Barclays Premier League
Gareth Davis reports from Pride Park Stadium

Goals in either half from Saloman Kalou and Shaun Wright-Phillips sent Derby to defeat at home to Chelsea but the Rams' performance restored plenty of pride.

Billy Davies's boys were greatly improved from the 5-0 beating by West Ham before the international break and gave their illustrious visitors plenty to think about at times.

Kalou's finish on 16 minutes opened the scoring and Chelsea were in cruise-control before the break but after half-time it was a different story.

Derby came out fighting and Craig Fagan forced Carlo Cudicini into a fine save before Wright-Phillips doubled the lead after a move that started controversially.

Steve Howard could have pulled one back, while the visitors ended up with only ten men as substitute Michael Essien was dismissed in stoppage-time for swinging an arm at Kenny Miller.

Stephen Pearson was a surprise absentee as the Rams lined up to take on two-times champions Chelsea at Pride Park.

The Scottish international had picked up an injury in training on Friday and his place in the side was taken by David Jones, while Dean Leacock and Claude Davis also returned.

Chelsea were able to bring John Terry and Ashley Cole back into their side after injury, and though Didier Drogba was ruled out by a calf problem the visitors called upon £30m striker Andriy Shevchenko.

Derby had the ball in the Chelsea box a couple of times early on but they had a scare on five minutes as Frank Lampard freed Salomon Kalou down the left.

The Ivory Coast star cut in along the byline and fired over a powerful cross that Stephen Bywater did well to palm away to safety.

Derby were enjoying plenty of possession though every time Chelsea did get the ball you could see the class that comes from a team of multi-million pound players.

Terry broke up an attack on 14 minutes and strode forward, slipping the ball to Mikel who in turn knocked it on for Frank Lampard, but the England man's 25-yarder was safely over the bar.

And the opening goal duly arrived a couple of minutes later.

Mikel and Lampard were again involved but it was Steve Sidwell with the final pass, a clever ball from just outside the box that allowed Kalou to take aim and slide his finish neatly past Bywater.

It certainly quietened the Pride Park crowd down after what had been a loud first quarter-hour.

Jones had Derby's second shot of the evening - coming after Leacock's earlier effort bounced safely wide - but his attempt was blocked at source on the edge of the box.

The ball rolled out to Jay McEveley who took aim from fully 30 yards but never threated Carlo Cudicini's goal.

Shaun Wright-Phillips moved from the right to the left on 29 and came inside Andy Griffin before forcing Bywater into an excellent save from his powerful effort.

The England man made ground a few minutes later and though his shot deflected wide for a corner, Chelsea failed to make the most of the set-piece.

Chelsea really should have doubled their lead on 38.

Wright-Phillips was again on the left and he crossed deep to the far post, where Shevchenko looked ready to pounce, but Davis got there first.

Unfortunately the Jamaican's clearing header only ended up six yards out from goal, right in the centre, where the on-rushing Kalou somehow managed to blaze his effort well over the bar.

Half-time came and went with no change to the scoreline or either set of players.

Giles Barnes soon broke forward though and lifted the home fans once again with a storming run that ended with Craig Fagan smashing the ball across goal from wide on the right.

It was one of those deliveries that cried out for just a touch to poke it home, but nothing was forthcoming.

Lampard, taking some frightful stick from the Derby fans in the south-east corner, almost silenced his hecklers with a powerful free-kick on 48 minutes that Bywater pushed around the post.

Cudicini was forced into his first save of the evening on 51 minutes.

Darren Moore pinged a lovely ball out to Barnes, and his ball to Jones gave the returning midfielder a perfect opportunity to slide in Fagan.

The former Hull man turned sharply inside the box and smashed a shot goalwards that Cudicini beat away.

There were handball appeals as the ball was returned into the box but rerefee Andre Marriner was unmoved.

Derby's tempo had been far higher since the interval - when they had the ball they moved it around quicker and when they didn't, they were snapping into their challenges.

Indeed, Derby had the ball in the back of the net on 64 minutes through Miller but the whistle had already gone to bring play back for offside.

However Chelsea doubled their lead on 72 though the goal left a bitter taste in the Rams' mouth.

Shevchenko won the ball in midfield from Barnes, though it was a tackle from behind that left the Derby man prone on the floor.

It broke to Lampard, who pushed forward and cut inside before smashing a shot against the post.

It rebounded out, leaving Wright-Phillips the task of finishing from close-range.

Barnes wasn't able to continue and was helped hobbling from the field, his place taken by Steve Howard, while the visitors introduced Michael Essien for Sidwell.

Derby roared back and Miller rounded Cudicini only to see Tal Ben-Haim block his cross in front of goal, though there was no doubting their task had just become infinitely more difficult.

It could have been on again with eight remaining. Miller found some space on the right and lifted over a lovely cross that Howard met, but under pressure from Ben-Haim the number nine could only direct his header past the post.

Benny Feilhaber returned to first-team action soon afterwards as he took over in midfield from Oakley, with Moore handed the captain's armband.

And it was time for Robert Earnshaw on 85 as he replaced Fagan.

Feilhaber threatened from distance with virtually the last kick of the game, though his shot came after the visitors had been reduced to ten men as Essien saw red for needlessly swinging an arm at Miller.

Derby's wait for a goal goes on but their performance will have restored plenty of pride following the disappointment against West Ham a fortnight ago.

DERBY: Bywater, McEveley, Leacock, Jones, Oakley (C) (Feilhaber 83), Fagan, Miller, Griffin, Davis, Moore, Barnes (Howard 73).

SUBS: Price (GK), Mears.

CHELSEA: Cudicini, A Cole, Shevchenko, Lampard (Pizarro 89), Sidwell (Essien 73), Mikel, Kalou, Ben-Haim, Wright-Phillips, Terry (C), Belletti.

SUBS: Hilario (GK), J Cole, Alex.

ATTENDANCE: 32,789 (3,120 visiting fans).