Chelsea 0 Fulham 0 (29/9/07)

MATCH REPORT: CHELSEA 0 FULHAM 0

It was a fourth league game without scoring for Chelsea as we were held at home today by west London neighbours Fulham.

The returning Didier Drogba was sent off with just over a quarter of an hour remaining for a second yellow card, and we were made to rue several missed chances and a persistent lack of creativity.

To their credit Fulham achieved what they came for, and rarely threatened Petr Cech's goal until the closing stages, when they could, and maybe should have snatched the win.

The Blues welcomed Drogba back after four weeks out, but were without the creative Wright-Phillips and combative Essien in midfield, both injured in midweek.

Salomon Kalou, scorer of a brace at Hull, kept his place in the side, but moved to a left midfield berth to accommodate the returning Drogba and birthday boy Shevchenko in attack.

It was a lively atmosphere that greeted the two sides, and within moments of the start Joe Cole had raised the noise higher, twisting and turning through the Fulham defence, but his cross, aimed for Drogba, was poor.

In the third minute came the sort of event impossible to plan for, as captain John Terry and Fulham's Clint Dempsey clashed heads on the edge of the Blues box.

Terry lay crumpled for some time, but eventually got back to his feet and was fit to continue. It looked like being a dramatic derby day in SW6.

The first opportunity of the game fell after 13 minutes to Clint Dempsey, as the American found an inch of space from Terry, but his downward header fell a foot wide of Petr Cech's left hand post.

Chelsea's first meaningful effort was registered in the 20th minute, as Shevchenko was fed by Makelele, directing a low shot towards goal from 20 yards. Kasey Keller held comfortably.

Joe Cole was the next to test the American, one of three in Fulham's ranks, but his left-footed drive was as weak as Shevchenko's effort, and no real danger to Keller.

In the 33rd minute Chelsea almost went in front, as the Ukraininan and Kalou combined down the left channel.

Kalou left Chris Baird for dead, and pulled back from the byline for Shevchenko at the near post, but his side foot fell inches the wrong side of the upright.

A minute later and Cole fired a low cross into the Fulham goalmouth that evaded everybody, including Drogba who felt he had been impeded. Referee Martin Atkinson booked the Ivorian for his protests.

There was little else of note before the interval, though Terry had penalty appeals waved away after Dempsey again made contact, this time in the Fulham six-yard box.

Chelsea were on top, with all the stats supporting that view but there had been no breakthrough against a solid Fulham unit.
At half-time Terry was forced off with his facial injury, and so Avram Grant brought on Alex in his place. Drogba took over the captain's duties.

Less than a minute after the restart the Blues had hit the post, via the palms of Keller, who had saved spectacularly from Kalou inside the six-yard box, after Drogba had released Cole down the right.

With still no breakthrough eight minutes into the second half, and Fulham coming more into the game, Grant made a further change as Shevchenko was replaced with Pizarro

Drogba forced another save from Keller, striking a shot that seemed to move sideways in the air, but again the American beat the ball away and behind.

On the hour Pizarro found Ashley Cole marauding forward down the left, and his cross was perfect for the oncoming Kalou, who should have scored.

His header was a yard wide, a real let off for the visitors, whose defence seemed to have taken leave.

The young Ivorian made it two chances spurned after 68 minutes, again a header, again missing the post by a yard, this time from Makelele's inswinging free kick at the far post.

Within a minute Joe Cole was one-on-one with Keller but could only poke the ball whiskers wide after Kalou's intricate through ball.

After 73 minutes Drogba paid the price for his previous indiscretion. As he turned to control a high ball, he lifted his foot up, just as Fulham's Baird approached to head the ball.

For his bravery, Baird received an unfortunate kick to the head, and Drogba was given his second booking of the day, for dangerous play.

Down to ten men, the Blues rallied, and Grant made his final substitution to chase the victory. Florent Malouda replaced Ashley Cole down the left, making a 3-4-2 formation with Kalou and Pizarro in attack.

Despite huffing and puffing, chances had become few and far between. Smertin was replaced by recent signing Danny Murphy for the Cottagers as the game entered its final ten minutes.

It was Fulham who nearly stole it, as Konchesky made the most of a misunderstanding between Joe Cole and Alex, nipping in to go through on goal. Cech did well to narrow the angle, and saved with his feet.

That was the visitors' first shot on target, registered after 84 minutes, but served as a warning to the Blues not to be too gung-ho in the final few minutes.

As the clock ticked to 88 minutes, Alex made an interception, and played a clever pass into Kalou on the edge of the box. He spun and shot, but it was too high.

We almost paid the ultimate price for wasted opportunities when Kamara went through at the very end of normal time. Makelele and Ben-Haim forced him wide, and his hesitation denied him an optimal shooting angle. He flashed the ball across goal, but with Cech beaten, and Bouazza sliding in, the ball just flashed wide.

To see highlights of the game, you can visit Chelsea TV Online, or for the full 90 minutes, you can tune in to Chelsea TV, both from midnight tonight.


Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Belletti, Ben-Haim, Terry (c) (Alex 45), A Cole (Malouda 76); J Cole, Makelele, Sidwell, Kalou; Shevchenko (Pizarro 53), Drogba.

Goals
Booked Drogba 34
Sent Off Drogba (two yellows) 73

Fulham (4-4-2) Keller; Baird, Hughes, Bocanegra, Konchesky; Davies, Davis, Smertin (Murphy 81), Seol (Bouazza 72); Dempsey, Healy (Kamara 67).

Goals
Booked Davis 81

REACTION: WE NEED TO SCORE

It was a feeling of disappointment for Avram Grant as the team failed to find the elusive goal that would have provided us with three points at home to Fulham on Saturday.

Grant felt that the side created enough chances to win the game, but lacked a killer instinct against our dogged west London neighbours.

'I think we made seven or eight chances for goals today, so from this point it is good but we didn't score,' he said. 'I can't say anything about this because the last four or five games we didn't score enough except against Hull.

'It was not our best game, and we need to improve this but again we created the chances to score.'

It is now four games without a league win, and in that period we have not scored a goal, losing two and drawing two of those fixtures.

It's a frustrating position for the new first team coach to be in, and he admits a win is important, before the gap with leaders Arsenal becomes insurmountable

'First we need to score, then we need to win. I can't argue with this,' he conceded. 'Even with this gap, anything can happen. For this we need to score goals and play better. I think the players want to play better, they give everything they can, but need to improve a few things.'

Grant also refused to criticise Didier Drogba for his sending off for two bookable offences, and was also diplomatic when questioned about Clint Dempsey's challenge that led to John Terry's departure.

On both incidents, Grant said: 'These things I like to watch on TV, I will watch again and then decide.'

JT was forced off with a depressed fracture of the cheekbone at half time after Dempsey's early aerial challenge had left the skipper in a heap on the floor. He bravely continued, but Grant refused to risk further damage.

'He's going to have a scan and then I will have more information. We will have to wait and see.

'He didn't complain, he wanted to continue but we didn't want to take the risk. For me if you have a doubt, if it's something in the head I don't like to take the risk.'

Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez believes the injury was accidental, saying: 'Clint's a strong player, so is John Terry. These things happen in football. I'm sure it wasn't malicious; Clint isn't that type of player.'

Sanchez was also frustrated that his side hadn't stolen the points. Despite being under pressure for much of the game, Fulham wasted two opportunities, with Petr Cech saving well from Paul Konchesky and then Diomansy Kamara dragging a shot wide in the dying stages.

He said: 'Anybody would settle for a point at Chelsea before they come, but when you're that close to knocking over their record you think let's take it. We're four games undefeated in the league, and haven't really got just desserts with the points we've accumulated.'

With Valencia to face on Wednesday, possibly without captain Terry, Grant is hopeful that Michael Essien may return.

'He has a small tear, I think he will be available for Wednesday,' he said, adding: 'As you know the Champions League is something different. For that we always play a different way, so we could be in a better shape, and we'll give all we can.'