Chelsea ensured they ended the weekend at the summit of the Premier League following John Terry's last gasp goal in a 1-0 win over Everton. The visitors held out until deep into stoppage time, but came unstuck late on as they defence failed to deal with Frank Lampard's free-kick, allowing Terry to bundle over the line to secure a crucial 3 points for his side.
The defeat was perhaps harsh on Everton, with Chelsea boss José Mourinho admitting after the game that he believed a draw would have been a fair result. The travelling side battled hard over the 90 minutes, with the midfield pairing of James McCarthy and Gareth Barry doing so most notably.
Barry in particular consistently stifled the impact of the attack-minded Chelsea stars, making a match-high 6 tackles to limit their offensive opportunities. McCarthy alongside him utilised his energy to great effect and was regularly on hand to suppress the hosts' counter-attacks, a WhoScored strength of theirs.
As a result, Chelsea were restricted to 8 shots on target, with many of those pot shots from distance that scarcely troubled Howard. Even when the Blues attack broke through, they were unable to find that killer pass to split the Everton defence, with Jagielka in particular imperative to this, the England defender making a total of 6 interceptions, a figure bettered by no player in the encounter.
However, a lack of penetration in the Everton attack again proved costly. With Romelu Lukaku ineligible to play against his parent club and Lacina Traore injured in the warm up, Steven Naismith again led the line for the visitors, though the Scot had netted in 2 of his previous 3 league appearances against Chelsea before the lunchtime kick-off.
For the second time this month, Everton made the trip to London but left the capital empty handed, despite dominating for much of the encounter. This inability to bury the chances presented to them has severely dented their push for a top 4 finish, and a lack of clear-cut opportunities being forged means Roberto Martinez's side have fired away just 5 shots on target in their last 2 away games.
With Everton limited to 2 shots on target in Saturday's meeting, it was little surprise to see Chelsea secure their 4th clean sheet in their last 5 league games, but it was the character of the home side that really shone through. Despite the resilience of the visitors, Chelsea's never-say-die attitude ensured they picked up valuable points in the title race.
It's not the first time the Blues have been made to work up until the full-time whistle to secure a positive result and this mentality means Mourinho is unbeaten in 74 Premier League games at Stamford Bridge, winning 58. This determination, exemplified in the performances of battling trio Gary Cahill (8.5), Lampard (8.4) and John Terry (8.3) amongst others, will be a crucial asset in their quest to secure domestic glory and ahead of a testing Champions League tie with Galatasaray, the win was the perfect warm up to what is expected to be a heated meeting in Turkey.
While they were outplayed in periods over the 90 minutes, it's imperative Chelsea continue to secure points even if they are made to do so late on, as they aim to hold onto 1st place right up until May. As for Everton, the sooner Lukaku is reintegrated back into the squad, the better. The team has showcased their credentials to the watching world on numerous occasions this term, but the lack of finishing touch has again seen them lose ground in the hunt for a European finish.
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