McFarlane hails ‘real team performance’ as Chelsea push through fatigue in Spurs win

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 19: Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea celebrates at full-time following the team's victory in the Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on May 19, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images) | Chelsea FC via Getty Images Interim head coach Calum McFarlane admitted that many players last night lacked the intensity and energy to compete for 90 minutes at the very end of a grueling two seasons of no-break football. It wasn’t for a lack of trying; we simply have little left in the tank at this point.

So we had to pick our spots, out battles, and make them count as well. Thankfully, we produced just enough telling moments of quality to beat Tottenham Hotspur once again. Like clockwork.

Our two-nil unfortunately didn’t last long, which set up a slightly nervy finish, but Spurs were far from their best as well and we would see out the 2-1 win without too much issue (last-ditch Jorrel Hato block tackle aside). “It was obvious from minute one that we didn’t, at times, have the energy and the intensity that we needed. We had it in patches, it was always going to be tough with the turnaround from the cup final.

The physical and psychological load that that put on us, we knew that was going to be the case. “[We] just needed to dig in for the result. I thought we’d done well at the end [and] it was a real team performance.