Chelsea appeared to be watching the chance of piling even more anguish onto London rivals Arsenal disappear over the horizon as Middlesbrough clung onto a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge.

Frank Lampard, midweek European hero at Highbury, spurned a golden chance eight minutes from time when he fired wide from a low cross by Joe Cole who completed his first Premiership 90 minutes since moving from West Ham.

But nimble Boro also had a sting in the tail with Spaniard Gaizka Mendieta forcing deputy keeper Marco Ambrosio into a spectacular flying save to deny a curling free kick.

There was panic at the end as Boro clung to their point but they probably deserved it. Chelsea, without Damien Duff, Wayne Bridge and Scott Parker, were never quite good enough.

It seemed Arsenal's dramatic win over Liverpool 24 hours earlier had drawn much of Chelsea's sting. They started seven points behind the leaders with just seven games to go and their first half efforts seemed to suggest they regarded the task of confounding the Gunners again as unrealistic.

The first half had only neatness and industry to commend it.

Juninho spurned a good early chance for Boro when Ambrosio dropped a Szilard Nemeth cross, and Eidur Gudjohnsen hit a post for Chelsea when Lampard stood offside.

But it was centre half John Terry who looked the most dangerous home raider before the break - and showed the passion his team-mates could have used.

His header from a free kick forced a flying save by Mark Schwarzer and he also claimed handball against Ugo Ehiogu after another header from the resultant corner.

But Boro earned admirers with some disciplined defending and a handful of counter-raids.

Claudio Ranieri, a manager now apparently in the running for the Real Madrid job after spending the entire season under the shadow of the axe at Stamford Bridge, and Boro boss Steve McClaren had a cuddle on the touchline. It came after McClaren physically prevented William Gallas taking a throw-in until Massimo Maccarone had resumed his place on the field after sliding over the touchline in pursuit of the ball.

It was a nice moment - especially considering the rumours that McClaren was lined up as Sven-Goran Eriksson's number two if the Swede was recruited at Chelsea. And it also cut short some unrest in the crowd.

But it also betrayed a certain lack of edge in the game. Boro were able to settle fairly quickly and make Chelsea play in front of them rather than through them.

Maccarone had a chance on the counter, he took too long to find a shooting position and, jockeyed by Marcel Desailly, finally released a tame effort that slipped wide of the target.

Then Terry had to be determined to see off a raid by Nemeth from a Juninho pass at the expense of a corner just after the half-hour and the Chelsea crowd, so jubilant at the start, had gone fairly quiet.

Fair enough, Chelsea did their best to exert some pressure after the break and Boro, without injured England centre half Gareth Southgate, defended well.

But by far the most interesting aspects of the game was the arrival of Argentinian midfielder Veron and the fact that Joe Cole played his first full 90 minutes in the Premiership since his £7 million move in the summer from West Ham.

Veron replaced the injured Makelele - stretchered off after a clash with Mendieta after 56 minutes - and was just off target with two stunning efforts from outside the area.

But Lampard, equalising hero of the midweek triumph at Highbury, spurned a big chance eight minutes from time, failing to apply a routine finish to Cole's low cross from the left.

The two former Hammers combined sweetly but Lampard sidefooted wide when it

Teams

Chelsea: Ambrosio, Gallas, Desailly, Terry, Babayaro (Huth 73), Gronkjaer (Geremi 45), Lampard, Makelele (Veron 57), Cole, Hasselbaink, Gudjohnsen.

Subs Not Used: Sullivan, Crespo.

Booked: Huth.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Queudrue, Ehiogu, Cooper, Parnaby, Greening, Boateng, Mendieta, Nemeth (Ricketts 68), Juninho Paulista, Maccarone (Downing 75).

Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Ricardinho, Bates.

Booked: Boateng.

Att: 40,873

Ref: M Halsey (Lancashire).