On this day: Chelsea hit six at 'Three Point Lane'

By Joe Fish, Reporter | 06 December 2014

On this day 17 years ago, Tore Andre Flo scored a hat-trick as Chelsea inflict a heaviest home defeat in 62 years on Christian Gross-managed Tottenham at 'Three Point Lane'.

Chelsea's stranglehold over Tottenham Hotspur continued on Wednesday as they ran out 3-0 winners in the Premier League.

Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba and substitute Loic Remy scored for Jose Mourinho's side to extend their unbeaten home run against their capital rivals to 25 years.

Gianfranco Zola of Chelsea gets away from John Scales of Tottenham Hotspur during an FA Carling Premiership match at White Hart Lane in London on December 6, 1997 © Getty Images

But Chelsea's dominance over Spurs has not been limited to Stamford Bridge, with Tottenham having only beaten them twice in the league since 1990.

A run of 10 wins and five draws away at the Lilywhites led to Blues fans labelling White Hart Lane as 'Three Point Lane', and one visit to North London proved particularly fruitful, on this day in 1997.

It was a first home match in charge for London Tube advocate Christian Gross, who had been plucked from the unheralded Swiss league to take over from Gerry Francis. Stella English was a better Lord Sugar hiring.

A heaviest defeat on their own patch in 62 years was how the little-known manager announced himself to the Spurs faithful as Tore Andre Flo scored a hat-trick to help Chelsea to an emphatic 6-1 victory.

As they did earlier this week when Harry Kane hit the crossbar with an eighth-minute header, Tottenham made a bright start and would have gone ahead had Ed De Goey not smartly denied David Ginola.

Mark Nicholls and Tore Andre Flo of Chelsea celebrate after an FA Carling Premiership match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on December 6, 1997 © Getty Images

The visitors established a familiar lead, though, when £300,000 signing Flo, who had been surprisingly preferred in attack to Mark Hughes by boss Ruud Gullit, nodded them in front on 39 minutes.

Tottenham had levelled things before the break when central defender Ramon Vega struck from a set piece to give his Swiss compatriot Gross something to work with in his half-time team talk.

However, things quickly went downhill for Spurs in the second period as Roberto Di Matteo, Dan Petrescu and Flo extended their advantage to 4-1, before substitute Mark Nicholls added a fifth off the bench.

Chelsea's travelling support were enjoying another hugely satisfying afternoon at the Lane and taunted Gross with chants of "there's only one Gerry Francis" as their Spurs counterparts made premature exits.

The Blues fans stuck around to see Flo complete his treble in stoppage time, as Gullit's men moved to within three points of Manchester United at the top of the table, and leave their opponents in the drop zone.

Spurs: Walker; Carr, Scales (Allen), Vega, Wilson; Fox, Nielsen (Anderton), Calderwood, Sinton (Edinburgh); Ginola, Ferdinand

Chelsea: De Goey; Sinclair, Dubbery, Leboeuf, Babayaro (Nicholls); Petrescu, Wise, Di Matteo, Le Saux; Zola, Flo