On the eve of the Premier League’s 30th Anniversary, England’s top flight proved once again why it outshines its various European counterparts. Two age-old rivals clashed at Stamford Bridge, sprucing up everybody’s Sunday in the process.
A partisan crowd packed to the rafters? Check. Nail-biting final minute finish? Check. Managerial bust-up to add the cherry on top? Check.
Now that’s what they famously refer to as ‘Prime Barclays’.
While the points were shared in the end, it was pretty evident which side were playing to win.
Through relentless pressing and a fluid shape, Chelsea outclassed their London rivals for most of the game, quelling their offensive forays even before they commenced. They earned the lead twice for their efforts, but writing off an Antonio Conte side is never wise.
Spurs clawed their way back right at the death, effectively stealing 2 points from their neighbours, and showed off their resilience in the process. Celebrating a last-minute equalizer against your rivals is all well and good, but the full-time merriment did rub fans online the wrong way.
While the Blues looked disappointed with the result, those in White looked quite pleased, and this clip featuring Yves Bissouma sums up their mood.
The former Brighton man, who played a total of 17 minutes on the day, can be seen jogging on over to the away support and rousing them up. One would normally associate such emphatic celebrations with a hard-fought victory, and not a fortunate draw. And it’s easy to spot exactly what baffled users online.
Their arch-rivals Arsenal have frequently been called out for similar antics, and when the clip emerged, Gooners online arrived on the scene and gave Spurs a taste of their own medicine.
They called Celebration Police on Tottenham and even supporters from other clubs were in agreement.
While Conte looks to have instilled a strong mentality within the group, perhaps work on setting higher standards is still required. After all, the risk of being called out by the celebration police will always loom large.
