MEN OF STEEL SPURRED ON
Chelsea super heroes respond to Tottenham’s title challenge
HARRY KANE and the dejected Spurs squad will have switched off after just 50 minutes of this impressive Chelsea win.
That was all it took for Antonio Conte’s Supermen to break hearts in north and east London with another finishing masterclass.
Kane, having shot Spurs to within seven points of the league leaders, had admitted on Sunday to being a West Ham fan for this one.
He and his team-mates had been willing Slaven Bilic and his Irons side to pull off an upset.
Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, however, stretched that gap at the top back to 10 points.
After all Tottenham’s hard work on Sunday they look once again to have a title mountain to climb.
Conte admitted his side were looking to respond and said: “It was good to reply to our rivals.
“Yesterday they won and today we also won.”
Chelsea are unrecognisable from the team that surrendered their title last term under Jose Mourinho.
Hazard was their biggest flop but he’s now the man inspiring their charge to glory under Conte. After his man-of-the-match display, the Belgian said: “It is easier for me now because I am inside, closer to Diego Costa and the goal.
“Sometimes it was not so easy when I was further out wide. But we all know what to do under this system and we create lots of chances.
“We have 11 games left. We want to win them all and bring the title back to Stamford Bridge.”
Chelsea may not have been impressive of late but they have been efficient and clinical, maintaining their momentum to such an extent that Bilic described Conte’s players as “Supermen” ahead of this contest.
They certainly appeared faster than a speeding bullet as their lightning-quick counter-attack broke the deadlock in 32 minutes.
N’Golo Kante intercepted Mark Noble’s poor pass deep inside the Chelsea half. The Frenchman quickly sought out Hazard who surged over the halfway line, exchanged passes with Pedro, rounded the keeper and tapped the ball into an empty net.
Until that point West Ham had dominated with Andy Carroll unsettling the Blues’ backline. This is a ruthless, clinical Chelsea outfit, though, who showed the Irons how it was done in front of goal.
The lesson continued just five minutes after the break when Costa struck for his 17th goal of the season.
The striker was left unmarked from a Cesc Fabregas corner with Pedro Obiang’s attempted clearance sending the ball into his path.
Robert Snodgrass, on the line, stuck a leg out but was too slow. The damage had been done.
The Blues coasted it for the rest of the game – although they did concede in injury time.
Sub Andre Ayew drove into the box and set up Manuel Lanzini for a deserved goal. But it made little difference. The points were already heading across London. The title will almost certainly follow in May.