Stoke City end Stamford Bridge hoodoo with draw at Chelsea

By Pascal Lemesre | 05 Mar 2016 17:05, Last updated: 04 Jun 2025 23:16

Stoke City have left Stamford Bridge with something for the first time in the Premier League era thanks to a 1-1 draw against Chelsea this afternoon.

Bertrand Traore's pinpoint first-half strike had given Chelsea the lead, but Mame Biram Diouf struck late on to earn the Potters a point.

Both sides began the match fairly tamely as they felt each other out, but when the first real chance did arrive it was Stoke who had it.

Ibrahim Afellay charged down the left and crossed into the middle for Diouf, who could not keep his shot down on the stretch.

Willian then fired just wide for Chelsea before Diouf was guilty of missing another chance, volleying Xherdan Shaqiri's cross into the turf and wide having pulled away to the back post unnoticed.

Diouf's misses were then punished in the 39th minute when Traore, starting up front in place of the injured Diego Costa, spun past his man and beat Jack Butland with a well-directed strike from 20 yards for his fourth goal in five appearances.

Stoke responded well to going behind upon the resumption after half time, with Marko Arnautovic and Shaqiri both kept out by Courtois.

Chelsea wanted a penalty with 20 minutes on the clock when Marc Muniesa bundled into Oscar, but referee Mark Clattenburg said no.

The Potters then equalised with five minutes left on the clock. Courtois could only half-clear a cross from the right and Diouf was alert, atoning for his earlier misses by looping a header into the empty net.

Both teams lose their three-game winning streaks, while for Chelsea boss Hiddink it is a new Premier League record of 12 games unbeaten from the start of a new managerial spell.