Conte throws in towel as Kane sparks Spurs
LONDON: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte declared his side’s Premier League title defence over after Marko Arnautovic’s goal condemned the champions to a 1- 0 loss at West Ham United on Saturday.
Chelsea’s first defeat in eight league games left them 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who visit second-place Manchester United in Sunday’s derby.
“We have to consider that this is the fourth game we’ve lost in 16 games,” Conte told Sky Sports at the London Stadium.
“In my previous experience, it won’t be possible to fight for the title.”
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur ended a run of four games without victory with a thumping 5-1 home win over Stoke City at Wembley.
Having previously been beaten by Burnley, Manchester City and Crystal Palace, Chelsea have lost just one fewer game than in the entirety of their triumphant201617 campaign.
Austria international Arnautovic struck in t he si xth minute, neatly exchanging passes with Manuel Lanzini and cutting inside Cesar Azpilicueta before curling a low shot past Thibaut Courtois. It was West Ham’s first win in nine league games and confirmed the progress they have made under new manager David Moyes, who saw his side narrowly beaten 2-1 at Manchester City last weekend. “The win, the spirit of the team, how they stuck together and more importantly a lot of the basics were done well today,” said Moyes. “All that really pleased me.” West Ham remain in the relegation zone, but they are now level on points with fourth-bottom West Bromwich Albion, who lost 1- 0 at Swansea City in Alan Pardew’s second game as manager. Wilfried Bony scored for the second game running to lift Swansea off the foot of the table. Spurs claimed a fourth successive four- goal win over Stoke, making Mauricio Pochet t ino’s side the first team to have won by four goals in four consecut ive English topflight meetings with the same opponents. Son HeungMin’s cross was deflected in via Stoke defenders Kurt Zouma and Ryan Shawcross to put Spurs ahead and Son made it 2- 0 by rattling in a pass from Dele Alli in the 53rd minute.
Harry Kane scored twice – a header from a Ben Davies cross and a left-foot curler – to take his tally for the season to 18 in all competitions and Christian Eriksen completed the rout. Spurs moved above Arsenal into fifth place on goal difference ahead of their local rivals’ trip to Southampton on Sunday.
Stoke, who replied through Shawcross, have now lost 1,000 topflight games.
Burnley are level on points with the two north London heavyweights after Scott Arfield scored in a 1- 0 home win over Watford, who had Marvin Zeegelaar sent off for a studs-up foul on Steven Defour.
In-form Leicester City climbed to eighth after a luckless 86th-minute own goal by Ayoze Perez – who prodded the ball into his own net as he attempted a tackle – earned them a 3-2 win at Newcastle United. — AFP