Summary

The winning streak that started 2012 is over after a well-contested but ultimately disappointing trip to Carrow Road.

Despite creating the better opportunities over the 90 minutes, the Blues could not beat a dogged and organised Norwich side that earned its first clean sheet of the season.

Both sides had first-half opportunities, Norwich offering more of a threat early on with their direct play troubling Chelsea and bringing Petr Cech into the action to save from Anthony Pilkington and Bradley Johnson while Fernando Torres and Juan Mata were keeping Norwich's John Ruddy busy.

In the second period Chelsea dominated for spells and had chances to win it, the best falling to Torres inside the box, but the striker missed the target when he should have found the corner. A late smattering of half-chances caused plenty of trouble inside the Canaries box, but the killer goal could not be found.

To deepen the frustration on a cold Norfolk afternoon, Frank Lampard limped off in the first half with a calf problem, making him a doubt for next weekend's FA Cup game at QPR.

Team news

New signing Gary Cahill was not a part of Chelsea's 18-man squad, and so David Luiz and Jose Bosingwa formed the right side of the defence, the only change from last weekend's starting 11 at Sunderland being Daniel Sturridge's return in place of Oriol Romeu, with Ramires dropping back from the right wing into central midfield.

Raul Meireles would play the holding role in midfield with Lampard, scorer of the winner in each of our last three games, completing the trio. Torres was the central striker.

Other good news was the return from injury of Branislav Ivanovic to the subs' bench, alongside Michael Essien who completed his first minutes of the season last weekend.

Norwich recalled captain Grant Holt in place of Simeon Jackson, the striker joining Steve Morison up front with David Fox replacing Wes Hoolahan to give steel to the midfield.

First half

Chelsea enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening exchanges but it was the hosts who forced the first chance, a swift counter seeing Pilkington's pullback beaten away by Cech, with Morison following up but finding himself crowded out by Ramires before he could pull the trigger.

It had been Meireles who had surrendered the ball for that attack, and the same player erred once more five minutes later to allow Morison and Holt to combine with effect, the latter striking wide after beating David Luiz.

Hesitation in the central areas was going to prove costly, with the Canaries prepared to go direct when they won possession if it meant carving out opportunities for their bulky front two. They could play too though, with Pilkington in particular enjoying a little success coming in off the right flank into space, Ashley Cole unsure whether to follow him.

Pilkington almost opened the scoring after 16 minutes, his curler on target before John Terry's headed interception.

Morison fired into the side netting after another get it deep and launch it long break, while at the other end Chelsea's build-up remained more patient and technical. Mata and Torres in particular looked dangerous, and the latter forced another corner when nimble footwork and a goalbound poke produced a fingertip save from home goalkeeper John Ruddy.

A calf injury robbed Chelsea of Lampard 10 minutes before half-time, but before he could be replaced by Florent Malouda Norwich came close to taking the lead, Johnson's deflected shot looking to have left Cech stranded, only for the keeper to readjust his balance and fall on the ball at the last moment.

The Czech had to punch away a looping Holt cross two minutes later, before Chelsea forged their best chance of the half. Malouda dragged the ball inside his man before slipping in Mata, whose shot was slowed slightly by a Norwich defender allowing Ruddy the necessary time to save.

Meireles tested Ruddy again from long range and then in injury time Mata and Malouda linked again in much the same way but this time the Spaniard lifted his right-footed shot over the bar. He will feel he should have opened the scoring.

Second half

The second half seemed to follow the pattern of the first, both sides having a real go at each other in an old-fashioned tussle, but neither finding the required quality to break through.

As time pressed on, Chelsea began to gain the upper hand. Torres lashed over from the edge of the box and then toed wide when he tried to pick out the bottom corner from eight yards, Bosingwa having supplied the opportunity with a fierce low cross.

Ruddy saved from Mata on the hour as the diminutive winger started to become more involved, coming inside off his left wing to become Chelsea's primary playmaker. From his corner, Malouda volleyed into the goalkeeper's hands. The Blues were starting to dominate the chances, but Norwich were still on the hunt, relying ever more heavily on the aerial route.

Meireles flashed over and Ramires fired hard at Ruddy but into the final 20 minutes there was still no Chelsea goal to show for the added pressure.

Both teams made two changes, Lukaku and Essien for Torres and Meireles for Chelsea, and the young Belgian almost made an immediate impact after bursting into the area from halfway, only for his pullback to find a yellow rather than blue shirt.

For the third time in the afternoon Malouda teed up Mata, only for a combination of Ruddy and the post to prevent a goal.

By now, into the final 10, Norwich seemed content to sit deeper and earn a point, allowing Chelsea chances.

Malouda was twice denied, the first by a deflection, the second a block as Norwich were tested to their limits, but they would pass the test and surely further dent our fading title hopes.

Norwich City (4-4-2): Ruddy; R Martin, Ayala, Whitbread, Naughton; Pilkington, Fox (Crofts 78), Johnson, Surman (Bennett 89); Morison (Jackson 78), Holt (c).
Unused subs Steer, Drury, Hoolahan, Wilbraham.
Booked None

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, D Luiz, Terry (c), Cole; Ramires, Meireles (Essien 79), Lampard (Malouda 36); Sturridge, Torres (Lukaku 76), Mata.
Unused subs Turnbull, Ivanovic, Bertrand, Romeu.
Booked None

Referee Mark Clattenburg
Attendance 26,792