Soccer: Chelsea stumble at home

Chelsea's Damien Duff (L) watches as Manchester City's Joey Barton (R) congratulates goal-keeper David James for saving Duff's attempt at goal. Picture / Reuters

LONDON - Manchester City proved a thorn in championship-chasing Chelsea's side yesterday when they took a fourth Premier League point off the London club with a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge.

England keeper David James made a string of saves as mid-table City added the draw to their 1-0 home win in October, Chelsea's only league defeat this season.

The result most benefited City's neighbours Manchester United, but they still trail leaders Chelsea by nine points with 12 games remaining. Manager Jose Mourinho was quick to put the matters into perspective.

"Before this game we needed nine victories and one draw [to clinch the title], in this moment we need just nine victories," he said.

"I don't know a team in Europe with an advantage of nine points ... Spain no, Portugal no, Italy no, Germany no, maybe in a league I don't know very well, but nine points difference is still a very good difference for us.

"They fought a lot, defended a lot, they had a great goalkeeper, they were lucky and they got a point."

Chelsea did, however, set a Premier League record two minutes before halftime when they surpassed the 823 minutes without conceding a goal that Arsenal achieved in 1998.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech, furthermore, extended the record run of clean sheets he set last week to 871 minutes.

Two goalkeepers were involved in the Arsenal record, David Seaman and Alex Manninger.

United beat Birmingham City 2-0 at home on Sunday, and third-placed champions Arsenal remained two points further back after romping to a 3-1 win at Aston Villa.

Earlier yesterday, substitute Marcus Bent struck an injury-time equaliser as Everton came from behind for a 2-2 draw at Southampton.

England striker James Beattie scored his first Everton goal against his former club after only four minutes, but Saints hit back with goals from strikers Peter Crouch and Henri Camara.

Southampton remain one from bottom while Everton stay fourth, 17 points adrift of Chelsea.

At Stamford Bridge, a flurry of chances late in the first half, most of them for Chelsea, remarkably did not produce a goal.

James turned away winger Damien Duff's shot in the 34th minute, then tipped over Czech midfielder Jiri Jarosik's header from the Irishman's corner.

Watched by England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, James then saved low from Mateja Kezman and in the 39th minute blocked a William Gallas' header after another Duff corner from the right.

City immediately broke away and Shaun Wright-Philips crossed low from the left, but striker Robbie Fowler was just wide of the post with a diving header, his side's best chance.

Then, 18 minutes from time, James somehow managed to keep out a Frank Lampard free kick with his legs, despite being unsighted when the ball came through the wall and Chelsea substitute Alexei Smertin's legs.

The former Liverpool and West Ham keeper rounded off a memorable afternoon with a brilliant save from Lampard's close-range volley.

City's man-of-the-match Richard Dunne, who made a timely clearance from Eidur Gudjohnsen in stoppage time, said his side were capable of such results, but not regularly.

"I'm not so much surprised we can do that. It's the lack of consistency that lets us down," he said.

* The Premier League will investigate allegations that Chelsea made an illegal approach to Arsenal left-back Ashley Cole.

Mourinho and chief executive Peter Kenyon were reported by British media to have met Cole in a London hotel 10 days ago. Chelsea have not confirmed the meeting.

Football Association rules state it is illegal for a club to approach a player contracted to another side without its permission.

The practice has been dubbed "tapping up".

British media have said Chelsea could be deducted points if found guilty of breaching the rules.

Aston Villa were only reprimanded after Southampton complained about an approach earlier in the season to striker James Beattie, who has since joined Everton.

The FA Premier League board said yesterday that it was "finally able to establish a clear position from Arsenal FC and are grateful for chairman Peter Hill-Wood's confirmation that his club want the Premier League to investigate the matter and that they will co-operate fully with any inquiry".

"The board is also pleased that Chelsea have given a similar undertaking."

* The ongoing match-fixing scandal in Germany has prompted European soccer's governing body Uefa to draw up plans for legislation to stop all players, management and referees in Europe from betting on games.

Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, president of the German Football Federation, confirmed Uefa was looking at bringing in a law to ensure that the manipulation of matches does not become more widespread.

- REUTERS