Chelsea Extend Unbeaten Tottenham League Run to 31

Congratulations to Frank Lampard who today played his 150th consecutive Premiership game and congratulations to Joe Cole who played his 100th game for Chelsea Football Club.

This game was up for Spurs to end the domination of Chelsea over the last 30 league games under the tenureship of Martin Jol and maybe a victory might have been in sight had Mido not been sent off for a forearm challenge wrapping round Chelsea's full-back Asier Del Horno's head. Ref Rob Styles had no doubt about the challenge. He produced a straight red card for violent conduct.

Martin Jol's post match reaction was more of resignation than objection. Jol said "The red card killed the game. I don’t think it was the correct decision. But I can accept it. Mido was "too enthusiastic", he thought and the challenge lacked "coordination".

"It was bit dangerous. Give him a yellow card. He’s apologising to everybody." Jol didn’t think Spurs would ask for the card to be rescinded.

Del Horno was directly involved again in the game's proceedings when in the 39th minute he headed in Chelsea's first from a Frank Lampard's outswinging corner. The ball entered the net via the post and Chelsea went into half-time 1-0 up.

To help celebrate matters the assembled Chelsea fans behind Petr Cech's goal sang "Training session, training session, training session at the Lane…" And Del Horno got his name chanted to the ‘Vialli’ mantra.

Jose's take on the game was "They start better than us," he said. "But I told the players everyone wants to beat us. London derby. Don’t beat us for many years and we had to control the game. And we did."

JM added "You know football players, they do things and straight after they are always unhappy with what they do" was José Mourinho’s assessment of Mido’s "intent".

JM then went on to say "I told the players don’t attack, defend and run in the same way. Don’t go to get lots of goals. We didn’t attack much but I didn’t want to, I wanted to control the game."

To emphasise Chelsea's domination JM said "I think just in the last two minutes of the first half, and in one ball we lost in the second half, when we allowed them a counter attack, that was the only time we didn’t control the ball in the match. Our midfield triangle is playing very safe and very confident."

The Special One singled out Michael Essien, playing his second full match, for praise. "He’s a complete midfield player: can defend, can press, can see the game, can score goals, can get forward, and can play one game every day."

The only cloud on this sunny horizon was a knee injury sustained by John Terry that Mourinho considered would have forced lesser men to go off. JT is off on England duty this week and José said he would allow the medical department to make a decision on the centre-back.

To finish Jose said "I think we defend very well. Wigan a post, no saves; Arsenal, one save; West Bromwich, no saves; today one save. We have great goalkeepers, but the reality is we defend fantastically."

And Chelsea DO defend fantastically and they score goals and they are able to switch the type of game to be played in order to beat opponents. That is why JM IS the Special One. He is able to control and dictate tactics as they need to be changed in order to achieve the end result. Hence since JM became manager of Chelsea Football Club he has won the Premiership in his first full season and taken Chelsea to the top of the Premiership AGAIN after three matches. Now Chelsea are four from four with 12 points on the board. Six points ahead of both Arsenal and Man Utd. We have the points on the board both Man Utd and Arsenal now have the pressure to retrieve those.

Tottenham: Robinson (c); Stalteri, Dawson, Gardner, Kelly; Tainio (Lennon h-t), Carrick, Davids, Reid; Defoe, Mido (sent off 24).

Chelsea: Cech; Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Del Horno; Essien, Makelele, Lampard; J Cole (Wright-Phillips 72), Drogba (Crespo 67), Duff (Huth 88).

Ref: Rob Styles