Jackson hits late hat-trick as Spurs implode

This was just as feisty, with Spurs reduced to nine men for over half an hour when Destiny Udogie was sent off for a second yellow card in the 55th minute, after Cristian Romero had been given a straight red in the first-half following a seven-minute VAR intervention.

This was another hugely controversial game that will fuel the fire of those who say VAR is dysfunctional ,with over 21 minutes of stoppage time added on after more half-a-dozen lengthy delays.

Nicolas Jackson ran in two stoppage-time goals to complete a hat-trick for Chelsea, who took 75 minutes to finally break Tottenham's resistance, and the scoreline flattered the Blues, who are still stuck in mid-table, 11 points behind Spurs.

Mauricio Pochettino had been the Spurs manager back in 2016, and his first return to the Tottenham stadium, as Chelsea manager ended in success after a breathless and controversial game.

Yet it had started in a relatively calm and predictable way, with Tottenham controlling the game through their quick, passing football and Chelsea chasing shadows.

Even in the early stages, the Blues gave an indication with what was to come, as James Maddison was hacked down twice in the opening minutes. But the Spurs midfielder picked himself up to spark the move which led Tottenham taking the lead. Maddison switched play from left to right, Pape Mata Sarr fed the ball to Dejan Kulusevski, and the Swede cut in from the right to shoot home with his left foot, his effort deflecting off Levi Colwill's back before beating Robert Sanchez.

Nicolas Jackson had a chance to equalise but Guglielmo Vicario got down well to save the Chelsea striker's low shot.

Spurs then thought they had doubled their lead after a stunning move from defence to attack before Heung Min Son swept in Brennan Johnson's cross, only for the first lengthy VAR delay to rule it offside.

Tottenham were in total control, but Chelsea still had glimpses of hope. Raheem Sterling put the ball in the net but VAR spotted he had used his arm to control the ball, and then Enzo Fernandez shot high and wide twice in quick succession just before the half-hour mark. Then it all turned ugly. Romero had earlier escaped attention for a petulant kick when he was lying prone in the Chelsea half. But in a crazy sequence of events that led to a seven minute delay, Romero was sent off after VAR persuaded Oliver to check his tackle on Fernandez on a pitchside monitor. The referee had already ruled out a goal from Moises Caicedo for offside, but when he reviewed Romero's tackle in the build-up, he gave the Argentine a red card and Chelsea a penalty. Vicario almost saved it, pushing Cole Palmer's kick on to the inside of of the post, only to see the ball fly in by the far end of goal.

Things went from bad to worse for Spurs. Ange Postecoglou was then booked for something he said on the touchline, then Micky Van de Ven pulled up with a hamstring injury. 12 minutes of first-half stoppage time were an exercise in survival for a much-changed Spurs, after two substitutions, and VAR was called in to action again when Reece James caught Udogie in the face with an elbow. The Chelsea captain escaped punishment, and there wa loud booing when the half-time whistle finally blew.

Postecoglou sent his men out fired up for the second-half, but the game plan had to change again after ten minutes when Udogie was sent off for a second yellow card as he scythed down Sterling. The nine-men of Tottenham battled heroically, none more so than Vicario who made a series of stunning saves to deny Sterling, Jackson and substitute Marc Cucurella. But the Italian keeper had little chance in the 75th minute when Sterling broke away and crossed for the Senegalese striker to roll the ball home. Even then there was another controversial VAR call, as Jackson looked offside when he started his run forward, but the goal was allowed to stand.

Five minutes later Spurs substitute Eric Dier, playing his first game of the season, thought he had equalised with a volley, only to be ruled offside after more intervention from VAR.

Son almost sneaked an equaliser in the 94th minute being denied by a fine Sanchez save, before Jackson rolled home his second goal a minute later and third in the 98th minute of one of the craziest games of the season.

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Vicario 9; Porro 7, Romero 5, Van de Ven 7 (Hojbjerg 44), Udogie 5; Sarr 7 (Bentancur 61), Bissouma 7; Kulusevski 7 (Skipp 61), Maddison 7 (Emerson 44), Johnson 6 (Dier 34); Son 7.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 6; James 7, Disasi 6, Thiago Silva 7, Colwill 6 (Cucurella 46); Caicedo 6, Fernandez 7 (Mudryk 57); Palmer 7, Gallagher 6, Sterling 7; Jackson 8.

Referee: Michael Oliver 5