The pretenders are all gone, the last one falling by the wayside today. Spurs came to Stamford Bridge where they had never won since 1990 with their only remit a victory, to keep a flicker of hope alive for the title. At the other end, Chelsea came in believing, as they should as power brokers. It would make for some high octane stuff, moments of scintillating football laced with industrial strength acidity between the two sides. Spurs energized by the occasion slaked their thirst for goals through the mastery of Christian Ericken finding Harry Kane and Hung Min Son, scoring before the end of the first half. The spectre of Leicester waiting till next weekend to have a shot at coronation loomed large.
Eden Hazard brought in for the ineffective Pedro served up a timely reminder that he has not fallen of the wagon completely. Chelsea rallied through Gary Cahill’s crashing shot off a corner before Hazard sent a dagger through the heart of Spurs with his beautifully curling equalizer in the 84th minute and Leicester’s pulses racing.
By now the match had devolved into a slug fest with Moussa Dembele trying to gouge out Diego Costa’s eyes following a coming together between Willian and Danny Rose. And Arsenal agent, Cesc Fabregas incensed with Erik Lamela’s stamp on his hand. Mauricio Pochettino was a maddened wolf darting from the sidelines into the pitch as the sides feuded with increasing rancour. Luckily, nothing like the “>Jeff van Gundy limbportation happened. Mark Clattenberg itching to be the prima donna in such situations had to mete out 12 yellow cards.
Chelsea had succeeded in stopping Spurs as they had set out to and it was an emotional Claudio Ranieri calling up Guus Hiddink to thank him. Where else will you find it except the topsy turvy world of football? A former Chelsea manager axed for not winning the title while at the club expressing his gratitude to an interim Chelsea manager tasked with leading his side to mid table respectability, for his assist in becoming champions at another club.
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