Coach Conte breathes a little easier after stylish performance
CHELSEA gave Antonio Conte a welltimed vote of confidence as Diego Costa and Eden Hazard inspired a 3-0 victory against spluttering champions Leicester City yesterday.
Conte had to endure speculation he was in danger of being sacked just three months into his Chelsea reign after bookmakers suspended betting on his dismissal on Thursday.
While Conte laughed off the story, the Italian — under fire after disappointing defeats against Liverpool and Arsenal — is well aware of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich’s ruthless nature when it comes to firing managers.
If there was any doubt in Abramovich’s mind about Conte, this confident performance, which gave Chelsea a second successive Premier League win, showed a glimpse of the force the former Italy coach is trying to build.
The last time Leicester walked out onto the Stamford Bridge pitch they were given a guard of honour by Chelsea’s players to mark their astonishing title triumph. But Claudio Ranieri’s side still seem to be suffering a hangover.
Dele Alli rescued a point for Tottenham Hotspur in a 1-1 draw away to West Bromwich Albion after it looked as if the Premier League high-flyers might suffer an agonising defeat.
The visitors dominated possession only for Nacer Chadli, a player Spurs sold to West Brom in pre-season, to put the hosts in front eight minutes from time against the run of play.
But Alli poked a low shot home in the 89th minute after a shot by Christian Eriksen had been blocked, with the draw seeing Spurs drop to third in the table after arch-north-London rivals Arsenal beat Swansea 3-2.
Ben Foster, the West Brom and former England goalkeeper, repeatedly defied Spurs, who had 77% of first-half possession, with a series of saves.
The result meant an end to a run of five successive victories in all competitions for Spurs, but means that they remain the Premier League’s only unbeaten team.
Theo Walcott scored two first-half goals and Mesut Ozil a fine third as Arsenal beat Swansea City 3-2 at the Emirates Stadium to go level on points with league leaders Manchester City.
But the Gunners had to survive a nervy finale after Granit Xhaka was dismissed 20 minutes from the end in what was former United States manager Bob Bradley’s first game in charge of the Swans.
Nolito’s header saved a point for a dominant Manchester City side as the Premier League leaders had two penalties saved in a 1-1 draw at home to Everton.
Everton’s Romelu Lukaku scored on the break 19 minutes into the second half after Ronald Koeman’s visitors had absorbed sustained pressure. Everton goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, who had saved a first-half penalty from Kevin De Bruyne, then blocked another from Sergio Aguero. But the goalkeeper was finally beaten as Nolito, on as a substitute for only a minute, headed in David Silva’s cross in the 72nd minute.
Joe Allen proved Stoke City’s hero with a first-half double setting the Potters on the way to a 2-0 victory over Sunderland in the dogfight between the Premier League’s two bottom clubs.
Allen’s heroics enabled Stoke to leap four points clear of their visitors, who lie rooted at the foot of the table on just two points as the pressure mounts on their manager David Moyes.
Bournemouth crushed Hull City 6-1 to give Mike Phelan a miserable start in his first game as full-time head coach of the visitors. Charlie Daniels lashed home Bournemouth’s first goal after five minutes and Steven Cook, Junior Stanislas (two), Callum Wilson and Dan Gosling sealed an emphatic win for Eddie Howe’s side.
In the late game West Ham United won 1-0 away to Crystal Palace, thanks to a 19th-minute goal by Manuel Lanzini. —