Chelsea smash Spurs to extend lead atop the English table by seven points
London: Chelsea have not lost at home to London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for 24 years and that amazing record never looked in any danger on Saturday as a woeful defensive performance by the visitors saw them thrashed 4-0.
Chelsea jumped a provisional seven points clear at the top of the Premier League after Spurs imploded by conceding all four goals in the last 34 minutes at Stamford Bridge with defensive mistakes playing a part in every one.
Samuel Eto’o put Chelsea ahead after a slip by defender Jan Vertonghen in the 56th, an Eden Hazard penalty four minutes later doubled their lead and two late strikes by substitute Demba Ba helped preserve the hosts’ long unbeaten run against Spurs who have not won at Stamford Bridge since February 1990.
Fifth-placed Tottenham played the last half-hour with 10 men after their French defender Younes Kaboul was sent off for bundling Eto’o over in the penalty area with the score at 1-0 and after that there was only one winner.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who has presided over 75 unbeaten home league matches in his two spells in charge of the club, said they stayed calm as Spurs dominated the first half. Although Chelsea are now seven points clear at the top, and nine points ahead of fourth-placed Manchester City who have three games in hand, Mourinho said the title was not guaranteed. Eto’o, who will be 33 on Monday, was a late addition to the starting lineup after Fernando Torres limped off in the warm-up.
He celebrated his 300th career goal by bending over the corner flag like an old man, a nod to controversy about his age after Mourinho made some private comments that were published. “That was very funny, I understood the joke,” said Mourinho who last month said in a recorded off-guard moment that he had no strikers to rely on and joked about Eto’o’s real age.
Tottenham, who remain four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City but have now played three games more, must improve when they face Benfica in the first leg of their Europa League last 16 tie at White Hart Lane next week.
West Brom and manager Pepe Mel, winless since taking over in early January, stayed one place above the relegation zone but level on points with Cardiff City who beat bottom club Fulham 3-1 with two goals from Steven Caulker. Hovering above them are Crystal Palace, who missed the opportunity to pull five points clear of trouble after a 1-0 defeat by Southampton. Norwich City, in 15th, were held to a 1-1 draw by Stoke City.
