Son Heung-min goal crowns fine display and Harry Kane scores again: Tottenham vs Chelsea five things we learned
Tottenham beat Chelsea 3-1 to move to third in the Premier League table
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Your support makes all the difference.Tottenham stunned their London rivals Chelsea with a stylish 3-1 win at Wembley to end Maurizio Sarri’s undefeated start to live in the Premier League.
It took Tottenham just eight minutes to open the scoring when Dele Alli glanced in Christian Eriksen’s free-kick.
Harry Kane then doubled Tottenham’s lead with a low strike from outside the box which caught Kepa by surprise.
And Heung-min Son wrapped up the win with a sensational third before Olivier Giroud's consolation, to ensure Tottenham jumped above Chelsea into third in the table. Here are five things we learned.
Heung-min Son makes up for missed opportunities
The South Korea international was lively throughout the first-half but, having missed several presentable opportunities, it looked as though his Premier League goal drought was set to continue.
But then a moment of magic. Racing onto a Dele pass just inside Chelsea’s half, Son shook off the attentions of a half-interested Jorginho before cutting inside and leaving David Luiz for dead.
With only Kepa left to beat, Son casually rolled a shot into the corner of the net, as Spurs moved 3-0 up. It was his first league goal of the season and he is hardly likely to score one better.
Dele and Christian Eriksen down Chelsea again…
Two seasons ago, Dele and Christian Eriksen twice combined as Tottenham ended Chelsea's attempt to make Premier League history with a 14th successive victory.
At Wembley, Tottenham’s midfield duo combined again for their first goal of the evening. Eriksen whipped in a dangerous free-kick which Dele glanced past a flailing Kepa.
Spurs may have a number of injury problems at the back, but with both Dele and Eriksen back to full fitness they look incredibly lively going forward again.
… and Tottenham’s playmaker shows why he is so valued
This week Mauricio Pochettino insisted he was not worried by Eriksen’s contract situation, telling supporters that everybody was “working hard” on a new deal.
“He knows [and] we know what we’re doing and of course we’re working hard,” Pochettino said on Thursday.
“The club’s working to try to take the best decisions. Christian is going to take I think the decision that is best for him. We’re not worried. In football I’m never worried.”
Against Chelsea, Eriksen showed exactly why it is so important Tottenham keep hold of him. He laid on two assists, while no Spurs player made as many key passes or enjoyed as many touches of the ball. He is this side’s heartbeat.
Chelsea’s undefeated run comes to an end at last
While Chelsea’s start to the season under new manager Maurizio Sarri has been impressive – many supporters feared a result like this was coming.
For all of their improvements Chelsea remain suspect at the back and they were exposed time and time again by Tottenham’s punishing counter-attacks. In truth, the 3-1 scoreline was flattering.
David Luiz struggled desperately, while Chelsea struggled to defend the spaces behind their flying full-backs, with Tottenham repeatedly threatening from out wide. They have to get a grip on things at the back if they are to seriously challenge Manchester City for the title.
Harry Kane impressive for a man so out of form
Harry Kane has always attracted a lot of unfair criticism. And this season he has had to contend with more negative press than usual, with his critics accusing him of being out of form and lacking match fitness since his exploits at the Russian World Cup.
And yet he just carries on scoring. His superb strike against Chelsea was his seventh goal of the new Premier League season. Only Sergio Aguero – playing for a side that has scored 17 more goals than Tottenham – has scored more.
When you factor in the four goals he has scored in four European games, he already has 11 for the season. Not bad for a man struggling for form.
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