Match Analysis: Tottenham Hotspur 2-4 Chelsea

Premier League leaders Chelsea came out on top by four goals to two against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane this afternoon.

The visiting Blues led 1-0 having dominated the opening 45 minutes, but soon found themselves 2-1 down after the restart.

However, a brace from Juan Mata and a strike from substitute Daniel Sturridge saw them overturn the deficit and they now make the short trip back to Stamford Bridge with all three points in the bag.

Here, Sports Mole decides whether or not Chelsea deserved their win.

Match statistics:

Tottenham: Shots 23 On target16 Possession 48% Corners 7 Fouls 7

Chelsea: Shots 11 On target 7 Possession 52% Corners 4 Fouls 8

Was the result fair?

Putting aside the first 10 minutes of the second half, Chelsea were the dominant force in this encounter. Spurs had their chances in the closing stages as they pushed on, but over the 90 minutes they didn't deserve anything from this match.

Tottenham's performance

As mentioned above, barring the start of the second half, Andre Villas-Boas will not be happy with the way that his side performed. They struggled defensively in particular and also missed the presence of Gareth Bale and Moussa Dembele in advanced positions.

Chelsea's performance

It was a real professional performance from Roberto Di Matteo's men. Granted they wobbled a little when Spurs scored their two goals, but apart from that they rarely looked in trouble. They have sent out a real message to their title rivals with a victory against a side that had not lost since the opening day of the season.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Juan Mata: Having missed an extremely presentable chance during the first half, the pint-sized Spaniard went on to bag two goals to put his side back in the lead - taking his tally to six from his last five outings. He also set up Sturridge for Chelsea's fourth.

Biggest gaffe

Take your pick from any of the errors committed by William Gallas for Chelsea's opening three goals of the match. On two occasions his clearances only reached a Chelsea player, who in turn found the net. The third goal saw him react slowly and Mata nipped in to score. It was an afternoon to forget for the Frenchman.

Referee performance

Mike Dean has a feisty reputation and he showed that here. However, the match required that sort of referee. He booked players when necessary and allowed the game to flow. Perhaps he could have awarded Chelsea a penalty but apart from that he was faultless.

What next?

Tottenham: After a trip to NK Maribor in the Europa League, Spurs will attempt to get back to winning ways away at Southampton on Sunday afternoon.

Chelsea: The Blues are also on the road in Europe this week as they take on Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine. After that they welcome Manchester United to Stamford Bridge as first takes on second.