> 'Nightmare' for chelsea

Ninja

The Chelsea fans could only compare in horror the current situation with the Mourinho reign as first John Terry sustained a fractured cheekbone, then the out-of-touch Andriy Shevchenko was booed before being hauled off, and then stand-in skipper Didier Drogba, back from injury, was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Joe Cole hit the post and Salomon Kalou missed a raft of chances, but Fulham went close several times at the other end, notably through Paul Konchesky and Diomansy Kamara, and will feel thery should have left with a win.

There was a distinct lack of entertainment in the first-half, which began with Chelsea missing injured Michael Essien, and with Grant having dropped winger Florent Malouda.

They deployed a three-man attack of Kalou, Drogba and Shevchenko, but he Ukrainian was woeful and the trident lacked any point. Visitors Fulham, without a win at Stamford Bridge since 1979, could have gone in at half-time ahead after Clint Dempsey headed just wide and referee Martin Atkinson turned down a good shout for a penalty when Tal Ben Haim headed the ball on to his own hand.

Drogba just missed getting on the end of an inviting centre from Joe Cole, but was also booked, significantly it would transpire, for dissent in insisting that Chris Baird had fouled him.

Terry had been hurt in a mid-air collision with Dempsey earl on, and the extent of he damage was discovered at half-time, Alex replacing him.

Grant spared the barracked Shevchenko further embarrassment by replacing him with Claudio Pizarro. Then Drogba unleashed a rasping drive that Keller did well to push away, before Kalou headed over from Ashley Cole's cross, and wide from a free-kick. Joe Cole put the ball narrowly wide of Keller when through on goal.

Chelsea were reduced to 10 men when Drogba raised his boot in a challenge on Baird that caught the defender in the face.

Konchesky broke free on the left and forced Cech to save with his feet, before Kamara mesed up a glorious opportunity to score for Fulham. He went past Claude Makelele but hesitated before shooting past the far post.

Chelsea were roundly booed at the end, with Mourinho's name being chanted.