Chelsea 1 Charlton Athletic 1: Bent seizes on Chelsea's complacency to plunder rare point from the Bridge

This was a reminder that Chelsea are not irresistible, nor are they automatons. After 11 straight home wins in the Premiership this season there was inevitable evidence of complacency after Eidur Gudjohnsen had put them ahead after 18 minutes. However, after Marcus Bent marked his Charlton debut with a well-taken goal shortly before the hour, Chelsea were made to look unremarkable by their well-organised opponents, who became the first team to take a Premiership point away from Stamford Bridge since Arsenal last April.

"We cannot win every game, this day had to arrive one day," Mourinho said. "To lose your first home points at the end of January is a magnificent achievement. We are still going in the direction of the title."

He looked up, saw on the press-room televisions that the match was under way at Old Trafford, and added: "If you ask the winners of Manchester United and Liverpool after the game - who will be happy because they have won - if they want to change places with Chelsea they will lose their happiness immediately. They will think how far we are ahead and the smile will go."

True, but there were a few signs of hope here for the chasing duo. Collectively, Chelsea only extended themselves after Charlton levelled, and individually there were below-par performances. Ricardo Carvalho's dismissal capped a dismal afternoon, Asier del Horno again looked ordinary, neither Damien Duff nor his replacement, Shaun Wright-Phillips, ever troubled Charlton and even the indefatigable Frank Lampard was relatively quiet.

For the visitors Hermann Hreidarsson was inspirational in defence, Darren Ambrose's performance made one wonder why Newcastle let him go, and Marcus Bent maintained his habit, in his peripatetic career, of starting well.

He then tends to fade but maybe he has finally found a home. "He looked like a Charlton player," said a happy Alan Curbishley. The Charlton manager added, in a reference to his team's pre-Christmas dip: "I'm delighted it looks as if we are making an attempt to turn it round. We're not out of woods yet but a result like today's gets us a long way to getting back on track."

There was little indication of drama to come in a first half so soporific it silenced 42,000 people - Thomas Myhre's instructions could be heard 80 yards away.

With the benefit of an observant linesman Charlton kept Chelsea at bay for 18 minutes but were then undone by the same sharp-eyed official. Hernan Crespo beat Jonathan Fortune and Chris Powell to a corner won and taken by Duff. Myhre spilt the flick header but Gudjohnsen stabbed goalwards and the linesman correctly determined the ball had crossed the line before Radostin Kishishev cleared.

Then Chelsea eased up. There was no drive in midfield and sloppy defending allowed both Bryan Hughes and Ambrose to shoot. Yet Charlton's equaliser was still a surprise. Given time to pick a pass Ambrose spotted Marcus Bent between Del Horno and John Terry. The latter stepped up to play offside but Del Horno did not and Bent deftly headed over Petr Cech.

Mourinho sent on the cavalry but while Maniche settled quickly on his debut it made little difference. That said, an errant flag pulled up Crespo after Gudjohnsen sent him clear.

Lampard might also have won the game in a frantic finish but so could have Ambrose as Chelsea, having withdrawn Del Horno, were reduced to two defenders when Carvalho, already booked, needlessly ploughed through Darren Bent nine minutes from time.

Goals: Gudjohnsen (18) 1-0; M Bent (58) 1-1.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Gallas, Carvalho, Terry, Del Horno (C Cole, 79); Lampard, Makelele (Maniche, 62), Gudjohnsen; J Cole, Crespo, Duff (Wright-Phillips, 62). Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Ferreira.

Charlton Athletic (4-5-1): Myrhe; Young, Fortune, Hreidarsson, Powell; Rommedahl (M Bent, 39), Holland, Kishishev, Hughes, Ambrose (Bartlett, 90); D Bent. Substitutes not used: Andersen (gk), Perry, Spector.

Referee: S Bennett (Kent).

Booked: Chelsea Carvalho, Terry; Charlton Athletic Kishishev.

Sent off: Carvalho (81).

Man of the match: Hreidarsson

Attendance: 41,355.