Chelsea share the spoils in another Tottenham thriller

CHELSEA reached another significant staging post on their road to recovery after last month's horrors – refusing to bow to any negativity after shipping an early goal to claim a deserved draw.

The way they drew the sting out of Spurs after an unpromising start has to be further proof that they are not mere fodder for the top sides now. Momentum has been crucially maintained after the win against Man City.

The Blues had chances to win a pulsating derby – these two teams don't do dull. None was better than the one Ramires had four minutes from time when Juan Mata picked him out with a free-kick.

The Brazilian, unmarked from six yards, headed wide to slightly spoil what had been an outstanding performance from him. Sub Oriol Romeu also powered just wide in a frantic finale.

But Tottenham could easily have snatched it themselves – Petr Cech needing to grow extra inches to reach a Sandro effort that almost ballooned over him via the boot of Raul Meireles.

Then, John Terry got back behind Cech to block the clearest opening of all for Emmanuel Adebayor when Gareth Bale freed the striker with a pass that begged to be put away.

William Gallas also almost converted a Bale cross driven towards the near post.

In the event, a draw was probably right, with a 23rd minute strike from Daniel Sturridge (pictured) cancelling an opener from Adebayor.

Such was the quality of the entertainment that the booing of John Terry became incidental rather than central, which the Chelsea skipper will have been grateful for after a difficult 24 hours in light of the criminal charges he faces.

It took just eight minutes for Bale to make Chelsea regret those misleading pre-match bulletins about the Spurs midfielder's fitness.

After Sandro had dispossessed Sturridge on the Chelsea right, the Welshman outstripped Jose Bosingwa and sent in a low cross for Adebayor to prod home.

Terry, not quite close enough to stop the Togo striker, must have been praying it would not prove a bad omen on a day when he needed some good news to offset the news of those racism charges. It wasn't.

The Blues were level when Sturridge tapped in a low cross from Ashley Cole – the striker having already gone close with a shot over the bar after following up when keeper Brad Friedel parried a rasping 25-yarder from Mata.

Spurs argued Cole had used his hand in controlling a flick-on from Didier Drogba in the build-up to the goal, but the Blues played to the whistle as the home side hesitated.

Drogba, having switched from purple to lime green boots, almost made it 2-1 to Chelsea when he slipped away from his marker at the far post to superbly control a cross from Bosingwa on his chest and smash a drive that had the Tottenham woodwork shaking.

Drogba's appetite for the big occasion was in evidence again 10 minutes into the second half, when the Ivorian threaded a great ball through to Ramires during a bright start to the second half by the Blues. Only Fridel's experience denied the Brazilian a goal – the USA keeper smothering well.

Sandro glanced a Luka Modric corner just wide as Spurs picked up the pace, but the next minute, Kyle Walker was almost deflecting a Ramires cross into his own net and the outcome was never easy to predict.

The Blues' cause was not helped by two first half injuries.

Branislav Ivanovic departed after half an hour which forced a reshuffle – Paulo Ferreira coming on and Bosingwa being re-assigned to the centre of defence.

It was a scenario Andre Villas-Boas dreaded given the lack of options he has at the moment, with Alex no longer in the picture and David Luiz also out injured.

Just before the break, John Obi Mikel limped off to be replaced by Oriol Romeu, which had less obvious potential to harm their evening and in the event, neither was a factor. But the lack of options remains a worry.

Line-up: Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic (Ferreira 33), Terry, Cole; Sturridge, Ramires, Meireles, Mikel (Romeu 45), Mata; Drogba (Torres 77). Subs not used: Turnbull, Lampard, Malouda, Kalou.

Attendance: 36,141