Tottenham celebrate
Tottenham celebrate

Chelsea 1-3 Tottenham: Spurs win at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 28 years to go eight points ahead


Tottenham came from 1-0 down to beat Chelsea 3-1 and finally end their long Stamford Bridge jinx with a first win at their rivals since 1990.

After Alvaro Morata had headed Chelsea into a first-half lead, Christian Eriksen fired in a wonderful equaliser just before the break before Dele Alli bagged a second half double to clinch all three points.

Alli celebrated his 100th Premier League game with two goals that put eight points between Spurs and Chelsea in the race for Champions League places – and ended 28 years of Stamford Bridge misery for Tottenham.


To finish in the top 4

  • Chelsea - 6/1
  • Spurs - 1/50

To win the FA Cup

  • Chelsea - 13/8
  • Spurs - 2/1

Adding further gloss on the day for Tottenham was the sight of Harry Kane coming off the bench for the closing stages as he returned from his ankle injury in time for their run-in.

The hosts had the better of the first 45 minutes but the thunderbolt from Eriksen just before the break sent Spurs in much the happier side.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men emerged a changed team in the second period, and Alli turned their superiority into goals, firstly with a superb piece of control and finishing from a long ball over the top.

Tottenham’s third was as scrappy as their first two were sublime, as Alli finally managed to control and slot home from close range after a calamitous scramble inside the Chelsea six yard box.

Antonio Conte’s defending Premier League champions could well now be out of contention for a Champions League spot after slipping eight points behind their rivals.

Christian Eriksen celebrates his brilliant goal

Reaction

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino praised Alli for his match-winning display.

"He's a great talent. There is a lot of pressure on his shoulders. He has nothing to show to me or to us but sometimes the expectation is so high.

"The players deserve a lot of praise because of the way they played. It was important to win the game here at Stamford Bridge."

Pochettino revealed a tactical switch at half-time had enabled Spurs to take control of the game.

He said: "We tried to change some players, we tried to link better."

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte admitted Alli's first goal had proved crucial to the outcome of the game.

He said: 'We conceded the second goal and we lost our confidence. It was very difficult to come back. We all know the chance we had to try to reduce the gap to Tottenham.

"I think this season in many games we created many chances (from) which we didn't score. Tottenham took the chances they had and they won the game.

"You have to consider Tottenham one of the best teams in England."

Conte said he would not give up on securing a Champions League place.

He added: "We have to try until the end to catch the teams in the Champions League (places) and in this case it is Tottenham and Liverpool. We have to try."

Stats

  • Tottenham ended a run of 27 league visits to Chelsea without a victory (D9 L18), winning there for the first time since February 1990.
  • Chelsea scored the first goal in a Premier League home game and went on to lose for the first time since April 1st 2017 against Crystal Palace (1-2).
  • Tottenham have won more points in Premier League London derbies this season than any other side (16 – W5 D1 L2).
  • Seven of Alvaro Morata’s 11 Premier League goals this season have been headers, more than any other player has managed.
  • Morata’s seven headed goal haul is also the most ever by a Chelsea player in a Premier League season.
  • Chelsea have scored a league-high 14 headed goals this season.
  • Christian Eriksen has scored 16 goals from outside the box since his Premier League debut in September 2013; the most of any current player in that time in the competition.
  • Eriksen has been directly involved in five goals in his last five Premier League appearances against Chelsea, scoring two and assisting three.
  • Dele Alli marked his 100th Premier League game with his first top-flight brace since January 2017 (also against Chelsea).

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