Spurs Hold Firm At Bridge (Sky Sports)
Chelsea 0 Tottenham Hotspur 0
Chelsea
and Tottenham preserved their unbeaten Premiership records following
a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.
Perhaps the scoreline was inevitable given that the two sides boast the best defensive records in the top flight and clear-cut chances were rare.
Eidur Gudjohnsen did rattle a post for the home team while Robbie Keane spurned Spurs' only real opening of the contest as Jacques Santini's well-drilled outfit took a deserved share of the spoils.
Chelsea spent the first half trying to hammer a way through Tottenham's barricade but they were rarely closer than in the opening 60 seconds.
The hosts forced a corner which was curled in by Frank Lampard, who was making a record-breaking 114th consecutive appearance in The Premiership. Paul Robinson flapped at the centre, Gudjohnsen connected with the header but Ledley King was perfectly positioned to spare his goalkeeper's blushes.
King's clearance went for another corner, on the opposite side of the pitch, and it provided another glimpse of goal as Ricardo Carvalho glanced a header wide.
All the first half chances fell Chelsea's way with Robinson atoning for his earlier gaffe by racing from his line to block Didier Drogba after an incisive pass from Gudjohnsen. Tiago's attempt from the rebound floated harmlessly over the bar.
On the odd occasion Chelsea breached a rigid Spurs back-line, King was alive to the danger and he produced one superb tackle to thwart Gudjohnsen.
Joe Cole was enjoying a healthy amount of possession and he slung in a cross to the unmarked Gudjohnsen but the Iceland international headed the chance wide of the target.
Cole's mazy run then resulted in a shot being blocked by the stubborn Spurs defence while Tiago scuffed the rebound wide of the upright.
Robinson was alert to drop down low to his near post to grasp a Gudjohnsen volley as still the visitors were content to soak up the pressure and rarely venture forward.
The Spurs keeper was proving to be an able last line of defence as he was out sharply to beat out Drogba's shot after the striker had outmuscled his fellow African, Nourredine Naybet.
Ironically, Spurs' first attempt on target turned out to be the best opening either team had created by the 55th minute.
Simon Davies, making his first start of the season, delivered a pinpoint cross to the unmarked Keane and his header was instinctively pushed away by Petr Cech, but the Irishman will have been cursing as he should have scored.
Drogba's power and pace was a constant menace and he could have earned a penalty after taking the ball past Robinson but he showed commendable honesty in opting to stay on his feet.
Chelsea continued to struggle to seriously test Robinson and another corner provided a sight of goal but John Terry's header drifted way off target.
Blues boss Jose Mourinho threw on Damien Duff and Mateja Kezman in an attempt to alter the course of the game but the next opportunity fell to Spurs as Cech scurried across his goal to palm away Jamie Redknapp's volley from range.
Robinson was again positioned perfectly ten minutes from time when he planted himself to the spot, rather than be distracted by Gudjohnsen's dart, to keep out Lampard's teasing free kick.
With five minutes remaining, Chelsea finally found a way past the Spurs defence and Robinson, only to find the post posing a barrier to their desire for three points as Gudjohnsen's crisp volley from the edge of the area buffeted off the upright.
Spurs were increasingly penned back and Drogba's presence again caused consternation as he looked to barge through the back-line but King was on hand to hack the ball clear, with Chelsea feeling it was just not their day.
Teams
Chelsea Cech,
Bridge (Smertin 85), Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry, Cole (Duff 66), Lampard,
Makelele, Tiago (Kezman 66), Drogba, Gudjohnsen
Subs Not Used Pidgeley, Gallas
Booked Smertin
Goals
Tottenham Hotspur
Robinson, Edman, King,
Naybet, Pamarot, Atouba (Brown 74), Davies, Mendes, Redknapp, Defoe
Kanoute 86), Keane
Subs Not Used Keller, Gardner, Mabizela
Booked King, Redknapp
Goals
Attendance 42,246
Referee
M. Riley
Chelsea | Team Statistics | Tottenham Hotspur |
0 | Goals | 0 |
0 | 1st Half Goals | 0 |
3 | Shots on Target | 2 |
14 | Shots off Target | 2 |
4 | Blocked Shots | 4 |
9 | Corners | 6 |
17 | Fouls | 14 |
8 | Offsides | 2 |
1 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
0 | Red Cards | 0 |
74.9 | Passing Success | 65.7 |
42 | Tackles | 42 |
61.9 | Tackles Success | 59.5 |
57.4 | Possession | 42.6 |
49.4 | Territorial Advantage | 50.6 |