Chelsea draw with City
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-02-07 09:22

Manchester City has proved a real thorn in championship-chasing Chelsea's side after 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 on Sunday as mid-table City added the draw to their 1-0 home win in October, Chelsea's only league defeat this season.

Damien Duff of Chelsea reacts to a missed opportunity against Manchester City during their Premiership match at Stamford Bridge in west London. The match ended 0-0. [AFP]

The result most benefited City's neighbours Manchester United but they still trail leaders Chelsea by nine points with 12 games to go and 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, they defended a lot, they had a great goalkeepeer, they were lucky and they got a point."

Chelsea did, however, set a new 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 weekend 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 Saturday, while third-placed champions Arsenal remained two points further back after romping to a 3-1 win at Aston Villa.

Earlier on Sunday, 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.

JAMES SHOW

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 keeper saved the best until last and rounded off a memorable afternoon with a brilliant diving save from Lampard's close-range volley.

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

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

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