JOHN Terry was booed by the Tottenham fans but had the last laugh as he cleared Emmanuel Adebayor’s shot off his line in injury time to help Chelsea draw 1-1 in a pulsating White Hart Lane clash yesterday. The home side looked like they were going to sweep Terry and his Chelsea team-mates aside after Adebayor slipped the ball beyond visiting goalkeeper Petr Cech from Gareth Bale’s cross on eight minutes.
Chelsea were pinned back but somehow equalised with their first real attack of the match as Daniel Sturridge popped up unmarked on 23 minutes to net from the outstanding Ashley Cole’s cross ball.
Sturridge has netted 17 goals in 2011 leaving him behind only Robin van Persie (34), Wayne Rooney (23) and Demba Ba (20) in the overall stats for the calendar year.
The visiting team enjoyed the better moments in the second period – the Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas described it as “moral victory” – but Adebayor could have won it as he bounded onto Bale’s pass a second minute into three added on by referee Howard Webb.
He beat Cech with the shot, but Terry – who has been charged for allegedly racially abusing the QPR defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match in October – raced back to get the ball past a post with the aid of his back to ensure Chelsea left White Hart Lane with a point they deserved.
The result was of minimal use to both sides as they attempt to make up ground on leaders Manchester City and Manchester United at the summit of the table.
City continue to head the standings with 44 points from 17 games with United second on 42. Tottenham have 35 points from 16 games with Chelsea on 33 having played less game.