Mourinho was unhappy with Riley’s performance but he may now face action from the Football Association even though the Chelsea boss was keen to play down his use of the word.

Mourinho said: “If you listen to me speaking, I say the kind of word you mention 10 times in every 15 words.

“If you have a microphone on the dugout I say that during the game 20 times easy. The word can be abusive if you understand it as an abusive word.

“I tell the word to my players and myself when I am not happy. It is something I say when the ball hits the post. I say it 50 times in a game, 50 times in training and I don’t want to be offensive.

“I can be emotional but I am polite. I never want to be offensive with somebody. It is the same word I use to criticise the ball when it goes out.”

Meanwhile, captain John Terry paid tribute to his team-mates and the Arsenal players who helped to save him from serious injury when he was left unconscious from a kick in the head during their Carling Cup final triumph.

Terry has been given the all clear to resume playing again after a fortnight’s rest and will start against Manchester City on Wednesday night.

The England skipper stopped breathing, swallowed his tongue and was knocked out when Arsenal defender Abou Diaby accidentally caught him in the face with his boot.

The quick reactions of players from both sides plus Arsenal and England physio Gary Lewin helped to save Terry from long-term repercussions and the player is more than grateful.

Terry declared: “Thanks to the lads and especially Didier Drogba and the Arsenal players who were around me and did their bit to get me into the recovery position.

“It was really touching when I got round to seeing the rest of the game, how Didier celebrated the winning goal and straight after the game came running to the dugout to see how I was.”

Terry’s thanks came just hours after it emerged that talks over a new contract extension have collapsed.

The defender is understood to want a 10-year deal worth around £130,000 (€191,000) a week but the club have not agreed to his pay demands or the length of the contract but Mourinho is unconcerned by the delay.

The Portuguese said: “John is on a long-term contract. His contract is until 2009. It is a long-term contract and he is a Chelsea player until then minimum - so no problem.

“It is better if he has a contract until 2015, better for him and for Chelsea. But if he has a contract until 2009 and they take one more month or two or three, until they sign a new one, I don’t see a drama.”

Spurs produced a superb first-half performance and led 3-1 at the interval with goals from Dimitar Berbatov (five), a Michael Essien own goal (28) and Hossam Ghaly (36).

Frank Lampard cancelled out Berbatov’s opener in the 22nd minute but it took second-half strikes from Lampard again and Salomon Kalou five minutes from the end to earn Chelsea a replay at White Hart Lane on Monday week.

Even then Tottenham’s England forward Jermain Defoe almost snatched a dramatic winner two minutes from time but sent his effort against the Chelsea crossbar.