Chelsea lay it on the line

Tottenham 1 Chelsea 5 THIS ENDED up feeling like a thrashing, the massed ranks of Chelsea support crowing in giddy celebration…

Tottenham 1 Chelsea 5THIS ENDED up feeling like a thrashing, the massed ranks of Chelsea support crowing in giddy celebration as bitter rivals were teased open and torn apart. Yet, while Roberto Di Matteo's side can now thrill at the prospect of a fourth FA Cup final in six years against Liverpool next month, Tottenham Hotspur's departure from this competition came with a snarl.

Just as Chelsea’s once traumatic season gathers pace on three fronts, so Spurs’ previously consistent campaign is unravelling. Fate conspired against them here, their endeavours horribly undermined by the award of Juan Mata’s goal immediately after half-time despite the reality that the Spaniard’s effort had been scrambled from well in front of the goal-line by Benoit Assou-Ekotto in a cluttered goalmouth.

The final scoreline suggests that incident should not be considered critical. Besides, Tottenham had mustered a reply within seven minutes courtesy of Gareth Bale’s finish. But, in truth, Chelsea’s second had changed the complexion. Spurs had been forced to chase a contest in which they had, up to then, been the slicker team. Picked off in the latter stages by opponents whose ruthlessness was admirable, they tumbled from the tie.

There was conflict before the end, the otherwise excellent Scott Parker livid and confronting Mikel John Obi as tempers frayed after the Nigerian had kicked out while on the turf – an offence that might normally have warranted a red – but Spurs had descended into fury by then, their memories clouded by events just after the break. Mata had been denied by Carlo Cudicini when, from the resultant corner, David Luiz’s near-post header was saved well by the Italian. John Terry and Ledley King leapt to meet the rebound with the ball squirting away for Mata to volley goalwards from a tight angle into the mass of bodies in the goalmouth.

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Assou-Ekotto, grounded behind the line, stuck out his boot as the ball flicked from King and Terry to clear only for Martin Atkinson – the same official who had failed to notice Mario Balotelli’s lunge at Alex Song at the Emirates a week earlier – to be somehow convinced the ball had first squeezed through the tangle of bodies and in. The linesman on the far side was unmoved, and the only Chelsea player to celebrate instinctively was Mata.

A sense of injustice did propel them into an immediate riposte, Parker conjuring a fine through-ball between Terry and Luiz on to which Emmanuel Adebayor tore. The Brazilian pulled up as the forward sprinted clear and was prone on the turf as Cech advanced to clatter into the Togolese – he departed on a stretcher and will presumably now miss the Champions League semi-final against Barcelona – though not before Adebayor had slipped a pass to the galloping Bale at his side. The winger slid the ball into the unguarded net with the Tottenham bench already advancing upon the fourth official to demand Cech’s dismissal for a professional foul. That much seemed optimistic.

Yet, if that suggested Harry Redknapp’s team were still in contention, then the adrenalin rush soon fizzled out. Chelsea waltzed through their disrupted back line at will in the latter stages, so stretched and desperate had Spurs become. Ramires, finishing smartly from Mata’s pass, re-established a two-goal cushion and Frank Lampard struck a glorious free-kick from 30 yards which swerved beyond Cudicini and into the corner.

Tottenham were helpless, furious that goalline technology is unlikely to become a reality until the summer. Florent Malouda’s fifth was scored in stoppage time with the Tottenham end rapidly emptying.

It felt odd to acknowledge that a Chelsea lead of any kind had felt somewhat improbable at the interval. Spurs had struck a post through Rafael van der Vaart and had exposed their opponents down both flanks only to be undone by a lack of bite.

Terry cleared Van der Vaart’s header from the goalline but that was as close to they came to chiseling out a lead and, from a mess of a personal performance, Didier Drogba duly stirred.

There were two minutes left in the first half when Lampard lofted a pass through the centre. Drogba, marked tightly by William Gallas, received on his chest with his back to goal, then delicately eked out some space by flicking the ball out of his feet with the instep of his right boot, then turned and crunched a volley that flew high beyond Cudicini at his near-post.

To have summoned a goal of such majesty from what, up until then, had been a mess of a performance was staggering.

The 34-year-old has scored seven goals in this arena, more than he has managed at any other stadium other than Stamford Bridge.

He, and not Spurs, will consider this a home from home.

Guardian Service