Chelsea are five points clear at the top of the league following their 0-0 draw away to Aston Villa.
In a game of few chances – both sides, missing key personnel had to settle for a point apiece.
The visitors hit the woodwork twice to Villa’s once but this was a game Chelsea dominated for much of the game and really should have won.
Manchester City can get to within two points of the Londoners if they win their game in hand tomorrow against Blackpool.
But it was Villa who came out of the traps flying and could have scored as early as the 3rd minute when Stephen Ireland raced into the Chelsea penalty area but screwed a low right foot drive past Cech’s right upright.
Villa’s centre back Richard Dunne came off second best in a challenge and was replaced on 12 minutes by Kieran Clarke. Dunne ended up with four stitches to his ankle.
Michael Essien was given a yellow card for a late challenge on Petrov a minute later.
Gael Kakuta saw a fine half volley from just outside the Villa penalty area over the bar on 16 minutes.
Petrov tried something similar on 19 minutes but Mikel deflected the effort for a corner, from which John Carew was able to get a header, from which Cech comfortably held.
Essien tried a right footer on 34 minutes from 20 yards but there was not enough power in the drive to trouble Friedel.
Branislav Ivanovic blocked an Ireland pile driver on 39 minutes with the ball appearing to hit his hand. But the referee Lee Mason adjudged the centre back had no chance of getting out of the way of the ball.
Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti replaced Kakuta with Yury Zhirkov for the start of the second half, while Villa manager Gerald Houlier kept the same starting 11 for the home side.
Chelsea had much the better of the opening exchanges which culminated on 54 minutes by Friedel blocking a fine strike from Anelka inside the Villa penalty area.
Chelsea has won 53 to Villa’s 55 previous league encounters.
The only respite coming for Villa on 60 minutes when John Terry body checked Ashley Young in the middle of the park and received a yellow card for his clumsiness.
But it was back soon after to Blues domination with a quick counter attack from the visitors ending up with another weak Essien strike straight to Friedel on 64 minutes.
Clarke appeared to stop Anelka’s right-sided cross which the ref fail to spot.
Stephen Warnock received a yellow for a foul on Anelka on 65 minutes.
Ireland was next into the ref’s little black book for a late challenge on Malouda three minutes later.
Clarke was given a yellow card for a late challenge on Anelka.
Houlier replaced injured Carew with Nathan Delfouneso on 74 minutes with Chelsea replacing
Ferreira with Jose Bosingwa and Josh McEachran for Ramires two minutes later.
It was Bosingwa’s first match in a year when he was carried off in their 1-2 defeat at Villa Park last season.
Chelsea’s Ivanovic rattled the Villa post with a powerful header from a Malouda corner with 13 minutes remaining.
Clarke then responded in kind, seeing a glancing header zip off the grass, past Cech and rebound to safety.
Young was the next to go into the book for a foul on Malouda on 81 minutes quickly followed by McEachran.
Ex-Chelsea midfielder Steve Sidwell replaced Ireland with six minutes remaining.
Anelka should have won the game with a minutes remaining when he somehow managed to head into the ground. The ball bounced up over Friedel and clipped off the crossbar.
Reo-Coker could have sneaked the winner in the fourth minute of added time but he chipped the ball over the on-rushing Cech but into the side netting.
Chelsea:
1 Petr Cech
19 Paulo Ferreira
2 Branislav Ivanovic
26 John Terry (c)
3 Ashley Cole
5 Michael Essien
12 John Mikel Obi
7 Ramires
44 Gael Kakuta
39 Nicolas Anelka
15 Florent Malouda
Subs: 22 Ross Turnbull, 17 Jose Bosingwa, 18 Yury Zhirkov, 43 Jeffrey Bruma, 46 Josh McEachran, 52 Jacob Mellis, 48 Fabio Borini.
Aston Villa:
Friedel; Beye, Collins, Dunne, Warnock; Ireland, Reo-Coker, Petrov (c); Downing, Carew, A Young.
Subs: Guzan, Clark, Sidwell, Cuellar, Bannan, Lichaj, Delfouneso.
The referee is Lee Mason.