Premier League

CHELSEA 2 (Koulibaly 19, James 77)
TOTTENHAM 2 (Hojbjerg 68, Kane 90+6)

WITH a deft flick of his head, Harry Kane completely changed the complexion of this extraordinary London derby.

The striker, who had been anonymous for long periods and missed a sitter that many would have bet their house on him finishing, rose highest to meet a corner in the dying seconds to earn Tottenham a point at Stamford Bridge.

This match will no doubt be dubbed “The Battle of the Bridge Part Two” – following a 2-2 draw between the two sides back in 2016 that produced no fewer than 12 yellow cards, nine of which went to Spurs.

While Tottenham failed to perform to their pre-match billing as the team on the up, the last-gasp equaliser is worth more than a point: this is important psychologically for the rest of the season.

Both managers clashed repeatedly on the touchline, sparking an unpleasant melee after the first equaliser and then again at full-time. Antonio Conte and Thomas Tuchel were given red cards for their behaviour, and no doubt both clubs will face an investigation into the scrap.

Kane said after the final whistle: “I think it was a really important game for us to show where we are as a team. It’s a marathon this season, not a sprint, and we have a long way to go with the World Cup in-between.

“We knew it was going to be a tough battle. In the first half we weren’t good enough with or without the ball, but in the second half I thought we pressed well. We got the goal, [and were then] disappointed to concede the second, but we carried on fighting.

“Thankfully, we got one at the end there. I flicked it on and I couldn’t really see where the ball went, I just saw the net rustling right in front of our fans. I had that chance earlier in the second half, so it was nice to see that one go in.”

Chelsea, however, will feel aggrieved – and the fiery antics between the coaches showed just how disappointed the Blues were.

They were dominant for much of the game and deserved their first half lead via an excellent volley from their new centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly following a Marc Cucurella corner.

Spurs failed to get into any rhythm, with their vaunted front three of Kane, Heung-Min Son and Dejan Kulusevski getting nothing out of the home side. At half-time Tottenham were clinging on – and after the break, little changed until new boy Richarlison came on.

The Brazilian forward brought with him more bite to chase and close down players, and suddenly Chelsea looked a little tired and vulnerable.

Kane missed a golden opportunity to bring the scores level, racing clear only to drag a weak shot wide. Then, on 68 minutes, an already feisty match completely boiled over.

A period of Spurs pressure – the first in the match – saw Rodrigo Bentancur nick the ball off Kai Havertz, which caused wild consternation on the Chelsea bench, who believed it was a foul.

It was from this tackle that Tottenham got forward, and – after some needless dithering from Jorginho in the Chelsea box – the away side won the ball back, again, before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg beat Edouard Mendy with a rasping drive. Tuchel and Conte received yellow cards for their behaviour over the initial tackle on Havertz.

Chelsea responded well, and retook the lead on 77 minutes when Reece James added the finishing touches to a Raheem Sterling cross. But there was still a twist to come.

Late on, as Spurs went into kitchen sink mode, they won a series of corners. And it was from the last one that Kane grabbed the point as Spurs snatched a late 2-2 draw.

After the match, Conte said he was reacting to his counterparts behaviour. The Tottenham boss added: “I am not passive. If I see aggression, I answer it with aggression.”

The same could be said of his Spurs side, who showed a dogged resilience that bodes well for the coming months.

Chelsea: Mendy, James, Silva, Koulibaly, Loftus-Cheek, Kante (Gallagher, 85), Jorginho (Azpilicueta, 73), Cucurella, Mount, Havertz (Broja, 90), Sterling (Pulisic, 85)
Substitutes not used: Arrizabalaga, Chalobah, Hudson-Odoi, Chilwell, Ziyech

Tottenham: Lloris, Romero, Dier, Davies, Sessegnon (Richarlison, 57), Royal (Moura, 82), Hojbjerg, Bentancur (Bissouma, 79), Kulusevski, Son (Perisic, 79), Kane
Substitutes not used: Forster, Doherty, Sanchez, Gil, Tanganga