Chelsea 1-1 Everton - Our bogey side make us pay again.

In my match preview ahead of the game on Saturday I stated that I would bite your hand off for three points and for any kind of win bearing in mind that in recent times Everton have proven to be our bogey side. We didn't win, Everton continued their decent record against us and the game left us fans with so many questions about our side and the way we played. The fact that Didier Drogba came over the Matthew Harding stand to apologise said it all. It was another two points dropped for Chelsea and we have slipped to third in the League.


Everton started off the brightest, Louis Saha tested Cech inside a minute and Cech saved low down to his right after just 38 seconds. Chelsea then began to get a foothold in the game without really creating any clear cut chances. Chelsea were dominating possession now.

Half way through the first half Everton were under pressure and we began to force them into some problems. Distin blatantly handled the ball in the box which wasn't given and Jagielka made a great block from Anelka as he looked to hit the target from close range so thing's we beginning to turn into Chelsea's favour.

Then Malouda and Phil Neville clashed. It was a stupid tackle to begin with and Malouda was very very lucky with getting away with what he did. I understand he would be upset at the challenge but to react the way he did was silly. He was lucky he wasn't sent off.

Back to the football and JT nearly scored on his return to the first team, after a scramble in the box from a corner the ball came back to JT 12 yards out. He took a touch to control the ball and then with the outside of his foot lobbed the ball over Howard, it looked like it would loop into the net, but hit the crossbar and was cleared. Fantastic effort from our skipper and a shame it never went in. Chelsea were in control of the game now. Salomon Kalou then headed a cross from Malouda wide of the post from a couple of yards.

We were beginning to feel that a goal would come and it did after a shocking back pass from Neville played in Anelka. With Howard coming out to defend against Anelka, he flicked the ball round him one side to go past him the other side a la Pele' but Howard stood his ground, Anelka ran into him and the two collided. The referee pointed to the spot. Penalty given and Drogba fired the ball home to make it 1-0 in front of the Shed at half time.

The second half became a very different story to the first half. Everton had created a couple of half chances at the start of the game but nothing else of note in the first half and Chelsea were dominating. The second half belonged to Everton.

At the beginning of the half it became a midfield battle. Both sides weren't creating anything of any kind of note and it was Everton who began to impose themselves on Chelsea. Rodwell miss-hit a shot straight to Cech first of all, Mikel gave the ball away and Beckford for some reason, thought he could lob Petr Cech from 40 yards and it never troubled Cech.

Leighton Baines was becoming much more of an influence on the game in our final third now rather than defending in his own half and it was his cross that you have to be honest a say Rodwell should have scored. Baines played in down the left, crossed the ball into the box and Rodwell dived onto the ball and headed the ball towards the far post with a completely free header. Cech was beaten easily and lucky enough for Chelsea, the ball hit the post and rebounded across the goal line and clear of the other post. He should have scored and it should have been 1-1.

The worrying thing for us now was the fact that Everton were in the ascendancy. Coleman headed another cross straight at Cech, Rodwell had a shot deflected thankfully into the arms of Cech and Jagielka won a near post flick on with just a Everton shirt needed to head the ball in as Jagielka's header flew across the box 3 yards from goal. Chelsea were all over the place.

I had called for a voice on the pitch, JT was shouting his head off, trying to keep the players going and to lift themselves but it just didn't happen.

Carlo then made a change which I thought at the time was strange. He took Bosingwa off and replaced him with Ferreira in a move I guess to remain more solid at the back. This cost us a short time after.

However another key moment in the game was just round the corner. A ball played through towards Cahill in the box was covered by JT. As Cech came out towards the edge of his box to collect the ball, Cahill was bearing down on him. JT gave him a nudge as he got near to Cech, Cahill off balance stuck his foot out to try and make contact with the ball and caught Cech right in the face. The fact he put his hands up straight away says alot to me, a players instant reaction is honest and he knew he had done wrong.

Terry knew and the two of them came to grips with each other as CechCahill got away with it. He was a lucky boy and the fact he remained on the pitch was a decision that had some bearing on the result.

Chelsea then created two chances in the game, our first of any note in the half. A move down the right hand side led to a cross across the box 8 yards from goal as just as Ashley Cole looked like he would tap home he was challenged by Coleman, who looked to play the man first then the ball. Cole was forced to the floor and the ball was cleared. No penalty but you have to say you have seen them given. Then Malouda tested Howard with a low struck effort saved by the keeper.

With about four or five minutes to go you find yourself at the time looking at the clock, knowing it was a hard game and willing Chelsea to hold on. A far different situation these days than the beginning of the season, but this wasn't to be as Everton, based on their second half display scored the goal you have to be honest and say they deserved.

Alot is being made of Chelsea's poor performance in the second half but you have to hand it to Everton. They played really well in the second half and forced Chelsea into problems. You can take nothing away from their goal.

I mentioned Ferriera came on for Bosingwa, well Leighton Baines again down our right hand side picked up the ball faced with Kalou, Essien and Ferreira. Kalou and Essien didn't make any kind of challenged and he waltzed between the two of them and then evaded a feeble attempt at a tackle by Ferriera and found himself free of anyone. He looked up with all the time in the world and saw Cahill had pulled out to the far post.

Now because Baines had run past three of our players already, Ivanovic had to come across and cover the space Baines had at his disposal. With him doing that Terry and Cole were dealing with Cahill and someone else (can't quite remember who) at the far post. Chelsea were stretched, Baines played the perfect cross to Cahill who won his header easily and headed the ball back towards the middle of the box 10 yards from goal and Jermaine Beckford (with Mikel slow to cover the space left by Ivanovic) headed home giving Cech no chance and making it 1-1.

Nothing of any real note during the remainder of the game. It was after the game that the fans made their feelings known. A chorus of boo's from the fans to state their frustration at another two points dropped.

I had said Everton were our bogey side and it proved to be the case once more. Both sides dominated each half and the scoreline was well deserved. We cannot complain about the result based on the performance.

I said it on Twitter afterwards and I will say it again now. I could not understand our substitutions during the game. The Bosingwa off for Ferreira seemed to be sensible at the time as I believe Paulo to be a better defender than Bosingwa. It was the next one that baffled me. Ramires came on for Anelka. Trying to understand the chance you have to wonder because Everton were well on top, if Carlo wanted to make a switch to 4-4-2, leave Kalou up front with Drogba and bring on the extra man in midfield. I will never understand how we leave Kalou on and take Anelka off. It was a hard decision to accept and one I still do not now.

Then the change of Mikel off for Sturridge came too late. Yes we are chasing the game but Sturridge is not the answer at the moment. His flicks and tricks are not what we need in a game we are chasing to try and get the win. I know we had no other real option but the change was too late.

All in all it was disappointing. It was frustrating and the subs were strange and didn't have any real impact on the game. It's another two points lost but after the way Everton played and the chances they created we should be thankful we got a point!. Yes there were arguments that Howard and Cahill could have been sent off, they weren't and the Cahill decision cost us along with our own performance in the end.

For now, we sit third in the table, our slide continues but we do have to remember this was Everton who are a good side, we never give up and always give Chelsea a hard game.

KTBFFH

Chelsea (4-3-3):Cech; Bosingwa (Ferreira 64), Ivanovic, Terry (c), Cole; Essien, Mikel (Sturridge 87), Malouda; Kalou, Drogba, Anelka (Ramires 77).
Scorers Drogba (pen) 41
Booked Terry 73

Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville (c), Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Coleman, Rodwell, Fellaini, Pienaar (Bilyaletdinov 86); Cahill; Saha (Beckford 57).
Scorers Beckford 86
Booked Neville 28, Howard 40, Cahill 73, Jagielka 90+2

Stats

Shots on target Chelsea 5 Everton 5

Corners Chelsea 6 Everton 1

Fouls Chelsea 6 Everton 10

Offsides Chelsea 3 Everton 1

Attendance 41,642