Chelsea earned a vital 1-0 win over Tottenham in a tense and heated Premier League clash, with Joao Pedro netting the decisive goal midway through the first half.

The breakthrough came in the 34th minute when Moises Caicedo pounced on a sloppy pass from Spurs midfielder Xavi Simons.

After robbing Micky van de Ven, Caicedo squared the ball for Joao Pedro, who calmly slotted home. It was the Brazilian’s first goal since August, and it proved enough to separate the sides.

Spurs’ frustrations boil over

Tottenham struggled for creativity and composure throughout, with Simons enduring a night to forget after replacing Lucas Bergvall, who went off early with a concussion.

The Dutchman’s poor passing led directly to Chelsea’s winner, and he was later substituted again after failing to make an impact.

Tempers flared late in the first half when Rodrigo Bentancur’s reckless challenge on Reece James sparked a confrontation involving several players.

Despite Spurs’ aggression, they failed to threaten Chelsea’s goal, registering a meagre 0.05 expected goals.

Chelsea hold firm for hard-fought win

Chelsea remained in control after the break, with Pedro Neto and substitute Jamie Gittens both missing chances to seal the result.

Spurs’ lack of invention left home fans frustrated, as Thomas Frank’s men suffered their fifth consecutive defeat to their London rivals.

The victory lifted Chelsea level on points with Tottenham in the top four.