Match report: Chelsea 2 Tottenham Hotspur 2

news Mon 2 May 2016

A brilliant late Eden Hazard strike following a Gary Cahill goal wiped out a 2-0 half-time deficit to preserve our long unbeaten home run against Spurs and decide this season’s title race.
The Blues started the game solidly without frequently threatening the visitors’ goal but when Harry Kane and then Heung-Min Son found the Shed End net before the interval, this game looked a lost cause.
The introduction of Hazard at half-time did much to turn the tide and when Cahill scored from a corner on the hour, Chelsea moved up a gear.
Hazard’s equaliser with seven minutes left on the clock is a late contender for goal of the season as he worked a move with Diego Costa before unleashing an unstoppable curler. Six minutes of stoppage time were negotiated as Spurs lost their cool and collected bookings before the final whistle blew to begin Leicester’s party.
The storyline leading into the final game of this round of Premier League fixtures needed little explaining. Anything other than a win for Tottenham and Claudio Ranieri's side were the 2015/16 champions tonight and for Chelsea, as well as the local pride that is at stake in any meeting with the Lilywhites from the north of the capital, with Stamford Bridge the venue tonight there was our 26-year unbeaten run against them in this stadium to protect, a source of immense pride for Blues followers.
For such a high-profile fixture Guus Hiddink was able to call upon his big guns in central defence with captain John Terry and Cahill returning to the team, which meant Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta back in the roles they have filled most often in recent times.
John Mikel Obi and Nemanja Matic were a solid centre ahead of the defence with Cesc Fabregas pushed up to support Diego Costa with Pedro and Willian the wide men.
Spurs were able to select pre-match-doubt Eric Dier so there was only the one enforced change from the slip up against West Brom, with Son in for suspended Dele Alli.