Full Time: Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Chelsea
Chelsea got their first win of the season, when they beat London rivals Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the Wembley Stadium, on Sunday.
The Blues took the lead through a belter of a free-kick from wing-back Marcos Alonso in the 24th minute and withstood some amount of pressure from Mauricio Pochettino’s side to hold on to their lead for a long time.
But, when it looked like Antonio Conte and his boys would leave with three points, their own striker, Michy Batshuayi netted past Thibaut Courtois to bring Spurs back on level terms in the 82nd minute. The parity did not last for long though, as Alonso turned saviour for the Blues, grabbing his second goal deep in the game to guarantee three points for his time.
Here’s how the Chelsea players fared on the day.
Chelsea Player Ratings
Thibaut Courtois – 7.5/10
Made a number of good stops towards the end of the first-half, but was left stranded for the goal.
Victor Moses – 7/10
An energetic display down the right-hand side from the Nigerian. Plenty of piercing-forward forays throughout the game. Encouraging.
Cesar Azpilicueta – 7.5/10
Captained the side today and led the team by example. Was always there to provide cover for his teammates and never backed down from going into a challenge.
Andreas Christiansen – 6/10
Started in the middle of the back three and put in a strong performance. Calm and composed.
Antonio Rudiger – 5.5/10
Booked for shoving Harry Kane to the ground in the first-half. Is taking time to settle in well.
Marcos Alonso – 9/10
Opened the scoring with a beautifully taken free-kick and then bagged the winner late in the game. Brilliant display from the Spaniard.
David Luiz – 6/10
Played in the middle of the park. Booked for a block on Eriksen. Very good at times but not so good on occasions.
N’Golo Kante – 7/10
As usual, another display filled with tireless running and full of energy from the Frenchman, covering for Luiz who went roaming on more than one occasion.
Tiemoue Bakayoko – 6/10
Made his debut for the Blues, despite concerns over his fitness. Started off strongly, but grew visibly tired with time.
Willian – 6/10
Played off the striker and wasted a couple of chances, and seemed to slow down the pace at times.
Alvaro Morata – 6/10
Missed a sitter early on in the game. But his all-round play, the movement off the ball and the hold up play were all good.
Substitutes
Pedro – 6/10
Came on for Willian in the 78th minute. Assisted the winner.
Michy Batshuayi – 4/10
Replaced Morata for the final ten minutes. Scored an own goal that almost cost his team two points.
Certainly, the Chelsea fans were pleased with the result and here are some of the best reactions from the Chelsea supporters following their impressive win.
Conte after Alonso goal😂😍 #TOTCHE #CFC https://t.co/qIyf85Tgzz
— The Blues (@TheBlues___) August 20, 2017
Cesar Azpilicueta captains Chelsea for the second time. Last time he captained Chelsea, they beat Spurs 4-2 at Wembley. #TOTCHE #CFC
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) August 20, 2017
£70M for Alex Sandro? pic.twitter.com/xLcoUBMQV2
— M. Firza Richsan (@Firzarichsan) August 20, 2017
MARCOS ALONSO ABSOLUTE LEGEND
— R (@Legedenary) August 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/TypicalZlatan/status/899313626821120000
https://twitter.com/King__Danny/status/899313511335170048
Name a stand at The Bridge after Alonso
— P (@ForeverBlue_07) August 20, 2017
Batshuayi just got himself loaned
— German Reigns (@Kwaku_Akonto) August 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/bradleyscomic/status/899313565777244161