Alli double ends Chelsea run

Two goals from Dele Alli helped Tottenham Hotspur end Chelsea’s 13 game winning-streak with a 2-0 win over the Blues in the Premier League at White Hart Lane.

Just as it looked both side’s first-half-performance cancelled each other out, Alli opened the scoring with a fine cushion header in the 45^th minute after Christian Eriksen superbly picked out the in-form midfielder unmarked inside the area.

Spurs doubled their lead in the 54^th minute when Eriksen found the former MK Don’s player again at the back-post, and he headed home for his sixth goal in three Premier League games. Spurs now climb to third in the league after five wins in a row – two points off second-placed Liverpool

The win signals the end of Chelsea’s 13 game winning run, and despite the loss, Antonio Conte and his side will look to shake off the defeat which leaves them with a five-point cushion at the top of the League.

The game started with high intensity and the visitors came within centimetres of breaking the deadlock when the returning Nemanja Matic found Eden Hazard with a wonderful diagonal ball, but the 25-year-old’s shot from a tight angle just trickled past the post – an early scare for the home-side.

It took Spurs until the 23^rd minute to conjure up an opportunity of their own against the best defence in the Premier League, after Victor Wanyama’s shot dragged wide, before the impressive Eriksen had Thibaut Courtois scrambling with his long-range effort two minutes later.

This season’s top goal-scorer Diego Costa provided little in terms of an attacking threat and missed a golden chance in the 35^th minute after the former Atletico Madrid man hit his effort high and wide, despite no pressure from Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Chelsea upped gears after the break and another chance fell to the 28-year-old in the 47th minute, this time the Spanish International's headed attempt was met by the alert Hugo Lloris at the Frenchman’s near-post.

The visitors struggled to break down a resolute Spurs defence and will look to get back to winning ways when they travel to Premier League champions Leicester City on January 14th.

Tottenham have now clawed their London rivals back to seven points and will want to apply more pressure on the leaders with a win over West Brom on the same date.

Image/GettyImages/TottenhamFC

eir Sport channels are available across the eir Vision, Sky and Vodafone TV platforms as well as on the eir Sport app. All 6 channels in the eir Sport pack are available for free if you are a residential eir broadband customer.