Welcome to the new world order with Cucurella centre stage

With 61 minutes gone at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as Cole Palmer buried his first penalty kick of the game to make the score 2-2, Marc Cucurella could be seen banging himself violently in the head with both hands close to the left touchline, curls flying cinematically, like a loveable dog in an advert for floor detergent.

- Barney Ronay

When Palmer scored his sublime top-corner zinger against Southampton last week Cucurella had clenched his fists and howled, thrusting his hips pomp-rock style. Palmer clearly has a visceral effect on him. And the afternoon belonged to both men here, a 4-3 come-from-behind London derby win dominated by the twin qualities that mark out Enzo Maresca's team – while he will of course deny it – as genuine title contenders.

Most obviously Palmer brings the craft. Mohamed Salah remains the most effective creative player in the league. But Palmer really is something else, a mobile brain, entirely sui generis in his ability to watch and learn and invent the game in front of him. Here he seemed to be decoding Spurs as the first half wore on, finding weak spots, deciding where to stand, where to start his passing sequences.

What Cucurella offers is spirit. This is a footballer with a hilarious degree of Main Character Energy. As he roamed into midfield in the second half because, yes, why not, you felt Cucurella should basically play everywhere all the time, passing to other Cucurellas, goading opposition Cucurellas, walking off arm in arm with his Cucurella counterpart at the end.

Chelsea is a happy pirate ship these days, a bunch of billion-dollar desperadoes shunted out into the lights, but all running in the same direction right now.