Source: Telegraph
Chelsea 3 Everton 3: match report
Even the stadium announcer at Stamford Bridge managed to joke about Tiger Woods but, to borrow a golfing phrase, it is Chelsea who are currently suffering an attack of the yips. [LNB]After defeats last week against Blackburn and Manchester City, as well as a midweek draw in the Champions League against Apoel Nicosia, Chelsea's usually reliable defending was undermined by moments of panic, uncertainty and even some internal bickering as Everton scraped their way to an unlikely draw. [LNB] Related ArticlesBolton Wanderers 3 Manchester City 3Tottenham Hotspur 0 Wolves 1Sunderland 1 Portsmouth 1Birmingham City 1 West Ham United 0Stoke City 2 Wigan Athletic 2Premier League tableChelsea had gone into the match having conceded just one home league goal in 630 minutes all season. Yesterday, though, their defence was breached three times in 51 minutes as the entire team seemed to suffer a collective nervous breakdown from set-pieces. [LNB]Some booing also rang out around Stamford Bridge on the final whistle as Everton ended Chelsea's perfect home league record. The sight of Petr Cech remonstrating with his team-mates most notably Didier Drogba underlined the collective frustration. [LNB]'We didn't win because we made mistakes at set-pieces,' said manager Carlo Ancelotti. 'We stayed too close to the goal and Cech was not in a position to catch the ball. We conceded three goals from the same situation and had the same problem against Aston Villa.' [LNB]More worrying, a festive curse is again threatening to undermine Chelsea's season. Last year, of course, they made a similarly promising start under Luiz-Felipe Scolari, yet saw their season unravel with a run of only four wins in 10 league matches prior to the Brazilian's sacking. [LNB]With the African Cup of Nations looming, the extent to which Chelsea are currently reliant upon Didier Drogba, who has now scored 18 goals this season, was again evident. Talk of crisis just now would be an over-reaction, but this is certainly the first real blip of Ancelotti's reign. [LNB]'You can say we are in crisis I don't think so,' said Ancelotti, 'we have the same possibility to win the title. I don't lose the trust in my players.' [LNB]Recurring questions, however, remain. Chelsea have proved at various stages of the last three seasons that when all fit, focussed and fresh, their best 11 is probably the most powerful and formidable in the country. [LNB]Less certain is whether an ageing squad can maintain that level over an entire season, particularly if the team is depleted by injuries as well as the African Cup of Nations. [LNB]Chelsea's African players are due to depart after the game against Fulham on Dec 28 but, even without Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and John-Obi Mikel, Ancelotti remains adamant he will not be buying new players in January. 'I would like to say for the last time, we don't buy anybody 100 per cent,' he said. [LNB]David Moyes had never previously managed Everton to a win against Chelsea but, boosted by the momentum of their unlikely point against Tottenham last week, his team were rewarded for some early adventure. [LNB]Frank Lampard had conceded a foul midway inside his own half from which Leighton Baines floated an inviting cross into the penalty area. Not for the first time this season, Chelsea seemed to collectively freeze at a set-piece as Louis Saha's header cannoned rather fortuitously off the post and into the net via the back of Cech. [LNB]The goal, though, seemed to awaken Ancelotti's team and they responded with a devastating double counter-punch. Ricardo Carvalho skilfully carried the ball out of defence and passed incisively to Lampard, who simply cushioned his pass into the path of Didier Drogba. Without breaking stride, Drogba shot beyond Tim Howard. [LNB]Branislav Ivanovic then out-muscled Saha from a Chelsea corner and was able to guide the ball towards Nicolas Anelka, whose finish through a crowded penalty area was both emphatic and precise. It appeared that Chelsea may assume full command but, within seconds of replacing the injured Jo, Yakubu capitalised on further defensive confusion from a set-piece. John Terry had been dispossessed by Baines following a throw-in and the ball then bounced off Carvalho to provide Yakubu with a simple finish. [LNB]With Jack Rodwell and Marouane Fellaini providing a muscular presence for Everton in central midfield, Chelsea were struggled to assert their usual physical advantages. [LNB]Their superiority, however, was largely evident from open play and they restored their lead in the 59th minute when Drogba converted Branislav Ivanovic's cross. Yet that lasted only four minutes following more defensive lapses. Cech seemed to hesitate and then Drogba's attempted clearance bounced off the back of Saha's head and beyond his own goalkeeper. [LNB]Chelsea did pile on the pressure in the closing minutes but, with the exception of an excellent late opportunity for Michael Ballack, they struggled to create clear chances. [LNB]'We were without 10 or 12 players who might have been in the first team I was really worried about how it would end with the team we had out,' said Moyes. 'I thought we were immense. It felt like a win and has to be out best result of the season.' [LNB]
