The game with a predictably fast start, with both sides looking to gain all three points. After a couple of tame efforts, however, Chelsea had the lead ten minutes into the game, when Gary Cahill's header from a corner, which was drifting wide, was bundled in at the far post from Oscar after escaping the woefully lax attentions of his marker, Scott Parker.
Chelsea vs. Tottenham Hotspur: Half-time score 2-1, Ramires gives Blues the advantage
Goals from Oscar and Ramires have given Chelsea a 2-1 lead over Tottenham at half-time, their strikes coming either side of a superb goal from Emmanuel Adebayor for the visitors.
Chelsea should have increased their lead not long after, when Cesar Azpilicueta was given far too much room down the right to cut the ball back to Juan Mata,standing completely unmarked in the Spurs penalty area, but the Spaniard blazed his effort well over the bar.
The goal seemed to rattle Spurs, who immediately looked distinctly second-best, struggling to craft any moves and surrendering possession to Chelsea as soon as they did get the ball. Lewis Holtby's low effort from the edge of the area was a close as they could get to an equaliser, which drifted wide of the post with Petr Cech seeming to have it covered.
Yet out of nowhere, Spurs did find their equaliser. A scramble in the Spurs area following a Chelsea attack eventually released Emmanuel Adebayor on the counter-attack. With options to his left and right, it looked as though it was going to be a typically wasteful piece of play when the striker let fly from 25 yards, but he made the most of some nonexistant pressing from Chelsea to curl an absolute beauty into the far corner and over Cech, stunning Stamford Bridge into silence.
Just as Chelsea's goal appeared to deflate Tottenham, Adebayor's effort seemed to lift them, and they immediately picked up their game to enjoy a decent spell. Gareth Bale had not been involved too much until then, but he did have the chance to have a run at goal and get into a dangerous position before a fine block from Cahill stopped him in his tracks.
Spurs were probably looking the more likely team to score as half-time drew closer, and yet it was Chelsea who regained their advantage. Fernando Torres managed to slid a loose ball through to Ramires, who toe-poked a brilliant first-time finish into the corner beyond Hugo Lloris and put Chelsea back in the lead.
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