Spurs finally win at Stamford Bridge as Alli shows his class
At the scene of one of their greatest humiliations in recent years, at a stadium where they had not won for 28 years, Tottenham had their emphatic victory and it felt wholly appropriate that it was Dele Alli who claimed two of the goals and had a hand in the other. On his 100th Premier League appearance, it was Dele at the double, in fact.
It has been quite a week for Alli – dropped by England, his World Cup starting place in doubt with questions over whether he needs to buck up his ideas. This was a resounding response. The 21-year-old said he was “numb” to the criticism, but it did not look like that as he cupped his ear after scoring his first goal, and the raucous celebrations spilt on to the pitch.
Those celebrations even included Harry Kane, who was warming up at the time. The striker eventually came on as a substitute – just three weeks after suffering ankle ligament damage.
It was a very good day for Spurs. And a very bad one for Chelsea. The champions were reduced to wreckage, their title defence destroyed and a top-four place, and qualification for the Champions League, appearing beyond them thanks to self-inflicted wounds.
Having pulled away from Arsenal, Spurs are now eight points clear of Chelsea with just seven games to play. Mind the gap, as they say in London, where Spurs are undeniably the capital’s top team and Chelsea are left to reflect and rebuild yet again, with manager Antonio Conte expected to depart at the end of the season and the club once more no longer having a seat at Europe’s top table.
This was a fifth defeat in seven league matches for Chelsea, a truly astonishing statistic, as they have slid desperately down the league at the business end of the season. There is still an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to, but that does not feel like much of a prize for a team with their ambition.
Spurs had not won at Stamford Bridge since a 2-1 victory in February 1990, 24 hours after Nelson Mandela was released from prison, when Margaret Thatcher was still in power and Sinead O’connor’s Nothing Compares 2 U was top of the charts.
It meant Chelsea had been unbeaten in 27 home league matches against Spurs, 30 in all competitions, with the most delicious result in recent times being the bruising 2-2 draw they earned from being two goals down to end their opponents’ title hopes two years ago
Mind the gap, as they say in London, where Spurs are undeniably the capital’s top team
when Leicester City were crowned champions.
Spurs lost their heads in that encounter, but they used them wisely this time round. There were a couple of tasty challenges, however – Erik Lamela on Cesc Fabregas, and Jan Vertonghen on Eden Hazard – that maybe spoke to that particular battle of the Bridge. The watching Belgium coach, Roberto Martinez, must have winced as Hazard was brought down.
Spurs were not to be bullied as they maintained their status as the only unbeaten Premier League team of 2018 and did so after falling behind, when it seemed Chelsea had got their counter-attacking game back and were going to pick them off.
That was most apparent in the opening goal, which was the culmination of Spurs’ inability to cope with Chelsea’s wing-backs. They were left overloaded and, as Anto- nio Rudiger surged forward, he sent the ball out wide to Victor Moses, who had the time and space to weigh up a cross that tempted Hugo Lloris. Once the Spurs goalkeeper committed, he had to reach the ball, but it sailed over his fingertips, distracting Davinson Sanchez and allowing Alvaro Morata to plant a superb header into the net.
It was the striker’s 11th league goal of the season and his seventh header – more than any other player – and, at this stage, it seemed Chelsea might be too wily for Spurs, with Lloris saving well from Moses, Willian and Marcos Alonso.
But on the stroke of half-time it all changed. Alli chased down a lost cause, back-heeling the ball to prevent it going out for a throw-in and, although possession was collected by Moses, he tried to be too clever in attempting to lift it over Ben Davies. The full-back headed it back to Alli, who returned it. Davies moved the ball infield to Christian Eriksen and he struck a brilliant shot from 25 yards that looped and dipped and caught out Willy Caballero as it kissed the underside of the crossbar and flew into the net.
Credit also Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino for a half-time switch, as he dropped Eriksen deeper and pushed Son Heung-min wider to block Chelsea’s counterattacks. It worked. After Son forced Caballero into a flying one-handed save, the goalkeeper was beaten as Eric Dier flighted a long ball between Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta. It picked out Alli, whose first touch was excellent and made the goal, as he cushioned the ball after it flew over his right shoulder and lifted it past Caballero in one motion.
Chelsea were rocking. Then it was game over as Eriksen picked out Son, who burst past Alonso. Caballero blocked his first shot but it squirmed back to Son whose next effort was also deflected, struck Caballero, then Christensen, and diverted to Alli, who had the composure to check and pick his spot. It also meant that, in 100 league games for Spurs, it was 36 goals and 25 assists for Alli. That is some return.