Todd Boehly’s Chelsea purchase may be strictly business but the American got the full-on Premier League experience as he looked down on his expensive new acquisition from on high at Stamford Bridge.
Boehly was all smiles before kick-off, a very visible presence in the searing heat and humidity of west London as he settled back to soak up what was never going to be a quiet afternoon when his new post-Roman Abramovich Chelsea met Tottenham.
Chelsea and Spurs do not do quiet. There is long-standing antipathy and when a game of high controversy, hot tempers and two managers seemingly intent on getting right up each other’s nose had concluded, Boehly probably needed a long, cool drink to calm down along with everyone else.
A banner unfurled at The Shed end delivered a twist on the old Madness song as it read: “Welcome To The House Of Fun, Todd & Co.”
Boehly got fun and a lot more besides.
It was fast, frenzied and superb entertainment, although there will be plenty who will not approve of the regular crowd scenes that enveloped the technical area, with Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel and Spurs counterpart Antonio Conte the central fig
The final score of 2-2 only scratches the surface of a thunderous game and if Boehly bought into Chelsea for a touch of box office then he will certainly get it if this is anything to go by.
The bottom line is Chelsea deserved to win and they will curse the fact they did not. They were better than Spurs and should not have given them the opportunity to come back twice.
Chelsea’s new signings Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella joined forces for their first goal, slammed in by the former Napoli powerhouse on the volley from a corner.
Things were already ticking on the touchline between the two combustible managers, but really took off after 68 minutes when referee Anthony Taylor decided Rodrigo Bentancur had not fouled Kai Havertz. Chelsea’s complaints were ongoing when Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg sent a low shot past Edouard Mendy.
Conte turned the new logic of refusing to celebrate against a former club – remember he won the Premier League and FA Cup at Stamford Bridge – on its head by stalking menacingly towards the enraged Tuchel with a snarl of celebration and the pair ending face to face and surrounded by what looked like a cast of thousands.
Two yellow cards. Other colours would follow. BBC
