Tottenham fans will not have been alone in cursing when Robbie Keane headed glaringly wide in the closing minutes last night. Plenty of Chelsea supporters must have thrown a cushion or two at their television sets as the Ireland striker missed a chance that would have given Tottenham an undeserved point and sent the championship to Stamford Bridge.
Spurs did not make a serious opportunity between Reyes's goal and the late rally that produced Keane's opening despite looking more secure after the interval, with too little coming from their wide players, and Wenger will be delighted with how Arsenal's campaign is closing as he looks ahead to mounting a more sustained title challenge next season.
Tottenham had made a positive start, broadly restricting Arsenal and occasionally threatening up front through Jermain Defoe, who might have done better than shoot straight at Jens Lehmann after neat footwork. But the goal so lifted Arsenal and demoralised Spurs that Wenger's team took almost total control until the interval.
Tottenham looked more secure in the second half until late on but they still struggled to make openings until Keane's chance and a subsequent claim for a penalty for hand-ball against Cole. A greater grievance than not getting a point was when Lauren caught Erik Edman with an elbow in the neck in the second half.