One of their old heroes scored the goal that deprived them of victory.

They were pegged back by a team that had been reduced to 10 men.

And, after four straight wins, they lost the last remaining 100 per cent record in English football this season.

Those were just footnotes. As Chelsea headed back south last night, one important fact remained.

This was a better point for Jose Mourinho and his team than it was for Manchester City.

They are still unbeaten, still five points clear of a City side that most see as their only realistic challengers for the title.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini had said this game with home advantage was “must-win” for his side and that did not happen.

This 1-1 draw may have been the antithesis of the wonderful chaos that Leicester and Manchester United played out earlier in the day, but it was enthralling nonetheless.

After the sluggers had knocked seven bells out of each other at the King Power Stadium, City and Chelsea came out and boxed clever.

The kids had their fun and then at the Etihad, the adults got serious.

Some familiar accusations chased Chelsea away from Manchester – that they had been too negative, that they had parked the bus.

But this was a superbly disciplined, well-balanced, determined performance from a team who came not to lose and came close to snatching a win. On a day when the performances of City’s debutant centre back Eliaquim Mangala caught the eye, Chelsea’s defence was no less admirable.

For all City’s pressure, John Terry and Gary Cahill were flawless at the heart of the Chelsea back four.

Nemanja Matic, in front of them, was an effective shield and when Chelsea had chances to break, Eden Hazard was always dangerously elusive.

“It is one point won, not two lost,” Mourinho said after the match. “We arrived here leading the league with two points more than the second-placed team and we leave the stadium with a three-point lead.

“We come here against a super-difficult opponent in a super-difficult stadium and we come away with a point.”

Mourinho was clearly irritated that Chelsea had not left with three points, especially after City’s Pablo Zabaleta was sent off for a second bookable offence.

He was tetchy in the post-match press conference and refused to acknowledge there was any added drama in the fact that Frank Lampard had scored against his old club.

“Lampard goes to City, Suarez goes to Barcelona. For me, there is no drama,” the Chelsea boss said.

“For me to speak about Frank, I will only speak about my past with Frank and I will never be tired to speak about that. But I am Chelsea manager and so I speak about my players.”

Mourinho was asked to describe his team’s performance yesterday in three words.

He looked at his questioner with a deadpan expression on his face. “Very, very good,” he said.

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