In the second part of today’s Pre-Match Briefing, club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton recall the past and look to the immediate future…
Chelsea and Tottenham meet tonight for the 138th time in the league and 50th in the Premier League. Spurs have won four of the 49 matches since 1992/93, all of them at White Hart Lane over the past decade. Eighteen have been drawn.
IgbereTv unveils that Blues have won 26 Premier League games and scored more Premier League goals (92) against the Cockerels than any other opponent. However, the west Londoners have won only one of our 10 most recent Premier League meetings at a stadium Blues fans once dubbed ‘Three Point Lane.’
Four of those visits have ended in draws, but in October 2012 Roberto Di Matteo tasted success against a Lilywhites side managed by former Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas.
The league leaders led at half-time thanks to a thumping volley from Gary Cahill after a weak clearing header by former Blue William Gallas.
Poor in the first half and lucky not to be further behind, the hosts rallied after the break and Gallas made amends for his earlier error by equalising from close range with a header.
When Jermain Defoe dispatched Aaron Lennon’s through-ball it seemed like it might not be west London’s day. Two goals in four minutes from man-of-the-match Juan Mata turn the tables again.
Gallas could have done better in both instances, the first a poor clearance from which Chelsea’s Spaniard delivered the maximum punishment, and on the second he was dozing as Eden Hazard set Mata up to beat Brad Friedel.
Travelling fans crowed ‘That’s why we’re champions’ (of Europe and the FA Cup rather than the league, of course) and the home stands had started emptying long before Daniel Sturridge delivered the stoppage time coup de grace that made it 4-2. You may enjoy Cahill’s volley again below.
BLUE NOTE
Goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was controversially sent off in the FA Cup tie of 4 January 2003 by referee Mark Halsey, despite being bundled into the net by Middlesbrough’s Dean Windass. Ed de Goey came on as sub – his last appearance for the club – and the Blues won 1-0.
