Barclays Premiership leaders Chelsea claimed another three points after
extending their remarkable unbeaten run over London rivals Tottenham.
Jose Mourinho's side benefited from another debatable penalty decision as they
secured a 2-0 success at White Hart Lane.
Chelsea have had decisions go in their favour against Liverpool and Manchester
United recently and another went their way as referee Graham Poll ruled that
Alexei Smertin had been fouled by Ledley King seven minutes before the break.
Frank Lampard duly struck his 50th goal in top-flight league football and,
having gained the initiative, Chelsea dominated thereafter, with Lampard
rounding off a notable victory with a late second.
But given Mourinho's evident dislike for diving - or, as he put it in midweek,
"cheating" - the Chelsea boss will no doubt wish to review TV replays of the
debatable first-half penalty decision.
While there was contact between King and Smertin, the home crowd believed the
Chelsea midfielder could at least be accused of playing for a penalty as he
chased Damien Duff's cross.
Chelsea nevertheless deserved their ensuing success, taking their unbeaten
league run over Spurs to an incredible 30 games, spanning 15 years.
And in doing so, they also secured a Premiership record sixth consecutive
victory without conceding a goal.
Ironically, it was Spurs who had earned Mourinho's wrath for 'parking a bus'
in front of their goal when, under Jacques Santini, they battled their way to a
goalless away draw last September.
Martin Jol has since changed Spurs' style dramatically, bringing an excellent
run of results that earned him the December manager of the month award, which
was presented to him before kick-off.
The home side were immediately on the attack, with Erik Edman flashing a
long-range shot over the top and Robbie Keane flicking a header narrowly wide.
However, Chelsea were adept at picking off Spurs on the break, with Didier
Drogba lifting a shot over Paul Robinson after beating the offside trap but
seeing the ball bounce past the post.
That prompted Spurs back on the attack, with Jermain Defoe cutting inside
before letting fly with a fierce shot that Petr Cech managed to parry to
safety.
However, Spurs were playing with some assurance, it was still Chelsea who
displayed the extra touch of class.
While captains John Terry and King both led by example as they displayed how
Sven-Goran Eriksson is spoilt for choice in central defence, but King was
enduring the busier afternoon.
While he produced one superb covering tackle on Drogba, keeper Paul Robinson
still needed to react quickly as he twisted to push Duff's snap-shot around the
post.
Arjen Robben also went down under a challenge from Noe Pamarot inside the
area, bringing both sets of coaches to their feet, one claiming a penalty and
the other a dive.
Referee Poll neither awarded a spot-kick nor issued a booking, but Chelsea
still went ahead from the penalty spot soon afterwards despite, arguably, less
evidence of an infringement.
Duff chased a seemingly lost cause before expertly keeping the ball in play by
the corner flag and, having clambered swiftly to his feet, he delivered an
inviting low cross.
Smertin was charging into the penalty area and, when challenged by King, he
went flying to the ground and Poll did not hesitate before blowing his whistle.
Up stepped Lampard, who made no mistake as he converted the penalty with a
confident shot into the bottom right-hand corner of Robinson's net.
There was some relief in the Chelsea ranks after the break, when Smertin
unwittingly deflected Defoe's corner just past his own post, but the home side
were short of their best up front.
Much of that was down to the superb Terry, although Drogba continued to
threaten on the break, with Noureddine Naybet required to produce two well-timed
challenges to halt him in full flow.
Robinson was quickly off his line to intercept on another occasion, while
Drogba also headed Paulo Ferreira's excellent cross over the top.
With Fredi Kanoute out injured, Spurs were prompted to adopt the 'route one'
approach in the closing stages, with King thrown up front in a bid to unsettle
Chelsea's defence.
It will take more than that, however, to disrupt the best defence in the
Premiership, with just eight goals conceded in 23 league games.
And it was Chelsea who looked the more dangerous, with substitute Eidur
Gudjohnsen making an impact as he crossed from the byline for Lampard to strike
his second in injury time.
Chelsea may have again required the 'luck of champions', as Mourinho observed
recently at Anfield, but you tend to earn good fortune. And Chelsea are doing
exactly that.
Teams:
Tottenham: Robinson, Pamarot (Marney 71), King, Naybet, Edman,
Brown, Pedro Mendes (Yeates 78), Carrick, Ziegler (Gardner 67),
Keane, Defoe.
Subs Not Used: Fulop, Kelly.
Booked: Brown, Yeates.
Chelsea: Cech, Johnson, Terry, Gallas, Paulo Ferreira,
Smertin (Jarosik 70), Lampard, Makelele, Robben,
Duff (Cole 80), Drogba (Gudjohnsen 76).
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Bridge.
Booked: Duff, Johnson, Terry, Makelele.
Goals: Lampard 39 pen, 90.
Att: 36,105
Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).