridge.

JOAO PEDRO INJURY LATEST

While the diminishing projected goals were a red herring in Gameweek 6, Saturday’s gradual dip hinted that one of Chelsea’s main attackers was going to miss out.

And so it was, with Pedro nowhere to be seen.

Xabi Alonso talked of fluid on the affected area before kick-off…

“Yesterday, in the training, he felt something. At the moment, he has some liquid, so we need to do some testing to know how big the injury is. For sure, it’s disappointment, but we need to carry on.” – Xabi Alonso on Joao Pedro, before kick-off

…and pretty much repeated those comments after full-time:

“We don’t know yet because he has a lot of fluid. So, he felt it yesterday and we need to wait probably till tomorrow to do the test and to know the whole situation and the whole seriousness of the injury. We will know soon enough.” – Xavi Alonso on Joao Pedro, after full-time

Just to show how far Fantasy has spread its tentacles, Alonso was even asked about FPL being responsible for Pedro’s absence becoming public knowledge before kick-off!

“No, I am not into the Fantasy team thing, so I didn’t know that.” – Xabi Alonso when asked if relatives of Chelsea players and staff selling Joao Pedro alerted the wider world to his absence

As for further updates, we’ll hear from Alonso again a few times before Gameweek 9. Chelsea are in EFL Cup action on Wednesday, and then there’s the usual pre-match presser taking place ahead of Manchester United’s visit on Saturday.

The Blues’ head coach is often vague with his team news, of course, so probably the most useful information about the Brazilian is going to come from elsewhere. Chelsea’s clash with United is the first fixture of Gameweek 9, for instance, so could we get a heads-up of his involvement/absence before the deadline?

PALMER SUSPENDED… BUT NOT FOR GAMEWEEK 9

Chelsea ended the match with only one of their first-choice attacking trident on the pitch.

Cole Palmer (£9.8m) saw red for two bookable offences, and in truth could have received his marching orders for either incident. First barging into a prostrate Mateus Fernandes (£5.6m), he then left his studs in on Conor Gallagher (£5.3m).

As it is, though, he’ll only get a one-match ban – and he’ll serve that in the EFL Cup in midweek.

So, he’ll be available for Gameweek 9, hence the lack of a flag in FPL.

“Today, for sure, yes, but it is not a concern, when he is focused on the game, when he is enjoying. Today after the 1-0, it is a moment to keep calm, to keep mature, for everyone.” – Xabi Alonso on whether Cole Palmer’s discipline is a concern, after Palmer previously flirted with a second yellow in Gameweek 7

With tempers boiling over, even Morgan Rogers (£8.0m) engaged in a risky wallop of Gallagher. He didn’t see red, but did pick up his third booking of the campaign. He’ll have to avoid another two cautions in Chelsea’s next 11 league matches, or otherwise he’ll pick up a suspension.

CHELSEA BLUNT

Frustrations were mounting because Chelsea had turned in an underwhelming showing and were losing.

There really was little goalmouth action to report from the Blues.

Palmer was at the heart of the hosts’ better attempts, even though it was far from a blistering performance from him. First stinging Antonin Kinsky‘s (£4.4m) hands with a curling effort, he then teed up Jordan Henderson (£4.9m) following a fine flowing move – the Blues’ only real bit of quality football in the game. Palmer’s blocked effort then fell for Pedro Neto (£6.6m), in what was Chelsea’s best opening, only for the winger-cum-wing-back to shoot straight at the Spurs’ keeper.

All in all, though, the Blues were poor in attack.

The concern, if Pedro is to be out for a while, is Chelsea’s toothlessness without the Brazilian. The last time Alonso was without his star forward, his side slumped to a 3-0 loss at Brentford and barely threatened.

This time Alonso went without Danny Welbeck (£5.8m), who had deputised against the Bees. Instead, the Chelsea boss opted for a fluid set-up, with Rogers nominally as the nine but with Neto, Palmer and full debutant Geovany Quenda (£5.2m) dovetailing. It didn’t really work.

“We wanted to have this fluidity in the middle, that we have the pockets filled with Cole, with Morgan. Pedro and Geo on the last line. There were situations but we could have done better.” – Xabi Alonso on not starting Danny Welbeck in the absence of Joao Pedro

“Of course, it’s no secret that we are better with Joao but it’s not about talking about the players missing. It’s about the players that were on the pitch and we can do better.” – Xabi Alonso

In general, and even with Pedro in tow, Chelsea’s play has relied on dead-eyed accuracy rather than serial chance creation. As we reported even after a 5-1 mauling of Bournemouth, the Blues are lower-mid-table for xG this term – and that hasn’t improved since.

SPURS IMPROVEMENT CONTINUES

After a solid performance at Old Trafford and a drought-ending win against Coventry City, Spurs turned in another encouraging showing here.

It looked like it was destined to go unrewarded, until Mike Penders (£4.4m) punched Fernandes’ corner into his own net. Another Chelsea goalkeeper crisis incoming…?

The Lilywhites still look more accomplished at the back than going forward. They didn’t really give Chelsea a sniff, and even the chances they did concede tended to come from loose passes of their own. Once they were settled, in their defensive shape, they were hard to break down.

Above: Spurs have the second-best minutes-per-xGC rate from Gameweek 2 onwards

At the other end, there’s plenty of endeavour and neat play, but sometimes the final ball or a convincing shot is lacking. Omar Marmoush (£7.0m), starting up top as Dominic Solanke (£5.8m) made way, wasted a great early chance. Mathys Tel (£5.6m) should have scored when bearing down on Penders, too. He was flagged for offside for that opportunity but replays show he may well have been on.

Tel did at least make amends with a brilliantly taken second, at odds with the collective lack of end product that went before!

“I think we dominated the game. But we created too few [chances], if you consider the quality and the level of our performance.” – Roberto De Zerbi

Still, Spurs do have the feeling of a team on the up – and the fixtures are about to get very good indeed:

Amid the ever-changing cast up front (Marmoush and an unexpectedly good Tel came in here), Mohammed Kudus (£6.5m) has now started the last three after working his way back from injury. The stats don’t do him any justice (an xGI of just 0.49 in that time), but he was bright at the Bridge.

Above: No one player really stood out on the underlying stats front in west London

We’ll delve more into Spurs players in an article this week.

MADDISON INJURY UPDATE

One player that De Zerbi may have to do without in Gameweek 9 is – unfortunately but not unsurprisingly – James Maddison (£6.8m).

The playmaker, who marked his first start in 17 months with a goal on Monday, kept his place here, and his boss may have been left rueing the decision to give him two run-outs in quick succession.

Not even five minutes of the second half had gone by before Maddison hit the turf, and off he went.

It’s a suspected groin issue, at least, not anything knee-related.

“I think it’s not a very important problem. We need to do the medical check tomorrow, after tomorrow, I don’t know. I hope it’s not a big problem because he’s a special player for us. We need him.” – Roberto De Zerbi on James Maddison

FERNANDES EARNS DEFCON IN MAN-OF-THE-MATCH DISPLAY

On DefCon-watch, five players hit the mark:

Fernandes capped off an impressive showing by reaching his threshold in what was his first Spurs start in central midfield. That’s where he made his name as a DefCon merchant for West Ham United last season.

Trusting De Zerbi to keep him there, with Rodrigo Bentancur (£5.4m) back soon, is another thing.