Chelsea moved to within four points of Arsenal at the top of the Premiership thanks to a slender win over Tottenham. Spurs could have gone ahead but Jermain Defoe shot at Marco Ambrosio and then Ledley King sent a header weakly wide.

Chelsea took the lead when Damien Duff found space on the left and crossed for Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink to tap home.

Both sides had penalty appeals turned down after the break and Defoe's 35-yard lob was tipped over by Ambrosio as Chelsea held on for the three points.

It was a cagey start by both teams with defences comfortably on top, Spurs' Anthony Gardner and Chelsea's John Terry particularly dominant.

Chances were at a premium and the first two attempts were from long range, first Mauricio Taricco and then Frank Lampard missing the target from distance.

Chelsea did look the brighter of the teams going forward, Scott Parker particularly keen to make the most of another start after only getting on for 12 minutes for England in Sweden on Wednesday.

One player who did catch the eye in Gotherburg was Spurs' Defoe, and the livewire striker turned sharply and slammed in a shot from 20 yards that Ambrosio did well to gather.

King then had a terrific chance to put Spurs ahead, but the 23-year-old could only direct his header woefully wide from Christian Ziege's pinpoint cross.

Spurs were made to pay shortly after as the previously subdued Duff collected a pass down the left and centred for Hasselbaink to coolly slot past Kasey Keller from six yards.

The hosts could have gone in at the break level but Ambrosio saved Robbie Keane's shot with his legs and Defoe narrowly missed another Ziege cross.

Spurs bombarded Chelsea at the start of the second half with Freddie Kanoute on for Ziege, and they thought they should have had a penalty when Michael Brown's shot appeared to hit Terry's arm.

But Chelsea responded and Hasselbaink raced through only to be brought down by Taricco, who was lucky to escape with just a booking.

Claudio Ranieri's men then had a penalty appeal of their own when Parker appeared to have been tripped by substitute Stephen Kelly, but referee Steve Bennett again waved away the claims.

Defoe was in the hunt for an equaliser and he produced an outrageous lob from 35 yards that Ambrosio did well to palm over.

With time running out Keane volleyed acrobatically over the bar as Chelsea managed to survive a frantic finale.

The win ensures Chelsea can finish no lower than fourth in the Premiership and guarantees the Stamford Bridge outfit Champions League football next season.

It also continued their hoodoo over Spurs at White Hart Lane - they have not lost at the ground in the league for 17 years.