Chelsea had to settle for second place after playing out a 1-1 draw with Bolton in their final game.
Chelsea unable to finish season on winning note
Chelsea had to settle for second place in the Premier League after playing out a 1-1 draw with Bolton in their final game of the season.
John Terry was stretchered off after a collision with Petr Cech in only the tenth minute and the incident set the tone for a disappointing afternoon for Chelsea fans.
It grew steadily quieter on the terraces as news filtered through that Manchester United had taken the lead against Wigan, while Bolton were commendably committed as they restricted Chelsea to few clear chances.
The Blues were much stronger at the start of the second half and Florent Malouda forced Ali Al-Habsi into a stunning save with a spectacular effort from 25 yards.
Chelsea eventually broke through as Andrei Shevchenko scrambled the ball home after 62 minutes, but with United adding a second at the JJB Stadium their destiny was out of their hands.
It looked as though Avram Grant's side would at least finish level on points with United but deep into stoppage time Matt Taylor's shot found its way through a crowded penalty area and past Petr Cech.
Slow start
Chelsea began surprisingly slowly considering they knew a result better than United's at the end of the afternoon would see them crowned champions.
Bolton, with nothing but pride to play for, gave their hosts little room in midfield in the opening skirmishes.
But in the seventh minute, the title-chasers should have gone in front when Michael Ballack's low cross from the left found Didier Drogba at the far post.
However, instead of planting the ball into the net, the normally deadly Ivorian shot high and wide of the gaping target.
But with the game only 10 minutes old, Chelsea were dealt a major blow when Terry went down in agony clutching his arm.
The Blues captain received lengthy treatment on the pitch before he was replaced by right-back Juliano Belletti and early reports suggested he had partially dislocated his shoulder.
Chelsea continued to push for an opening goal but found Gary Megson's side in no mood to roll over.
Indeed, Bolton's Taylor underlined the threat the visitors posed at the other end when he fired a 30-yard drive just wide of Cech's left-hand upright.
The news of Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty at Wigan left the home fans even more subdued and Terry's loss had clearly unsettled Grant's side.
Gavin McCann became the second name in Chris Foy's book when he was adjudged to have fouled Ashley Cole. The booking appeared to be harsh as TV replays showed he won the ball fairly before colliding with Cole.
Chance
The free-kick, some 30-yards from goal, provided Frank Lampard with the chance to go one better than Drogba.
But the England midfielder smashed his effort straight into the Bolton wall and another opportunity to break the deadlock was lost.
Chelsea's frustration was growing but Bolton's rearguard refused to buckle.
Joe Cole worked wonders on the right flank to get free of Taylor but the England midfielder's cross lacked the accuracy required and it fell harmlessly onto the top of Ali Al Habsi's goal.
In the 42nd minute, a cross from Lampard was turned over the bar by Bolton's McCann as the Blues increased the pressure.
Moments later, another cross from Joe Cole was collected easily by the Bolton keeper and, not for the first time this season, the home side looked to have ran of ideas.
In an effort to re-ignite their title push, Grant replaced Claude Makelele with Shevchenko at the start of the second half.
The move was clearly designed to put more pressure on the Bolton defence and in the 46th minute Florent Malouda almost broke the deadlock.
The French winger let fly with a volley from fully 25-yards which Al-Habsi tipped against the crossbar.
Seconds later, Joe Cole got to the touchline and pulled the back for Malouda to try his luck again but this time his effort was deflected to safety.
But Chelsea were labouring in the heat. A 20-yard effort from Joe Cole was deflected over the crossbar in the 54th minute but, in the main, the home side were devoid of inspiration.
That fact was underlined by Ballack, who tried his luck from even greater distance three minutes later but he too found the upper tier behind Al Habsi's goal.
A fantastic run by Drogba almost brought them a goal on the hour when he left the Bolton defence trailing in his wake.
The Ivorian sped into the penalty area but Al-Habsi pulled off a remarkable save to keep the scores level and increase Chelsea's frustration.
Alert
The deadlock was finally broken moments later when Lampard's shot was turned home by the alert substitute Shevchenko.
But El Hadji Diouf almost grabbed an equaliser in the 65th minute but Cech was equal to the task.
Joe Cole almost added a second for the Blues in the 74th minute but his effort was punched clear by Al Habsi.
Bolton almost grabbed an equaliser when a Davies header came down off the crossbar and Ashley Cole cleared the ball off the line after it hit Stelios Giannakopoulos.
But the Chelsea fans realised it was not going to be their day when news of United's second goal from Ryan Giggs spread around the stadium.
Their despair was made worse in the dying seconds when Taylor shot through Alex's legs to level the scores and end Chelsea's hopes for good.
