The Centre Circle

Chelsea travelled north to Ewood Park to take on Blackburn, not the most enticing fixture for Carlo Ancelotti and his side after being dumped out of the Champion’s League in midweek. Were they up for the fight? It seemed so after just 5 minutes when Nicolas Anelka cut the ball back for Drogba to clinically finish from 12 yards out. Kalou then missed a chance to make it 2-0 when his header went over the bar. Blackburn had their first chance from a Petersen freekick that Ross Turnbull in goal pushed away for a corner. Blackburn increased their tempo as they realised that to get anything from the game they would have to fight and the tackles began to fly, raising the atmosphere in the ground. After 40 minutes Blackburn lost possession in their own half and Malouda moved forward before unleashing a vicious drive that Jason Brown was unable to hold, the ball luckily flying to a Blackburn shirt.

Early into the second half and Blackburn had their best chance with Christopher Samba’s header cleared off the line by Zhirkov. Chelsea immediately replied, Frank Lampard, who had so far been quite quiet, firing narrowly wide from 20 yards. Samba was then lucky to stay on the pitch after clumsily pulling down Anelka when he appeared to be clean through, but the referee waved on play. After 70minutes, Blackburn levelled. A deep cross from Salgardo was met at the far post by El-Hadji Djouf who rose above Ferreira to head into the corner. Game on, and the first signs of concern from Ancelotti. A minute later Drogba won a free kick 30 yards out, but his effort smashed into the wall. The Blackburn players were really getting into the game, chasing and harrying Chelsea players all over the pitch. Late on in a frantic finish, Drogba fired a shot narrowly wide after a corner, and Lampard appealed in vain for a late penalty waved away correctly by referee Steve Bennett, as Blackburn held on for a 1-1 draw to dent the title ambitions of the London club.