Shaun Custis, The Sun:
Aaron Lennon's winning goal was a peach that owed much to the quality of Robbie Keane, who was outstanding in a withdrawn midfield role.John Terry had the hump all afternoon and it was not a huge shock to see him sent off. For Chelsea it was a bad end to a bad day which had started so very well.
Chelsea were all over Spurs and it required two superb saves from Paul Robinson to keep the score down to one as he first blocked Michael Ballack's free-kick and then tipped over from Frank Lampard.
The Blues also had a goal from Didier Drogba chalked off, apparently for a foul by Terry but the Chelsea captain did little wrong.
The whole complexion of the proceedings changed when Tottenham equalised.
It was a goal very much against the run of play and many Spurs fans must still have been expecting Chelsea to go on and win. But Spurs showed incredible fight.
Aaron Lennon's strike increased the confidence although Hossam Ghaly was fortunate to get away with an elbow on Michael Essien for which he was only booked.
Dimitar Berbatov should have wrapped it up as Chelsea finished strongly. Robinson, who was something of an unsung hero, saved well from substitute Salomon Kalou but was rooted to the spot three minutes from time.
Martin Lipton, Daily Mirror: Aaron Lennon's bright yellow boots meant he had put himself under pressure to deliver. His explosion of pure skill produced a special moment matched by the courage of the team.
In the end, despite a nerve-shredding last 10 minutes, Tottenham just about deserved it too.
Yet if anybody had suggested the champions would end up on the losing side after the first 20 minutes, they would have been halfway to the funny farm.
Chelsea had begun in belligerent, remorseless fashion, looking as if they would simply bulldoze Spurs off the park. Only a brilliant, last-gasp recovery challenge by Ledley King prevented Arjen Robben.
Spurs were still in the contest and suddenly Dimitar Berbatov began to play, with his immaculate first touch giving Martin Jol's men a platform.
Jol moved Lennon to the right and flooded midfield as Berbatov did the work of three on his own up front.
Hossam Ghaly escaped with a booking for a blatant elbow on Michael Essien, but Spurs were looking for more.
Even with Chelsea down to 10, it was hairy for Spurs. Robinson denied substitute Salomon Kalou, King deflected Frank Lampard's effort over the bar and then Arjen Robben collected from Michael Ballack and beat the England keeper but it was not meant to be for Chelsea. Spurs couldn't believe their luck.
Matt Hughes, The Times: After threatening to overpower Tottenham Hotspur in the opening stages, Chelsea ended up toppling themselves, losing the plot and their captain, John Terry.
It was an absorbing London derby, in which Graham Poll's contentious decision to dismiss Terry thwarted Chelsea's hopes of a comeback.
While Aaron Lennon will steal the headlines, this was a team performance, with the spine of the Tottenham side outstanding, from Paul Robinson and Ledley King to Dimitar Berbatov.
With only two defenders on the pitch, Chelsea pummelled their opponents in the final minutes, reprising the opening to the match that they utterly dominated. Arjen Robben was denied by a despairing tackle from King in the fourteenth minute before Claude Makelele gave them the lead a minute later.
With Berbatov increasingly impressive, Tottenham were the better side from the moment they equalised and were rewarded at the start of the second half.
Chelsea went for broke, but Jose Mourinho had no answer.
Henry Winter, Daily Telegraph:
Almost 17 years of Spurs hurt disappeared in dramatic fashion yesterday. Here, truly, was a match with four winners: Aaron Lennon and his jubilant team-mates, Manchester United, all those who decry Chelsea's niggly nature and all who adore full-throttle drama before an impassioned audience. The Lane staged a classic encounter gleaming with significance spreading beyond London.Spurs were terrific, from the bench where Martin Jol's changes of tactics out wide caught out Jose Mourinho, to the defensive zealots that were Michael Dawson, Pascal Chimbonda and Paul Robinson, and to the flying figures of Lennon and Robbie Keane.
Keane sped off with the man-of-the-match bubbly, perhaps because the sponsors feared Lennon was too young. The teenager deserved some sparkling reward for his effervescent display on both flanks.
Graham Poll should have given Hossam Ghaly a red card, rather than yellow, for a nasty elbow on Michael Essien, and John Terry was unfortunate to be singled out for a second yellow for holding when everyone seemed at it.
Yet most of the refereeing fraternity will applaud Poll for standing up to Chelsea's tricks, particularly the lecturing of officials (Michael Ballack) and not retreating 10 yards at free kicks (Claude Makelele and Ashley Cole). Poll deserves praise for stamping down on cynicism and allowing the game to flow.
And flow it did, like rapids through the Rockies. The pace and commitment of the players was unrelenting, the noise from all four corners of the ground unstinting. The tone was set from the moment Frank Lampard slid in aggressively on Pascal Chimbonda.
As Lampard's tackle intimated, Chelsea were quickly into the fray. Spurs' defence was stretched to the limit, and only a superb sliding tackle from Ledley King dispossessed Arjen Robben.
Paul Robinson kept Spurs in contention, showing his international class with brilliant saves twice from Ballack. The steel in Jol's team was apparent. Dimitar Berbatov was a constant menace up front, as much for his creative play as goal threat.
Spurs were in the mood, delighting their fans with their hunger and movement.
Lennon was exceptional, showing his flexibility by switching flanks with Ghaly at the break. Ghaly was moved inside and Keane pushed on to the left to terrorise Khalid Boulahrouz, who had just replaced Paulo Ferreira.
Within seven minutes, Jol's tactical tweak paid spectacular dividends. Here was a huge test of Chelsea's backbone as problems mounted for Jose Mourinho, as Terry departed and a rescue mission appeared beyond even the special ones. Man of the match: Aaron Lennon
Kevin McCarra, The Guardian:
Jose Mourinho was directly to blame in one respect because of the anarchic behaviour that is tolerated, if not fostered, by him. There was too much unruliness and the visitors, having seen their 1-0 lead overhauled through Aaron Lennon's bright goal, found John Terry hindering the attempted recovery by collecting a red card.The second booking looked draconian but may have been regarded as one lapse too many. Terry had been irascible throughout.
Chelsea attacked more than Martin Jol's side. All the same, among neutral observers it would take a curmudgeon to begrudge Spurs success. Jol himself can claim to be a major influence on the outcome.
During the first half he rearranged the line-up, switching Lennon to a more natural role on the right and pulling Robbie Keane back to a position on the left. Those two footballers gave the 4-5-1 system flow and they even combined to settle a gripping game.
This appeared to have the makings of a regulation win. Paul Robinson needed to tip over an effort by Frank Lampard.
The Premiership champions settled into their pattern, but they then conceded an equaliser.
A lagging Chelsea had to go on the offensive while Spurs did need a few breaks in order to prevail.
Glenn Moore, The Independent: A memorable comeback that owed much to Jose Mourinho being outwitted tactically by Martin Jol, who responded to Makelele's goal by switching to a 4-5-1 formation with Aaron Lennon moved to the right wing and Robbie Keane pulled back to the left flank. It proved an inspired change. Both wingers troubled Chelsea and Dimitar Berbatov proved more than capable of leading the line alone.
Paul Robinson made one superlative stop to deny Frank Lampard after neat play by Arjen Robben and Michael Ballack. Robben could also have scored when sent clear in the 14th minute but was stymied by an excellent tackle from Ledley King.
The game was played at a tremendous pace. It is worth noting Chelsea did not perform poorly, yet Tottenham lifted their own game to the champions' standards.
From King to Keane there were inspirational performances.
The blue tide surged relentlessly towards Tottenham's goal and even John Terry's harsh dismissal did not staunch Chelsea's indefatigable spirit. Tottenham, vociferously backed by their fans, battled desperately.
Chelsea lost here, but it was not for lack of commitment.