17) Chelsea Fc 1 - 0 Newcastle United

Thu, 14th Dec 2006 Didier Drogba started the game as one of the five named substitutes but ended it the Chelsea hero when his second goal divided the sides after a lukewarm home performance. Jose Mourinho sprung a surprise with his starting selection. For one of the two strikers who had begun against Arsenal to be on the bench wouldn't have raised eyebrows- but for both to be did. With Shevchenko and Drogba substitutes, it opened the way for Salomon Kalou. The Ivorian has started in the Premiership before, but not as the central figure in a front three. Wright-Phillips and Robben were either side of him, the latter with the chance to test Paul Huntingdon, a 19-year-old right-back making his first start for Newcastle due to their injury crisis. Makelele was also on the bench so Essien was asked to anchor midfield. The defence remained the same from the Arsenal game, as did the goalkeeper with Cudicini yet to recover from his muscle strain. The first shooting opportunity for Chelsea fell dead centre - to Lampard who lofted his shot from the edge of the area over the bar on five minutes. The same fate befell the ball six minutes later, this time via the boot of Kalou. The young striker had been teed-up by Robben after an alert Essien had won possession. The visitors, playing with Martins as the forward striker, supported by Sibierski had shown little by way of menace up front which made the gasps all the more audible when they hit the bar on 16 minutes. Eyes were on Hilario when he came for a Milner corner but he allowed Sibierski to step in front and glance a header of his shining dome onto the woodwork. Concern grew when the Chelsea keeper dropped another corner from the same side just three minutes later. Carvalho's long ball set Chelsea on the attack again but Wright-Phillips shot across from a difficult position on the right. Midway through the opening half the home team had failed to select anything higher than second gear. Rossi had Hilario diving across his goal with a 25-yard effort that flew three yards wide as Chelsea continued to look for a spark.

Newcastle, already with the longest injury list in the Premiership, a whole team's worth 11 players already out before the game, must have hardly believed their misfortune three minutes from the break when Charles N'Zogbia joined the casualty ward - carried off after jarring his knee when his boot caught in the turf. A black-and-white cat must have fallen foul of the Geordie team coach somewhere this season. Matty Pattison was the replacement. The half, including five minutes stoppage time, ended with the stalemate intact. Mourinho would have to earn his money during the interval. His first move was radical. Drogba on for Wright-Phillips, Makelele on for Carvalho with Essien moving into central defence. Within two minutes Robben found Drogba with a cross but as if caught cold, his downward header bounced wide. As the hour was approached with little else to show for the efforts, a sense of urgency grew in both the crowd and the team. Robben almost caught Given out with a free-kick from the right after Kalou had drawn a free-kick from Babayaro. The fresh green socks of the keeper (in the first-half they had been Chelsea white) blocked the curling low drive. It was hearts-in-mouths when Essien sliced a ball high in his own area and Hilario again failed to claim, but Chelsea escaped. Essien became the game's first booking for a tackle from behind, Makelele would later join him in the book for a stoppage time foul. There were 66 minutes gone and time for the third change. Shevchenko was introduced, Geremi withdrawn. That meant Essien out to right-back in what was nominally a backthree including Cole and Terry plus Makelele mucking in. Shevchenko played centrally and a little deeper than the existing front three. There was a moment's hope on 70 minutes when Kalou raced around Babayaro but he flashed a shot wildly across goal. Soon after Hilario claimed Sibierski's header from a Martins cross. 'Come on Chelsea!' roared a worried Stamford Bridge - their cries instantly answered. Terry, up pitch, passed wide to Robben. His clever ball was scuffed across goal by Shevchenko for Drogba to score from close range at the near post. It was his 15th of the season and one of the most valuable. There were 73 minutes gone.

Terry's downward header from a corner was tipped over by Given as it bounced up high. With three minutes of normal time remaining, Robben found space to cut inside Baba and let go a fierce drive that Given tipped onto the post. Nearly ten months without a goal, the Dutchman's frustration was there for all to see. Happily for his team, the collective frustration had ended with Drogba's winner. Newcastle are now 19 games without a win at the Bridge. Chelsea sides of varying vintage have put up much better performances in that run but the bottom line is three points back on Man United at the top of the table. Chelsea (4-3-3) Hilario; Geremi (Shevchenko 67), Carvalho (Essien h-t), Terry (c), A Cole; Ballack, Essien, Lampard; Wright-Phillips (Drogba h-t), Kalou, Robben. Scorer Drogba 73 Booked Essien 61, Makelele 90+3 Newcastle (4-4-1-1): Given; Huntington, Taylor, Ramage, Babayaro; Milner, Butt, N'Zogbia (Pattison 43), Rossi; Sibierski (Luque 77); Martins. Booked Ramage 73