Lamps is a champ
From Martin Samuel at White Hart Lane
IF the pre-match music was designed to intimidate Chelsea, it did not have the desired effect.
"Hello, hello," sang Bono of U2, "I'm at a place called Vertigo."
Except the Blues are showing no fear of heights despite their position at the peak of the table.
By the end of the game, their response was undeniable.
"Top of the league," chanted the travelling fans, "we're having a laugh." And they are.
While the rest of the country spin fantasies about an impending blip, Chelsea continued on their relentless way thanks to Frank Lampard's brace.
They are the first Premier League side to keep six consecutive clean sheets while winning every game.
And they almost toyed with Tottenham here, soaking up the pressure, filching the lead with a penalty and then, when the fourth official had signalled four injury-time minutes, snatched all hope from the home side with a second.
Grind
It had the Spurs fans heading for the exits in a red mist of expletives.
Some were aimed at referee Graham Poll for pointing to the spot in the first half.
Most were directed at the league leaders for being so damn obstinate.
Chelsea grind out results and grind down the opposition.
If it is not always as striking as Arsenal's procession last season, it is no less admirable. At the end of the match, Chelsea were 10 points clear and at this stage in the season, that is an amazing achievement.
Boss Jose Mourinho admitted before the game: "I can see Chelsea losing but not two or three consecutive games. So when people say we will panic or tremble — impossible."
"It is up to others to say whether we will be champions or not," said assistant manager Steve Clarke. "But if we keep winning no one can catch us.
"We are not invincible, no team is. And when you come to a place like this with Tottenham in such good form and playing with confidence, you do wonder whether this will be the day when you slip up.
"But I think there was a big effort from everybody today. While we have that, it will get us through.
"We have a goalkeeper who keeps clean sheets, two central defenders who do not concede goals and there is no central midfield player better than Lampard right now."
That much is certainly true. His penalty was executed with confidence and his goal in injury-time was a tribute to his energy levels.
Unsurprisingly, though, Spurs manager Martin Jol preferred to discuss Lampard's first, not his second.
"It was not a penalty," he said. "I can see why the referee gave it from his angle. But when you see it from a different view, Alexei Smertin stamps on Ledley King's foot.
"He was running very fast and maybe I would have fallen over, too — but I am 48 years old. It was a shame as at that time we were the better team. I said after the Manchester United game these things even out but I am having second thoughts on that."A lot of teams have said that after playing Chelsea recently — but the majority still leave empty-handed.
Either Mourinho's men are enjoying fabulous good fortune or opposition managers are mistaking banging their heads against a brick wall for a proper fight.
Tottenham's much-vaunted dominance did not really amount to much.
A Robbie Keane header wide in the fourth minute, an excellent Jermain Defoe shot which deflected off Damien Duff and was well saved by Petr Cech and a sliced clearance from Smertin that almost found his own net.
Not much for 90 minutes really, considering Chelsea also went close through Didier Drogba, Duff, Arjen Robben and Eidur Gudjohnsen — and found the net twice.
Chelsea give the illusion of a close contest because so much of their game is linked to energy conservation — letting opponents put the effort in and hitting them on the counter-attack.
Hook
Perhaps this is why Mourinho feels able to keep a largely unchanged side while his rivals rotate frantically. He knows which players do the work.
Not that Chelsea do not put it in when required. Duff chased a ball that looked to be going into touch in the 39th minute, his unexpected hook forcing King into an unwise lunge as Smertin streaked across the area.
Poll pointed to the spot, having earlier denied Chelsea a penalty when Arjen Robben claimed to have been bundled over by Noe Pamarot.
"I thought that was a penalty, the one before was a penalty, plus another one we should have had in the second half," said Clarke.
In the end, all debate was moot. Jol brought on Dean Marney to play at right-back, Chelsea introduced Eidur Gudjohnsen. And the Icelander intelligently exploited midfielder Marney's uncertainty to set up a second for Lampard.
So no Vertigo, then. Not even a slight giddiness. Looking at the gap now widening with each week, Chelsea's biggest danger will be developing agoraphobia — a fear of open spaces. STAR MAN: Frank Lampard.
Chelsea assistant manager Steve Clarke said England were lucky to have Lampard – but Chelsea get the most from him.
He plays every week, rarely suffers a dip in form and remains a prolific goalscorer, tackler and midfield inventor – the most valuable player in the country right now.
One day Jose Mourinho will rest him – probably when the league is won. In April, at this rate.
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