Chelsea regain strenght after beaten Tottenham at Wembley

Chelsea went to Wembley supposedly in the depths of crisis following the opening-day defeat by Burnley at Stamford Bridge and with the saga over Diego Costa's future being played out as a distracting backdrop.

But there was little evidence of crisis here as the Blues dropped back into the old routine - hard-as-nails defensive resilience and that ruthless winners' streak that allowed them to snatch victory late on.

And even manager Conte looked like he meant business once again, swapping the Chelsea tracksuit worn against Burnley for his trademark dark suit at Wembley.

Chelsea rode their luck at times to stand firm in the face of a Spurs siege either side of half-time - but they retained ambition and it was a defender in Alonso who raced into the area to score the winner.

Tiemoue Bakayoko had an impressive first start in midfield and the mental strength and character the champions possess was shown by their response to Batshuayi's freakish own goal equaliser.

Chelsea's delight at the final whistle was obvious and understandable, Conte punching the air in front of the away section and shouting "come on" as the supporters chanted his name in celebration.

This was just the result and performance Conte and Chelsea needed - and the triumph was even sweeter because it was inflicted on Spurs at their temporary new home, delivering a blow to a side who will regard themselves as rivals for the title this season.


source: bbc  sport