Honours evens at Stamford Bridge as the Blues drew 0-0 against Spurs. It's 16 years since Spurs finished about the Blues in the league and it looking increasingly likely that the north Londoners will do just that this season.
Chelsea don't look as if they will grab the vital fourth place in the league which would ensure Champions League qualification.
The Blues have dropped five points in the space of four days and will now almost certainly have to win the Champions League in May if they are to play in Europe's top club competition next season.
In truth Spurs were overall the better side, but both goalkeepers were in top condition and the woodwork conspired to keep this game scoreless.
The opening exchanges, as one would expect from this crunch derby was a cagy affair.
But a fine interchange on five minutes, started by Ashely Cole almost resulted in Didier Drogba feeding Frank Lampard in the six-yard box. but Benoit Assou-Ekotto quickly snuffed out the final pass and cleared to safety.
A sublime clipped through ball by Drogba was just slightly ovehit on 25 minutes. It bisected the Spurs defence but the in-running Juan Mata found the pace of the ball too fast and he failed to latch to it.
Spurs, to their credit, while not over ambitious up front, still produced quality passing, especially in midfield.
A penalty appeal for the home side, three minutes later was turned down by referee Martin Atkinson when Lampard got in a tangle within ex-Blue William Gallas in the six-yard box.
While Chelsea continued to pile forward for the opener. Spurs should their patience to break on the counter-attack, one such occasion on 30 minutes saw Gareth Bale pop up on the right, cut past Cole and left fly from 25 yards.
Petr Cech was unperturbed as the shot sailed high and wide of goal. Another break three minutes later saw Emmanuel Adebayor, on the left send over a cross but the ball w too high for Luka Modric.
Chelsea countered this on 36 minutes when Cole recoded a beautiful chipped ball from Lampard. the full-back cut a low byline cross but defending Rafael Van Der Vaart got his body in the way and deflected the ball back to Brad Friedel.
Spurs had a glorious chance to take the lead on the stoke of half-time. Cech produced a stupendous reflex save to deny Van Der Vaart who really should have scored from six yards out. Modric then had a shot saved before Adebayor produced a looping header that settled onto the top netting.
A quick counter-attack by the Blues two minutes into the restart almost saw Mata get onto a ball by Struuidge, but quality back-tracking by England skipper Scott Parker saw the midfielder intercept the cross and deny the Spain midfielder a clear run on goal.
The first yellow card of the game came on 50 minutes when Michael Essien upended Modric. Sturridge flashed a low left-footer across Friedel's path as the home side signalled their desire to break the deadlock.
A superb period of possession by Spurs almost resulted in a goal when Bale put Kyle Walker clear on the right, on 56 minutes. The right-back decided against taking a touch, instead saw his right-footer inch wide of Cech's left upright.
Interim boss Roberto Di Matteo decided on a tactical change on 60 minutes, replacing right-back Jose Bosingwa with David Luiz.
Ramires appealed for a penalty after Assou-Ekotto appeared to pull midfield back three minutes later, but again the referee waved away the shout.
The Spurs left-back went into Atkinson's book non 65 minutes for upending Ramires and Sandro followed quickly after again for a foul.
The Blues we so unlucky on 73 minutes when a quality curling 30-yard free kick from the left peg of Mata, sailed over the defensive wall and dipped onto the Friedel's left post and was cleared.
Attacking substitutions followed. With Fernando Torres on for Essien, with Spurs' Louis Saha on for Van Der Vaart and Jake Livermore for Sandro.
Drogba failed to connect properly with a chest down and turn, in one movement. His shot shot was weak and fell into the gleeful palms of Friedel.
A stunning block by Cahill on 80 minutes denied Saha as the striker rounded Cech and shot into what was, for a split second, an unguarded net.
But the England defender got back and deflect the ball for a corner.
From the resultant kick, Bale saw a powerful header rattle the Chelsea cross bar as the drove forward for the winner.
A blistering 20-yarder from Lampard stung Friedel's hands with four minutes remainig. Modric responded in kind but his effort was wayward.
Di Matteo made his final change on 89 minutes bringing on striker Salomon Kalou for Sturridge.
Either side could have won it at the death, and Bale almost did it with a sizzling free kick which Cech out only tip around the post for a corner. Teams: Cech, Cole, Essien, Ramires, Lampard, Mata, Drogba, Bosingwa, Sturridge, Cahill, Terry. subs, Turnbull, Luiz, Tors, Mikel, Malouda, Meireles, Kalou. Spurs : Friedel, Bale, Kaboul, Parker, Adebayor, Van Der Vaart, Gallas, Modric, Walker, Sandro, Assou-Ekotto Subs. Cudicini, Saha, Defoe, Kranjcar, Rose, Livermore, Nelsen. Refer Martin Atkinson Attendance: 41,380