Strikerless Chelsea draw blank at Tottenham as Diego Costa stays on bench

Jose Mourinho dropped Diego Costa and the striker stayed on the bench as Chelsea drew 0-0 away at Tottenham Hotspur.

The troubled Premier League champions lined up with Eden Hazard as a false nine at White Hart Lane at the end of a week in which Mourinho had publicly criticised Costa's application and performance and threatened only infrequently in a match that fizzled out after a bright first half.

Tottenham tested Asmir Begovic through Heung-Min Son and Mousa Dembele in the opening 45 minutes, while Harry Kane almost continued his red-hot form with a deflected shot that the Bosnian did well to keep his body behind.

Hazard might have stolen three points for Chelsea with a sumptuous volley that forced a brilliant save from Hugo Lloris in a second half low on significant action but it was Costa's demeanour on the sidelines that attracted greater attention, with the Spain international appearing to throw his bib at Mourinho as he returned to his seat after a half-hearted warm-up.

The result moves Chelsea five points clear of the relegation zone, while Tottenham remain in fifth after going 13 league games unbeaten for the first time in the Premier League era.

3' - CHANCE: Tottenham are pushing forward early and an overlapping Rose supplies a low cross that sets up a collision between Begovic, Kane and Cahill. The ball spirals out of play for a corner and Begovic stays down, having taken a knock to the head.

17' - CHANCE: A loose Fabregas pass allows Vertonghen to bring the ball upfield and the ball breaks for Kane on the edge of the box, but Begovic does well to keep his body behind the England international's deflected shot.

21' - CHANCE: An unlikely opportunity for Chelsea as Oscar clips in a hanging cross from the left and Hazard rises highest at the back post to power a header not too far over Lloris' crossbar.

23' - CHANCE: Hazard works himself into a dangerous pocket of space before finding Pedro with a crossfield pass, and the Spaniard uses the overlapping Azpilicueta as a decoy to unleash a fierce shot that flies just over.

27' - CHANCE: Tottenham steady themselves with a spell of safe possession in their own half before working Kane into a crossing position on the right, and the England international fires an absolute peach onto the head of Son, but Begovic gets down to make a good save.

31' - CHANCE: Dembele effortlessly jinks past Fabregas 25 yards out before unleashing a low drive that Begovic impressively gets down to parry wide for a corner.

52' - CHANCE: Willian swings in a pearl of a cross from deep and Zouma creeps round the back of the Tottenham defence to attack the ball, but the young Frenchman misses it by inches and Lloris gathers.

64' - CHANCE: Begovic makes his first save of the second half as Son initiates a slick one-two with Lamela and shoots first time as the ball drops, but his effort lacks power or direction.

68' - CHANCE: Brilliant save from Lloris as Hazard meets a floating Ivanovic cross with a sumptuous left-footed volley that looks for all the world as if it's going in.

- Tottenham have now gone 13 league games unbeaten for the first time in the Premier League era.

- Chelsea's first shot on target against Tottenham came in the 68th minute.

Can there be a Chelsea recovery without Diego Costa? Jose Mourinho afterwards insisted it was "not an issue, just a decision", but anyone who watched Sunday afternoon's events at White Hart Lane would argue otherwise. Diego Costa has looked unhappy for weeks at Chelsea and benching him was always going to be a huge story at the end of a week that had seen his manager publicly criticise his performance and clash with him in the dressing room at half-time against Maccabi Tel Aviv. It felt throughout as if Mourinho was sending his out-of-form striker a message, underlined by his preference for Eden Hazard in the less familiar role of false nine and the fact that, despite being ordered to warm up in the final 10 minutes, Costa was never even readied to come on at White Hart Lane. The Spain international was left to silently seethe behind his snood and made his feelings perfectly clear when he tossed his bib towards his manager as he returned from a disinterested jog down the touchline.

Mourinho delivered another veiled dagger to Costa when he pointedly described the performance as Chelsea's best of the season, even if it is hard to disagree. Hazard provided a more fluid, menacing focal point for the Blues' attack and might even have snatched three points with a brilliant volley that brought an equally exceptional save out of Hugo Lloris on 68 minutes. But that was Chelsea's first shot on target, and for long stretches they struggled to impose themselves in the final third against one of the Premier League's most in-form sides. It's hard to shake the feeling that while Hazard up front is an interesting alternative for Mourinho, it isn't a gameplan that will yield enough goals for his struggling side to get themselves back into the top four conversation.

Chelsea need Costa for that - not the Costa who has scored just six Premier League goals since January, but the Costa who lit up English football for the first six months of last season's title run. His Stamford Bridge future - and possibly Mourinho's too - depends on rediscovering that form. But first they need to make peace.

Mousa Dembele (Tottenham Hotspur) This wasn't a match blessed with many outstanding performances but the Belgian continued his recent resurgence with a muscular and composed display at the heart of Mauricio Pochettino's midfield, providing a solid foundation for Tottenham to enjoy a 57% share of possession and even testing Asmir Begovic himself with a fierce low drive in the first half.

Tottenham: Lloris 7, Walker 6, Alderweireld 6, Vertonghen 7, Rose 6, Mason 6, Dier 7, Dembele 8, Eriksen 6, Son 7, Kane 6. Subs: Lamela 7, N'Jie 6.

Chelsea: Begovic 7, Ivanovic 6, Zouma 7, Cahill 7, Azpilicueta 6, Fabregas 5, Matic 6, Willian 6, Oscar 7, Pedro 7, Hazard 7. Subs: Kenedy 6, Loftus-Cheek 6.