38) Chelsea Fc - Everton

Sun, 13th May 2007 No final league win for the Blues but Didier Drogba's equaliser ensures the unbeaten home record stretches into next season and he collects the top-flight Golden Boot. That was two of the main goals of the afternoon achieved but a third, to go to Wembley without any new injuries, may have been missed after John Mikel Obi hobbled off in the second-half. With the FA Cup Final a mere six days away, José Mourinho ensured the likes of Frank Lampard and Petr Cech wouldn't go there rusty by restoring them to the starting line-up after a midweek rest. Drogba was also back after a two-game absence with an ankle niggle and he was a man on a mission - to ensure he retained his lead over Cristiano Ronaldo and Benni McCarthy as the tape came into sight in the race between this season's sharpshooters. Michael Essien was given an afternoon off so Khalid Boulahrouz was restored to defence after suspension and on the bench for the first time were two 17-year-olds, defender Sam Hutchinson and midfielder Lee Sawyer. The early stages saw the teams trading long-range shots - Carsley's within the first minute hit straight at Cech and then Mikel's far more dangerous effort after three minutes tipped over by Howard. When Drogba headed on the corner that followed, Terry, sliding on rain-soaked turf was not too far away from connecting at the far-post. Then Vaughan looped a diagonal 30 yarder in that Cech fielded comfortably. On 14 minutes, Wright-Phillips found Drogba in the inside right-channel who flashed an instant rocket a yard or two over. Chelsea had lined up with a midfield diamond although Joe Cole at the forward point was roaming. Osman was doing similar for Everton but in is case behind lone striker Vaughan. For Chelsea, Kalou was playing alongside Drogba in attack and the younger of the two Ivorians did very well to dribble his way between two defenders before forcing Howard into a diving stop before 20 minutes were up. Five minutes later the same Chelsea striker slipped on the wet turf when Drogba found him in a dangerous position. The Blues were playing with a sense of freedom that comes with such a pressure-off fixture. Drogba headed a Ferreira cross on-target but Howard dealt with it and Cole, via a deflection, rolled a shot just wide after Kalou had crossed low.

The half-chances continued to flow, Drogba beating Stubbs to a high ball but then smacking his shot wide from an angle. By this stage of proceedings, McCarthy had scored for Blackburn at home to Reading, placing the South African just one goal behind Drogba in the Golden Boot standings. The Chelsea man took a free-kick 25-yards out as half-time approached but curled it comfortably over before Wayne Bridge was booked for a sliding foul on Arteta, harsh in the context of the game. That was the final action of the opening 45 minutes. So a third consecutive half of football at Stamford Bridge had ended with no ball in the net. After just a minute of the restart, Kalou came within a whisker of remedying that connecting with Ferreira's cross on the overlap at full-stretch but without the control to keep the ball down. But just as the second-half looked set to fall into the same pattern as the first, Everton took a shock lead. Four minutes had passed after the restart when after a mistake by Boulahrouz and the visitors countered through Osman. The Blues defence was stretched in numbers and when Osman's sideways pass found Vaughan at the far-post, the youngster convert calmly past Cech. Suddenly that 62 game home league record looked vulnerable, no more so than when Cech had to be at his best to keep out an overhead shot by the Everton scorer. But you can't keep a good team, or more specifically, a good striker down. Fifty-six minutes had gone when Bridge's searching cross was played back in low by the continuingly influential Wright-Phillips and first-time, from 15 yards out, Drogba stabbed the ball past Howard. The 20 league goal mark had at last been reached - and the two-goal advantage of McCarthy restored. His place as the first Chelsea striker to finish top of the pile since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was ensured. Not that Everton boss David Moyes was concerned with statistics - he instead was standing a good 10 yards over the touchline, incensed at what he believed had been a foul by Ferreira in the build-up. Referee Halsey did not appreciate the pitch invasion, and sent the manager from the bench, although Moyes took a position immediately behind his assistants and subs.

Joe Cole was booked for a late challenge deep in the Everton half and taking no chances of a second caution, Mourinho immediately swapped the player for Ben Sahar. Precautions can only be taken so far however, especially in this injury-ravaged season, and the next substitution, the introduction of Nuno Morais, was as enforced as it was unwanted. Mikel suddenly clutched the back of his thigh and laid down before he was helped off in distress - the result of pain or of knowing that his Cup Final was in big doubt? Sahar fired powerfully at goal but straight at Howard on 75 minutes and we had to wait for the final five minutes for a late flourish of action. Firstly Everton had the ball the net when McFadden turned it inside the post after Cech had blocked Carsley's stinging effort with a quality stop. The Everton fans' celebrations at that end of the ground were short-lived. The offside flag was up against one of McFadden's colleagues. Hutchinson was given a debut with two minutes of normal time remaining - on for Bridge before the final chance of the 2006/7 league season came, appropriately, Drogba's way. Sahar crossed from the right but despite his prodigious spring, the 32-goal man couldn't quite apply his head for a late winner. The traditional lap of appreciation to the fans after the final whistle became equally a send-off down Wembley Way for the players and staff. Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech; Ferreira, Boulahrouz, Terry (c), Bridge (Hutchinson 88); Mikel (Morais 74); Wright-Phillips, Lampard; J Cole (Sahar 69); Drogba, Kalou. Scorer Drogba 56 Booked Bridge, Cole. Everton (4-5-1): Howard; Hibbert, Yobo, Stubbs, Lescott; Arteta, Carsley, Neville (c), Fernandes (McFadden 76); Osman; Vaughan (Beattie 72). Scorer Vaughan 49 Booked Carsley