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Every Spurs player played their part in this victory over Chelsea, with
a lot of hard work and no little degree of skill, as the Pensioners
failed to capitalise on the capital punishment Manchester United were
suffering at the hands of their local rivals Fulham. As for
Tottenham, the win extends a good unbeaten run at just the right time of
the season and and to score a well deserved victory over their fellow
London rivals courtesy of a goal fittingly scored by Man of the Match
Luka Modric. The kick off was
delayed for thirty minutes, as a mini-bus had been parked under the
shadow of the South Stand and when the local Council attempted to get it
up on their trailer, they noticed that there were bags inside and
considered them to be suspect. But this only resulted in the game
starting in bright sunshine, as the fans enjoyed a leisurely approach to
the start.
An early corner saw Ledley King flick a
header on, but there was nobody on the end of it in a white shirt, so
the first goal threat arrived in the eighth minute when Tottenham backed
off the advancing Michael Essien and fired in a low effort that Gomes
saved, but let slip. He was quick enough to grab the ball at the
second attempt, but he was caught by Belletti on the follow through.
Within a minute, a long cross into the box was headed out by Terry
straight to Jermaine Jenas on the corner of the penalty area and his
touch and shot saw the ball whistle just over Petr Cech's bar.
Tottenham were trying to get Aaron Lennon
into the game and balls over the top of Ashley Cole for the winger to
run onto were being pinged from deep. Unfortunately, Aaron's
delivery in the first half was not up to his improving standard, but on
one occasion, Cole took the ball off him by the dead ball line, then
tried to be too clever with it. I am not sure what he was
attempting, but he only succeeded in knocking the ball against his other
leg and off for a corner. Interestingly, on a day when Wayne
Rooney was sent off for a second caution for throwing the ball away, the
despicable Chelsea defender hurled the ball out towards the corner flag
for no apparent reason other than he could not accept his over-blown
opinion of his ability could not be borne out in fact.
Robbie Keane almost opened the scoring
when a long ball from Gomes' free-kick saw Darren Bent try to flick it
on and the ball bounced over him and Alex got unde rit too, leaving Keane
through in the left side of the box. He hit a first time shot as
the ball bounced up kindly and Cech had to beat it away with both hands
at his near post in the 18th minute. From the corner, King was
beaten to it by Drogba, who hit the floor and stayed there. It
really is unnatural the relationship that man has with the turf.
With 25 minutes gone, Keane had a second opportunity to breach the
Chelsea defence. Vedran Corluka got the ball inside the Chelsea
half and moved forward. As three defenders parted in front of him,
he strode forward and played the ball square to Robbie, who took a first
time shot and the low effort was stopped by Cech in the centre of his
goal. Anywhere else and the keeper would not have had a chance to
save, but Alex got in front of the Spurs skipper and he was limited in
where he could put his shot.
Just after the half hour, a long ball
from Lampard out to Drogba on the left, saw the Ivorian volley across
the middle of the penalty area, with no player form either side there to
shoot or clear. It ran across to the other wing where Belletti
pulled it back for Anelka to strike on goal with a first time shot, but
Gomes was alert to push the ball wide at his near post. Drogba got
over King at the corner, but also got over the bar with his header.
Spurs were breaking quickly and when
Palacios put Keane away on the left, he went a bit too wide and hoped to
find Darren Bent at the far post, but never got the ball high enough and
it came off Alex to be collected by Cech. Shortly after the
Chelsea goalie had to be on his toes, as Modric's floated free-kick was
back headed by King, but it went high into the air, causing a bit of
panic, as Cech had to back-pedal quickly to grab the ball which looked
like it might have looped over him.
Chelsea were getting some cheap
free-kicks from Mr. Dean, but Lampost was so out of sorts, he couldn't
even get any luck from his gifts. In truth the most effective
thing he did in the game was to make a rude gesture to Tottenham fans,
as everything that came from his feet showed why the Blues were mis-firing.
Over-hit passes, lack of imagination and an unnecessary over-physical
involvement meant his focus was shifted from what he was supposed to be
doing. As an experienced player you might have expected more from
him.
It took Mike Dean 46 minutes to book
Belletti for a string of offences and the only thing that could come
after that was the half time whistle.
For Spurs, it was a good half, but you
felt they would come out and have a go at Chelsea in the second half,
because they knew that Manchester United were losing and down to ten
men, so had to make up some ground by winning. That would give
Tottenham openings and space to get at them.
And, just as last week, five minutes into
the half, Spurs scored. Initially, it looked as if Luka Modric's
run down the left was going nowhere. He knocked the ball past
Bosingwa, who got his body between player and ball, but kept it in as it
approached the dead ball line and played it infield to a colleague, who
got tackled and the ball had to be hacked away. It went straight
to Jonathan Woodgate in the centre circle and he cleverly headed wide
right to Aaron Lennon. With Cole nervy about the winger's pace, he
over-run his tracking back and Lennon stopped the ball dead to give him
a yard of space. He struck a firm ball across the edge of the area
and Modric had made an intelligent run to meet the ball first time and
strike it low into the bottom corner past Cech's diving effort to keep
it out. Robbie Keane was there too, just in case Modric didn't get
there.
The little midfielder's dive to the
corner flag showed how delighted he was and the whole celebration gave
rise to silence in the blue corner of the Lane. They had been
singing "It's so quiet at the Lane" and in their section, it certainly
was.
The goal seemed to inspire Spurs and
Palacios' ball put Bent away down the left, before he squared it to
Jenas, who struck his shot wide from 20 yards out. Ledley King
glanced a header off target from Modric's corner and then a move that
was similar to that which brought the goal failed to produce a second,
as goalkeeper Cech grabbed Modric's shot from Lennon's cross as it
bounced up this time, instead of nestled low in the net. Even
Corluka was getting in on the action, as he worked a neat move on the
right with Jenas, but as he went into the box, he lost control at the
vital moment.
Hiddink brought on Queresma for Belletti
and it failed to add any charisma to the side. Having turned down
Spurs for Stamford Bridge, the Portuguese winger set up a chance for
Lampost at the far post, but Corluka blocked his header and then a
chance for Drogba's shot that Gomes beat away at his near post and then
Queresma's shot was easily held by the keeper when the resulting corner
was cleared.
Spurs were taking advantage of Chelsea's
need to get forward and were hitting on the break. One move in the
70th minute saw Jenas and Bent put Lennon away, but as his ball in came
out outside the box, Keane struck it first time and it flew just over
the crossbar.
A couple of quick yellow cards came for
Modric and Palacios and from one of them a free-kick was swung in and
Terry rose highest to head powerfully downwards. The ball was just
going inside the post, but Gomes dived full length to palm the ball away
and then knock it behind for a corner. It was a fine stop and from
the corner, he punched the ball away and Modric won it to release Lennon
on the right wing. He had put a good distance between him and Cole
but as he tried to fire in a fierce cross, he unfortunately hit it
straight over the bar.
Chelsea's resort to the long ball into
the box indicated their lack of imagination and reliance of piling their
heavyweights into the area. It paid off, but not as well as they
wanted. they won balls in the air, but Drogba headed wide when he
crept in behind Ledley and Alex climbed all over the Spurs central
defender to win a header only to power it down into the ground, for it
to bounce up onto the bar and out. Gomes swiped at the ball as it
came down and got it away. The keeper's last save of the game to
deny Malouda brought a corner and when it was heaved into the box, a
scramble took place and it went wide as the final whistle blew on four
minutes of added time that stretched to about six, as Dean stopped his
watch even when Chelsea were taking their time.
For a few seasons now Chelsea have been
good at what they do, but they have been unloved, as they grind out
results. They do not play the beautiful game, but the efficient
one. Perhaps Scolari failed as he is more used to playing a more
open game and that was why he was shown the door. You might have
thought that a German manager might be the ideal person to take charge
of this side.
But by matching them for work rate and
using the ball well, Tottenham opened them up enough times to cause them
concern and got back behind the ball to make it hard for them to create
too many good opportunities. Their style is not amenable to having
to think to open other sides up instead of them rolling over.
Spurs haven't had much joy over Chelsea
since the Premier League started, but maybe now that we are a four game
unbeaten run against them, it might be that they no longer hold a fear
for the Lilywhites.
AMBROSE WOOD |
Chelsea
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