Mystic Mel sees revenge on the cards

THE bad blood between Tottenham and Chelsea has been around for years.

At Stamford Bridge this is the only fixture where you can still expect to see a bundle or two outside the ground.

And the only time in recent memory I've come close to being assaulted was while sitting on the Chelsea executive coach outside White Hart Lane two seasons ago, when several Spurs fans leapt aboard after yet another defeat and started shaking their fists in our faces.

What's the point in railing against their traditional rivals Arsenal these days?

They're on a different planet to Spurs these days, it would be better to choose Barnet.

Chelsea must seem a better bet because they're beset by some of the same problems of underachievement that have made supporting Spurs in recent years a fate you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. And the fact that Chelsea, however vulnerable elsewhere, went 27 games without losing to Spurs until this January just rubs salt in the wound.

So Sunday's FA Cup quarterfinal won't be short of passion either on or off the pitch. For Spurs it's a last, faint hope of silverware. Though I remain of the view that Glenn Hoddle's best chance of Europe is to write the song himself.

As for Chelsea, according to most commentators, Charlton last Saturday was the graveyard of their Champions League ambitions.

However, rocky Newcastle are only eight points ahead having played a game more, so no one's giving up yet.

Nevertheless Chelsea's best guarantee of Europe is also to win the FA Cup, rather than rely on finishing ahead of Leeds, or on Newcastle or Arsenal winning the trophy, thereby freeing up a UEFA Cup place.

I suspect it will be a very different Chelsea who will run out on Sunday at 4pm to the team thrashed 5-1 in January.

This time they'll be seething with anger at what happened, not least the unfair dismissal of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, and the depth of the ineptitude they sunk to.

Mystic Mellor suggests that come 6pm on Sunday Spurs fans will have even more reason to hate Chelsea.

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