Chelsea fails to keep up pressure
LONDON: Chelsea lost ground in the Premier League title race as Avram Grant's side blew the lead three times in a dramatic 4-4 draw at Tottenham on Wednesday.
The Blues had only themselves to blame for failing to keep pace with leader Manchester United after leading 3-1 and then 4-3 with five minutes to play in one of the games of the season at White Hart Lane.
Didier Drogba opened the scoring early on only for Jonathan Woodgate to equalize. Michael Essien and Joe Cole put Chelsea in charge but Dimitar Berbatov and Tom Huddlestone leveled for Spurs. Cole's second goal looked to have won it but there was a sting in the tail when Robbie Keane equalized two minutes from time.
Instead of sitting level with Arsenal and within touching distance of United, Grant's team is now five points off top-spot and two behind Arsenal, which they face on Sunday. This could be the night Chelsea regrets most if it doesn't reclaim the title.
Grant said: "It's very disapponting. One of our stengths is we defend well against corners and free-kicks, but in the last two games Spurs scored five goals from set pieces. I don't know how to explain this.
"We wanted three points but we are still in the race and we will continue fighting like we did before."
Juande Ramos was more concerned with Ashley Cole's nasty tackle on Alan Hutton and the Spurs boss said: "In this case the referee decided it was a yellow card but we've seen tackles that were much less serious given red cards."
Memories of their League Cup final defeat to Spurs were still raw for Chelsea but the chance to maintain its pursuit of the title was more important than settling old scores.
It got the perfect start as Drogba opened the scoring after three minutes. John Terry was the unlikely provider as the Chelsea defender looped a perfect cross to the far post, where Drogba had space to direct his header back past Paul Robinson into the net.
It was an electrifying start by the Blues. Joe Cole had the ball in the net again moments later, but this time it didn't count as the England winger strayed offside before sliding in the rebound from Drogba's shot.
AFP
(China Daily 03/21/2008 page22)
