Spurs 1 Chelsea 1

Last updated : 22 December 2011 By Paul Lagan

Daniel Sturridge scored for the Blues to earn Chelsea a point against Spurs at White Hart Lane tonight.

The Chelsea hitman was on hand to volley home an Ashley Cole cross after the home side took an early lead through Emmanuel Adebayor.

All eyes at the start were on Chelsea skipper John Terry  and he was in action straight away within seconds giving the ball away, but on two minutes, brilliantly intercepting a shot by Gareth Bale, just inside the Chelsea penalty area.

The home side scored first real chance of the match on eight minutes.

Bale made a powerful run down the left, he crossed a low byline ball which Petr Cech missed and Emmanuel Adebayor snuck in, unchallenged and tapped the ball home from six yards out.

Chelsea should have levelled the scores on 10 minutes, Juan Mata let fly with a fine long range left footer. Brad Friedel failed to hold the ball and it squirmed out of his hands into the path of in-running Daniel Sturridge, but the striker lifted the ball over the bar.

Chelsea equalised on 22 minutes. The forward simply side-footed home into an empty net from close range following Ashley Cole’s fine byline cross.

The goal came against the run of play, with Spurs dominate in possession.

Didier Drogba produced a brilliant piece of individual flair, on 28 minutes - firstly chesting down a deep cross by Jose Bosingwa. The Ivory Coast striker then let fly a powerful left-footed half-volley which rattled Friedel’s left upright and went clear.

Chelsea was forced into making a substitution on 32 minutes when Branislav Ivanovic limped off to be replaced by Paulo Ferreira.

Adebayor had the final chance of the half, but his swinging left foot shot from the edge of the area was easily held by Cech

Chelsea stared the brighter of the two sides in the second half. A Drogba free kick, Raul Meireles and Ramires shots – all went over Friedel’s crossbar.

Friedel was forced into a smart block, preventing Ramires from slotting home on 53 minutes; this was quickly followed by the 40-year-old keeper grabbing a Terry header from a corner.

Spurs did put the ball in the net on 58 minutes but Adebayor was judged to be in an offside position before shouldering the ball into the net.

Sandro saw a header from a Modric corner, on 68 minutes inch just wide of Cech’s goal as the home side regained some initiative.

Sturridge brought out the best in Friedel on 73 minutes, when the American got down low to stop Sturridge’s left foot drive.

Fernando Torres entered the fray at the expense of Drogba on 77 minutes.

But the next chance fell to Spurs but Bale miscued a left footer with six minutes left on the clock.

Sandro then saw a mazy run end with a deflected shot which Cech, managed to scramble the ball clear. Ex-Chelsea defender William Gallas then had a half chance from close range but he could only send his volley wide.

Ramires then had a chance to win the game for the Blues but he managed somehow to head wide from an unchallenged position from eight yards out.

Romeu then saw his long-range effort zip past Friedel’s goal as both side went in search for the winner.

Terry was on hand to clear an Adebayor shot off the line deep into injury time as the home side ended on top, but it was a point apiece.

Teams:

Chelsea: 1 Petr Cech
17 Jose Bosingwa
2 Branislav Ivanovic
26 John Terry (c)
3 Ashley Cole
7 Ramires
12 John Mikel Obi
16 Raul Meireles
23 Daniel Sturridge
11 Didier Drogba
10 Juan Mata

Subs: 23 Ross Turnbull, 20 Paulo Ferreira, 6 Oriol Romeu, 8 Frank Lampard,15 Florent Malouda, 21 Salomon Kalou, 9 Fernando Torres.

Friedel; Walker, Gallas, King (c),Assou-Ekotto; Modric, Parker, Sandro, Bale; Van der Vaart; Adebayor.

Subs: Gomes, Bassong, Kaboul, Livermore, Rose, Kranjcar, Pavlyuchenko.

The referee is Howard Webb.