Chelsea capitalise on Spurs’ slip-ups

Chelsea went seven points clear at the top of the table and a 4-0 win looked comfortable enough but, in reality, Tottenham had held them with comparative ease until the 55th minute when a catalogue of individual errors began, writes Jonathan Wilson.

Eden Hazard scored Chelsea’s second goal on March 8, 2014 as they ran away from Tottenham. Mike Hewitt / Getty Images

Chelsea 4 Tottenham 0

Chelsea Eto'o 56', Hazard (pen) 60', Ba 89', 90'

Red card Younes Kaboul (Tottenham)

Man of the match Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

LONDON // There is something quite extraordinary about Tottenham Hotspur's capacity for shooting themselves in the foot.

Chelsea went seven points clear at the top of the table and a 4-0 win looked comfortable enough but, in reality, Tottenham had held them with comparative ease until the 55th minute when a catalogue of individual errors began.

Three of the goals came from slips and/or poor backpasses, the other from a needless foul that also resulted in a red card for Younes Kaboul. This was a masterclass in implosion.

Jose Mourinho had said before the game that his opposite number, Tim Sherwood, had a great chance to prove himself and, to that end, he selected a side so surprising it had Gary Lineker asking on Twitter whether the manager had simply drawn names from a hat.

The logic seemed to be to get as much physical heft in the side as possible, with Sandro coming in at the back of midfield, Kaboul playing in central defence and Jan Vertonghen going to left-back.

Most surprising, though, was the use of Kyle Walker on the right side of midfield, with Kyle Naughton at left-back. If the idea was to double up on Eden Hazard it was quickly thwarted as the Belgian started on the other side as Mourinho opted not for his usual 4-2-3-1 but a 4-3-3.

Twice early on Chelsea got in behind Spurs, the latter result in Hazard rounding Hugo Lloris only to shoot wide, but the efficacy of the plan soon became apparent.

Chelsea were frustrated and, every now and again, there was the semblance of a Tottenham threat on the break. So unsettled was Mourinho that he changed shape at half time, bringing on Oscar for Frank Lampard.

But all Tottenham’s good work was undone by a moment of misfortune 10 minutes into the second half as Vertonghen slipped. Under pressure, he tried to hook the ball back to his goalkeeper, but Samuel Eto’o – only playing because Fernando Torres injured his groin in the warm-up – pounced and finished with the clinical poise of old.

Eto’o celebrated by mocking the suggestion Mourinho had made last week that he is older than he claims to be, clutching the corner flag like a walking stick and pretending to hobble with it while holding his back.

Four minutes later it was two and Spurs could again think they had been unfortunate.

Perhaps Eto’o would have finished off Hazard’s cross, perhaps not, but Kaboul barged into the Cameroonian as he received the ball.

That it was a penalty was not in doubt; the red card shown to Kaboul, though, seemed harsh given how much Eto’o had still to do. Hazard calmly converted the penalty.

The self-destruction continued. Sandro slipped in attempting to clear an Oscar cross, allowing Demba Ba to score a third, and he had a fourth within two minutes when he seized on Walker’s long-range back-header, beat Lloris and rolled it home.

It was chaotic and, in the end, a little embarrassing for Spurs, but the truth is that this was a game they threw away rather than being outclassed.

Chelsea, meanwhile, implacable as ever, rumble on: impermeable as ever, always ready to capitalise on an individual error or a moment of brilliance from one of their array of creators.

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