Chelsea missed the chance to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League table this evening having been held to a 1-1 draw by West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

The visitors took the lead right at the end of the first half when Branislav Ivanovic swept the ball home from close range after a David Luiz flick.

However, the Baggies snatched a valuable point in the 87th minute when Victor Anichebe glanced his header into the far corner to take his side out of the relegation zone.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at a dramatic night of Premier League action.

Match statistics

West Brom
Shots: 12
On target: 1
Possession: 40%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 9

Chelsea
Shots: 15
On target: 4
Possession: 60%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 13

Was the result fair?

Yes. West Brom's one shot on target may stick out from the statistics, but they deserved a goal for the amount of pressure they piled on Chelsea in the final 20 minutes or so. The visitors more or less controlled the match for the first half but failed to create anything until the final action before the break, when Ivanovic gave his side the lead.

Jose Mourinho's side did not push for another goal to give themselves a cushion, instead trying to stop West Brom from playing which, for a long time, they managed. However, the Baggies cranked up the pressure in the closing stages and, in truth, could have even nicked a winner in the end.

Defeat would have been harsh for Chelsea, but they can't have many complaints at having thrown away their lead as they didn't show enough ambition to make it safe by adding a second.

West Brom's performance

Pepe Mel may still be searching for his first win in charge of West Brom, but this result tonight will certainly feel like one. They produced a solid display in the first half, nullifying Chelsea's dangerous attacking midfield trio with a disciplined defensive performance.

The goal right on the stroke of half time will have been gutting for Mel as it was the only defensive lapse of the opening period, but he will be delighted with how they responded in the second half.

The Baggies took the game to Chelsea for the final 20 minutes and outplayed the league leaders, threatening with almost every attack having struggled to make any ground in the visitors' third before then. They got what they deserved with Anichebe's late header, but they had enough chances in the closing stages to feel that they could have even won the game.

Still, consecutive come-from-behind draws at home to Everton, Liverpool and Chelsea is by no means a bad record, and West Brom certainly didn't look like a bottom-three team this evening. Play like that for the rest of the season and they should be safe.

Chelsea's performance

For a while it looked like being a typical Jose Mourinho away performance - strong and disciplined at the back while nicking a goal from somewhere to edge to victory. They certainly played like that for the best part of an hour, taking control of possession without really threatening the West Brom goal.

Defence seemed to be the priority for Mourinho, particularly when they took the lead, and their attacks seemed laboured and lacked the usual tempo associated with the likes of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian.

That came back to bite them with the equaliser as Chelsea struggled to deal with the Baggies' late pressure, being penned back for long periods of time in their own third. They certainly didn't look like league leaders in the closing stages and they can't afford many more similar performances if they are to win the title this season.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Victor Anichebe: He may have only come on with 17 minutes remaining, but he completely changed the game for the hosts. The Chelsea defence had dealt quite comfortably with Saido Berahino and Thievy Bifouma, but they faced a completely different test when Anichebe came on.

He immediately started holding the ball up and giving West Brom a target inside the box, which prompted them to pepper crosses in that Chelsea increasingly struggled to deal with. He went on to cap a fine cameo performance with the all-important equaliser, scoring off the bench just as he did against Liverpool in their last home game.

Biggest gaffe

It was a relatively gaffe-free game, so this one will have to go to Gareth McAuley for losing his man for the Chelsea goal. The West Brom defence had played really well up until that point and had kept all Chelsea attacks at bay, but McAuley's momentary lapse of concentration allowed Ivanovic to steal in and get the goal.

Referee performance

The referee was at the centre of a storm of controversy the last time these two teams played, so Anthony Taylor will be happy that this meeting went a little more smoothly. It was a fairly niggly game, with seven players going into the book, but overall there weren't many big decisions to make.

What next?

West Brom: Next up for the Baggies is a crucial home match against fellow strugglers Fulham.

Chelsea: Chelsea, meanwhile, will return to the Etihad on Saturday for an FA Cup match against Manchester City.