Chelsea held on to a 1-1 draw with Manchester City this afternoon to preserve their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

The hosts took the lead five minutes before half time as Loic Remy tapped home from close range after good build-up play from Branislav Ivanovic and Eden Hazard.

City were back level before the interval, however, as David Silva slid in to divert Sergio Aguero's shot into an unguarded net after a mistake from Thibaut Courtois.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at whether a draw between the two title rivals was the fair result.

Match statistics

CHELSEA
Shots: 3
On target: 2
Possession: 43%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 12

MAN CITY
Shots: 10
On target: 5
Possession: 57%
Corners: 8
Fouls: 14

Was the result fair?

There is no doubt that Chelsea will be the happier of the two teams with this result. Not only does a draw keep Man City at arm's length, but, the way that the match developed, the visitors will have felt that they should have won it. They just about edged the first half and were very much on top for long spells in the second 45 minutes, but they simply could not find that winning goal.

It seemed that Chelsea were happy to settle for a point throughout the second half, and they did not have a single shot on goal after Remy gave them the lead in the 41st minute. The statistics are all fairly heavily in City's favour, and Manuel Pellegrini will feel that this is a good chance missed to close the gap at the top to two points. The likes of Hazard, Remy and Oscar had very little impact on the second half as the hosts spent most of their time penned back in their own half.

Of course, a draw is not a terrible result for City and it is certainly preferable to slipping eight points behind the leaders, but they looked to have Chelsea on the ropes at times and will rue not making the most of that. They deserved to come away with three points from this match, but once again Chelsea found a way to eke out a draw.

Chelsea's performance

It is now four games since Chelsea were anywhere near their best, but their only defeat in that time came at the hands of Bradford City. Once again they were far short of their early-season selves this afternoon, with the midweek match against Liverpool having a visible effect on many of the players. They tired as the game progressed and the hosts were left hanging on at times in the second half.

Incredibly, their tally of just three shots is the lowest that they have mustered in a top-flight match since the 2003-04 season, and that speaks volumes about how they approached today. They were content with the draw throughout the second half and never really looked interested in going for the win. It is easy to understand Jose Mourinho's thinking as his side remain five points clear at the top, but there was a distinct lack of ambition from his side in the second period.

They will be the happier of these two sides with a point, but the dip in their level of performances may be beginning to worry Mourinho. He will be delighted to have held the champions to a draw considering they were without the likes of Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas, and had played 120 gruelling minutes on Tuesday, but, if they play at this level for the rest of the campaign, then they may not win the title.

Man City's performance

City have endured their own poor form recently, but this was a much more encouraging performance following defeats to Arsenal and Middlesbrough. The first half was a tight and largely even affair, but City just about edged it and can point to a golden Aguero chance as evidence that they should have perhaps taken a lead into the break. They need no more evidence than the balance of play when it comes to the second half, however, as they were asking all of the attacking questions and were the only side seemingly intent on winning the game.

The likes of Jesus Navas and James Milner were both influential after the break as City dominated proceedings, not allowing Chelsea to get out of their own half for long periods. The only thing missing for the visitors was a goal and they actually did not really create a good chance to get one. They had the better of things in terms of general play, but there could be an argument that they did not do enough to win this game.

There will not be many better times to play Chelsea, who are in relatively poor form and depleted by injuries, so this is a case of two points dropped for City. They may have played well this afternoon, but they have now gone four games without a victory and picked up just two points from the last nine on offer in the Premier League. It has been a costly January for Pellegrini's side, and they need to return to winning ways quickly if they are to catch Chelsea.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Nemanja Matic: Had Navas provided more of a telling final ball on a couple of occasions, he may well have won this award. However, the main reason that City were unable to break through despite their dominance in the second half was the presence of Nemanja Matic, who protected his defence well and quelled the influence of Silva for long spells. It was not Matic's best performance of the season, but he was still a key player for the hosts as they hung on.

Biggest gaffe

This one goes to a unlikely source: Courtois. The Chelsea goalkeeper has demonstrated a number of attributes during the season so far, and perhaps none have been more impressive than the command of his area when coming for crosses. It was a surprise, therefore, to see him fluff a punch straight to Aguero in the build-up to City's equaliser. His mistakes are few and far between, but that was a costly one.

Referee performance

Mark Clattenburg kept his cards in his pocket as much as possible today, only producing the yellow on two occasions. There were a number of niggly fouls here and there, but the referee kept a decent level of control over the game and can be pleased with his overall performance.

What next?

Chelsea: Chelsea will look to return to winning ways when they take on Aston Villa at Villa Park next Saturday.

Man City: City are also in action on Saturday as they host struggling Hull City at the Etihad Stadium, with both sides looking for a first win in five.