Chelsea vs Stoke match report: Bertrand Traore strike cancelled out by late Mame Biram Diouf header

Chelsea 1 Stoke City 1

(2016 Getty Images)

A fourth successive win, the best Premier League start by any new manager, kids being given a chance... it was proving the perfect warm-up for Chelsea ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League return against Paris St Germain. Then Mame Diouf scored the equaliser Stoke deserved to remind everyone there is a reason for Chelsea’s absence from the title race this season.

Although Guus Hiddink completed a 12th Premier League match unbeaten since returning to calm the Bridge’s troubled waters, Chelsea remain a side in recuperation. They are much improved, there is a flow to them that was absent in the autumn, but they are still short of their powerful best. Injuries are a problem, with Diego Costa rested and John Terry still absent, but every side has them - Stoke are still without their own inspirational leader, Ryan Shawcross.

Costa was absent with what was described as a ‘minor tendon injury’. In his stead Bertrand Traore, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder from Burkina Faso, was selected ahead of Loic Remy and Alexandre Pato, the latter still to make his debut since arriving in January.

Bertrand Traore opened the scoring with a stunning strike (Getty Images)

Shawcross v Costa would have been a combustible sub-plot. Without them the game lacked edge and, with both teams safely ensconced in mid-table, tension too. It did have a surfeit of neat midfield passing with technicians aplenty on both sides. This occasionally led to a goalscoring opportunity with Thibaut Courtois making a flying save from Ibrahim Afellay’s 29th-minute shot and Diouf twice going close after crosses from Marco Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri.

Chelsea, again led by the busy Willain, responded, but one aspect of the Tony Pulis era that Stoke have retained is the willingness to put bodies on the line. Several attempts were blocked, notably by Marc Muniesa’s chest from Traore’s close-range shot.

Then, with half-time looming, Afellay was muscled off the ball by Nemanja Matic in midfield. The ball was switched to Traore who was given time to turn and rifle a shot past Jack Butland from 20 yards.

It was his fourth goal in his nine appearances. The previous three had finished in 5-1 victories but Stoke provided sterner resistance and would have levelled just before the hour but for a smart save by Courtois from Shaqiri.

Stoke dominated the second period - partly because Cheslsea were happy to contain and counter - and but it was only after the arrival of Bojan that they looked penetrative. It was he who released Shaqiri down the right with six minutes left. His fierce cross was parried by Courtois and Diouf headed into the empty net to secure Stoke’s first point here since 1984.

“It feels like a defeat,” said Traore, looking more like he had had his car stolen than scored a screamer on his full home debut. “But now we must focus for Wednesday.”

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Rahman; Mikel, Matic (Fabregas, 82); Willian, Oscar, Hazard (Loftus-Cheek, 63); Traore (Remy, 68).

Stoke City (4-2-3-1): Butland; Cameron, Wollscheid, Muniesa, Pieters; Whelan (Bojan 74), Imbula; Shaqiri, Afellay, Arnautovic (Ireland, 88); Diouf (Joselu, 85).

Referee: M Clattenburg

Match rating: 7

Man of the match: Imbula