Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Hits and Flops | Premier League 2019-20
Chelsea hosted Tottenham Hotspur this Saturday for a crucial fixture in the Premier League. After Chelsea's defeat to Manchester United on Monday, Tottenham had closed down the gap to the hosts to a single point.
Frank Lampard's side started the game on the front foot and took the lead inside 15 minutes through Olivier Giroud. Chelsea continued to dominate the match as Tottenham struggled to create any meaningful attempt on goal. The hosts had the majority of the possession as they pressed from the front and did not allow the visitors to settle into the game.
The Blues continued their aggressive intent in the second half. Tottenham had more of the possession in the second half, however, it was the hosts who had the better chances. Chelsea were rewarded for their efforts when Marcos Alonso scored the match-winning goal after good work from Mason Mount and Ross Barkley.
Chelsea went close to scoring another goal when Alonso hit the cross-bar from a free-kick. The visitors scored a goal to set up a tense finish to the game, however, they were lucky not to go down to 10 men after a poor challenge by Giovani Lo Celso on César Azpilicueta.
Chelsea were able to hold off the visitors and see out the rest of the game. They increased their lead over the visitors back to 4 points in the race for European places.
While several players impressed, others failed to live up to the expectations. Here are five hits and flops from the game:
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#5 Hit: Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso came back into the team for this game as one of the wing-backs. The left-back had been out of the side due to the emergence of Reece James and César Azpilicueta playing as the left-back recently, however, he proved why he has been one of the best wing-backs since his move to Stamford Bridge.
The Spaniard was a nuisance for the visitors throughout the game. His good movements kept Japhet Tanganga busy for the whole game. He came close to scoring in the first half when his shot was close to going in, however, he did not miss in the second half. He proved to be the match-winner when he produced a brilliant finish from outside the box to double Chelsea's lead.
The left-back has been linked with a summer move back to Italy recently, however, this performance was a reminder of his quality and how good a player he is to have in the squad.