Premier League: Norwich 0 Chelsea 0

Fernando Torres was guilty of missing a key chance as Chelsea drew 0-0 with a dogged Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday.

The Blues monopolised possession in the opening minutes but Norwich started to break from the full-back positions and, with 10 minutes gone, forged a great chance as Steve Morison combined brilliantly with Grant Holt, who fired his shot agonisingly past the post of Chelsea custodian Petr Cech.

Torres seemed in lively mood, and – leading a counter-attack for the visitors – he put hearts in mouths as he skipped past a yellow shirt to poke an effort low towards the corner, with goalkeeper John Ruddy intervening to turn it behind.

Midway through the first half, Frank Lampard dropped to the floor clutching his calf, an injury that brought his afternoon to a premature end.

The enforced change saw the introduction of Florent Malouda, who immediately threaded Juan Mata through in the Norwich area before Ruddy denied the Spaniard.

Mata then should have given the Blues a half-time lead when he picked up the ball in the inside-left channel, and made a thrilling run towards the area. However, the ex-Valencia man rushed his shot and blasted over.

Anthony Pilkington then rushed back into his area to steal the ball from the waiting Daniel Sturridge, after Torres produced a burst of pace down the right to cross into the middle, ensuring that it remained goalless at the break.

Pilkington then caught the eye soon after the restart, cutting inside on his preferred left foot to unleash a fiery effort towards goal, but he drove it over the bar.

Chelsea responded on the hour with Torres taking hold of the ball in a crowded area, but the misfiring Spaniard was wayward once again, prodding his shot wide when it was easier to score.

The Blues continued to pile on the pressure with Mata bursting down the left flank to force a great save from Ruddy, who dropped low to his right to deflect the winger’s effort.

Referee Mark Clattenburg then earned the scorn of the home support by waving away strong shouts for handball when Raul Meireles appeared to handle dangerously close to his own area.

With Torres substituted, young Romelu Lukaku entered the fray for Chelsea but it was Mata who proved to be the main threat.

Picking the ball up in the centre of the area from the right-hand side, the diminutive attacker aimed for the bottom corner but once again Ruddy was there to drop low and tip it onto the post.

The Blues kept pushing with shots from Ashley Cole and Malouda coming to nothing, Ruddy again key in stopping the latter, but they could not find a way through and Norwich found themselves recording their first clean sheet of the season against the odds.