The bare facts show that Marcel Desailly headed the winner for Chelsea deep into stoppage time. Yet the Frenchman's late intervention hardly tells the story of an extraordinary final 10 minutes featuring three goals, a heavily disputed penalty, a red card and enough ill-feeling to have Graeme Le Saux confronting Mauricio Taricco once the final whistle had sounded.

A match which had meandered unremarkably for the most part turned when Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink won a controversial spot-kick to put Chelsea 2-1 ahead in the 80th minute. The Tottenham bench were convinced the Dutchman merely stubbed his foot as Ledley King moved across, and were so angered by the striker's goal celebrations that they made their feelings clear.

After Spurs recovered to set up Teddy Sheringham's second equaliser of the day in the 90th minute, Frank Lampard was sent off for punching Chris Perry, retaliating to the defender's angry, shirt-pulling accusations that he had been looking for another spot-kick.

Still there was time for Desailly's goal, and Le Saux had to be restrained from continuing an argument with Taricco once victory was secured. Glenn Hoddle ushered Taricco down the tunnel.

"Le Saux received a punch in the face during the game," said Chelsea's manager, Claudio Ranieri, with Le Saux's actions suggesting Taricco was the alleged offender. Whether the Football Association looks into the matter remains to be seen, but Ranieri was less than happy with the referee Steve Dunn's decision to dismiss Lampard for the first time in his Chelsea career. The midfielder went for a second yellow card, so no appeal is possible.

Hasselbaink, already embroiled in controversy which saw him sent off the previous weekend against Arsenal for an alleged elbow on Martin Keown, was the centre of much of the tension again. Hoddle did not suggest Hasselbaink dived, but was upset with Dunn's failure to spot that the striker "stubbed his foot", and his decision to give the penalty before consulting his assistant.

"The linesman was in a better position," Hoddle said. "The linesman said he didn't give it." The Tottenham manager added: "I didn't think it was penalty at the time and I've seen it four or five times since. There was no contact made and no attempt to tackle from Ledley King. It was a poor decision."

Hoddle's frustration was all the more acute because he saw his side suffer at the hands of a refereeing error by David Elleray at Everton last month. There Gary Doherty conceded and penalty and was sent off for a challenge the referee later admitted was clean.

To add to Hoddle's woes his Yugoslav defender Goran Bunjevcevic was stretchered off after fracturing a cheekbone in an accidental clash with Hasselbaink just before the hour.

Hoddle also confirmed that he has put in an improved offer for Southampton's centre-back Dean Richards, having learned that Doherty will be out for three or four months with a broken ankle.

Chelsea, unbeaten against Spurs since 1990 and unable to win away for most of last season, had gone ahead in injury-time of a first-half which had produced few clear chances. When Le Saux's shot was blocked, Lampard chipped a cross beyond the stranded Neil Sullivan for Hasselbaink to head in.

Sheringham, having spectacularly hit the bar, deservedly equalised at the second attempt from Simon Davies' pass, and Spurs looked the more likely winners. But from Gianfranco's Zola's excellent ball, Hasselbaink tumbled, scored from the spot and it seemed game over.

Not so. Les Ferdinand burst past Desailly, struggling with a thigh injury, to set up Sheringham for another equaliser, and when Lampard, booked earlier for a challenge on Davies, was dismissed in injury-time at the assistant's say-so, few could have imagined the final twist.

Those who have doubted Chelsea's spirit in the past must have been impressed when Eidur Gudjohnsen flicked on an Emmanuel Petit corner, and Desailly at the far post had the final word.

TOTTENHAM: Sullivan, Perry, Bunjevcevic (Thelwell 57), King, Taricco, Ziege, Freund (Rebrov 85), Anderton, Davies, Ferdinand, Sheringham. Subs Not Used: Keller, Leonhardsen, Etherington. Booked: Ferdinand, Freund. Goals: Sheringham 66, 90.

CHELSEA: de Goey, Melchiot, Desailly, Terry (Gallas 44), Le Saux, Gronkjaer, Lampard, Petit, Zenden (Jokanovic 82), Hasselbaink, Zola (Gudjohnsen 88). Subs Not Used: Bosnich, Morris. Sent Off: Lampard (90). Booked: Desailly, Gronkjaer, Le Saux, Lampard. Goals: Hasselbaink 45, 81 pen, Desailly 90.

Referee: S Dunn (Bristol).