Spurs Bop Chelsea, Delivering the Blues' First League Defeat

It's right there in the Premiership ledgers:

Chelsea has played in Wembley Stadium before. Against Tottenham, no less.

However, you couldn't tell it by watching this match.

Hell, it looked like David Luiz needed a road map out there. He'll be lucky if Blues fans don't start calling him Jeez.

 

With goals scored by Dele Alli, Harry Kane, and Heung-Min Son, Tottenham inflicted Chelsea's first Premiership defeat this season, to the tune of a 3-1 smackdown.

Before the match, Chelsea's manager, Maurizio Sarri, said that he was worried about how poor his crew had been playing in a game's opening 15 minutes.

Dude didn't have to be Nostradamus, then, to see this one coming.

 

It didn't take long to prove him right, either.

In the 8th minute, from a set-piece, Christian Eriksen found Alli at the near post.

The English international hammered home a header that Chelsea's goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga even palmed but couldn't hold:

 

Somehow, the reality of that start made Chelsea look even more lost, and Tottenham took advantage from it.

Eriksen and Son combined for a one-two; the South Korean almost slotted home, but he blasted wide. 

Kane was the one who doubled the lead a few moments later. Spurs' striker extraordinaire fired from distance for a brilliant finish:

 

Then, both teams slowed the pace, but for different reasons.

The Blues were trying to get their act together, while Spurs had a two-goal lead to protect.

 

For all we know, Sarri handed out juice boxes and orange slices during intermission. It would've been commensurate with the league leaders' level of play.

They didn't get any better, though.

In the 54th minute, Tottenham made it 3-0 with an amazing Son solo goal. Alli triggered the South Korean's sprint on the other side of the midfield line, and dude outpaced Jorginho on the right-wing where he thoroughly embarrassed Luiz with an amazing dribble followed by a masterpiece of a shot inside the far post:

 

Tottenham had opportunities to score more goals, but they were undoubtedly happy enough with their current haul.

Chelsea got their lovely parting gift in the 85th minute, after Olivier Giroud headed home from a César Azpilicueta cross:

 

Even more satisfied than dropping Chelsea from the unbeaten ranks, Spurs elevated themselves up to third position in the standings, past the Blues:

At this stage of the race, they'll rightly be pleased with themselves.

And this season, it is a race.