The Blues play hosts to Everton with Ballack coming in for the injured Essien as Jedi keeps the holding role and Joe Cole is in at the head of the diamond.
A bright start from the Blues and within 3mins a good trough ball from Ballack finds the Drog but his shot squirms wide. Everton are getting back into this and on 11mins a floated free kick from the right comes off JT's head, hits the post and then go in as it bounces off the back of Cech. Its 0-1 to Everton but their lead lasts just 5mins as Ricky dispossess Saha in the centre and feeds Lamps whose layoff releases the Drog and his superb strike levels the game. The pressure is building on Everton now and on 22mins we're ahead as a corner from Lamps is not cleared and after a few bobbles the ball breaks to Anelka who pokes home. Its 2-1 and a great response from the blues. Another Baines free kick is not dealt with on 30mins but this time Cech easily collects. The humour is coming from Jo who goes down under almost every tackle like a sack of spuds and clearly wants to be taken off. He finally gets his way in injury time but his replacement - Yakubu - the gets on the end of another goalmouth scramble, this time from an Everton long throw, and pokes an equalizer past Cech. Carlo will be fuming.
The Blues have got a lot to do in this second half and get off to a good start with the Drog and Joe Cole working early openings. The pressure pays off just before the hour mark as Drogba guides home a cushioned volley to make it 3-2 from an Ivanovich cross. Within 2mins though it's another disaster in the Blues 6 yards box as Chelsea defend a fee kick way too deep and Drogbas headed clearance bounces back in past Cech off Sahar - its 3-3. Ballack nearly restores the lead from a free kick on 75mins which draws a good save from Howard and 2 more chances that fall to Ivanovich and Cole go begging. Cole is replaced by Malouda and Chelsea continue to press but time is running out as Carlo prepares to introduce Borini for the final 3mins but it makes little difference as Ballack drags the final chance wide and the Blues drop points again.
This is a major setback (even accepting the comedy of errors) and we're left hoping that Villa can do us a favour as they take on Man U
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