toptop

Chelsea failed to capitialise on Manchester United's slip up at Newcastle United after being held to a goalless draw at Aston Villa.

Chances were few and far between at Villa Park with defences on top, as Chelsea failed to score for the first time in the Premiership this season.

The draw was Chelsea's third successive stalemate in the Premiership, as they closed the gap on United to six points.

Chelsea began the game on the front foot and Didier Drogba missed a glorious chance to give them the lead after just eight minutes.

Michael Essien surged down the right and Drogba evaded his marker Gary Cahill to meet his cross right in front of goal, but Chelsea's top scorer volleyed his effort into the ground and over the crossbar.

Frank Lampard had the next opening for Chelsea on 12 minutes with a shot from the edge of the area which deflected just wide of the target.

Olof Mellberg made a vital interception on 21 minutes to deny Salomon Kalou getting on the end of Drogba's inviting cross.

Villa suffered a blow on 27 minutes, with Craig Gardner being forced off with a groin injury and Isaiah Osbourne replaced him for Martin O'Neill's side.

Kalou was gifted a sight of goal a minute later when Liam Ridgewell's poor clearance fell straight to him on the edge of the box, but the forward's curling shot flew well off target.

Chelsea went close to scoring on 32 minutes when Drogba picked out Ashley Cole at the far post, but the England international could only head straight at Villa goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.

Jose Mourinho's injury problems deepened soon after when Khalid Boulahrouz limped off with a knee injury, with Geremi coming on to replace him.

Drogba fashioned a chance for himself on 34 minutes when he brilliantly took down a clearance from Henrique Hilario and burst past a couple of Villa challenges, but only to drag his shot wide Kiraly's goal.

Chelsea continued to call the tune up to half time and Drogba and Lampard both saw shots fly wide of the target

The visitors under-strength defence were relatively untroubled in the first half, as Villa failed to mount any serious goalscoring opportunities.

Villa showed more attacking ambition at the start of the second half, but they were still struggling to make any inroads in the Chelsea defence.

Juan Pablo Angel almost got through on goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor's cross, but Hilario was quickly off his line to catch the ball from the Villa striker's feet.

Essien found space for a shot from the edge of the box on 55 minutes, but his long-range shot flashed over the crossbar.

Two minutes later, Kiraly survived a scare when he dropped Lampard's corner inside the six-yard box, but the Villa defence managed to scramble the ball away to safety.

Jose Mourinho turned to Andrei Shevchenko on 66 minutes as he went in search of a goal, with the Ukrainian replacing the disappointing Shaun Wright-Phillips.

A minute later, Lampard tried his luck from wide on the left, but his shot flew well wide of Kiraly's goal.

Villa came agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock on 13 minutes from time when Ridgewell rose highest to meet Wilfred Bouma's corner and was unlucky to see it flash just wide of the far post.

Chelsea really should have grabbed the winner in the final minute when Lampard collected Drogba's flick-on six yards from goal, but the midfielder somehow knocked his shot over the crossbar.

Drogba had the last chance of the game when he rose highest to meet Cole's cross, but under pressure from Bouma, the Ivory Coast captain could only head the ball over the top.

Teams

Aston Villa  Kiraly, Bouma, Cahill, Mellberg, Ridgewell, Davis (Baros 75), Gardner Osbourne 27), McCann, Petrov, Agbonlahor, Angel
Subs Not Used Olejnik, Hughes, Samuel
Booked  McCann
Goals 

Chelsea  Hilario, Boulahrouz (Geremi 33), Carvalho, A. Cole, Ferreira, Essien, Lampard, Makelele, Wright-Phillips (Shevchenko 66), Drogba, Kalou (Mikel 75)
Subs Not Used  Hedman, Bridge
Booked  Drogba, Cole, Carvalho
Goals  

Attendance  41,006

Referee   P. Dowd