Honours even at White Hart Lane

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FIFA World Cup™TournamentsWorld FootballFIFA Ranking Search FIFA.comSearch the webENFRESDEPTعربيNews CentreThe ClubAbout FIFAFIFA Ballon d'OrAssociations Login Remember me on this computer Forgot your password?RegisterMy Games Club HouseMessagesCommentsFriendsFootballGamesEditLog out My nameFifacom2LoginModule.init(false, 'http://www.fifa.com');try{wAnalytics.sponsor.setHeaderSponsor("google");}catch(e){} $j('#fifacom2_lev00menu, #fifacom2_lev01menu').currMenuItem({lev0:true}); National TeamsClub FootballFIFA/Coca-Cola World RankingStatisticsLaws of the Game var newsTitleString = "Honours even at White Hart Lane"; Honours even at White Hart Lane(PA) Thursday 22 December 2011 Printvar newsTitleString = "Honours even at White Hart Lane"; Email my friend Share Chelsea waste a glut of chances to win a thrilling London derby at Tottenham Hotspur tonight as both sides' Premier League title hopes suffered a massive blow. 
 
It was almost the worst possible start for the visitors, with Gareth Bale taking less than two minutes to produce a trademark surge, ghosting past four defenders before shooting too close to Petr Cech. 
 
But Cech produced another howler - as he did at Wigan Athletic on Saturday - to allow Bale set up a deserved opener for Tottenham six minutes later. 
 
Sandro robbed Daniel Sturridge in midfield and fed Bale, who burst down the left and sent in a low cross which Cech completely missed, allowing Emmanuel Adebayor to bundle home. 
 
Sturridge wasted a great chance at a quick equaliser when he blazed over after Brad Friedel parried Juan Mata's 20-yarder but Bale was soon at full gallop again, with Branislav Ivanovic booked for knocking him over on the edge of the box. 
 
However, Chelsea soon celebrated a controversial 23rd-minute equaliser, with Sturridge arriving to turn in Ashley Cole's low cross, delivered after Rafael van der Vaart had diverted the ball against the full-back's hand. 
 
Spurs' ferocious pace suddenly dipped as Chelsea took control and they could have easily been in front six minutes later when Drogba - who survived a scare in the warm-up to start - smashed Jose Bosingwa's cross against the angle of post and crossbar. 
 
A draw was of little use to either side's title hopes, with Chelsea 12 points behind leaders Manchester City and Tottenham only two better off, albeit with another game in hand. 
 
Spurs sent on Roman Pavlyuchenko for Van der Vaart during the interval but it was Chelsea who had the first sniff in the second half, Drogba mistiming his header from Mata's corner. 
 
The visitors were being let down by some wayward long-range shooting as they continued to press and Sturridge glanced a difficult header wide. 
 
Friedel saved a glorious one-on-one chance with Ramires after the midfielder was put clean through by Drogba and Terry sent a free header straight at the goalkeeper before Luka Modric clipped in a free-kick, which Adebayor shouldered into the net from William Gallas' flick-on. 
 
Victory was there for the taking and Sturridge pounced on King's loose clearance to fire in a shot Friedel failed to hold. 
 
Bale blazed over following a lovely exchange between Modric and Pavlyuchenko, Cech was at full stretch to claw away a deflected Sandro drive and Gallas slid Bale's cross inches wide. 
 
Ramires missed another sitter three minutes from time when he headed Mata's free-kick off target from eight yards with no defender in sight. 
 
Ramires saw another shot blocked and drove just wide, while Chelsea were almost made to pay for their wastefulness in stoppage-time when Bale drew their entire defence and fed Adebayor, with Cech producing a brilliant fingertip save.

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