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Chelsea beat Spurs 2-0

By Mitch Phillips
August 27, 2005 22:35 IST
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Normal service was resumed as Tottenham Hotspur's bright start to the Premier League season ended with a predictable 2-0 home defeat by Chelsea on Saturday.

Spanish defender Asier del Horno headed the opener after 39 minutes following a red card for Tottenham striker Mido and Irish winger Damien Duff settled it for the champions 19 minutes from time.

Chelsea's fourth win of the season stretched their unbeaten league run against their London rivals to 31 games.

Wigan Athletic secured their first-ever top flight goal and points with a 1-0 home win over Sunderland, who have lost all four Premier League matches this season and 19 in a row, including 15 at the end of the 2003-04 season.

The goal for the promoted club came in the second minute via a Jason Roberts penalty.

Czech striker Milan Baros marked his Aston Villa debut with the goal in a 1-0 home win over Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City came from behind to beat Portsmouth 2-1, Bolton Wanderers won by the same score at West Ham United and Fulham defeated Everton 1-0.

Manchester United visit Newcastle United on Sunday, when Middlesbrough host Charlton Athletic. Neither Arsenal or Liverpool are in league action this weekend.

Tottenham, as so often before, went into Saturday's game with high hopes after starting the campaign with two wins and a draw but the weight of history, the class of Chelsea and the opinion of the referee combined to bring them down to earth.

Spurs had gone 30 league games against Chelsea without a win and had not beaten them at home since 1987.

Neither team had conceded a goal this season but things turned Chelsea's way after 26 minutes when Egyptian striker Mido was shown a straight red card for elbowing Del Horno.

Mido claimed innocence and his anger was doubled six minutes later when the Spanish defender headed home Frank Lampard's corner.

Spurs made a brave effort to pull it back with some constructive attacking but their hopes ended when substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips crossed for Duff, whose mis-hit shot wrong-footed England goalkeeper Paul Robinson.

"We were very, very strong," Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports. "We didn't make mistakes and scored a great goal from a set piece. People say it's easy against 10 but they are a good side and they gave us a difficult game.

"Sometimes against 10 you don't play well but my team were very mature tactically and psychologically."
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Mitch Phillips
Source: REUTERS
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