chelseafc.com - Didier Drogba's first Chelsea goal since late January levelled the scores after Stoke netted early on but two points were dropped in a lively encounter in the Potteries.
It was a poor start to the game by the Blues following two weeks of inactivity due to internationals but Chelsea improved towards the interval, only to allow the home side to take command again at the start of the second half. Both sides hit woodwork twice after the interval, Drogba on both occasions for the Blues, and all involved will be counting up missed chances.
Chelsea had another good spell before the end but then could have lost the match in stoppage time. It has to be admitted it was a fair result against the FA Cup semi-finalists.
Carlo Ancelotti made three changes to the side from the win over Manchester City. Jose Bosingwa was preferred at right-back to Branislav Ivanovic who had played two international matches since the City game. Up front it was Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka with Fernando Torres and Salomon Kalou on the bench. Stoke were unchanged.
Former Chelsea stopper Robert Huth headed a corner over inside the first two minutes, and Jose Bosingwa whipped in a testing cross before long had gone, hinting there would be chances in this game. Stoke scored from one with just seven minutes gone.
David Luiz left the centre ground to challenge for a ball out on the right touchline but he was beaten to it by Jonathan Walters who raced away down the flank and cut inside Essien in the box before slamming the ball low past Cech.
It was an early shock to the system for the Blues, especially as Stoke do not lose many points from a winning position, but Chelsea came back from a deficit to win here last season and Cole very nearly replied within two minutes. His diving header from a Malouda cross from deep was tipped wide by a fully extended Begovic.
On 19 minutes there could have been an equaliser had Anelka been sharper in collecting a rebound after Begovic could only palm a Lampard shot down in front of him.
Terry felt pain on 23 minutes when Whelan clattered into the captain with an illegal challenge, the Stoke centre-back escaping a booking. Two minutes later Drogba sent an ambitious volley careering over the bar.
The Blues were testing Stoke but their defence was holding firm, with Huth dealing with many ill-directed balls into their area. That was until Anelka found the vital degree of accuracy as he floated a cross over the rearguard to where Drogba, around about the penalty spot, headed home Osgood-style to level the scores. The Golden Boot holder last found the net for his club with a goal from 30 yards further out at Bolton but with two last weekend for Ivory Coast, it appears the goal touch is coming back. There were 30 minutes gone.
Both sides were making mistakes in possession and Kenwyne Jones, who had earlier troubled John Terry, released a deflected shot five minutes before the break that Cech was able to gather, but the Blues were on top by this stage in terms of possession.
Approaching the break there was the unusual sight of Huth racing deep into the Chelsea half having pounced on an error, only to be halted by Drogba just outside the Chelsea area. It was a good contest between those two all afternoon. The teams went into the break level at one goal each.
Chelsea started on the front foot when the whistle went for the restart, Anelka showing good control in a tight spot before rolling a shot wide, but then a line of blue-shirted defenders watched as a ball across the area made it all the way through to Pennant who saw his shot saved well by Cech with his legs. That was Stoke's best chance since the goal.
With 50 minutes gone, the in-form Ramires played a pass wide into Drogba's path and the Ivorian got a shot away before he was challenged. It bounced off the face of the far post and went behind. Lampard then warmed Begovic's hands with a shot.
On 55 minutes came the game's first booking, Walters catching Terry late with a follow-through challenge. Bosingwa followed into the book three minutes later for sliding into the ankles of Etherington, but this wasn't a dirty match.
On 61 minutes Chelsea made a double substitution, Kalou, recovered from a minor knock on international duty, replacing Ramires to set a new club record for substitute appearances, and Torres coming on for Anelka. The Spaniard straightaway found a way into the box but Huth deflected the shot off-target. That was Torres's only sight of goal.
Begovic had to come to punch in a crowd as another cross was floated towards Drogba's head.
Stoke were well in the game by now and after turning outside Terry, Jones shot wide. Then Cech saved with his feet from an Etherington header. It was another good afternoon's work by the Chelsea keeper.
Cole was booked on 64 minutes for tripping his friend Pennant who was escaping from a tackle.
Two minutes later Stoke levelled the woodwork count and then went ahead in it a minute later. First Essien gave away a free-kick that was tapped to Marc Wilson for a shot the swerved away from Cech and then off the crossbar. From the following corner, Huth rose above Essien but Cech was sharp to push the ball onto the bar.
Chelsea limited Delap's opportunity to launch his missiles into the box but when he did unleash one throw onto the head of Jones, Terry challenged well enough that it went wide.
With 80 minutes on the clock, Ivanovic came on for Bosingwa and was straightaway challenging for a corner. It bounced away to Drogba who hooked a rocket of a shot against the crossbar. The woodwork count was now 2-2. Moments later Begovic saved well from Essien.
Chelsea broke on the counter attack on 87 minutes, Torres feeding Lampard who found a way through two defenders before he was crowded out without shooting.
Six minutes stoppage time were played but unlike last season here, the Blues could not complete a turnaround at the death. Stoke came closer to snatching it through substitute Fuller.
Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Bosingwa (Ivanovic 79), David Luiz, Terry (c), Cole; Ramires (Kalou 61), Essien, Lampard, Malouda; Anelka (Torres 61), Drogba.
Unused subs Turnbull, Ferreira, Mikel, Zhirkov.
Scorer Drogba 30.
Booked Bosingwa 58, Cole 64.
Stoke (4-4-1-1): Begovic; Wilson, Shawcross (c), Huth, Higginbotham (Collins 90+2); Pennant (Fuller 90+1), Whelan (Whitehead 85), Delap, Etherington; Walters, Jones.
Unused subs Nash, Pugh, Wilkinson, Diao.
Scorer Walters.
Booked Walters 55.
Referee Peter Walton
