Would the real Chelsea stand up

SOCCER - FA CUP QUARTER FINALS/Tottenham...0 Chelsea...4: Chelsea reached the last four of the FA Cup yesterday with a performance that deepened the mystery of their inability to hold a regular place in the first four of the Premiership.

Tottenham, who two months earlier had outplayed Chelsea at home in the semi-finals of the Worthington Cup, were themselves outclassed by the verve and pace of their opponents' football.

On this form, and in this mood, Chelsea are capable of defeating anybody. They had already proved as much by beating Manchester United, who are not just anybody, 3-0 at Old Trafford at the beginning of December.

Even as their supporters basked in the euphoria of yesterday's win, they must have experienced the tiniest feeling of frustration at the failure of Claudio Ranieri's side to offer a more consistent challenge in the league.

But, at least Chelsea are on the threshhold of a third FA Cup final in six seasons.

For Spurs, the season has suddenly lost its sense of direction and purpose. A fortnight earlier Glenn Hoddle's players had been promising themselves two visits to the Millennium Stadium and the chance to emulate Liverpool in winning both of the Cardiff cup finals.

Now, they have nothing but rueful regrets, accompanied by doubts about how much longer this partly ageing side can remain together.

Yesterday, Tottenham betrayed shortcomings similar to those that had eventually seen them beaten by Blackburn Rovers in the final of the Worthington Cup.

Again the ineffectiveness of Teddy Sheringham cost the attack much of its ability to maintain serious pressure.

Once more, Hoddle's midfield found itself dominated by opponents inferior numerically but superior in all other aspects.

And Les Ferdinand's inability to put away a simple chance at a crucial point in the match was eerily reminiscent of what had happened in the Millennium Stadium.

Perhaps the worst thing Spurs did to their FA Cup hopes was to rout Chelsea 5-1 in the Worthington Cup.

Chelsea's performance yesterday was that of a team whose pride demanded, not merely revenge, but retribution in the starkest terms.

If any one player typified Chelsea's determination to seek redress it was Graeme Le Saux, whose inspired performance on the left of midfield would have considerably strengthened the 33-year-old's case for an England recall had he not got himself sent off for a second yellow card with a wild charge on Mauricio Taricco, who had only just come off the Spurs bench, with just under 15 minutes left.

By that time, Chelsea had established their 4-0 lead and the loss of a man was immaterial to the result. But if Le Saux was hoping to convince Sven-Goran Eriksson that he had a part to play in England's World Cup plans, this was hardly the way to go about it.

Up to that moment, nevertheless, the ability of Le Saux frequently to exploit space behind Simon Davies and turn Tottenham's right flank was an important factor in Chelsea's domination of large parts of the match.

If Tottenham were unlucky at all it was in meeting Emmanuel Petit on one of those now rare occasions when the Frenchman recalls his finest days at Arsenal.

After 12 minutes, Neil Sullivan could only pat away a sharply inswinging corner from Chelsea's Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, the ball was not cleared and William Gallas prodded in his first goal for the club.

After 10 minutes of the second half the contest was all but over. Le Saux's quick ball forward found Eidur Gudjohnsen clear and onside and Sullivan was beaten by a cool finish. Then Le Saux himself scored after dispossessing Tim Sherwood as he loitered in possession near his own 18-yard line.

Six minutes past the hour Jesper Gronkjaer's short pass to Gujdohnsen caught Spurs in the wrong half and the Icelander completed Chelsea's victory after another long, lone dash.

Now the rest of Tottenham's season threatens to be even longer and lonelier.

TOTTENHAM: Sullivan, King, Gardner, Richards (Rebrov 62), Davies, Anderton (Taricco 75), Sherwood, Poyet, Ziege, Ferdinand, Sheringham.Subs Not Used: Keller, Perry, Etherington. Booked: Ferdinand, Richards, Ziege, Sheringham, Sherwood.

CHELSEA: Cudicini, Melchiot, Babayaro, Desailly, Gallas, Le Saux, Lampard, Petit, Gronkjaer (Dalla Bona 80), Gudjohnsen (Jokanovic 84), Hasselbaink (Forssell 89). Subs Not Used: de Goey, Zola. Sent Off: Le Saux (77). Booked: Le Saux, Desailly, Lampard. Goals: Gallas 12, Gudjohnsen 48, Le Saux 54, Gudjohnsen 66.

Referee: A D'Urso (Billericay).