CITY earned a point at Fulham after Benjani's early goal was equalised by Jimmy Bullard's effort.

The Blues started well and went ahead after six minutes when Benjani headed in from a superb Pablo Zabaleta cross.

The home side struck back after 27 minutes when Bullard lashed a shot past Joe Hart.

This was a contest between two contrasting sides, with only Chelsea having scored more than City, and only one team - West Brom - having scored fewer than Fulham.

City were without top scorer Robinho, however, and also missed Micah Richards in defence, who failed to shake off an ankle injury.

For all Benjani’s power and Shaun Wright-Phillips’ trickery, City were not always convincing going forward in the absence of Robinho, showing little to suggest that strong competition awaits some of the grandiose names linked with January moves to the club.

It looked a different story early on, though, when Benjani outjumped and outmuscled Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland to head home Zabaleta’s cross in the sixth minute.

Dragged

Wright-Phillips had already run at the Fulham defence and dragged a shot wide before Benjani’s goal, and in the eighth minute Stephen Ireland fired wide following a poor punch from Schwarzer.

But Fulham began to find their feet and finally started to enjoy a spell of pressure midway through the first half, which told when Bullard smashed home the equaliser in the 27th minute following a slick build-up.

Dempsey played the ball up to Zamora on the right who held off the attentions of Dunne before skilfully playing in Bullard.

The former Wigan man took a touch to steady himself before rifling a shot across goal and in at the far post.

Minutes later Darius Vassell stung the palms of Schwarzer with a sharp turn and shot, and Dempsey had two good chances to put Fulham ahead shortly before the break.

The hosts then had a decent penalty shout when Richard Dunne appeared to have moved his arm towards the ball, but referee Rob Styles was unmoved.

Fulham started strongly in the second half, with Zamora, who has scored just one league goal all season, wasting two good chances.

City responded through the lively Zabaleta, who steamed into the box from the right flank and shot low across goal in the 54th minute, which Schwarzer did well to tip wide.

Bullard unleashed a piledriver from a 30-yard free-kick in the 66th minute which was tipped over the bar by Joe Hart, and from the resulting corner Zamora just failed to connect with a loose ball almost on the goal line.

Schwarzer was called into action late on, denying Zabaleta from close range after the right-back yet again powered into the box unchallenged.

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