A first-half own goal from Royals defender Ivar Ingimarsson gave the champions the points, but the injuries to Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini will be the game's main talking points. Cudicini took to the field after a prolonged delay, but he too was injured in the closing stages of the game after a reckless challenge from defender Ibrahima Sonko, forcing skipper John Terry to don gloves and hold out for the win. In addition to the serious injuries sustained by Chelsea's keepers, Nigerian midfielder Jon Obi Mikel and Reading defender Andre Bikey were both dismissed for two bookable offences.
When play resumed with Cudicini between the posts, Reading shaded the early exchanges with their ceaseless running and aggressive tackling, but Chelsea began to dominate the possession stakes, with Paulo Ferreira and Didier Drogba both going close for the west London side. However, it was the home team who carved out the first clear-cut chance when Hunt turned in the box to set Kevin Doyle up, only for the club's leading scorer to cannon his shot against Cudicini's left-hand post. The Premiership new boys were punished for their profligacy when on the stroke of half-time Frank Lampard won a dangerous free-kick after the first of many ungainly tackles from Sonko.
The England midfielder then promptly blasted his set piece against the defender, only for the ball to rebound off Ingimarsson and into Marcus Hahnemann's goal. Steve Coppell's players were full of energy after the restart, displaying the form that has seen them go three games at home unbeaten, and their cause was helped when Obi Mikel petulantly pulled Sonko's shirt, having already been carded for a late challenge on Leroy Lita in the first-half. But Chelsea often save their best performances when truly under pressure, and Terry and Khalid Boulahrouz, playing his first game at centre back, led the resistance with some stalwart defending.
Any hopes the home team had of denting the Blues' title bid were dampened however, when Bikey needlessly tugged Drogba and received his second yellow. At ten against ten the match continued at a high tempo, but Jose Mourinho's victory celebrations were marred by the injury to Cudicini, with the popular Italian receiving pitch side oxygen before being stretchered off in a neck brace.
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