England captain John Terry produced a typical block to spare Chelsea defeat in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in his first match since he was charged by UK prosecutors with racial abuse.
Chelsea centre-back Terry blocked a goal bound shot from Emmanuel Adebayor in stoppage time to ensure a point for the visitors at White Hart Lane on Thursday.
The draw left Spurs third in the Premier League table, two points in front of their London rivals, after Adebayor’s opener was cancelled out by an equaliser from Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge.
And it meant Spurs were nine points adrift of leaders Manchester City and Chelsea 11 shy of the table-toppers.
The build-up centred around Terry, charged on Wednesday with racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea’s loss at Loftus Road in October.
But Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas, speaking after Thursday’s point, praised Terry’s resolve.
“Since the situation he has improved,” he told Sky Sports.
‘Extraordinary’
“He has grown in terms of performance. He’s a reference point for this team. It shows his character and strength and personality.
“He has grown in terms of performance. He’s a reference point for this team. It shows his character and strength and personality.
“His effort for the collective is extraordinary,” the Portuguese added.
