Source: Daily_Mail
Tottenham 1 Chelsea 0: Guus Hiddink knows the score but can't close the gap
The strains of Glory, Glory Tottenham Hotspur[LNB]broke out as the final whistle sounded at White Hart Lane, but down in the King's Road last night the old Ian Dury classic What a Waste might have been more appropriate.[LNB]With kick-off delayed for 30 minutes by a security scare outside the ground, Chelsea[LNB]began the game knowing that Manchester United were losing at Fulham, a defeat confirmed midway through the second half here. The carrot could hardly have been bigger.[LNB]Instead, there is merely stick for a lame and limp Chelsea who blew their big opportunity.[LNB][LNB][LNB] Mod rocker: Luka Modric fires Tottenham's winner[LNB] [LNB]Only belatedly did they stir themselves, with Spurs goalkeeperHeurelho Gomes proving himself a hero as the home side clung on to theoutstanding Luka Modric's goal from early in the second half.[LNB]Chelsea remain four points behind United when the gap could havebeen just one. 'If it is steamy in the kitchen, you have got to put outthe fire,' lamented the Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink.[LNB] CHELSEA NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]Portsmouth 2 Everton 1[LNB]Blackburn 1 West Ham 1[LNB]Tottenham v Chelsea: How the game unfolded[LNB]Fulham 2 Man United 0[LNB]Stoke 1 Middlesbrough 0[LNB]West Brom 1 Bolton 1[LNB]TOTTENHAM NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]Newcastle 1 Arsenal 3[LNB][LNB]'We talked at half-time about them coming at us in the first 10minutes and after that we could control the game. But it was sloppydefence to let them score their goal. Then the team woke up.'[LNB]But the wake-up call was from a recurring bad dream. It was thisvery week last year when they were held 4-4 by Spurs, after being 3-1up, and their title challenge began its list towards the rocks.[LNB][LNB] Tott man: Luka Modric celebrates after he scores against Chelsea[LNB]Their stumble this time around was all the more baffling, giventheir dominance over their north London rivals. They went into the gamehaving lost only once against them in 17 Premier League seasons. Inaddition, they had won all four league games since Hiddink replacedLuiz Felipe Scolari.[LNB]Chelsea met Spurs, though, at a bad time, with Harry Redknapp'smanagerial manoeuvres now beginning to pay off. They have lost onlyonce at home in 17 games under him, and have taken 14 points from theirlast six unbeaten games.[LNB]'Well-deserved,' was his verdict. 'They only got at us in the last15 minutes when they started launching it. We are playing as good asanybody in the country. We worked them hard and everybody stuck totheir job.'[LNB]The UEFA Cup - the Europa League next season - could even be atarget. 'You've got to fancy it,' said Redknapp. 'We've got to startlooking upwards now.'[LNB]Chelsea have not beaten a London club in the league this season and it was easy to see why in the first half.[LNB]They were slow to start and although Michael Essien, whose returnhas galvanised Chelsea, got in a low shot that Gomes saved well, ittook almost another half hour for the Tottenham goalkeeper to betroubled again, saving from Nicolas Anelka.[LNB]In between, a bubbly Tottenham created the better openings, with Robbie Keane looking especially bouncy.[LNB][LNB][LNB] FLAT OUT: Modric hails his winner against Chelsea[LNB]After Jermaine Jenas had sent a fierce shot just over the angle ofPetr Cech's post and crossbar, Keane forced a good save from thegoalkeeper with a powerful drive. The Irish striker should have donebetter, though, when set up by Vedran Corluka for a shot from the edgeof penalty area but hit it at Cech.[LNB]Surely Hiddink would instil more urgency into his side for thesecond half? Instead, it was Tottenham who showed greater eagerness andclaimed the lead. Aaron Lennon teased Ashley Cole out on the rightbefore sending in a low cross, which was met sweetly by Modric,sweeping the ball in from 12 yards past an uncharacteristically languidCech.[LNB]'Modric is a special footballer,' said Redknapp. 'And he's definitely not a lightweight. He's much stronger than that.'[LNB]Chelsea did improve with the arrival of Ricardo Quaresma. First hesupplied Frank Lampard for a header that Corluka blocked then, afterDrogba had seen a shot saved by Gomes, the Portuguese curled in anotherthat the goalkeeper clutched. The Brazilian did even better with a latesave from John Terry's pointblank header.[LNB]'I brought him from Brazil to PSV Eindhoven,' said Hiddink of Gomes.'It was the same there. In the first weeks he had a difficult time butI know that he is a great athlete and will save Tottenham points.'[LNB]Now Chelsea can only hope that theirs was an aberration, whileManchester United's almost unheardof consecutive defeats constitute aproper blip.[LNB]TOTTENHAM (4-4-2): Gomes; Corluka, Woodgate, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon (Zokora 90min), Palacios, Jenas, Modric (O'Hara 87); Bent, Keane.[LNB]Subs (not used): Cudicini, Bentley, Huddlestone, Pavlyuchenko, Dawson.[LNB]Booked: Palacios, Modric.[LNB]CHELSEA (4-4-2): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole; Belletti (Quaresma 61), Essien (Malouda 76), Lampard, Ballack; Drogba, Anelka.[LNB]Subs (not used): Hilario, Ivanovic, Di Santo, Kalou, Mancienne.[LNB]Booked: Belletti, Ballack.[LNB]Referee: M Dean (Wirral).[LNB] CHELSEA NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]Portsmouth 2 Everton 1[LNB]Blackburn 1 West Ham 1[LNB]Tottenham v Chelsea: How the game unfolded[LNB]Fulham 2 Man United 0[LNB]Stoke 1 Middlesbrough 0[LNB]West Brom 1 Bolton 1[LNB]TOTTENHAM NEWS FROM ACROSS THE WEB[LNB]Newcastle 1 Arsenal 3[LNB] [LNB]
