By Arum Victor
Follow Arum on Twitter @ChivicArum
Two goals from England international Dele Alli saw Tottenham Hotspur end Chelsea’s 13-game winning streak in fantastic fashion. The goals came either side of half-time and were enough to move Spurs to within seven points of their opponents at the top of the table.
The first chance of the match arrived in the fifth minute when Nemanja Matic delivered the ball over the Spurs defence and it fell to Eden Hazard, only for the Belgian playmaker to drive his effort wide of the post.
Both teams continued to press forward in search of the opening goal, but it wasn’t until the 45th minute that the goal arrived after Christian Eriksen delivered a brilliant cross into the box for Alli to head into the far corner of the net.
Alli then sealed the victory in the 54th minute through the same combination that brought the first goal. Eriksen delivered an inch-perfect cross for Alli to nod home.
It was an entertaining game and here are five things we learnt from the match:
1. Dele Alli is a genius
Alli was the cream of the crop for Tottenham as his two goals helped the club defeat Chelsea. The midfield maestro has already scored ten goals so far this season and seven of those have come in his last four matches.
The PFA Young Player of the Year continues to establish himself as an important member of the Tottenham squad and even the England national team.
He had a beautiful game for Spurs against Chelsea and he was rewarded for his performance with the Man of the Match award.
If Spurs are to challenge for the title this season, the 20-year-old will have a key role to play.
2. Title race is blown open
Had Chelsea won the match, they would have opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the table which could have put the title race to bed, so other Premier League clubs have Tottenham to thank for keeping it alive.
Following the defeat, Chelsea are just five points clear of second-placed Liverpool and seven points clear of third-placed Spurs. The title race is certainly back on.
3. Spurs are on fire
Tottenham had a slow start to the season but they are now back on track. They have won their last five Premier League matches and the future looks bright.
In those five matches, they have scored a total of 15 goals and have conceded only three. They have a manager who is one of the best coaches in the world and he has assembled a young talented squad who are desperate to play for him.
Spurs may not win the Premier League this season but they will surely be around the top with the big boys come the end of the campaign.
4. Chelsea are not invincible
This match against Tottenham has simply proved that Chelsea are not invincible. After going on a 13-game winning run, some managers must have been wondering what they had do to stop Antonio Conte and his men.
Tottenham have just taught them what they must do and have proven that Chelsea are not unbeatable. Mauricio Pochettino used a 3-4-2-1 formation with Kyle Walker and Danny Rose playing as wing-backs and it worked perfectly.
Perhaps, a 3-4-2-1 is the only formation that can defeat this well-organised Chelsea side?
5. Ref Martin Atkinson had a good game!
In a week where referees were criticised for poor decisions, Atkinson has helped to restore faith in the officials. Mike Dean – who officiated the match between West Ham and Manchester United – was largely criticized for sending off Sofiane Feghouli.
Conversely, Atkinson was lenient with the players and didn’t disturb the flow of the game as he brandished only five yellow cards in total.
Take a bow! He was top class.