DIDIER Drogba (pictured) came off the bench to inspire Chelsea to a deserved share of the spoils at White Hart Lane – but had an injury time penalty saved as the Blues again missed out on their win bonuses.

The striker – omitted from the starting XI as he copes with the after-affects of a bout of malaria - out-muscled Michael Dawson as he latched on to a long punt from Petr Cech and fired a shot that Spurs stopper Heurelho Gomes could only palm above him into the net.

That goal looked like it might be the springboard for a much-needed win, but Chelsea did not quite summon up the devil in the final third of the pitch.

Even so, it was a much improved display from the Blues and should still have ended in a win. When Ramires was taken out by Gomes in the six yard box, Drogba stepped up to apply the coup de grace – only for the Spurs keeper to atone with a dive to his left to keep out the spot-kick.

Gomes' error for the equaliser was the stroke of luck the Blues badly needed as they sought to improve on a run of only one win in six Premier League games – their worst run for the best part of a decade.

Chelsea fans used to sing gleefully about games at White Hart Lane being no more than a training session for their team. But gone for now, it would seem, are the days when they could phone in for the three points.

But they showed plenty of spirit and dominated large chunks of their latest visit to north London when they found themselves chasing the game after Roman Pavlyuchenko had side-stepped John Terry to drive a sweet left footer inside Petr Cech's right hand post.

The game was barely a quarter of an hour old when Spurs took the lead and already the signs were not especially encouraging.

The cause was not helped by the fact Drogba started on the bench. But thankfully, he was well enough to come on at the start of the second half in place of John Obi Mikel.

To their credit, Chelsea regained the initiative by keeping the ball well, with Salomon Kalou getting on the end of a couple of the Blues better moves – albeit with headers that caused no threat to the home side.

Chelsea's lack of penetration was almost punished immediately at the start of the second half when Jermain Defoe's grass-cutter skimmed just wide of a post.

One of the biggest cheers of the afternoon for Blues fans came with the 78 th minute appearance of Frank Lampard after a frustratingly long lay-off. Unquestionably Carlo Ancelotti's men have suffered from his absence.