Good Performance and Good Result

             

A fresh summer lunch time at Stamford Bridge seemed like the perfect place for Spurs to continue their recent slump in form and edge even closer to falling out of the top four. Spurs started shakily, but who can blame them, with so much resting on the ninety minutes ahead of them. Lose and Chelsea would be a mere two points behind, and breathing down the neck of the side that were once guaranteed Champions League football for next year.

Chelsea had few early chances but did look more dangerous when attacking. Spurs were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Gallas brought down Lampard in the box, and although most pundits felt that it was a correct decision it could have easily gone against us and the failure to give a penalty gave us the spot of luck that we have rarely had this season. The only Spurs chance fell to Rafa Van der Vaart who should really have fired us into the lead. Once Spurs had settled into the game the two teams cancelled each other out and the first half fizzled out into forty five minutes of football that will not live long in the memories of any who were watching.

The second half started in much the same fashion but as time wore on Spurs started to show their class. Manu Adebayor, who was in fine form all day, rounded the keeper but could not beat Cahill who had sprinted back to clear the effort off the line. Garath Bale has shown on more than one occasions this season that he is as good in the air as he is on the floor, and Saturday was no different. The Welsh Wizard rose to meet a corner, only to see his effort rattle the cross bar. Bale also struck a free kick in the last minute of injury time that was well saved by Cech.  The one worrying moment that Chelsea created was a well hit Mata free kick which struck the post full on and would have dropped nicely to Drogba, had Luiz not clumsily removed it from his path before he could make contact with it.

By the end of the game Spurs had dwarfed the goal attempts and possession of Chelsea but could not find the all important breakthrough that would have brought the first Spurs win at Stamford Bridge in the Premiership era. Although this was the fifth winless game in a row it was a massive step in the right direction. Spurs looked like the Spurs of the beginning of the season, outclassing Chelsea in every position. The most important thing about the result was that Chelsea still remain five points behind us with nine games left, it was imperative that we did not let the gap reduce.

All in all it was a good performance, a good result and given our run in compared to the run ins that Arsenal and Chelsea face we must feel confident of a top for finish, so long as we can keep the level of performance of the high standard that it was on Saturday.