Sundays Premier Football Review

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Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Chelsea: Marcos Alonso secures victory with two goals for the Blues (August 20 2017)


Chelsea responded to the humiliating start 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, crowned champions in May, recovered from their 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 Chelsea were not finished and Alonso struck again to finish off Spurs, whose record since Wembley reopened in 2007 reads: played 11, won two, drawn one and lost eight.

It was Mauricio Pochettino's first home league defeat in 14 London derbies.

After a challenging summer at Chelsea - taking in Diego Costa's exile, a shrinking squad and manager Conte belatedly signing an improved contract, but not an extension - it was a welcome fillip for the Blues.

Willian also struck a post for Chelsea, which Harry Kane did for Spurs, who laid siege to the visitors' goal but perhaps were fortunate to finish the game with 11 players.

Eric Dier and Jan Vertonghen were only booked for high challenges.

Gary Cahill received a straight red card for similar against Burnley in a defeat which left Chelsea fearful of losing their opening two league games for the first time since 1973-74.

Spurs completed an entire league season unbeaten at home last term for the first time in 52 years.

But their record at the new Wembley was two wins from 10 games - one in nine since the 2008 League Cup defeat of Chelsea - ahead of their debut as domestic tenants here.

Spurs had a near full-strength line-up, with Kieran Trippier fit at right-back.

Chelsea's stretched resources, with Cahill and Cesc Fabregas suspended, saw David Luiz start in midfield. He did not look out of place.

Alongside him was Tiemoue Bakayoko, who was making a belated debut after signing from Monaco while carrying a knee injury, while Andreas Christensen made a first Premier League start in defence. Both also performed well.

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Alvaro Morata was starting for the first time, too, and missed a gilt-edged opportunity to put Chelsea in front inside five minutes, heading wide from Cesar Azpilicueta's cross.

The Spain striker was unmarked, six yards out. And some in Chelsea blue would immediately have thought of the exiled Costa.

Kane, who attracted understandable admiration from Conte this summer, turned and shot at Thibaut Courtois, who gathered at the second attempt.

Morata next closed down Hugo Lloris. The goalkeeper's clearance struck Morata, but bounced in Lloris' favour.

Dele Alli volleyed over from an acute angle after Christensen allowed the ball to bounce in the box.

The excellent Mousa Dembele then shimmied by Luiz and his shot was helped over by Courtois.

Alli then tripped Luiz, 25 yards out. Alonso's curling effort flew into the top corner of Lloris' goal.

Dier caught Luiz on the ankle before the Chelsea man was then booked for an off-the-ball foul on Christian Eriksen.

Eriksen's fine free-kick into the six-yard box evaded everyone, including Morata - Chelsea's nearest player - and Kane as he tried to reach the ball with an outstretched leg.

Kane came closer still after combining with Alli. He checked inside Christensen and struck the ball against the foot of a post.

Spurs pushed for an equaliser and came close when Kane only glanced a header from a corner. Firmer contact would have resulted in a goal.

Chelsea had chances for a second. Morata was played through on goal by Willian and cut inside Toby Alderweireld before Vertonghen's covering block.

Moses fired over and then Willian made space for a shot which rebounded off the far post.

Chelsea's near misses proved costly when Bakayoko was adjudged to have fouled Alli. Eriksen's cross was headed in by Batshuayi, without any pressure from a Spurs player.

But Chelsea were not finished and, after Batshuayi could not pounce, Victor Wanyama gave the ball away and Alonso shot under Lloris at the near post for the winner.

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Huddersfield Town 1-0 Newcastle United: Aaron Mooy scores winner (August 20 2017)


Aaron Mooy's fine second-half strike maintained Huddersfield's dream Premier League start as they beat Newcastle 1-0 in their first top-flight home game in 45 years.

The Australian, who this summer turned a loan from Manchester City into a permanent signing that could rise to £10million, smashed in a 50th-minute winner following a one-two with Elias Kachunga as the Terriers defeated one of the sides they came up with last term.

It meant David Wagner's men followed up last weekend's 3-0 victory at Crystal Palace with another three points to become just the third newly-promoted side to win their first two games in the Premier League era, emulating Bolton in 2001 and Hull last season.

Twenty-three years to the day that Huddersfield fans watched their first game in this venue against Wycombe, the John Smith's Stadium was hosting its maiden Premier League match, with some fans having paid as little as £100 for their season card thanks to a pledge by chairman Dean Hoyle.

His name was chanted prior to kick-off as the players emerged to be greeted by a 'Terriers' mosaic and the sound of thousands of clappers during an electric atmosphere which continued as the hosts tried to seize control early on.

Mooy's long-range shot provided Rob Elliot with his first test and the Newcastle keeper was grateful Tom Ince's vicious try, which came courtesy of a mislaid Christian Atsu pass, was straight at him.

A Magpies team featuring three enforced changes soon settled to quieten the crowd, though, and they produced the half's best chance in the 17th minute through Matt Ritchie.

Ayoze Perez laid the ball off to him on the edge of the area and the winger's effort was heading straight for the bottom corner only for Jonas Lossl to produce a fine one-handed save to tip it around the post.

Newcastle's only other first-half scare came when Atsu and Javier Manquillo were caught out trying to play their way out of trouble, though Steve Mounie was correctly adjudged to be offside by the time he fired at Elliot.

There were half-hearted penalty appeals at the other end when Atsu's header hit the back of Chris Lowe's arm, not that he knew anything about it, and the Terriers full-back was then bailed out by two fine Christopher Schindler tackles, the second of which had to be timed right on Dwight Gayle.

Following a half with few first opportunities, it took less than five minutes after the restart for Mooy to lash the hosts ahead.

The Australian rolled a pass into Kachunga in the box and claimed the one-two return around Manquillo before dispatching an unstoppable effort into the corner to leave Elliot with no chance.

Mooy had been a key figure in Huddersfield's promotion-winning campaign last term but this was just his fifth goal for the club, with one of the previous four having come at home to Newcastle too.

Benitez's reaction was to replace Gayle with recent recruit Joselu and the Spaniard nearly scored a carbon copy of Mooy's effort at the other end.

The difference between their one-two was that Joselu's shot lacked any power, making it all the easier for Lossl to divert wide.

From the resulting corner Perez had an even better opportunity but his hooked volley went over the crossbar as Newcastle's wait for a first goal of the season went on.

Jacob Murphy, another of Benitez's replacements, was denied by a brilliant Lowe sliding challenge as Huddersfield held firm to make it two wins from two.