Chelsea, Tottenham play out drab draw

Eight goals were scored in their last league encounter but none this time around.

LONDON: Jose Mourinho dropped his main striker Diego Costa for Chelsea’s Premier League visit to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday but the champions still proved toothless up front as they ground out an undistinguished goalless draw at White Hart Lane.

Mourinho said before the game that his out-of-sorts Spanish striker was lacking confidence but having left him on the bench all afternoon, a Chelsea team with Eden Hazard as an unlikely target man offered only intermittent threats in an unusually tepid London derby.

Spurs enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession and chances, and forced some decent work in the first half from Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as they went a 13th straight league game without defeat, their best run since a 14-match streak in 1984-1985.

Hazard was at the centre of Chelsea’s best opportunities, heading over the bar from a pinpoint Oscar cross in the 20th minute and volleying to force a tremendous save from Hugo Lloris in the 68th.

Yet still the Footballer of the Year saw his Premier League goal drought stretch to 17 games as Mourinho’s side are yet to string together back-to-back league victories following last week’s win over Norwich City.

Spurs, unbeaten since the opening-day loss to Manchester United, remain fifth on 25, four points shy of the top of the table.

Vardy makes Premier League history

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy made history on Saturday by scoring for the 11th Premier League match running against Manchester United at the King Power Stadium.

The England forward struck in the 24th minute, running onto Christian Fuchs’s pass and arrowing a shot past David de Gea to break a record he had previously shared with former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Van Nistelrooy was quick to congratulate Vardy, writing on Twitter: “Well done @vardy7! You’re number one now and you deserved it. #11inarow.”

It was Vardy’s 14th goal of the campaign, which makes him the top scorer, but his side went in level at half-time after Bastian Schweinsteiger headed in an equaliser from Daley Blind’s corner.

Leicester and United were both seeking to supplant Manchester City, who overcame Southampton 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium earlier to provisionally reclaim first place. 

Published in The Express Tribune, November 30^th,  2015.

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