Indeed, it was a fantastic weekend of soccer: Real-Barcelona in Spain was followed one day later by a classic FA Cup encounter between Chelsea and Tottenham at Stamford Bridge. This was another one that finished, 3-3, a result that certainly does Chelsea no favors, as a replay will only add to the Sky Blues’ already packed fixture list. Manager Jose Mourinho will be happy at least that Premiership leader Manchester United suffered a similar fate after drawing 2-2 at Middlesbrough.
However, Chelsea wouldn’t still be in the position to qualify for the FA Cup semi-finals if it weren’t for the tactical wherewithal shown by Mourinho on Sunday, says The Daily Mail’s Matt Lawton. Say what you will about the surly-mouthed Portuguese, his “remarkable courage, conviction and competitive spirit” are ultimately what earned his team a second chance in a game that looked over with four minutes to go.
Indeed, a win would have made Tottenham just the third team in 80 matches to beat Mourinho’s men at Stamford Bridge-a remarkable record-but it was Mourinho’s brave decision to send on striker Saloman Kalou for defender Ashley Cole with fully 26 minutes to go that ultimately secured the replay. Kalou played a part in Lampard’s 71st-minute goal, but it was his wonderful volley in the 86th minute that dashed Tottenham’s hope of a famous FA Cup victory.