Marcos Alonso's prolific record - Seven deadly stats from Chelsea's 2-1 win over Tottenham

Aditya Devavrat 23:27 20/08/2017
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  • Premier League champions Chelsea got the boost they badly needed on Sunday as a double from Marcos Alonso gave them a 2-1 victory over last season’s runners-up Tottenham Hotspur in Antonio Conte’s 50th game in charge.

    The 26-year-old Spaniard struck the winner with less than three minutes remaining in an impressive show of character by Chelsea, after they had been pinned back when substitute Michy Batshuayi headed into his own net eight minutes from time.

    Here are seven deadly stats from the champions’ 2-1 win over Tottenham.

    ALONSO’S PROLIFIC RECORD

    The Chelsea fullback stepped up to score a fantastic free-kick after 28 minutes, leaving Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris with no chance.

    Alonso’s stunning strike was his seventh Premier League goal since he joined Chelsea last season – more than any other defender in the same period.

    He would add to that tally with a superb winner by the end of the game.

    CHELSEA’S LONG-RANGE SNIPING AGAINST SPURS

    Spurs’ defence quite often forces opponents to resort to taking hopeful shots from distance, given how difficult they are to break down.

    For Chelsea, however, this strategy seems to work perfectly:

    SPURS KEEP HITTING THE WOODWORK

    On Saturday, it was pointed out that Manchester United seem to find the woodwork quite often with their shots – more than any other team since the start of last season, barring one…

    CHELSEA HEMMED IN BY SPURS ONSLAUGHT

    It was no surprise that Spurs sent wave after wave of attack in the second half as they chased an equaliser.

    Chelsea’s struggles to start the half were somewhat unexpected, however, given how dangerous they can be on the counter.

    Although it took an own goal to finally breach their defence, for a long time, they could barely get out of their own half.

    DIEGO WHO? ALONSO STRIKES AGAIN

    When Spurs finally did level the scores, few would have been surprised if they’d completed the comeback by finding a winner.

    Instead, Chelsea flipped the script, and it was that man Alonso again. The goal came via one error by Spurs’ midfield and an even more egregious one by Lloris.

    And Alonso might just be showing why Chelsea don’t miss a certain striker…

    KANE’S MOST GOAL-SHY GAME, IN HIS MOST GOAL-SHY MONTH

    Harry Kane has infamously failed to score a league goal in August, an odd statistic that he would have been desperate to put right on Sunday.

    He came close, hitting the post for the second straight week, but it’s now been 12 August games in a row that he’s failed to score in the Premier League.

    His performance on Sunday earned him another unwanted statistic, as this was his most ineffective game in front of goal:

    SPURS CAN’T BREAK WEMBLEY HOODOO

    Last season’s trial run of playing European home games at Wembley didn’t go well, as they picked up two losses and one draw in their four Champions League and Europa League outings.

    Then they lost to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final, albeit in a setting where the national stadium was a neutral venue. 

    The jinx remains, however. Sunday’s loss was their eighth in ten games at the new Wembley, and the Spurs side we’ve come to expect – prolific in attack, stingy in defence – has been non-existent at England’s hallowed ground. 

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