Kane snatches draw for Spurs at Chelsea as clashing Conte and Tuchel see red

An occasion that had brimmed with promise at the outset duly delivered. The sight of Thomas Tuchel sprinting 50 yards down the touchline to celebrate Reece James’ goal, nine minutes after Pierre-Emile Højbjerg’s equaliser had almost seen him come come to blows with Antonio Conte, seemed to have set a raucous tone for the Todd Boehly era. But that was nothing: deep into added time it was a wild-eyed Conte who could hail Harry Kane’s point-saver and there was more to come. At full time the managers clashed again, resulting in a red card for both, and Kalidou Koulibaly’s opening goal seemed several worlds away. Everybody present appeared to have taken leave of their senses: these were utterly extraordinary scenes and both men can expect a hauling over hot coals when the Premier League sit down to review what passed.

“Welcome to the house of fun, Todd and Co” read a banner draped from the top tier of the Shed end. The artists of the Matthew Harding stand directly opposite went one better, or at least several times more effusive: they passed a huge likeness of Boehly from one side to the other, as if formally anointing an idol.

Boehly and his disciples were all beaming within 19 minutes. If the action was scratchy the touchline spectacle was, even at that point, a reliably entertaining watch: Tuchel and Conte were never going to let the oppressive heat bother them and the former reacted explosively when, after a promising break, Kai Havertz checked back and killed the move’s momentum. But it was Havertz who contributed indirectly to the opener, running onto a backheel from Raheem Sterling and watching Hugo Lloris direct his angled effort wide.

The resulting left-sided corner, sent in by Marc Cucurella, sailed above the heads