Hotspur back on track

Mourinho starts with win

TOTTENHAM’S decision to switch managers has reaped instant rewards as Jose Mourinho got off to a winning start in his highly anticipated fourth coaching stint in the English Premier League.

At the top of the table, leaders Liverpool won for the 12th time in 13 games, overcoming Crystal Palace 2-1 to maintain an eight-point lead.

There were also wins for Leicester City, 2-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion, and champions Manchester City, who beat Chelsea 2-1 to climb above their opponents into third.

Wolverhampton Wanderers beat 10-man Bournemouth 2-1 to climb to fifth place while Burnley won 3-0 at Watford, which returns to the bottom of the standings. Hours after Tottenham beat West Ham 3-2 in Mourinho’s first match in charge since replacing Mauricio Pochettino, Arsenal needed an injury-time goal to salvage a 2-2 draw at home to relegation candidates Southampton. It’s just one win in seven league matches for the Gunners and boos rang around Emirates Stadium at the final whistle, directed as much at manager Unai Emery as his players.

Then there’s Everton manager Marco Silva, who is also under mounting pressure after his 15th-placed team lost 2-0 at home to Norwich City, who started the game in last place.

And what about Hammers’ manager Manuel Pellegrini, vanquished by Mourinho and overseeing a team that has collected just two points from the past seven games to plummet to 16th place?

For Spurs, Mourinho hugged his players and celebrated a win earned by goals from Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, and Harry Kane in a 13-minute spell around halftime. “Today I was where I belong,” Mourinho said in his return match after nearly a year out of coaching.

“That’s my natural habitat. Was I extra emotional? No. Was I nervous? No. But I just love it, especially when things go in your direction. Of course, the best thing in football is to win matches.”