The under fire Chelsea huffed and puffed its way through in the crucial London Derby  against Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge last night. The match was eventually decided by a well-timed header from Enzo Fernández in the 50th minute, following an excellent cross from Cole Palmer.  The Argentina midfielder timed his jump to perfection to nod home the winner.

Despite Tottenham's attempts to equalise, including a disallowed goal by Pape Matar Sarr, Chelsea's defence managed to hold firm. For the record, both sides had strikes ruled out by VAR. The match saw the return from injury of Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson after two months out.

"If we want to become an important team, we need to win in a dirty way, ugly way," Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca said, "and (I’m) quite happy."

For Chelsea, this is its third win in four matches but its first against a side not in the relegation zone for two months.

Chelsea climbed above Newcastle and Manchester City into fourth place in the Premier League, which should have five spots in next season’s Champions League. There are eight rounds left in the league. Chelsea's resurgence under Enzo Maresca has reignited their Champions League hopes.

Liverpool leads the pack with 73 points, showcasing dominance with 22 wins out of 30 matches, while Arsenal** sits second with 61 points, maintaining a solid campaign. Nottingham Forest has surprised many, holding third place with 57 points. Chelsea, after its last night win, occupies fourth with 52 points, edging out Manchester City (51 points) and Newcastle United (50 points) in a tight race for Champions League qualification. Southampton, Leicester City, and Ipswich Town are at the bottom, facing an uphill battle to avoid relegation.