Published: 20:17, 1 November 2025 | Updated: 20:17, 1 November 2025

As the clock ticked over into added time at the end of a distinctly ordinary match, Moises Caicedo, a distinctly extraordinary player, dispossessed Mohammed Kudus near the half-way line and set off down the left flank.

He rode one challenge but then a Spurs player brought him down. Still Caicedo would not be vanquished. As he lay on the turf, he swung his right leg at the ball and won a throw-in before he was engulfed in the congratulations of teammates who knew quite how much his spirit had counted in Chelsea’s approaching victory.

The victory lifted Chelsea up to fourth place in the Premier League, for some time at least, and was heavy with hints that they can kick on from here and become one of the leading challengers to Arsenal.

This had felt like a pivotal clash for Enzo Maresca and his players and they came through it impressively. It was not a classic performance but it was full of guts and resilience and a refusal to yield.

It was Caicedo...