Chelsea dropped two EPL points and were fortunate to pick up one as Fulham squandered a penalty-spot opportunity to win the West London derby at Craven Cottage.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men dominated a tight affair and had the majority of goalscoring efforts.

Yet Fulham had more shots on-target and should have won after striker Clint Dempsey was bundled over in the box by the previously outstanding David Luiz.

Dempsey took the spot-kick himself but did so poorly, allowing Chelsea keeper Petr Cech to make a comfortable save low to his right.

Clear-cut chances were at a premium throughout. Chelsea’s closest first-half effort was a mishit cross by right-back Branislav Ivanovic on 32 minutes which had Fulham keeper Marc Schwarzer scrambling backwards to tip over the bar.

Frank Lampard fizzed a 28^th-minute right-foot drive over the bar. But although the second-half was largely one-way traffic towards Fulham’s goal, the Blues were restricted to long-range efforts.

Late substitutions on both sides galvanised proceedings. Dempsey’s 82^nd-minute drive brought the first serious save from Cech, while Chelsea’s Salomon Kalou headed over Luiz’s spectacular scissors-kick cross three minutes later.

But the drama really unfolded in stoppage time. And Chelsea remain in the EPL title race. Just.