Chelsea suffer shock home defeat against Crystal Palace that allows Spurs to close in
NEW life was pumped into the English Premier League title race on Saturday after leaders Chelsea suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace, enabling Tottenham Hotspur to cut the gap at the top to seven points after their 2-0 win at Burnley.
Liverpool won a feisty Merseyside derby against Everton 3-1 at Anfield to move into third place as Chelsea’s pursuers were all given fresh hope after Antonio Conte’s side lost their first league match at Stamford Bridge since September.
The unlikely reverse, which Conte admitted made the title race “more interesting”, left Chelsea on 69 points with Spurs having moved on to 62 and Liverpool on to 59, though the Reds have played a game more than the top two.
Such has been Chelsea’s dominance at the Bridge this season that once Cesc Fabregas had put them ahead after just five minutes, it all promised to be plain sailing towards an 11th straight home win in the league for the Blues.
Yet two splendid goals from Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke in the space of three minutes soon after changed the complexion of the game with Palace then defending stoically to earn the unlikeliest of wins.
Spurs had appeared to be labouring at Turf Moor without injured striker Harry Kane. Yet Eric Dier and Son Heung-min struck in the second half to earn the points, leaving an encouraged Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino to declare: “It was important for us to be there if Chelsea failed – and we are there. We’re there fighting for the Premier League.”
With Chelsea facing Manchester City on Wednesday, it is little wonder that the Blues’ defeat has put a new spring in Pochettino’s step.
Jurgen Klopp will feel invigorated too after becoming the first Liverpool manager to win his first three Merseyside derbies as his side won with goals from Sadio Mane, the inspired Philippe Coutinho and Divock Origi.
Liverpool made it 17 league matches unbeaten at Anfield against their city rivals after Mane’s brilliant early individual effort was answered by a first goal for Everton from Matthew Pennington.
The youngster, though, was bamboozled less than three minutes later by the skill of Coutinho, who curled a delightful shot into the corner before sealing his masterful display by putting in substitute Origi.
Jose Mourinho was left in a grumpy mood again after his toothless Manchester United, while extending their unbeaten league sequence to 19 matches, slipped up in the race for Champions League places when held to a goalless draw at Old Trafford by West Bromwich Albion.
Craig Shakespeare’s extraordinary start to management at Leicester City continued as the champions beat Stoke City 2-0 with goals from Wilfred Ndidi and Jamie Vardy.
Victory meant that Shakespeare has become the first British manager ever to win his first four top-flight league games in the Premier League era. – Reuters