English Premier League roundup: Chelsea 1-1 vs. Everton – Chelsea dethroned from top of League table
The match at Stamford Bridge will be seen by Chelsea fans and players alike as another wasted attempt to jump back into the title race. Chelsea squandered the golden chance to reclaim the top spot after current top position holders
Manchester United’s match against Blackpool was postponed due to bad weather conditions. Chelsea went one up through a penalty taken by Didier Drogba before half time. The Ivorian managed to fire one home after Nicolas Anelka was fouled by Everton goalkeeper
Tim Howard. The Frenchman made a run for the goal with the ball in his possession but was subject to an untimely challenge from Howard, who simply placed himself in front of Anelka, causing the player to tumble inside the box. Howard was awarded a yellow by
the referee and Drogba scored (in the 42nd minute) his seventh goal in nine Premier League appearances for the Blues.
Carlo Ancelotti’s men were undoubtedly lifted by the return of their captain John Terry, but it was clearly not enough to sustain a victory against Moyes’ men. It was the fifth time that the Toffees have now managed to walk away
from Stamford Bridge with one point. Both teams were looking for maximum points at the Bridge, with Chelsea dominating the first half and Everton letting off full steam in the second half. Critics may argue that Everton truly deserved their point and should
have perhaps obtained all three at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea looked to be in shambles and their constant substitutions were of little use, as the more they looked for their second goal, the more their play opened up and exposed their leaky defence. The return of Frank Lampard may
strengthen their midfield, but at the moment Chelsea will need to add more steam to their attack, and complete the attack in a clinical manner. Drogba did not look his dangerous old self, and questions as to the status of his fitness arose before and during
the match. His exact statement to the press (along with others) concerning his illness was: "Normally with malaria you are out for two months. I have lost weight, my body has not recovered fully yet but I am much better.” The Ivorian had not scored since early
October and despite the goal being a penalty and not through open play, Drogba and Blues fans will be pleased to find him on the score sheet again.
Beckford was the Everton hero as he levelled against the Blues in the 86th
minute. Substitute Jermaine Beckford broke the hearts of the Stamford Bridge faithful when Tim Cahill passed the ball to him after receiving it from a cross by Leighton Baines. The goal meant another draw and more pressure for the already under-fire Blues.
Chelsea have now obtained just one win from their previous six games in the English Premier League. The one goal was perhaps a modest statistic for Everton who played as though they wanted to win, as opposed to Chelsea’s haphazard game plan. The second half
saw Everton’s persistent attacking. A notable attack was one which beat Petr Cech, only to hit the inside of the post. The chance was wasted by Rodwell who tried to convert a cross from Baines to a header, only to fail by a slight angle. Phil Jagielka failed
to utilise a corner taken by Baines in the 71st minute, as the ball fell wide of the post.
Terry and Cahill were involved in a slight tussle, which saw the involvement of other teammates in the 72nd minute. The Everton player was charging towards the goal when he was stopped by Cech. The Australian’s boot
collided with the goalkeeper’s head, and Terry who was alongside him, accused Cahill of deliberately injuring the keeper. Petr Cech already wears protective headgear due to sustaining a horrific injury (a fracture to his skull) four years ago during a match
against Reading. Both Terry and Cahill were awarded yellows for their squabble and the Cech Republic international opted to continue playing the Everton match after the medical team at Stamford Bridge attended to his injured forehead. There were seven minutes
of time added on to the match, which saw neither team score a goal and claim a much-needed win.
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