Tottenham can still dream of title, Redknapp and Villas-Boas all square in tactical duel; Sturridge pushes for Euro 2012 start

1. Tottenham can cling on to hopes of winning the title

Ten points behind Manchester City and eight off Manchester United at the start of the evening Spurs knew a win would kill Chelsea’s title aspirations and send a serious message to the north-west regarding their own credentials. A draw leaves this eventuality distant now but not impossible, especially as Spurs have a game in hand. After eight minutes their status as credible challengers appeared apparent when Gareth Bale cruised down the left before playing in Emmanuel Adebayor, who completed the business. The strut and sense of self-determination Harry Redknapp has installed continued to be evident until these qualities were tested when Daniel Sturridge equalised mid-way through the first half but Spurs have still be taken very seriously.

2. Redknapp and AVB drew tactical showdown

Redknapp’s approach is more straightforward than André Villas-Boas who is still tinkering with his style and personnel. For the Tottenham manager selection and tactics when everyone is fit is simple: this team choose themselves then go out and hope to exploit the thrust of Bale, the artistry of Luka Modric, Scott Parker’s midfield brickwall and Adebayor’s killer finishing: Spurs opener derived from this approach after the Welsh flyer shredded Chelsea down their right. Villas-Boas wants more pace injected through his side and left Frank Lampard on the bench for the leaner Raul Meireles. The way in which his team drew level and then soaked up the pressure from the home team will have been heartening to AVB.

3 Sturridge continues to push for Euro 2012 starting place

Even the very best can miss a glaring goal from four yards out, difficult angle or not, as the Chelsea No23 did after 12 minutes – the credit here lay in Sturridge having the cunning and hunger to race in after Juan Mata’s blistering 25-yarder to try and snaffle up a parry from the Tottenham goalkeeper Brad Friedel. As Chelsea’s prime force this season, Sturridge is surely a shoe-in for Fabio Capello’s England squad for Euro 2012 and after 23 minutes he continued to make the case for why he should start in the XI next summer. In doing so Sturridge also illustrated why he will be lethal operating down the middle which is his favoured position, anticipating Ashley Cole’s cross to equalise and take his tally into double figures for the campaign.

4. John Obi Mikel may have blown his chances

He was unlucky to depart near half-time due to an injury, but is this really the player whom Manchester United prised £12m from Chelsea to cancel their option on him so that Mikel could sign for the London club five years ago? The Nigerian had been sharp within seconds of kick-off, snuffing out the threat of Adebayor but the sluggishness of thought and deed allowed Modric to slip past him easily moments later. In this Villas-Boas formation, Mikel was the central midfielder in the middle trident meaning that he was often first receiver and charged with starting the move forward. When short passes or simple lay-offs are required he is comfortable but Mikel lacks the dynamism of a Parker and the time for Oriol Romeu may have come.

5. What a signing Emmanuel Adebayor has been

The close of the first half had Adebayor pirouetting on the edge of the Chelsea area before unloading a left-foot shot that worried Petr Cech, who made the save low down. This followed an early dart down the Chelsea left that caused the visitors their opening scare of the evening. Better still, was the striker’s ninth goal in his 14th Tottenham appearance which came on eight minutes: directing his run with a precision that left John Terry trailing, he finished Bale’s low cross from the left to give Spurs the lead. Taken on loan from Manchester City for the season, the calculation at the Etihad may have been that Tottenham would not be serious enough title pretenders for Adebayor’s goals to hurt them: the jury is still out on that one.

Tottenham HotspurChelseaJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk

As André Villas-Boas attempts to revive an ageing squad, we profile the likely departures and arrivals

Likely to leave in January

Nicolas Anelka

André Villas-Boas praised the striker’s professionalism, though there has been frustration at some of his cameos this season. The 32-year-old has scored 59 goals for Chelsea since his £15m transfer from Bolton in January 2008 but his contribution has been eclipsed by the emergence of Daniel Sturridge. A move to Montreal in Major League Soccer, or China with Shanghai Shenhua, should be confirmed next month.

Alex

The Brazil centre-half was a rugged performer when Chelsea ground out clean sheets at Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers this season but he has failed to convince Villas-Boas that he deserves more opportunities in the first team. A lack of starts has prompted his request to leave, with the 29-year-old likely to turn to Serie

• Tottenham’s Croatian midfielder happy to talk to United
• Price may be £35m-plus as Chelsea and City retain interest

Luka Modric would be open to joining Manchester United if Sir Alex Ferguson starts a bidding war with Chelsea by following the west London club in making an official offer for the Tottenham Hotspur midfielder.

After Chelsea had an initial £22m offer rejected, United are considering their options before deciding when to enter the market for a player openly admired by Ferguson, who claims he is the best footballer in England. Manchester City, the Premier League’s richest club, also retain an interest and if their billionaire owner, Sheikh Mansour, enters the auction to land Modric then Spurs can expect his price to rise beyond £35m.

While Tottenham maintain that Modric is not for sale Nikky Vuksan, Modric’s representative, said the Croatian would consider an offer from United if the north London club allowed him to do so. “Exactly. If that was the Spurs position then we would be happy to sit with the club and discuss for the future,” Vuksan said, before being careful to emphasise Modric is not agitating for a move.

“He’s happy at Spurs. Any offer that comes [in] for him, it’s up to the decision of Tottenham Hotspur if they want to reject it or accept it. We have a great partnership with Tottenham and there’s not been [any] activity on our behalf that we would do on our own.

“Everything is in coordination with Spurs, and it’s all up to the chairman, Daniel Levy, to decide. [Luka's] under contract, he’s happy there [and] he’s willing to try to win the Premiership with Spurs and play Champions League [the] next season.”

Yet despite that, Vuksan conceded that Modric wants to play in the Champions League each season, a prospect not on offer for him from Tottenham in the next campaign. “Of course. He loves the Champions League experience, it was a great honour for Sir Alex to say something like this and he uses it only as a motivation to continue on such a level,” he said.

Asked how Modric reacted when he was told of the bid from Chelsea, Vuksan said: “I’m sorry it’s inappropriate for me to say what he thinks about it. Obviously he respects the decision of the club [to turn the offer down].”

Pressed if Modric would prefer a move to Chelsea, United, City, or even Arsenal, Vuksan added: “This is a constant question and I’m sorry I really can’t comment.”

Regarding what comprises a realistic valuation for Modric, Vuksan said it would not be unexpected if an offer of up to £40m was eventually made for him. “Of course, I don’t think it would be [to] anybody’s surprise. If you ask me, Modric is one of the best and one of the probably most expensive players in the world,” he said of a player who is only 25 and so is yet to reach his peak. “He’s going to keep improving and get better and better.”

United, meanwhile, have turned their interest in Raphaël Varane into a formal bid, offering Lens £9.2m for a teenager who fits into their policy of recruiting potential stars of the future.

Lens have provisionally accepted United’s offer, though the matter is complicated. Varane has begun his Baccalaureate exams and may delay his decision until they are finished, while his excitement about moving to Old Trafford is tempered by reservations that he will be joining a club which has an established central defensive partnership in Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, plus Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans in reserve.

Varane is keen to arrange a loan in his first season, possibly meaning he will stay in France, and if that is not possible with United he must decide whether he would be better off signing for a team where he would get more games.

Tottenham HotspurManchester UnitedChelseaTransfer windowJamie JacksonDaniel Taylorguardian.co.uk