Goals from Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba secured a sixth successive win for Carlo Ancelotti in the Premier League and keeps Chelsea at the top of the league table.
The turning point of the game came at the beginning of the second half when referee Howard Webb waved away Robbie Keane’s penalty claim after the Irishman was brought down in the box by Ricardo Carvalho.
Ballack and Drogba scored immediately afterwards to add to Cole’s opener and left Harry Redknapp to wonder what might have been.
Drogba and Jose Bosingwa returned for Chelsea after missing their midweek win over Porto in the Champions League whilst Redknapp named Jermaine Jenas in midfield and gave Aaron Lennon a free role behind Jermain Defoe and Keane.
The game got off to a lively start when Bosingwa hit the bar with a spectacular shot from the edge of the area.
Tottenham should have taken the lead moments later when Wilson Palacios played through the in-form Defoe, but Petr Cech made a good save with his legs.
Tom Huddlestone also tested the Chelsea ’keeper with a low drive which Cech did well to parry wide after it came through a group of players on the edge of the box.
The game was end to end and Chelsea were the next to threaten with Frank Lampard heading Nicolas Anelka’s cross wide of the far post.
Ancelotti’s side began to dominate possession and were rewarded after the half-hour when Cole ghosted in behind Vedran Corluka to stoop low and head past Carlo Cudicini.
Tottenham were denied what looked a certain penalty after the break when Robbie Keane was clipped by Ricardo Carvalho.
And Tottenham’s sense of injustice was compounded a minute later when Ballack bundled in Chelsea’s second.
Cudicini saved well from Drogba’s shot but could only parry to Lampard who squared the ball for the German to slide in and score.
Drogba wrapped up the points moments later when he brought down Cole’s long ball and evaded challenges from Corluka and Cudicini to pass the ball into the net.
Peter Crouch replaced Defoe with 20 minutes to go but he failed to test Cech with a shot from 20-yards that flew over the bar.
Chelsea almost added a fourth when substitute Jon Obi Mikel’s shot squirmed under Cudicini, but the former Chelsea man managed force the ball round the post.
The game ended in somber fashion when Sebastien Bassong was stretchered off in a neck brace after falling awkwardly, and will cause Spurs major concern in defence after Ledley King limped off earlier in the game.
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