norwich 0-0

Independent:

Torres misses chance to end nightmare

Norwich City 0 Chelsea 0: Spanish striker substituted as Norwich hold out while Chelsea lose more ground to leaders

STEVE TONGUE CARROW ROAD

Under normal circumstances, Chelsea followers would not wish any ill fortune to the proud footballers of the Ivory Coast, but this morning they must be hoping that Didier Drogba's team suffer unexpectedly early elimination from the African Cup of Nations, allowing him to return to London at the earliest possible moment.
Drogba has indicated that he will come back to the capital rather than taking either a slow boat or fast plane to China, where riches are on offer. That is just as well, for yesterday's lively lunchtime encounter proved again that Chelsea cannot afford to wave him farewell on a permanent basis. The Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku may have provided a bright little cameo towards the end, but the images of the day were of the man he replaced, Fernando Torres, first poking wide a glorious chance from 10 yards as his manager cursed in frustration, then trudging to the sidelines to the inevitable Norfolk chants of "What a waste of money".
For Torres it is a matter of one step forward – as in last weekend's performance against Sunderland – and one backward, like yesterday; one acrobatic volley against the bar last Saturday and one toe-poke wide of a gaping goal here. The feeling would normally be that a goal would see him right, a sentiment widely expressed after he scored in successive League games in September and then added two in the same game against Genk a month later. Since then, however, there has been nothing, in 17 games for club and country.
Chelsea's Andre Villas-Boas, commendably supportive of his player even though he was not the manager – or owner – who signed him a year ago, said: "He tried really hard, we're very happy with his play. He's been doing excellent work for the team and it doesn't matter who scores."
Unfortunately, yesterday nobody scored, for the first time since the team's last away defeat, at Queens Park Rangers in October. There was also a calf injury to Frank Lampard, the extent of which is not yet known, which made it just as well that Michael Essien was able to come on as a substitute for the second successive week.
Lampard was forced off shortly before half-time, just as Chelsea were coming into a game they had been largely absent from until that point. Norwich passed the ball whenever they could get hold of it, and thanks to solid defending from the centre-halves Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala and, above all, a fine performance from the goalkeeper John Ruddy, kept a clean sheet for the first time since achieving promotion last May.
"They all put their bodies on the line and it's a huge point for us," their manager, Paul Lambert, said. "Two years ago we were playing Yeovil, Walsall and Stockport and now we're competing with Chelsea."
Compete they did, and take the lead they could easily have done twice before Chelsea got into gear. In the 10th minute Steve Morison – who was playing for Millwall when Torres was winning the World Cup – played in his striking partner Grant Holt, who turned perfectly past David Luiz before shooting just wide of a post. Closer to half-time, after Ruddy had pushed away Torres's one good effort,Bradley Johnson's shot took a deflection off John Terry that appeared to have wrong-footed Petr Cech, who was nevertheless able to hold the ball.
From then on, every clear scoring opportunity was Chelsea's. On the hour, Jose Bosingwa pushed forward to set up Torres, who from the penalty spot took aim and knocked his shot well wide. Villas-Boas turned away in frustration, but having already had to replace Lampard, waiteduntil the last quarter of an hour before sending on Lukaku and Essien. Ruddy proved unbeatable whoever appeared. He saved from Juan Mata, then from Ramires and again from Mata, though Mark Clattenburg did not see the touch and awarded agoal-kick. Perhaps the referee was dozing off after having so little to do. Incredibly, he did not need to award a free-kick in the whole of the first half, even for offsides.
Chelsea's defending, with David Luiz much improved against the physicality of Holt, justified Villas-Boas's assertion that it was not necessary to rush his new signing Gary Cahill into action. Cahill did not make the substitutes' bench either, because Branislav Ivanovic was "more versatile", but he is available for Saturday's Cup tie with QPR. Lambert, who had expressed his frustration at the difficulties of adding to a thin squad, will shortly complete the signing the Leeds United midfielder Jonathan Howson, who watched the game, as did Cahill. Arguably the new Canary was the one singing on his way home.

Norwich (4-4-2): Ruddy; Martin, Ayala, Whitbread, Naughton; Pilkington, Fox (Crofts, 79), Johnson, Surman (Bennett, 90); Holt, Morison (Jackson, 79).
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Meireles (Essien, 79); Lampard (Malouda, 37), Sturridge, Torres (Lukaku, 77); Mata.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
Man of the match: Ruddy (Norwich)
Match rating: 7/10


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Observer:

Norwich and John Ruddy stand firm to deny Chelsea and frustrate Torres
Amy Lawrence at Carrow Road

After the many hoots of mockery and chants about money and painful critiques that have trailed Fernando Torres since his move to Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard must have felt he had heard it all. Not quite. Having seen a chance fizzle out, it spoke volumes that the chant that floated over from behind the goal was sung without any irony: "We'd rather have Grant Holt".
Norwich's centre-forward, whom they could have bought 125 times over to reach the total price of the Torres transfer, is adored in these parts not just for his goals but also for his enthusiasm and endless chasing of causes. But his role here, as the match wore on and Chelsea began to press Norwich into a game of pure resistance, was to fall back and help out any which way.
André Villas-Boas, in his continuing defence of Torres, always entreats us to look at the bigger picture and see how his work for the team is appreciated. But however you choose to paint it, the inescapable fact is that Chelsea need Torres to score some goals. Just before the hour mark the crowd paused in anticipation of exactly that. Having controlled José Bosingwa's cross, the Spaniard picked his spot in the far corner but watched with dismay as the ball arced outside the post. It was a tantalising chance to end a run of 11 league matches without a goal. It was not long after that he was substituted.
Torres's drought remains a niggling problem for Chelsea, but it is far from the only source of their frustrations. They were sluggish and short of sparks of invention from midfield. It took them until midway through the second half to exert their authority on a hard working and enterprising Norwich team, and when they did a combination of careless finishing and the calm interventions of John Ruddy in goal ensured a shut-out.
The primal roar that greeted the final whistle from everybody in yellow was of the sort normally reserved for victory. Such are the standards to which Paul Lambert aspires, he was reluctant to say he felt triumphant. But he was delighted all the same with a first clean sheet this season, and a statement made against such a powerful adversary. "It is a huge point for us," he said. "Ruddy was excellent. The whole group put their bodies on the line when they had to."
They were gutsy, too. Norwich were eager to ruffle a few feathers, and the front pairing of Holt and Steve Morison caused some discomfort for Chelsea's backline. Early on, Holt latched on to Steve Morison's through-ball and wrongfooted David Luiz, only to steer his shot wide.
When Torres prowled forward only for a chance to fade away, the signs were there that it would again not be his afternoon. He then cruised into shooting territory and curled the ball goalwards with the outside of his boot. The excellent Ruddy dived to palm the ball away. Villas-Boas was obliged to make another defence of his misfiring striker. "We cannot be hypocrites and not take into account what he did last week when everyone praised him," he said. "We are looking for him to produce for the team and I am happy with the performance."
Chelsea began to turn the screw as the clock ticked on, seizing control and dominating possession. Juan Mata tested Ruddy on a couple of occasions, and the midfielders tried their luck. First Raul Meireles swept a shot just over the bar. Ramires then took aim with a piledriver that flew into Ruddy's midriff. Norwich's goalkeeper was equal to whatever Chelsea could summon, which in fairness was not that much.
All in all it was a disappointing day for Chelsea, who also lost Frank Lampard in the first half to a muscle tear in his calf. He went for an MRI scan to assess the extent of the damage. On the plus side Michael Essien got another run-out, and Gary Cahill, who wasn't selected, is expected to be ready to figure in the FA Cup game against QPR.
This was an opportunity for Chelsea to make some ground with the rest of the top five playing each other . "It could have been a good last opportunity to threaten for the title," admitted Villas-Boas. The manager scoffed at the suggestion that he should keep an eye on what is behind him in the league table, insisting, "No, I am not worried about finishing lower than fourth."
Norwich were entitled to savour a proud moment. Lambert tried to put the achievement into perspective: "Two years ago we were playing the likes of Yeovil and Stockport, with all due respect to them, and Chelsea have been in Champions League finals. That we are competing against them is incredible."
Late on Saturday night, Chelsea were drawn into another racial incident, after it emerged that some of their fans had allegedly been involved in racist chanting on a train back from Norwich.
A statement posted on the club's website said: "Chelsea Football Club is concerned to hear that a small number of fans travelling back by train from Norwich were alleged to be involved in racist chants and comment.
"We are working to help the relevant authorities identify those responsible and will take the strongest possible action should these allegations prove to be true.
"The club, like the overwhelming majority of our fans, strongly believe that all forms of discrimination are abhorrent and have absolutely no place in society."


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Telegraph:

Norwich City 0 Chelsea 0: match report
By Duncan White, Carrow Road

Andre Villas-Boas keeps playing possum. On Boxing Day, the prognosis for Chelsea’s title challenge was dire and after defeat at home to Aston Villa on New Year’s Eve their prospects looked about as promising as those of a man paddling off into the North Sea in his canoe. Turns out, of course, that the Canoe Man was alive and well and living next door. And Chelsea were still secretly in the hunt. In fact this game was Chelsea’s final chance. Now it is definitely dead. Sort of.
“This could have been a good last opportunity to threaten for this title,” Villas-Boas said, before contradicting himself with a flicker of optimism. “We will have to see whether this has been a point gained or two points dropped.”
He went on to clarify that this really was it, however, but that this January concession would not affect his players’ attitude. “I have been saying it for quite some time,” he said. “It is nothing new. We have not found the winning consistency to make this a little bit more of a title challenge. There is not going to be any lack of ambition and motivation. You might speculate that we might not find the right motivation but there is always motivation when you play for a top club.”
There is, of course, plenty of the season to go and, as with villains in a horror film, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini will only rest when the credits start to roll. It is not over, as the stale cliché goes, until the fat lady sings.
Another cliché tells us that inside every fat man there is a thin man struggling to get out. Well, inside Fernando Torres there is a world-class goalscorer wriggling like hell, desperate to find the exit. This game was another fruitless struggle. If Chelsea’s title keeps being announced prematurely dead, then so is Torres’ emergence from his arid goalless trough. He has now gone more than 15 hours without scoring and was taken off after another impotent afternoon.
Just as at Sunderland, though, there were moments in which you recognised something of the old vim, in a weaving run from deep or in his improvised shot, with the outside of the boot, which drew a brilliant save out of John Ruddy.
There were, also, less dignified moments.Norwich had not kept a clean sheet in a single game this season and surely Carrow Road would provide fertile territory. Time and again, Torres was suffocated by Norwich’s central defensive pairing of Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala. The latter had doubtless had the fear of God put into him by his countryman during Melwood training sessions at Liverpool, but this was a very different story.
The replay moment came with an hour played. Torres had grown more and more frustrated as the game wore on but suddenly he had his chance. Jose Bosingwa had found some space on the right and his low cross worked its way to Torres’ feet. There was a moment’s pause as he trapped the ball. Surely a goal. But Torres toe-poked the ball past the near post.
“He tried really hard and he met with an excellent save from Ruddy in the first half,” Villas-Boas said. “His movement was sharp and effective and he was trying hard to get the goals he wants. He has persisted during all these weeks. We cannot be hypocrites and not take into account what he did against Sunderland after which everybody praised him for the arrival of his form.”
After an even first half, in which Norwich’s Anthony Pilkington was the outstanding performer, Paul Lambert’s side began to tire and Chelsea to dominate. Yet with Frank Lampard having left the field after 35 minutes with a torn calf muscle, Chelsea were short of players to exploit the gaps opening up. Lampard will undergo a scan to discover the severity of the tear.
When Chelsea did manage to get around the Norwich defence, they found Ruddy defiant and, when Juan Mata seemed finally to have beaten the goalkeeper, his shot clipped the outside of a post.
Most of Norwich’s best work had come before the break. Lambert had made his intentions fairly clear, dropping the impishly-inventive Wes Hoolahan for the barrel-chested battering ram of Grant Holt in partnership with the equally-imposing Steve Morison. Holt gave Petr Cech some moments of panic while Bradley Johnson’s shot, which deflected off John Terry, almost wrong-footed the Chelsea goalkeeper.
That Lambert had gone with both his powerful strikers made the decision to omit new signing Gary Cahill seem a little curious — Cahill has a great leap and is very competitive in the aerial challenge — but as Villas-Boas pointed out, there is no point throwing somebody in before they have “assimilated the basic principles” of the way he organises his team.
And David Luiz performed perfectly creditably alongside John Terry anyway.
While Raul Meireles should have been punished for handball on the edge of his own box and Norwich argued that Mark Clattenburg was overly-officious in not letting them take a quick free-kick – Holt putting Pilkington clean through – the final whistle was greeted as if this were a victory. It was a reward for the incredible work ethic of these Norwich players.


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Mirror:

Norwich 0-0 Chelsea:
By Dave Smith

Norwich recorded their first clean sheet of the season to frustrate Chelsea and all but extinguish the Blues’ title hopes.
Blues striker Fernando Torres failed to find the target for the 11th game on the trot, and he squandered a couple of decent chances to end the drought.
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is playing down his club’s chances of competing with the Manchester giants for the Premier League title.
He admitted: “This could have been our last ­opportunity. It is not a bad point given Norwich’s form, but it’s not so good in terms of the title.
“We will have to wait and see what happens in the Sunday games. We created enough chances to win the game and we were dominant in the second half, but we just could not find the net.
“The players’ work rate was fantastic and they tried hard to get the winner, but couldn’t find it.” The ­Chelsea boss was keen to give encouragement to Torres.
He added: “He has had a major impact on our offensive game. We are not just looking for him to find the net, but to contribute to the team and he is doing that.
“He had good praise after the Sunderland game and he has been doing excellent things for the team.”
Passing and moving is the name of the game for Norwich and Chelsea, and it made for fascinating viewing as the game ebbed and flowed.
Chelsea were almost caught on the hop in the 10th minute when Canaries striker Grant Holt shot just wide.
Torres’ critics have been lining up to take pop shots at the Spaniard.
To his credit, though, Torres never stops working and continues to look more and more like his old self. It’s just that final touch which is missing.
Even though things weren’t going for Torres in an ­attacking sense, there was no doubting his desire to help out when they were on the back foot.
The marksman had one clear chance to end his barren spell but his tentative effort with the outside of his foot was turned wide by John Ruddy in the Norwich goal.
From the corner Daniel Sturridge hammered a shot over the bar, and it was beginning to look like one of those days for Chelsea. Even more so when, with just 35 minutes on the clock, Frank Lampard pulled up with a calf injury and limped off.
The England midfielder looked totally dismayed and frustrated as he left the scene. And Norwich kept battling.
Andrew Surman set up a chance for Bradley Johnson, whose shot was half blocked by John Terry before keeper Petr Cech cleared.
Juan Mata was beginning to have more and more of an influence on the game as the first half wore on and went close on two occasions just before the break.
But for all his hard work and endeavour, Torres was still lacking conviction in front of goal and he ­squandered a great chance on the hour-mark. There was a distinct lack of confidence in the strike he poked wide, prompting caustic chants of ‘what a waste of money’ from the Norwich fans.
The Canaries’ followers were howling for a penalty soon after, but ref Mark Clattenburg shied away from making another controversial decision.
There was certainly a hint of handball from Raul Meireles, who was then involved in a key moment at the other end of the field, firing over from the edge of the box.
Chelsea looked the more threatening in the closing stages and Ruddy was called on to make a couple of saves before, inevitably, Torres was substituted after 76 minutes, replaced by Romelu Lukaku.
In his absence Mata went close for the visitors and ­Ashley Cole also chanced his arm as Chelsea stepped up their bid for the winner.
But the Canaries held out for a draw which was celebrated like a win by the home fans.
Norwich boss Paul Lambert was full of praise for his men.
The Scot said: “They have earned the right to play against the best and I am delighted with what they have achieved. The fact we have our first clean sheet against such a top team is great.”


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Mail:

Norwich 0 Chelsea 0:
Taxi for Torres! After more than 15 hours without a goal should Chelsea cut their losses?
By ROB DRAPER

The statistics have become wearily familiar. It is 919 minutes - more than 15 hours - since he scored for club or country and he has gone 16 games, including 11 Premier League matches, without a goal.
But raw numbers never do justice to the pathos of the situation. Only watching a dignified man, who once could claim to be among the world's best at his trade, trudge slowly from a football ground faraway from home as a gleeful mob chant 'What a waste of money!' can summon up the pitiful nature of Fernando Torres's plight.
In nine days' time we will register the anniversary of that sensational £50million move from Liverpool to Chelsea, which will provoke another flurry of debate as to whether this is the worst signing of all time.
Andriy Shevchenko's £31m move is beginning to look not such bad business after all and Garry Birtles' reputation is redeemed with every simple chance that Torres misses.
Yesterday's was not on the scale of the open goal he spurned in front of the Stretford End nor as poor as his slice from close range at Blackburn. But it was bad and no amount of decent movement and willing running can atone for that.
Chelsea dropped points in a game which Andre Villas-Boas said 'could have been a last opportunity for us to threaten for this title'. And Torres missed the simplest chance of the day, on the hour and from eight yards out.
Jose Bosingwa cut to the byline and pulled it back only for Torres to prod the ball wide with his toe. In mitigation, there was very little space to shoot as Daniel Ayala and Zak Whitbread rushed to close him down.
But he should have scored and, on the touchline, Villas-Boas exploded with frustration, clutching his head and turning away in despair.
Around Carrow Road, they roared at the reprieve but, in reality, there was little to celebrate, other than from a partisan point of view.
For watching Torres at present is like being a voyeur at an unpleasant reality TV show, as you view a man's confidence disintegrate before being invited to pass comment.
It is true, as Villas-Boas later said, that elements of his game remain admirable.
He forced a fine save from the superb John Ruddy on 27 minutes and who could forget the exquisite technique he produced last weekend to set up Chelsea's winner? But he had also preceded yesterday's miss with a wayward shot one minute earlier and there are too many times when he seems to cut wide and look for a pass where once he would have headed for goal.
'We can't be hypocrites and not take into account last week, what he did against Sunderland, when everyone praised him for his arrival of form,' said Villas-Boas.
'He couldn't find the back of the net but we are not looking just for that, we are looking for him to produce for the team.
'He has persisted during all these weeks. I think he collided with an excellent save from Ruddy in the first half but his movements again were sharp and effective. We're happy with his play.'
Others were culpable, too, and this game, an entertaining one given the lack of goals, had much more to it than the Fernando horror show.
Norwich started brightly and only a superb tackle by Ramires prevented Steve Morison scoring on seven minutes, while Grant Holt then beat David Luiz but pulled his shot just wide.
Luiz went on to redeem himself, coping admirably with the excellent Holt, having managed to keep £7m signing Gary Cahill out of the team. Indeed, Cahill did not even make the bench, with Villas-Boas saying he needs time to integrate.
It was the second half when Chelsea - and Ruddy - came into their own. In fact, Ruddy's finest save possibly came when denying Juan Mata from close range after a glorious sweeping move on 62 minutes. Florent Malouda, on when Frank Lampard sustained a calf injury after 36 minutes, drove a fierce, curling shot over and Ramires had a strike well saved by Ruddy.
Chelsea could break neither Ruddy nor his chief lieutenants, Ayala and Whitbread. It was a minor triumph for some, but not for Norwich manager Paul Lambert.
'I can understand people saying it's a terrific result, which it is, because two years ago we were playing Yeovil, Walsall and Stockport and, no disrespect to those teams, now we're competing with Chelsea, who have been in a Champions League final,' he stated.
However, the Scot prefaced that by saying: 'You don't want to draw. You want to win.'
Nevertheless, his admirable team are edging ever closer towards 39 points, so at least there was something to cheer. Just not for the most expensive player on the pitch.


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People:

Norwich 0-0 Chelsea: Blues held as Torres draws another blan
by Dave Kidd

THERE are plenty of barn doors round these here parts – yet Fernando Torres still couldn’t hit one.
Norwich may have taken the Premier League by storm but they had yet to keep a clean sheet in any competition all season.
Send, then, for the most expensive striker in the history of British football and it was always a safe bet that little run would come to an end.
Torres works hard – he even pops up at left-back to make important tackles – but for £50million, Chelsea demand goals.
And as the anniversary of his move from Liverpool approaches, the Spaniard has netted just three times in the league and seems stifled by timidity in front of goal.
Lingering
Torres was presented with probably the best chance of the match just before the hour mark, but prodded wide from a Jose Bosingwa cross.
He has not scored in 11 Premier League appearances and was subbed for the raw Romelu Lukaku 13 minutes from time. Even the absence of Didier Drogba, on international duty, has failed to ignite him.
And Stamford Bridge boss Andre Villas-Boas admitted that his side’s failure to nail three points here, having dominated the second half, is likely to have extinguished any lingering title hopes.
They are left to cling on for fourth spot, and their record of being London’s top side for the ­previous seven seasons is under threat from Tottenham.
A point at Carrow Road is nothing to be ashamed about – although this was the first time Norwich have taken anything from a clash with a top-five side since their return to the Premier League. On the plus side for AVB, David Luiz came through with flying colours in what was billed as a potential battering from Grant Holt and Steve Morison, two strikers built like village blacksmiths.
Juan Mata sparkled at times but, without a goal-scorer to profit from his artful work, his efforts were in vain.
Frank Lampard limped off in the first half with a torn calf muscle – but Michael Essien is closing on full fitness, which will lift the Blues.
Norwich chief Paul Lambert dropped his most creative force in Wes Hoolahan and the home side were unable to provide enough ammunition for their barnstorming front two – both recruited from the Football League but boasting scoring records which shame Torres.
Norwich began brightly, Petr Cech saving Anthony Pilkington’s angled shot and Ramires blocking Morison’s effort from the rebound.
Holt then collected a pass from Morison, twisted past Luiz and shot narrowly wide.
Yet that was as bad as it got for the Brazilian, whose starting position is now under threat from Gary Cahill, and who was expected to struggle against the brawn of Norwich’s strike force.
When Torres was first sent clear of the Norwich defence by Mata, he dallied and fed Sturridge when he might have chanced his arm. The Spaniard’s best moment arrived on 27 minutes when he conjured a curling shot, forcing John Ruddy to tip it wide.
Lampard limped off soon after, replaced by the ineffectual Florent Malouda, and Norwich continued to threaten – a deflected Bradley Johnson effort and a cross-shot from Holt both forcing decent saves from Cech.
Mata continued to enchant, having a deflected shot smothered by Ruddy, then slipping past two defenders and firing over in first-half injury-time.
Banjo
The big moment arrived for Torres just before the hour, when Bosingwa picked him out with a low right-wing centre, but he failed to hit the target.
Even with his countryman Roberto Ayala blocking out a little daylight, Torres should have done better.
Norwich called for a penalty when Raul Meireles handled but the incident, missed by ref Mark Clattenburg, occurred just outside the box.
Meireles thumped a 20-yarder just over before Ramires and Mata both further stretched Ruddy.
Norwich were the happier side with the point but as the Chelsea bus meandered back through East Anglia’s rural landscape, none of the cow’s backsides would have twitched, even if Torres had wielded a banjo at them

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Sun:

Norwich 0 Chelsea 0
By TOM BARCLAY

FERNANDO TORRES saw his Chelsea torment continue as he failed to score for a 15th successive game.
The Spaniard looked lively in this stalemate with Norwich but he missed a sitter in the second half and was substituted with the scoreline still level.
For Paul Lambert's side, it was another good result to continue their wonderful season back in the top flight while Blues boss Andre Villa-Boas was left frustrated.
Canaries keeper and man of the match John Ruddy said: "You know you are going to come up against a team who will create chances when you play Chelsea, but the game plan worked again and we've got a very good point.
"I had a torrid time last time (against Chelsea) but it was a great team effort from the lads today.
"As long as we're picking up points (the lack of clean sheets) it isn't a problem but clean sheets make that easier."
Striker Grant Holt added: "This is a massive result. We talked all week about getting tight and showing them wide and we managed to do that."
New Chelsea signing Gary Cahill was surprisingly left out of the squad as AVB revealed the ex-Bolton stopper has not yet "been integrated into the team system".
There was very little between the two sides in the opening stages with both teams moving the ball well.
Norwich's bruising double act of Steve Morison and Holt showed they can both play a bit too with ex-Millwall man Morison turning to play in Holt who shot just wide.
Torres had a much better game against Sunderland last week and looked sharp early on at Carrow Road too.
The Spaniard was a whisker away from finishing off a fine Blues move — started by an audacious bit of skill by David Luiz in his own box — but his curling effort was superbly tipped wide by Ruddy.
Bradley Johnson then had a tame shot from distance which almost fooled Petr Cech after a wicked deflection, but the Czech stopper got down well.
Juan Mata should have given Chelsea the lead on the stroke of half-time as he escaped a Norwich challenge and cut into the box only for to lift his shot over the bar.
And there was still time before the interval for the Blues to miss another good chance as Torres sent in an inviting cross for substitute Florent Malouda.
But the Frenchman, who had come on for the injured Frank Lampard, decided to wait for the ball to reach him instead of attacking it and the ball was cleared.
Astonishingly, there were no fouls in the first half but that was quickly put to rights as Morison took down Raul Meireles within 76 seconds of the restart.
Chelsea picked up the pace in the second half with Luiz firing in a shot from distance before Torres missed a sitter.
Daniel Sturridge got in down the right with a neat bit of skill and sent in a cross which Torres controlled before toe poking just wide from eight yards.
Mata came close moments later as Sturridge played him in down the left, but his firm shot at the near post was well stopped by Ruddy.
Chelsea were coming closer and closer to breaking the deadlock as Raul Meireles fizzed a shot over the bar and Ramires hit a sumptuous volley straight into Ruddy's arms.
Torres' nightmare was ended on 77 minutes when he was hooked for Romelu Lukaku.
The Spaniard has now failed to hit the back of the net for the 15th successive game — his worst run in England.
And the Belgian sub made an instant impact with a lung-busting run down right before Mata almost sneaked a shot in at the near post.
But ultimately Norwich managed to hang on for a share of the points as AVB rued his side's missed chances and two points dropped.

Norwich: Ruddy, Martin, Whitbread, Ayala, Naughton, Fox (Crofts 79), Johnson, Pilkington, Surman (Bennett 90), Morison (Jackson 79), Holt. Subs Not Used:Steer,Drury,Hoolahan,Wilbraham.
Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Lampard (Malouda 37), Meireles (Essien 79), Sturridge, Torres (Lukaku 77), Mata. Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Ivanovic, Romeu, Bertrand.
Att: 26,792
Ref: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).

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Express:

NORWICH CITY 0 - CHELSEA 0: FORGET THE TITLE RACE, CHELSEA
By Jim Holden

THE agony was etched on the face of Fernando Torres as he missed yet another shocking sitter in his season of despair.
He had stabbed wide from just eight yards when in the centre of the goalmouth and with clear sight of the net. Glory be, it was hopeless.
It was the kind of chance Torres buried with ease throughout his stellar career before joining Chelsea a year ago in a £50million transfer.
Now it’s the kind he always fluffs. At the moment scoring even the simplest goal seems completely beyond the Spaniard – and his nightmare howler midway through the second half yesterday cost Chelsea two valuable points in the battle raging between four clubs for the lucrative fourth place position that entitles entry to the Champions League. How are the mighty fallen.
It is not just Torres who is fading fast. So are Chelsea as a team, now unable to impose themselves on mid-table opponents and with every reason, like Arsenal, to fear where the season might be heading.
It is not towards a credible title challenge.
Manager Andres Villas-Boas claims he is unconcerned, saying emphatically: “No, I’m not worried about finishing lower than fourth.”
To which the only reasonable response is: Well, you should be.
The reality of Chelsea’s concern was clear in the way Villas-Boas reacted with raging disbelief on the touchline to that glaring miss by Torres which prompted inevitable chants of “What a waste of money” from the Norwich supporters.
The reality was on show again when the manager decided to substitute the Spanish striker rather than the equally ineffective Daniel Sturridge 15 minutes from time. The reason given – that Torres was “tired after trying very hard” – was as lame as can be.
Villas-Boas reckons Chelsea’s problem is merely “inefficiency” in front of goal – a failure to take chances. But it’s surely more than that. For most of this contest there was a lack of zip in the team’s play, sometimes a lack of intelligence, and certainly a lack of confidence. You could see that the first time Torres had a sniff of the ball in the Norwich penalty area in the 12th minute. He was half a yard clear in the box, and at his peak there would have been an instant decisive movement towards goal and a rasping shot.
Here he took the unselfish option, in reality the fearful option, and played a square pass in the hope of setting up Sturridge. It didn’t work. It was a cop-out.
The one time that Torres trusted his instincts and stabbed in a first-time shot, he was denied by a good save from Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy.
Torres has now failed to score in his last 11 PremierLeague games, a drought that is more than three months long. He is scampering around in the most expensive wilderness in football history.
It wasn’t just the lack of a goal yesterday. The longer thematch went, the more visibly his confidence drained. It was a sorry sight. The substitution was a kindness when it came, and nobody in the ground expected anything else.
If the draw meant dismay for Chelsea, the final whistle was greeted with wild cheers by the home fans. They are still new enough to the Premier League to relish not losing to a major team.
For Norwich, superbly well-drilled by manager Paul Lambert, it was a first clean sheet of the season. They defended with diligence, and Ruddy confirmed his emergence as a goalkeeper of stature with some stout saves to keep out shots from Juan Mata and Ramires.
The home team had their opportunities in the first half, with Grant Holt forcing a fine leaping save from Chelsea keeper Petr Cech, who also reacted well to stop a deflected drive from Bradley Johnson.
“It was a huge point for us,” said Lambert afterwards.
“I thought we were excellent at the back, and there are no apologies from me for our strong defending in the second half. It’s encouraging to get a clean sheet against a team like Chelsea. We are improving with each game and getting used to the demands of the Premier League.”
A curiosity was that referee Mark Clattenburg did not whistle for a single foul in the first half. It reflected the desire of both teams to play decent football, but also the way careless passes from both sides surrendered possession too easily.
Chelsea had surprised some observers by leaving out new signing Gary Cahill, the England central defender. It seemed to give a spur to the much-criticised David Luiz, who played with style and strength to subdue Norwich dangerman Grant Holt.
A concern for Villas-Boas was Frank Lampard suffering a calf injury that could keep out the England midfielder for a few weeks.

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Star:

NORWICH CITY 0 - CHELSEA 0: MORE PAIN FOR FLOP FERNAN-DOH!
By Peter Layton

CHELSEA missed a golden chance to close the gap on the leaders as Fernando Torres’ Premier League drought goes on.
The Spain striker has not scored in the league since he netted against Swansea on September 24 and Norwich stopper John Ruddy played a blinder to ensure his nightmare run continues.
Paul Lambert’s side kept their first clean sheet of the season to stop Chelsea from making up ground on Man City, United and Spurs, who all play today
Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas takes his team to Majorca this week for a bonding break – but it was Norwich who were supposed to get the tanning.
But brilliant Canary keeper Ruddy and his back four covered themselves in glory to rip up the script.
And £50million flop Torres found himself in the ­firing-line again after missing a 60th-minute sitter that should have wrapped up the points.
The striker had the goal at his mercy when right-back Jose Bosingwa’s cross fell perfectly at his feet – but he somehow scuffed wide from six yards.
If Torres can’t hit a barn door in Norfolk then he really has got problems.
AVB said: “Torres tried really hard and his movement was sharp. He isn’t getting the goals he wants but he is playing a major part in our performances.
“This could have been our last chance to challenge for the title, we will have to wait and see. But if the top teams win on Sunday then it will be a big margin for us to make up.”
Norwich boss Lambert said: “It’s very satisfying to get our first clean sheet, especially for Ruddy.
“But everybody put their bodies on the line and it was a huge point for us. Considering we were playing Stockport two years ago, it’s amazing that we are now competing with Chelsea.”
The Blues, chasing four successive wins for the first time under their Portugese boss, took complete control from the start and Norwich had to survive an early siege.
American central defender Zak Whitbread ­acrobatically cleared a dangerous Daniel Sturridge cross into the heart of the Canary box and Torres ­almost capitalised on a John Terry long ball from the back that had the Norwich defence fretting.
But the home side then almost cashed in on a swift sixth-minute counter-attack that saw right winger Anthony Pilkington bursting past England left-back ­Ashley Cole to the by-line.
Pilkington’s powerful cut back was only half cleared by goalkeeper Petr Cech but midfielder Ramires dived in bravely to deflect the ball for a corner with Steve Morison poised to pull the trigger.
The game was wide open with both teams looking to attack at every opportunity and Spanish midfielder Juan Mata then threatened with a left-foot volley inches over the bar from a Frank Lampard corner.
Torres was causing Norwich problems with his ­inventive runs and one stunning 27th-minute cameo suggested that the Spanish star was slowly getting back to his best.
The hitman darted inside Whitbread on to a pinpoint Ramires pass into the box and then speared an instant shot goalwards with the outside of his right boot that had Ruddy sprawling full length to fingertip the ball wide.
Chelsea then lost Lampard with what looked like a hamstring injury just after the half hour – a massive loss considering the Chelsea midfielder’s last four goals had all been match winners.
AVB simply sent on Florent Malouda though and the Blues barely missed a beat with Ruddy forced to save heroically at the feet of Torres and then make another crucial stop to deny Mata just seconds later.
After successive away wins Norwich were after three top flight victories in a row for the first time since 1993.
But the visitors continued to dominate after the break and Norwich were chasing shadows for most of the second half with Raul Meireles blazing over and Ruddy making saves from Mata, Ramires and Malouda.
But Torres’ miss was the killer and he has now gone an incredible 17 games for Chelsea and Spain without finding the net.


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