Premier League: Birmingham City 0-0 Chelsea

Ah, Boxing Day. A day traditionally boasting wall to wall football, brought to you live and exclusive by one polished, calculated media behemoth or another. Today's top-flight action began at St Andrews, where in-form Birmingham City fancied their chances against a Chelsea side which spearheads a floundering so-called "Big Four". To compound Chelsea's poor recent results, Didier Drogba will soon lead an exodus of important players to Angola to play in the Africa Cup of Nations and Nicolas Anelka will miss the festive period with injury. Daniel Sturridge started against City at lunchtime.

The goals were not forthcoming in South Birmingham but the game was played at a hectic pace and was an intriguing encounter. The league leaders finished with ten men thanks to a pair of stupid bookings earned by Florent Malouda, who was given a red card in a rare correct decision by today's referee.

Carlo Ancelotti's side dominated the early minutes, looking lively as they pressed hard and made it very difficult for Birmingham to get out of their own half. Branislav Ivanovic came close in the 11th minute, heading just over from a Frank Lampard corner. Birmingham then started to get a grip on the game and a blistering run by Christian Benitez drew a foul by Alex when Benitez had options ahead of him.

Ivanovic picked Drogba out inside the area with a cross from deep, and the Ivorian striker did well to get a volleyed effort away but couldn't get it on target. A minute later, Joe Hart was at full stretch to turn a low shot from Sturridge around his post. Two successive corners followed, with Chelsea centre back Alex winning the aerial battle for both. Chelsea had a certain fluidity, but lacked their usual imperious assuredness. Ancelotti would have been concerned about their habit of giving away silly free kicks forty yards from goal, given how susceptible they seem to be from high balls into the area lately.

In the 28th minute, Lampard missed a golden opportunity. Having brilliantly sprung the offside trap, he met Hart face to face and forced a superb reaction save from the Birmingham 'keeper. Despite Hart's impressive reflexes, the England midfielder really should have opened the scoring. Two minutes later, with Drogba lying injured in the Chelsea box, Liam Ridgewell beat Petr Cech and found Benitez racing in to slide the ball home. Referee Peter Walton disallowed the goal for offside, a decision which was - for the second time for Benitez today - very questionable. Chelsea's officials were displeased that play was allowed continue in the first place, but it was Birmingham who had the right to feel aggrieved.

Walton got another decision wrong in the 38th minute. Benitez tricked John Obi Mikel right in front of the linesman, who watched Mikel then pull down the man from Ecuador as he headed through on goal. Walton's assistant correctly flagged for a Birmingham free kick which would have resulted in a certain booking for Mikel, but Walton decided he knew better and penalised the hosts for Benitez's initial challenge on the Chelsea man. All in all the first half performance by Walton was - and bear in mind here that I'm an Aston Villa supporter and despise Birmingham City - a total disgrace.

And City were almost punished five minutes before the break. Alex, who we know can strike the ball like a cruise missile, hit a free kick from 35-odd yards out, had Hart beaten and almost snapped the crossbar. In first half stoppage time, a cross from Drogba found Sturridge at the far post and the former Manchester City man missed the target on his first Premier League start for Ancelotti's side to ensure the first period ended goalless.

The game became stretched at the beginning of the second half, with Chelsea playing a faster passing game and Birmingham opting for more direct balls into the channels. The first chance of the half saw Ashley Cole foiled by an excellent late challenge by Roger Johnson. Alex again won a free header from the resulting corner but failed once more to do any damage with it. The quality and integrity of the refereeing was another continuation from the first half - City were getting absolutely nothing out of Walton and it seemed destined to continue.

Birmingham's game developed into a swift counter-attacking style and Benitez fooled Florent Malouda on the hour mark, winning City a free kick 20 yards out. Larsson's fine, swerving strike was clawed away by Cech who collided very heavily with the post. The Czech goalkeeper's fall caused concern for Chelsea but he was able to continue in time to face yet another awful delivery from the appalling James McFadden.

A few minutes later Malouda had the chance of the match so far, being found unmarked by substitute Saloman Kalou after a clever run and failing to hit the target with the goal gaping just six yards ahead of him. Kalou's bright start continued and he was picked out by a Juliano Belletti only to be blocked by another good save by Joe Hart.

A quick break from Chelsea in the 73rd minute was followed by an even quicker one from Birmingham, and Cameron Jerome's run at pace from his own half was only rendered fruitless when John Terry put the brakes on by catching up with him in the penalty area. It summed up the tempo of the second half, played at a frantic pace but unable to produce more than a handful of goalscoring opportunities.

With eight minutes left, Stephen Carr made a huge mistake. Meeting a diagonal pass inside the Birmingham area, he chose to head it low across goal right into the path of Drogba. Hart bravely flew off his line to take the ball cleanly, but Drogba caught the England hopeful with his boot as he jumped over him. I hope the self-righteous, whining moaner in the other goal was paying attention after his precious indignation at suffering an injury in a similar incident a few years ago. Shortly afterwards, the Premier League went up a rung on the ladder of thuggishness with the return of Damien Johnson for City.

And with stoppage time approaching Malouda picked up an idiotic yellow card for an unnecessary foul on Carr deep in Birmingham's half. It was his second, and a deserved red card means I'm glad I won't be him when Ancelotti considers the further weakening of his options for the remainder of the festive period. Six minutes of stoppage time couldn't separate the teams and Birmingham's unbeaten run goes on. Chelsea drop yet more points in their quest for the title, and the demise of the so-called "Big Four" continues to look like a very real prospect.

(Pic via Sniffing the Touchline)