Ex-keeper Carlo on Blues win

New Year’s Day yielded a “massive result for Tottenham” according to our former goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini.

The Italian stopper was at White Hart Lane to see two of his former clubs do battle – and he ended up witnessing an eight-goal thriller as we triumphed 5-3 over Chelsea in a pulsating London derby.

Diego Costa’s early opener for the Premier League leaders was cancelled out by a fine individual effort from Harry Kane, before a Danny Rose goal and an Andros Townsend penalty made it 3-1 by the end of the first period.

Kane then doubled his tally, Eden Hazard struck back for the Blues, Nacer Chadli made it 5-2 before John Terry fired in a consolation shortly before the end.

It all amounted to a memorable occasion, with Carlo – who made 37 appearances for us between 2009 and 2012 after spending the previous decade at Chelsea – impressed by what he witnessed.

“It was a cracking, unbelievable game,” he said. “When Chelsea went 1-0 up, you expected to see one of those games where Chelsea would go on to do very well like they’ve done all this season, but Tottenham managed to get back in the game and I think the penalty for 3-1 was an important goal right at the end of the first half.

“Having said that, almost every time Tottenham had a chance to score, Chelsea had a chance as well so it was quite an impressive game and a massive result for Tottenham.

“Spurs have a young team and they need this kind of result to get confidence. It would be amazing for them now to have a good second half of the season and get better because they’re a team that is improving month-by-month.”