Football: Tottenham hit back to beat Olympiakos in Mourinho's home bow

LONDON - Jose Mourinho's first home game as Tottenham Hotspur manager suffered a shocking start but ended happily as Harry Kane's record-breaking double helped his side come from behind to beat Olympiakos Piraeus 4-2 to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday.

The unexpected arrival of the celebrated Portuguese former Chelsea boss after Mauricio Pochettino, who took Spurs to last season's Champions League final, has caused much head-scratching amongst the Spurs faithful.

A 3-2 Premier League win at West Ham United on Saturday won over some of the sceptics but when goals by Youssef El Arabi and Ruben Sabedo put Olympiakos, bottom of Group B, 2-0 up inside 20 minutes, Spurs fans were stunned into silence.

Mourinho's first decisive act, sending on playmaker Christian Eriksen for defensive midfielder Eric Dier after 29 minutes, changed the flow and Dele Alli's tap-in on the stroke of halftime proved crucial.

Tottenham looked a different side after the break and Kane struck twice, either side of Serge Aurier's thumping effort, to take his Champions League tally to 20 in a record 24 games -- beating the 26 it took Alessandro Del Piero to reach the mark.

Victory meant Tottenham are guaranteed to finish runners-up in the group to Bayern Munich who they face in a fortnight.

Mourinho, who won the competition with Porto and Inter Milan, shook hands with each of his players and applauded the fans who applauded back, if not singing his name.

"It was a disappointing start, we know we didn't come out with any energy," Kane said. "They got the early goal and then got the second and it was uphill from there.

"The goal just before halftime changed the momentum. We knew we couldn't play any worse than we did in the first half."

There was no fanfare for Mourinho as he took his place in the technical area before kickoff.

But the challenge he faces at Tottenham immediately became apparent as they began in the sloppy fashion that has been a hallmark of their season so far.

Olympiakos were far more lively and took the lead in the fifth minute when Danny Rose's attempted clearance was gathered by El Arabi and the Moroccan cut in from the right before fizzing a low drive from 25 metres past Paulo Gazzaniga.

The hosts responded with Son Heung-min's glancing header producing a fine save from Jose Sa.

However, Olympiakos continued to cause trouble in the Spurs defence. The hosts needed a last-ditch tackle by Davinson Sanchez to deny Daniel Podence after he broke clear.

But it got worse for Spurs in the 19th minute when Portuguese centre back Sabedo poked home from a corner.

Mourinho shrugged his shoulders at his assistants and soon hauled off Dier, although there were other candidates, such was the hosts' lacklustre start.

Had Olympiakos, roared on by a huge and noisy following, reached halftime ahead it would have been tough for Spurs, but when Yassine Meriah swung and missed at a clearance Alli had the simplest task to reduce the deficit.

Five minutes after halftime, Tottenham were level. A quick throw-in by Aurier released Lucas Moura and he cut the ball back for Kane to fire home.

Suddenly Spurs were rampant and they went ahead in the 73rd minute when Aurier connected sweetly to thrash home a right-footed volley from an angle.

Kane sealed the points five minutes later when he headed in Eriksen's dangerous delivery -- his 23rd goal in 23 games in all competitions for club and country this season. 

(Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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Super Spurs end Sarri's unbeaten start at Chelsea

LONDON -- Mauricio Pochettino believes Tottenham are capable of "big things" this season if they consistently reach the heights of a 3-1 win over Chelsea at Wembley that barely reflected Spurs' dominance.

By inflicting Maurizio Sarri's first competitive defeat as Chelsea boss to move above their London rivals into third in the Premier League, Tottenham couldn't have started a big week in better fashion with a do-or-die Champions League clash with Inter Milan and the North London derby against Arsenal to come.

"We need to be humble and recognise playing like this we can do big things," said Pochettino.

"Our challenge is to keep going and be consistent. That's our challenge for the rest of the season."

Victory saw Spurs close back to within five points of leaders Manchester City and three points of second-placed Liverpool.

A title challenge is likely to be beyond Pochettino's men given the relentless pace being set by City, but just qualifying for the Champions League for a fourth straight season would be seen as success given the upheaval as the club wait to move into their stadium and a host of injuries to players involved at the World Cup.

Dele Alli is one of nine players in Pochettino's squad to have suffered a muscle injury after his exertions in Russia, but back fit and close to his best, the England international headed Spurs in front from Christian Eriksen's free-kick.

"Chelsea are a top side and they have made some great signings but we are a top side ourselves," said Alli.

"At 2-0 we could have sat back but we didn't. We created a lot of chances - maybe on another day if we had been more clinical we could have scored more."

Chelsea 'keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga could have done better as he got a hand to Alli's header and the world's most expensive goalkeeper was questioned again as he stood motionless and Harry Kane drilled home from long range to give Spurs a 2-0 lead inside 16 minutes.

The visitors felt aggrieved as they could have had a penalty seconds before Kane's goal when Juan Foyth appeared to trip Eden Hazard inside the area.

However, they could have no complaints as an 18-game unbeaten run in all competitions since the Community Shield in August was comprehensively ended.

"I think we played very badly in all directions - physically, mentally, technically and tactically," said Sarri.

"I knew we had some problems and with this performance today it was clear to everybody we have problems to solve.

"I think in the last three or four matches we have started not really very well."

Spurs' solitary second-half goal was delivered in style by Son as he accelerated past Jorginho and David Luiz before slotting his 50th goal for the club into the far corner.

Kane then somehow fired over with the goal at his mercy and Alli also skewed a great chance off target as Sarri bellowed at his side to regain some composure.

The Italian managed to make a difference with the introduction of Ross Barkley, Pedro Rodriguez and Giroud from the bench.

And it was Giroud who grabbed Chelsea's consolation five minutes from time when he powered home Cesar Azpilicueta's cross at the back post.

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EPL: Kane at the double as Spurs rout Everton

LONDON - Harry Kane continued his rich scoring streak by netting twice in Tottenham Hotspur's 4-0 win over Everton at Wembley as Mauricio Pochettino's side made up ground on third-placed Chelsea who shared a goalless draw with 10-man Leicester City.

For a while, it looked as if Kane might be outshone by his team mate Son Heung-min, who scored in a home game for the fifth successive time.

Then Kane took over to net in the 47th and 59th minutes to take his season's league tally to 20, the fourth consecutive campaign he has reached the landmark.

Christian Eriksen rounded off a cleverly worked team move, again featuring Son, for Spurs' fourth as Everton crashed to their heaviest defeat under Sam Allardyce, who gave a debut to 27 million pound ($37 million) new signing Cenk Tosun.

With three of the top four not playing, fifth-placed Tottenham moved level with Liverpool on 44 points, three behind Chelsea. Antonio Conte's side missed the chance to go second as Leicester hung on for a draw at Stamford Bridge despite the 68th-minute dismissal of Ben Chilwell.

It was the third successive game in all competitions that Chelsea failed to score, with striker Alvaro Morata looking frustrated and short of confidence.

Manager Conte believes they are paying the price for playing seven games in three weeks, with no let-up in prospect as they contest four competitions. "I think I saw a lot of very tired players," Conte said.

Elsewhere, there were more controversial refereeing decisions as English football continued to debate whether the video assistant referee (VAR) system, which was tested in some cup games last week, would benefit the Premier League.

The first flashpoint occurred at Vicarage Road where TV replays revealed Watford's Abdoulaye Doucoure bundled the ball over the line with his right hand in the 2-2 draw with Southampton.

A seventh Premier League defeat in eight games had looked likely for Marco Silva's side after James Ward-Prowse scored twice but Andre Gray set up a thrilling finale before Doucoure's contribution led to furious Southampton protests.

"We can do nothing now," said Southampton manager Mauricio Pellegrino diplomatically. However, Watford striker Troy Deeney admitted that had the VAR system been in operation "we probably wouldn't have got it".

At Newcastle United, bottom side Swansea City believed they were unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Mohamed Diame appeared to handle the ball.

Swansea manager Carlos Carvalhal said: My assistant says that it's a very clear penalty and a red card also, but what can we do? Nothing, only talk about this. This is one of the situations VAR will in the future say clear penalty – it will be clear."

HAPPY HAMMERS 

There was nothing controversial about West Ham United's 4-1 destruction of Huddersfield Town, a victory that puts the Hammers 11th in the table.

When David Moyes took over as West Ham manager many observers questioned his ability to get the team scoring again. But the Scot has proved all the doubters wrong with the London side scoring 12 goals from his past five league games in charge.

A Manuel Lanzini double plus strikes from Mark Noble and the impressive Marko Arnautovic gave the visitors a comfortable victory that took them above Huddersfield, for whom Joe Lolley scored and new 14 million pound ($19.2 million) signing Alex Pritchard came on as a substitute.

The win was Moyes' 200th in the Premier League, a landmark reached by only three other managers.

At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace's revival under Roy Hodgson continued with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Burnley which moved them five points above the relegation zone.

Alan Pardew was another manager breathing easier after West Bromwich Albion beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 to record their first win in 21 league games and his first in nine as their manager.

Both Albion goals came via headers from Chris Brunt corners, with Jonny Evans and Craig Dawson rising above Brighton's defence.

($1 = 0.7283 pounds) (Reporting by Neil Robinson; Editing by Christian Radnedge)

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Spurs and Alli deny Chelsea record win

LONDON, United Kingdom -- In-form midfielder Dele Alli scored two near-identical headers as Tottenham Hotspur beat Chelsea 2-0 on Wednesday to torpedo the Premier League leaders' hopes of a record 14th consecutive victory.

Chelsea were bidding to become the first team to win 14 successive games within the same English top-flight season, but Alli's goals, both set up by Christian Eriksen, brought them down to earth.

"We were competitive against a team in very good form, one of the best in Europe, and we feel very proud and pleased because the performance was very solid," said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Antonio Conte's Chelsea must content themselves with having equalled Arsenal's season record of 13 wins in a row from 2001-02 and they remain five points clear of second-place Liverpool.

But the end of their winning streak will give hope to their pursuers, not least Tottenham, who rose above Manchester City and Arsenal to third place in the table, seven points below the leaders.

"It is a pity to stop this run, but Tottenham is a good team, a really strong team and I think is for sure one of the teams that can fight for the title until the end," Conte told Sky Sports.

"My team are top of the table because we are working a lot. This league is very tough and it is important to continue to work."

Alli, 20, has now scored braces in three successive games and his latest double allowed Pochettino's men to register a fifth win in a row -- their best such run in nearly a year.

It also enabled Spurs to claim a measure of revenge, both for their 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in November and the fiery 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last May that ended their title challenge.

Pochettino, meanwhile, could celebrate his 150th Premier League game as a manager with a deeply satisfying victory.

"We are in a good position, third in the table," he said. "But it is a long way to finish the season."

- Carbon copy -

Whereas Spurs had gone with four at the back in November's 2-1 loss at the Bridge, here they effectively matched Chelsea's 3-4-3 shape, which made for an attritional first half at White Hart Lane.

Spurs saw most of the ball, their wing-backs Kyle Walker and Danny Rose carrying the fight, but they struggled to pick holes in Chelsea's rearguard and the visitors posed a threat on the break.

In the fifth minute, Nemanja Matic's lofted pass over Spurs' right-sided centre-back Eric Dier found Eden Hazard in ample space, only for the Belgian to shoot narrowly wide with his left foot.

Victor Wanyama and Eriksen sent low efforts wide from range for Spurs and when the hosts finally got in behind, Dier ghosting in to meet Rose's deep free-kick, Thibaut Courtois was on hand to save.

But in first-half injury time, Spurs struck, Eriksen shaping a cross into the box from the right and Alli, hitherto close to anonymous, leaping to plant a glorious header in the top-right corner.

It was the England midfielder's sixth goal in four games and within nine minutes of kick-off in the second half, he would have a seventh.

Urged on by a typically animated Conte, Chelsea flew out of the traps, Diego Costa testing Hugo Lloris with a skidding strike and Hazard nodding Marcos Alonso's header wide from point-blank range.

The celebrations, though, were Tottenham's thanks to a near carbon copy of their first goal, Eriksen swinging a cross to the back post and Alli outleaping Victor Moses and Cesar Azpilicueta to head home.

Conte made three bold changes, sending on Willian, Cesc Fabregas and Michy Batshuayi for Marcos Alonso, N'Golo Kante and Moses, with Pedro Rodriguez moving to a left wing-back role.

But his players, finally, appeared spent and Eriksen came close to adding a third with a dipping free-kick that narrowly eluded the left-hand upright.

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Man City, Arsenal the big winners in dramatic finale

LONDON - Manchester City secured fourth place and Arsenal overhauled their arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur to come second on a dramatic final day of the Premier League season when a bomb scare rocked Old Trafford on Sunday.

After Manchester United's game against Bournemouth was abandoned due to a security alert, Manchester City drew 1-1 at Swansea City, Arsenal crushed Aston Villa 4-0 and Spurs capitulated 5-1 at 10-man Newcastle United to blow their chance of finishing above their neighbours for the first time since 1995.

"First of all I would like to apologise to our fans," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said.

"I think they don't deserve all that happened today on the pitch and I apologise."

Champions Leicester City drew 1-1 at Chelsea to end the campaign 10 points ahead of the chasing pack, another staggering achievement in a remarkable season for Claudio Ranieri's team.

Manchester City needed a point to make sure of claiming the final Champions League qualifying spot but their game at Swansea started in a strange atmosphere caused by the events at Old Trafford.

Two stands were evacuated 20 minutes ahead of kickoff and the game was abandoned shortly before the scheduled 1400 GMT start. A controlled explosion was later carried out on a suspect package, described by police as "an incredibly lifelike explosive device".

Manchester City made the perfect start when Kelechi Iheanacho fired them ahead after five minutes.

Swansea equalised on the stroke of halftime through Andre Ayew's deflected free kick and the visitors endured a few nervy moments in Manuel Pellegrini's last match in charge before celebrating the point they needed.

"Well into this season we were well in the title race, but we let ourselves down, we will take positives of a trophy and semi-final of the Champions League, which was history for our club," City goalkeeper Joe Hart said.

"I have enjoyed our time under Manuel, it was important we finished off a good three years working with him."

DISMAL AFTERNOON

Spurs, Leicester's closest challengers in the last few weeks, endured a dismal afternoon at relegated Newcastle.

Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic put the hosts 2-0 up at halftime before Erik Lamela pulled one back.

Mitrovic was shown a straight red card for a dangerous foul but Wijnaldum scored his second from the penalty spot and Rolando Aarons and Daryl Janmaat completed the scoring at a disbelieving St James' Park.

Arsenal took an early lead against relegated Villa through Olivier Giroud and the French striker added two late goals to complete his hat-trick before Mark Bunn's stoppage-time own goal completed the rout.

Arsene Wenger's side finished in the top two for the first time since 2005 after a difficult campaign in which the French manager has been heavily criticised.

"We kept our togetherness and that is part of the DNA of this club," said Wenger, who led his team into the Champions League for the 19th consecutive season.

"We kept fighting until the end. Many big teams finished outside the top four this year."

Cesc Fabregas's second-half penalty for Chelsea looked set to condemn Leicester to only their fourth defeat of the season but Danny Drinkwater rescued a point for the champions with a stunning long-distance strike.

"It was a warm welcome for me, it was fantastic at the beginning and the end," Ranieri said on his return to his former club.

"A draw is OK because we have only lost three times this season and that is an amazing achievement."

Southampton climbed to fifth with a 4-1 victory over FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace and West Ham United's hopes of a top-six finish ended following a 2-1 loss at Stoke City.

(Editing by Toby Davis)

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