Salomon Kalou struck 10 minutes from time to cancel out Park Ji-Sung's first-half effort as Chelsea came from behind to earn a point in an engaging 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge.
In an open encounter dominated before the break by the champions and thereafter by the hosts, a draw was a fitting result as Chelsea's relentless pressure finally paid off with Kalou's late header. Park's goal had given United the lead in a first-half in which the Blues looked subdued, in part due to the loss to injury of Portuguese pair Deco and Ricardo Carvalho, but largely as a result of United's greater enterprise.
One glance at United's bench appeared to suggest that Sir Alex Ferguson had come to west London in search of a draw. Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Nani, and Ryan Giggs were all left out, with even Gary Neville earning a long-awaited return to Premier League action, at the expense of Wes Brown, presumably to guide Jonny Evans through his paces in a high-pressure challenge the visitors had to meet without the suspended Nemanja Vidic.
If Ferguson was keeping his powder dry by choice, his opposite number Luiz Felipe Scolari's only change before kick-off was forced upon him. The Portuguese had named an unchanged lineup for the third successive match until Deco succumbed to injury in the warm-up. Michael Ballack, the man who scored twice in the 2-1 defeat of the champions last April, stepped into midfield.
Whether or not Deco's absence confused Chelsea is unclear but they were certainly second best for most of the first half. United began the match with far greater promise and purpose, Darren Fletcher angling a shot wide of the far post as early as the fifth minute following good work by Owen Hargreaves down the right flank. Three minutes later and Dimitar Berbatov's ambitious first-time shot from 40-plus yards, following a sloppy clearance from Petr Cech, was poorly struck but Wayne Rooney's improvised volley looped just wide of goal with the goalkeeper beaten.
Within seconds Chelsea should have scored, Nicolas Anelka flicking a long ball into the path of Joe Cole, who surged past the prone Patrice Evra only to send his shot into the side-netting. Worse was to follow for the hosts as Carvalho came off with suspected knee ligament damage on 12 minutes. A strangely misshapen and panicked Chelsea side continued to back off and had to be grateful to Cech for denying Rio Ferdinand with an outstretched foot after Rooney teed him up with a measured pass
United looked by far the more settled of the two sides and they were value for their lead when it came on 18 minutes. A quick exchange involving Evra Berbatov and Rooney, saw the French full-back cut inside Jose Bosingwa, and cross low for Berbatov. The striker's shot squirmed away from Cech, but Park was on hand to slide in the opening goal.
Chelsea created a half-chance when Florent Malouda stole a half-yard on Evans only to be denied by Edwin van der Sar, who took both ball and player, leading to the inevitable penalty appeals from the home crowd. But though no spot-kick was awarded, Van der Sar picked up a knock in the collision, which required him to become the latest player to retire from the fray, after his second spill of the day.
The Dutchman's replacement Robert Kuszczak looked barely more assured dropping the first shot that came his way - a hopeful attempt from Alex on 39 minutes. Ploughing a lonely furrow up front, Anelka's sole contribution to the match was a shot he blazed over from 12 yards five minutes before the interval, so after the break he was joined by Didier Drogba in an attempt to sharpen Chelsea's cutting edge.
The Blues looked brighter following Drogba's introduction. Frank Lampard and Ballack began to press forward more, looking to expose the fitness of Neville early in the second half with a succession of crosses from the left. Joe Cole missed two more good chances as the Blues began to dominate. The first was an air-kick from 10 yards out after Anelka slid him in, the second a drive from 16 yards which produced a good block by Kuszczak, albeit after the England midfielder shot straight at him.
Anelka, though, was guilty of the most glaring miss of all, failing to connect with Joe Cole's low right-wing cross from point-blank range with 18 minutes to go. The Blues were laying siege to United's goal and, although the visitors could have snatched a breakaway second when Rooney shot wide from 15 yards, the hosts deservedly equalised 10 minutes from time. Rooney gave away a needless free-kick 25 yards out, John Obi Mikel drifted the ball in and substitute Kalou arrived unmarked to head past Kuszczak from close range.
With the bit between their teeth, Chelsea surged forward in search of a winner and Kalou could have scored again within a minute after a scrambled clearance fell kindly. The striker rushed his shot, though, under pressure from Kuszczak and Ferdinand, and scooped his shot over. The match was becoming increasingly fraught with Mike Riley booking no fewer than seven players, but a committed display, embodied by Alex's brave block to stop Fletcher's goalbound piledriver five minutes from time, finally came to an end with nothing to separate the two sides save for the six points that divide them in the Premier League table.
Sir Alex Ferguson was left to rue United's lack of killer instinct. "We played with great tempo in the first 20 minutes - the real shame was that we didn't go for the jugular at 1-0 up," Ferguson said. "We had control of the match at that point but we eased off and allowed them to get to half-time."
The United manager also admitted surprise that seven of his players were booked, earning an automatic fine from the Football Association. "It was a competitive game but I did not think there was one bad tackle in it," Ferguson said.
Scolari was less incredulous. "I am not surprised," he said. "That is what the referee is there for. If players do not respect him, it should be yellow and red cards. It doesn't matter who you are - Liverpool or Manchester United, whoever."
The Chelsea coach praised his players' commitment in battling back from a goal down. "They [the players] have a fantastic spirit. I said before the game Michael Ballack had maybe 45 minutes in him and Didier Drogba 45 minutes. Michael played 70 minutes because of his spirit and he wants to win - he gave more than I expected.
"I have many problems in terms of injuries and I have to change the team but that is my job."
