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<DIV class=Content><DIV class=title><H2>Tuesday 26 Dec 2006</H2></DIV><DIV class=plain></DIV><DIV class=plain>Chelsea failed to regain top spot in the Premiership after being held to a 2-2 draw by Reading at Stamford Bridge.</DIV></DIV><P nd="3" position="5">Despite a brace of goals by Didier Drogba, Chelsea were pegged back, first by Leroy Lita and finally and cruelly by an own goal from Michael Essien.<DIV class=storyimageright>
<BR clear=all>DIDIER DROGBA </DIV><P nd="4">Already without regular goalkeepers Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini, Chelsea were also without John Terry, Joe Cole and Arjen Robben.<P nd="5">However despite this, Chelsea started brightly and within four minutes Frank Lampard just missed with a fine left-foot shot from just outside the six-yard box.<P nd="6">On nine minutes Glen Little showed why he was such a threat down the left by pulling Paulo Ferreira out of position on this occasion.<P nd="7">Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann was quick off his line to smother a right footer by Drogba on 14 minutes and seconds later Salomon Kalou blasted the ball high over the Reading goal.<P nd="8">Reading had two corners in the first 15 minutes and both times Chelsea dealt with them confidently.<P nd="9">On 23 minutes Essien attempted to reproduce his wonder goal against Arsenal but this time his 30-yard drive was embarrassingly wide.<P nd="10">Hahnemann pulled off another excellent save by pushing clear a goal-bound header from Drogba on 29 minutes and seconds later he was happy to see an Essien long-range flyer drift wide.<P nd="11">Drogba was desperately unlucky not to score on 36 minutes when his deft right-foot shot was deflected past the post.<P nd="12">From the resulting corner though he rose to nod the ball home from just inside the six-yard box ahead of the otherwise impressive Hahnemann.<DIV class=storyimageleft>
<BR clear=all>MOURINHO AND COPPELL </DIV><P nd="13">An early second-half strike from Andriy Shevchenko went high and wide from the unimpressive Ukraine international Reading's best chance of the game came on 55 minutes when Ricardo Carvalho almost toe-poked the ball into his own net, but had the Portuguese international not got a touch it would have let in
<BR clear=all>DIDIER DROGBA </DIV><P nd="4">Already without regular goalkeepers Peter Cech and Carlo Cudicini, Chelsea were also without John Terry, Joe Cole and Arjen Robben.<P nd="5">However despite this, Chelsea started brightly and within four minutes Frank Lampard just missed with a fine left-foot shot from just outside the six-yard box.<P nd="6">On nine minutes Glen Little showed why he was such a threat down the left by pulling Paulo Ferreira out of position on this occasion.<P nd="7">Reading keeper Marcus Hahnemann was quick off his line to smother a right footer by Drogba on 14 minutes and seconds later Salomon Kalou blasted the ball high over the Reading goal.<P nd="8">Reading had two corners in the first 15 minutes and both times Chelsea dealt with them confidently.<P nd="9">On 23 minutes Essien attempted to reproduce his wonder goal against Arsenal but this time his 30-yard drive was embarrassingly wide.<P nd="10">Hahnemann pulled off another excellent save by pushing clear a goal-bound header from Drogba on 29 minutes and seconds later he was happy to see an Essien long-range flyer drift wide.<P nd="11">Drogba was desperately unlucky not to score on 36 minutes when his deft right-foot shot was deflected past the post.<P nd="12">From the resulting corner though he rose to nod the ball home from just inside the six-yard box ahead of the otherwise impressive Hahnemann.<DIV class=storyimageleft><BR clear=all>MOURINHO AND COPPELL </DIV><P nd="13">An early second-half strike from Andriy Shevchenko went high and wide from the unimpressive Ukraine international Reading's best chance of the game came on 55 minutes when Ricardo Carvalho almost toe-poked the ball into his own net, but had the Portuguese international not got a touch it would have let in
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