Chelsea failed to capitialise on Manchester United's slip up at
Newcastle United after being held to a goalless draw at Aston
Villa.
Chances were few and far between at Villa Park with defences on
top, as Chelsea failed to score for the first time in the
Premiership this season.
The draw was Chelsea's third successive stalemate in the
Premiership, as they closed the gap on United to six points.
Chelsea began the game on the front foot and Didier Drogba missed a
glorious chance to give them the lead after just eight
minutes.
Michael Essien surged down the right and Drogba evaded his marker
Gary Cahill to meet his cross right in front of goal, but Chelsea's
top scorer volleyed his effort into the ground and over the
crossbar.
Frank Lampard had the next opening for Chelsea on 12 minutes with a
shot from the edge of the area which deflected just wide of the
target.
Olof Mellberg made a vital interception on 21 minutes to deny
Salomon Kalou getting on the end of Drogba's inviting cross.
Villa suffered a blow on 27 minutes, with Craig Gardner being
forced off with a groin injury and Isaiah Osbourne replaced him for
Martin O'Neill's side.
Kalou was gifted a sight of goal a minute later when Liam
Ridgewell's poor clearance fell straight to him on the edge of the
box, but the forward's curling shot flew well off target.
Chelsea went close to scoring on 32 minutes when Drogba picked out
Ashley Cole at the far post, but the England international could
only head straight at Villa goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.
Jose Mourinho's injury problems deepened soon after when Khalid
Boulahrouz limped off with a knee injury, with Geremi coming on to
replace him.
Drogba fashioned a chance for himself on 34 minutes when he
brilliantly took down a clearance from Henrique Hilario and burst
past a couple of Villa challenges, but only to drag his shot wide
Kiraly's goal.
Chelsea continued to call the tune up to half time and Drogba and
Lampard both saw shots fly wide of the target
The visitors under-strength defence were relatively untroubled in
the first half, as Villa failed to mount any serious goalscoring
opportunities.
Villa showed more attacking ambition at the start of the second
half, but they were still struggling to make any inroads in the
Chelsea defence.
Juan Pablo Angel almost got through on goal from Gabriel
Agbonlahor's cross, but Hilario was quickly off his line to catch
the ball from the Villa striker's feet.
Essien found space for a shot from the edge of the box on 55
minutes, but his long-range shot flashed over the crossbar.
Two minutes later, Kiraly survived a scare when he dropped
Lampard's corner inside the six-yard box, but the Villa defence
managed to scramble the ball away to safety.
Jose Mourinho turned to Andrei Shevchenko on 66 minutes as he went
in search of a goal, with the Ukrainian replacing the disappointing
Shaun Wright-Phillips.
A minute later, Lampard tried his luck from wide on the left, but
his shot flew well wide of Kiraly's goal.
Villa came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock on 13 minutes
from time when Ridgewell rose highest to meet Wilfred Bouma's
corner and was unlucky to see it flash just wide of the far
post.
Chelsea really should have grabbed the winner in the final minute
when Lampard collected Drogba's flick-on six yards from goal, but
the midfielder somehow knocked his shot over the crossbar.
Drogba had the last chance of the game when he rose highest to meet
Cole's cross, but under pressure from Bouma, the Ivory Coast
captain could only head the ball over the top.
