Chelsea 1 - 1 Everton

Back to the Bridge and this time with no Terry or Cech, Malouda doesn't even make a bench that has Sheva, Kalou and Pizzao but no Ashley Cole. The wide two are Joe Cole and SWP with Carlo in goal..

Chelsea start the brighter but its a scrappy first 15mins. Stephen Pienaar misses his kick to waste a great chance for Everton and at the other end Drogba has a neat free kick move with Lamps charged down. Rickey goes down heavily on 20mins and then spends the next 10 minutes hobbling around as a midfield passenger whilst the bench work out what to do - eventually he makes way for Tal Ben Haim. Everton are hanging on now as first SWP then Lamps have two great chances - the second bringing an equally great save from Tim Howard. Right on 45mins, Bridgey and SWP break from no-where down the left and the ball finds Drogba 5 yards out from an open goal which amazingly he misses.

Out for the 2nd half, no changes for the Blues, but Everton bring on Anicheb and McFadden for Neville and Yakubu - Everton are going with two up top but again its Chelsea who start the brighter of the two. SWPs having a mare - good positions but his crossing has been woeful and its no surprise when he's replaced by Kalou on 63mins. Lamps chips Howard from 25yrds and brings another amazing save from the Everton keeper and from the resulting corner the ball is cleared off the line - it looks like one of those days - its all Chelsea but the ball just wont go.

And then, just wen you though it would never come, Drogba comes to the near post on 70mins from a Kalou corner and he buries the header past Howard and its 1-0 to the Blues !!!

This is the new Chelsea, so no sitting back, on we press, looking for more, Lamps goes close from a mazey Joe Cole run and then Drogba does likewise but hits his shot tamely at Howard ... but yet you're always worried that the old Chelsea will return and throw this away. And then it happens. To be fair, an amazing overhead from Tim Cahill beats Carlo with two minutes to go. That's the price you pay for not taking your chances. The home record stays intact but it feels like a defeat.