TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR SHOCKS CHELSEA

Chelsea entered the weekend seeming to be in complete control of the English Premier League title.  They ended the weekend holding on to a precarious one point margin over a resurgent Manchester United team after they were dominated by host Tottenham Hotspur en route to a 2-1 loss.  The result, combined with Manchester United’s last second win over Manchester City completely altered the dynamics of the Premiership championship battle.

Tottenham Hotspur had been installed as a +340 soccer betting underdog, so their victory provided their backers with a healthy profit.  Chelsea had been a -105 wagering choice to earn the victory, with the draw priced at +275.  The 3 combined goals went OVER the posted total of 2’ OV -120.  Chelsea entered the contest with the best away record in the Premier League, having won 9 against 4 losses and 4 draws on enemy territory this year.

The losses was also another personal setback for Chelsea’s much maligned defender John Terry.  Terry has received the bulk of the blame for his team’s recent defensive liabilities, and his performance against Tottenham may have been his most forgettable of the season.  His horrible outing began when he was called for a hand ball in the penalty area at the 15 minute mark.  The resulting penalty kick was taken by Jermain Defoe who easily converted to give his team a 1-0 advantage.  Terry would then get into a shouting match with a fan at halftime before being sent off at the 67 minute mark following his second booking of the game.

In the meantime, Tottenham Hotspur had extended their lead to 2-0 on Gareth Bale’s goal right before halftime.  Chelsea never seriously threatened after that despite holding a significant time of possession advantage.  Curiously, Chelsea held a 61% to 39% edge in possession but were badly outshot by Tottenham, who held a 23 to 13 shots advantage.  Chelsea’s tentative and cautious play despite being on the wrong in of a two goal deficit in the second half will be the subject of much derision and second guessing by their supporters over the coming week.  The Blues were able to avoid the clean sheet when Frank Lampard scored in stoppage time, but the outcome of the game was in little doubt after halftime.

Chelsea team manager Carlo Ancelotti tried to keep up a brave front in his postgame comments:

"The title is still in our hands, we don't have to be afraid, we just have to look to the next game against Stoke. I don't think the players were nervous, we knew how important this game was. We didn't do so good but Tottenham played very well, at the same level as they did against Arsenal. We were a little bit down, but this is football.''

Chelsea will play at home against Stoke City next weekend with an away game against Liverpool the following Sunday.  Tottenham Hotspur will face another of the Premier League leaders in their next game, traveling to Old Trafford to face Manchester United before returning home the following week to host the Bolton Wanderers.