Chelsea 1 Tottenham 0:Chelsea, relentless and ruthless, have hope again. If this felt like a fixture too far for both teams, lethargy at times dragging the contest almost to plodding pace, the news that filtered through from Fratton Park on Saturday evening should ensure the champions' zest is rekindled for the weeks ahead. Jose Mourinho and his squad departed for Spain yesterday three points adrift and with belief refreshed that a third consecutive Premiership title remains within their grasp. Such confidence is hardly misplaced.
While Chelsea continue to squeeze successes such as this from the tail-end of their season, the sense the championship will remain at Stamford Bridge will swell. An eighth consecutive league win had to be prised from Tottenham Hotspur here, the home side as visibly jaded as their visitors, who had been losing in Seville some 39 hours previously and arrived back in London only on Friday evening.
Yet, for Chelsea, the sense nagged that a season spent competing on four fronts was finally hauling them in. This was their 52nd competitive fixture of the term. It was to their huge credit, and Manchester United's considerable consternation, that it still yielded a 37th win.
For that they had one of their more unsung stalwarts to congratulate. Ricardo Carvalho has been a bustling presence for almost three seasons, invariably snapping and stifling in the considerable shadow of John Terry at the heart of Chelsea's rearguard. When legs were weary on Saturday, and frustration welling in the stands, it was the Portuguese who revived.
Paul Robinson would claim Ricardo Rocha's indecision dulled his own reaction when Carvalho fired an optimistic low shot from 30 yards across the England goalkeeper and in, although this goal was too reminiscent for comfort of Bolton's Ivan Campo's from distance against Spurs on the opening day.
Chelsea will hardly care, the goal prompting high fives from Roman Abramovich with Frank Arnesen in the directors' box while Mourinho pumped the air on the bench. The centre-half turned match-winner admitted afterwards it was "still possible to win the title", though his caution may have given way to confidence once United had imploded on the south coast.
"He is like my son," said Mourinho of the 28-year-old, previously a key member of his Champions League-winning side at Porto. "We have been together for six consecutive seasons. He was a kid and now he's a player from whom I demand a lot; but I know his character and I like to put pressure on him.
"He is quite a soft guy. He accepts criticism. Everyone goes for the big names and forgets this kind of player. This season he has been magnificent. Tell me where you can find a better central defender in the world?"
Chelsea owe much to Carvalho's continued excellence, particularly given the absence through injury for spells this term of Terry and Petr Cech. The goalkeeper had to be alert to tip over headers from Mido and Dimitar Berbatov and sharp to turn Adel Taarabt's shot around a post. Cech's only blemish - a spilled save from a skimming Jermain Defoe attempt - went unpunished.
Both these sides switch their attentions back to the continent this week and, while Tottenham will be confident they will be recharged to dissect Sevilla at home on Thursday, Chelsea will need more of their rugged best to prevail in Valencia tomorrow.
Somehow the Spanish must be conquered at the Mestalla. Any fizz that can be mustered will be vital. "We can get a result there," said Mourinho. "Valencia will approach the game in the same way they did the Internazionale match in the last round, playing for a draw and going for a 0-0. But I do not think we are underdogs. After five minutes they will realise that we are not underdogs. The key will be for us to defend well and not to concede more than one goal." For that they can count on Carvalho.
Guardian Service
Premiership title run-in
Wed, Apr 18th v West Ham (a)
Sun, Apr 22nd v Newcastle (a)
Sat, Apr 28th v Bolton (h)
Sun, May 6th v Arsenal (a)
Wed, May 9th v Manchester Utd (h)
Sun, May 13th v Everton (h)
