Concede their tenth goal in four games
Concede their tenth goal in four games
Premier League leaders Chelsea's wobbly form continued as they were held to a dramatic 3-3 draw by Everton here on Saturday.
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Everton's Louis Saha (No 8) looks on as the ball deflects off Chelsea's goalkeeper Petr Cech and into the net for the opening goal during the Premier League match at Stamford Bridge yesterday. PIC/AFP |
A see-saw game at Stamford Bridge saw the lead change hands with bewildering regularity, with Chelsea overturning Petr Cech's early own-goal to forge ahead through the inspired Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka only to leak an equaliser in first-half stoppage time to Aiyegbeni Yakubu.
Drogba restored Chelsea's lead just after the interval before Louis Saha pilfered a bizarre equaliser to take the tally of goals conceded by Chelsea in their last four games to 10u00a0-- a far cry from earlier in the season when their back four was close to invincible.
But this result followed Chelsea's 2-1 defeat by Manchester City last weekend and gave hope to the chasing pack.
Everton sensed the prevailing mood with their manager David Moyes deciding to field two strikers in a bid to put Chelsea's creaky defence under pressure.
It worked a treat.
Jo had already seen a curling 20-yard shot saved by Cech when, to the amazement of their travelling fans, Everton went ahead in the 12th minute.
Leighton Baines's inswinging free-kick was met by a combination of Saha and John Terry, and the ball bounced ominously towards the post.
Cech leapt to his left to save but was helpless as it struck the upright, rebounded off his back and nestled in the bottom corner.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti looked singularly unimpressed but, while his defence might not be as rock-solid as it once was, at least his attack is still as formidable as ever.
Tevez stars for City
Carlos Tevez scored twice as Manchester City battled back from being led three times to secure a 3-3 draw away to Bolton Wanderers.
The result was Manchester City's eighth draw in their last nine league games and came hot on the heels of last weekend's 2-1 win over leaders Chelsea.
But City fans may well have felt grateful for a point when Tevez made it 3-3 after fellow striker Craig Bellamy was controversially sent off for diving.
EPL RESULTS: Birmingham 1, W Ham 0
Bolton 3, Man City 3
Burnley 1, Fulham 1u00a0
Chelsea 3, Everton 3u00a0
Hull 0, Blackburn 0
Stoke 2, Wigan 2
S'land 1, Portsmouth 1
Tottenham 0, W'hampton 1
Man Utd 0, Aston Villa 1 (at half-time)
