Chelsea vs. Tottenham: Score and Reaction from 2016 Premier League Match
Chelsea handed Tottenham Hotspur their first defeat of the 2016-17 Premier League season on Saturday, continuing their fine run with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge.
Christian Eriksen gave Tottenham a deserved early lead with a spectacular strike, but while the visitors dominated the first half, they couldn't cling to their advantage. Pedro tied things up just before half-time, and Victor Moses gave the Blues the lead shortly after the break.
As the Blues' official Twitter account shared, there were no surprises in the Chelsea XI, which is starting to become familiar:
Spurs had to deal with suspensions and injuries, which meant Kevin Wimmer slid into the back four:
Diego Costa got into the thick of the action early, claiming a free-kick almost right from kick-off. The Spain international was furious when he wasn't awarded the foul, setting the tone for a difficult opening stretch in which he spent more time looking at the official than the ball.
Spurs were lively early, seeing plenty of the ball, and Harry Kane thought he had scored after six minutes. The defence didn't deal with a free-kick from Eriksen properly, but Kane was judged to be offside when he smashed home from close range.
Eric Dier fired a free-kick well over the bar as Spurs' dominance continued, and the visitors were rewarded after 11 minutes. Gary Cahill was caught completely out of position, and Eriksen punished the defence with a superb strike that gave goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois no chance.
Per Squawka Football, the Belgian hadn't conceded in some time:
Former Spurs star Gary Lineker was ecstatic:
Son Heung-min missed with a poor attempt shortly after, as Spurs kept up the pressure. Chelsea had no answers, with their creative outlets rarely seeing the ball early. Victor Wanyama and Mousa Dembele dominated proceedings in midfield, but as the half wore on, Chelsea started to come into their own.
Eden Hazard was flagged down after a clever attack through Marcos Alonso, signalling a more attacking approach from the hosts. David Luis put Hugo Lloris to work with a fine free-kick, but the France international was equal to it.
Dier fired a header straight at Courtois, while on the other side of the pitch, Lloris barely had to move to deny Costa.
Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe couldn't help himself when he saw Courtois making saves:
Dembele tried his luck with a shot aimed at the top corner just before half-time, but the Belgian's effort was off the mark. But while Spurs seemed destined to enter half-time with the lead, Pedro decided otherwise.
Nemanja Matic played in the former Barcelona man, who created space with a lovely turn before curling home a beautiful strike. Andrew Gibney of Football Whispers thought the Blues couldn't have picked a better time to score:
Spurs got back to their pressing game to start the second half, but the first real chance fell to Chelsea, with N'Golo Kante firing from long range.
His team-mate Moses had better luck, giving the Blues the lead after just six minutes into the half. A quick counter saw Costa rifle the ball across the box, and Moses powered it past Lloris to make it 2-1.
Former Chelsea star Ashley Cole loved it:
The Blues were now in full control, with Hazard becoming more involved. Moses almost picked out the Belgian with a cross, and Cesar Azpilicueta tried his luck with a fancy flick that came to nothing.
Costa couldn't connect with a spectacular bicycle kick, before Matic and Wanyama got involved in a little shoving match. Kane played in Dele Alli after a great run, but the flag went up, and the youngster comically sliced a shot wide.
Alonso surprised Costa with a sharp cross the former Atletico Madrid man didn't see coming, and instead of heading home and wrapping things up for Chelsea, Costa tried to chest the ball and wasted the chance.
Manager Antonio Conte introduced Branislav Ivanovic in the final minutes to preserve the win, but Courtois still had to show his class, denying substitute N'Koudou. Willian could have secured the win after a quick counter, wildly firing over the bar, but it hardly mattered. The defence shut up shop and denied Spurs a late equaliser.
Per the Blues' official Twitter account, Conte was more than pleased with the result:
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino won't panic just yet:
Chelsea's next outing will be at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City on Dec. 3, while Spurs will host lowly Swansea City.
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