Olivier Giroud said Chelsea showed ‘great character’ afterr they beat Spurs 2-1 at Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman netted his first Premier League goal of the season to put Chelsea ahead on 15 minutes, the striker firing a fine volley past international teammate Hugo Lloris.
Another player who has been rarely used by Blues boss Frank Lampard this season, Marcos Alonso then put the home side two up just after the break, with a well hit strike from outside the area.
An Antonio Rudiger own goal gave Spurs late hope of a comeback, though Frank Lampard’s side held on for a victory which moved them four points clear of their top four challengers.
Speaking afterwards, Giroud said the result could prove to be a ‘turning point’, the west London Club having failed to win any of their previous four league games.
“It was a very important game for us today. I want to talk about the team spirit,” Giroud told BBC Sport.
“We’ve shown great character today.
“We knew it was maybe a kind of turning point. We lost a bit of confidence. It was nice to bounce back and get this win, a hard win against a rival, so I feel relieved today.
“I was lucky the ball came back after hitting the post and I tried to finish. It was a good feeling for me, a good moment and I’m so happy for the team to win today. It’s been three months I didn’t start, it’s been a special day for me and all of us.
“Tottenham is obviously a rival for the Champions League race, so we are pleased to put them four points behind us. This is the start of a good run, I hope, now we need to focus on the Champions League. This game would be nice for the confidence and for the changing room.”
Read – Braithwaite-gate: Five other times Barcelona shocked everyone by making bizarre transfer signings
Read Also – Five of the biggest Premier League flops signed from the Eredivisie
