Guus Hiddink has suffered his first defeat in charge of Chelsea as his team failed to spark in attack.

It was an afternoon of huge frustration, with Man United suffering consecutive defeats long before this delayed kick-off was over.

But Petr Cech was arguably the top Chelsea performer and it took until midway into the second-half for Heurelho Gomes to make a truly difficult save, and that from a Terry set-piece header.

The Spurs goal came shortly after half-time, scored by Luka Modric, following an opening period in which neither side threatened much, a couple of Robbie Keane shots apart.

The Blues pressed hard towards the close of game, but to no avail, the final teeth-gnashing act when Alex's downward header bounced up onto the underside of the bar.

Hiddink had been unable to call upon Ricardo Carvalho for the match, the centre-back ruled out of with an ankle problem. Alex came in.

With John Mikel Obi not involved, there were no changes to midfield with Michael Ballack carrying on as the anchor midfield man. Juliano Belletti was asked once more to play as a wide attacker on the right, the position he filled after Deco was forced off in last weekend's win over Man City.

Kick-off was delayed by half-an-hour; a suspect vehicle in one of the roads adjacent to White Hart Lane the reason.

When played did get underway, Spurs were first to attack and won a corner two minutes in, headed on dangerously by King but safely cleared.

Essien had the first Chelsea shot, a low one that Gomes mishandled before he was clattered as the closing Belletti was pushed onto the Spurs keeper. After treatment, the Brazilian continued.

Quickly back up the other end, a loose ball fell kindly for Jenas who caught his volley well and watched as it whizzed just over Cech's top left corner.

Tottenham were looking to play quick passes up front, hoping to turn Terry, Alex and co., but they had their best chance of the half when Alex was able to reach a long bouncing ball.

The opened a chance up for Keane who saw his first time left-foot shot pushed round the post by Cech. Chelsea defended the two corners that followed.

Keane was next to shot, this time Cech saving by his toes. Corluka had squared to the Tottenham captain, after Ashley Cole had conceded possession to his opposing full-back.

There was little about Chelsea's narrow play that was threatening Gomes's goal, quality lacking among the forward players in this opening period, but just past the hour some defensive slacknees by Spurs allowed Belletti to retrieve a miss-directed Drogba cross and Anelka drew a save at the near post from the keeper.

With five minutes to go to the break, Spurs conceded a free-kick 25 yards out, perhaps the mostly likely route to goal in this opening period, but after Drogba had run over it, Lampard clattered the ball into the crowd between him and the net.

A minute before the break, Drogba was flattened as King rose to head clear the ball and the reaction of a couple of Spurs players showed the Chelsea striker had problems.

Some in the crowd cheered the sight a stretcher coming on but it was not needed, although Drogba was clearly wobbly as he returned to his feet. With just two minutes to the whistle, he went down the tunnel for some recovery time.

The Blues successfully negotiated the remaining half with 10 men, although Belletti was booked for a foul on Bent.

Drogba had recovered sufficiently to resume duties for the start of the second half but before he could make any impact, Chelsea conceded, having not relieved pressure following some poor defending between Bosingwa and Ballack.

The ball was worked out to Lennon who found space to cross between Cole and Lampard and Modric finished with a first-time shot from just inside the area.

On 57 minutes, a Modric corner cleared Lampard and Bent headed wide and a minute later, Modric failed to connect properly from a similar chance to the goal - Cech collecting. It was time for a Chelsea change.

Quaresma came on for the peripheral Belletti in an attempt to inject some penetrative wing play. There was half-an-hour to go.

Three minutes further on the Portuguese did work a cross over to the far post that was bundled out for a corner under pressure from Lampard. Anelka and Drogba then failed with a quick combination on the edge of the area.

Finally on 67 minutes the Blues put together an up-to-standard attack, Lampard supplying Drogba for an angled drive which Gomes did well to keep out at the near post. The Spurs keeper then caught an outside-of-the-boot shot from Quaresma that threatened to creep under the bar.

Spurs had been preserving their lead and little else for some minutes but when Terry dispossessed a dangerously running Bent, the ball fell Keane's way for a shot that curled worryingly close.

Drogba sliced a difficult chance wide off his left foot after he was found well by Terry before the second sub - Malouda for Essien.

Palacios and Modric were booked in rapid succession for the home team and from the second resulting free kick, Gomes made the save of the game from the Chelsea chance of the game, keeping out Terry's header low down with his finger-tips.

Ballack spooned a 25-yard free-kick over and soon after was booked as Chelsea followers inside White Hart Lane began to resign themselves to the fact it wasn't their team's day.

Effort was not lacking towards the end as we attempted to batter a way through. Anelka had a shot from the right saved and Ballack on the turn saw an effort blocked on the line. Between those moments it looked to everyone as if Alex had headed an equaliser until the bar intervened and Gomes scooped away.

Chelsea lack of wins in London derbies this season continues.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry (c), A Cole; Essien (Malouda 76), Ballack, Lampard; Belletti (Quaresma 60), Drogba, Anelka.
Booked Belletti 45+1, Ballack 83.

Tottenham (4-4-2): Gomes; Corluka, Woodgate, King (c), Assou-Ekotto; (Lennon 90+3) Zokora, Jenas, Palacios, Modric (O'Hara 86); Bent, Keane (c).
Scorer Modric 49
Booked Palacios 77, Modric 78.

The full match can be seen on Chelsea TV from 6pm on Sunday.