Mon, 11th Dec 2006

Closing minutes are rarely more dramatic than in this London derby as the woodwork
twice denied Chelsea from turning a game that had been drifting away into a home win.

Michael Essien's best goal of his Chelsea career on 84 minutes rescued a well-deserved
point for Jose Mourinho's side, the Blues having already hit the post in the first-half and
seen a very good penalty appeal turned down.

Yet when Matthieu Flamini put the visitors ahead on 78 minutes, it looked very much as
if Chelsea superiority would go unrewarded and the visitors would become the first away
side to win at the Bridge in the top flight since they themselves left victorious in February
2004.

It can even be argued the Essien goal had added to the bizarre sequence of unlikely full-
back scorers in this fixture - the African having dropped to right-back in the second-half
as Chelsea changed shape to push for the win. But he started in his normal berth.

Jose Mourinho kept faith with the side that has served him well in recent big games
although Carlo Cudicini had failed to recover sufficiently from his thigh strain so Hilario
was given a consecutive start.

The best early move saw Drogba chest down a Makelele pass to a well-placed Ballack
but Drogba had pulled into an offside position.

However it was Arsenal who had the better share of possession in the opening ten
minutes and forced the first two corners.

It was first points to Drogba in the much-anticipated duel between him and Senderos as
the Swiss centre-back resorted to a foul after he was deceived by a clever touch behind
him.

On 15 minutes, Shevchenko cut in from the right and curled a shot towards the corner
that lacked the power to trouble Lehmann.

A Ballack effort was not wanting for velocity when he fired in from 30 yards soon after
but this time the direction wasn't there - but only by a few inches as the shot whistled past
the post.

Then on 17 minutes Chelsea struck the upright - the ball falling loose in the area for
Lampard to hook a shot in. It clipped off Shevchenko on its way to striking the
woodwork with Lehmann rooted.
Drogba then blasted over in a good short spell for the Blues. The Chelsea top scorer was
looking strong and ambitious although his best work was coming a distance away from
goal.

On 23 minutes came the first flash of controversy. Ashley Cole, in a sliding challenge on
Hleb, was a fraction late and fouled the winger 15 yards inside the Chelsea half.

Referee Wiley went for his cards, the Chelsea bench on their feet and incensed before the
yellow was even produced.

The question has to be asked whether the foul would have drawn a caution for any other
player in this game, or in any other match for Cole.

The temperature rose a degree more two minutes later when Fabregas clipped Drogba
late but was only spoken to.

On 33 minutes the best opening of the half came Chelsea's way. Geremi supplied a low
cross, Drogba, battling hard, diverted the ball back but Essien from ten years out blasted
over.

Gilberto was closing quickly with a challenge but in all honestly, there could be no
excuse for the miss.

On 37 minutes Essien did fire on target - low after Lehmann had made a major hash of
dealing with a Lampard corner but Fabregas hacked the ball off the line.

A sharp move between Shevchenko and Cole lacked the right man in the right place when
the ball was played dangerously across before a couple of questionable decisions had
Mourinho and assistants angrily on their feet again.

Those were the final incidents of a first-half that had started cautiously for the home side
but had ended with plenty for Arsene Wenger to be concerned over. Chelsea needed to
ask themselves why Arsenal's stand-in centre-back pair had not been more exposed.

The rain, that had been falling lightly throughout the whole of the opening half was a lot
heavier by the start of the second. Tackles needed to be increasingly well judged.

Four minutes in, a Lampard free-kick sought out the forehead of Drogba but he flicked
the ball over.

On 54 minutes, Flamini became the first Arsenal booking for catching Lampard.

Two more bookings would follow before ten further minutes were up in the game's major
flash point.
Drogba had a huge claim for a penalty when first pulled and then scythed down by
Senderos as the striker fielded a high ball with back-to-goal.

Drogba's animated protest was too much for Lehmann who stuck his nose, or more
accurately, his shoulder into someone else's business.

Drogba flopped to the turf, got up and barged into the Arsenal keeper who then went-a-
tumbling.

It was all a little comic - and very football 2006. Both protagonists were booked, the
penalty that wasn't given seemingly forgotten in the fuss.

Mourinho decided to make a double switch on 66 minutes. Robben and Wright-Phillips

came on for Shevchenko and Geremi. Drogba would now attack the two centre-backs
more directly in a 4-3-3 shape.

On 70 minutes Lehmann distinguished himself rather better after a Senderos howler,

saving first from Robben on the run and then from Lampard in the same attack.

Robben's introduction had opened up the game immensely, the Dutchman firing across
goal after sprinting through just minutes later.

The Arsenal goal came with 13 minutes to go - Flamini playing the ball right from the
edge of the area to Hleb and then receiving the return unmarked. Hilario got hands to the
shot but could not keep it out.

For a Chelsea side that had reduced the visitors to long-range shooting in the second
period, it was a sickening lapse.

Drogba, collecting a Makelele ball, fired wide under heavy pressure from Lehmann and
he then headed wide from a Robben cross - this one a much clearer opening.

Had Chelsea blown it? Not quite!

The next attack was going nowhere when Lampard played the ball back into Essien's path
35 yards out. The shot was the sweetest the Ghanaian has struck in a Chelsea shirt - if not
in his whole career.

Think Gallas versus Spurs but 15 yards further out. It rocketed past Lehmann. It couldn't
have been better placed.

Helb almost made the Blues pay again for loose defending, shooting over unmarked to
his manager's fury.
Then came the incredible four minutes of stoppage time as Chelsea struck woodwork for
the second and third times in the game.

Essien was first - scooping Ballack's header onto the underside of the bar from five yards
out as the tackles came in.

Then when Lehmann spilled Robben's tame shot, Lampard pounced, turned but struck the
base of the post. Agony!

Chelsea players threw themselves to the floor. Seconds later referee Wiley whistled as
Stamford Bridge caught its breath and worked out the implications on the title race.

Two points dropped to Man United this weekend but a point more than the league leaders
gained from their home game against Arsenal. This story has far to go.

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2) Hilario; Geremi (Wright-Phillips 66), Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole;
Makelele; Essien, Lampard; Ballack; Shevchenko (Robben 66), Drogba.
Scorer Essien 84
Booked Cole 22, Drogba 64

Arsenal (4-5-1): Lehmann; Eboue, Djourou, Senderos, Clichy; Hleb, Fabregas, Silva,
Flamini, van Persie (Ljungberg 82); Abedayor.
Scorer Flamini 78
Booked Flamini 54, Lehmann 64