LONDON, England --
Slowly, perhaps, Chelsea is getting its season back together. Successive wins over Norwich City and Maccabi Tel Aviv were telling of little other than how bad things had been before, but holding Tottenham to a 0-0 draw while projecting some attacking menace suggests that the basics are beginning to be re-established. This was a classic performance of a Jose Mourinho side under pressure, stifling the game and frustrating opponents, waiting for errors. That should be of significant encouragement at Stamford Bridge; nothing highlighted the ruptures at the club so much as the diminution of its capacity to defend.
For Spurs, who remain fifth, but are four points off the top, this perhaps reinforced the one doubt that remains as to whether it can mount a serious title challenge, and that is just how much attacking capacity it has. It remains very reliant for goals on Harry Kane. Son Heung-Min improved after the break but had a first half to forget, while Clinton N’Jie, promising as he is, is still raw.
In mitigation, Tottenham fans will point out, with some justification, that this was a Spurs side feeling the effects of a tough Europa League tie away to the Azerbaijani side Qarabag on Thursday night. Given eight of this side had played in Baku, perhaps it’s no great surprise that its edges were a little dulled. And Tottenham, for all it probably regarded this as a missed opportunity to land another blow on a struggling rival, can perhaps reflect that there have been few enough times over the past couple of decades when it has controlled possession against Chelsea.
There was intrigue with the announcement of the teams and the news that Diego Costa had been left on the bench. It’s true that he’s been out of sorts and out of shape all season, but given Chelsea has no other fit strikers, it seemed a major statement by Mourinho, particularly in light of the row he had with Costa as he left the pitch at half-time during Tuesday’s Champions League win away to Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Hazard, for all his qualities, cannot replicate what Costa does in terms of holding the ball up, even when his form is indifferent. Long balls forward from Chelsea were snaffled by Jan Vertonghen and Toby Alderweireld and, when Oscar sent over an inviting cross 20 minutes in, it was impossible not to wonder what an orthodox center-forward might have made of the chance; Hazard headed over.
That was part of a good spell for Chelsea in which Pedro, looking sharper than he had since his debut away at West Bromwich Albion, had a shot from the edge of the box deflected over. For the most part, though, Spurs were dominant, although lacking a little zest. In that regard the absence of the suspended Dele Alli perhaps compounded the Europa League weariness.
And Chelsea, in fairness, produced in the first half what was arguably its best 45 minutes of the season so far. Perhaps the renaissance really has begun this time. Certainly the appetite, energy and organisation was more akin to what would be expected of a Mourinho Chelsea team, lending credence to reports that there were reconciliatory talks between management and players after the 3-1 home defeat to Liverpool.
Kane, as ever, was at the heart of most of Tottenham’s best forward play. He drew a fumble from Asmir Begovic with a snap-shot after 18 minutes and then there was his cross that Son Heung-Min headed straight at the Bosnian goalkeeper after 27 minutes, a weak effort given how much space he had found behind Branislav Ivanovic and how much time he had as a consequence.
Moved from left to right in the second half, Son looked far more comfortable and it was a sign of how much less threatened Spurs had been after the break that when Ryan Mason succumbed to a knee injury 11 minutes in, he was replaced by Erik Lamela, Spurs switching shape from a tight 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1. Almost immediately, the Argentinian played a chipped return pass that almost set up a superb goal for Son, but his volley was held by Begovic.
Although Spurs probably felt more comfortable after half-time, Chelsea did create one clear chance, Hazard meeting an Ivanovic cross at the back post with a smart volley that Hugo Lloris saved well low to his left.
But that was a rare chance in a largely drab second half. Tottenham was left frustrated but Chelsea might see this as a foundation for recovery.
