Lukaku Kisses The Badge After Netting Twice On Bridge Return
12 September, 2021
Chelsea 3-0 Aston Villa
Romelu Lukaku bagged his first goals at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea defeated Aston Villa 3-0 on Saturday evening.
Ezri Konsa was lucky not to concede an own goal in the tenth minute after his attempted clearance in a scramble close to the goal-line from a corner came off the crossbar.
Romelu Lukaku eventually opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 15th minute with a close-range right-footed strike after feigning with his left to take the defender away, following a pin-point through ball by Kovacic.
Ollie Watkins came close to levelling matters two minutes later after going through on the left side of the box but his strike across goal was parried away by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy at full stretch.
Villa continued to find chances and Mendy was forced to make a double save seven minutes before the half-time break from a long throw-in inside the box, first keeping out a strike by Konsa and then a volley by Tyrone Mings.
Thomas Tuchel withdrew Niguez at half-time and brought on Jorginho in a straight swap in midfield and that helped as Kovacic doubled their lead four minutes inside the second stanza with a strike past the helpless shot-stopper Jed Steer, after the Croatian intercepted a back pass by Mings.
Villa were struggling to get out of their own half after that, with Chelsea bossing the game and Tuchel made a tactical change in the 64th minute as Cesar Azpilicueta replaced Havertz and five minutes later, the visitors introduced former Blues striker Bertrand Traore for Danny Ings.
Marcos Alonso had a chance to kill off the game for the Blues in the last 14 minutes after going through on the left side of the box but his strike across goal flashed just wide of the bottom corner.
The third goal did arrive in stoppage time as Lukaku completed his brace with a thumping strike into the top corner, as the Blues moved up to second on the log, equal on points with leaders Manchester United.
Crystal Palace 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur, who were reduced to 10 men, suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season after going down 3-0 to Crystal Palace on Saturday aftenoon.
The visitors did not pose danger in the early stages with their possession mainly through the middle, but Conor Gallagher had a chance to break the deadlock for Palace in the 21st minute with a free-kick from a dangerous position that he looped over the bar.
Wilfried Zaha came close again for the visitors ten minutes before the half-time break after cutting inside from the left but his strike towards the bottom corner took a deflection and missed just wide.
Palace had another big chance just before the half-time break after Zaha beat his marker on the byline and played a decisive cut-back that found Gallagher, who turned to have a clear sight of goal but shot-stopper Hugo Lloris came out quickly and made a great save from close range.
The early exchanges of the second stanza were fiercely contested, as Spurs were reduced to ten men just before the hour-mark after Japhet Tanganga succumbed to pressure, got a second booking for a bad foul and was sent off.
Palace won a penalty in the last quarter of an hour after Gallagher's attempted cross hit Davies in the arm inside the box and Zaha made no mistake from the spot, sending Lloris the wrong way.
The visitors were home and dry in the last six minutes after late substitute and debutant Odsonne Edouard doubled Palace's lead just after coming on with a close-range finish inside the box after a cut-back by Zaha.
Edouard piled more misery on Spurs as he made it 3-0 and completed his brace in stoppages with a strike across goal that Lloris could only parry towards goal as Palace clinched their first win of the season.
Source: www.soccerladuma.co.za
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