Alli fires Spurs to victory over Chelsea on landmark appearance

The game looked like being key in deciding which team would claim the fourth and final Champions League place and it was Spurs who claimed the spoils.

As is natural in a game of such magnitude, it started slowly, with neither side wanting to overcommit in the opening exchanges.

Alli got his bearings all wrong when he rose to meet Christian Eriksen's cross from the left, whilst Marcos Alonso saw a beautiful volleyed effort chalked off for offside as he met N'Golo Kante's cross from deep with 19 minutes gone.

Willian has been in imperious form of late and his strike from range almost escaped Hugo Lloris' grasp, only for the Frenchman to claim it at the second attempt.

The Spurs goalkeeper wasn't so lucky as the game reached the half-hour mark though as he gifted the hosts the lead. Victor Moses crossed from the right and Lloris came to claim, only to get nowhere near the ball, giving Alvaro Morata the simple task of rising to head into the unguarded net.

Eriksen saw a powerful effort kept out by Willy Caballero as Spurs looked for an immediate response, whilst Lloris went some way toward redeeming himself by plunging to his left to deny Marcos Alonso.

It looked as if Chelsea would be going into the break with the lead, but that wasn't to be the case.

Eriksen made sure of that as he found the net with a fine effort form 30 yards which dipped and swerved beyond a helpless Caballero in the home goal in added-on time at the end of the half to send the two teams in level.

 

April 1, 2018

- Cagey second period - 

Following that blow the second half got off to another slow start. Andreas Christensen couldn't quite get enough on Cesc Fabregas' cross to get an effort on target, before Caballero made a fine save away to his right to deny Son Heung-Min's curling effort from the edge of the box.

That stop proved to be in vain though as Spurs took the lead just two minutes later. Eric Dier set Dele Alli away over the top with a wonderful raking ball and the England midfielder took a touch before lifting the ball over Caballero and into the back of the net to make it 2-1.

Clearly having regained his taste for goals Alli scored his second with 66 minutes on the clock. Son get in down the right and although he was twice denied by Caballero, in the ensuing melee the ball dropped kindly for Alli to roll into the back of the net to put the game beyond Chelsea.

 

April 1, 2018

Despite all their possession late on Chelsea never looked like finding the goals necessary to find a way back into the game, sending Spurs home with a vital win.

The result leaves Tottenham in fourth, eight points ahead of Chelsea who now face the very real prospect of a season without Champions League football next term.