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Zola, almost 37, was at one minute a striker and the next a defender, tracking back to dispossess Spurs strikers in the Chelsea area.
But it's his trademark shooting that was the highlight of another blood and guts derby at Stamford Bridge.
Already 1-0 down to a Teddy Sheringham goal on 20 minutes, Chelsea once again showed resilience to claw a point when once they would have capitulated.
Five minutes before half time, Spurs' Simon Davies nudged over Boudewijn Zenden, two yards outside the Chelsea area.
Wide of the left of the box, up stepped the mercurial Sardinian Zola. With a couple of run-up steps, Zola arrowed the perfect right-footed free-kick around the ineffective Spurs wall - the ball continued to curl and sailed past the despairing dive of keeper Kasey Keller.
Only when past the goalkeeper did the ball suddenly dip under the bar and into the far right-hand corner of the net.
A brilliant goal, immaculately executed. The same could not be said of the Spurs opener, but it was no less deserved. A breakaway attack by the North London side saw Darren Anderton wide on the left of the Chelsea penalty area, along the byline.
The ex-England midfielder managed to squeeze the ball across goal, it eluded Carlo Cudicini and Sheringham was unmarked on the far post to bundle the ball over the line.
As early as the sixth minute Zola twice had efforts on goal, to be denied first by Keller and then by Stephen Carr.
Cudicini was called into action on 16 minutes when he produced a point-blank save from a Davies piledriver.
Both keepers were in excellent form, with Cudicini again saving from an excellent drive by Gustavo Poyet on 29 minutes.
Either side of these saves the goal were scored and set up the prospect of an equally exciting second half.
The fact that it did not live up to its billing was unfortunate for the 41,000 crowd, but it was Spurs who were grateful for the final whistle.
Neither strikeforce could produce the killer goal, but it was Chelsea who did their level best - at one point the Blues had four strikers on the pitch.
Zola had probably the best chance to get his second goal, but scuffed a chance which he should have tucked away when Jesper Gronkjaer passed the ball to him deep inside the Spurs' area.