Chelsea kept the heat on Premier League leaders Manchester United with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park on Thursday night.Michael Essien's crucial 41st-minute strike closed the gap on United to just two points, while Everton remain five points behind fourth-placed Liverpool after a gutsy effort on Merseyside.

Shaun Wright-Phillips wasted a glorious chance after 35 minutes when Salomon Kalou threaded a superb ball into the box for the winger to run onto.

Wright-Phillips needed to shoot first-time but dragged the ball round Tim Howard, and the chance was lost.

But five minutes before the break, Chelsea were ahead.

Neat passing involving Kalou, Essien and Wright-Phillips ended with the ball deflecting off Phil Jagielka, straight into the path of Essien.

The Ghanaian kept running and lifted the ball into the top corner of Howard's goal with clinical ease.

Everton - whose effort could not be criticised - improved after the break, but failed to cause the visitors any real problems in open play.

But Manuel Fernandes was inches away from a spectacular 67th-minute equaliser only for his free-kick from the edge of the box to flash the wrong side of the upright with Petr Cech beaten.

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