LONDON: A stunning strike by Didier Drogba earned 10-man Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Liverpool on Sunday after the champions had Germany midfielder Michael Ballack dismissed for stamping.
Drogba, on the edge of the area, collected a Frank Lampard pass with his back to goal and swivelled round to smash a superb shot past Liverpool keeper Jose Reina four minutes before halftime.
The match began to swing Liverpool's way soon after the re-start when Ballack brought his boot down on the thigh of Liverpool's Mali international midfielder Momo Sissoko.
But despite losing Germany's World Cup captain, playing only his fifth game for his new club since a close season move from Bayern Munich, Chelsea hung on for three valuable points against a potential title rival.
