Chelsea 4 Tottenham 0:For the second time in four days Chelsea beat Tottenham 4-0 last night to boost their chances of playing in Europe next season and all but scupper those of their rivals from north London.
An exquisite Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink hat-trick did the damage while Frank Lampard Jr completed the rout in the final minute, scoring after Simon Davies had cleared off the line.
The game was also notable once again for a red card, this time to Spurs' Mauricio Taricco for a wild lunge on Graeme le Saux. In Sunday's FA Cup game the roles had been reversed.
Like the shrewdest of movie moguls, the producers of football's fates can recognise a plot line worth a sequel when they see one. Chelsea v Spurs has become the game's equivalent of the Rocky series, this being the fifth and, as in the movies, the final time these teams have squared up this season.
Chelsea came into last night's game ahead on points - having won September's league meeting at White Hart Lane - but level also on KOs after gaining FA Cup revenge for being knocked out of the League Cup in the semi-finals.
Glenn Hoddle made only minor changes to that battered team, losing Darren Anderton to injury. Most notable, however, was his decision to play a back four instead of the 3-5-2 which was so effectively muzzled on Sunday. Chelsea, not surprisingly, were unchanged.
After just four minutes Hasselbaink shot just wide but he made up for that miss 20 minutes later. The striker picked up the ball from Le Saux about 35 yards out and seemingly going nowhere. Fatally for Spurs, he was allowed to run forward and from about 20 yards aimed a curling shot around Neil Sullivan.
Within eight minutes Chelsea had exploited their advantage as Jesper Gronkjaer broke down the right and crossed for Hasselbaink, unmarked, to head home from seven yards.
The Dutchman completed his hat-trick on 81 minutes with another superb curler, this time from just outside the area.
Guardian service
CHELSEA: Cudicini, Melchiot, Gallas, Desailly, Babayaro, Gronkjaer (Stanic 78), Petit, Lampard, Le Saux, Hasselbaink (Forssell 83), Gudjohnsen (Zola 73). Subs Not Used: de Goey, Dalla Bona. Goals: Hasselbaink 24, 69, 81, Lampard 90.
TOTTENHAM: Sullivan, Taricco, Thatcher (Gardner 67), King, Richards (Perry 45), Ziege, Davies, Poyet, Sherwood, Sheringham, Ferdinand (Rebrov 82). Subs Not Used: Keller, Etherington. Sent Off: Taricco (60). Booked: Sherwood, Thatcher, Perry.
Referee: A Wiley (Burntwood).
Martin Thorpe
