Chelsea running out of time and belief

Chelsea 2

Bolton Wanderers 2

Half-time: 2-1

Attendance: 41,105

Referee: Rob Styles (Hampshire)

"It isn't over until the fat lady sings," crowed the PA announcer at half-time. With Chelsea winning and Manchester United losing he felt able to make such a fate-tempting declaration. But oh dear, what a second 45 minutes, as the champions crumbled. Now the corpulent one is warming up that larynx - and we're not talking about "Big Sam" Allardyce in the shower, although as a job advert for a man set to leave Bolton Wanderers this summer drawing at Stamford Bridge was some statement.

For Jose Mourinho it was a statement also. But not one he wanted. By the end his team were running on empty, losing their pattern, playing as individuals but not taking responsibility. They had plenty of time to score after being pegged back but frittered it away. To add to the insult there was injury to Ricardo Carvalho's knee.

According to Mourinho he will certainly miss Tuesday's European Cup semi-final second leg against Liverpool and there was further encouragement for Rafael Benitez in the manner that Chelsea conceded their goals - both coming from free-kicks. Even Mourinho's plans to rest players - omitting Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Joe Cole - backfired as he needed to throw on all three.

But the key question was the title race. Obviously there was no concession but it was clear from Mourinho's mood, from his body language that he believes it's all but over. He could not even rouse himself to complain about a hand-ball from the resolute Abdoulaye Mete as Drogba attempted to knock the ball past him on the area's edge.

"Almost, almost and in football almost is always a big question," Mourinho said when asked if United were champions-elect. "It's not over. Practically, there is a chance and when the chance is there you have to believe. You have to chase the opportunity you have and you have to wait for things."

But waiting for things is not in his nature. He wants to make them happen. And yet, as the minutes ticked away with his team struggling, Mourinho, for once, looked dispirited while his assistants took the unusual step of sitting on the pitch-side tarmac. They, too, looked spent. It was an unusual message.

But then, in sapping heat, it was an unusual match. It began with all eyes on Allardyce who later ducked the post-match questions over his future by sending out his assistant Sammy Lee who said his boss was feeling ill. "You got the short straw in more ways than one," the diminutive Lee said.

On the pitch Bolton drew first blood when Idan Tal tapped a free- kick to Andranik Teymourian who swung the ball in. It was met by Mete. His header thudded against Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel only for the rebound to fall to Lubomir Michalik who prodded it in. It was the first goal Chelsea had conceded at home in the Premiership this year.

Michalik, a young Slovakian central defender acquired in January, was involved in two other crucial incidents. First he allowed Salomon Kalou to reach Wayne Bridge's excellent cross to guide a diving header beyond Jussi Jaaskelainen and draw Chelsea level.

Then, he collided with Carvalho as the ball ran free on halfway to cause the injury to the Portuguese defender. It was all the more maddening for Mourinho as the referee had stopped play to book Ricardo Gardner for a wild lunge at Shaun Wright-Phillips. Chelsea brushed aside the loss although it spoke volumes for the lack of faith Mourinho has in Khalid Boulahrouz, a specialist centre-half, that he preferred to bring on Lampard and shift Essien back.

Kalou's pace won a corner, Lampard delivered, and the young Ivorian's header clattered off the crossbar only to bounce down and divert in off Jaaskelainen's foot.

But just as Chelsea were expected to cruise to the finish, they allowed Bolton back in. Mikel lost possession and John Terry felled Kevin Davies. The free-kick routine was reversed and Tal centred for Davies to lose Essien and nod the ball beyond Petr Cech. Suddenly the tune had changed.

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