Son and Eriksen make their mark as Spurs launch new era with a win
LONDON: Tottenham enjoyed a historic homecoming as they opened their long-awaited new stadium with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.
Son Heung-min created a slice of history for himself as he scored the first competitive goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, placing himself alongside Tom Smith, who did the same at White Hart Lane way back in 1899, while Christian Eriksen scored the other.
The South Korean struck a heavily deflected effort early in the second half, with Eriksen adding a second in the final 10 minutes to provide the perfect homecoming party.
It has been a long and painful wait to get back home for Spurs – 689 days since they last played at White Hart Lane – but on a memorable evening in front of just over 59,000 fans every one of those 51 trips to Wembley for a ‘home’ game will have been worth it.
They proved their move back can give them a late-season boost and they revived their top-four hopes with a first victory in six games, putting themselves back above Arsenal into third.
With four of their remaining six Premier League games at this magnificent arena, Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be hoping that it will help them over the line in their bid for a fourth successive Champions League qualification.
The quadruple-chasing champions were hardly tested by their lacklustre visitors and eased to victory with goals early and late in the first half.
The result lifted Pep Guardiola’s side a point above Liverpool with both teams having six games to play. Cardiff’s situation, by contrast, is perilous. The Bluebirds are now five points adrift of safety with no games in hand on any of their relegation rivals.
Neil Warnock’s men were unable to rouse themselves again after their battling – and controversial – loss to Chelsea at the weekend, even against a City side showing seven changes.
Callum Hudson-Odoi toasted his full Premier League debut by sparking Chelsea’s 3-0 Stamford Bridge rout of Brighton.
The 18-year-old celebrated his full league bow by serving the opening goal on a plate for Olivier Giroud, before Eden Hazard and Ruben Loftus-Cheek dispatched eye-catching second-half strikes.
Hazard’s 14th league goal of the campaign and Loftus-Cheek’s eighth in all competitions pushed Chelsea above Manchester United into fifth place, but one point off Tottenham in third.
Chelsea’s hefty win might now convince boss Maurizio Sarri to let homegrown talents Hudson-Odoi and Loftus-Cheek loose in the bid for both a top-four league finish and Europa League glory.
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