Chelsea notched up their first win under Thomas Tuchel on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Burnley thanks to goals by Spanish defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso who have both been given a chance to shine under the German coach.
Azpilicueta was entrusted with a place in Chelsea’s starting line up by Tuchel in his two games since replacing Frank Lampard and he scored with an angled shot in the 40th minute after sprinting 80 yards to seize on a lay-off by Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Alonso, playing for the first time since September, secured the win in the 84th minute when he controlled a pass from Christian Pulisic with his chest and knee before swivelling to blast a shot past Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.
Hudson-Odoi, also making the most of much more playing time under Tuchel, and fellow Chelsea academy product Mason Mount were at the heart the Blues’ best moves.
Their form contrasts with the struggles of the club’s two expensive German signings in 2020, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz who pose Tuchel’s most immediate challenge.
Werner wasted a good first-half chance for Chelsea while Havertz was dropped to the bench and only came on for the last 10 minutes.
Tuchel praised his team for controlling the game — Burnley did not have a single shot on target — but said he needed more from his strikers.
Salah’s brace
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah ended his Premier League goal drought in style by scoring twice as the champions raided the capital again to crush West Ham United 3-1. Liverpool came to life after a first half almost devoid of goalmouth action at the London Stadium, with Salah providing two superb finishes to claim the points for his side.
The Egyptian cut in to curl home with his left foot in the 57th minute — his first league goal since December 19 — and doubled the lead with a silky finish from a 68th-minute counter-attack.
Substitute Roberto Firmino set up Gini Wijnaldum to tap home Liverpool’s third in the 84th minute before Craig Dawson replied for the hosts with a consolation goal three minutes later.
Leicester run ends
Patrick Bamford scored one and created two goals as Leeds United ended Leicester City’s seven-match unbeaten run with an entertaining 3-1 victory.
The home side opened the scoring in the 13th minute when Harvey Barnes charged through the midfield and exchanged passes with James Maddison before finding the bottom corner.
But their lead lasted only two minutes when Bamford spotted Stuart Dallas making a run into the box and slipped a ball through the defence for the midfielder to score the equaliser.
