Birmingham City 1-0 Chelsea: Leaders Suffer Third Defeat In Four League Games Thanks To Bowyer And Foster Heroics
Champions blow another chance to extend gap at the top
Chelsea were left frustrated once more as a goalkeeping masterclass prevented them grabbing a point at Birmingham in a game that the Premier League leaders comprehensively controlled.
The winning goal came from Lee Bowyer, who was cleared through by Cameron Jerome, but the team from the capital totally dominated proceedings, only to go down to a third defeat in four games after Ben Foster made a string of superb saves.
Both sides were hampered with injuries heading into the game, with Alex McLeish unable to call upon top scorer Craig Gardner, who was replaced by veteran midfielder Bowyer, while Carlo Ancelotti was without captain John Terry, forcing a reshuffle at the back that saw Jose Bosingwa dropped to the bench with Paolo Ferreira shifting from the center to right-back.
And the champions were able to call upon talismanic Didier Drogba to lead the line, with the Ivorian a significant injury doubt heading into the game after being forced to sit out his nation's friendly in Poland in midweek, while defender Alex made a surprise recovery.
And it was the visitors, through the influential Drogba, who made the brighter opening, with the striker first teeing up Nicolas Anelka, who was denied by a clever Scott Dann header, before chesting a ball in the direction of Salomon Kalou, who was denied at the near post by the quick thinking Ben Foster.
Florent Malouda, the Premier League's joint top scorer heading into the game, then found Ramires storming in unmarked at the far post, but the Brazilian could only meekly nod wide.
Drogba should have done much better with an even better chance moments later as Branislav Ivanovic instigated a slick move from the back involving Malouda and Kalou, who threaded a pass in between Stephen Carr and Roger Johnson and into the path of his international team-mate, only to once more find England 'keeper Foster alert as he closed down the angle and pounded away the shot.
It was all the away side in the opening 15 minutes, with the champions taking little time to settle into things as Birmingham failed to build any momentum, and a broken home attack gave Drogba another opportunity, this time as Anelka was allowed the time to stand up a cross only for his team-mate to head over under pressure from Dann.
But Birmingham were the team to take the lead against the run of play as ex-Arsenal prospect Sebastian Larsson swung in a cross to Cameron Jerome, with the burly forward nodding the ball into the path of Bowyer - who had been allowed free reign by John Obi Mikel - to serenely slot beyond Petr Cech.
It was turning into an afternoon to remember for Foster as he was on hand to pull off an incredible reflex save to deny Drogba once more as the powerful striker leapt over Liam Ridgewell and slammed down a header that was destined for the net, only to see the England international make a Gordon Banks-esque block by stooping low and flicking the ball away from goal.
And the former Stoke City and Manchester United prospect was at it again just moments later to deny Ashley Cole as the left-back arrowed in from an acute angle.
But Chelsea should have been level as Alex rose unmarked to meet a Malouda corner only to head it wildly wide before Drogba was yet again denied by Foster, this time as the Ivorian's whipped free-kick was pipped round the post.
The former Marseille man was then denied by the crossbar with another header while Ramires slammed the rebound wide as the capital side continued to push men forward in wave after wave of attacks.
Foster, who had been having a first half to remember, was then sold short by a sloppy backpass and did just enough to deny Anelka from pinching an easy equalizer minutes before referee Mark Halsey brought a halt to the onslaught by calling for half-time.
Neither manager saw fit to make a change at the break, and rightly so as the home side had held on staunchly in the first while Chelsea looked like creating with every forward foray.
And the second period continued the pattern of attack versus defense as the champions continued to pile men forward, with Mikel getting involved in the action with an early jinking dribble down the left that drew a foul.
But the Nigerian midfielder was then fortunate not to go into the book for what looked like a forearm smash to the head of goalscorer Bowyer, an offense that Halsey deemed not even worthy of a foul.
Chelsea were then screaming for a decision to go in their favor as Ramires was downed in the box after racing onto a through ball, but Halsey again refused to blow, and correctly as Roger Johnson made a terrific recovery tackle that nipped ball before player.
That frustration urged Ancelotti into making a change, with Bosingwa coming on for the ineffective Ferreira.
And the visitors continued to fling men forward with Drogba again being denied by Foster from a free-kick before Kalou's diving header from an Anelka cross flew wide of the far post.
With just under 20 minutes remaining, McLeish made his first change of the game with Zigic, who had dropped deep to mark Mikel, coming off for Alex Hleb, as Ancelotti threw on Daniel Sturridge for Ramires.
But Foster continued to steal the show with a fine tackle and brave fist on the ground as Kalou broke clear before pawing away a powerful Ivanovic header.
His opposite number spent most of the second half playing as a spare centerback with Chelsea simply dominating possession, and it was after a lengthy spell of control and a jinking Malouda run that Alex was set-up for a chance on the edge of the six-yard area, only for the Brazilian to spoon his effort well clear of the bar.
And the visitors failed to pry open a team that went into the game in the bottom three of the table in the final minutes, leaving Birmingham with a victory to remember and Ancelotti with a fortnight to forget.
The winning goal came from Lee Bowyer, who was cleared through by Cameron Jerome, but the team from the capital totally dominated proceedings, only to go down to a third defeat in four games after Ben Foster made a string of superb saves.
Both sides were hampered with injuries heading into the game, with Alex McLeish unable to call upon top scorer Craig Gardner, who was replaced by veteran midfielder Bowyer, while Carlo Ancelotti was without captain John Terry, forcing a reshuffle at the back that saw Jose Bosingwa dropped to the bench with Paolo Ferreira shifting from the center to right-back.
And the champions were able to call upon talismanic Didier Drogba to lead the line, with the Ivorian a significant injury doubt heading into the game after being forced to sit out his nation's friendly in Poland in midweek, while defender Alex made a surprise recovery.
And it was the visitors, through the influential Drogba, who made the brighter opening, with the striker first teeing up Nicolas Anelka, who was denied by a clever Scott Dann header, before chesting a ball in the direction of Salomon Kalou, who was denied at the near post by the quick thinking Ben Foster.
Florent Malouda, the Premier League's joint top scorer heading into the game, then found Ramires storming in unmarked at the far post, but the Brazilian could only meekly nod wide.
Drogba should have done much better with an even better chance moments later as Branislav Ivanovic instigated a slick move from the back involving Malouda and Kalou, who threaded a pass in between Stephen Carr and Roger Johnson and into the path of his international team-mate, only to once more find England 'keeper Foster alert as he closed down the angle and pounded away the shot.
It was all the away side in the opening 15 minutes, with the champions taking little time to settle into things as Birmingham failed to build any momentum, and a broken home attack gave Drogba another opportunity, this time as Anelka was allowed the time to stand up a cross only for his team-mate to head over under pressure from Dann.
But Birmingham were the team to take the lead against the run of play as ex-Arsenal prospect Sebastian Larsson swung in a cross to Cameron Jerome, with the burly forward nodding the ball into the path of Bowyer - who had been allowed free reign by John Obi Mikel - to serenely slot beyond Petr Cech.
It was turning into an afternoon to remember for Foster as he was on hand to pull off an incredible reflex save to deny Drogba once more as the powerful striker leapt over Liam Ridgewell and slammed down a header that was destined for the net, only to see the England international make a Gordon Banks-esque block by stooping low and flicking the ball away from goal.
And the former Stoke City and Manchester United prospect was at it again just moments later to deny Ashley Cole as the left-back arrowed in from an acute angle.
But Chelsea should have been level as Alex rose unmarked to meet a Malouda corner only to head it wildly wide before Drogba was yet again denied by Foster, this time as the Ivorian's whipped free-kick was pipped round the post.
The former Marseille man was then denied by the crossbar with another header while Ramires slammed the rebound wide as the capital side continued to push men forward in wave after wave of attacks.
Foster, who had been having a first half to remember, was then sold short by a sloppy backpass and did just enough to deny Anelka from pinching an easy equalizer minutes before referee Mark Halsey brought a halt to the onslaught by calling for half-time.
Neither manager saw fit to make a change at the break, and rightly so as the home side had held on staunchly in the first while Chelsea looked like creating with every forward foray.
And the second period continued the pattern of attack versus defense as the champions continued to pile men forward, with Mikel getting involved in the action with an early jinking dribble down the left that drew a foul.
But the Nigerian midfielder was then fortunate not to go into the book for what looked like a forearm smash to the head of goalscorer Bowyer, an offense that Halsey deemed not even worthy of a foul.
Chelsea were then screaming for a decision to go in their favor as Ramires was downed in the box after racing onto a through ball, but Halsey again refused to blow, and correctly as Roger Johnson made a terrific recovery tackle that nipped ball before player.
That frustration urged Ancelotti into making a change, with Bosingwa coming on for the ineffective Ferreira.
And the visitors continued to fling men forward with Drogba again being denied by Foster from a free-kick before Kalou's diving header from an Anelka cross flew wide of the far post.
With just under 20 minutes remaining, McLeish made his first change of the game with Zigic, who had dropped deep to mark Mikel, coming off for Alex Hleb, as Ancelotti threw on Daniel Sturridge for Ramires.
But Foster continued to steal the show with a fine tackle and brave fist on the ground as Kalou broke clear before pawing away a powerful Ivanovic header.
His opposite number spent most of the second half playing as a spare centerback with Chelsea simply dominating possession, and it was after a lengthy spell of control and a jinking Malouda run that Alex was set-up for a chance on the edge of the six-yard area, only for the Brazilian to spoon his effort well clear of the bar.
And the visitors failed to pry open a team that went into the game in the bottom three of the table in the final minutes, leaving Birmingham with a victory to remember and Ancelotti with a fortnight to forget.
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