Ahmed Hossam started his first game for some time, and coming at Stamford Bridge, the striker simply had to give it his all. Hossam Ghaly played the full game, and almost set Mido up for the opening goal of the game, only for the Egyptians to be denied by Chelsea keeper Petr Cech.


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The game was a must-win for champions Chelsea, who started 6 points behind league leaders Manchester United. The game was the finest of the week, on paper, with Chelsea having won their last 6 league ties, and Spurs their last 5. But it was a cautious match in all truth, and it was ignited by the Egyptian influence at the start of the second half.

The Egyptians almost decided the league by themselves! Ghaly's jumped to find Mido, who powered at goal with his head only for a reflex save by Cech. Only seconds later did Ricardo Carvalho fire home the winning goal of the game at the other end of the pitch.

On the whole, it was a tough game for Mido, who started with Jermain Defoe at the front. He found little space; marked by John Terry. He tried hard but was forced to drop back at times, and in a game in which Spurs hardly attacked, he did miss the biggest chance.

Hossam Ghaly was brilliant off the ball; his pressurising, running towards players and interceptions made him one of the 'unkown soldiers' of the game. His off the ball movement was superb, but it was surely let down by the sloppy control and passes he showed at times. It was obvious that Paul Stalteri doesn't link up as well with him as Pascal Chimbonda.

EP Ratings:

Chelsea: Cech 8, Ferreira 6, Carvalho 8, Terry 8, Bridge 7, Makelele 6, Lampard 6, Mikel 6 (Cole 83' ?), Wright-Phillips 7 (Ballack 71' 5), Drogba 6, Kalou 5 (Shevchenko 74' 5).

Tottenham: Robinson 5, Stalteri 6, Dawson 7, Rocha 7, Chimbonda 7, Jenas 5 (Zokora 81' ?), Tainio 6 (Taarabt 64' 7), Ghaly 7, Malbranque 5, Mido 6 (Berbatov 69' 6), Defoe 4.

Mido made his presence felt immediately, shrugging Terry in attack and defence and having an argument with the referee within minutes. Ghaly began his game brightly as usual, almost making Spurs' first chance as he ran on the right and managed to charge to the ball before the defence in order to put a cross in. It was cleared though.

Mido began to help in the defence too, heading a dangerous cross away onto the corner flag, and out for a corner kick. When Ghaly fulfilled his defensive duties, he was given an unbelievable booking by referee Rob Styles. The midfielder was pressurising Wayne Bridge from behind, but the official not only judged it a foul, but also a card. It was a reminder of Styles' decision to send Mido off in this game months ago, after the striker had apparently jumped for a ball unfairly using his elbow.

Shaun Wright-Phillips looked bright, but the game was a cautious one in which Spurs hardly had a shot. In the 36th minute Ghaly did well on the right before passing inside to a team-mate. Carvalho, however, managed to stretch and intercept the ball.

The second half saw Mido's big chance, which though he should have scored, he didn't do too badly with. Luck doesn't seem to be going his way, it's fair to say. It was perhaps the first chance of the game. Ghaly leapt to meet a long ball and put it into the box with his head. It played Mido through inside the area, with the ball near his head. Mido powered a header at goal which Cech managed to tip just over the crossbar. It would have been a superb Egyptian move which would have changed the entire Premier League season.

In a sense it did change the game; Chelsea were woken up and scored just a minute later. Carvalho took a shot from distance which swept past the defence and Paul Robinson, and into the net.

Spurs tried to react, and Mido did well to win a corner on the left for his side. However, Chelsea began to find space and Robinson was forced to make a superb save with his feet at the other end. The England keeper had to make another good save when Drogba tested him. The Ivorian had received the ball from compatriot Solomon Kalou - a former team-mate of Ghaly - whom the Egyptian gave the ball to with a very sloppy pass inside his own third.

Moroccan teenager Adel Taarabt came on and added passion to Tottenham. His first touch was a great shot, after a clevr lay-up from Mido, which Cech dived low to save. And Ghaly almost made an assist when he chipped the ball amazingly inside the box to Jermain Defoe, who controlled poorly and
without authority, resulting in a hand-ball at the end.

In the 69th minute, Mido made way for Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian did a decent header after a corner, but Cech stopped him too. With Spurs pressurising, Ghaly was clearly instructed to stay back for the set-pieces. This paid off when Chelsea tried to counter but Ghaly jumped onto Makelele to deny him from getting past in a tactical foul he may not have meant!

The Egyptians are probably not expected to start in the UEFA Cup game on Thursday, but they showed enough passion to keep themselves in the mix of players expected to add something to the remainder of Spurs' season...

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