In a pulsating clash at White Hart Lane, which saw Chelsea's England captain John Terry sent off in the second half, Spurs produced a fine comeback to stretch their unbeaten run to nine games.The victory left Chelsea three points adrift of United at the top of the Barclays Premiership and facing the prospect of more disciplinary action after collecting six bookings for the second successive game.
• Jose blasts PollFrance midfielder Claude Makelele had put the Blues ahead in the 14th minute but Tottenham centre-half Michael Dawson levelled 10 minutes later with a deft header.
Teenage England winger Aaron Lennon earned Spurs a deserved victory when he controlled a cross from Robbie Keane and calmly slotted the ball beyond Hilario for the winner in the 51st minute.
Tottenham's hopes of such an outcome had looked distinctly unlikely in the opening 20 minutes as Jose Mourinho's side took full control.
They should have been in front in the 13th minute but Spurs captain Ledley King made a last-ditch tackle to thwart Arjen Robben.
However, it was only a temporary reprieve for Spurs as they failed to clear the resulting corner and Makelele beat Paul Robinson with a 25-yard volley.
Three minutes later Robinson made two superb saves in as many minutes. First he kept out Michael Ballack's free-kick and then tipped Frank Lampard's drive over the bar as the champions threatened to over-run their hosts.
But Spurs were level in the 24th minute when Dawson glanced Jermaine Jenas' free-kick into the net after Paulo Ferreira had been booked for bringing down Dimitar Berbatov.
Dawson's strike put an extra zip into an already pulsating encounter between two attack-minded sides and five minutes later Berbatov forced Hilario to turn his right-footed drive for a corner as the ball threatened to creep in at the near post.
But Chelsea were still dangerous and Didier Drogba, who signed a new four-year contract at Stamford Bridge on Friday, was inches away from restoring Chelsea's lead when he turned spectacularly to unleash an overhead kick which flashed wide of Robinson's left-hand post.
Spurs full-back Pascal Chimbonda was at the centre of controversy before when he appeared to stamp on John Terry inside the six-yard box. But referee Graham Poll did not punish the Spurs defender much to the chagrin of Terry.
In the 37th minute Robbie Keane squandered the simplest of chances when Aaron Lennon's cross found him unmarked at the far post. The Republic of Ireland striker had time and space to pick his spot, but headed the ball over the crossbar with only Hilario to beat.
Chelsea coach Mourinho opted to replace Ferreira with Khalid Boulahrouz at the start of the second half and the visitors were quickly into their stride.
But in the 51st minute it was Tottenham who took the lead for the first time in the game.
Boulahrouz inexplicably allowed Keane to make 50 yards on the left flank despite challenging him twice and when the Irishman's eventual cross arrived it was deflected into the path of the lurking Lennon.
The winger controlled the ball superbly with his right foot before calmly slotting it beyond Hilario to put the home side in front.
Lennon's goal, in front of watching England boss Steve McClaren, gave Spurs the impetus to try an increase their advantage. The tricky Berbatov was felled by Terry in the 61st minute and the Blues skipper was yellow-carded for his trouble.
In the 65th minute Michael Ballack was booked for dissent as Chelsea were clearly rattled by Tottenham's fightback.
It got worse for the Blues when Mourinho chose to replace his half-time substitute Boulahrouz with Salomon Kalou in the 68th minute and the departing defender stormed down the tunnel in disgust.
Terry was then sent off three minutes later for a second bookable offence to leave Chelsea with 10 men and in danger of incurring an FA charge as their booking count reached six for the second successive game.
In a frantic finish it was the woodwork which came to Tottenham's rescue four minutes from time when Arjen Robben sent his curling shot against Robinson's right-hand post.
Jose blasts Poll
Jose Mourinho had no complaints about his side's performance after Chelsea's
first defeat at White Hart Lane in 19 years - but referee Graham Poll did not
earn any plaudits from the disgruntled Blues coach.
Mourinho's side failed to capitalise on an early lead and had England captain
John Terry sent off for a second bookable offence as Tottenham fought back to
win 2-1 thanks to a goal in each half, from Michael Dawson and Aaron Lennon.
But it was Poll who figured highly in Mourinho's post-match analysis of a
defeat which leaves the Blues three points behind Manchester United at the top
of the Barclays Premiership.
The under-fire official disallowed a Didier Drogba goal and dismissed Terry -
while, according to Mourinho, failing to red-card Tottenham's Hossam Ghaly for
elbowing Michael Essien.
Mourinho said: 'I don't understand why John Terry was sent off. I cannot find
a reason for that.
'The team gave everything and played high-pressure football. We had chances
with one player less. But Mr Poll goes home, and nobody can ask him about the
reasons behind his decisions.
'I never ask referees about their decisions because they always have an
excuse. So why should I ask him? He would say something like Didier Drogba was
free and had a clean header but somebody 30 metres away made a foul. They always
have an excuse for their decisions.
'Have you ever seen a referee come and say `It was my mistake, and I
influenced the game?'
'I don't want to speak any more about that because we lost. I don't want
people to make a confusion between the defeat and ref.'
Despite his intention to change the subject, Mourinho continued in similar
vein.
'He sends john Terry off because he is pulling Ledley King and keeps Ghaly on
the pitch when he gives a clear elbow on Michael Essien's face. They always have
an excuse. He has perfect vision - two matches with him, and five points we have
lost.
'I have had in my mind for a long time that referees should come to press
conferences after the game to explain their decisions. But it would be a fake
press conference, because they would come with their excuses and you can do
nothing about it.'
Mourinho was less hard on his own players.
'I am happy with my team,' he said.
'We made a couple of individual mistakes and we paid for that. We conceded
two goals because of these individual mistakes - clear individual mistakes.
'It was a big effort from Martin Jol and his team. They had victory in the
UEFA Cup and they beat Chelsea - and I hope they enjoy it.
'We are three points from the top of the league. I prefer to be three points
in front but I don't think it is a drama. We are playing very well and we showed
quality in the first half against Spurs and character in the second.
'We don't feel happy when we lose local derbies because we feel for the
fans.'
Tottenham's teenage England winger Lennon, linked with a move to Chelsea in
the days leading up to this fixture, grabbed the winner in the 51st minute.
But Mourinho firmly quashed any further speculation over their interest in
signing the 19-year-old.
The Chelsea coach declared: 'No, completely not interested. The boy is good,
but we have no interest in buying or changing anything.
'Our interest is to keep Shaun Wright-Phillips - who was supposedly involved
in any deal. No way. It's not true.'
Tottenham coach Martin Jol was delighted with the club's first league victory
over Chelsea at White Hart Lane since 1987, and their first in the league over
the Blues since 1990.
The victory was made even more remarkable by the fact that full-back Pascal
Chimbonda played throughout the game with medial ligament damage to his knee,
following a bruising challenge from Frank Lampard.
The win took Tottenham's unbeaten run in all competitions to nine games, and
it was a satisfying moment for the Dutchman.
Jol said: 'I feel it has been a great week for the club, with us winning in
the UEFA Cup and beating the champions. It is an achievement.
'They said we had never beaten a top side, and that was a bit annoying. But
we did that today. It was a great performance, aside from the fist 25 minutes.
'We woke up when they scored and we had nothing to lose. We said before the
game we had to be brave and play with confidence - and we did that in the second
half.
'Chimbonda was injured and really couldn't play on. But I had no defenders,
so he did. He was the best evidence of our spirit and character.'
Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Chelsea
