A LATE GYLFI Sigurdsson equaliser earned Tottenham a crucial point in the race for a top-four finish with a 2-2 draw with Chelsea tonight.
The hosts grabbed an early lead through their young Brazilian Oscar as he met a Gary Cahill header at the back post.
A wonder goal from Emmanuel Adebayor brought Tottenham level but sloppy defending just before half-time allowed Ramires to score his fifth league goal of the season. Chelsea looked on course to seal the win but with 10 minutes remaining substitute Sigurdsson finished smartly to earn a share of the points.
With fourth place in the Premier League up for grabs, the game began at a frantic pace with Tottenham looking to use the pace of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon on either wing to stretch the Chelsea defence.
However, from an 11th-minute Juan Mata corner, Chelsea took the lead through Oscar. Cahill rose above the Tottenham defence to meet the Spaniard’s delivery, his header flew towards goal and an unmarked Oscar pounced at the back post to head home his 12th goal of the season.
The visitors had struggled to get into the game but midway through the first-half a fantastic run and finish from Adebayor brought them level.
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The Togo striker picked the ball up inside his own half, turned and ran at the Chelsea defence. Adebayor grew in confidence as they continued to back off and from outside the penalty area curled a shot past Petr Cech and into the top corner.
Ramires fired Chelsea back into lead five minutes before half-time after excellent work from Torres for the hosts. The Spaniard drifted past a couple of challenges on the right-hand side before playing a neat pass behind the Tottenham defence, Ramires raced through the gap between the two central defenders to meet the ball and fired first time beyond Hugo Lloris.
The hosts came out for the second-half keen to secure the points as quickly as possible but Tottenham defended resolutely and threatened themselves. On the hour mark as the visitors struggled to create a chance from a corner, Chelsea broke on the counter attack with Mata.
He was caught by Kyle Walker but played a pass into the unmarked Ramires who looked certain to score, however he slipped at the crucial moment and the chance was gone.
Andre Villas-Boas made changes late in the game and with 10 minutes to play one of those substitutes, Sigurdsson, brought Tottenham level.
Benoit Assou-Ekotto played a ball into Adebayor, the striker produced a sumptuous backheel to find Sigurdsson and he fired beyond Cech into the far corner to earn the visitors a point.
