Xabi Alonso was acutely aware of Chelsea ’s dire disciplinary record when he took the job in the summer. It was something he set out to change, and early signs showed he was succeeding in that pursuit. That was until his side fell apart against rivals Tottenham Hotspur , a side they have become so accustomed to beating at their home turf, on his worst night as Blues manager so far.

Cole Palmer ’s red card , which was sandwiched between two Spurs goals in the final 12 minutes, felt like one that could only happen on an occasion like this. The deciding moment was a late challenge on Conor Gallagher , his studs catching his former team-mate on the ankle. A few inches further up and it would’ve been a straight red and a three-game ban. But the outcome on the match was the same due to earlier events.

His first yellow - just nine minutes earlier - was the result of ‘head-loss’ rather than an inadvertance of a contact sport.…