Chelsea moved another step closer to securing a return to European competition last night with an easy victory over the side managed by the man who started the foreign revolution at Stamford Bridge.
It was Glenn Hoddle's first league defeat in charge of Tottenham but his patched-up team, hit badly by injuries and reduced to 10 men by Willem Korsten's sending off, stood little chance of ending a jinxed run against Chelsea who they last beat in February 1990.
So the omens looked more than encouraging for Chelsea and the reality manifested itself after 29 minutes. Dennis Wise swung in a corner to the near post where Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink rose and directed a clear header inside the upright.
That goal had been coming for a while as Chelsea's ascendancy slowly grew following a bright opening from Spurs. With the promising Gary Doherty preferred in attack by Hoddle and regularly out-jumping Marcel Desailly, the visiting defence were quickly on their toes. First Simon Davies directed a flamboyant overhead kick just wide. Then Doherty rose above John Terry to direct a header a whisker wide of the post.
But Chelsea gradually took a grip of the game. Neil Sullivan needed to be at his best to parry a Wise shot, then when Korsten's error let in Gustavo Poyet the Uruguayan unleashed a trademark volley just over the bar.
Soon after, Hasselbaink fired another shot just over but then things went from bad to worse for Tottenham. First Chris Perry was carried off on a stretcher with a knee injury then, just before the break, Korsten was sent off for a second yellow card after a late challenge on Mario Melchiot.
Though Tottenham began the second half chasing down blue shirts with vigour, it was not enough to contain Chelsea. On 53 minutes the visitors twice forced crucial saves from Sullivan, one from Poyet the other from Gianfranco Zola.
And the second goal quickly followed. Celestine Babayaro swung in a low cross from the left and Poyet stretched out a leg to guide the ball past Sullivan. Then, in injury-time, Eidur Gudjohnsen played a one-two with Hasselbaink which sent him free on goal and the Icelander slotted the ball past Sullivan.
Tottenham: Sullivan, Carr, Doherty, Perry (Gardner 37), Young, Thelwell, Sherwood, Davies (Piercy 75), Clemence (Etherington 82), Korsten, Rebrov. Subs Not Used: Walker, Leonhardsen. Sent Off: Korsten (45). Booked: Korsten, Doherty.
Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot, Terry, Desailly, Babayaro, Dalla Bona, Wise, Poyet (Stanic 76), Le Saux (Gronkjaer 67), Zola (Gudjohnsen 78), Hasselbaink. Subs Not Used: de Goey, Jokanovic. Booked: Desailly, Babayaro. Goals: Hasselbaink 29, Poyet 60, Gudjohnsen 90.
Referee: G Barber (Tring).