Christian Eriksen broke deadlock with thunderous drive as Chelsea conceded first goal in ten hours
The hosts drew level just before half-time as Pedro fired in a curling effort from outside the box
Victor Moses ghosted in at the back post to smash his side into the lead via a deflection on the line
So twenty-nine fruitless visits to Stamford Bridge becomes thirty; 1990 remains the benchmark performance here for a Tottenham side, the last time they won.
They scored and, in current form, that counts as a small victory against Chelsea, the first goal Antonio Conte’s side have conceded in the league for six games.
But it was hard to shake off the memory of meltdown Tottenham had when they lost both the league and their heads here last season. It felt that the hard lessons learnt that night were underscored yesterday evening: that this Tottenham side remains a little short of know-how and quality.
Not far short; they have it in moments and in the first half they demonstrated that the quality which exists in the side. They will go close at times in competitions. But re-enforcements look necessary if they are to be the side that becomes a regular Champions League participant.
And, right now, no-one surpasses Antonio Conte and his Chelsea side. They can win with a flourish, as they did against Manchester United and Everton; they can tough it out on inhospitable away trips, as they did at Middlesbrough; and they can come from behind, redress the balance of play, when asked serious questions.
It’s as far as could be imagined from last season. They continue to flourish, with Pedro and Victor Moses, their goal-scorers yesterdays, players reborn by the warm embrace of Conte’s love and belief. Both were excellent yesterday. And in Diego Costa, outstanding in the second half, and David Luiz, they have a worldliness that secures victories.
History suggested it would be frenetic and fierce and the early exchanges between Eric Dier and Diego Costa confirmed as much. But there was a dash of quality as well and early on most of it came from Tottenham.
Where there had been inertia in Monaco, there was energy unbounded here. Tottenham looked a different proposition to the team that exited the Champions League with a curious lack of passion on Tuesday night.
Rather, this was the side which had overwhelmed Manchester City earlier in the season, with Victor Wanyama muscling his way to domination in the midfield, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli making darting, creative runs, Harry Kane a constant nuisance and Kyle Walker indefatigable.
Tottenham even had the ball in the back of the net after five minutes, via Kane, but had the effort ruled out, with several Spurs players having ventured offside as Eriksen swept in his delightful free kick.
Yet they had started the brighter, on the front foot, and confirmed their momentum in the 11th minute, when Eriksen picked the ball out 20 yards out from a Dele Alli pass. It seemed harmless but Eriksen saw a gap which Chelsea hadn’t covered. He unleashed a ferocious strike, off the edge of his boot, spinning away from Thibaut Courtois, to open the scoring.
Chelsea, with their six straight wins in the Premier League, looked somewhat affronted. But they couldn’t wrest back control of the game. Wanyama shot wide on 23 minutes, Kane wriggled past defenders to force a sharp parry from Courtois on 33 minutes and a just delightful cross-field ball from Heung Min-Son found its way to Eriksen via Walker, but the Dane shot over.
As for Chelsea, they were confined to a David Luiz free kick, which Hugo Lloris gathered on 30minutes and Eden Hazard cleverly intercepting a LLoris clearance and almost embarrassing the keeper on 42 minutes. Still, when the equaliser came, it was exceptional; against the run of play, and hardly reflective of Chelsea’s first half, but a joy to watch nonetheless.
Nemanja Matic fed Pedro and though Mauricio Pochettino will be agitated at the amount of space he was afforded, the control, little drag back, turn and exquisite strike, curling into the top corner from 20 yards out, was outstanding. Pedro sprinted to the bench so fast he ran straight past the celebrating Antonio Conte; but the pleasure of all was clear to see.
Pochettino would have been even more concerned about Chelsea as they took the lead early in the second half. With Tottenham losing the ball cheaply in midfield, Chelsea swept upfield with Diego Costa charging down the left and cutting inside. In their dash to defend, Spurs had gravitated to the player and ignored the spacious gaps on the opposite flank.
So when Costa cut the ball back for Victor Moses, he had time, space to make his strike. He did so admirably and though Lloris got a foot to it, he could only deflect into the mid rift of Jan Vetonghen, who in turn could only help the ball over the line on 54 minutes.
Chelsea were suddenly ascendant and with Costa now alive and a bundle of trouble, they should have extended their lead. Costa burst down the right this time and pulled the ball back for Marcos Alonso, who lifted his clear strike from close range wastefully over on 54 minutes.
Tottenham, as last season, looked a little stunned by the comeback. They took their time to respond with Harry Kane picking up a loose ball on 64 minutes and managing to pull it back into the path of Eriksen, but he could only volley into the arms of Courtois. And Kane fed Alli on 72 minutes, who skewed his finish wide; no matter, as the offside flag was raised, though it looked to be in error.