toptop
Chelsea
kept hold of top spot in the Premier League after coming from behind to beat
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, ending the
visitors' unbeaten run in the process.
Mauricio Pochettino's side opened the scoring after only 11 minutes thanks to
Christian Eriksen's brilliant long-ranger - the first goal Chelsea had conceded
in over 10 hours - only for Pedro to level just before half-time with his own
sensational strike.
The home team claimed all three points when Victor Moses - making his seventh
consecutive league start - slotted home after 51 minutes as they made it seven
league wins in a row, their best run for six years.
As a result, Chelsea remain a point clear of second-placed Liverpool and
third-in-the-table Manchester City, who both also won earlier in the day, while
Spurs stay fifth and are now seven points behind their London rivals.
As expected, Blues boss Antonio Conte named an unchanged starting line-up for
the sixth successive top-flight match, although captain John Terry was ruled out
with a muscular injury.
Tottenham were without full-backs Danny Rose and Ben Davies through suspension
and injury respectively - with Kevin Wimmer surprisingly filling in for the
former at left back - while both Erik Lamela and Toby Alderweireld missed out
with injury.
However, it was the visitors who made the more accomplished start to the
contest, dominating both possession and territory in the opening exchanges,
culminating in Eriksen's wonderful opener.
Referee Michael Oliver deserves praise for his part in the goal, with the
official playing an excellent advantage in the immediate lead-up to the Dane's
strike after a foul on Son Heung-min.
The ball broke kindly to Eriksen towards the left-hand edge of the area, with
the playmaker then beating Thibaut Courtois with a well-struck left-footed
effort for his first goal of the season after his 39th attempt of the campaign.
And if anything in the first period, it looked as though it was Chelsea, rather
than Spurs, who had had a tough Champions League exertion on the road in
midweek.
However, the Blues gradually worked their way into proceedings and drew level in
the final minute of the half through a sublime strike from Pedro, who picked the
ball up on the edge of the area and after an exquisite Cruyff turn, the winger
beat Hugo Lloris with an inch-perfect curler into the top right-hand corner of
the net.
That goal could not have come at a better time for Conte's side, who marched off
at the break in high spirits, and they maintained that spring in their step in
the second half as Spurs wilted.
In fact, it took Chelsea only six minutes of the second half to go in front for
the first time, with Diego Costa playing an integral role as the muscular
Brazil-born striker broke clear to the left-hand byline, before pulling the ball
back for the unmarked Moses to score, despite Jan Vertonghen's presence on the
line.
Thereafter, Chelsea controlled the temp of the match as Tottenham's trip to the
South of France on Tuesday appeared to finally catch up with them, with Marcos
Alonso missing a great chance to kill off their rivals after side-footing over
from close range minutes after Moses's strike.
That miss, though, was not to prove costly as Chelsea easily held on to their
lead in the final quarter of the game as the visitors' 26-year wait for a league
win at the Bridge continues.
Player ratings
Chelsea: Courtois (7), Azpilicueta (6), David Luiz (8), Cahill
(6), Moses (9), Kante (7), Matic (6), Alonso (7), Pedro (8), Diego Costa (8),
Hazard (6)
Subs used: Ivanovic (6), Oscar (6), Willian (6)
Tottenham: Lloris (7), Dier (6), Wimmer (6), Vertonghen (6),
Walker (7), Wanyama (7), Dembele (7), Son Heung-min (6), Eriksen (8), Alli (6),
Kane (7)
Subs used: Janssen (6), Nkoudou (7), Winks (6)
Man of the match: Victor Moses
Click Here For Official Team Sheet
Teams
Chelsea Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Cahill (c), Moses
(Ivanovic 80), Matic, Kante, Alonso, Pedro (Oscar 83), Costa, Hazard (William
76)
Subs Not Used Begovic, Fabregas, Chalobah, Batshuayi
Booked Luiz, Willian
Goals Pedro 45, Moses 51
Tottenham Hotspur Lloris, Walker, Dier, Vertomghen, Wimmer,
Wanyama, Dembele, Son (Winks 65), Alli (Koudou 73), Eriksen, Kane
Subs Not Used Vorm, Carter-Vickers, Trippier, Onomah, Janssen
Booked Dembele
Goals Eriksen 11
Attendance 41,513
Referee Michael Oliver