Blues see off Spurs

Chelsea take all three points at the Bridge as Lampard gets one over former boss Jose Mourinho

Frank Lampard enjoys his victory over London rivals Spurs

TRUTH IS neither team really impressed in this London derby between Chelsea and Spurs at Stamford Bridge, but the Blues took all three points in a 2-1 victory over their former manager Jose Mourinho’s team.

Ironically, the deadlock was broken after 15 minutes when Olivier Giroud, a Tottenham January transfer target who was denied to chance to move to the north London club by his present employers, latched onto a through ball and duly dispatched his left footed effort past Hugo Loris.

Just six minutes earlier Lucas Moura had seen a low drive to the bottom corner saved by Willy Caballero but the visitors inability to be really effective in the last third of the pitch was evident from the beginning of the game as their efforts were thwarted by their lack of genuine fire power up top.

The striker situation at Tottenham is going to be their Achilles heel until the end of the season, Mourinho knows this and it was no surprise to see him start the game with Steven Bergwijn and Moura rotating up top, trying something different with what he has available. Chelsea too mixed things up a bit with their selection.

Tammy Abraham started on the bench as he works his way back to full fitness, while Marcos Alonso, Ross Barkley and Mason Mount all got the nod from boss Frank Lampard to be included in the starting eleven. It was an inspired decision as three minutes after the break the three players linked up to create a wonderful opening for Alonso who finished with a beautiful connection to drive the ball past Loris making it two-nil.

The game at that point was done.

Although Chelsea switched off somewhat towards the end of the second half which allowed their opponents to pull one back through a Erik Lamela shot which deflected in off Antonio Rudiger, Lampard said he was happy with the execution of the plan he set before the game.

“The performance levels of the team, the attitude of the team, I can’t ask for any more. Maybe another goal or so to put it to bed earlier, but it was everything we asked for.

“It’s been a tough period for us at home, we know that. The last couple of days have been spent for me and the lads finding a reason why. I can’t keep saying we’re playing well and lose games, that doesn’t work.

“We had to find a reason why and a lot of it was mentality in both boxes and focus at every moment of the game and they gave me everything today.”

Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho looks on during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge, London.

Mourinho repeated his assessment of the clubs current situation saying the last three months of the season are going to be very difficult.

“With what we have at the moment, the power that we have or don’t have, with the situation that live in this moment which is almost unique, it is very difficult to prepare especially when the opponent scores before us. It’s as simple as that.

“If the press us high, they know that if we go long, we don’t win one single ball. If the defend with a low block they know that it is very difficult for us to get into that box especially from the sides.

“So opponents they know, if they score a goal before us we are in trouble.

“I’m proud of the boys, they fought until the last second for the result and I cannot ask more from them especially people like Lucas, Celso and Bergwijn, these boys that are playing every minute and trying to do miracles in positions that are not their positions. I cannot complain.

“Again I repeat and I think I am going to be repetitive but I would like it to be the first of July, I would love to be in pre season, I would love to be with Harry Kane, with Sissoko, with Sonny, but that’s not possible and I have three long months to go, in three competitions, it’s going to be three long months for us but I think these boys will learn a lot.

“They will learn about resilience, they will learn about effort, they will learn about going to the limit, so I think it will be a very difficult experience for the boys but a good experience for the future.”

Tottenham have won just one of their past 34 away games against Chelsea in all competitions so the result isn’t that much of a surprise.

However, given the win separates the teams, who sit in fourth and fifth respectively, by four points Spurs will rue the missed opportunity to leapfrog Chelsea in the table a result that, with all of their troubles, would have continued their fairly positive league momentum since their manager took the helm.

That said, it is Lampard who can take huge stock from this win. You have to go back a long way to find the last time a Mourinho team was beaten home and away. A feather in the young managers cap if ever there was one.

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