Story highlights
Frank Lampard scores his 150th Premier League goal in 1-1 draw with Fulham
Draw keeps Chelsea two points behind a Champions League qualifying place
Tottenham Hotspur lose 2-1 at home to Norwich City; Newcastle coast past Bolton 2-0
Chelsea still have work to do if they are to qualify for next season’s Champions League after dropping points in a 1-1 draw at Fulham in the English Premier League on Monday night.
This year’s only English representatives in the semifinals of Europe’s leading cup competition were pegged back by a late Clint Dempsey goal after Frank Lampard had given the Blues the lead.
The English midfielder scored his 150th Premier League goal from the penalty spot in the 45th minute after Danny Murphy had brought down Salomon Kalou.
Chelsea pushed for a decisive second goal after the break but couldn’t find an opening, and as the game wore on Fulham applied more pressure.
Aaron Hughes was unlucky not to score 10 minutes from the end, foiled only by the quick hands of Petr Cech who palmed the ball over the crossbar.
But from the resulting corner Fulham got their reward as Dempsey’s header, which took a slight deflection off Chelsea defender Gary Cahill, found its way past Cech.
The result leaves Chelsea still two points adrift of fourth place on 57 points. The draw lifts Fulham to ninth.
The west London club’s immediate rivals for the final Champions League place experienced mixed fortunes earlier in the day.
Tottenham went down to a 2-1 defeat to Norwich City at White Hart Lane.
Anthony Pilkington put Norwich ahead in the 13th minute before Jermain Defoe equalized 12 minutes before the break.
But it was the visitors who eventually came away with all three points as Elliott Bennett drilled home the winner midway through the second half.
Newcastle United joined Spurs on 59 points as they notched up a fifth successive win beating Bolton Wanderers 2-0.
Two-second half goals from French midfielder Hatem Ben Arfa and Papa Cisse sees the Magpies continue a remarkable season.
Everton scored four second-half goals against Sunderland at Goodison Park to consolidate their lead over Merseyside rivals Liverpool who travel to Blackburn on Tuesday.
French striker Magaye Gueye opened the scoring seven minutes after the break.
Steven Pienaar added a second in the 75th with Leon Osman firing home a minute later to ensure three points.
Nigerian striker Victor Anichebe deflected effort in the 81st minute completed a miserable afternoon for Martin O’Neill’s side.