LONDON // Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka again provided evidence of why they are the best strike partnership in world football but Chelsea's defence let them down as they failed to win for the fourth successive game.
Drogba scored twice and Anelka once as Carlo Ancelotti's men twice led Everton at Stamford Bridge.
But a defensive horror show saw Everton peg them back as the hosts dropped two potentially priceless points in the Premier League race.
Chelsea went into the game on the back of their first really unconvincing run of the season, with defeat to Manchester City in the League sandwiched by an exit from the Carling Cup to Blackburn and a draw at home with Apoel Nicosia last Wednesday.
Yet what Everton would give for having those problems, with Chelsea two points clear at the top of the table going into the game. David Moyes's side, by contrast, had lost seven of their opening 15 League games and were struggling under the weight of an horrendous injury list.
And Everton had not beaten Chelsea since November 2000, a run stretched for 23 games, including last season's FA Cup Final.
But Everton belied their perilous position with a high-octane start that deservedly brought them the lead after 12 minutes. Louis Saha and Jo had both gone close before they made the breakthrough in the most fortuitous of circumstances.
Frank Lampard fouled Steven Pienaar wide on Everton's right, and Saha rose highest to meet Leighton Baines's inswinging delivery - only to see the ball hit the post before rebounding off the unfortunate Petr Cech's back and trickling apologetically over the line.
It was the least the visitors deserved for taking the game to Chelsea, yet they were pegged back within six minutes.
Ricardo Carvalho was the instigator of the move, striding forward before feeding Lampard, who laid the ball off perfectly for Drogba to curl home superbly from just inside the box for his 17th goal of an already prolific season.
A huge amount of Drogba's success has been down to his strike partnership with Anelka, and after the Ivorian had his moment it was the Frenchman's turn as Chelsea hit the front on 22 minutes.
Saha was the fall guy this time, twice failing to clear a corner and watching in horror as Branislav Ivanovic laid the ball off to Anelka, who made no mistake from eight yards out.
Chelsea were in complete control, but stunningly the game was level in the fifth minute of injury-time at the end of the half as Yakubu, who had come on for the injured Jo, fired home with virtually his first touch after Chelsea failed to clear from a goalmouth scramble.
The hosts came out for the second half with renewed vigour, forcing a succession of corners and free kicks - and that pressure told just before the hour mark as Drogba scored his second . It was clever play from the striker, who peeled away to the back post, meaning he had only the diminutive Steven Pienaar to challenge him as Ivanovic whipped the ball across. It was no contest, and Drogba's volley flashed past Howard.
Yet Chelsea were again pegged back as their defence followed Everton's lead by falling to pieces. It may have been fortunate again, but Cech was caught in no-man's land as Drogba's attempted headed clearance of a free kick only hit Saha on the back of the head and looped in to leave Ancelotti fuming as his side conceded their 10th goal in just over three-and-a-half games.
Howard was forced into saves from Michael Ballack and Drogba as Chelsea searched for a fourth. But Everton held firm for a point that they fully deserved for exploiting Chelsea's shambolic defending.
sports@thenational.ae
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
RESULTS
Time; race; prize; distance
4pm: Maiden; (D) Dh150,000; 1,200m
Winner: General Line, Xavier Ziani (jockey), Omar Daraj (trainer)
4.35pm: Maiden (T); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Travis County, Adrie de Vries, Ismail Mohammed
5.10pm: Handicap (D); Dh175,000; 1,200m
Winner: Scrutineer, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
5.45pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Yulong Warrior, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
6.20pm: Maiden (D); Dh150,000; 1,600m
Winner: Ejaaby, Jim Crowley, Doug Watson
6.55pm: Handicap (D); Dh160,000; 1,600m
Winner: Storyboard, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.30pm: Handicap (D); Dh150,000; 2,200m
Winner: Grand Dauphin, Gerald Mosse, Ahmed Al Shemaili
8.05pm: Handicap (T); Dh190,000; 1,800m
Winner: Good Trip, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
Red Sparrow
Dir: Francis Lawrence
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons
Three stars
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Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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RESULT
Manchester United 2 Burnley 2
Man United: Lingard (53', 90' 1)
Burnley: Barnes (3'), Defour (36')
Man of the Match: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)
Stage 3 results
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:56
General Classification after Stage 3:
1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02
2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07
3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35
4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40
5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe
6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb) 0:02:06
Abu Dhabi traffic facts
Drivers in Abu Dhabi spend 10 per cent longer in congested conditions than they would on a free-flowing road
The highest volume of traffic on the roads is found between 7am and 8am on a Sunday.
Travelling before 7am on a Sunday could save up to four hours per year on a 30-minute commute.
The day was the least congestion in Abu Dhabi in 2019 was Tuesday, August 13.
The highest levels of traffic were found on Sunday, November 10.
Drivers in Abu Dhabi lost 41 hours spent in traffic jams in rush hour during 2019
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Centre Court (4pm UAE/12pm GMT)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) v Heather Watson (GBR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) v Karen Khachanov (RUS x30)
Andy Murray (GBR x1) v Fabio Fognini (ITA x28)
Court 1 (4pm UAE)
Steve Johnson (USA x26) v Marin Cilic (CRO x7)
Johanna Konta (GBR x6) v Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) v Venus Williams (USA x10)
Court 2 (2.30pm UAE)
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) v Gilles Muller (LUX x16)
Peng Shuai (CHN) v Simona Halep (ROM x2)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) v Camila Giorgi (ITA)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) v Sam Querrey (USA x24)
Court 3 (2.30pm UAE)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x9) v Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x18)
Carina Witthoeft (GER) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x4)
Court 12 (2.30pm UAE)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x8) v Ana Konjuh (CRO x27)
Kevin Anderson (RSA) v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)
Court 18 (2.30pm UAE)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) v Madison Brengle (USA)
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
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Abu Dhabi race card
5pm Abu Dhabi Fillies Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
5.30pm Abu Dhabi Colts Classic Prestige | Dh110,000 | 1,400m
6pm Abu Dhabi Championship Listed | Dh180,000 | 1,600m
6.30pm Maiden | Dh80,000 | 1,600m
7pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap | Dh80,000 | 1,400m
7.30pm Handicap (TB) |Dh100,000 | 2,400m
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures: Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)
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The utilitarian robe held dear by Arab women is undergoing a change that reveals it as an elegant and graceful garment available in a range of colours and fabrics, while retaining its traditional appeal.