Gomes saves penalty to deny Chelsea

English champions run of bad form goes on as Didier Drogba sees injury time penalty saved in 1-1 draw at Tottenham.

Drogba
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Gomes parries Drogba’s penalty as Chelsea miss the chance to get their title defence back on track [GALLO/GETTY]

Chelsea’s poor run continued as Didier Drogba missed a stoppage-time penalty to draw 1-1 at London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, squandering the chance to go top of the English Premier League.

The champions have now won just one of their last seven league games, taking six points from a possible 21. They play Manchester United and then Arsenal in their next fixtures.

Roman Pavlyuchenko put Spurs ahead after 15 minutes but Drogba, dropped to the bench after a series of flat displays, levelled with a shot that Heurelho Gomes should have saved.

Chelsea had plenty of possession and Drogba had the chance to seal victory when Ramires was felled by Gomes.

But the Brazilian keeper saved the striker’s weak spot kick.

Remarkably, with 31 points, Chelsea are still only one behind Arsenal and Manchester City and level with United, who host Arsenal on Monday in one of two games in hand they have on Chelsea.

Spurs are fifth on 27.

Results & fixtures

Saturday December 11

undefined Aston Villa 2-1 West Brom
undefined Everton 0-0 Wigan
undefined Fulham 0-0 Sunderland
undefined Stoke City 0-1 Blackpool
undefined West Ham 1-3 Man City
undefined Newcastle 3-1 Liverpool

Sunday December 12

undefined Bolton 2-1 Blackburn
undefined Wolves 1-0 Birmingham
undefined Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea

Monday December 13

undefined Man Utd v Arsenal

Ten-man Bolton made ground on the North Londoners earlier on Sunday as Stuart Holden snatched a dramatic late winner in a 2-1 win over Lancashire rivals Blackburn.

American import Holden struck in the 88th minute just seconds after Mame Biram Diouf seemed to have earned Blackburn a point.

Sent off

Diouf cancelled out a 63rd-minute opener from Fabrice Muamba for Bolton who had Mark Davies sent off after 54 minutes for a second bookable offence.
 
“We went down to 10 men and obviously Blackburn came forward a bit more,” said Bolton boss Owen Coyle.

“That actually helped us because it allowed us space, with the way  Blackburn set up – and I totally understand why – to stop us playing and paying us a big compliment.

“I know I’ve got spirit in that dressing room and it was so evident again there, to take the blow of the equaliser and then come back and score such a wonderful goal.”

Disappointed Rovers manager Sam Allardyce said his side had defended “like a bunch of old women”. Bolton move one point behind Spurs in sixth.

In Sunday’s other match Wolverhampton Wanderers clinched a crucial 1-0 win over Birmingham City with their first clean sheet since April.

Stephen Hunt’s near-post finish on the stroke of half time was the only  effort to beat England international goalkeeper Ben Foster who put in another sublime performance to keep the hosts at bay at Molineux.

Wolves stay second from bottom despite the win.

Source: News Agencies