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LONDON - Chelsea stormed back from two goals down to snatch a 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in an electrifying FA Cup quarter-final at Stamford Bridge this morning.
Goals from Dimitar Berbatov and Hossam Ghaly and an own goal from Michael Essien gave Tottenham a 3-1 halftime lead
as they looked set to end a 17-year wait for a win at Stamford Bridge.
However Frank Lampard's second goal of the match after 71 minutes gave Chelsea a lifeline and substitute Salomon Kalou volleyed the equaliser four minutes from time to set up a replay on March 19 (local time).
Manchester United and Middlesbrough must also replay after a 2-2 draw on Saturday while Blackburn Rovers became the first team to guarantee a semi-final spot with a 2-0 victory over Manchester City.
Premier League strugglers Watford face second division Plymouth Argyle later today.
Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-1 at home in earlier this season for their first league victory over their London rivals since 1987 and they will be left wondering how they did not complete a remarkable double.
Chelsea, still missing key defender and skipper John Terry, never got to grips with their attacking trio of Berbatov, Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon but displayed trademark stubbornness to avoid a first domestic home defeat in open play under coach Jose Mourinho.
Poked finish
Berbatov put Tottenham ahead after five minutes, thrashing a shot into the top right corner after superb link-up play between Lennon and Defoe.
Chelsea responded midway through the half when midfielder Frank Lampard applied a poked finish to deflect Michael Ballack's slashed shot across the goal.
Essien gifted Tottenham the lead again after 28 minutes when he bundled a low Lennon cross past his keeper Petr Cech and when Ghaly steamed through a hesitant Chelsea defence to make it 3-1 after 36 minutes Tottenham looked set for the semi-finals.
Early in the second half Lennon and Defoe both spurned chances in quick succession to put Spurs out of sight and the visitors were made to pay the price.
Chelsea gambled on all-out attack and their pressure paid off when Lampard grabbed his second of the game after 71 minutes when Tottenham failed to deal with a high ball into the box.
With just four minutes remaining Chelsea striker Didier Drogba won a header on the edge of the area and substitute Salomon Kalou smashed a first-time volley past Spurs keeper Radek Cerny.
Both sides went for the victory in a pulsating finale with first Defoe rattling the crossbar with a ferocious shot and then Andriy Shevchenko almost sealing it for the hosts.
Goals in each half from Aaron Mokoena and Matt Derbyshire were enough for Blackburn to beat City, although South African Mokoena had a mixed day as he was sent off in the second half for a second yellow card.
- REUTERS
