Chelsea fight back to beat Spurs

Chelsea moved back to the top of the Premier League after they came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Antonio Conte's side were chasing shadows for most of the first half and they trailed for much of it courtesy of Christian Eriksen's stunning strike.

But Pedro grabbed a brilliant goal of his own just before the half-time whistle to draw the sides level.

Six minutes after the restart Victor Moses continued his great recent form by nudging Chelsea ahead from close range and Spurs never really looked like finding an equaliser.

The result moves Chelsea back to the top of the table, a point above Liverpool and Manchester City, while Mauricio Pochettino's side remain in fifth, a point behind neighbours Arsenal in the final Champions League place, having suffered their first defeat in the league this season.

Eriksen fired Spurs in front on 11 minutes and it was a goal that will live long in the memory, a ferocious strike from outside the box which flew past Thibaut Courtois and into the back of the net.

The goal was the first conceded by the hosts since September 24^th and was reward for Spurs’ strong start, the north Londoners showing no signs of a hangover from exiting the Champions League in midweek, pressurising Chelsea from the first whistle.

Chelsea’s first serious attempt on goal came on the half-hour mark, David Luiz’s free-kick hitting the target but straight at Hugo Lloris who gathered the ball comfortably.

Spurs continued to dominate however, with Harry Kane, quiet until then, testing Courtois but the Chelsea goalkeeper was able to beat away the forward’s effort.

But totally against the run of play the hosts were level, Pedro beating Lloris from range with a cracking, curling strike a minute before the break.

Chelsea then went ahead five minutes after the restart, Spurs dispossessed in midfield and Eden Hazard and Diego Costa broke quickly with the latter surging into the box and crossing for the onrushing Moses whose effort hit Lloris and a defender on its way into the net.

They could have doubled their advantage soon after but Marcos Alonso, who found himself in space 10 yards from goal, blasted Costa’s centre over the bar.

The visitors began to look leggy, unable to reproduce the aggressive pressing of the first half and struggled to create opportunities.

While this was not a virtuoso performance from Chelsea, the manner in which they were able to keep Spurs at arms’ length to close out the game in relative comfort showed again that they will take some shifting off top spot.

Photo (©Getty Images/Darren Walsh)

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