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CL
Premier League
May 8, 2013 at 7.45pm UK
 
SL

2-2

Ramires (39'), Oscar (11')
FT(HT: 2-1)
Adebayor (26'), Sigurdsson (80')

Live Commentary: Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur - Spurs bias - as it happened

:Headline: Live Commentary: Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur - Spurs bias - as it happened: ID:83432: from db_amp
Find out how Tottenham Hotspur secured a 2-2 draw at Chelsea with our Spurs-based text updates.

Tottenham Hotspur made the trip to Chelsea this evening with the qualification places for next season's Champions League still in the balance.

The home side twice went in front through Oscar and Ramires, but they were pegged back on both occasions courtesy of goals from Emmanuel Adebayor and Gylfi Sigurdsson.

You can find out how the match unfolded with our Spurs-related updates below.

The waiting is over Spurs fans - it's the one we've been biting those nails about for a few days now. Nothing but a win against that mob from Stamford Bridge will do.
If there are any Chelsea supporters lurking on here, you are in the wrong place. However, don't fear, because Sports Mole's very own Pascal Lemesre is eager for your boys to win tonight. He's covering the game here.
And for those of you just after a decent game of football without caring one bit who wins, we've also catered for you. Barney Corkhill is available here to guide you through the 90 minutes with some neutral live commentary.
Right, enough of the pleasantries because I've just seen our starting lineup. Emmanuel Adebayor?! Ahead of Jermain. What is AVB thinking? Does he not want to score a goal tonight?
OUR XI: Lloris; Walker, Dawson, Vertonghen, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Huddlestone, Parker, Holtby, Bale; Adebayor
I just cannot get my head around the fact that Adebayor is starting! The bloke has scored six goals all season. Six! That midfield is a little worrying as well. Tom Huddlestone, Scott Parker and Lewis Holtby is not the most mobile or creative. God! Do we have to play this match?!
CHELSEA XI: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Cahill, Cole; Ramires, David Luiz; Oscar, Mata, Hazard; Torres
It's a real shame that the carthorse that is John Terry isn't playing for them. I'd fancy our chances much more with him in their defence. As it is, unfortunately Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill are pretty solid. Fernando Torres starts though so they shouldn't be scoring either! Adebayor and Torres on the same pitch. Dear oh dear.
Don't you just love Sky Sports? They've just treated us to a lovely video montage of all the whippings we have had at the Bridge in recent years. Like we really needed to see that before this! It's hardly got the confidence flowing - let's hope that the players haven't got it on in the dressing room!
This bench of ours is also not inspiring me: Friedel, Caulker, Naughton, Carroll, Dempsey, Sigurdsson, Defoe - I suppose Jermain is always good for a goal. Why isn't he starting? I'd like to make a case for Dempsey and Siggy as well, but I can't. Neither has set the world alight, have they?
For those that are interested, here is who has made the Chelsea bench: Turnbull, Terry, Lampard, Ake, Moses, Benayoun, Ba
Our skipper Michael Dawson has just been talking to Sky Sports News. Here's a snippet of what Daws had to say: "If we win our last three games we are in the Champions League. It's as simple as that.

"We haven't won here in a long time but we won at Old Trafford this season and there's now reason why we can't do that again."

For all my moaning so far (largely about Adebayor playing), one thing that I am glad of is Lampard isn't playing. Yes he's a great player - blah blah blah - but he shouldn't get that Chelsea goalscoring record against us. That would be a nightmare and the media fuss would be unbearable. He needs two more goals - not tonight please Frank.
Right, let's cheer ourselves up with a trip down memory lane. No matter what Spurs fans, we will always have this day to look back on:

Meanwhile, over on our Chelsea-biased commentary, Pascal reckons that they are going to mark Bale out of the game. Is he serious? Has he not seen Gareth play this year? He's player of the season!
Especially that clown Luiz - he's got no chance against Bale. He might be great going forward, but he's shown so many times that he is poor defensively. That is going to be our best chance of winning the game - Bale getting free from him.
Journalist John Cross on Twitter: "How fit is Gareth Bale? We're about to find out. Is he nursing that ankle? Has looked it a bit to me, no matter the quality of his goals." You'd never guess that Crossy is an Arsenal fan, would you?!
Right, the players are out and the handshakes are down - always found them pointless. Those Chelsea fans still persist in singing 'Champions of Europe, we know what we are'. Not for much longer boys, that's for sure.
GAME ON! Chelsea get us started at the Bridge. We are attacking from left to right in the first half. Come on you Spurs!!
It's noisy inside the Bridge today. Well, I suppose we are in town, aren't we?! It's the only time you ever really hear their lot singing! Unless they are slagging off Benitez that is. Meanwhile, on the pitch, Juan Mata is flagged offside, despite being onside. That's a shame!
Torres is down after a battle in the air with 'Big Daws'. What a header that was from our skipper. Get up Torres for crying out loud, this is a man's game!
CHANCE! Wakey, wakey you Spurs boys. You can't give Mata three yards of space just outside the area. It's Kyle Walker who stands off him, but luckily he fires over the crossbar. Got to get closer Kyle because Mata's class cannot be disputed.
How an earth can the ref give that? He's blown up for a foul against Huddy when he clearly didn't see it! He only sees Hazard hit the deck dramatically and blows up for a free kick just inside our half. That's so poor - there's two teams in this match referee!
GOAL! Chelsea 1-0 Spurs (Oscar)
Typical, just typical! From that free kick that should never have been given, Chelsea win a corner. Yes the defending is poor as Cahill flicks the ball on for Oscar, who heads in from close range, but it would never have come about had Dean not awarded that shocking free kick. Come on referee, sort it out.
I tell you what, that goal really makes you wonder what our boys are up to in training every day. They can't even mark a player! Cahill gets a free header - he's good in the air - surely that should have been identified?! Then Parker falls asleep at the back post and allows Oscar to nod it in - he was never going to miss from there. Mata's just had another chance, but again it goes over. We really need to wake up or this will be over soon.
Those amusing Chelsea fans are now singing "One player, you've only got one player." Let's show them we're more than not by getting Lennon on the ball a bit more. Azza will get the better of Cole if he is given enough chances.
What is the point of that Luiz? He's tried a shot with a free kick from around 40 yards out. It's hit our wall. Pointless. He should be booked for wasting everyone's time!
Get in Daws - that's fantastic defending. Hazard has just smacked one from 25 yards out and the skipper sticks his face in the way. That's taking one for the team. What's even better is the fact he gets straight up - none of this rolling around we've seen from Torres twice tonight.
PICK THAT OUT! GOAL! Chelsea 1-1 Spurs (Adebayor)
I've always rated that lad Adebayor! Haha. In all seriousness though, what a goal that is. He carries the ball from just inside their half and the likes of Cahill back off. Silly mistake because Ade has it in his locker to curl the ball into the top corner of the net from the edge of the area. It's all gone a little quiet down at the Bridge - shame!
It's all turned a little bit sour over on our Chelsea comm, where that goal has been described as a "fluke". Ade has also been described as a "donkey" and although there are no arguments about that, a "fluke" it was not!
We've also recruited a new fan tonight. Stuart Broad, who recently spent time doing sponsorship work with Daws, has just tweeted: "Only 1 team I'm supporting tonight! @SpursOfficial." A picture of him with the skipper is attached. Good lad Broady!
Bale has just moved over to the right hand side and gets some joy instantly. A scared Cole dives in and Bale skips beyond him and into the area. His shot is well blocked by Cahill to be fair, but that is encouraging.
CHANCE! Oh Ade, Ade, Ade - you should be burying that one. It's a great raking pass from Jan at the back and Ade catches Cole sleeping. It looks an easy volley, but he fires well over the bar. Get at Cole though, he's having a bit of mare. Are his best days behind him? I think so!
GOAL! Chelsea 2-1 Spurs (Ramires)
I've seen milk turn quicker than Scotty Parker, I really have. He's left trailing as Ramires bursts through and Daws can't get there as the Chelsea midfielder pokes the ball beyond Hugo in goal. Parker is far too slow - oh how Sandro's injury is haunting us.
CHANCE! Decent response from our boys as Ade and Kyle exchange passes on the edge of the area. The ball drops to Walks's weaker left foot though and his shot skids wide of the target. Disappointing, but positive at the same time.
Two minutes of stoppage time. Would be lovely to snatch one before the break.
HALF-TIME: Chelsea 2-1 Spurs
Well a combination of some shoddy defending and poor refereeing is the reason behind that scoreline. I still cannot see how Dean has given a free kick there. Replays show quite clearly that he didn't witness the incident and there was no flag from his assistant.
Having said that, Scotty P in particular has cost us both goals. He simply wasn't with it for the first goal and then his distinct lack of speed was the major contributor behind the second one. He made Gareth Barry look like Usain Bolt! Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.
Over on Chelsea comm, Pascal has taken to quoting Stan Collymore - have things become that bad?
Meanwhile, on our neutral offering with Barney, a little bit more sense is being spoken: "Tottenham fans haven't had much to cheer. Their goal came against the run of play and they haven't tested Cech since. Chelsea have been the better side so far and deserve their lead at the break," he says. I'd really like to disagree, but I can't.
Got to say, I've just had a quick scan of the league table and I'd take a draw now. Yes that leaves us in fifth and a point behind Arsenal, but they still have to play Wigan and Newcastle - two sides scrapping for their lives. That won't be easy.
Right, we are back underway. We're attacking our own fans this half - let's give them something to cheer about.
We've just seen shots of Defoe sitting on the bench. Get him up AVB and get him doing a warm-up. We need a goal and there are not many better in the Premier League than our number 18 and digging one out of nowhere.
A BOLD statement by Pascal over on Chelsea comm. Talking about Bale, he's used the words "little to fear". Yes Gareth has been quiet, but as we've so often recently, that could come back to bite Mr Lemesre on the backside.
Got to say, I'm fearing the worst right now. We've not started this second half at all well. Things need to change. AVB wasn't shy about using his bench against Man City a few weeks back and he has to do the same here. Get Defoe and Siggy on.
Eden Hazard - Team of the Year? Are you sure? He's just been presented with the chance to score a third for them, but shows technique you wouldn't expect from a 10-year-old. He leans back 10 yards from goal and it goes about the same distance over the bar.
We should be out of this game. Our defence is all at sea as Chelsea break. Mata squares it for Ramires, who is all alone. Just when it look as though he is going to put them 3-1 up, he falls flat on his face. Like Bambi on ice! You've got to laugh. Meanwhile, our first sub sees Siggy come on for Lennon.
There could well be a sniper in the crowd. That has to be the only explanation for Hazard just dropping to the floor. Holtby goes to put in a challenge, but barely touches him. Still, he rolls around the floor as if he's been shot. Embarrassing.
SPURS SUB: Where is Defoe? Sat on the bench still, that's where! It's Dempsey who comes on - he's replaced the disappointing Holtby. Having started his career well at the Lane, the German has lost his way a little bit.
CHELSEA SUB: Off goes the diver, sorry Hazard. He must be struggling from all those kicks he's had, poor lamb. He is replaced by Victor Moses.
To be fair to Dempsey, his introduction has changed things. We now look a bit more of a threat - their defence has two players to mark for a start! The American has just had a drilled shot diverted over the bar by Ivanovic. Positive signs, hopefully.
BOOKING! Yet another poor decision from Dean. Jan clearly whips the ball away from Torres - that's a fantastic challenge. A free kick is rewarded and to rub more salt in the word, our defender is booked. That's madness.
YES! GOAL! Chelsea 2-2 Spurs (Sigurdsson)
We are not done yet, not by a long chalk! He's done very little all game and yet Ade has a goal and an assist to his name. It's his flick that releases Siggy inside the area and the man from Iceland keeps his cool to neatly finish from 12 yards out. You're not stopping that Mr Cech.
CHELSEA SUB: Lovely to hear boos ring out as Oscar is replaced and on his place comes Yossi Benayoun. What is Benitez playing at? He's got Lampard sitting on the bench! Still, I'm not complaining.
BOOKING! It's yellow for Bale as he mistimes a slide tackle on Ramires. I think that's called 'taking one for the team' because Ramires was racing through there.
Four minutes of stoppage - let's go and win this...
More positive stuff from Dempsey. He drives into the Chelsea box, but drills a shot straight at Cech. But now we have a free kick 25 yards from goal. Surely Bale will hit this...
...but the ball flies straight into Cech's hand. Disappointing.
FULL TIME: Chelsea 2-2 Spurs
So, it's no longer in our hands where the Champions League is concerned. Still, that's the pressure now on Arsenal. Bring on the glamour of Stoke away on Sunday!
That's all we have time for from West London. Thanks for joining our Spurs-related coverage this evening. Until next time, goodbye.

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