Tottenham check Chelsea's title charge as they share an eight-goal thriller

If Grant had something of a tactical nightmare when these sides met in the Carling Cup final, he will have been disappointed to surrender two points to the same opposition again.

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His side, after all, failed to move alongside the Arsenal side they meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

No one would ever suggest that Arsene Wenger is the inferior manager but, intriguingly, his record is inferior to Grant's since Jose Mourinho moved on. Grant has actually secured three more points than Wenger since September. Extraordinary.

Doubts do, of course, remain. Not least Grant's ability to win the matches that really matter. Wembley exposed weaknesses in Grant and that FA Cup defeat at Barnsley left him under enormous pressure.

This was a decent response and a goal, in particular, from Michael Essien was as beautiful as it was breathtaking.

But until Grant beats Arsenal this weekend, until he guides his side past Fenerbahce in the Champions League and takes them to Moscow in May, his future will remain shrouded in uncertainty.

His team performed well for him last night, Essien putting them 2-1 up with an 20th-minute chip that came after Jonathan Woodgate and Didier Drogba, rather like they did at Wembley, had scored.

Chelsea then delivered two second- half strikes from Joe Cole as Spurs refused to quit with goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Tom Huddlestone and an 88th-minute 20-yard screamer from Robbie Keane finally robbing him of victory.

But an Ashley Cole tackle on Hutton was a disgrace, and only because of the weakness of referee Mike Riley under pressure from John Terry, Drogba and Lampard did the England full-back remain.

If Riley wants respect, then he should take appropriate action.

Tottenham were incensed. Guy Poyet informed the fourth official that it should have been a 'f***king red' and he told Cole as much after confronting him in the tunnel at half-time.

Tottenham started like a side with nothing much to play for, conceding a goal to opponents they so impressed against at Wembley after just two minutes and 40 seconds.

It was the kind of goal that infuriates managers such as Ramos, so meekly did Tottenham defend.

After a free-kick had hit the Tottenham wall, Claude Makelele played the ball into the path of Terry, the Chelsea captain crossed from the left and Drogba struck with a super header.

But super only because Pascal Chimbonda disappeared when he should have been marking a striker who was scoring only his second goal since November.

To Tottenham's credit, though, it was enough to spark them into action. They survived another scare, when Joe Cole struck only to see the assistant referee had raised his flag for offside, but wasted little time in securing an equaliser.

After Makelele had brought down Aaron Lennon with a reckless challenge, Jermaine Jenas delivered a terrific free-kick from the right and Woodgate rose above Drogba to prove that his decisive goal at Wembley was no accident.

Nor, however, was what amounted to a quite brilliant response from Essien in the 18th minute.

A move that began with a trademark run from Joe Cole continued with a touch from Drogba and a chip from Essien that left a stranded Paul Robinson looking more than a little foolish.

Not good timing for Robinson when Fabio Capello was among the spectators.

It was not much better when Robinson drove a clearance kick straight at Drogba, hitting him on the side of the head with enough force to send most people to the ground. But Drogba, clearly, is made of sterner stuff.

The match remained entertaining.

A contest memorable for its intensity as well as the occasional moment of genuine invention.

Jenas tested Carlo Cudicini after a darting run down the left flank and Lennon was only denied by the quick thinking of the League's best reserve keeper.

As television evidence demonstrated, Cudicini did not handle the ball outside his area but make the clearance with his chest.

Chelsea remained the better side even if there were less sporting, underlining their superiority when Joe Cole added another goal in the 51st minute.

It looked more like a cross than a shot, but it struck Robinson's legs and spun into the net. 'England's No 4,' cried Chelsea's fans. If he's lucky.

Berbatov looped a header over Cudicini when he beat Terry to a Huddlestone corner.

Huddlestone, himself, then scored when he collected a loose ball from after yet another corner. Joe Cole grabbed what looked like being an 80th-minute winner after beating Chimbonda with some ease.

Then came the winner from Keane which rocked Grant's ambitions.

TOTTENHAM (4-4-2): Robinson 5; Hutton 6, Woodgate 6, King 5 (Bent 68min, 6), Chimbonda 5; Lennon 6, Zokora 6, Jenas 7 (Huddlestone 45, 7), Malbranque 6; Berbatov 5, Keane 5. Booked: Keane, Huddlestone.

CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cudicini 6; Ferreira 7 (Shevchenko 90), Carvalho 7, Terry 7, A Cole 6; Makelele 7, Essien 8, Lampard 7; J Cole 7 (Ballack 82), Drogba 8, Kalou 6 (Alex 71, 6). Booked: J Cole, A Cole.

Man of the match: Michael Essien.

Referee: Mike Riley.