Chelsea-Spurs stalemate shows that the absence of fans has taken the devil out of derbies
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Viewers would have been forgiven for not realising it, but Sunday’s Premier League goalless draw between Chelsea and Tottenham was a derby.
And not just any old derby; a London derby between two teams with a genuine rivalry, both historically and in terms of current competitiveness.
Yet this was a game that lacked the blood and thunder of derby matches. Where were the challenges of escalating ferocity? Where was the needle?
Chelsea jabbed, largely fruitlessly. Tammy Abraham should have converted a least one of Reece James’s inviting crosses early in the second half.
Tottenham counter-punched well. Steven Bergwijn finished a slick early breakaway by lifting a shot just over, before Spurs retreated again.
But the contest at Stamford Bridge never caught fire. Neither side rolled their sleeves up and started swinging, figuratively or literally.
Watching this watered-down instalment, it was easy to forget that this fixture has a rich and colourful history of feisty encounters.
The 2-2 draw in May 2016 that ended Tottenham’s title challenge and confirmed Leicester as champions is the quintessential example.
Only referee Mark Clattenburg can explain how he didn’t brandish a red card along with 12 yellows during a game dubbed the Battle of the Bridge.
But there have been others: Spurs’ 5-3 New Year’s Day win at White Hart Lane the previous season, and Chelsea’s 4-2 FA Cup semi-final victory in 2017.
And let’s not forget the new-found tension between the two managers, now that Frank Lampard is no longer useful or benign but a threat to his former mentor Jose Mourinho.
Yet none of it seemed to matter on Sunday.
Empty stadiums breeding anaemic games
Of course, a certain amount of caginess was to be expected given how close Chelsea and Tottenham are near the top of the table.
Spurs only needed to draw to return to the top while the hosts needed all three points, so the onus was on Lampard to push for the win.
He did, in the sense that Chelsea took the initiative and he threw on Christian Pulisic, Kai Havertz and Olivier Giroud in search of a goal.
But there was never a sense of urgency building, a feeling the Chelsea were compelled to find the goal and that Tottenham might struggle to hold back the tide.
What this game lacked more than anything was supporters in the stadium.
The baying crowd egged players on to make flying tackle after flying tackle in the Battle of the Bridge.
Here, they would have urged Chelsea on to attack with more conviction, desperation even, and may have caused Spurs to wobble.
We have seen it in other big games played in front of empty stands this season, such as Manchester United’s anaemic 0-0 with Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Take away the crowd and you lose the devil from the derby.
This week is due to see fans return to English football grounds across the country for the first time since March.
Although it is only in groups of 2,000 for now, it is not a moment too soon.
Tottenham host Arsenal next weekend in the first major derby to be played in front of fans since the pandemic..
Football has survived in its hermetically sealed bubble but, as Sunday’s game showed, it will be far more compelling played in front of crowds again.