Premier League
ChelseaChelsea2TottenhamTottenham Hotspur2

Chelsea 2-2 Tottenham Hotspur

By Aimee LewisBBC Sport
Tottenham players disappointed after draw
Spurs have won none of their last 29 visits to Stamford Bridge in all competitions (D11 L18)

Leicester City were crowned champions of England for the first time in their history after Tottenham squandered a two-goal lead to draw with Chelsea.

Spurs' only hope of claiming a first top-flight title since 1961 was to win their final three games of the season.

Harry Kane rounded the keeper to put Tottenham ahead and Son Heung-min's low strike doubled their advantage.

But Gary Cahill lashed in before Eden Hazard equalised with a curling shot to ignite Leicester celebrations.

It was a thrilling match which had it all: super goals, tasty tackles, touchline melees and apparent eye gouging. Indeed, Spurs were shown nine yellow cards, which is the most by a single team in a match in Premier League history.

But the story is all about Leicester and their incredible achievement, one which has been described as the most unlikely triumph in the history of team sport.

Tottenham and Chelsea melee
Dembele could face retrospective action as he appeared to put his fingers in Diego Costa's eye

Leicester create history as Tottenham falter

Tottenham needed to rewrite their own history to keep alive their title hopes - they have not won at Stamford Bridge for 26 years, when Gary Lineker scored the winner - but their failure allowed the Foxes, and most neutrals around the world, to celebrate an even unlikelier feat.

It is a point which has often been repeated these past weeks, but the odds of Leicester winning the first title of their 132-year history was 5,000-1 back in August. Bookies thought it more likely that Elvis Presley was alive and well.

Footage uploaded to Twitter shows the moment Leicester players watching the match at home celebrated winning the title

Claudio Ranieri did have the foresight to have a bonus for winning the Premier League written into his contract in July. The Italian has pocketed at least an extra £5m, as well as a first league title of his managerial career, and with two games of the season still remaining he and his players can now celebrate.

Leicester's players were watching Chelsea draw with Tottenham at the home of Jamie Vardy, the newly crowned Football Writers' Player of the Year, and it can be safely assumed that while some Tottenham players squabbled with the opposition as they trudged off the pitch, the Foxes players were toasting becoming the first first-time winners of the English top-flight since Nottingham Forest in 1978.

A step too far for Spurs

Hazard and Cesc Fabregas had both said they were determined not to let their London rivals win the title and so it was no surprise that this was a feisty encounter played inside a raucous Stamford Bridge.

Tottenham took the lead when Kane, put through by Erik Lamela, perfectly timed his run and rounded Asmir Begovic for his 25th league goal of the season.

Leicester City fan Lineker celebrates with champagne

Son, replacing the suspended Dele Alli, was then put through by Christian Eriksen, but despite Tottenham's two-goal half-time advantage players began to lose their cool.

Danny Rose and Willian squared off near the touchline before the break and Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino stepped onto the pitch to trigger the arrival of a blue and white cavalry. It was not to be the last time both sets of players would angrily tussle.

Television replays showed Mousa Dembele's fingers making contact with Diego Costa's eye and there is a real prospect of Spurs losing the services of their midfielder as a result.

Fans inside Stamford Bridge
Chelsea fans at Stamford Bridge were backing former Blues manager Claudio Raneri

Hazard sparks Chelsea comeback

It was the introduction of Hazard after the break which changed Chelsea's fortunes. The Belgian gave the hosts an incisiveness which had previously been missing.

Tottenham will also rue the poor defending from a Willian corner that allowed Cahill to have more than one touch inside the box and halve the deficit with his left foot.

But Hazard's brilliant goal was the coup de grace, curling a first-time shot into the top-right corner for his first goal at Stamford Bridge since his strike against Crystal Palace last year which secured the title for the Blues.

Kane said Chelsea's players "celebrated as if they won the title", but the Blues have had little to cheer in a terrible title defence.

The Londoners flirted with relegation, sacked their manager Jose Mourinho and will not be playing in either the Champions League or Europa League next season.

Pub-goers react to the title-winning goal from Chelsea's Eden Hazard

Man of the Match - Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard
Hazard had three shots after coming on in the second half - two of which were on target. He also had a 91.3% passing accuracy in the Spurs half, the best of Chelsea's players

What they said:

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino: "It's football, we are men, they are men. We need to show we are strong.

"It was a good lesson for us, we are the youngest squad in the league, we feel very proud and our supporters need to feel proud too, we have massive potential for the future.

"We are disappointed because of the title but we need to be realistic and congratulate our players. Next season we need to be stronger than this season and try to be in the race."

'Leicester are 'deserved champions'

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas: "That's why we love this sport so much, it was a fantastic second half and I think everyone enjoyed it.

"It's a little bit how our season has gone - first half not too good, a little bit too easy. Then a wake-up call and we start performing.

"It's a shame because I believe we have a lot of quality in this team and we can do a lot better. They scored two goals because we didn't defend well enough but I think 70-75% of the game was ours."

Ranieri has already phoned - Hiddink

The stats you need to know

  • It is the first time since 1987-88 to 1988-89 that the top-flight title has been won at the same ground in consecutive seasons.
  • Chelsea have gone 11 Premier League games without a clean sheet at Stamford Bridge, their longest run in the competition.
  • Harry Kane has scored 14 goals in his past 15 Premier League appearances for Spurs.
  • Only Darren Anderton (14 in 94/95) has provided more assists in a Premier League season for Spurs than Christian Eriksen has in 13 in this campaign.
  • Spurs have lost just one of their past 11 Premier League London derbies (W5 D5 L1).

Line-ups

Chelsea

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Begovic
  • 2IvanovicBooked at 71mins
  • 24Cahill
  • 26Terry
  • 28Azpilicueta
  • 12MikelBooked at 87mins
  • 21MaticSubstituted forOscarat 78'minutes
  • 22WillianBooked at 45mins
  • 4Fàbregas
  • 17PedroSubstituted forE Hazardat 45'minutes
  • 19Diego Costa

Substitutes

  • 6Baba
  • 8Oscar
  • 10E Hazard
  • 14Traore
  • 16Kenedy
  • 32Amelia
  • 36Loftus-Cheek

Tottenham

Formation 4-2-3-1

  • 1Lloris
  • 2WalkerBooked at 27mins
  • 4AlderweireldSubstituted forChadliat 90+1'minutes
  • 5VertonghenBooked at 38mins
  • 3RoseBooked at 45minsSubstituted forDaviesat 82'minutes
  • 15DierBooked at 87mins
  • 19DembéléBooked at 90mins
  • 7Son Heung-minSubstituted forMasonat 65'minutesBooked at 90mins
  • 23EriksenBooked at 70mins
  • 11LamelaBooked at 51mins
  • 10KaneBooked at 90mins

Substitutes

  • 8Mason
  • 13Vorm
  • 14N'Jie
  • 22Chadli
  • 27Wimmer
  • 28Carroll
  • 33Davies
Referee:
Mark Clattenburg
Attendance:
41,545

Match Stats

Home TeamChelseaAway TeamTottenham
Possession
Home47%
Away53%
Shots
Home13
Away16
Shots on Target
Home5
Away5
Corners
Home7
Away8
Fouls
Home9
Away20

Live Text

  1. Post update

    Match ends, Chelsea 2, Tottenham Hotspur 2.

  2. Full Time

    Second Half ends, Chelsea 2, Tottenham Hotspur 2.

  3. Booking

    Ryan Mason (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  4. Post update

    Foul by Ryan Mason (Tottenham Hotspur).

  5. Post update

    Eden Hazard (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  6. Booking

    Mousa Dembélé (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card.

  7. Booking

    Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  8. Post update

    Foul by Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur).

  9. Post update

    Willian (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

  10. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Cesc Fàbregas.

  11. Post update

    Ryan Mason (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

  12. Post update

    Foul by Diego Costa (Chelsea).

  13. Post update

    Delay over. They are ready to continue.

  14. Substitution

    Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Nacer Chadli replaces Toby Alderweireld because of an injury.

  15. Post update

    Delay in match Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham Hotspur) because of an injury.

  16. Post update

    Attempt blocked. Willian (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked.

  17. Booking

    John Obi Mikel (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card.

  18. Booking

    Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

  19. Post update

    Foul by Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur).

  20. Post update

    Eden Hazard (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

As It Stood

TeamPWDLFAGDPts
1Leicester362211364343077
2Tottenham361913467283970
3Arsenal361910759342567
4Man City361971068383064
5Man Utd35179943311260
6West Ham351514660431759
7Southampton361691153391457
8Liverpool3515101059481155
9Chelsea351212115548748
10Stoke36139143852-1448
11Everton351014115549644
12Watford35128153642-644
13Swansea361110153750-1343
14West Brom361011153246-1441
15Bournemouth36118174363-2041
16Crystal Palace36109173646-1039
17Newcastle3689193964-2533
18Sunderland35711174058-1832
19Norwich3587203561-2631
20Aston Villa3637262772-4516
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