Marcos Alonso scored twice as champions Chelsea beat Tottenham in their first Premier League game at Wembley Stadium.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are playing their home matches at the national stadium this season as White Hart Lane undergoes renovation and thought they had nicked a point when Michy Batshuayi headed Christian Eriksen’s cross into his own net on 82 minutes.
But wing-back Alonso found space in the box with three minutes remaining to drill a low finish under goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
Chelsea’s £60m summer signing Alvaro Morata missed an early chance with a free header from eight yards out, but Alonso gave the visitors the lead when he curled a superb free-kick into the top corner.
Spurs applied pressure as they looked to get back into the game, with striker Harry Kane striking the foot of the post and Ben Davies forcing a good save from Thibaut Courtois.
The Blues also struck the post in the second half through midfielder Willian’s rasping drive, but they were rewarded with Alonso’s late goal.
Marcos Alonso's hit an 88th-minute winner having also stunned Wembley with a brilliant free-kick in Chelsea's 2-1 win against Tottenham. He proved to be an unlikely two-goal hero in the 2-1 win over Tottenham at Wembley.
Last weekend's shock opening-day loss at home to Burnley – a match where captain Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas were sent off – and the ongoing saga over Diego Costa's future has cast an unwelcome shadow over Stamford Bridge and sounded unwelcome echoes of the last campaign they entered as champions.
Jose Mourinho paid with his job before Christmas in 2015 as a squad in turmoil hovered improbably over the relegation zone but Antonio Conte's side allayed doubts over a similar implosion as they turned in a performance of grit and togetherness at the national stadium.
Alonso produced the champagne moment in the 24th minute and a remodelled defence, featuring Andreas Christensen on his first Premier League start, repelled waves of Tottenham attacks with increasing ease until a striker undid their good work.
Michy Batshuayi scored decisively when Chelsea clinched the title at West Brom in May but the Belgium international headed into his own net in the 82nd minute – three minutes after coming on.
It left Alonso to step up thrillingly once more. The wing-back stormed into the Spurs box to catch out Hugo Lloris at the near post two minutes from time, leaving Conte to unfurl trademark touchline delirium.
For all the noise and wall of flags that greeted their arrival, Spurs, who are playing at Wembley while their new stadium is constructed, needed an early goal to feel at ease in their surroundings.
It was Chelsea, however, who made the breakthrough against the run of play on 23 minutes when Alonso thumped home a superb free kick from 20 metres after Dele Alli had fouled David Luiz.
The shock jolted Spurs.
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