11) Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Chelsea Fc

Sun, 5th Nov 2006 Chelsea lost against Tottenham for the first time in 33 League games despite Claude Makelele giving the away team the lead. John Terry was sent off for two yellow card offences. The game kicked off in the traditional limp White Hart Lane atmosphere, with the crowd only getting going after kick-off. In the first two minutes Dawson, Zokora and Chimbonda all gave the ball away in their own half but Chelsea couldn't take advantage. Indeed, the first penetration came when Ghaly weaved his way forward and trickled a left-footer on target which Hilário fell on with no worries. Robben should have given Chelsea the lead in the 13th minute when Ballack lobbed over the defence and he fastened on to it, but as he chested it on it fell to his right foot and King got back to clear for a corner. Lampard took it, Terry couldn't quite head it back into the mix, Tottenham half-cleared and Makelele from over 20 yards volleyed in with a high sideways shot. Makelele ran to the bench and the whole team and bench sitters jumped on him. It was his second goal in 149 appearances. It could only happen at White Hart Lane! Immediately Chelsea got on top. Dawson was booked for handball, Ballack took the freekick, beat the wall and Robinson saved well, diving low to parry off his line. Then Robben brilliantly back-flicked Ballack clear, and his low cross was hammered by Lampard from eight yards only for Robinson to produce one of the saves of the season, flying to tip over the bar. From the resulting corner Drogba headed in but the goal was disallowed for pushing. Referee Poll whistled early, but it wan't clear why. That proved costly. In the 25th minute after Ferreira had been booked for fouling Berbatov from behind ? a technical booking rather than one for violent play - Jenas' freekick from the left Tottenham touchline was headed in by Dawson. One-one, game on. Berbatov was a handful. Tall, good on the floor, mobile, he forced a corner out of Hilário with a shot that was probably going just wide, and then from the kick a melee followed in which the goalkeeper had to block a point-blank effort and Terry finished up needing treatment. That meant he had to go off when the subsequent corner was taken, but with rather a lot of desperation Chelsea cleared. Within seconds, after Robben had been fouled on the halfway line, Drogba was exercising an overhead kick which beat Robinson but just went past the far post. It was a difficult chance. Keane's two minutes later was far easier, climbing to Lennon's leftfooted cross from the right after the winger had tricked his way inside Cole, but the header was over the bar. Tottenham were certainly giving their all. Both Dawson (49) and Zokora (50) had to change their shirts because they were bloodied. Dawson's blow, just before half-time, had come when Robinson crashed into him clearing a Robben free-kick. In stoppage time Makelele and Cole were booked for edging forward when Tottenham had a free-kick. By the time of the interval whistle, Tottenham manager Jol had probably enjoyed the first 47 minutes the more of the two managers. Mourinho responded by sending on Boulahrouz for Ferreira. Berbatov had been pulling out to the Tottenham left a lot and was causing much of his problems there. Chelsea started the second-half brighter, but Lennon gave Tottenham the lead six minutes into it. Keane this time went wide on the left, danced past Boulahrouz who fell over

trying to keep up with his footwork, and his cross was deflected on by Makelele to Lennon who touched it inside Cole and placed a left-footer from 12 yards just inside the post. Ghaly was booked for a careless challenge on Essien which caught him in the face, the 11th occasion this season someone has been carded for foul play on Essien. But Tottenham were now on top. Terry was booked for a late challenge on Berbatov. Wright-Phillips was sent on for Makelele and Chelsea switched to 4-3-3. Almost immediately, Carvalho and Hilario got in a mess and Carvalho dribbled out of the six yard box. Ballack became the fifth Chelsea played booked after 65 minutes, dissenting after a foul on Drogba. Mourinho needed a big change in fortunes, and decided to go to three at the back. Off came Boulahrouz, who had been on scarcely 23 minutes, and on came Kalou. Chelsea played 3-3-4. Drogba had to clear doggedly from a Tottenham free-kick, but Chelsea quickly won two free-kicks deep in Tottenham territory. They were badly wasted by Lampard and Robben, but when the Robben kick came over referee Poll decided that Terry's bustling over of King required a second yellow card and he was sent off for the first time in his Chelsea career. Nothing appeared to have happened which warranted a whistle, let alone a card. There were almost 20 minutes left. Essien dropped into defence and Chelsea still tried to attack, but Berbatov remained a big threat, sending one volley fractionally wide. King was booked on a Chelsea counter when he stabbed too high to get the ball away from Wright-Phillips after falling when tackling Kalou. With 11 minutes left Kalou out-muscled Ghaly and turned to curl in a 20 yarder to the far top corner which produced yet another outstanding Robinson tip-away. Chelsea now piled up the corners. Lampard's shot after good work by Drogba was deflected over. And with four minutes left Chelsea's frustrating afternoon was summed up when Robben curled a magnificent left-footer from the right pass Robinson against the far post. Chelsea fought to the end, including through four minutes of stoppage time, but it had felt for some time that Three Point Lane would be No Point Lane this year. Manchester United are now three points ahead of Chelsea at the top of the table. Chelsea remain second. The goals conceded will be one concern. The refereeing decisions will be a major issue. Tottenham (4-4-2) Robinson; Chimbonda, Dawson, King (c), Assou-Ekotto; Ghaly, Jenas, Zokora, Lennon: Keane (Defoe 85), Berbatov. Scorers Dawson (24), Lennon (51). Booked Dawson (16), Ghaly (53), Wright (77). Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2) Hilário; Ferreira (Boulahrouz h-t, Kalou 68), Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole; Makelele (Wright-Phillips 62); Essien, Lampard; Ballack; Drogba, Robben. Scorers Makelele (14). Booked Ferreira (24), Makelele (45+2), A Cole (45+2), Terry (61), Ballack (65), Terry (71). Sent off Terry (71).