Danny Drinkwater Sees Red & Petr Cech Returns in the Most 2020 Game Imaginable

In the absence of peak television programming that is 'Monday Night Football' - which usually consists of mid-table, goalless dead rubber, mind you - football fans had to search further into the depths of the system to get their English football fix.

For those not fancying watching Celta Vigo storm to a 4-0 win in La Liga, the choice was instead the Under-23 Premier League 2 clash between Chelsea and Tottenham.

We know what you're thinking - 'what could I possibly get from watching reserve team football on a Monday evening, when Christmas songs are on telly?' The answer - five goals, two red cards and a brawl that wouldn't look out of place in WWE's 24/7 championship picture.

Remember when Chelsea slyly announced Petr Cech's return upon the start of the season by sneaking him into their Premier League squad as 'emergency backup goalkeeper' and hoped nobody would notice? His name put the Under-23 derby in the headlines before kick-off last night when news broke that he would be starting in the clash.

In a year where a global pandemic almost stopped Liverpool from winning their first Premier League title, however, we can't say it's all that shocking. What also wasn't shocking was the 38-year-old secret Kepa replacement making a mistake upon his return to action. Oh, Petr.

His first kick of the ball in a competitive outing for two years was, unfortunately, a poor one that gifted Tottenham a corner after just two minutes, which they scored from. He'll feel like he could've done more with Spurs' second, too; granted the cross was a peach, Cech was caught in no man's land in trying to retrieve the ball which inevitably led to him conceding again. Rookie mistake.

The young Blues pulled it back and levelled the game in the second half and Cech's blushes were spared, but not by the comeback.

Fellow pensioner Danny Drinkwater - who is somehow still on the books at Chelsea - stole the headlines for his antics upon his return to action. Spurs youngster Alfie Devine - and by youngster, we literally mean a 16-year-old - went in with a hefty slide tackle on Drinkwater, hacking the 30-year-old down. How did mature adult and senior professional Drinkwater respond? Yeah, by kicking out (get yourself to 1h 38min in the below footage) at Devine and turning the event into a full-blown backstage brawl.

Suddenly, it felt like a derby. Not because of any standout talent or fierce football rivalry heightened by a crowd, but because Drinkwater had squared up to a bunch of kids, quite literally. Cech's days of dealing with this are done, lads; he wears a suit and tie Monday to Friday. He's sold out.

Understandably, both Devine and Drinkwater were sent off and the game finished with each team a man down. And to top off an already dramatic evening, the bingo cards were completed with an obligatory late winner to win the game for Chelsea, sending them top of the Premier League 2 Division 1 table.

If Drinkwater's Chelsea career wasn't already over with Frank Lampard definitely forgetting he's even got him at his disposal, then it certainly is now - out of the WhatsApp group for good. As for Cech, he'll likely be regretting getting himself back into all this football lark, but will most definitely still be above Kepa in the pecking order.