Telegraph:

Robbie Keane has last word for Spurs in classic
By Henry Winter at White Hart Lane

Tottenham Hotspur (1) 4 Chelsea (2) 4

Avram Grant continues to fluff his lines on the big stage. The Chelsea
coach's negative substitution of an attacker, Salomon Kalou, for a
centre-half, Alex, invited Spurs on, setting up a thrilling climax in
which Robbie Keane struck a marvellous equaliser which will have been
celebrated as wildly by followers of Arsenal and Manchester United as
by the Tottenham faithful.

As well as showing the weakness in the dugout, Chelsea also showed
their studs, and Ashley Cole should have been banished for a horrific
lunge at Alan Hutton deemed worthy of only a yellow card by Mike
Riley. Spurs were livid. The Riley report could be interesting. The
Hutton report would be more damning.

The first half had contained enough drama for a whole game, conjuring
up three goals in a frantic first 20 minutes and concluding with
Ashley Cole's horrific lunge. It was breathless stuff, with no quarter
asked or granted, particularly not from a visiting corps clearly in
merciless mood.

Drogba had shown Chelsea's ruthless intent early on, although his
headed goal was cloaked in controversy. Essien, allowed to roam
through Claude Makelele's assiduous anchoring, charged upfield,
eventually losing possession as Pascal Chimbonda slid in. Riley
bizarrely deemed the challenge illegal.

Almost 30 yards out, the free-kick appeared perfectly placed for a
Frank Lampard special but Drogba claimed responsibility, taking two
steps and bending the ball into the leaping bodies in the wall. It
cannoned clear, Drogba screaming for a handling offence before
realising Chelsea still had the initiative.

The ball was in the domain of John Terry, who rolled back the years to
when he was a more creative player on the park pitches of east London.
The Chelsea captain elegantly lifted the ball across from the left
towards the far post. Drogba had read Terry's intentions, darting in
ahead of the slow-reacting Jermaine Jenas to nod Chelsea in front.

Jenas swiftly made amends. When Claude Makelele was penalised for
climbing over Aaron Lennon, probably the one person in the Premier
League the Frenchman could tower over, Jenas took charge of the
free-kick on the right. The England international's delivery was
magnificent, the ball hoisted to the far post.

As Terry clutched a handful of Dimitar Berbatov's shirt to prevent the
Bulgarian reaching the ball, Jenas' free-kick continued to Jonathan
Woodgate. One of the most uplifting sights for Spurs fans this year
has been Woodgate rising high, having eluded his marker - in this case
Drogba - to headed powerfully in.

Tottenham were triumphant, their fans taunting Chelsea relentlessly
over the Carling Cup final outcome. Chelsea responded with ditties
about Spurs' bruising encounter with the Old Bill in Seville last
year.

Largely unimpressive since that Wembley success, Spurs now played with
greater conviction. The determination flooding through Juande Ramos'
men was evident, painfully so for Essien as Didier Zokora hit him with
a meaty man-and-ball challenge.

Essien is made of strong stuff, though, and shortly after climbing to
his feet he swept Chelsea ahead. Joe Cole made the telling break,
dribbling through the middle. With Essien and Drogba lurking on the
edge of the area, Cole released the ball, which rebounded from Drogba
to Essien. His response was magnificent, the ball lifted unerringly
over Robinson for his first of the season.

The goal simply reflected Chelsea's superiority, particularly in a
midfield dominated by Essien, Makelele and Frank Lampard. Spurs strove
to find an equaliser and when Jenas wriggled in from the left, Drogba
threw himself in to try to block. Inevitably, Drogba stayed down,
nursing another seemingly terminal injury, stirring unrest among the
home fans. A plastic bottle was thrown on to the pitch as Drogba
miraculously recovered.

A good game then turned nasty, Derby-day fireworks erupting. Chimbonda
fouled Joe Cole, who gave the linesman some choice London invective
for ignoring the offence. Cole was booked, Lampard should have
followed him for catching Jenas, and then came Ashley Cole's assault
on Hutton, an offence that deserved more than yellow and triggered a
near brawl.

Adding insult to iniquity, Ashley Cole set the scene for Chelsea's
third, delivering a quick throw-in to Makelele, who swiftly found
Kalou. Chelsea's No 21 cleverly worked the ball across the edge of the
area to Joe Cole, who darted around Chimbonda.

Still the angle was tight. Still Robinson had to be negotiated. Cole's
shot sped through Robinson's legs, clipped the keeper's heel and
looped up and in, to Robinson's deep anguish. "England's No 4," the
Chelsea hordes chanted.

Even before Robinson regained some pride with an outstanding save from
Drogba, Spurs had pulled a goal back. When Tom Huddlestone curled over
a corner, Berbatov leaned gently into Terry, opening up a yard of
space. As the ball dropped in, Berbatov flicked a header, almost
languidly, high into the net.

Still the tempo never ebbed in a classic match. Cudicini saved
superbly from Keane. Essien hit a post. Huddlestone dived
disgracefully and was deservedly booked.

As the spell-binding entertainment continued, Huddlestone displayed
his more positive side. Keane clipped over a corner from the left and
Berbatov's presence caused chaos in the box, allowing the ball to fly
through to Huddlestone. What a response! The midfielder drilled the
ball unerringly in past Cudicini: 3-3.

But there was more, remarkably so. When Spurs foolishly conceded
possession on the right, Chelsea leapt into life, Drogba finding Joe
Cole. The England international again ghosted around Chimbonda and
found the net with a brilliant finish, the ball placed at speed past
the exposed Robinson.

But then came Keane. What a finish! What a game!



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Mail:

Unbelievable - a 4-4 thriller as Spurs stop Chelsea and Cole makes horror tackle

By NEIL ASHTON

Ashley Cole was caught up in a red card storm last night as Chelsea's
title ambitions were blown apart on a dramatic night at White Hart
Lane.

Cole escaped with a booking after a horror tackle on Tottenham
defender Alan Hutton during an incredible 4-4 draw.

Spurs players surrounded referee Mike Riley following the challenge in
the first half and furious assistant manager Gus Poyet told fourth
official Steve Bennett: 'That is a f****** red card and you know it.'

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos said: 'The referee decided it was a
yellow card, but we've seen tackles which were much less serious and
they have earned red cards.

'Robbie Keane was sent off for a tackle less serious than that against
Birmingham. But we have to respect the officials' decisions.

'It's best not to dwell on that kind of action. We're just very
fortunate there weren't any injuries to players.'

This incredible match boiled over when Frank Lampard took out Jermaine
Jenas, who had to be substituted at half-time, but there was more to
come.

The major flashpoint occurred when Cole clashed with Hutton and
Tottenham demanded the left back's dismissal. Players clashed as they
walked down the tunnel and Poyet could be seen remonstrating with
Cole.

Poyet said: 'It would be unfair on Ashley to talk about only his
challenge after the game we had. I prefer not to go into it, but it
looked strange.'

Incredibly, Chelsea manager Avram Grant claimed he did not see the
incident — even though it happened in front of the Chelsea bench.

Grant said: 'The assistant referee was in my way. I saw the Tottenham
bench jump up, but the referee was two metres away. We must respect
his decision.'

Chelsea were awesome in the first half and they appeared intent on
heading into Sunday's showdown with Arsenal level on points in the
Barclays Premier League.

Didier Drogba put Chelsea ahead after two minutes and, although
Jonathan Woodgate equalised for Tottenham, Michael Essien put them
back in front with a delicious lob.

Man of the match Joe Cole scored after the break, but Spurs fought
back with goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Tom Huddlestone.

Joe Cole appeared to have won it for Chelsea with a brilliant turn and
shot, but Robbie Keane's curled effort in the 88th minute secured a
point for Spurs.

Grant added: 'It's very disappointing to lead 1-0 and 3-1, then to
concede goals from two corners and a free-kick.

'I don't know whether to laugh. One of our strengths is that we defend
well against corners and free-kicks, yet Tottenham have scored five
from set-pieces against us in two games.

I don't know how to explain that. It's very unusual for us. There was
a big mistake from us and Robbie Keane scored a fantastic goal. But we
showed a great spirit in the team.

'We're closer to Arsenal than we were before. We'll be at home on
Sunday and we'll come to fight to win the game. We're five points off
the top, still in the race and we'll continue fighting.'

Chelsea's game plan was undone by a series of bizarre tactical
substitutions that invited Spurs to attack.

Their confusion was illustrated in the closing moments when Drogba
approached assistant manager Steve Clarke and asked: 'What are we
supposed to be doing?'

Spurs were rewarded when Keane scored one of the best goals of his career.

Ramos added: 'At 3-1 and in the second half against a team like
Chelsea, it's going to be very difficult, but the game was very open.

'The team believed in themselves and scoring the goal to make it 3-2
quite soon afterwards made things a bit more open and possible.

'It reminds me of the 6-4 against Reading, and against Aston Villa we
had a 4-4 result at White Hart Lane. They were spectacular games,
too.'

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Indy:

Tottenham 4 Chelsea 4: Chelsea hopes fade as Grant's tactics are
exposed in thriller
By Sam Wallace
Thursday, 20 March 2008

While Avram Grant fiddled, Chelsea's title ambitions burned. It was,
quite simply, the most extraordinary game of the season so far - a
conflagration of eight goals, three Tottenham comebacks and another
set of bizarre tactical decisions from a Chelsea manager who just
cannot get it right in the big games.

When the dust had settled after Robbie Keane's brilliant 88th-minute
equaliser, Grant was left to wonder whether this was the moment that
his club's title ambitions died. Manchester United are five points
ahead, Chelsea's opportunity to draw level with Arsenal in second
place has gone. Roman Abramovich cannot grumble about the
entertainment value but he must take issue at the way Grant's team are
blowing their chances of a trophy.

This was the game that had everything. There was a sublime performance
from Joe Cole, whose two goals made him the outstanding performer
before Grant's decision to substitute him with Chelsea 4-3 up. And on
the dark side there was an horrendous studs-up challenge from Ashley
Cole before half-time that could have broke Alan Hutton's leg and was
met with a terrible decision from Mike Riley who booked Cole instead
of sending him off.

Against Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and, in the last two
games against Spurs, Grant has failed to beat the big beasts of
English football. Juande Ramos picked the same XI that beat Chelsea in
last month's Carling Cup final and, by the skin of his teeth, has
again frustrated Grant. At 1-0, 3-1 and 4-3 up his Chelsea team should
have won this game, yet by the end even Grant's own players seemed
baffled by his substitutions.

With his team 3-2 in the lead, having led 3-1, the Chelsea manager
tried to close out the game in Jose Mourinho-fashion by bolstering his
defence. He sent on the Brazilian defender Alex da Costa as sweeper in
what seemed like a counter-move to Ramos's decision to bring on Darren
Bent, a third striker. But on the pitch, Chelsea lost their shape,
Didier Drogba looked to the bench in despair and Tom Huddlestone
equalised. The game was in the balance again.

Then, after Joe Cole had seemingly got Grant off the hook with a
brilliant second goal to put his team 4-3 in the lead, the Chelsea
manager struck again. Off came Cole this time for Michael Ballack and
Chelsea were caught cold once again. After a clearance struck Ricardo
Carvalho's back, Keane hit a 20-yard equaliser past Carlo Cudicini and
Grant must have felt the cold sweat break out on his forehead. Ramos
had out-thought him.

Tiny margins for error; huge consequences. The basis of the five
trophies won by Mourinho was a sure-footedness in pressurised
situations. It is the hallmark of all great managers and, once again,
Ramos showed he has that judgement in abundance. Grant seems to lack
it. The Spurs manager made two substitutions – his key call was Bent
coming on for Ledley King on 68 minutes – and he got it right.

It was telling that, at 4-4 in the very last moments of the match,
Grant was lucky that Spurs did not take all three points. The
excellent Dimitar Berbatov twisted into space and had a clear shot at
goal that only Cudicini's desperate save stopped. Sunday at Stamford
Bridge provides Grant with his shot at redemption against Arsenal, but
on this evidence there is no doubt which team will win if it comes
down to the manager's decisions.

Take a deep breath and go back to the start. Four minutes into the
game and Drogba met John Terry's peach of a cross with a downward
header past Paul Robinson. It was the Ivorian's first Premier League
goal since 11 September, his first goal in any competition since the
Carling Cup final.

1-1: on 12 minutes Jonathan Woodgate, who had lost Drogba for the
first goal, headed home Jermaine Jenas' free-kick for the equaliser.
2-1 to Chelsea: on 19 minutes Joe Cole's throughball took a touch off
Drogba before Michael Essien lifted a brilliant chip over Robinson.
Then it started to get nasty.

Terry's knee caught Berbatov's head as the two tumbled in the Chelsea
area. Lampard went straight through Jenas and at half-time the Spurs
man was substituted for Huddlestone. Riley did not even book Lampard
but his worst decision was to come. Just before half-time, Hutton
moved in to control a ball by the touchline and from out of the frame
came Ashley Cole, lunging, stretching and with studs raised. Had
Hutton's foot been grounded when Cole connected with his leg then the
injury would have been disastrous. The card was yellow but should have
been red.

3-1 to Chelsea: on 52 minutes, Joe Cole took the long route around
Pascal Chimbonda in the right channel before striking a low shot that
cannoned off Robinson's legs and in. 3-2: six minutes later the
Tottenham comeback began. Huddlestone's corner found Berbatov who
flighted a header into the corner. 3-3: on 75 minutes a loose corner
fell to Huddlestone who drilled in the equaliser.

The finale. 4-3: another goal from Joe Cole who burst through and
struck the ball into the roof of Robinson's goal on 80 minutes and was
then substituted. 4-4: Keane's riposte, White Hart Lane in raptures.
In the 90th minute, Grant sent on Andrei Shevchenko but it was a bit
late then to be changing a team that had already been pulled apart by
its own manager.

Goals: Drogba (3) 0-1; Woodgate (12) 1-1; Essien (20) 1-2; J Cole (52)
1-3; Berbatov (61) 2-3; Huddlestone (75) 3-3; J Cole (80) 3-4; Keane
(88) 4-4.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): Robinson; Hutton, Woodgate, King (Bent,
68), Chimbonda; Lennon, Jenas (Huddlestone, h-t), Zokora, Malbranque;
Keane, Berbatov. Substitutes not used: Cerny (gk), Tainio, Dawson.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cudicini; Ferreira (Shevchenko, 89), Carvalho,
Terry, A Cole; Makelele; J Cole (Ballack, 82), Essien, Lampard, Kalou
(Alex, 71); Drogba. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk),
Wright-Phillips.

Referee: M Riley (Yorkshire).

Booked: Tottenham Keane, Huddlestone; Chelsea J Cole, A Cole.

Man of the match: J Cole.

Attendance: 36,178
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Keane blunts Chelsea challenge in thriller

Kevin McCarra at White Hart Lane
Thursday March 20, 2008
The Guardian

If there are no more trophies to be pursued this season, Tottenham
Hotspur might still take vast satisfaction from savaging Chelsea's
campaign for the title. They did so in an almost inconceivably galling
way here last night, recovering from 3-1 and 4-3 down. The exquisite
goal with which they secured the draw two minutes from the close would
have been memorable in even the most insignificant match, with Robbie
Keane bending a finish round Carlo Cudicini from the fringes of the
penalty area after the ball had bounced to him off the back of Ricardo
Carvalho.

Unfortunately for Avram Grant, people will not stay entranced by the
spectacle for long and Chelsea lag five points behind the Premier
League leaders, Manchester United. The Chelsea manager's plans were
misconceived when the Carling Cup final was lost to Tottenham last
month and here he threw the contest open when attempting to shut down
the match. He inclined to misguided caution once the opposition had
trimmed the deficit to 3-2 when Dimitar Berbatov climbed above John
Terry to head home a corner from the substitute Tom Huddlestone in the
61st minute.
Juande Ramos introduced another forward in Darren Bent and Grant
reacted by removing an attacker in Salomon Kalou so that he could have
an additional centre-back in Alex. That simply encouraged Tottenham
and diminished the best aspect of Chelsea's display, their fluid
menace. The game was level at 3-3 after 75 minutes, when a Keane
corner broke to Huddlestone and he finished with a well-controlled
drive.

Still Chelsea had enough individuality to respond, with Joe Cole
restoring the lead 10 minutes from the end. He took a through-pass
from Didier Drogba and fired high into the net. He had been giving a
superb display and there was no benefit in sparing him the remainder
of the evening, as Grant did by introducing Michael Ballack. Once
again the effect would have been heartening for Tottenham.

Chelsea's prospects of regaining the title are diminished and on
Sunday they meet the side who remain above them in second place,
Arsenal. Much had seemed to be running in favour of Grant's team. On
the verge of the interval, for instance, Ashley Cole ought to have
been sent off for a terrible airborne lunge in which the defender's
left boot was sunk into the right shin of the Spurs full-back Alan
Hutton.

Mike Riley, the referee, was somehow persuaded that a booking would
suffice. The justifiable anger was great although it does not seem
that the punishment can be upgraded retrospectively since there is no
indication that the official did not see the incident clearly. There
was seething resentment and the Tottenham assistant manager, Gus
Poyet, had an arm round the neck of Cole as he remonstrated with him
while the sides were going off at half-time.

Chelsea, as a whole, ought still to have been remembering this
occasion, watched by the England head coach Fabio Capello, with pride.
Instead they can merely be relieved that Cudicini denied Berbatov a
winner in stoppage-time. The rematch with the identical Tottenham
starting XI that had overcome them at Wembley last month, however, was
still excruciating for the visitors, particularly since there had been
long passages of encouragement for them. Chelsea were often polished
and had the lead in the third minute.

A Drogba free-kick was hit into the wall and after Claude Makelele had
directed play out to the left the Ivorian was free at the far post to
head in a deep cross from Terry. That was Drogba's first Premier
League goal since November 11.

Tottenham were level in the 12th minute. Jermaine Jenas lifted in a
free-kick from the right and, as Drogba elected to assist Terry with
the marking of Berbatov, Jonathan Woodgate headed home untroubled.
That, even so, did nothing to undermine the perception that Chelsea
were the slicker.

After 20 minutes, Joe Cole made a penetrating run before Michael
Essien got between Ledley King and Pascal Chimbonda to loft the ball
over Paul Robinson with the outside of his right foot. Chelsea's
advantage was stretched in the 52nd minute as Joe Cole collected a
ball from Makelele on the right, beat Chimbonda and hit the net with a
finish which broke off Robinson.

The mastery proved to be mere illusion. Grant will naturally be aghast
that famously sturdy Chelsea were so flimsy at set pieces in
particular, but whatever the reasons he is in charge of a team whose
remaining home fixtures with Arsenal and United no longer look as if
they will be the basis of a triumph.
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The Times
March 20, 2008

Robbie Keane ensures Tottenham haunt Avram Grant once more
Tottenham Hotspur 4 Chelsea 4
(Marc Aspland)

How Chelsea must hate Tottenham Hotspur. Beaten by them in the Carling
Cup final at Wembley last month, it was the North London side who
again thwarted their ambitions, this time in the Barclays Premier
League and in an astonishing eight-goal extravaganza at White Hart
Lane last night.

Chelsea led three times — once by 3-1 midway in the second half — but
had to settle for a draw when Robbie Keane curled home a shot from 20
yards in the 88th minute. After playing catch-up with Arsenal for much
of the season, they would have moved level on points with them in
second place had they held on for victory.

Instead, they will have to wait until Sunday, when Arsenal visit
Stamford Bridge. With Manchester United playing Liverpool at Old
Trafford, on the same day, the top-of-the-table scrap could take on a
completely different complexion by Monday morning. The title race is
far from over.

Yet it might have been so much worse for Chelsea, with Tottenham — 2-1
winners after extra time at Wembley — going agonisingly close to
stealing a remarkable win in the last throes of stoppage time. Dimitar
Berbatov's close-range shot was destined for the net until Carlo
Cudicini, the goalkeeper, stuck out an arm. "We could have won it,"
Juande Ramos, the Tottenham head coach, said, still in a state of some
disbelief.

And it could have been so much worse for Chelsea had Ashley Cole, the
England left back, been sent off — as he should have been — shortly
before half-time for a studs-up challenge on Alan Hutton, the
Tottenham right back. That Mike Riley, the referee, opted for a yellow
card rather than a red spared Cole a suspension.

Cole's reaction to the incident was inexcusable, too. He turned his
back on Riley, and it was not exactly the example to set, the day
after the FA had announced its £200 million-worth of investment in
grassroots football. The showing of greater respect to referees is one
of its key objectives.

Still, having done more than enough to win, with Joe Cole imperious in
front of Fabio Capello, the England manager, Chelsea will fight
another day. "There were so many positives to take from the game but,
in the end, it was disappointing," Avram Grant, the first-team coach,
said. "At least we are closer to Arsenal than before."

Grant was roundly criticised for his starting line-up at Wembley,
mostly for deploying Nicolas Anelka out of position on the left flank
and for leaving Joe Cole and Michael Ballack on the bench for too
long. Last night, Joe Cole started, Ballack was among the substitutes
and Anelka was left out because of a thigh injury.

Grant made six changes from the side that so underperformed at Wembley
and, after three minutes, was rewarded when Chelsea went ahead. Didier
Drogba battered a free kick into the defensive wall but Claude
Makelele regained possession and released John Terry on the edge of
the area. The Chelsea captain crossed to the far post and Drogba,
running in alone, was allowed to head past Paul Robinson. For all
Tottenham's attacking splendour, their defensive deficiencies were
laid bare again. And Chelsea, with revenge on their minds, appeared to
be in the mood for it.

Strangely, though, they failed to build on their advantage. Ramos
fielded the same team that had beaten Chelsea last month and it was
Jonathan Woodgate, who scored the injury-time winner to secure the 2-1
victory on that occasion, who returned to haunt them with another
header. This time, Woodgate did not need the good fortune of the ball
hitting him in the face. Jermaine Jenas slung over a curling free kick
from the right and Woodgate rose high above Drogba to send a looping
header over Cudicini.

Chelsea were quick to respond. Joe Cole wriggled his way towards the
home area, with barely a challenge, and passed the ball for Michael
Essien comfortably to chip in.

Ashley Cole's lunge at Hutton brought the half to a shuddering halt
and prompted heated exchanges among the occupants of both benches.

Their passion undimmed, Chelsea stretched their lead after the break.
There was only one outcome when Joe Cole latched on to Salomon Kalou's
pass and rounded Pascal Chimbonda. As Robinson came out, Cole guided
the ball in off the goalkeeper's body.

Game over? By no means. Tottenham bucked up their ideas and pushed
forward, more in desperation than by design. Tom Huddlestone swung
over a corner from the right and Berbatov, making his first real
contribution to the game, headed beyond Cudicini.

Worse was to follow for Chelsea when Huddlestone slammed in the
equaliser in the 74th minute. However, Joe Cole quickly responded when
he left Chimbonda standing again and drove his shot over Robinson into
the roof of the net. Keane's late equaliser only provided another
twist in what is becoming a fascinating race to the top.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): P Robinson — A Hutton, J Woodgate, L King
(sub: D Bent, 69min), P Chimbonda — A Lennon, D Zokora, J Jenas (sub:
T Huddlestone, 46), S Malbranque — R Keane, D Berbatov. Substitutes
not used: R Cerny, T Tainio, M Dawson. Booked: Keane, Huddlestone.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): C Cudicini — P Ferreira (sub: A Shevchenko, 89), R
Carvalho, J Terry, A Cole — C Makelele — J Cole (sub: M Ballack, 83),
M Essien, F Lampard, S Kalou (sub: Alex, 71) — D Drogba. Substitutes
not used: Hilαrio, Wright-Phillips. Booked: J Cole, A Cole.

Referee: M Riley.
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Sun:

Spurs 4 Chelsea 4
By SHAUN CUSTIS

JUST when Avram Grant was winning over the critics again, Chelsea blew
it on a night of stunning goals, high drama and controversy.
Three times the Blues led — inspired by the brilliant Joe Cole — only
to throw it away.
Robbie Keane was the Tottenham hero with a stunning 20-yard curler two
minutes from time.
And it came just four days after Keane's tantrum at being substituted
in the 2-1 loss to Manchester City.
Chelsea are now five points behind leaders Manchester United.
And — had it not been for an unbelievable save by Carlo Cudicini from
Dimitar Berbatov's shot with seconds to go — they would have left
White Hart Lane with nothing.
A shocking tackle by Ashley Cole on Spurs defender Alan Hutton on 44
minutes added to an incredible night.
The England left-back should have been sent off for the awful lunge on
the Scot but ref Mike Riley showed him only a yellow card.
But the bottom line is that Chelsea slipped up when it mattered once
more. Boss Grant is just not doing it in the big games.
His side have drawn with Liverpool and Everton, lost to Arsenal, been
beaten by Manchester United and now thrown away a lead at Spurs.
The latest failure also came on the back of the Carling Cup Final
defeat to Juande Ramos' men and the shocking FA Cup exit to Barnsley.
Manchester United's 2-0 win against Bolton means the Premier League
title has slipped further away with only eight games to play.
The Gunners visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday and if Chelsea stumble
again it could be all over.
You have to feel sorry for Joe Cole who was sensational in front of
watching England boss Fabio Capello.
The Italian is not convinced English players possess the technical
skills to match foreign opponents — but Cole is surely an exception.
At times it was a one-man show. Grant made a fatal error in taking him
off with seven minutes left in an attempt to protect a 4-3 lead.
He also withdrew Salomon Kalou and replaced him with defender Alex
when they were 3-2 up.
Jose Mourinho had a knack of getting it right with substitutions.
Grant has just not got it.
Games like these are why the Premier League is the most popular in the
world and millions are spent on the rights to watch it.
You could not take your eyes off it from the moment Didier Drogba
opened the scoring on three minutes.
Skipper John Terry's cross picked out the Ivory Coast hit-man at the
far post and he headed home for his first league goal since November
11 in a draw with Everton.
Jonathan Woodgate — who won the Carling Cup for Spurs in extra-time —
climbed high above Drogba to head the equaliser on 12 minutes.
But then Joe Cole began to weave his magic. His mazy dribble through
the centre set up Michael Essien who stabbed a chip over the top of
the bemused Paul Robinson to restore the lead.
As half-time approached tempers boiled over when Ashley Cole launched
himself at Spurs full-back Alan Hutton with studs up and both feet off
the ground.
Cole connected with Hutton just below his knee-cap and was nowhere
near the ball.
The Spurs bench, players and crowd were incensed. Assistant boss Gus
Poyet screamed at fourth official Steve Bennett and referee Riley to
send Cole off.
That led to a verbal dust-up between Frank Lampard and Poyet.
It seemed Cole was facing an early bath but Riley let him off with a
yellow card. He was a lucky boy.
Poyet waited for Cole to remonstrate with him as the defender headed
down the tunnel at half-time — and then Poyet made his point to Riley
again.
It was a minor miracle that Hutton came back out after the interval.
Joe Cole continued to turn it on for Capello although it required the
generosity of Pascal Chimbonda to let him in for No 3 on 52 minutes.
Kalou's pass sent Cole away and he ran past Chimbonda without being challenged.
Keeper Robinson came out to try and close him down but Cole's shot
cannoned off the keeper's leg and bounced into the far corner.
Game over. Or so it seemed. On the hour Spurs pulled one back when
Berbatov climbed above Terry to loop a header into the top corner.
Cudicini — who turned out to be something of a Chelsea hero despite
conceding four goals — saved superbly from Keane's close-range effort
to preserve the visitors' lead.
Then Spurs levelled as Keane's corner found its way to sub Tom
Huddlestone on the right of the box.
The young midfielder, 21, has a reputation for pile-drivers and he did
not disappoint with a rocket into the far corner.
But Joe Cole was still not finished and when Drogba played him in, the
England trickster left the hapless Chimbonda sprawling on the ground
before rifling a shot high into the net.
Chelsea were back ahead with 11 minutes left. Surely that was it.
No. Not at White Hart Lane where the goals have been flooding in all
season — at both ends.
Cole came off, Michael Ballack went on and Spurs hit back again with
two minutes remaining — although it was tough luck on Chelsea's part.
A hopeful punt towards the Blues box hit Ricardo Carvalho on the back
and Keane seized on it to fire home from 20 yards.
What a difference a few days make. Keane moved from villain to hero
with one brilliant strike.
But he did prove why he should be kept on until the end.
Cudicini's outstretched left hand prevented Berbatov completing a
victory which would have gone down in Spurs history. Wow.

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Mirror:

KIDS LIFT FOR ROM

A Villa Yth 2 Chelsea Yth 3 (Chelsea win 4-3 on agg)

Adam Phillip gave Roman Abramovich a boost last night by helping
Chelsea reach the FA Youth Cup final.

Substitute Phillip scored the winner in a stormy clash at Villa Park
to set-up a two-legged final with Manchester City after the first leg
ended 1-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Harry Forrester gave Villa the perfect start before Sergio Tejera
Rodriguez and Gael Kaku put the Blues ahead.

Forrester made it 2-2 but Phillip sealed it.

Chelsea's Lee Sawyer and Villa's Matthew Roome were both sent off.

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