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By Paul Lagan

Alonso double sinks Spurs at Wembley

Marcos Alonso struck twice, once from a sensational free-kick, the second from a powerful low drive to record the Blue’s first three points of the season as the visitors beat north London rivals Spurs at their new home of Wembley. Having suffered a surprise home defeat to Burnley last week, champions Chelsea outfought and outsmarted their supposed title challengers. Changes were forced on head coach Antonio Conte with Gary Cahill suspended. In came Andreas Christensen with David Luiz moved forward in to a defensive midfield role. Tiemoue Bakayoko was handed his league debut in midfield. Spurs had no answer, despite the bulk of possession. They scrambled home a later equaliser though an own goal from substitute Michy Batshuayi before Alsonso provided the smash and grab goal that increases the sense that Wembley may indeed become a graveyard for their title ambitions this season.Chelsea should have scored on five minutes when Alvaro Morata had a free header in the six-yard box and he met an inch-perfect cross from Cesar Azpilicueta, but somehow managed to head wide of Hugo Loris’s left upright. Spurs countered with a smart run and shot by Harry Kane on 10 minutes, bur Thibaut Courtois was its equal. Mousa Dembele tried his luck from 20 yards, on 20 minutes, but the ball flashed over Courtois’s goal withoutX C much of a threat. The Blues took the lad through the lethal left boot of Marcos Alonso on 25 minutes. The Spain left back took a sweet curler of a free-kick from 20 yards out after Dele Alli had fouled David Luiz. The ball zipped over the Spurs wall and into the top left hand corner of Lloris net with the goalkeeper unable to get close to the ball let alone a touch. Kane hit the post for the home side with three minutes left of the first half. Courtois then produced a fine, diving save to his left to thwart a long-range, goal-bound effort from Ben Davies. There were no changes at half-time, but Spurs had two excellent chances to equalise within the first 50 seconds of the restart. Most of the second half was back to the wall stuff by the Blues with the occasion al foray up front. On one occasion, on 73 minutes, Willian saw his daisy-cutter zip across the surface beat Lloris, but rebound off the goalkeeper’s right post. But the pressure eventually told in the cruelest of ways on 82 minutes. Michy Batshuayi, only on the field for four minutes headed into his own net from an in-swinging Christian Eriksen free-kick. Sensationally, four minutes later and from a counter-attack started by David Luiz, the ball was fed to Alonso, who, racing into the area, took a quick look to see where loris was and slammed the ball under the embarrassed goalkeeper to restore the visitors lead. Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge next Sunday when they face Everton.

Teams Chelsea: Courtois, Rudiger, Alonso, Kante, Morata, Bakayoko, Moses, Willian, Christensen, Azpilicueta, Luiz Subs: Caballero, Pedro, Kenedy, Musonda, Batshuayi, Tomori, Scott

Spurs: loris, Tripper, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Kane, W anyama, Dier, Dembele, Alli, Eriksen, Davis Subs: Vorm, Son, Jansen, Sissoko, Wimmer, Winks, Walker-Peters

Referee Anthony Taylor

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