HAIL HARRY’S TRUE G Snappy Spurs deserve to be five points ahead of a
CHELSEA ..................... 0 TOTTENHAM ................ 0
WORK: Di Matteo MAYBE if Gary Lineker had nipped along to the Bridge before his Match Of The Day duties Spurs would have buried their Chelsea curse.
Not having triumphed here since 1990 with a winning goal from a certain BBC TV anchorman, Spurs did everything but score.
On the day before the clocks went forward, what Tottenham would have given for turning them back to an age when Old Jug Ears was knocking them in for fun.
But in the modern era where it seems to be all about Champions League qualification, Spurs will this morning be celebrating a precious point which maintained a healthy five point gap over fifth-placed Chelsea in the scramble to finish in the top four.
It’s now five games without a league victory for Harry Redknapp’s side, but this was a performance of resilience and it involved flashes of the attacking enterprise which had enchanted the nation earlier in the season.
Most neutrals believe Spurs have something in the bank when it comes to Champions League qualification, while Chelsea are running on empty following their troublesome liaison with Andre Villas-boas.
It will be a heavy price to pay for Chelsea if they fail to qualify, especially for owner Roman Abramovich who was lured into football after watching Manchester United and Real Madrid in the Champions League and has looked upon the trophy as his holy grail ever since.
This was almost last chance saloon for interim boss Roberto Di Matteo and his players, a midweek defeat against Manchester City leaving them almost detached from the Big Four.
In the end they were fortunate to of the game to once again repel an eager Spurs.
Gareth Bale, an increasing influence during the second half, saw his free-kick spearing towards the corner of the net until Cech intervened with a save of outstanding agility.
There was nothing he could do when Luka Modric released the impressive Emmanuel Adebayor, the striker rounding Cech, but Gary Cahill managed to race back and block the goal-bound attempt.
It was a late, frantic 20-minute spell which saw Chelsea hanging on as Spurs went for the kill in an attempt to re-write the record books. Spurs arrived knowing they hadn’t won a league encounter in their previous 21 attempts in SW6. The Lineker winner was on the same weekend that Nelson Mandela was finally released from his imprisonment.
While this might not have given Spurs the freedom of Stamford Bridge, the smiles were on Tottenham faces at the final whistle.
They would have been broader if a header from Bale hadn’t thumped against the bar and another header, this time from Chelsea old boy William Gallas, hadn’t have flown over the same piece of woodwork.
They should have taken the lead right on half-time after a sterile first half painfully meandering to a close belatedly sprang to life through Tottenham’s persistence and energy.
Despite this being a place of no reward for the side from North London, Redknapp’s troops had displayed the greater craft in what was becoming a stalemate in the sun.
Suddenly out of the shadows came a crisp link-up between Bale and Modric which ended with Rafael van der Vaart firing goalwards only for Cech to come to Chelsea’s rescue with a smart block. The Dutchman should have capitalised on the rebound, but it was Ashley Cole’s turn to provide the impenetrable barrier before Adebayor completed the flurry of action, heading over the bar.
Chelsea had their moments but not as many, Juan Mata going close with a free-kick which came back off the post and Daniel Sturridge, not looking comfortable in a wide left position, crashing a shot wide after Didier Drogba had out-jumped Gallas.
Their desperation was illustrated through a couple of shouts for penalties, Frank Lampard tumbling as he and Gallas fought for the ball in the area and Ramires seemingly being nudged over after going for a
CHECK IT OUT: Chelsea’s Petr Cech rescues his side with another fine acr