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LONDON. – It was the sound of so many years of frustration at this stadium for Tottenham Hotspur, but from the sight of so many Chelsea errors. That was what so distinctive about the Dele Alli goal that clinched his side’s first win at Stamford Bridge in over 28 years yesterday, and so emblematic.

As he ran towards the rapturous away end, the supporters offering the type of deafening roar so rarely heard here, a trail of Chelsea bodies were left on the ground – their team now trailing Spurs by eight points with seven games remaining.
This was also the story of the game: an increasingly rampant Tottenham coming from behind and exploiting every mistake that Chelsea made to win 3-1.

The match saw a lot of them, but the brutal reality for Antonio Conte is that it will take a much greater – and probably unrealistic – series of mistakes for his side to make the Champions League.

Like his Chelsea reign, the race for the top four is surely all but over. So is all talk of Spurs never having won here since 1990, of all the historic events that took place around then, of the fact Nelson Mandela was still in prison then.

That is just another barrier Mauricio Pochettino’s side have broken, another ceiling smashed, even if the persistent talk is that there are bigger challenges still to be met – like winning a trophy. The fact is that steps like this are a necessary prelude to that.
Alvarro Morata and Christian Eriksen scored the other goals.

Meanwhile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang said he was happy to give up the chance to claim a hat-trick on Sunday, preferring to see Arsenal strike partner Alexandre Lacazette convert a confidence-boosting penalty.

Arsenal defeated relegation-haunted Stoke 3-0 with Aubameyang scoring twice – a penalty and another from open play – with substitute Lacazette scoring the third, also from the spot a minute before time.

Aubameyang revealed he passed up the opportunity to score a maiden Arsenal hat-trick – he had scored two for Borussia Dortmund this season before his January transfer – because he wanted to help Lacazette.

The Frenchman had returned from injury for his first game since February 10 and accepted the gift gratefully.
“I had scored twice already so I knew it would be good for his confidence,” Aubameyang explained.

Some managers do not allow anybody other than the designated penalty-taker to have a go from 12 yards but Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger made it clear he approved of the gesture.

“That shows the state of our society – that when people are generous they are surprised,” he said.
“Even more when it is footballers – and when it is strikers even more.

“I wasn’t surprised because I know they have a good understanding. I like that because it can only make the team stronger. I think it’s great.” — The Independent