Mirror:

STILL UP FOUR IT
THE FA CUP E-ON QUARTER-FINAL CHELSEA 3 TOTTENHAM 3 FROM STAMFORD
BRIDGE NEVER-SAY-DIE JOSE DENIES SPURS VICTORY ..AND HIS DREAM OF
QUADRUPLE LIVES ON

Martin Lipton Chief Football Writer 12/03/2007

UNBELIEVABLE, simply unbelievable. And while Spurs were left to
reflect on what might have been, only a side with Chelsea's desire
could have pulled this one out of the fire.

Martin Jol stood on the brink of becoming the first man to hand Jose
Mourinho a home domestic defeat in FIVE years since the start of his
Porto reign.

Nobody, Mourinho included, could have quibbled either, as Dimitar
Berbatov, Aaron Lennon and Jermain Defoe carved huge holes in a
creaking Chelsea rearguard that looked as porous as a sieve.

AdvertisementYet as the Special One threw caution to the win in a
desperate bid to resurrect a Quadruple dream that was disappearing
down the plughole, Chelsea clambered out of the deepest pit even they
have dug for themselves this season.

And when Salomon Kalou smashed a volley past stand-in keeper Radek
Cerny to grab a draw and a replay next Monday, Chelsea had shown they
do not know when they are beaten.

It was an end fitting for a match that could not have been bettered
for thrills, excitement and attacking panache, and left Spurs knowing
how sick West Ham had felt at Upton Park last week.

Yet even as they bemoaned their failure to finish the tie off at the
first attempt, and squandering a two-goal cup lead against bitter
rivals for the second time in a month, this was as much a triumph for
Jol's tactics as a failure of his side's ability to see the task
through.

Jol's decision to play Aaron Lennon in a free role through the middle
left Chelsea chasing shadows and when they went ahead in five minutes
the defensive frailties were laid bare.

Lennon received from Defoe to slip Berbatov in on goal and with
Michael Essien reacting far too slowly nothing could deny the rising
drive that flew home with Petr Cech helpless.

While Arjen Robben, when he stopped diving, was destroying the Spurs
back-line with his pace and trickery, the real damage was being done
at the other end by Berbatov and it made Chelsea's leveller, midway
through the first half, a potential hammer blow for Jol's men.

Andriy Shevchenko chested Didier Drogba's cross out to Michael
Ballack, whose mis-hit left-footer turned into the perfect cross for
Frank Lampard to steer home from eight yards.

But by the interval, with Chelsea all over the place at the back as
Mourinho appeared to be losing his marbles, it seemed all over.

Spurs were back in front when Hossam Ghaly played Lennon in down the
right and Essien, more aware of the lurking Berbatov and Defoe than
Cech's shout, could only poke the ball into his own net. Mourinho
hauled off Paulo Ferreira in the footballing equivalent of a
punishment beating, but while his players were still trying to work
out the switch to a back three, they caved in again.

The Blues boss was apoplectic that Mike Riley saw nothing wrong with
Berbatov's barge on Robben but what followed was even more criminal
from a Chelsea point of view.

Ghaly carried the ball 50 yards before attempting to feed in Defoe,
who had pulled wide.

Ashley Cole hooked the ball up in the air but as Essien, Lassana
Diarra and Ricardo Carvalho stood watching, Ghaly breezed between them
to squeeze under the exposed Cech. And it surely would have been over
if Lennon had capitalised on another moment of Berbatov magic six
minutes after the break. The pass was perfection and Lennon's run took
him clear of the ragged back division again, only for Cech to block
with his feet.

Even then, the danger was not over, Ghaly hoisting the loose ball to
the back post where Defoe should have found the vacant net.

Soon after, Carvalho escaped when he handled Defoe's cross before
Berbatov, suffering from a groin tweak, went off.

With 19 minutes to go, the gap was halved. Ballack won the battle for
Robben's corner and when the ball ran free, Lampard was on hand to
sweep home.

Didier Zokora almost drove past Cech but now it was all hands to the
pump at the other end and there was an inevitability about what
happened four minutes from the end, as Drogba nodded back Carvalho's
deep cross and Kalou volleyed home.

There was still time for more drama. First Defoe wriggled clear of
three defenders to unleash an exocet that was destined for the roof of
the net before Cech's fingertips diverted it on to the bar, and then
Shevchenko shaved the woodwork from 18 yards.

CHELSEA: Cech 6; Ferreira 5 (Wright-Phillips, 34, 6), Carvalho 6,
Essien 6, A Cole 5 (Kalou, 64, 7); Ballack 5, Diarra 5 (Boulahrouz,
57, 6), Lampard 7, Robben 7; Drogba 6, Shevchenko 6

TOTTENHAM: Cerny 6; Stalteri 6, Dawson 7, Rocha 6, Lee 7; Ghaly 7
(Gardner, 81, 5), Zokora 7, Tainio 6; Defoe 7, Lennon 7 (Malbranque,
76, 6), Berbatov 8 (Mido, 66, 5).

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The Times March 12, 2007

Manic Mourinho gets his reward
Chelsea 3 Tottenham Hotspur 3:
Stand-in captain leads by example in thriller

Matt Dickinson

Standing between José Mourinho and a trophy is a dangerous place to
be. Tottenham Hotspur were another team caught in the crossfire
yesterday as the Chelsea manager desperately seeks to embarrass Roman
Abramovich, the Chelsea owner.

Martin Jol feared that his team would need a fourth goal to kill off
an extraordinary FA Cup sixth-round tie, but it might have taken five
or six, and a stake through the heart to stop a manic Mourinho from
driving his team on to a thrilling comeback at Stamford Bridge.

Leaping around on the touchline, the Portuguese could not have been
more involved if he had taken to the pitch to volley the 87th-minute
equaliser. He has never lacked a will to win, but threatening to
dismiss him has simply poured paraffin on to his raging competitive
fires.

Mourinho had had good reason to be so jumpy. With 20 minutes to go, it
was easy to imagine Abramovich with an itchy trigger finger. Writing
out the P45 was looking a lot less troubling with the Chelsea defence
in such chaos that you would not have put a penny on them winning
anything else this season — least of all the FA Cup.

They were trailing 3-1 and in a state of tactical anarchy. John Terry
is said to be demanding £130,000 a week from his employers. The
videotape of this match, with its succession of defensive horrors, is
the best bargaining tool he will have.

For once, Mourinho appeared to have been outwitted. Jol had surprised
him by playing Aaron Lennon through the centre, just behind Dimitar
Berbatov and Jermain Defoe, and, with the England winger tormenting
Lassana Diarra (a very weak imitation of Claude Makelele yesterday),
Tottenham were good value for their 3-1 lead at half-time.

Ashley Cole, Michael Essien and Ricardo Carvalho were embarrassing
themselves, but the resolve that Mourinho has instilled in his team
can never be underestimated.

They came from behind against Arsenal in the Carling Cup final, again
to beat FC Porto in the Champions League and this unlikely draw owed
nothing to good football and everything to guts and desire.

With Mourinho stalking up and down the sidelines, berating Mike Riley,
the referee, one minute and his own players the next, they were back
in the match when Frank Lampard brought the score back to 3-2 after 71
minutes, sweeping the ball in from a corner. Make that 19 for the
season. As usual, right place, right time.

Then, three minutes from the end, Carvalho launched a long pass
forward to Didier Drogba and he knocked it inside to Salomon Kalou,
who connected with a crisp volley to make it 3-3. For the first time
all afternoon, the crowing Cockerels had been silenced.

There was still time for Tottenham to launch another counter-attack
through Defoe, but Petr Cech tipped the shot on to the bar. The
world's best goalkeeper (name one better) had made an equally crucial
intervention from Lennon with the score at 3-1. Perhaps the Barclays
Premiership title race would have been different if Cech had not been
absent for four months.

Only Barcelona and Charlton Athletic (in the Carling Cup, and on
penalties) have inflicted home defeat on Mourinho in 80 matches and
yesterday demonstrated why those losses are so infrequent. Mourinho's
team never give up, although they were helped yesterday by the fatigue
that drained their opponents. Tottenham had played in the Uefa Cup
away to Braga on Thursday night.

They began superbly, taking the lead after only five minutes, when
Berbatov hit a first-time drive past Cech after good work by Defoe and
Lennon. Lampard equalised, turning in a mis-hit shot from Michael
Ballack, but the visiting team were quickly back in front.

With David Beckham in the stands, Lennon was proving why many regard
him as England's future as he constantly eluded poor Diarra. Bursting
down the inside-right channel, he caused more panic in the Chelsea
defence in the 28th minute. Before Cech could gather his cross, Essien
had stuck out a leg and turned the ball into his own net.

Not since his early coaching days back at Leiria can a Mourinho team
have looked in such disarray. And worse was to come. Hossam Ghaly's
breakaway began deep in the Tottenham half and it should never have
reached the Chelsea area. But as Diarra and Carvalho dawdled, the
midfield player charged through unmolested and slid the ball under
Cech.

The encouragement for Chelsea was the knowledge that Tottenham would
tire. Particularly after their midweek exertions, a system based on
swamping the Chelsea defence was going to be hard to sustain in the
second half.

Even more so with Berbatov forced off after 65 minutes with a groin
injury and with Lennon also withdrawn as fatigue set in. Chelsea could
afford to take more and more chances.

By the end, Mourinho was effectively playing with only two defenders.
Back they came and even at 3-3 and with Drogba and Ballack hobbling,
he was demanding that his players keep going for the winner.

It did not come but, soon after the final whistle, the manager was
rushing to catch a plane to watch Valencia before the Champions League
quarter-finals. As Abramovich knows full well by now, if his manager
is to depart this summer, he does not intend to go quietly.

HOW THEY LINED UP

Chelsea (4-4-2): P Cech — P Ferreira (sub: S Wright-Phillips, 35min),
M Essien, R Carvalho, A Cole (sub: S Kalou, 64) — M Ballack, L Diarra
(sub: K Boulahrouz, 57), F Lampard, A Robben — A Shevchenko, D Drogba.
Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, W Bridge. Booked: Carvalho, Cole,
Kalou, Diarra

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-1-2): R Cerny — P Stalteri, M Dawson, R Rocha,
Lee Young Pyo — H Ghaly (sub: A Gardner, 82), D Zokora, T Tainio — A
Lennon (sub: S Malbranque, 77) — J Defoe, D Berbatov (sub: Mido, 66).
Substitutes not used: R Burch, T Huddlestone. Booked: Ghaly, Zokora,
Lee, Stalteri, Cerny

SPURRED

- Tottenham's three away games in the past eight days have produced 18
goals: West Ham United 3, Tottenham 4; Braga 2, Tottenham 3; Chelsea
3, Tottenham 3. There have been 60 goals in their past 14 matches (4.3
per game).

- Tottenham came from 2-0 down to beat West Ham but lost two-goal
leads against Braga and Chelsea.

- Dimitar Berbatov has scored five times in his past six games for
Tottenham, and Robbie Keane six in four.

- Chelsea have scored 22 goals in the last ten minutes or stoppage
time of games this season in all competitions.

- Chelsea's late shows mean they have not lost at home in domestic
competition under José Mourinho in 67 matches, excluding a penalty
shoot-out defeat by Charlton Athletic.

- Chelsea have scored at least three goals in eight of their past nine
home games in all competitions.

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Telegraph:

Stylish Spurs drive Chelsea to distraction
By Henry Winter

Chelsea (1) 3 Tottenham Hotspur (3) 3

Jose Mourinho once accused Spurs of parking the "team bus'' across the
goalmouth at Stamford Bridge, but yesterday they performed like a
stylish limo, driving all over Chelsea before running out of gas
following Thursday's trip to Braga. In a high-octane FA Cup
quarter-final, Spurs' counter-attacking was terrific. So was Chelsea's
resilience, if not their organisation.

If the plaudits went to a tireless Frank Lampard for engineering a
magnificent recovery from 3-1 down, the heart went out to Aaron
Lennon, Dimitar Berbatov and Jermain Defoe. Tottenham's front-line
gave the champions' defence nightmares; if Chelsea struggle to acquire
a work-permit for Alex when he joins from PSV Eindhoven, they need
only send a tape of this tie to the bureaucrats.

Given licence by Martin Jol to attack from the hole position, Lennon
delivered an electric performance, dragging Mourinho's defenders all
over the place, creating havoc with his touch and sudden bursts of
acceleration. He even impressed when shifting out right on occasions,
imposing himself in a manner that Steve McClaren craves him doing for
England.

With Shaun Wright-Phillips too often a one-man cul de sac, Lennon is
perceived as the successor to David Beckham, John Terry's guest here.
Beckham must have watched this compelling drama, and realised what he
is now missing by retiring to the United States: games full of sound
and fury, signifying everything to those involved.

For this was a weekend of two halves for the FA, who will have
revelled in the sight of the Cup regaining its gloss at the Bridge and
the Riverside yet fears will also sweep Soho Square over the sight of
two-thirds of McClaren's squad being involved in replays on March 19,
the night they are supposed to be reporting for international duty.
Extra time would leave them even more drained. Even if they all emerge
unscathed, McClaren will not realistically be able to work properly
with his players until Wednesday - 24 hours before they fly out to Tel
Aviv.

The marathon of sprints that is the club calendar still throws up epic
entertainment. Until Spurs faded midway through the second half, Jol's
deployment of Lennon in a central role had proved a master-stroke.
Mourinho frantically screamed at his midfielders to get tight to this
buzzing nuisance in their midst. Too late. After four minutes, Lennon
helped shape Spurs' first, transferring Defoe's pass down the
inside-right channel for Berbatov to thump past Petr Cech.

Chelsea stormed back, equalising after 20 minutes. Didier Drogba's
cross from the right was helped back by Andrei Shevchenko to Michael
Ballack, who crashed a left-footer across goal. Lampard, reacting
superbly, stabbed it past Radek Cerny, who was deputising for the
injured Paul Robinson.

Bridge regulars assumed that normal service had been resumed, that
Mourinho's men would simply turn on the power now, that some
organisation would break out in a back-line desperately missing Terry.
Spurs had other ideas. Within seven minutes, they caught Chelsea cold
again, Hossam Ghaly charging upfield and slipping the ball right for
the omnipresent Lennon. His cross was low and hard, and hurtling
towards Berbatov. Michael Essien, sliding in, could only divert it
past Cech and in.

Mourinho gambled. Paulo Ferreira was taken off, Wright-Phillips raced
on, and Chelsea went to a back-three. Death or glory. For a while,
oblivion appeared the likeliest outcome, particularly when Berbatov
dispossessed Arjen Robben, and Spurs were off and running towards
their third goal. Ghaly broke through, showing more determination than
Chelsea's defenders, and coolly flicked the ball with the outside of
his right foot under the advancing Cech.

Half-time arrived, a chance for Mourinho to rally his players, to get
into their minds, to encourage cohesion and restore belief. The
self-styled "Special One'' is a master of such moments, of using the
15 minutes to cement his fame as a motivator of men.

Sensing that Spurs were running on empty, Lampard and company tore
into Jol's visitors. Chelsea's desire to stay in the Cup was palpable,
the way they screamed at the referee, the way Mourinho did his St
Vitus' Dance on the touchline, the way their fans urged the team not
to succumb to London rivals.

Even as the clock wound down, hope still lived in Chelsea hearts.
Twenty minutes from the end, Chelsea clawed one back from a
devastating Robben corner, the type that exposes any uncertainty in an
opponents' defence. Ballack headed on, Drogba slightly fortuitously
laid the ball back, and Lampard poached his second. Game on.

Nerves now swept through Spurs, doubling the cramp seizing their legs.
The blue tide was rising high, threatening to drown Spurs. Drogba
responded well to reach Ricardo Carvalho's forward pass, transferring
it across goal and there was Salomon Kalou, sneaking in ahead of
Dawson, to volley Chelsea level. Cech then tipped a Defoe drive onto
the bar, which was as shaken as McClaren's plans for Israel.

Match details

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cech; Ferreira (Wright-Phillips 33), Essien,
Carvalho, A Cole (Kalou 63); Diarra (Boulahrouz 56); Lampard, Ballack,
Robben; Drogba, Shevchenko.
Subs: Cudicini (g), Bridge.
Booked: A Cole, Carvalho, Diarra, Kalou.
Goals: Lampard 22, 71, Kalou 86
Tottenham Hotspur (4-1-2-1-2): Cerny; Stalteri, Dawson, Rocha, Lee;
Zokora; Ghaly (Gardner 80), Tainio; Lennon (Malbranque 76); Berbatov
(Mido 65), Defoe.
Subs: Burch (g), Huddlestone.
Booked: Ghaly, Zokora, Lee, Cerny, Stalteri.
Goals: Berbatov 5 Essien og 28 Ghaly 36
Man of the match: Aaron Lennon (Tottenham Hotspur).
Referee: M Riley (Yorkshire).
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Indy:

Chelsea 3 Tottenham Hotspur 3:
Mourinho conjures comeback after Lennon bewitches Blues
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent

Roman Abramovich in one stand, David Beckham in the other, and in
between them, a football match that was enough to remind every
billionaire and multi-millionaire in the place that you cannot put a
price on a great FA Cup tie. The sun shines every day in Los Angeles
but the former England captain will rarely see the Home Depot Center
illuminated by a game of so many twists and such unfailing intensity
as Stamford Bridge was yesterday.

Neither of these teams has any room to spare in a fixture calendar
choked by European football but that did not mean that either wanted
out of the FA Cup. As Jose Mourinho ushered his team forward in
pursuit of an equaliser, he was only heaping more fixture pain on to
his club. But what the hell, he has never won the FA Cup and if he
leaves this summer he never might. Martin Jol's team played in the
Premiership's game of the season last week at West Ham and this time
it was Spurs who could not stand in the way of an irresistible
comeback.

Pretty much the only English manager who could not claim to have
enjoyed this game will be Steve McClaren, who now loses potentially 16
of his Chelsea, Tottenham, Middlesbrough and Manchester United England
players to replays on Monday in the build-up to the Israel game on 24
March.

This was the FA Cup at its best, footballers tired from a long season,
and with concerns in other competitions, suddenly gripped by the
imperative of staying in the Cup.

Where did that come from? It was started by Tottenham, whose fearsome
start to the game is not what they are accustomed to at Stamford
Bridge, where Chelsea had never conceded three goals under Mourinho.
When Salomon Kalou (below) smacked in the equaliser on 86 minutes we
had witnessed six goals, four different Mourinho formations, nine
bookings and one tunnel dust-up. Jol's team had taken Chelsea the
distance, but finishing them off is another matter altogether.

The game's outstanding performer in the early stages was Aaron Lennon
who, playing in an unorthodox position behind the strikers, was a
revelation. McClaren has not yet been able to play this brilliant
young winger and the Spurs man gave Beckham plenty of reasons to
believe he has a true successor on the right side of the England team.
This was also a Chelsea side without the calming influence of Claude
Makelele and Tottenham exploited the space in front of their
opponents' defence.

Sat two seats from Beckham in the stand was John Terry, whose absence
continues to undermine Chelsea. Khalid Boulahrouz is so far out of
favour that Mourinho prefers his old warrior Michael Essien as a
converted centre-half and yesterday he was exposed. The first goal on
five minutes followed Lennon's ball into Dimitar Berbatov and Essien
neither played him offside nor got in a tackle to stop the Bulgarian
slipping his shot home.

It is hard to blame Essien when he is asked to play in both full-back
positions and central defence in the space of one match. His own goal
on 28 minutes, from Lennon's cross from the right, was a careless
lunge at a ball that Petr Cech had covered. That was the second time
Tottenham took the lead after Frank Lampard's equaliser on 22 minutes,
a close-range prod turned in from Michael Ballack's shot from the
left.

This was not the German's worst game for Chelsea but when they fell
3-1 behind on 36 minutes it was Ballack who was the target for some of
the disgruntled home fans around the dug-outs. Tottenham's third goal
was a slap for Mourinho's tactical innovation - he took off Paulo
Ferreira after just 34 minutes - and shortly afterwards Hossam Ghaly
added a brilliant third.

The Egyptian has looked little better than many of the legion of
players shipped in and out of Tottenham in the last two years but he
took his chance well, chesting the ball down past three Chelsea
players and slotting in. Mourinho was playing with three at the back
and it still was not half-time.

It is at times like these that you have to wonder at the spirit of the
side Mourinho has created at Chelsea while he simultaneously
demonstrates some of the most ruthless management decisions in memory.
He barely glanced at Ferreira as the full-back trudged off to be
replaced by Shaun Wright-Phillips and his team changed again to go
after the tie. This was one of the few games where the half-time
tunnel row took second place to the battle on the pitch.

The game was Tottenham's to win in the 52nd minute when Lennon broke
on to Didier Zokora's ball and, with just Cech to beat, hit his shot
straight at the Chelsea goalkeeper. The England man is a precious
talent but if that one had fallen to Berbatov you would have expected
the tie to have been decided. In the end it was Jol's substitutions
that played into the hands of Chelsea.

In the closing stages the Tottenham manager invited Mourinho's team to
attack. He said he had to take off Berbatov because the striker was
injured, but the reasons for taking off Lennon seemed less clear.

Mourinho switched back to four in defence with Lassana Diarra at
right-back and, in the 71st minute, Chelsea caused enough of a
commotion in the area from Ballack's header at a corner for Lampard to
drive in the second.

Mourinho substituted both his full-backs, even bringing on Boulahrouz
to allow his side to switch back to three at the back for the second
time in the match, in a complete commitment to attack in the final
stages. Kalou, Drogba, Wright-Phillips, Andrei Shevchenko and Arjen
Robben were all on for one last tilt at the equaliser. Kalou took his
volley beautifully four minutes from time from Drogba's knockdown.

It would have been a fitting end, if indeed that had been the end.
Jermain Defoe smashed one against the crossbar a minute later and
Shevchenko volleyed over. On the touchline Mourinho threw his water
bottle on the ground in anger at another Mike Riley decision and, as
the referee walked off, was clearly shouting "It's over, it's over" at
the official. It certainly isn't. They do it all over again a week
today.

Goals: Berbatov (5) 0-1; Lampard (22) 1-1; Essien og (28) 1-2; Ghaly
(36) 1-3; Lampard (71) 2-3; Kalou (86) 3-3.

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cech; Ferreira (Wright-Phillips, 34), Carvalho,
Essien, A Cole (Kalou, 64); Diarra (Boulahrouz, 57); Lampard, Ballack,
Robben; Drogba, Shevchenko. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk),
Bridge.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-1-2): Cerny; Stalteri, Dawson, Rocha, Lee;
Ghaly (Gardner, 81), Zokora, Tainio; Lennon (Malbranque, 77); Defoe,
Berbatov (Mido, 66). Substitutes not used: Burch (gk), Huddlestone.

Booked: Chelsea Diarra, Carvalho, A Cole, Kalou; Tottenham Ghaly,
Zokora, Stalteri, Lee, Cerny.

Referee: M Riley (West Yorkshire).

Man of the match: Lennon.

Attendance: 41,517.
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Chelsea comeback shreds nerves of Mourinho and Spurs
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge
Monday March 12, 2007
The Guardian

A glorious race against time ended in a dead heat. Tottenham had been
in action late on Thursday night to beat Braga in Portugal and could
not overwhelm Chelsea before the energy levels began to drain from
them in the FA Cup quarter-final. For their part the Stamford Bridge
side, lagging 3-1, willed their way back for a draw, yet failed to add
the very late winner that would have been so typical of them.

There must have been a dazed satisfaction for everyone. This, after
all, had been a domestic fixture without equal since, perhaps, the
2006 FA Cup final between Liverpool and West Ham. Excitement of this
degree depends on errors and the match was strewn with them; never
before on Jose Mourinho's watch had Chelsea conceded three goals at
home.
There might have been a decisive fourth. Two minutes from the end
Jermain Defoe got free of Frank Lampard and angled a drive that would
have found the net had a fingertip save by Petr Cech not touched it on
to the bar. There had been many alarms in a Chelsea defence that has
so often been impregnable and it was good that Mourinho refrained from
blaming it all on the continuing unavailability of John Terry,
following his concussion.

Tottenham could lament an absent captain and centre-back of their own
in Ledley King, who has been injured since Boxing Day. No one was
talking, however, about regret, with the possible exception of Steve
McClaren, who will watch these squads, as well as those of Manchester
United and Middlesbrough, clashing in FA Cup replays on March 19, five
days ahead of England's Euro 2008 qualifier in Israel.

Fixture congestion is to be relished if it crams another occasion like
this into the calendar. The contest gripped because Mourinho did not
exert his habitual control. It was as if he was scrambling like any
mortal manager to restore order, and not making much headway. Mourinho
switched to a back three when Chelsea were 2-1 down and had to keep on
fiddling with the composition of it.

The match was the work of individual footballers, with their talents
and foibles, and it was all the more enthralling for that. Chelsea's
equaliser in the 86th minute found the Tottenham substitute Anthony
Gardner omitting to challenge Didier Drogba properly for a diagonal
ball by Ricardo Carvalho and the Ivorian's header into the middle was
volleyed home by another substitute, Salomon Kalou.

There had been spells when the pursuit of the visitors had looked
futile. With Aaron Lennon given a free role behind the attack, Chelsea
could not come up with anyone to stifle the threat. With five minutes
gone, Defoe took the ball across the face of the defence and Lennon
threaded it through for Dimitar Berbatov to finish.

An equaliser, 17 minutes later, had a more haphazard tone. Drogba
picked out Andriy Shevchenko and his chested lay-off was mishit by
Michael Ballack, only for Lampard to get the first of his two goals by
reacting smartly to put the loose ball past Radek Cerny, the
goalkeeper deputising for the injured Paul Robinson.

It was a mistake to assume that normal service had been resumed.
Towards the close of the afternoon Chelsea were still on edge and the
Tottenham manager, Martin Jol, claimed his men ought to have had a
penalty when the ball came off Carvalho's arm. The sense of jeopardy
must have been profound for Mourinho's players for prolonged periods
of the game.

They could not even trust themselves. Paul Stalteri got the ball to
Lennon in the 21st minute and his low cross would have been taken by
Cech had Michael Essien, oblivious to his goalkeeper, not intervened
to record his second own goal of the season. Self-destruction was to
recur in an even more idiosyncratic form after 36 minutes.

Hossam Ghaly hit the ball towards Ashley Cole, who completed an
inadvertent one-two by putting it up in the air so that the Egyptian
could gather on his chest as he burst through a pack of hesitant
Chelsea players to shoot past Cech. The mood was of a match sprinting
out of the reach of the Premiership champions.

Tottenham, who have now racked up 20 goals in their last six matches,
could enjoy the momentum. While Jol had started with half a dozen
players who had begun the game in Braga, adrenalin delayed the
symptoms of fatigue.

It was the second Chelsea goal, in the 71st minute, that proved the
visitors were buckling. Ballack headed a Robben corner towards Drogba
and the ball broke back for Lampard to score with care. The programme
is taking its toll, with Tottenham and Mourinho's team now proceeding
to matches, respectively, against Braga and Manchester City on
Wednesday. If the outcome of such a workload is unpredictability as
compelling as that on show at Stamford Bridge no spectator should
protest.

Man of the match Aaron Lennon

Until he wearied, the forward reduced the Chelsea defence to a state
of chaos. Jose Mourinho's side could not cope with the England tyro,
who was a constant menace in a free role behind the front line.

Best Moment The pass for Dimitar Berbatov's opener, if only because it
was the first in a chain of surprises in this quarter-final.

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Mail:

Jol rocked by special magic
By MATT LAWTON

Chelsea 3 Tottenham 3

Even if Roman Abramovich no longer talks to Jose Mourinho, there must
be part of him that still admires the controversial Chelsea manager.

Admires him for his remarkable courage, conviction and a competitive
spirit that his entire team embodied during this enthralling, hugely
entertaining quarter-final.

There are times when he oversteps the mark, when he abuses match
officials, as he appears to have done again yesterday but, after
seeing his side concede three goals at Stamford Bridge for the first
time during his tenure, the master that is Mourinho once again came to
the fore.

He was animated, angry, inspirational. It was desperate stuff at
times, the decision to send on Salomon Kalou as a replacement for
Ashley Cole proving crucial but also leaving him with only two
defenders for the final 26 minutes.

Michael Essien's versatility was tested to the limit. He started at
centre half, moved into midfield and finished at left back. No wonder
he scored an embarrassing own goal. The poor lad must have an identity
crisis.

Yet Chelsea recovered, somehow survived when it seemed a terrific
Tottenham team were about to become only the third side in 80 matches
under Mourinho to win at The Bridge.

Two goals in the last 20 minutes secured a replay that will give
England coach Steve McClaren nightmares. First, a poacher's strike
from Frank Lampard. Then a wonderful volley from Kalou with four
minutes remaining.

Even then, Mourinho wanted more, ordering his players to push forward
in the hope of avoiding an unwanted trip to White Hart Lane.

Exactly what now drives him is difficult to ascertain. It is no longer
simply about success, no longer just a case of collecting more
silverware and so proving that he is indeed the Special One.

He must suspect Abramovich is intent on dismissing him. Perhaps he
just wants to make it as uncomfortable as possible for his Russian
employer.

It was uncomfortable for everyone at Chelsea for the first 45 minutes,
Tottenham terrorising a shaky Chelsea defence with some marvellous
attacking football.

Mourinho chatted with Martin Jol for the best part of half an hour
prior to the game but he must have been surprised by the tactics the
Spurs manager chose. Aaron Lennon in the hole behind Jermain Defoe and
Dimitar Berbatov? Bold indeed.

It worked a treat, as a Spurs side that on Thursday beat Braga 3-2 in
the UEFA Cup burst out of the blocks and scored after five minutes. No
signs of fatigue, no desire to 'park the bus' in front of goal.

Lennon was a revelation in his new role, sending a delightful pass to
Berbatov after Defoe had made a run from the left. Berbatov got in
front of Essien and then guided his shot past Petr Cech.

Chelsea responded with an equaliser from Lampard in the 22nd minute.
Didier Drogba crossed, Andriy Shevchenko flicked on, Michael Ballack
fired in and Lampard stretched to turn it past Radek Cerny.

For a Chelsea side badly missing Claude Makelele, however, any sense
of relief was shortlived. A darting run from Lennon brought another
goal, albeit from Essien when he tried to intercept a cross that Cech
seemed ready to collect.

If that was painful for Essien, so was the sight of Hossam Ghaly then
beating three Chelsea players in the air before scoring Tottenham's
third in the 36th minute.

After Arjen Robben lost the ball, Ghaly set off on a run from deep in
his own half before trying to find Berbatov on the right with a pass
that was intercepted by Cole. The ball spun into the air, Essien,
Ricardo Carvalho and Lassana Diarra jumped to head it clear but Ghaly
took it on his chest, burst through and beat Cech with a super finish.

Mourinho should have been incensed with his players, but it was Mike
Riley who appeared to incur his wrath. The referee, he later claimed,
gave too many decisions against Chelsea, which was baffling when the
majority of yellow cards went to Spurs.

The sight of Lennon so nearly scoring Tottenham's fourth after the
break forced Mourinho to make changes. Diarra had failed to control
the England winger, so Essien was asked to perform the role. Until,
that is, Mourinho decided to take off Cole and send on Kalou.

Lampard scored first, seizing on a failure to clear a Ballack header
in the 70th minute with a powerful close-range shot. And Kalou struck
the equaliser, unleashing a terrific volley after Drogba had flicked
on a penetrating chip from Carvalho.

Mourinho punched the air in delight and so, presumably, did a watching
John Terry as he sat beside David Beckham. One can only imagine what
they talked about. Being England captain? What you do when your club
says no to your wage demands? Presumably Terry will not be joining
Beckham in Los Angeles.

Both teams continued their search for goals, Defoe going closest with
a shot that rattled the bar and no doubt stopped a few Chelsea hearts.
Classic cup tie. Classic Mourinho.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira (Wright-Phillips 34min), Essien,
Carvalho, A Cole (Kalou 64); Ballack, Diarra (Boulahrouz 57), Lampard;
Drogba, Shevchenko, Robben. Booked: Cole, Kalou, Diarra, Carvalho.
Scorers: Lampard 22, 72, Kalou 86. Tottenham (4-3-1-2): Cerny;
Stalteri, Dawson, Rocha, Lee; Ghaly (Gardner 82), Zokora, Tainio;
Lennon (Malbranque 77); Berbatov (Mido 66), Defoe. Booked: Zokora,
Stalteri, Ghaly, Lee, Cerny. Scorers: Berbatov 5, Essien 28 (og),
Ghaly 36. Man of the match: Aaron Lennon. Referee: Mike Riley.
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Sun:

Chelsea 3 Tottenham 3

By SHAUN CUSTIS
March 12, 2007

WHATEVER it costs to keep John Terry and Frank Lampard, owner Roman
Abramovich must now be thinking of biting the bullet rather than
playing Russian roulette with them.

Even if it means selling an oil-well or two, multi-billionaire Red Rom
knows he cannot afford to lose either after this amazing FA Cup
quarter-final.

Contract talks have stalled because the Blues are trying to get
control of the finances.

But, without JT marshalling the back line, Chelsea are a shambles as
they proved with their worst defensive display under Jose Mourinho.

And where would they be without Lampard's incredible goal haul from midfield?

His double took him to 19 for the season and helped earn Chelsea a
replay despite being 3-1 down at half-time.

It was fantastic entertainment for the nationwide TV audience but not
so much fun for England boss Steve McClaren.

The FA Cup replays will keep more than half of his squad away from the
start of the build-up to the crucial Israel-England Euro 2008
qualifier on March 24.

And they will hardly be fresh as daisies when they check in at the team hotel.

Chelsea and Tottenham both face three games in six days, beginning on
Wednesday.

Such are the pitfalls of being England boss. Spurs, who played in
Portugal on Thursday for their UEFA Cup clash against Braga, were
probably undone by tiredness in the end.

But there were no signs of lethargy early on when they stuck it right
up the aristocrats.

Spurs were ahead inside five minutes when livewire Jermain Defoe took
off and fed the impressive Aaron Lennon.

Dimitar Berbatov saw a gap and darted in front of makeshift
centre-back Michael Essien to smack the ball past the helpless Petr
Cech.

Chelsea equalised in the 22nd minute and it seemed Spurs would be
crushed by the Blue machine.

Michael Ballack mis-hit a left-footed shot but it fell to Lampard who
slid the ball in.

Essien was having a difficult time. Having failed to pick up Berbatov
for the opener, he then put through his own net.

Lennon's low cross was OK but Cech would have swallowed it up had
Essien not stretched to get there first and poke it in at the near
post.

Michael Dawson almost did the same at the other end but Paul Stalteri
bailed him out with a clearance off the line.

Chelsea's four-man defence was worth £65million but they were
performing like two-bit Sunday league cloggers. Mourinho hauled off
full-back Paulo Ferreira with the game only 34 minutes old, replacing
him with Shaun Wright- Phillips and ordering a switch to a three-man
defence.

They did not get sorted quickly enough and Essien, Lassana Diarra and
Ricardo Carvalho were standing together as Hossam Ghaly chested the
ball down, charged through and stroked a shot under Cech with the
outside of his right foot.

Abramovich did not look a happy man but maybe that was because he had
golfer Colin Montgomerie to his right, rabbiting in his ear.

This was uncharted territory for Mourinho's Blues. Never before had
they conceded three at home under his management.

The fans, fed on a diet of caviar for so long, were spitting feathers.

"Sort yourselves out, you should be ashamed," came the cries from
those next to the dugout as the players trooped off for a half-time
ear-bashing.

Mourinho had work to do and he started by ranting at ref Mike Riley in
the tunnel for not giving Chelsea enough decisions. But there is an
astonishing resilience to this lot, even when all appears to be
falling apart.

After Lennon was denied by Cech, which surely would have put the tie
beyond doubt, Chelsea cranked it up.

Salomon Kalou replaced Ashley Cole to leave the Blues with three
out-and-out strikers.

They pulled one back in the 71st minute when Arjen Robben's corner was
headed on by Ballack, came back off Didier Drogba and Lampard fired in
a close-range shot.

Terry, who sat alongside guest visitor David Beckham in the stands,
moved down to the bench to add support and his presence had the
desired effect.

Four minutes from time, the equaliser arrived as Drogba headed down to
Kalou and he rattled in a six-yard volley.

Either side could still have won it. Defoe's effort was brilliantly
tipped on to the bar by Cech. Then, in added time, Andriy Shevchenko
whistled a shot an inch past the post.

No one could argue with the entertainment — Spurs' last three games in
eight days have produced 18 goals.

Spurs boss Martin Jol said: "We should have won but Chelsea are a great team.

"The second goal we conceded was soft — that is the kind of goal we
give away and we will have to work on that."
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