Chelsea recover from opening-round loss to beat Tottenham
Marcos Alonso's double reignited Chelsea's title defense by securing a 2-1 victory over Tottenham yesterday, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris blundering to enable the Premier League champions to recover from their opening weekend loss.
For Tottenham, it was a gloomy start to its temporary residency at Wembley Stadium after going unbeaten throughout its final season at White Hart Lane before it was demolished to make way for a new venue.
Tottenham had been well placed to salvage a draw when Alonso's first-half free kick was canceled out by Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi inadvertently heading the ball into his own net in the 82nd minute just after coming off the bench.
But within six minutes Chelsea was back in front and Batshuayi's blushes were spared in the London derby.
Chelsea defender David Luiz intercepted the ball after Victor Wanyama received it from Lloris' throw. Alonso helped to knock the ball along to Pedro Rodriguez on the left flank and he raced forward to receive a return pass in the penalty area. A shot from a tight angle then squirmed under the normally reliable Lloris in the Tottenham goal.
"Frustrated? No," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said. "I am disappointed because I think we deserved more. Our performance was good."
But not good enough. It was Tottenham's seventh loss in 10 matches at the national football stadium, which was also used for the north London club's European matches last season and there was also a visit in the FA Cup semifinals last season when it lost to Chelsea.
"It is not the reason we lost the game," Pochettino said of Wembley, where the pitch is wider than Tottenham's old White Hart Lane home.
Fueled by its formidable home form, Tottenham secured its highest league finish in more than 50 years last season as it was pipped to the title by Chelsea. Last season's top two now have a win apiece after Tottenham opened the season with a victory over Newcastle last Sunday. Chelsea was left demoralized after it opened its title defense by losing at home to Burnley.
Huddersfield made it two wins out of two at the start of its first Premier League season by beating Newcastle 1-0 yesterday, condemning its fellow promoted team to a second successive loss.
Australia midfielder Aaron Mooy scored in the 50th minute, curling in a shot from 18 yards (meters) following a one-two with Elias Kachunga to secure the victory for David Wagner's team.
"The boss has a saying to have no limits and we all stand behind that," Mooy told British broadcaster Sky Sports. "It has been a great start so far, but we can't get carried away, it's early in the season. We just have to keep working hard and keep trying to improve."
It was Huddersfield's first topflight game at home since 1972 — 20 years before the formation of the Premier League. Huddersfield opened the season by beating Crystal Palace 3-0 last weekend, while Newcastle lost 20 to Tottenham in the first round.
"People wrote us off last week at
Saturday Swansea-Manchester United ......... 0-4 Bailly 45’, Lukaku 80’, Pogba 82’, Martial 84’ Bournemouth-Watford ................. 0-2 Richarlison 73’, Capoue 86’ Burnley-West Brom ....................... 0-1 Robson-Kanu 71’ Leicester-Brighton ......................... 2-0 Okazaki 1’, Maguire 54’ Liverpool-Crystal Palace ................ 1-0 Mane 73’ Southampton-West Ham ............... 3-2 Gabbiadini 11’ (S), Tadic 38’ (S), Chicharito 45’, 74’ (W), Austin 90+3’ pen (S) Stoke City-Arsenal ......................... 1-0 Jese 47’ Yesterday Huddersfield-Newcastle Utd ......... 1-0 Mooy 50 Tottenham-Chelsea ....................... 1-2 Alonso (C) 24, 88, Batshuayi (T) 82 og Today Manchester City-Everton
Standings
Man United Huddersfield West Brom Watford Liverpool Southampton Man City Leicester Tottenham Everton Arsenal Chelsea Burnley Stoke City Swansea Newcastle Utd Bournemouth Crystal Palace Brighton West Ham P 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 W 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 D 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 L 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 F 8 4 2 5 4 3 2 5 3 1 4 4 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 A Pts 0 6 0 6 0 6 3 4 3 4 2 4 0 3 4 3 2 3 0 3 4 3 4 3 3 3 1 3 4 1 3 0 3 0 4 0 4 0 7 0
Palace but we couldn't rest on our laurels and we have made a statement," forward Tom Ince said. "The manager has come and said it, we are not here just to be part of the league, we are here to show people what we are about and that we deserve to be in the Premier League.
"Today was about winning. Two games, six points and we move on."