Stoke City end Stamford Bridge hoodoo with 1-1 draw at Chelsea. Bertrand Traore‘s pinpoint first-half strike had given Chelsea the lead, but Mame Biram Diouf struck late on to earn the Potters a point.
Both sides began the match fairly tamely as they felt each other out, but when the first real chance did arrive it was Stoke who had it.
Ibrahim Afellay charged down the left and crossed into the middle for Diouf, who could not keep his shot down on the stretch.
Willian then fired just wide for Chelsea before Diouf was guilty of missing another chance, volleyingXherdan Shaqiri‘s cross into the turf and wide having pulled away to the back post unnoticed.
Diouf’s misses were then punished in the 39th minute when Traore, starting up front in place of the injuredDiego Costa, spun past his man and beat Jack Butland with a well-directed strike from 20 yards for his fourth goal in five appearances.
Stoke responded well to going behind upon the resumption after half time, with Marko Arnautovic and Shaqiri both kept out by Courtois.
Chelsea wanted a penalty with 20 minutes on the clock when Marc Muniesa bundled into Oscar, but refereeMark Clattenburg said no.
The Potters then equalised with five minutes on the clock. Courtois could only half-clear a cross from the right and Diouf was alert, atoning for his earlier misses by looping a header into the empty net.
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