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Chelsea defeated Tottenham Hotspur for the third time this month. Second-half goals from Hakim Ziyech and Thiago Silva helped secure a 2-0 win in their Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge on Sunday night.
Antonio Conte's return to Stamford Bridge in a league fixture ended in a comprehensive loss. His side failed to match the hosts' intensity in the game. Harry Kane had a goal disallowed late in the first half, following a controversial foul on Silva by the striker in the buildup to the goal.
Chelsea got off to a brilliant start after the break as Ziyech curled in a worldly from the edge of the box to give the hosts the lead. Silva doubled the advantage with a smart finish from Mason Mount's inch-perfect cross from a free-kick.
As the Blues record their first Premier League win of the year, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 Chelsea prove too strong for Tottenham yet again
Thomas Tuchel's men continued their dominant run against their London rivals. They earlier overcame Spurs 3-0 on aggregate in the Carabao Cup semi-final fixtures. The hosts dominated possession, had more goal attempts and maintained a better passing accuracy than the visitors.
The game also extended Tottenham's winless streak against the Blues to 11 games. Spurs did not have much of a game plan in the final third. They sorely missed the injured Son Heung-Min, as Harry Kane was being singled out by the defenders.
#4 Romelu Lukaku's confidence seems to be at an all-time low
Romelu Lukaku started the game and found himself in good scoring position with less than a minute on the clock but fired his shot over the bar. He would also go on to miss two more good chances in the game.
Midway through the first half, Mount dribbled past a few Spurs players on the right flank. He found Lukaku bang in front of goal with a crisp cutback. Any other day, the Belgian striker would've found the back of the net but somehow he missed the incoming ball from just a few yards out.
Before the half-time whistle was blown his shot was blocked by Eric Dier, much to his and Tuchel's frustration. It seems the player is not fully confident on the pitch and needs to score soon to get his mojo back.
#3 Hakim Ziyech scores a stunning goal as he regains his form
Hakim Ziyech gave Chelsea an early lead against Tottenham in the second half. He produced a moment of magic as he rolled back the years to his peak Ajax season.
The Moroccan winger, not selected for the ongoing AFCON, scored for the second game in a row and what a goal it was.
He received the ball near the left-hand side of the box from Callum Hudson-Odoi. After controlling the ball and creating some space for himself, he curled in from the edge of the box into the far post. Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris didn't even move a muscle to stop the effort.
Ziyech seems to be enjoying himself at the moment and could provide a much-needed attacking threat in the final third for the Blues.
#2 Tottenham give up the chance to move into the top four
Tottenham had the chance to move into the top-four at the expense of Manchester United had they recorded a win here. But a lackluster display from the players ensured they remained in seventh place in the standings.
West Ham United and Arsenal dropped points in their league games this weekend but Spurs failed to make the most of it. This was their first league loss of the year and under Antonio Conte. This should serve as a wake-up call as the race for a top-four finish is only going to get more intense going forward.
They face league leaders Manchester City roughly four weeks from now and should try to win as many points before that game.
#1 Antonio Conte faces first Premier League defeat since November
Antonio Conte had managed to avoid a loss in the Premier League with Tottenham since taking over the reins in November. It was almost climactic that his first league loss at Spurs should come against Chelsea, his former club.
While it was an impressive run of nine games without a loss in the league, the signs of an impending loss were always there. Their previous game against Leicester City ended in a narrow 3-2 win thanks to Steven Bergwijn's injury-time brace. Meanwhile, Chelsea inflicted a loss in both League Cup semi-final legs.
Following this loss, Spurs will be hoping to return to winning ways against Southampton when they return after the international break next month.
