toptop

 

Blues Hit Back To Force Replay  (Sky Sports)

Chelsea 3 Tottenham Hotspur 3

Spurs celebrate one of their goalsChelsea put a terrible first half performance behind them to draw 3-3 with Tottenham in a memorable FA Cup quarter-final and force a replay at White Hart Lane.

The Premiership champions' defence was put to the sword in the first 45 minutes as free-scoring Spurs ran riot, with Dimitar Berbatov, Hossam Ghaly and a Michael Essien own goal helping them to a 3-1 lead at half-time.

However, Chelsea went for all-out attack after the break and Frank Lampard netted his second of the game after 71 minutes to bring the score back to 3-2, before Salomon Kalou grabbed a dramatic late equaliser.

Radek Cerny replaced the injured Paul Robinson in the Tottenham goal but it was his esteemed opposite number Petr Cech who was picking the ball out of his net after just five minutes as a Chelsea defence still without John Terry was clinically cut apart.

Jermain Defoe cut in from the left and his intended pass to Ghaly was intercepted by Aaron Lennon, who controlled the ball and helped in on to Berbatov through the centre. Cech rushed out to narrow the angle but the Bulgarian's instinctive finish on the turn flew past him into the roof of the net.

The goal failed to snap Chelsea out of their lethargy and Tottenham had opportunities to add to their lead as they dominated the first 20 minutes.

Lennon nearly got on the end of Defoe's dangerous cross from the left, before Berbatov's delivery from the right just evaded Defoe.

Chelsea levelled against the run of play after 22 minutes as Didier Drogba's cross spilled out to Michael Ballack on the edge of the area and the German's mis-hit shot turned into a perfect pass for Lampard, who stretched out a leg to turn the ball home from six yards.

Tottenham's lead was restored after 28 minutes as Essien panicked and poked Lennon's seemingly harmless pass across goal into his own net.

Spurs nearly gifted Chelsea another equaliser with an own goal of their own as Michael Dawson inadvertently touched Arjen Robben's cross towards the line, but Paul Stalteri raced back to clear the ball to safety.

In the midst of all the goalmouth drama Essien and Drobga both sustained injuries, but Mourinho surprised onlookers as he made a hasty substitution by leaving both on the pitch and replacing Paulo Ferreira with Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Drogba and Essien recovered from their knocks but disaster struck again for Chelsea in the 36th minute as Ghaly fired Tottenham 3-1 in front.

After sprinting from deep inside his own half, Ghaly's attempted pass out to the right was cut out by Ashley Cole but, as it ballooned high in the air, the Egyptian beat three Chelsea defenders to the ball and coolly slotted past Cech from 12 yards.

Andrei Shevchenko drilled a thunderous shot over the crossbar from distance as Chelsea hunted a lifeline before half-time, while Essien headed Robben's free-kick wide with the goal gaping before him.

Chelsea started the second half much more positively and Cerny had to be alert from two Ballack set-pieces, before saving well from Lampard.

Tottenham almost clinched their place in the semi-finals with a fourth goal on the counter-attack, but Cech darted out to parry Lennon's low shot and Defoe could not find the target with his header after Ghaly had swung the ball back in from the right.

Spurs looked threatening every time they ventured forward and Lennon was cynically chopped down by Cole on the edge of the area.

Mourinho looked to have realised his backline needed shoring up after 57 minutes as he brought on Khalid Boulahrouz for Lassana Diarra, but he then replaced Cole with Kalou to leave just two recognised defenders on the pitch.

Chelsea's aggressive approach paid dividends as they pummelled Spurs back into their own half, and Kalou was at the centre of the action as he saw an effort blocked after 66 minutes.

A period of sustained pressure was rewarded in the 71st minute as a goalmouth scramble ensued following a Robben corner and Lampard took advantage to place a low shot past Cerny from close range.

Didier Zokora forced Cech into a fine save as Tottenham dared to commit a few more bodies forward, before Essien fired wide at the other end.

Chelsea drew level at 3-3 four minutes from time as Drogba headed on to Kalou and he swivelled delightfully to volley into the left-hand corner.

The drama was still not over though and Defoe almost grabbed a winner for Spurs as he jinked past three Chelsea players on the edge of the area and crashed a ferocious effort against the crossbar.

Chelsea

Team Statistics

Tottenham Hotspur

3

Goals

3

1

1st Half Goals

3

6

Shots on Target

6

9

Shots off Target

5

6

Blocked Shots

2

7

Corners

3

23

Fouls

15

1

Offsides

5

4

Yellow Cards

5

0

Red Cards

0

80

Passing Success

66.2

23

Tackles

30

95.7

Tackles Success

73.3

58.8

Possession

41.2

55.5

Territorial Advantage

44.5

Teams

Chelsea Cech, Carvalho, A. Cole (Kalou 64), Ferreira (Wright-Phillips 34), Ballack, Diarra (Boulahrouz 57), Essien, Lampard, Drogba, Robben, Shevchenko
Subs Not Used  Cudicini, Bridge
Booked  Diarra, A. Cole, Carvalho
Goals
 
Lampard 22, 71, Kalou 86

Tottenham Hotspur Cerney, Dawson, Lee, Rocha, Stalteri, Ghaly (Gardner 81), Lennon (Malbranque 76), Tainio, Zokora, Berbatov (Mido 66), Defoe
Subs Not Used Burch, Huddlestone
Booked Ghaly, Zokora, Lee, Stalteri, Cerney
Goals  Berbatov 5, Essien (og) 28, Ghaly 36

Attendance 41,517

Referee  M. Riley

The Soccerlinks Hit List