You know that Chelsea are back on song when they start irritating people. They once drove even Frank Rijkaard, normally the epitome of Dutch cool, to blood-boiling fury.

So José Mourinho will probably take it as a compliment that Martin Jol at first stormed off down the tunnel without shaking his hand last night, and he even managed to laugh off the attempted assault on his players after the final whistle. If a couple of Tottenham hooli-gans were trying to attack him and his squad, that could only mean that he had enjoyed a successful evening.

Rattling opponents is what he and his belligerent back-room staff do best and you can expect a lot more in the next few months as they pursue the quadruple with a fierce intensity. It is an improbable task but even the Chelsea misfits are firing now, an ominous sign for all who stand in the way of the blue threshing machine.

Last night it was the turn of Andriy Shevchenko and Shaun Wright-Phillips to step forward as the match-winners, each contributing a superb goal to carry Chelsea through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

And, while the pursuit of Manchester United in the Barclays Premiershp remains a long shot, there was something about Chelsea’s durability and doggedness last night that might even disturb that confident lot up at Old Trafford. The performance and celebrations told of increasing self-belief.

Chelsea did not exactly play unstoppable football – when did they ever? – but the return of Petr Cech and John Terry has restored some of the old defensive solidity and last night they executed a classic smash and grab away from home. They allowed Spurs to blow themselves out in flurries of attacks and then struck at the other end with brilliant efficiency.

The only obvious blemish came when Ricardo Carvalho tripped Dimitar Berbatov in the 78th minute to concede a penalty. Robbie Keane sent Cech the wrong way but, mostly, this had been an exercise in control by Chelsea, who struck twice in seven devastating second-half minutes.

Lassana Diarra had been tormented by Aaron Lennon in the first tie but, with Chelsea bolstered by the more formidable presence of John Obi Mikel in the holding role, it was telling that the England winger increasingly found himself drifting out to the left flank from his starting position in the centre.

Steve McClaren will have liked that given that the England head coach plans to use Lennon there against Israel on Saturday but, last night, it was more of a sign that he could not find space through the middle. There were plenty of fizzing runs but not enough telling final passes.

Jol’s attacking trident of Lennon, Keane and Berbatov had some early joy, with the Bulgarian a particular menace, but Chelsea had rid themselves of the defensive chaos of the first duel. And after withstanding the early pressure, they began to establish parity.

Didier Drogba laid the ball back to Michael Ballack, who pulled his shot just wide, and then Wright-Phillips, busy but typically erratic, struck a venomous shot over the crossbar. Chelsea had some frustrations of their own, with Drogba booked after a hissy-fit, but this was a controlled performance. The feeling that they were simply soaking up Tottenham’s pressure before striking at the other end was borne out when, after Spurs had put together another good burst, they went to the other end and booked their semi-final meeting with Blackburn Rovers.

They were two wonderful but unlikely goals, coming from the left feet of Shevchenko and Wright-Phillips. The first, an arrowing missile from one side of the penalty area inside the far top corner, was like watching Shevchenko in his AC Milan prime. Then, after another layoff from Drogba, Wright-Phillips hit a dipping volley on the run beyond Paul Robinson to earn an embrace from Mourinho when he was substituted.

At 2-0, the tie seemed beyond doubt, but Keane’s penalty ensured a tense finish and, in an attempt to kill some time, one of Mourinho’s staff held on to the ball. The Spurs bench were not impressed, but that was not going to trouble the Portuguese contingent.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): P Robinson – P Chimbonda, M Dawson, R Rocha (sub: P Stalteri, 84min), Lee Young Pyo – J Jenas, D Zokora, S Malbranque (sub: J Defoe, 64) – A Lennon, D Berbatov, R Keane. Substitutes not used: R Cerny, H Ghaly, T Huddlestone. Booked: Chimbonda.

Chelsea (4-4-2): P Cech – L Diarra (sub: P Ferreira, 90), J Terry, R Carvalho, A Cole – S Wright-Phillips (sub: S Kalou, 86), J O Mikel, M Ballack, F Lampard – A Shevchenko (sub: A Robben, 82), D Drogba. Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, K Boulahrouz. Booked: Diarra, Drogba, Cech, Carvalho. Referee: M Atkinson.

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• TheGame

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football