City stall Chelsea's title march

Chelsea 0 Man City 0

Chelsea’s march towards the Premiership was slowed somewhat this afternoon as Manchester City produced a stubborn display to earn a point at Stamford Bridge.

Even without inspirational Holland winger Arjen Robben, missing with a foot injury, the league leaders created plenty of chances to have comfortably won the game.

But Chelsea were nevertheless left frustrated by a combination of poor finishing, excellent City defending led by Richard Dunne, and fine goalkeeping from David James.

City’s performance will have been welcomed by their Manchester neighbours, United, whose victory over Birmingham yesterday clawed back the deficit at the top of the table, albeit to still some nine points.

Mateja Kezman – back in the starting XI – almost created an early opening for himself when latching onto a poor headed clearance some 25 yards out.

However, after knocking the ball past Richard Dunne, the Chelsea striker then theatrically went to ground – and could count himself fortunate not to be cautioned by referee Howard Webb.

City – the only side to have beaten Chelsea in the Premiership so far this season – were not without their attacking threat, particularly through England man Shaun Wright-Phillips.

With 32 minutes gone, Robbie Fowler tried his luck with a snap-shot from just outside the penalty area, but Chelsea number Petr Cech – who has now gone 871 minutes without conceding a goal – collected comfortably low at his near post.

Chelsea, though, should have been ahead soon after.

Damien Duff found enough space in the left-hand side of the area to test James with a low drive.

The England keeper got down well to parry, but spilled the ball. However, Kezman could not turn it in from no more than a yard out, somehow stabbing his shot wide.

James then tipped a header from Jari Jarosik over and also stood up to block Kezman’s angled drive as the Premiership leaders stepped up the pace.

The City goal was leading a charmed life, in the 38th minute Paul Bosvelt somehow scrambled William Gallas’ header off the line.

On the break, the visitors then had a gilt-edged chance themselves as Wright-Phillips turned Gallas, before pulling the ball back along the six-yard box.

Terry slipped at the vital moment, handing Fowler a free header. But with the whole goal to aim at, the former Liverpool striker – looking for his 150th Premiership goal – sent his diving effort wide.

There was another scare for the hosts five minutes after the start of the second half.

A high clearance towards the Chelsea box was not dealt with, and Joey Barton seized on the loose ball, drilling a shot across Cech’s goal and only a few feet wide of the far post.

In the 54th minute Chelsea went close again with Kezman feeding Duff into the left edge of the box.

His low centre flew across the six-yard line, and just eluded Eidur Gudjohnsen’s out-stretched boot at the far post.

In the first of five minutes of stoppage time, a desperate last-ditch tackle from Dunne took the ball away from Gudjohnsen as he shaped to shoot.

Then in the dying moments James produced a stunning one-handed save to deny Lampard at point-blank range – which just about summed up the afternoon for the Premiership leaders.