Middlesbrough 2-1 ChelseaÂ
By Saj ChowdhuryÂ
www.bbc.co.ukMark Viduka scored a stoppage-time goal to give Middlesbrough a win at the expense of Premiership champions Chelsea at The Riverside.
Viduka picked up Yakubu's pass on the edge of the six-yard area to rifle past Carlo Cudicini.
Andriy Shevchenko scored his first Premiership goal to give Chelsea the lead, poking home Wayne Bridge's cross.
Middlesbrough's Emanuel Pogatetz headed in the equaliser in the second half from Fabio Rochemback's free-kick.
There was just about enough to suggest at The Riverside that Chelsea could find themselves in a pickle on more than one occasion this season.
Gareth Southgate's Middlesbrough came close to showing why that might be the case early in the match.
Gaizka Mendieta, with a low shot, Chris Rigott and Yakubu, with headers, all went close to giving the Teessiders an early and deserved lead.
Jose Mourinho's Blues were handicapped, in relative terms, prior to kick-off when Arjen Robben suffered a calf injury in the warm-up.
New signing Salomon Kalou was brought into the starting XI and looked very lively, although he did come up against a very inexperienced Middlesbrough back four.
The Ivory Coast international came within inches of opening his league account, but failed to get on the end of his fellow compatriot Didier Drogba's cross.
Drogba and his new striking partner Shevchenko appeared to be competing against each other, rather than aiming to forge a solid bond between themselves.
If that was the case, then the Ukrainian came out on top. He opened his account in the Premiership after Boro wasted their three early chances.
The move itself was a peach. Bridge, who had his second successive impressive game, sped down the left and exchanged passes with Michael Essien before rifling in a low cross that Shevchenko got to ahead of Boro's George Boateng.
Shevchenko was very good and a joy to watch. Most of what he did was clever without over-playing and when he did come under a challenge, there were no histrionics.
His best moment was not the goal, but when he raced down the left and delivered a superb ball for Frank Lampard whose tame header rebounded off the post and to safety.
Lampard had been quiet until then and did not have his best game - neither did his fellow midfielders.
They should have killed off the match, but failed to.
That allowed Middlesbrough to rediscover the early belief they had.
The arrival of teenager midfielder Lee Cattermole and striker Mark Viduka appeared to change the game for Southgate's side.
Their endeavour drove their team-mates forward and with 10 minutes left Middlesbrough's efforts were rewarded.
A free-kick from the left edge of the penalty area was whipped in and met brilliantly by Pogatetz.
A draw would have been seen as a victory for Boro, but they wanted more - after all, how many times does a team have the chance to beat the all-conquering Chelsea?
So in the depths of injury time, Viduka made sure he was first to pick up a knee pass from team-mate Yakubu.
He swivelled on a sixpence and sent the home support at The Riverside wild.
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Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Davies (Cattermole 61), Riggott, Pogatetz, Taylor, Parnaby, Mendieta (Viduka 72), Boateng, Rochemback, Downing, Yakubu.
Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Morrison, McMahon.
Booked: Parnaby, Boateng.
Goals: Pogatetz 80, Viduka 90.
Chelsea: Cudicini, Paulo Ferreira, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Bridge, Essien, Makelele (Wright-Phillips 84), Lampard, Shevchenko, Drogba, Kalou.
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Boulahrouz, Mikel, Diarra.
Booked: Drogba, Paulo Ferreira.
Goals: Shevchenko 16.
