Salomon Kalou equalized in the 80th minute to salvage a 1-1 draw for Chelsea against Manchester United yesterday after the Red Devils threatened to end the Blues' 84-game unbeaten streak at home in the English Premier League.
Park Ji-sung gave United an 18th-minute lead in a fiery game at Stamford Bridge in London, but Kalou headed home a free kick for Chelsea's equalizer.
The Blues moved up to second in the standings, ahead of Liverpool on goal difference but a point behind Arsenal, which won 3-1 at Bolton on Saturday. United has only five points from four games and remains in the last seven in the standings.
Chelsea lost Deco in the warmup and Ricardo Carvalho after only 12 minutes while United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar limped off with a leg injury midway through the first half after racing off his line to block a shot from Florent Malouda.
In a lively and entertaining opening spell, both teams missed chances before United took the lead.
Joe Cole shot wide with only Van der Sar to beat and then Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech deflected a shot from Rio Ferdinand over the bar.
United went ahead with a well-worked move in the 18th, after Wayne Rooney sent Patrice Evra down the left flank. The defender sent a cross to Dimitar Berbatov, whose low shot was blocked by Cech into the path of Park, who slotted it into an empty net.
Like the game between the teams near the end of last season, the match had plenty of spicy tackles and confrontations and referee Mike Riley lectured several players for repeated fouls.
Chelsea sent on Didier Drogba for the second half to partner Nicolas Anelka and add some extra height to the attack, and United countered by taking off Paul Scholes in the 54th and bringing on Cristiano Ronaldo.
Anelka missed an easy close-range chance from Joe Cole's cross with 20 minutes to go and Rooney squandered a great opportunity to score a second in the 77th when he shot wide from Ronaldo's pass.
Rooney was partly to blame for Chelsea's equalizer in the 80th when he needlessly fouled Ashley Cole deep in his own half and Kalou was unchallenged when he met John Mikel Obi's free kick to head home from close range.
In a stormy end to the game, Ferdinand clattered into Drogba on the edge of the area and Chelsea fans screamed for a red card. But Riley, who had already cautioned seven United players and one from Chelsea, had whistled for the finish.
Earlier in the day, John Carew and Gabriel Agbonlahor gave Aston Villa two goals in as many minutes for a 2-1 win over local rival West Bromwich Albion.
James Morrison pulled one back for the host but it wasn't enough to prevent promoted West Brom from suffering its third loss in five rounds to sit 16th in the 20-team standings. The win gives Villa 10 points and leapfrogs it past West Ham into fourth place.
On Saturday, Arsenal turned on the style to beat Bolton Wanderers 3-1 while Liverpool was held to a goalless Anfield draw by Stoke City.
West Ham United has nine points after beating Newcastle United 3-1 in Gianfranco Zola's first game in charge.
In other games, Michael Chopra came off the bench to score twice as Sunderland beat Middlesbrough 2-0 and Blackburn Rovers beat Fulham 1-0 thanks to a late goal by Matt Derbyshire.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 22, 2008)