The London Derby And Its Drama
Derbies are ways to preserve and revive the intense rivalry between clubs within the same jurisdiction. In this article, we look at the five most dramatic moments in the London derby in recent years.
England boasts of one of the biggest rivalries across the world. The London derby in recent years is similar not only in name to the fiercest rivalries but in the most technical nature to the El Clasico of Spain. It is usually a mix of tenacities like the Milan derby, managerial tactical nous, and moments of individual brilliance. Below is a review of the most jaw-dropping moments in recent years:
Top Five London Derby Moments In Recent Years
Erik Lamela’s Outrageous Goal
Struggling to make an appearance or cement a place in Tottenham’s regular lineup, the Argentinian, plagued with injuries and off-the-pitch problems, hindered his abilities and potential.
Tottenham, as usual, started on the front foot putting the Arsenal defense under pressure in the early stages. Their early pressure eventually paid off as Sergio Reguilon brought down a towering crossfield delivery just to the left of the penalty area, firing a volley into the back infield.
Lucas Moura cut it short to Lamela in support. Despite being under pressure from three defenders, he finished into the lower corner of the net with tremendous skill.
The “Rabona” was the second goal the Argentinian had scored in a Spurs shirt and eventually proceeded to secure the Premier League’s Goal of The Season.
Eden Hazard Makes Mockery Of Arsenal’s Defenders
Eden Hazard had done enough to cement his place as a legend in Blues history. During his time at Chelsea, in 254 appearances, the Belgian has amassed 85 goals and 54 assists, earned the privilege of being the Premier League Champion twice, while also bagging an honorary award of the Player of The Season in 2014/2015.
Eden Hazard would join former Legend Didier Drogba in the list of Chelsea legends built to annihilate the North London side. Drogba is the highest-scoring player against Arsenal in history.
Hazard took the matter into his hands in the crunchy lunchtime encounter. He collected possession on the halfway line and quickly took on players shrugging off Francis Coquelin, turning Lauren Koscielny inside and Mustafi out before finishing well past former teammate Petr Cech.
Alexis Sanchez Controversial Goal
It could be argued by Chelsea fans that they have never got a decision right in a match refereed by Anthony Taylor. The tag, label, scrutiny, and criticism from the Chelsea fanbase seemed more evident as Arsenal took on Chelsea in the 2017 FA Cup Final.
With the game still at 0-0, a scrambled clearance from the Chelsea defense was blocked by Alexis Sanchez’s hands, tilting the ball towards the opponent’s box before finishing past the onrushing Thibaut Courtois. The goal was ruled out initially for offside as Aaron Ramsey appeared in an offside position when the ball got into the box, but after review, the goal stayed on.
The decision to retain the goal despite Sanchez’s handball was not welcomed by football fans on social media as they took to Twitter to air their displeasure.
Chelsea Dent Tottenham’s Title Hopes
In a fierce brawl ensuing between both teams, with tackles flying from both ends and a war of words between players every minute, Tottenham looked to close the gap on Leicester.
A draw or defeat to Chelsea takes the title beyond reach, so we expected nothing less than a fight from the Lily Whites. In the first half, the North London side had registered seven fouls and engaged in several brawls but was able to hold onto a 2-0 lead going into the break thanks to goals from Harry Kane and Son.
Little magician, Eden Hazard, made his way onto the pitch in the second half with Chelsea trailing by two goals. Tottenham’s physicality was a tough nut to crack, but Hazard’s introduction and attacking flair proved a different hassle for them to solve.
Willian fired a corner right into the feet of Gary Cahill, who pulled his team back within a goal with a hard strike. Chance after chance, save after save, Hazard’s top-of-the-roof curler beat Hugo Lloris, spicing through the hearts of the Lily Whites.
With the scores at 2-2 and Leicester fans celebrating already, Tottenham’s search for a winner all fell to no avail ending their title aspirations.
Antonio Conte Squares Thomas Tuchel
Chelsea and Tottenham produced plenty of drama in this past. However, this season has included arguably the best action, including a brawl between the two managers. The contest was an end-to-end encounter as both sides showed multiple attacking instincts.
The two managers were in each other’s faces on the sidelines for much of the contest, with both making a point to celebrate in front of the other when their team scored.
Tuchel ran down the sidelines when Reece James put Chelsea ahead late, but Conte would, however, revenge the former Blues boss’ antics when his side scored late to seal a draw. Tuchel’s frustration arose from multiple tackles that the VAR overlooked before Chelsea got stung on both occasions.
Romero’s pull on Cucurella’s hair was not enough to give Chelsea a freekick as the resulting Tottenham corner led to their goal. After the whistle, both managers seemed to exchange pleasantries but wouldn’t let go of each other, creating another eye-watering scenario for the fans. Players got involved in the spat, and other coaching staff had to step in to separate both managers. Anthony Taylor, however, issued red cards to both managers for their role in the brawl.