Kalou keeps Blues record intact

Kalou: Celebrates equaliser

Man of the match: Rio Ferdinand, calm and assured at the heart of the United defence.
Moment of the match: Nicolas Anelka's amazing miss. Probably cost Chelsea the win.
Attempt of the match: Ballack's low shot curled just wide of the United goal.
Save of the match: Petr Cech deflecting a Rio Ferdinand effort over his own bar.
Talking point: United's awful defending for Kalou's equaliser. Where were they?
Goal of the game: Park's goal for United. Tap-in it was, but preceded by some excellent build-up play involving Rooney, Berbatov and Evra.

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Substitute Salomon Kalou kept Chelsea's lengthy unbeaten home record intact after heading home an equaliser in a 1-1 draw with title rivals Manchester United.

For long periods, Chelsea appeared to be on course for a first Premier League defeat at Stamford Bridge since February 2004 until Kalou popped up 10 minutes from time.

A lively opening spell from United saw the reigning champions take the lead on 18 minutes when Petr Cech spilled Dimitar Berbatov's shot and Park Ji-sung slotted home the rebound.

Chelsea improved as the game wore on, with both Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka missing golden opportunities to equalise for the Blues.

But, after Wayne Rooney had conceded a needless free-kick, John Obi Mikel picked out the unmarked Kalou to head beyond substitute goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak.

Attacking intent

Despite their poor recent form, the Red Devils showed their attacking intent from the start, when Darren Fletcher turned Owen Hargreaves' low cross wide, and Chelsea, having lost Deco just before kick-off after the Portugal star was injured in the warm-up, could not get into their stride even though they could call upon Michael Ballack as replacement.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's team was further disrupted when Ricardo Carvalho hobbled off after just 12 minutes, so there was always a nagging fear Joe Cole's failure to find the net when he robbed Patrice Evra to give himself a clear sight of goal was going to prove costly.

Chelsea, already given one let off when Petr Cech's wayward clearance gave first Dimitar Berbatov, then Wayne Rooney the chance to launch speculative efforts at the home goal, survived again when Rooney set up Ferdinand, only for the home keeper to save with his legs.

But on their next attack, United finally prospered as Evra galloped past Jose Bosingwa to reach Rooney's inspired through ball.

Evra's pinpoint cross found Berbatov and his shot was pushed out by Cech, leaving Park with the easiest of tasks to bundle home the rebound.

After spending nearly half an hour on the back foot, Chelsea finally got into their stride.

Panic

Gary Neville's back header spread panic in the visitors' defence and when Edwin van der Sar came off worst in a collision with Florent Malouda, who might easily have scored, the veteran Dutchman was eventually forced from the field.

The home side really upped the ante in the second period, with Didier Drogba having been brought on for the ineffective Malouda.

Joe Cole should have done more with Anelka's low cross than prod it straight at Evra, then Jonny Evans - preferred to Wes Brown in central defence - got in the way of Bosingwa's shot.

Ferguson's response was to bring on Cristiano Ronaldo, who put the Chelsea defence on red alert with his direct running but also shamed himself with a blatant dive as Frank Lampard made a tackle.

In ignoring Anelka's pleas for a pass as Michael Ballack split United's defence wide open, Joe Cole needed to do better than blast his shot straight at Kuszczak, who was quickly becoming one of the visitors' key men.

Wobbling

There would have been nothing the Pole could do to keep out Anelka's effort 18 minutes from time though as, from four yards out and with the goal at his mercy, the Frenchman inexplicably failed to make contact with a cross, the ball bouncing to safety off the Frenchman's standing leg.

But just as a wobbling Chelsea had eventually tumbled in the first half, so United did the same 10 minutes from time.

In chopping down Ashley Cole, Rooney not only picked up his side's fifth booking, he also provided Mikel with the opportunity to float over a free-kick to the edge of the United six-yard box where the visitors, getting their marking hopelessly wrong, left Kalou on his own to nod home the equaliser.

The game ended in bad tempered fashion as United, who had seven players booked, complained bitterly at referee Mike Riley for his handling of the game as Drogba was receiving treatment after being clattered by Ferdinand.