05/02/2000  Tottenham Hotspur 0 Chelsea 1

Gary Lineker was a lad, still wearing his Barcelona suntan, 
the last time Tottenham beat Chelsea 10 years ago.

So it was no surprise to see Gianluca Vialli's cosmopolitan 
mix prove too strong for George Graham's honest but 
severely-limited plodders yet again at White Hart Lane.

But on a day four Frenchmen took the field and one other - 
Chelsea's Frank Leboeuf was left on the bench - the biggest 
shock of all was the identity of the Gallic match-winner.

Not only did big Bernard Lambourde, unheralded former 
Bordeaux defender, tame the exquisite skills of David Ginola, 
he also took time out to score the only goal from Dennis 
Wise's crafty free-kick seven minutes into the second 
half.

Cocky captain Wise slipped a quick set-piece past 
Tottenham's badly-organised defensive wall after Sol Campbell 
had been penalised for wrestling with Chris Sutton and 
Lambourde found himself totally unattended as he coolly 
chipped over Ian Walker.

In fact, it was his second goal of the season having been a 
match-winner again at Middlesbrough in October and how Spurs 
could have done with his finishing touch.

Sadly they do not possess a marksman with even a fraction 
of Lineker's predatory sniping which earned that last long-ago 
Tottenham win at against their rivals from Stamford Bridge 
with one of the goals in a 2-1 triumph in February 1990.

It was the same old story for Graham's team. Plenty of huff 
and puff but not enough class to unhinge Chelsea's composed 
authority.

The traditional grandstand finish produced a spate of 
near-things, Steffen Iversen's header clipping the bar before 
he was carried off on a stretcher after Ed de Goey stopped 
another snatched effort by the Norwegian with an outstretched 
foot.

Spurs also had a confident claim for a penalty in the first 
half when Lambourde appeared to bear-hug Ginola as Iversen 
headed on a long-distance clearance by Walker.

But Chelsea should have had a spot-kick too for Mauricio 
Taricco's desperate clatter into the back of Chris Sutton just 
when the goal-starved £10million striker looked poised to head 
in Gus Poyet's cross. 

Referee Graham Poll, perfectly in tune with the Premier 
League's new leniency decree - he showed only one yellow card, 
to Poyet, in a rugged encounter - turned down both 
appeals.

Spurs had been indebted to Walker's lightning reactions 
which prevented them going two down in the first 10 
minutes.

Yet Sutton should have put away an easy chance to improve 
his paltry goal tally of just three in 19 starts after 
breasting down a classic lay-off header by the enduringly 
classy George Weah who had earlier tested the keeper with a 
fierce angled drive.

Walker could not hold either shot but solidly pushed both 
of them away, the second a wonderful instinctive stop at close 
range.

Tottenham could not be faulted for effort and Sherwood's 
improvised back-header looped just over the Chelsea bar 
following the disappointing Darren Anderton's free-kick before 
Ed de Goey did well to scramble Anderton's half-hit drive 
around the foot of a post.

Chris Armstrong should also have done better when nipping 
in ahead of Emerson Thome to meet Steve Carr's cross but could 
make no meaningful connection and the chance slipped 
harmlessly away.

But Chelsea's extra class was invariably apparent in the 
first half with Weah always a dangerous foil for Sutton's 
hard-working, muscular runs and the promptings of Wise and 
Deschamps.

For the opening goal Campbell was penalised for a wrestling 
match with Sutton just outside the area and Wise's 
quick-thinking with the free-kick was too much for the 
slapdash organisation of the Spurs rearguard.

The nimble little midfielder curled the ball around a 
raggedly-formed wall and found Lambourde totally unmarked to 
lift the chance over the helpless Walker.

Tottenham's fighting heart finally produced a near-miss 
when Taricco's goalbound volley was blocked by Thome who 
probably knew little about it.

Then with 16 minutes left the previously anonymous Iversen 
outjumped all challengers for Carr's cross and his header 
clipped the top of the bar.

Suitably inspired at last, Iversen, eight yards out, stuck 
out a foot to connect with another cross, this time a low ball 
from Armstrong and it looked like an equaliser until de Goey 
did likewise and turned the ball away.

The effort proved to be Iversen's last of the game and he 
was carried away on a stretcher with a possible pulled 
muscle.

So after defeat in their previous home match against 
Sheffield Wednesday in a run of five without a win including 
the 1-0 defeat at Chelsea three weeks ago, it was another bad 
day for Spurs.

News of Arsenal's demise at Bradford was the only thing 
that cheered up their sorely-tried fans but the mood was still 
in severe contrast to that of the visiting supporters who 
celebrated their side's 10th consecutive game without defeat 
and a climb up to fifth in the Premiership table with a lusty 
last-minute outburst of "You'll never beat the Chelsea".

Sadly for Spurs it is beginning to look that way.