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We were all looking forward to this one. A London derby against Tottenham always produces a pulsating attacking game of football with plenty of goals and although there was just goals in it, there was plenty to talk about afterwards!.
Jose Mourinho recalled David Luiz, Frank Lampard and Fernando Torres in place of Gary Cahill, Andre Schurrle and Samuel Eto’o to his starting eleven and although I understood and was pleased to see Torres back, I thought it was hard on Cahill to miss out. Juan Mata remained on the Chelsea bench which was a surprise after comments made by Mourinho earlier in the week. Frank Lampard returned in the middle of midfield with Ramires pushed out to play wide right.
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Let’s not make any excuses here, Chelsea were useless in the first half! Tottenham came out and took the game to us from the word go and deserved to go in at half time 1-1. Chelsea just couldn’t create anything and that was the most disappointing thing. A couple of half chances here and there but nothing of real note from Chelsea.
Could we have done better with the goal we conceded? Of course we should have done. Erikson should never have been able to turn away from the tackle in the midfield and Sigurdsson shouldn’t have been able to lose his marker to run onto the ball in the box. In saying that, JT should have also done better with his half hearted challenge! 1-0 Tottenham.
Ivanovic had to make a last minute clearance to take the ball away from a cross for Paulinho and the Brazilian also hit the Chelsea post late on in the first half!
Chelsea were simply not at the races here!
In the second half that all changed with a positive move from Jose Mourinho. At the interval he replaced Mikel with Juan Mata, pushed him up behind Fernando Torres, Oscar out to the right wing and Ramires back in the middle next to Frank Lampard and it worked a treat!
This was a different Chelsea. We had drive in our game, we looked dangerous all of a sudden and Tottenham retreated deeper and deeper into their own half. Chelsea began to dominate the game with a revitalised Fernando Torres leading the line and causing havoc in the Tottenham defence!
Two minutes after the restart, Torres beat two defenders, looked up and played a cross into the box just beating reach of Oscar and it fired a warning to Tottenham.
Torres was then booked after “he clipped” Vertonghen’s legs and he took a tumble three paces after it actually happened. I don’t care what the Tottenham fans think, it was a bollocks booking and a blatant dive by him! The Belgian defender got up to front up to Torres. Torres grabs his face in a moment of madness but luckily got away with it.
Minutes later, Torres is up and at it again. This time he glides passed two Tottenham defenders and shows a turn of pace to leave them for dead. Loris comes off his line and blocks his shot but fantastic from Torres!
Juan Mata had a goal disallowed for offside after a Torres knock down but Chelsea were well on top now.
Vertonghen was then booked for a blatant foul on Ramires as he knocked the ball passed him! If it wasn’t for Dembele on the cover, he would have been sent off.
Chelsea then finally got their deserved equaliser! Juan Mata floated a free kick into the box and John Terry had lost his marker to glance the ball home into the near corner to make it 1-1!
Andre Schurrle came on for Eden Hazard and if it wasn’t for Loris, he would have scored not long afterwards. Once again fantastic work from Torres and his through ball found Schurrle on the edge of the box. As Loris came out, he tried to lift it over the Goalkeeper but Loris denied him and Chelsea for the second time in the half to keep the score at 1-1.
Then on 81 minutes a joke decision that makes all the headlines. Fernando Torres goes up to win the ball twice on half way after the ball is playing high in the air up to him. He loses the first challenge then instantly moves forward and jumps towards Jan Vertonghen with his arms down to win the ball. Vertonghen (who replays showed makes a right meal of the challenge) goes down like he has been shot and Torres receives his second yellow card and is sent off. Vertonghen is a joke simple as that and I hope the FA take note of his performance on the day!
As Chelsea go down to ten men, Cesar Azpilicueta comes on for Oscar to sure things up and park the bus at the back for the remaining ten minutes or so and despite one or two moments, Chelsea hold out to take a good point from White Hart Lane after the other results that day!
I was pleased with our second half performance and the introduction of Mata at half time. Credit Mourinho for having a go in the second half and it paid off. Fernando Torres was simply brilliant on the day and if anything, has showed everyone that he is getting somewhere near his best at this club finally.
Questions need to be asked about our first half performance however and that cannot be ignored.
Carefree & KTBFFH!
