01/02/2003  Chelsea 1 Tottenham 1
 
Golden oldie Gianfranco Zola kept Chelsea's Champions 
League charge on course with a magnificent 25-yard free-kick 
which clinched a point in this lively London derby with 
Tottenham.

The evergreen Italian hit the 12th goal of his wonderful 
season to cancel out Teddy Sheringham's strike for Spurs and 
earn a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham were short on strikers after Robbie Keane's 
injury, the failure to sign Bolton's Michael Ricketts and the 
departures of Les Ferdinand and Sergei Rebrov.

But Sheringham is still at White Hart Lane and Glenn 
Hoddle's men took the lead in the 16th minute when the veteran 
forward slid home his seventh goal of the campaign from Darren 
Anderton's cross-shot.

Spurs survived a comedy goalmouth scramble on the 
half-hour, with Ledley King clearing off the line after Zola 
deflected the ball goalwards.

Zola scored his exquisite equaliser five minute before the 
interval, although the free-kick was given after a blatant 
dive by Boudewijn Zenden after the slightest contact with 
Simon Davies.

Zola ran up to the dead ball, five yards from the angle of 
the penalty area on the left flank, and produced a majestic 
curling shot which left Kasey Keller helpless and arced into 
the top right corner of the net.

In a quieter second half, Eidur Gudjohnsen - who scored 
that bullet overhead kick in the midweek success against Leeds 
- kept Keller busy on Hoddle's return to his old club.

Zola went close after six minutes - getting on the end of 
Jesper Gronkjaer's shot, benefiting from a lucky rebound off 
Ledley King and forcing Keller to make an excellent reaction 
save. Stephen Carr cleared the loose ball.

Darren Anderton produced a majestic 50-yard pass to pick 
out Sheringham, but the forward's control let him down when 
clean through on goal and the ball trundled through to Carlo 
Cudicini.

The balance of play had now swung completely in favour of 
the away side, with Cudicini pulling off a brilliant 
point-blank save to deny Davies after he was played in by 
Steffen Iversen.

But the Italian goalkeeper could do nothing to prevent the 
next Spurs attack resulting in the opening goal, in the 16th 
minute.

Davies' right-wing cross was glanced on by former Chelsea 
favourite Gustavo Poyet and Anderton, arriving at pace beyond 
the far post, fired goalwards. Sheringham slid home from a 
yard out.

Cudicini kept Chelsea's deficit at a single goal with a 
flying save from Poyet's thumping 20-yard drive.

The home side came back strongly, although Spurs somehow 
survived an almighty goalmouth scramble in the 31st minute. 
Keller parried Frank Lampard's shot and Zenden was first 
onto the loose ball, firing across goal.

The ball hit the tumbling and Zola, two yards out, and was 
bobbling towards the net when King saved the day, hooking the 
ball clear.

Referee Paul Durkin and fourth official Graham Poll had 
their hands controlling an explosive incident four minutes 
later.

Keller threw the ball out to allow treatment for Anthony 
Gardener - but Graeme Le Saux took the throw-in immediately. 
Carr was involved in a heated face-to-face exchange with 
the Chelsea left-back, forcing Durkin to intervene.

And between the two dug-outs, Poll had to separate Ranieri 
and Spurs assistant manager John Gorman.

Gardner hobbled off with that appeared to be an injury to 
his right thigh.

Chelsea, seemingly buoyed by the controversy, equalised 
five minutes before the break with Zola's stunning 
free-kick.

And the Blues were inches away from taking the lead in the 
52nd minute.

Lampard's 22-yard volley hit the grounded Gudjohnsen and 
span just the wrong side of Keller's right-hand post.

Gudjohnsen had a golden chance to score when he latched 
onto Emmanuel Petit's pass but firing straight at Keller from 
eight yards.

Keller was the Tottenham hero again when he pushed away 
Gudjohnsen's deflected shot and scrambled to his feet to grab 
Mario Melchiot's follow-up attempt.

In an uneventful final 20 minutes, Spurs substitute Matthew 
Etherington should have done better with a clear shooting 
opportunity.

He fired straight at Cudicini, who spilled the ball and 
gathered at the second attempt.