Bruised Blues
Chelsea boss Conte throws in towel as Kane sparks Spurs
West Ham put a fresh dent in Chelsea’s fading hopes of retaining the English Premier League title when they edged the champions 1-0, thanks to a first goal for Marko Arnautovic since he joined the Hammers in July. Chelsea struggled to break down a West Ham defence that looks much sturdier under new manager David Moyes, and the visitors were vulnerable on the break to the power of Arnautovic and Michail Antonio playing as a striker. In another match, Tottenham Hotspur emerged from their recent slump to demolish Stoke City 5-1 at Wembley yesterday.
LONDON: Chelsea manager Antonio Conte declared his side’s English Premier League title defence over after Marko Arnautovic’s goal condemned the champions to a 1-0 defeat at West Ham.
Chelsea’s defeat, their first in eight league games, left them 11 points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who visit second-placed Manchester United in today’s Manchester 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.
“With four defeats in 16 games, we must have another target.”
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur ended a run of four games without victory with a thumping 5-1 home win over Stoke at Wembley in which Harry Kane scored twice.
Having previously been beaten by Burnley, City and Crystal Palace, Chelsea have lost just one fewer game than in the entirety of their triumphant 2016-2017 campaign.
Austria international Arnautovic struck in the sixth minute, neatly exchanging passes with Manuel Lanzini and cutting inside Cesar Azpilicueta before curling a low shot past Thibaut Courtois.
Alvaro Morata squandered Chelsea’s best chance of an equaliser when he slashed wide from N’Golo Kante’s through ball with seven minutes remaining.
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 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 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 Pochettino’s side the first team to have won by four goals in four consecutive English top-flight meetings with the same opponents.
Son Heung-min’s cross was deflected in via Stoke defenders Kurt Zouma and Ryan Shawcross to put Spurs ahead and Heung-min made it 2-0 by rattling in a pass
from Dele Alli in the 53rd minute.
Kane’s two goals – a header from a Ben Davies cross and a left-foot curler – took his tally for the season to 18 in all competitions and Christian Eriksen completed the rout.
Stoke, who replied through Shawcross, have now lost 1,000 topflight games.
Spurs moved above Arsenal into fifth place on goal difference ahead of their local rivals’ trip to Southampton today.
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.
Crystal Palace fell to the foot of the table after Belgian striker Christian Benteke squandered a stoppage-time penalty in a 2-2 draw at home to Bournemouth.
Jermain Defoe put Bournemouth in front and then equalised with a brilliant dipping volley after Luka Milivojevic’s penalty and a closerange effort by substitute Scott Dann had put Palace in charge.
Palace were awarded a last-gasp penalty when Charlie Daniels felled Wilfried Zaha, but Benteke’s tame effort was repelled by visiting goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
Steve Mounie’s first goals since the opening day earned Huddersfield a 2-0 win over fellow promoted team Brighton as David Wagner’s side snapped a four-game losing streak.