Where to start in this helter-skelter derby? Tottenham Hotspur were impressive in the first half; they led deservedly and they might have been further in front at the interval. André Villas-Boas had suggested that this game could provide the barometer as to how his team would fare in this season's Premier League. It had looked ready to point to something tantalisingly promising.
But Chelsea roared back. Inspired by Fernando Torres, they drew level through the pantomime villain John Terry and they appeared set fair for victory. This team already has the mentality of champions and here was further evidence. But Torres best summed up the nature of the contest. Having tangled repeatedly with Jan Vertonghen, scratching him to incur a booking, he was dismissed for a second yellow card in the 81stminute following an aerial challenge with the Belgian defender in which he appeared to make little contact.
And so Tottenham finished on the front foot and they came close to nicking the win, although that would have been extremely unfair on Chelsea. Then, at full-time, after all of the arguments and the egotistical posturing of Villas-Boas and José Mourinho before of and during the game, it finished with a show of respect between the pair. Everybody looked as though they needed a lie-down.
The confrontation between Villas-Boas and Mourinho had been the principal subplot and it framed the 90 minutes when the former sought out the latter for the pre-match handshake. It was entirely perfunctory and lacking any positive feeling.
On so many levels, this was a derby where animosity bubbled. Terry's every touch was jeered by the White Hart Lane crowd and everywhere you looked, there was intensity. Vertonghen versus Torres was at the top of the bill.
As the tackles went in all over the pitch, the temperature hovered around boiling point.
Chelsea had arrived with one point and no goals from their previous two Premier League away matches this season and with Mourinho starting Ramires on the right wing, his intentions looked plain. Chelsea wanted to be compact; to stifle Tottenham. But to the delight of Villas-Boas, Tottenham found a way to break through early on.
The creation was all about the balance of Christian Eriksen and the touch of Roberto Soldado. Eriksen was signed after Tottenham lost Willian to Chelsea and it felt a little ironic that as he probed, Willian was not even in the Chelsea squad. The Brazilian's start at Stamford Bridge has been inauspicious to say the least.
Eriksen slipped away from Frank Lampard and he pinged the ball to Soldado, who ignored a call from Terry for something or other to lay-off first-time for Gylfi Sigurdsson. Terry got his appealing arm down and stretched to tackle Sigurdsson but he was too late and the midfielder wriggled away from him to squeeze a left-footed shot past the advancing Petr Cech. "You're not special any more," shouted the home crowd at Mourinho.
It was a gripping game, heavy on technical quality and latent menace from the creative players. Andros Townsend continued to justify his selection ahead of the £30m record signing Erik Lamela with some fearless and direct running, although he blotted his copybook with a blatant dive following Lampard's challenge that saw him booked. Rui Faria, the Chelsea fitness coach, was seen to urge Mike Dean to act by waving an imaginary card.
Eriksen and Paulinho were also eye-catching in the first half while for Chelsea, Eden Hazard was slick and threatening. Hazard robbed Kyle Walker and had his shot blocked by Vertonghen while Oscar volleyed low at Hugo Lloris and Terry headed wastefully off-target from Ramires' cross.
Tottenham had their moments in the first half. Paulinho was only denied by Branislav Ivanovic's last-ditch intervention on Soldado's cross while, after Walker's wonderful flick and Townsend's incision, Paulinho lifted a shot past Cech that clipped the outside of the near post.
Mourinho introduced Juan Mata at half-time on the left but it was Torres who crackled to life, showcasing the explosive side to his game. He was unplayable at times. Torres beat Vertonghen and his cross narrowly eluded Oscar at the far post while he also took Michael Dawson apart only to be thwarted by Lloris's block.
It was not all good from Torres. After he felt that Vertonghen had made the most of a slight trip, he put his hand to the defender's face and scratched him. Torres was booked. It was a spiteful act. The pair continued to bicker and Dean had to step in. Vertonghen would also see yellow for a scything late challenge on Ramires.
Chelsea called the tune after the interval, as Mourinho shuffled his options and his players raised their levels. They looked the more threatening team and the equaliser had been advertised. It came when Mata clipped in a free-kick from a central area and Terry muscled into space to glance past Lloris. He celebrated with feeling in front of the Tottenham fans and who could blame him? The catcalls in his direction had been remorseless.
Ramires was excellent when switched into midfield in the second half and as the minutes ticked by, Chelsea looked like the only team who might win.
Torres released the substitute André Schürrle and he was thwarted by Lloris.
The pendulum, though, swung again when Torres incurred his second yellow card. He was unfortunate. Although he seemed to lead with his arm in the challenge with Vertonghen, the contact was minimal. Perhaps the aggressive posture had influenced Dean or maybe karma was at work for the earlier scratch. Torres looked stunned; he took an age to leave the field. Mourinho raged.
Back came Tottenham. The excellent Mousa Dembélé released the substitute Jermain Defoe, who forced Cech to save while Sigurdsson took a touch and thumped a shot just wide of the far post. The rivals punched each other to a standstill. It was impossible to separate them.
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