Speaking ahead of Chelsea‘s Premier League outing at Sunderland on Saturday, Guus Hiddink has aimed a dig at Tottenham Hotspur.
The two London rivals met at Stamford Bridge in an ill-tempered derby on Monday evening, as the Blues fought back from two goals down to secure a 2-2 draw and end Spurs’ title aspirations.
The Lilywhites—rampant if a little overzealous during the first 45 minutes—tore into a 2-0 lead after goals from Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.
However, the Pensioners upped their game in the second period, cutting the deficit through Gary Cahill before Eden Hazard bagged a late goal with a fine curling effort.
The match was punctuated by violent incidents, with no fewer than 12 players—including nine of the visitors—being shown yellow cards.
Looking back over the fixture, Hiddink has expressed hope that Spurs’ young team will learn from the performance, but also taken a moment to aim a dig at his side’s fierce local rivals.
“Spurs are very close to the title and then they might have lost a bit of control to play as approximate champions,” the interim coach began, speaking to the media [as per Goal].
“They were leading 2-0 then they lost a bit of control in the game and then the game got a bit upset which was not in favour of their play,” he continued.
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“I think it is a very good lesson for this young team in that situation you can play more like champions and not get involved in incidents which might be counter productive,” concluded the manager, potentially dropping a hint that Spurs—perhaps unlike his side—didn’t yet have the calibre of champions.