Premier League: Tottenham v Chelsea full-time report

Juan Mata takes on Spurs

Tottenham 2 Chelsea 4

Two goals in three minutes from Juan Mata ensured that Chelsea got one over former boss André Villas-Boas in their first match without the banned John Terry.

Gary Cahill was playing as a replacement for Terry – who served the first of his four-match racism ban – and the defender brilliantly volleyed Chelsea ahead in the first half, only for Spurs to turn the tables thanks to goals from William Gallas and Jermain Defoe in the early stages of the second period.

Mata then took over, and scored twice midway through the second half to restore Chelsea’s lead, before crossing for substitute Daniel Sturridge to seal victory in the final moments.

The attacking talents on both sides always made this a potentially spectacular return to domestic action following the international break, but Spurs were dealt the blow of losing Gareth Bale before kick-off when his partner went into labour. Nonetheless they started brightly, and Gallas skewed an effort wide after being found by Gylfi Sigurdsson’s free-kick.

Chelsea looked to have the greater quality going forward, and the Brazilian Oscar curled an effort wide. The Blues soon took the lead thanks to a player who plies his trade further back though.

That’s not to say that Cahill isn’t effective at the other end, and the England defender showed his eye for goal when Eden Hazard’s corner wasn’t cleared all too well by Gallas, and Cahill thumped the loose ball into the back of the net.

It was strike which saw the game burst into life, and Defoe forced Petr Čech into a save from distance before Sigurdsson dragged a shot wide.

Chelsea’s threat was always apparent though, and Mata should have doubled their lead shortly before half-time when he fired a shot at Brad Friedel. The Spaniard reacted quickest to the follow-up but could only blaze over.

There were few signs that a re-jigged Spurs side could mount the kind of spectacular response needed in the second half, but whatever Villas-Boas said at the break had a stunning effect on his current side against his old one, and the hosts stormed back to lead within 10 minutes.

It only took two minutes for them to draw level, as Tom Huddlestone’s free-kick found Jan Vertonghen at the back post, from where the Belgian was able to hook the ball back and watch as ex-Chelsea man Gallas bundled the ball over the line for his first Spurs goal.

Villas-Boas’s side had come out with all guns blazing, and as they pinned Chelsea back they soon took the lead when a scuffed effort across goal from Aaron Lennon was turned home by Defoe in trademark fashion for a 200th career goal.

White Hart Lane was in fervent, with the majority inside the ground delighted at the turnaround. Chelsea are nothing if not resilient though, and after both Ashley Cole and Torres were denied penalties following tumbles in the box, Mata took over.

There was only one direction that the ball was going when a half-clearance – again from Gallas – fell for the little Spaniard on the edge of the box, and Mata sent a laser guided effort through Spurs bodies and into the bottom corner for a fifth goal in five games. A sixth was mere seconds away.

This time Hazard played a key role, with the Belgian’s ball catching out Gallas and Kyle Walker and sending Mata one-on-one with Friedel before his finished with his left foot in front of ecstatic Chelsea supporters.

They still had over 20 minutes of an absorbing match to get through, but Mata almost made it easier with an effort that Friedel saved. At the other end, a resolute Chelsea back-line conceded a free-kick which Sigurdsson curled over.

Torres – who had dallied and missed a chance in between Mata’s goals – almost wrapped things up with a shot which bent wide late on, whilst Spurs nearly pinched a point in the dying moments when Walker’s shot from distance was turned wide by Čech.

Seconds later, Mata got clear after a Walker error to cross for late substitute Sturridge to seal the win with a tap in.

Mark Jones – follow me on Twitter

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