EPL Extra Time: Another case of the blues for Chelsea

How do you list the ways in which Chelsea saw its problems mount in a 4-4 draw with Aston Villa on an explosive Boxing Day?

The fact that Chelsea took part in what will surely be one of the games of the Premiership season will come as little consolation to Avram Grant, as he studies the seven-point gap that now exists between his team and a seemingly rampant Manchester United. What will be of greater concern is the broader fallout from an extraordinary 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues were held to their fourth tie in nine home matches this season.

And as far as the rest of the Premiership is concerned, the consequences should be of concern with the transfer window about to open next week. Because – and you might have heard this along the way – Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is not short of a few quid and may have decided that now is the time to bring new talent to West London.

The Russian billionaire would be forgiven for reaching that conclusion after his club dropped two points in its bid to keep pace with United and London rivals Arsenal.

First on Roman's January wish list could be Croatia international midfielder Luka Modric. Dinamo Zagreb club president Zdravko Mamic reportedly flew into London late Wednesday night to orchestrate his star's sale in a bidding war between Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City. If recent history has shown us one thing, however, it is that – should the issue come down to pure cash – Abramovich will get precisely what Abramovich wants.

The urgency of Chelsea's situation became heightened after Aston Villa followed its early season win over the Blues with Wednesday's stunning performance.

To summarize: Shaun Maloney volleyed Villa in front and an error by Chelsea keeper Petr Cech gifted him a second goal before Zat Knight was sent off to allow Andriy Shevchenko to pull one back on the ensuing penalty kick. The maligned Chelsea striker tied the game and Alex put the home side ahead before Martin Laursen leveled and Ricardo Carvalho was dismissed for the Blues. Michael Ballack's free kick then appeared to have earned Chelsea the three points before Gareth Barry's last-gasp spot kick – coupled with Ashley Cole's sending off for a handball – brought us to the final score.

Got that?

Sadly, for Chelsea supporters at least, those bare statistics concealed far more relevant and more far-reaching facts.

Carvalho's reckless lunge at Gabriel Agbonlahor will earn him a suspension, along with Cole. Didier Drogba and John Terry remain sidelined, Frank Lampard injured his thigh against Villa and a posse of Chelsea players is headed for the African Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Conservative estimates are that seven or eight senior first-team stars will be absent in the short term for Grant. Carvalho, for his part, was swift to issue an official apology – an almost unheard of step from a Premiership footballer – for the three-match ban he needlessly earned himself.

"It was never my intention to hurt Gabriel Agbonlahor with the tackle," he said in a statement. "I was going for the ball and I don't want people to think that I tried to hurt another player.

"I didn't see him after the game to apologize, but I asked for a message to be passed on to him."

All of which appeared to be a classic case of too little too late, one which adds to Chelsea's defensive woes. To put this latest meltdown into perspective, Manchester United have conceded three goals over the past seven Premiership games; Chelsea leaked four in 90 minutes.

Grant tried to put a brave face on the situation, but there was no disguising the fact that the postmatch atmosphere at the Bridge seemed more in keeping with a cataclysmic defeat than a thrilling draw.

"I can't say I'm happy about this situation," Grant admitted. "But it was not easy when I arrived and it's not easy now. In this situation, we will just do our best, as we did before."

Those words may have sounded like a concealed dig at Grant's predecessor, Jose Mourinho. Villa fans even took great delight in taunting "WE'VE got the Special One!" in tribute to their manager Martin O'Neill. Still, it was left to Grant to attempt to seek the positives in this setback. The best he could come up with was the respective form of Shevchenko and Ballack.

"That's the good news," he added. "We needed Ballack. He's not in his best shape because it was his first game back, but he had a good influence on the game. And Shevchenko did what he was asked to do."

If that is the best news Chelsea can cling to as an eventful 2007 draws to a close, 2008 could be a frustrating year.

WINNER/LOSER OF THE DAY

Winner: Jay McEveley (Derby County). Scored a second-half equalizer for rock bottom Derby as Paul Jewell's men threatened to hold Liverpool to a draw.

Loser: Jay McEveley (Derby County). Gifted Steven Gerrard the game-winner by hitting a clearance straight to him just as his goalkeeper Lewis Price was about to pick up the loose ball.

GAFFER'S GRIPES

Mark the date in your diaries, Newcastle fans. This may have been the point at which Sam Allardyce began the long, lonely march towards being the Magpies' next ex-manager.

Losing at lowly Wigan on Wednesday was bad enough, but the manner of the performance is what particularly shocked the large traveling contingent among the 20,304 in attendance. And that, in turn, led to a significant moment in Big Sam's so-far uninspiring Newcastle reign.

The first time he has turned on his players.

"I expect it all the time now with a club of this size, but I don't blame the fans," Allardyce said. "If I was one of them, I'd be singing what they were singing because it just wasn't good enough.

"I'm a top man in my field and I know it's not good enough. They have been watching for long enough, so it doesn't take them long to realize it isn't good enough as well. They are not daft.

"These are the players that I've got, but too many are showing me what they are about on the bad side of the game. The level of form that they drop to is unacceptable, but they have to accept the pressure and use it as a positive, not shrivel and die. Roll your sleeves up and go and fight because we can't rely on ability alone."

CHANT OF THE DAY

"Shearer! Shearer! Shearer!" – Newcastle fans tell Allardyce whom they want to see as the next manager.

"5-1 and you still don't sing" – Fulham supporters comment on the sterile atmosphere at White Hart Lane.

Ian Edwards covers English football for the Wardle Agency.