The first league draw on the road this season keeps the Blues off the top but playing most of the game without John Terry, a hard fight was needed to take a single point back to London.

The captain became the latest in a long line of red cards that have littered games between these two teams. Terry's dismissal was the 12th in Chelsea-Everton encounters in the last 12 years and the 18th between the sides since October 1985.

As far as goal action went, neither side looked genuinely dangerous although a man of the match showing by Petr Cech made sure Everton were kept at bay. The home side also had a 'goal' rightly ruled out close to the end.

Chelsea, unchanged from the West Ham game, could have taken the lead before two minutes were up, Ashley Cole striking a volley as sweetly as anything he has hit all season after the ball found its way across the area. Howard needed a one-handed reaction save to keep it out.

On four minutes, an Arteta free-kick for Everton was curved into Chelsea's area but it was comfortable enough for Cech. A Neville 30-yarder soon after contained more power but the keeper again saved easily.

Two far post headers from Everton then caused mild concern as the home side took the initiative, the second from an Osman cross was met by Fellaini but without the power to beat Cech.

With neither Louis Saha or Victor Anichebe recovering from injury in time to make this game, Fellaini was again playing as a support to stand-in striker Tim Cahill, and despite their poor home form, it was not a bad start by Everton.

On 17 minutes Chelsea hit the woodwork via a deflection off an offside-positioned Anelka, the ball having been headed down by Alex from a Joe Cole cross. Had it gone in, it would have been disallowed.

Two minutes later, Anelka was again penalised, this time for handball as he controlled the ball into the path of Lampard for a shot that was deflected over.

Chelsea were beginning to look good. A rapid first touch passing manoeuvre led to a ball turned behind as Ballack was shaping to score from a Deco cross to the near post.

However that was as good as it got for Chelsea in the first half.

On 34 minutes with a largely uneventful passage of play looking like it was going to slumber on to the break. Suddenly a 50-50 ball was contested midway inside the Everton half by Terry and Osman, the Chelsea skipper catching the winger on the ankle with a boot off the ground.

It was not especially high but there was little surprise when referee Phil Dowd, after waving away all but Terry, produced a red card. Chelsea would be without our inspiration at the back for the majority of this game plus the matches against West Brom, Fulham and Southend to come.

For the remainder of the half and bearing in mind Everton's makeshift attack, Mikel went back into central defence.

With three minutes to go to the break, Lampard was shown a yellow card for dissent after a foul was given against Alex five yards outside the Chelsea area. Before the kick was taken, Ashley Cole was cautioned as the ref took exception to the positioning of the Chelsea wall.

When the free-kick was played foward, Cech saved from Yobo after the initial effort was blocked. It had been a messy lead-up to the interval.

At the break, Drogba's one-man attack abilities were swapped with Anelka and Ivanovic came on for Joe Cole. Mikel returned to a narrow four-man midfield that started the half promisingly, Everton forced into a succession of errors, much to the home support's frustration.

But on 51 minutes, Fellaini rose menacingly to meet a cross from deep but thankfully headed straight at Cech.

Everton were forced into a change on the hour with Yobo limping off to be replaced by Baines with Lescott moving into central defence.

As the second half approached its midway point, Chelsea began to lose the territorial contest without Everton managing to trouble the outstanding Cech, although Alex was well-positioned to block one on-target header.

On 67 minutes there was relief when Drogba won a free-kick deep in the home side's half but the only result was another Chelsea yellow card, this time to Ballack for asking the ref to pace out the wall which, unfortunately, was bang on the 10 yards.

With 15 minutes remaining, Chelsea broke following a quick-witted Bosingwa interception but Lampard passed on other options and smashed a 30-yard shot over.

At the other end within a minute, Cech was again supreme in first tipping over a deflected Hibbert cross and then pushing a Lescott header round the post.

On 79 minutes however, our keeper was left on his backside and helpless as Fellaini stuck out a leg at a low driven cross and deflected it just inches wide of the far post.

That was Chelsea good fortune, soon to be followed by an excellent decision by the match officials to disallow a goal when Everton had the ball in the net.

Cech had already taken most of the pace off a close-range Osman shot but as he grabbed it on the line, Ballack and Pienaar slid in to send it out of his grasp and over, but the Everton man had been offside when Osman shot. Cech was hurt, but after treatment was able to play on.

When the furore died down, most inside the Goodison Park began to accept that the final Barclays Premier League game before Christmas would finish without a goal.

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry (c), A Cole; Mikel; J Cole (Ivanovic h-t), Ballack, Lampard, Deco (Bridge 87); Anelka (Drogba h-t).
Sent-off Terry 34
Booked Lampard 42, A Cole 42, Ballack 67.

Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Hibbert, Yobo (Baines 60), Jagielka, Lescott; Osman, Neville (c), Arteta, Pienaar; Fellaini, Cahill.