In-form Sigurdsson cements starting spot
With the influx of new talent at
Tottenham
Hotspur this summer, Gylfi Sigurdsson’s future at White Hart Lane
appeared far from secure. But the Iceland international has forced his
way into
André Villas-Boas’ first-team and has become a central part of their recent run. The 24-year-old scored a double in Tottenham’s 2-0 victory over
Norwich City
last weekend and continued his goal-scoring run against the Blues.
Christian Eriksen, who is showing signs of a blossoming partnership with
his Baltic colleague, picked up the ball in midfield and darted past
Frank Lampard. The Dane fed the ball into Roberto Soldado’s feet and the
Spaniard picked out Sigurdsson’s superb run as the midfielder finished
past Petr Cech. Tottenham’s opener bore similarities to Sigurdsson’s
first goal against the Canaries last week which saw Eriksen pick out
another late burst into the area by the Icelandic man. If Sigurdsson
continues his run of form, Villas-Boas will find it hard to justify his
omission in favour of club-record signing Erik Lamela.
Torres undoes star performance with red card
Fernando Torres was handed a rare start ahead of Samuel Eto’o at White Hart Lane as
Chelsea adopted a more direct approach. In a throwback to
José Mourinho’s
first reign at Chelsea, the Blues were content to pump long balls up to
Torres as the Spaniard was tasked with bringing team-mates into the
game. In the first half, the 29-year-old was left largely isolated
against Michael Dawson and Jan Vertonghen as
Eden Hazard,
Oscar and Ramires struggled to support their striker. Chelsea persisted
with the long-ball routine after half-time but Torres started to have
some joy. The former
Liverpool
striker produced a 48th-minute burst down the right wing past two Spurs
defenders before producing a low cross for Oscar – but the Brazilian
screwed his effort wide. Minutes later and Torres was at his direct best
again as the Blues forward drifted past two challenges and drew a
top-class save from Hugo Lloris. He showed his prickly side, too, as he
clashed with Jan Vertonghen. He was fortunate to escape a red card when
he scratched at the Belgian’s face, picking up a caution, before he was
harshly issued with his marching orders for an aerial challenge. It was a
disappointing end to an otherwise outstanding performance.
Mata comes to Chelsea’s rescue
Much of the pre-match focus was on Mourinho’s treatment of
Juan Mata,
and true to form, the Spaniard was on the benched for the London derby.
But a hazardous first-half performance from some of Chelsea’s seniors
such as Branislav Ivanovic, Frank Lampard and John Obi Mikel, forced
Mourinho into a half-time change. Mata replaced the Nigerian midfielder
and the move paid dividends for the west London side. The 25-year-old
brought striker Torres to life as the pair combined to seemingly break
the deadlock before an offside flag was raised. In the first half,
Chelsea failed to make the most of set-piece opportunities against one
of Europe’s meanest defences. That changed after the interval as Mata
produced a series of dangerous deliveries – and it was from a free-kick
that the Blues conjured a leveller in the 65th minute. The Chelsea No10
manufactured a precise set-piece which found skipper
John Terry,
who could hardly miss a matter of yards for Tottenham’s goal. Whether
Mata’s done enough to earn a starting spot for Chelsea’s must-win
Champions League clash against Steaua Bucharest.
Mourinho and Villas-Boas stalemate
Villas-Boas admitted he was no longer friends with Mourinho ahead of
this clash despite working for the Portuguese coach at Porto, Chelsea
and Inter Milan until embarking on his management career. Meanwhile, the
Chelsea boss branded the 35-year-old a coward for his remarks ahead of
the derby. But there was no real winner at White Hart Lane. Spurs were
impressive in the first half and Eriksen, signed after the north London
side missed out on Willian, was the influential figure in midfield.
Trailing 1-0, Mourinho showed his tactical prowess to withdraw Mikel for
Mata and alter the momentum in the match. The former Valencia man made
Chelsea’s leveller and the visitors enjoyed a sustained period of
dominance until Torres’ 80th-minute sending off. Even then, Mourinho
acted swiftly to cement at least a point from the derby. There’s no
doubt Chelsea and Spurs are title contenders with the strength of their
respective squads, and we’ll have to wait until the return fixture at
Stamford Bridge to see who lands the first blow in the battle between
the master and his apprentice
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