Chapter 297: 2014 Silver Ball Winner—Leon!
The Premier League had reached its halfway point before any of the other top three European leagues.
But unlike those leagues—where teams typically get some breathing room after the halfway mark—
the Premier League kept rolling at full speed.
In the Bundesliga, for instance, the season would pause after December 20th and not resume until the end of January.
Such a luxurious winter break was nothing short of a fantasy in England.
After completing Matchweek 19, Premier League clubs were given just three and a half days of rest
before facing the challenge of Matchweek 20.
So Chelsea didn't even have time to enjoy the wave of media praise
for their unprecedented perfect first half of the season.
They had to brave the snow again, on the road, on short rest.
The record had been set.
Nineteen matches, nineteen wins. Chelsea had made history.
Now, whether or not they could keep the winning streak alive wasn't as pressing.
The sense of urgency was gone.
But just because they weren't desperate to win Matchweek 20 didn't mean they wanted to lose—
especially not against Tottenham.
The 4-2 shootout with Southampton had cost Chelsea's starting lineup a lot of energy.
Considering that their next match was at White Hart Lane,
Mourinho gave the older, more fatigued players a well-earned rest.
Leon was among the most physically taxed players—
but even he didn't get a break.
On January 1st, after sending New Year's greetings to Chinese fans as part of the Premier League's global campaign,
Leon threw himself into warm-ups with focus and intensity.
Truthfully, he didn't feel much pressure.
Yes, Tottenham had patched up their lineup since the last meeting—
but Leon still felt confident they'd leave with at least a point.
After all, Spurs' midfield anchor Dembélé, though named in the squad, was clearly not fully fit.
And Dier was ruled out with an ankle sprain after the brutal clash with Manchester United.
So Tottenham still had the same old midfield issue:
They were fine against mid-table sides, but they couldn't handle the pressure against Chelsea.
If the wings clicked, if the center-forward played his role, and if Leon started,
Chelsea would crack that Spurs backline wide open.
Ibra was rested today,
but Drogba was more than capable of holding the line as the target man.
Lukaku and Salah on the wings brought speed and power—
Tottenham weren't going to exploit any rotation advantage today.
At 6:30 p.m. London time, 1:30 a.m. in China,
the second half of Chelsea's season began at White Hart Lane.
Spurs, eager to start strong in front of their home fans, pushed hard from the kickoff.
Their starting XI looked much different from their last visit to Stamford Bridge.
Walker and Rose were back, strengthening their fullback positions.
Eriksen was back in the middle, and left winger Chadli had returned from injury.
Lamela and Dier were still out, but Spurs supporters weren't complaining.
This was the most complete lineup they'd fielded against Chelsea in months.
They believed that this time, they could really compete.
Compete with Chelsea at full strength? Maybe not.
But with this rotated squad? They felt it was possible.
Early on, Spurs pinned Chelsea in their half.
Leon and Mikel sat deep, and even Lampard dropped back to the edge of the center circle.
It gave Spurs all the freedom to move the ball past midfield.
They passed cleanly, probed with purpose.
But for all their possession and control, they couldn't get into Chelsea's penalty area.
Veteran fans watching could see it clearly:
Spurs pushed through the center, but couldn't penetrate on the wings.
Why?
Partly because Chelsea were using a low-block defense to compress the wide channels—
and partly because of Mourinho's sharp personnel decisions.
Ashley Cole and Azpilicueta started.
Defensively, this was Chelsea's best fullback pairing.
Yes, Bertrand had youth and speed on his side.
But for compact defending? Ashley Cole still had the edge.
Azpilicueta?
Last season's Best XI selection.
Maybe not an elite attacker, but defensively? Top tier.
With Lukaku and Salah pressing from the front,
Ashley Cole and Azpilicueta sweeping behind them,
and Leon and Mikel shadowing every threat…
Chelsea's plan was clear: lock down the flanks.
Maguire and Thiago Silva alternated marking Kane,
making it nearly impossible for him to find space on the ground or in the air.
Frustrated, Eriksen began testing his luck with long-range shots.
But surrounded by blue shirts, even he struggled to find rhythm.
At this point, most fans watching assumed Chelsea had parked the bus.
Then came the 30th minute.
Leon picked up the ball, surged forward—
and Spurs' defense fell apart.
Pochettino had specifically pumped up Bentaleb before the match.
His orders were clear: stay aggressive, foul if needed, but don't let Leon through.
Bentaleb, to his credit, gave a confident nod.
He said, "I got this."
But clearly, he didn't.
Leon barreled past him like he was crossing an empty street.
Six-foot-one and only 76 kilos?
That wasn't going to cut it.
Leon had already faced the toughest midfield enforcers in the Premier League.
Bentaleb wasn't even close to the top tier.
Outside of rare exceptions like his friend Javi Martínez,
there weren't many players who could physically check Leon head-on.
Bentaleb wasn't one of them.
Leon's method? Simple. Brutal.
Go right through him.
In the Premier League, the halfway point had arrived earlier than in the other three major European leagues.
But unlike those leagues, where reaching the midway point usually meant a short break,
the Premier League offered no such luxury.
Take the Bundesliga, for example. Their season paused on December 20th and didn't resume until late January—
a dreamlike winter break that sounded like pure fantasy to English clubs.
In England, after Matchweek 19, clubs had only three and a half days before kicking off Matchweek 20.
So Chelsea didn't even have time to properly enjoy their historic achievement—
a perfect first half of the season, every single match won.
Instead, they packed up and hit the road once again, braving snow and fatigue.
The pressure was gone.
The record had been set.
History had been written.
Whether or not they could keep winning didn't matter quite as much anymore.
But that didn't mean they wanted to lose—
especially not to a familiar foe like Tottenham.
The 4–2 slugfest with Southampton had drained a lot of energy from Chelsea's core players.
With a fierce clash at White Hart Lane looming,
Mourinho made the call to rest many of his most-used veterans.
Leon, of course, had racked up huge mileage over the first half.
But he wasn't granted a break.
On January 1st, before kickoff, Leon joined in the Premier League's global New Year campaign,
sending warm wishes to fans in China.
After that, it was straight into warm-ups.
Despite facing a much-improved Tottenham,
Leon didn't feel much pressure.
Yes, they were away from home.
Yes, Spurs had more pieces available this time.
But Leon believed they could get the result.
Dembélé was named in the squad,
but it was mostly symbolic. His injury hadn't fully healed.
As for Eric Dier?
He'd hurt his ankle in that bruising draw against Manchester United.
Tottenham's midfield had the same vulnerabilities as before.
Their lineup was more than enough to challenge mid-table clubs.
But against Chelsea?
Their backline would crack.
Their midfield would collapse.
Ibrahimović might've been resting,
but Drogba had enough in the tank to serve as the perfect target man.
Lukaku and Salah brought plenty of firepower down the flanks.
Any dreams Tottenham had of exploiting Chelsea's rotation? Gone.
At 6:30 p.m. London time (1:30 a.m. in China),
the second half of Chelsea's Premier League campaign officially kicked off.
Spurs came out swinging,
playing aggressively and pressing high at home.
Their starting eleven looked different from the reverse fixture.
Kyle Walker and Danny Rose were back, massively improving their wing play.
Eriksen moved back into his ideal central position.
Nacer Chadli returned from injury.
Lamela and Dier were still unavailable,
but the Spurs faithful were more than satisfied.
They truly believed they could go toe-to-toe with Chelsea today.
Maybe not full-strength Chelsea.
But this version? Why not?
The game opened with Spurs pushing Chelsea into their own half.
Leon and Mikel sat deep.
Even Lampard dropped back to the top of the defensive third.
Spurs passed the ball well.
They probed and prodded.
But ten minutes in, it was clear—
they couldn't break through.
Seasoned fans could tell.
Spurs controlled the center—but couldn't break through wide.
Why?
Chelsea had dropped into a low block,
squeezing space out wide and suffocating the wingers.
And Mourinho's lineup decisions were perfect.
Ashley Cole and Azpilicueta started on the flanks.
Chelsea's best fullback pairing when it came to defending.
Bertrand had youth and pace,
but when it came to this kind of positional, bunker-down defense? Cole was still king.
Azpilicueta?
Last season's Premier League Best XI member.
His attacking game still needed polish,
but defensively? As elite as they came.
With Lukaku and Salah pressing high,
Cole and Azpi guarding the flanks,
and Leon and Mikel sweeping the midfield...
Chelsea had effectively shut down Tottenham's wings.
In the middle, Maguire and Thiago Silva alternated marking Harry Kane.
Kane had no chance to breathe.
Frustrated, Eriksen started firing from range.
But in Chelsea's densely packed defensive third,
nothing got through.
Viewers thought Chelsea were playing for a 0–0.
Then came minute 30.
Leon picked up the ball.
Surged forward.
And Tottenham's defensive shape crumbled.
Pochettino had given Bentaleb a pep talk before the match.
He didn't ask for miracles. Just one thing:
"If you can't stop Leon, foul him early."
Bentaleb nodded. Confident.
"I got this."
Well—he didn't.
Leon breezed past him like he wasn't there.
Six-foot-one, 76 kilos? That wasn't nearly enough.
Leon had battled against far stronger defensive midfielders all last season.
Outside of rare cases like Javi Martínez,
there weren't many midfielders in Europe Leon couldn't overpower.
Bentaleb? Easy target.
Leon didn't need tricks.
Just brute force.
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