Shropshire Star

Marcos Alonso double sees champions Chelsea sink Tottenham

Spurs’ Wembley woe continued as they lost 2-1 in their first home Premier League game at the national stadium.

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Chelsea responded from the humiliating opening to their title defence by extending Tottenham’s Wembley woe with a 2-1 victory in the first Premier League clash at the national stadium.

Marcos Alonso scored twice for the visitors as Antonio Conte’s men, champions in May, responded from the opening home loss to Burnley.

Alonso’s first-half free-kick was cancelled out by Michy Batshuayi’s own goal eight minutes from time, but Alonso struck again to finish Spurs, whose record since Wembley reopened in 2007 reads played 11, won two, lost eight.

What they said

I’m disappointed because we wanted to win the game but it was impossible. But the team playing the way we play we dominated the game and created the better chances but we were a little unlucky.”

Tweet of the match

Star man – Marcos Alonso

A match-winning brace from the wing-back who continues to prove time and again that he knows where the goal is. His free-kick to open the scoring here was sublime and he was in the right place to power home the winner, even if Hugo Lloris should have done much better with his effort.

Ref watch

Jan Vertonghen, left, and Anthony Taylor
(John Walton/EMPICS Sport)

Ref watch could easily be replaced by ‘red watch’ as referee Anthony Taylor had a number of important decisions to make at Wembley. Attention on the officials was even closer after Chelsea saw both Cesc Fabregas and Gary Cahill sent off in the Blues’ opening weekend defeat to Burnley. Tottenham arguably could have faced the same fate here as both Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen escaped with yellow cards after dangerous fouls on David Luiz and Victor Moses respectively.

Moan of the match

Wembley just does not feel like Wembley when it is hosting Premier League football. The national stadium was decked out in Spurs paraphernalia and the pre-match traditions from White Hart Lane were also carried across. There was a drummer mic’ed up to the sound system to inject some atmosphere but Wembley as a league ground will need more than that – results for Spurs, for example, would be a good place to start for the current occupants.

Player ratings

Who’s up next

Chelsea take on Everton
(David Davies/EMPICS Sport)

Tottenham v Burnley (Premier League, August 27)

Chelsea v Everton (Premier League, August 27)

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