News Articles http://forum.talkchelsea.net/index.php Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:50:45 +0000 10 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7843-chelsea-2-0-stoke/ Chelsea 2-0 Stoke City



Goals from Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba handed Chelsea a deserved victory over a resolute Stoke City, despite a Frank Lampard penalty miss.

The Blues were not quite at their imperious best but Carlo Ancelotti's side were able to dispose of a Stoke side who had been widely written off before a ball had even been kicked. And though ultimately the Midlanders were soundly beaten, Tony Pulis and his players will be proud of a resilient performance that limited the free-scoring champions to just the two goals.

Although it could have been more but for a combination of Thomas Sorensen and the Stoke crossbar; the Dane first saving a tamely-struck Lampard penalty before denying Didier Drogba and Daniel Sturridge with good saves in the second half, whilst a superb Ashley Cole volley rebounded off the woodwork with the Blues in the lead.

But Stoke offered more than both Wigan and West Bromwich Albion combined, with Petr Cech making a good save from Dean Whitehead's low effort, whilst Glen Whelan's deflected effort hit the crossbar with the Czech custodian well-beaten.

The team that started was the same as the one that demolished the Baggies 6-0 at Stamford Bridge a fortnight earlier and they would have had a similarly early breakthrough had Lampard's tame penalty been struck with more conviction. The England star's shot was easily saved by Sorenson and when Stoke peppered Cech's goal with a number of half-chances, there was evidence that the visitors were willing to at least have a go.

Ashley Cole had earlier fired wide wastefully after an excellent passing move, whilst Drogba stung Sorenson's fists with a fiercely-hit freekick. Essien then headed over from a Lampard corner, but the Blues were finally beginning to exert their influence over matters.

Their efforts were rewarded when Malouda clipped the ball around the advancing Sorenson after a breath-taking run by John Terry, who had done well to steal the ball from Stoke's record signing Kenwyne Jones. The Chelsea captain had played the perfect through-ball to the French star, and Malouda made no mistake in scoring his fourth goal of the season, and his third in three games against today's opposition.

Cole then hit the bar with a superb volley after being played in by Drogba, whilst Lampard hooked a volley well wide. It had been an unusually poor showing from the Blues vice-captain, having made a number of loose passes in addition to his penalty miss.

Drogba then produced the best out of Sorenson after the interval when his powerful header from close range was kept out by the well-position Dane. But whilst he was lacking his typical incisive presence up front, he was up to his usual tricks in a defensive sense and made a smart block from an Etherington effort that had evaded the stranded Cech.

But whilst the Blues were dominating possession, they were struggling to open up a determined Stoke rearguard. A warning came when substitute Whelan's effort was deflected on to the bar by the challenge of Terry. Cech had been wrong-footed and was grateful to claim the loose ball.

Moments later Chelsea had a penalty after a foul on Anelka by Sorenson. The Frenchman had been hacked down after trying to round the keeper, and with Lampard having been taken off, Drogba stepped up to comfortably score the second goal for the hosts and his fourth in three games.

There was time for the Blues' Brazilian contingent to have their say on matters - Alex made an excellent tackle inside the box to maintain the clean sheet whilst new signing Ramires made his Stamford Bridge bow as a substitute for the excellent Essien.

At the other end, there were a number of chances for a third goal - Sturridge found Sorenson's midriff with a long-range strike and then rolled an effort wide, whilst Kalou failed to capitalise on a golden opportunity when he was denied by Sorenson.

Three games; three wins - 14 goals scored and none conceded. The Blues head in to an international break top of the pile by two points, ahead of second-placed Arsenal who struggled to victory at Blackburn earlier in the day.

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Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira , Alex, Terry ©, Cole; Essien (Ramires 83), Mikel, Lampard (Kalou 71); Anelka (Sturridge 80), Drogba, Malouda

Stoke (4-4-2): Sorensen; Huth, Shawcross ©, Faye, Collins; Wilkinson, Delap (Pugh 83), Whitehead, (Whelan 50), Etherington; Walters, Jones (Fuller 67)

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 15, Florent Malouda


]]> Sat, 28 Aug 2010 16:50:45 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7843-chelsea-2-0-stoke/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7785-wigan-0-6-chelsea/ Chelsea threw down an early marker for the season with a stunning 6-0 rout of Wigan Athletic.

Florent Malouda gave the champions an interval lead when he slotted home after Frank Lampard had bought a fine save out of Chris Kirkland, and Nicolas Anelka doubled the Blues' advantage after the half-time break. The French striker - given an eighteen-match exile from representing his country - showed his quality to make it 3-0, before substitute Salomon Kalou added a quickfire double.

Yossi Benayoun then came off the bench to score his first goal for the club to seal an emphatic victory, and lay down a marker to the Blues' challengers - Chelsea will not lightly surrender their Premier League crown this season.

The champions were excellent after the half-time break but were given a stern test by a Wigan side who had more than a point to prove after their 8-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge in May. And having lost their opening fixture at the DW Stadium to newly-promoted Blackpool, the Latics were resilient and also posed a serious threat to Petr Cech's clean sheet run.

But quality ultimately prevailed, and Carlo Ancelotti will be able to sit back and relax whilst fellow title rivals Manchester United and Manchester City take to the fore against Fulham and Liverpool respectively.

After a commanding performance against West Bromwich Albion on opening day, there was little surprise to see Ancelotti make only side to his free-scoring side, with the fully-fit Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic reinstated at right-back.

Wigan began the game looking far better than they had against Blackpool - although it was not difficult to improve on their dismal defending against the Tangerines. But for all their early possession, however, they were limited to two long range attempts from Maynor Figueroa and the lively Hugo Rodallega, but Cech saved both efforts with a degree of ease.

But as soon as Rodallega again stung the Czech's gloves, Chelsea were counter-attacking and scoring after their first meaningful foray forward; Malouda tapping home after Lampard's shot had been stopped by an exposed Chris Kirkland.

The hosts were not yet done and regained their composure, but their efforts proved pointless as Anelka doubled the lead in superb fashion. John Mikel Obi's magnificent long ball forward was hit first-time by the under-fire French striker, and his low effort nestled in the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

If the first Chelsea goal had been about speed, passing and movement, the second was purely about Mikel's raking through-ball - and Anelka's finish was equally as impressive.

James McCarthy poked wide and Charles N'Zogbia was stopped only by brilliant defending by Alex da Costa as the hosts looked to hit back, but Anelka was on hand to bury his second of the game with an easy header after Drogba's cross from the wing.

Drogba was beginning to get more involved in the game after a quiet first half, and though he could only fire into the wall from a freekick, he soon showed his incredible ability when he turned his marker and selfishly thread the ball to Kalou to score his first of the Premier League season.

The champions were on the march, but their Ivorian duo were not contented with a four-goal lead. Drogba completed a hat-trick of assists when he launched a teasing cross into the six yard box which Kalou headed home with aplomb.

Chelsea were not finished and there was time for Yossi Benayoun to score his first goal for the club after Ferreira had supplied the perfect cut-back from the byline to set the Israeli up.

Stoke are next up for the Blues at Stamford Bridge - the last time these two teams met it was 7-0. Maybe lightning will strike twice?

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Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ivanovic (Ferreira), Alex, Terry ©, Cole; Essien (Benayoun), Mikel, Lampard; Anelka, Drogba, Malouda (Kalou)

Wigan (4-4-1-1): Carson ©; Gohouri, Alcaraz, Stam, Figueroa (Boyce); Thomas, N'Zogbia, Diame (McArthur), McCarthy (Watson); Rodallega, Boselli

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 3, ASHLEY COLE


]]> Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:24:56 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7785-wigan-0-6-chelsea/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7724-chelsea-6-0-west-brom/ Chelsea have signalled their intent to defend their Premier League crown with a stunning 6-0 demolition of newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion.

The hosts were ruthless and were able to romp to victory with apparent ease; the breakthrough taking a mere five minutes as Florent Malouda fired home. Didier Drogba opened his account for the season with a stunning free-kick before adding a further two strikes to complete the Premier League's first opening day treble since 1997.

Frank Lampard continued where he left off last season by finishing off a wonderful flowing move whilst Malouda showed excellent composure in the final moments to cap off a magnificent performance - rounding the beleaguered Scott Carson to record the biggest-ever opening weekend win in Premier League history.

And Israeli Yossi Benayoun also made his Stamford Bridge bow as Chelsea demonstrated they are still as formidable as ever at home - they've now scored 21 goals and kept successive clean sheets in their last three home matches.

Chelsea were boosted prior to kick-off with the return to fitness of Alex and Petr Cech, whilst Frank Lampard typically overcame injury doubts to take his place alongside Michael Essien, who was making his first appearance at Stamford Bridge for almost eight months.

West Bromwich manager Roberto di Matteo and his assistant Eddie Newton both received a warm welcome from the Blues faithful, but the greatest cheer was for Carlo Ancelotti as he emerged from the tunnel moments before the game started.

It only took five minutes for Chelsea to break the deadlock, with Malouda continuing his Stamford Bridge love affair. Shortly after Nicolas Anelka had forced Carson into a smart save, the Frenchman capitalised on less-than-convincing goalkeeping by the former England international as he spilled a Drogba free-kick inside the six yard box. Mikel took advantage and Malouda was on hand to slam home the loose ball.

At the other end, Cech had to react sharply to smother a deflected shot from Graham Dorrans that threatened to creep inside his near post, before a correct offside decision denied Roman Bednar an equalising goal.

Malouda then crashed a shot against the woodwork before Carson reacted brilliantly to parry away a lethal low free-kick from Lampard. Malouda followed up and should have done better with his headed effort, but the Baggies were offered momentary respite.

But as West Brom looked to be going in at half time having improved on their shortcomings in the opening exchanges, Drogba doubled the lead with an expertly-taken free-kick that offered Carson no chance.

The floodgates had been well and truly opened and the second half continued with Chelsea encouraged by their first half success in front of goal. Though a deflected Dorrans effort had caused some trouble at the back for the Blues, Drogba soon put the result beyond all doubt when he swept home from close range after a mêlée inside the penalty area.

Branislav Ivanovic entered the fray soon after to replace Paulo Ferreira who had been exposed on a number of occasions, just in time to see Lampard score the goal of the game. A beautiful passing movement down the left-hand side which featured Anelka, Malouda and Ashley Cole saw the England left-back played in to the area by a cute Anelka pass, which was in turn finished with aplomb by the marauding Lampard.

With Frank having secured his goal, he was withdrawn from the action and replaced by Yossi Benayoun who received a hearty welcome to Stamford Bridge from the Matthew Harding Stand.

Drogba soon completed his treble when his shot from 25 yards took a deflection off of Tamas and wrong-footed Carson as the Ivorian completed a second hat-trick in successive Premier League games.

But there was still time for the influential Malouda to add a layer of gloss to the performance with a sixth goal when Anelka played him through. The Frenchman showed admirable composure to round Carson and slide the ball home to complete the perfect afternoon for Carlo Ancelotti and his team.

Not bad for starters.

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Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira (Ivanovic 59), Alex, Terry ©, Cole; Essien, Mikel, Lampard (Benayoun 63); Anelka, Drogba (Kalou 69), Malouda

West Brom (4-5-1): Carson ©; Jara, Tamas, Ibanez, Cech; Mulumbu, Brunt; Morrison, Dorrans (Cox 67), Thomas (Barnes 83); Bednar (Miller 67)

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 15, Florent MALOUDA


]]> Sun, 15 Aug 2010 08:45:29 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7724-chelsea-6-0-west-brom/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7657-chelsea-1-3-manchester-united/ Chelsea's early season woes continued with another below-par showing in their Community Shield defeat to Manchester United.

The Blues went a goal behind after Wayne Rooney's sumptuous cross was finished by Luis Antonio Valencia, after earlier going close when Branislav Ivanovic forced a good save out of Edwin van der Sar. However United rallied and added a second when Javier Hernandez slotted home for a début goal.

Chelsea were not yet finished and after good opportunities for both Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou to score, it was the Ivorian who restored the faith as he fired home the rebound from a Sturridge effort.

Didier Drogba - far from his match-fit best - then scuffed wide with the angle of the goal against him, but a combination of Chelsea's commitment to attack and haphazard goalkeeping by Henrique Hilario allowed Dimitar Berbatov to chip home.

The result will offer some form of consolation for United, who fell short to the champions by a single point at the end of last season. For Carlo Ancelotti, however, there is evidence that Chelsea are far from their double-winning best, looking lethargic in attack and sloppy at the back.

That being said, Chelsea dominated much of the match and their neat passing was controlled and measured, if a little negative at times. Nonetheless, the Blues certainly need to sure up their backline ahead of the start of the new Premier League season, and will be aided by the imminent return of influential duo Alex and Petr Cech.

Neither side started with any of their new signings, although Yossi Benayoun would make his Chelsea début, and Chris Smalling would join Hernandez in making his United bow.

And Chelsea, having controlled the tempo during the opening exchanges, were the first to seriously threaten. Moments after Hilario had saved well from Valencia, Nicolas Anelka tested van der Sar before Branislav Ivanovic later produced a good save from the Dutch goalkeeper with a towering header.

Chelsea were dominating possession but were finding clear-cut opportunities few and far between, as Michael Essien headed over a Lampard free-kick. At the other end, Ivanovic had to be alert to clear Michael Owen's lofted pass and Rooney rolled wide of Hilario's far post as United sprang to life.

And it was Sir Alex Ferguson's side who opened the scoring minutes before half time when Rooney latched on to Paul Scholes' fabulous long ball. With just Terry to beat, Rooney teased the ball into the area, allowing Valencia to slot home beautifully.

Essien then wastefully fired wide as Chelsea went in behind at the break, with much more required from the players. The Blues had dominated possession and edged it on chances, but United had made the breakthrough as they had done in last year's fixture.

There were early indications of an improvement in the second half as Malouda almost caught out van der Sar with a clever turn and shot which had the Dutchman scrambling, whilst Kalou again found the United keeper a difficult obstacle to beat.

Chances were coming thick and fast for Chelsea, and just after Essien again fired wide, the best chance so far of the second half arrived. Substitute Daniel Sturridge's shot was only parried by van der Sar, and Ashley Cole might have found Kalou in space but instead opted to shoot, allowing the Dutchman to gather. It was a guilt-edged opportunity.

But as Chelsea sought to equalise, United extended their lead. Valencia again made a mug of the Chelsea backline; having beaten Cole, he played a glorious ball that took Hilario and Ivanovic out of the equation, allowing Hernandez to - quite literally - bundle the ball home.

Five minutes later the Blues should have made it 2-1 but van der Sar impressively stopped Sturridge with a fine parry. Sturridge had come in from the flank and been found imperiously by the marauding Essien, but his shot was too close to the keeper who saved well.

But less than sixty seconds later Chelsea had reduced the defecit through Kalou, who fired home after van der Sar could only push the ball to the Ivorian's feet after another Sturridge effort. Didier Drogba - another substitute - then hacked wide before he had a volley blocked by Nemanja Vidic, the United skipper.

But as Chelsea poured forward they left themselves overly-exposed, allowing Berbatov to steal in to lob Hilario and make it 3-1 to United. A layer of gloss had been applied to the scoreline, offering it a convincing tone as United played out the final minutes of a deserved victory.

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Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario; Ferreira (Bruma 78), Ivanovic, Terry ©, Cole (Zhirkov 78); Essien, Mikel (Drogba 59), Lampard; Kalou, Anelka (Sturridge 59), Malouda (Benayoun 72).

Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar; O'Shea, Vidic, Evans, Fabio (Smalling 70); Valencia, Scholes (Giggs 79), Carrick (Fletcher 79), Park (Nani 46); Rooney (Hernandex (46), Owen (Berbatov 46).

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Manchester United's number 25, Luis Antonio VALENCIA


]]> Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:07:05 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7657-chelsea-1-3-manchester-united/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7619-hamburg-2-1-chelsea/ A late goal foiled Chelsea as the Blues fell to a third successive pre-season defeat.

Frank Lampard had put the visiting side ahead with a tap-in when Michael Essien calmly picked him out as Hamburg goalkeeper Frank Rost rushed out, but Croatian star Mladen Petric lobbed home after Yuri Zhirkov sold Ross Turnbull short with a woeful back pass to restore parity.

And young South Korean prospect Heung Min Son consigned the Blues to yet another defeat as their three-game European tour ended with yet another loss.

This had all happened after Nicolas Anelka had seen a perfectly-legitimate goal chalked off by the referee - a goal that would have given Chelsea a 2-0 lead and a degree of comfort.

But that particular refereeing blunder could not disguise a below-par performance from Chelsea that was only highlighted by the error-prone defending that led to both Hamburg goals. Defensive lapses have become too common an occurrence this summer - and more work must be done between now and Sunday's Community Shield clash with Manchester United.

However there were key plus points for Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti; most notably the return to action of Didier Drogba after surgery on a troubling hernia.

Giving a début to their sleek new away kit, the Chelsea team were as close to full strength as fitness would permit, with Ancelotti again naming Kalou and Ferreira in response to injuries to Drogba and Bosingwa. Ross Turnbull was given the nod in goal.

Hamburg included in their line-up ex-Manchester United star Ruud van Nistelrooy and Guy Demel, the latter an international team-mate of Drogba and Kalou.

The game began at a relatively fast pace as the two teams traded blows in the opening exchanges. Chelsea were first to threaten when a deflected Lampard shot brought the best out of the experienced Rost, before Turnbull's hands were stung by a Petric pile-driver.

Anelka then sent an arrow-like effort just over the bar from an acute angle whilst Lampard again tested the Hamburg goalkeeper with a low free-kick. The best chance, however, fell to Kalou, who failed to control a header from a Florent Malouda cross.

However with the next ball that was launched into the box, Chelsea were able to seize the initiative. Anelka's cross was met by the jump of Kalou, and though he was de-possessed a mix-up at the back between goalkeeper and Jonathan Pitroipa allowed Essien to steal the ball and play in Lampard, who duly slotted the ball into an empty net.

The hosts responded with a header from Heiko Westermann that clipped the crossbar, whilst Peru star Paolo Guerrero fired just wide, but Chelsea were resolute and the best of Ivanovic was displayed when he blocked van Nistelrooy's effort after a sweeping counter-attack.

Drogba joined after the interval and made an immediate impression when he played in Anelka, who was denied by a splendid piece of goalkeeping.

Then came the goal that wasn't. Anelka raced through and calmly beat Rost for what would should have been his first goal of pre-season, but he was denied by the referee who spotted an infringement even the most ardent of Hamburg fans struggled to see. The hosts had been handed a reprieve.

Van Nistelrooy then shot horribly over from inside the area with substitute Ricardo Carvalho closing him down before Petric wasted a decent chance to level.

Chelsea's latest defensive calamity followed shortly after, with John Terry, Yuri Zhirkov and Turnbull at fault. Terry committed the initial sin by playing Zhirkov into trouble, and Russian could only get so much on his lofted pass back to Turnbull. Petric bravely stole in and lobbed home, showing more desire to get to the ball than the labouring, indecisive Chelsea goalkeeper.

The Blues were then totally undone by more poor defending with five minutes remaining. Heung Min Son easily beat both Terry and Carvalho before beating Turnbull with a left-footed shot. It was great play by the young Korean but the Blues goalkeeper was too slow in his attempts to deny him.

Essien had also headed over a late Malouda corner and Drogba been beaten by a touch that showed the ill effects of his recent surgery. Nevertheless, Chelsea had been beaten, and improvements must be made before the team take on Manchester United.

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Hamburg: Rost; Diekmeier (Benjamin 46), Demel (Rincon 55), Westermann ©, Demel, Ze Roberto; Petric (Choupo-Moting 81), Jarolim, Tesche (Gacar 46), Pitroipa (Elia 67); Guerrero (Castelen 67), Van Nistelrooy (Son 81)

Chelsea: Turnbull, Ferreira (Bruma 67), Ivanovic (Carvalho 53), Terry ©, Cole (Zhirkov 61); Essien, Mikel, Lampard (Benayoun 61); Kalou (Drogba 46), Anelka (Kakuta 67), Malouda

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 12, John MIKEL Obi


]]> Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:18:37 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7619-hamburg-2-1-chelsea/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7590-frankfurt-2-1-chelsea/ Chelsea’s pre-season preparations suffered a blow with a friendly defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Blues went behind when a mix-up between John Terry and goalkeeper Henrique Hilario allowed Patrick Ochs to score, although Frank Lampard did equalise in the second half.

Nevertheless the hosts regained the lead with a late Halil Altintop penalty, giving them a victory that was deserved on the balance of play.

For Chelsea, the match was a good work-out for many of the returning first-team squad, and a swathe of substitutions will have allowed Carlo Ancelotti to assess the vast majority of his options ahead of next weekend’s Community Shield bout with Manchester United.

Ancelotti opted to start with six of the nine players who formed the returning World Cup contingent, and Yuri Zhirkov was also available for the first time since aggravating his hamstring. There was also a first start for Yossi Benayoun, whilst youngster Jeffrey Bruma retained his place at centre-back.

And after the traditional pre-match frivolities it was the visitors who threatened first; Nicolas Anelka’s low cross being smothered behind before Salomon Kalou could capitalise. Bruma headed over the resultant corner from Florent Malouda as Chelsea began the more adventurous of the two teams.

Malouda and Benayoun then combined to set up Kalou, who blazed over from twenty five yards, but Chelsea’s attacking play was being stifled by a combination of stout defending and a woeful surface.

But whilst the forwards were showing some signs of promise, Chelsea’s backline were leaving a lot to be desired and a mix-up between goalkeeper and captain did little to inspire confidence. With the ball rolling back to the Portuguese custodian, Terry decided to help it on its way with Ochs bearing down upon him. Hilario’s first touch was poor and he was left stranded as Ochs was able to clip the ball home.

Greek international Ioannis Amanatidis was becoming more involved as the match progressed, and he forced a smart save out of the Chelsea goalkeeper with an acrobatic effort. Hilario then made a good save at point-blank range from Theofanis Gekas before a combination of goalkeeper and woodwork denied Amanatidis from doubling Frankfurt’s lead.

There were eight changes made at half-time as Ancelotti sought to utilise as many options as possible – Frank Lampard took the armband from Terry as the likes of Ricardo Carvalho and Branislav Ivanovic joined the fray.

And the Blues were far more cohesive during the second half, largely down to the fact that the vast majority of this eleven had already featured in Chelsea’s pre-season campaign. Malouda sparked to life and curled an effort just wide of the Frankfurt goal before Michael Essien, another introduction from the bench, lashed a left-footed effort beyond the post.

Substitute Patrick van Aanholt was enjoying an accomplished performance at left-back and it was he who set up Lampard for the equaliser. Surging forward, he picked out the England star who was able to pop the ball under Ralf Fahrmann before sliding home.

Following a brief lull in the game that had followed a host of substitutions and Lampard’s 63rd-minute equalizer, the game exploded back into life with an array of goalmouth action. With a little under ten minutes left, Frankfurt were awarded a penalty when Nemanja Matic was accused of holding in the box, and Altintop stepped up to score with aplomb.

The hosts then nearly added a third but Altintop’s effort was blocked brilliantly by Carvalho after Hilario had again lost the ball.

The Blues nearly responded immediately, but Fahrmann made amends for his earlier misjudgment to come out and block Fabio Borini’s effort. The Italian looked to beat the goalkeeper at his near post when he should have squared to the unmarked Scott Sinclair.

The final whistle sounded, resigning Chelsea to a second straight defeat in pre-season. Ancelotti will no doubt be happy with the side’s second half performance and be grateful of the valuable match time gained by his players.

A cause for concern will be the Blues’ goalkeeping situation – though number one Petr Cech is due for a return before the weekend, Hilario and fellow understudy Ross Turnbull have done little to ease worries with a string of wobbly performances over pre-season. Nevertheless Chelsea will be looking to make amends as they play Hamburg in the final game of their tour on Wednesday, before Drogba, Alex and Cech return for the Wembley showdown with Manchester United next Sunday.

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Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario; Ferreira (Mancienne 46), Bruma (Carvalho 46), Terry © (Ivanovic 46), Cole (Van Aanholt 46); Benayoun (Lampard 46), Mikel (Essien 46), Zhirkov (Matic 46); Kalou (Sinclair 58), Anelka (Borini 46), Malouda (McEachran 58)

Frankfurt (4-4-2): Nikolov (Fahrmann 46); Ochs (Rode 68), Franz (Bellaid 46), Russ, Tzavellas; Jung, Meier (Fenin 76), Schwegler (Heller 68), Kohler (Korkmaz 76); Amanatidis (Altintop 59), Gekas (Caio 59).

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Eintracht's number 2 - Patrick Ochs


]]> Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:26:35 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/7590-frankfurt-2-1-chelsea/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6917-chelsea-1-0-portsmouth/ Didier Drogba's superb free-kick was enough for Chelsea to see off Portsmouth in the FA Cup Final.

The Ivorian brilliantly curled the ball home after a frustrating first half in which the much-fancied Premier League champions were denied five times by the woodwork.

However in a moment that typifies Chelsea's spirit, grit and determination, it was Petr Cech's excellent penalty save which earns the Blues an historic league and cup double - the first time it has been achieved by the West London outfit.

The win means that not only are they double winners but also the first team since Arsenal to successfully defend the FA Cup - and the Blues have now won three of the four finals at the new Wembley stadium.

Carlo Ancelotti will have surprised few with his decision to name an unchanged starting eleven after the Blues had mauled Wigan 8-0 last Sunday, and the Italian's quiet and focused demeanour will have certainly won many friends to the Chelsea cause - a huge comparison with the outspoken and controversial José Mourinho.

This particular double is something the Special One could not achieve - and though the ex-Porto boss won a double of his own in his début season, winning the Carling Cup and Premier League, Ancelotti has bettered his rival by completing an achievement only achieved by six other clubs.

And with the Community Shield secured way back in August - again thanks to Cech - it has been a remarkable season of unprecedented success for Chelsea and their Italian coach.

Chelsea will be delighted with the retention of their trophy but key man Drogba cut a frustrated figure as the Blues trudged off at half-time, denied a lead only through a combination the frame of the goal and the brilliance of David James.

As expected it was the menace of Chelsea's three-pronged attack - the in-form trio of Drogba, Kalou and Anelka - that posed the greatest threat of all, but it was 27-goal midfielder Frank Lampard that had the first effort of the final; narrowly volleying wide from the edge of the area.

The England midfielder then clipped the post with a dipping drive from 30 yards that might just have evaded James' hand had it been on target.

Lampard was enjoying a good opening to the game and it was he who set Anelka free just moments later, the Frenchman's shot saved at the near post by David James who made the first of many excellent stops.

Aaron Mokoena then came to Portsmouth's rescue with two brilliant blocks as Chelsea finally carved the heart of the South Coast side's defence. The ball fell to Drogba whose first shot was denied by the trailing leg of the South Africa captain before the defender made a crucial second block to deny his fellow African.

Frederic Piquionne then forced a stunning save out of Cech at the other end as Portsmouth threatened for the first time in the match. Loan player Aruna Dindane's cross was only half-hit by Kevin Prince Boateng; the ball falling to Piquionne who could only watch in disbelief as Cech readjusted himself to paw the ball away.

Kalou then rattled the woodwork from six yards as he inexplicably failed to convert Ashley Cole's superb cross after the England star had combined with Florent Malouda.

Chesting the ball down, Cole rifled it across the face of goal but Kalou could only shin the ball onto the woodwork. James' goal was living a charmed life, though this time it was the fault of poor finishing rather than fortune alone.

Three minutes later Chelsea's shortcomings were compounded when Terry clipped the bar with a bullet header from Malouda's cross. As the Frenchman became more involved his deliveries were also improving, and he was unlucky not to see Terry convert with James again beaten.

Michael Ballack was then substituted due to injury despite his best efforts to shake off a knock sustained after a terrible challenge by Boateng, and Drogba produced a fine save from James who tipped the Ivorian's 40-yard effort onto the underside of the bar.

The ball looked to have crossed the line and even though replays showed the decision not to give the goal was a good one, it may have been a defining moment had the game ended 0-0. Fortunately for Chelsea, it would not.

However the much-fancied champions were again denied by the woodwork before the half was over; Drogba poking under James only to see the foot of the near post deny his side the perfect tonic to a period of immense frustration. As it happened, it only aided the despair of Ancelotti and the Chelsea faithful.

Chelsea had dominated the first half but they were second best for the first ten minutes of the second period; Boateng volleying just over from a tight angle just moments after the interval.

Belletti - playing probably his last game for the side - then saw Chris Foy point to the spot after he stupidly hacked down Dindane inside the box. Boateng stepped up trying to make amends for his earlier miss, but the inspired Czech goalkeeper denied the ex-Tottenham man with a superb save.

It might not have been the best penalty Wembley has seen in recent years but it was still a magnificent save by Cech who had to focus to save with his feet. Alex subsequently cleared and Chelsea were able to regroup.

A lethargic start to the second half had almost been punished by Boateng and Chelsea responded in kind by taking the lead; this time neither James nor the post able to deny them.

Drogba was hacked down outside the box and the Ivorian majestically bent the ball past the dive of James and in off the post. It was about time fortune had smiled on the Blues, and a cacophony of noise erupted from the Chelsea faithful - they led in the final.

Substitute Joe Cole then had a chance shortly after to make it a dream end to his season but his effort was charged down only moments after James had again blocked Drogba's shot.

But Portsmouth were not willing to merely give up, and but for a vital touch by John Terry; turning the ball behind for a corner, Nadir Belhadj's cross would surely have been converted by the lurking Dindane.

Cech's penalty save had proved to be a key turning point and Chelsea were now in the ascendancy. Lampard was fouled inside the box by Michael Brown who had been flirting with the referee's notebook all match, and the usually-reliable England midfielder stood up knowing he could win the cup for his club.

He missed. It wasn't even saved; Lampard fired wide of the target. Portsmouth knew they still had a chance - fortunate was favouring them but unfortunately for the well-supported underdogs, it wasn't to be; Alex was on hand to make a number of excellent clearing headers and Cech then gratefully plucked Kanu's cross from the air.

It was to be the last action of a brilliant and compelling cup final. You will have to go a long, long way to find a better 1-0 for many years to come.

The scoreline was irrelevant; Chelsea had done the necessary. Ironic, perhaps, that the trophy was brought home by just thanks to just a single goal but in a season where Chelsea have smashed all sorts of records for their new-found attacking prowess - but the Blues are worthy winners and deserved their famous victory.

___________________________________________________________________

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry ©, A Cole; Lampard, Ballack (Belletti 43), Malouda; Anelka (Sturridge 90), J Drogba, Kalou (J Cole 70)

Portsmouth (4-4-1-1): James ©; Finnan, Mokoena, Rocha, Mullins (Belhadj 81); Dindane, Diop (Kanu 80), Brown, Boateng (Utaka 73); O'Hara; Piquionne

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 1 - Petr CECH


]]> Sat, 15 May 2010 17:40:26 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6917-chelsea-1-0-portsmouth/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6869-chelsea-8-0-wigan/ Chelsea are the Premier League champions after destroying Wigan at Stamford Bridge.

Coming into the game with a one-point lead over defending title holders Manchester United, the Blues knew that only victory would guarantee them their first championship since 2006, and their first without José Mourinho at the helm.

And the final obstacle for Chelsea to overcome was the enigma of Wigan Athletic. Roberto Martinez' side have had an incredible season - whilst they have beaten Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal previously this campaign, they were hammered 5-0 by Manchester United and infamously thrashed 9-1 by Tottenham at White Hart Lane.

The goal for the hosts was simple enough - and the West London outfit did not disappoint.

A 2-0 half-time lead courtesy of Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard eased the nerves before a stupendous second half showing which saw Didier Drogba hit a stunning sixteen-minute hat-trick to seal the Premier League Golden Boot.

Anelka volleyed home a second in fine style after Salomon Kalou had found the back of the net after a brilliantly-worked team move and Ashley Cole completed the rout with his fourth goal of the season late on.

With the same team that had disposed of Liverpool at Anfield lining up on the hallowed Stamford Bridge turf, confidence and togetherness was evident as Chelsea raced into an early lead through Anelka's well-taken volley.

Drogba's free-kick was headed on by Michael Ballack after the wall had blocked the initial attempt, before Florent Malouda set up Anelka who fired beyond the experienced Mike Pollitt - a former United trainee.

If the early goal - coming after just six minutes - hadn't soothed any early nerves then Lampard's penalty half an hour later soon had the crowd bouncing.

Ashley Cole had been inches away from converting a cross from Anelka only moments earlier, before Lampard was hauled down inside the area by Gary Caldwell. A straight red card was shown to the ex-Celtic man, and Chelsea's vice-captain duly converted with admirable composure.

A show of petulance by Drogba soured the mood somewhat; the Ivorian complaining Lampard did not give the spot-kick opportunity to him. There would be no complaining from the newly-elected Player of the Year in the second half, and it was he who led the celebrations as Kalou further increased the margin of victory.



After Lampard had just hit the bar, Kalou played a super one-two with the England midfielder. One touch and strike later, Kalou had netted his 12th - and best - goal of the season.

With the title won and wrapped up in several layers of cotton wool, Ancelotti decided to bring on Joe Cole and Juliano Belletti, who would be making his final appearance in a Chelsea shirt. Kalou was one of the players taken off to a standing ovation.

Anelka then scored arguably the best of a good bunch of goals when he volleyed home Ivanovic's pinpoint cross. The Serb picked out his team-mate with unerring accuracy and the France star's effort was equally as brilliant.

Drogba's mood had notably changed by now and he was delighted just minutes later when he added Chelsea's fifth - incidentally their 100th league goal of the campaign. His initial overhead kick saved brilliantly by Pollitt, he headed home from Lampard's cross to overtake Wayne Rooney in the quest for the Golden Boot.

On 67 minutes Drogba had the chance of doubling the lead from the spot, and he rifled the ball in off the post. It was Ashley Cole who had won the penalty when tripped by Melchiot - Wigan were in danger of being the next team to face a seven-goal drubbing by the Blues.

Nemanja Matic came on for the hosts as Ancelotti looked to utilise the team's youth players, and the young Serb played a role in the seventh for the Blues which eventually saw Drogba stab home from Joe Cole's parried effort to complete a perfect hat-trick.

On 85 minutes Petr Cech underlined why he would be sharing the Golden Gloves with Pepe Reina when he made one of the saves of the season to deny Moses a goal from 40 yards; the Czech diving to his right to make a terrific save.

After a season of consistently hitting seven goals, what better than to score eight on the title-winning day? Ashley Cole was the scorer; a brilliant volley after magnificent persistence from his namesake Joe, who was enjoying an excellent cameo appearance.

All that was left was for John Terry to lift the Premier League trophy - and didn't he enjoy it!

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Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ivanovic (Belletti 58), Alex, Terry ©, A Cole; Lampard, Ballack (Matic 69), Malouda; Kalou (J Cole 58), Drogba, Anelka

Wigan (3-5-2): Pollitt; Boyce, Caldwell, Gohouri; Melchiot ©, Diame (Scharner 71), McCarthy, Watson (Thomas 61), Figueroa; Rodallega (Moses 80), N'Zogbia

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 11, DIDIER DROGBA


]]> Tue, 11 May 2010 16:42:38 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6869-chelsea-8-0-wigan/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6782-liverpool-0-2-chelsea/ Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea are now just three points away from the Premier League title after a comfortable win at Anfield against Liverpool.

In what was expected to be a tough test of Chelsea's title credentials, the Blues - buoyed by their destruction of Stoke last weekend - overcame their northern opponents to maintain their lead at the Premier League summit.

Didier Drogba capitalised on a horrendous back-pass by Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard to give the visitors a lead at the interval before Frank Lampard sealed a historic victory with a simple finish from a Nicolas Anelka cross.

And but for the inspired Pepe Reina, Liverpool would have found themselves on the wrong end of another Chelsea mauling as the Blues cruised in relative comfort to three massive points as they continue their hunt for their first Premier League title since 2006.

The only disappointment on a day of triumph for Carlo Ancelotti's men was Manchester United's 1-0 win at Sunderland which ensures the title race will go to the wire - and Chelsea must now beat Wigan to be guaranteed of title success in the Italian's first year in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Confidence was high in the Chelsea camp ahead of this key fixture in the race for the title following their incredible 7-0 win over Stoke just seven days before, but Anfield had proved an unhappy hunting ground for the Blues many times in the past.

Besides a 3-1 triumph in the Champions League last season, Chelsea had failed to leave Merseyside with a victory over Liverpool since a 4-1 demolition of Rafael Benitez' side under José Mourinho back in 2005.

And that was the last time Chelsea had won the Premier League; with the Portuguese tactician overseeing a crucial double over their rivals in both of their title-winning campaigns. Anything other than a similar story and Chelsea would have let their lead slip - but there was to be no mistake from a professional, efficient Blues side.

With influential captain John Terry returning from suspension, Paulo Ferreira returned to the bench, whilst Salomon Kalou's hat-trick last week kept Joe Cole out of the starting eleven. Liverpool were without talisman Fernando Torres and defender Martin Skrtel, but Maxi Rodriguez returned to make his third appearance this term against the Blues.

Chelsea started brightly and went close after just 35 seconds when Lampard blasted wide, but Liverpool responded in kind by winning a succession of corners that were subsequently cleared.

Reina was brought into action with tame efforts from both Anelka and Malouda before Alberto Aquilani clipped the top of the bar with a long-range effort that had Petr Cech beaten. It was an early warning to Chelsea that their hosts would not simply roll over.

But as the game reached a lull in proceedings, conspiracy theorists will have had a field-day when Steven Gerrard inexplicably played the ball back towards goal without looking. The lurking Drogba duly pounced; rounded Reina and slotted home his 33rd goal of an incredible campaign for the Ivorian.



Lampard then came to the fore with confidence flowing through both his veins and his teammates, and only the faintest of deflections from Sotiris Kyrgiakos took the ball wide of Reina's post.

Moments later the England star played the ball to Nicolas Anelka, who was denied at the last by another sturdy block by Kyrgiakos, who was proving to be a tough obstacle to break down at the heart of the Liverpool back four.

Chelsea might have had a 2-0 lead at half-time but for the inadequacies of the officials, who failed to spot a blatant foul by Lucas as Kalou stole in on goal. One-on-one with Reina, Kalou's thigh was caught by Lucas' trailing leg and the player went down - but no penalty was awarded.

Ancelotti was incensed and rightly so - replays showed it was a clear spot-kick, and John Terry was quick to point out to the referee that Kalou had no reason to dive being through one-on-one.

Kalou continued to cause Liverpool no end of problems in the second half, and his touchline jig saw him lose the attentions of Mascherano before he squared across the face of goal. Any touch from Anelka would have sealed the win, but Kalou's cross was just slightly over hit and the Frenchman could not poke home.

However Chelsea's next venture into the box would not be so wasteful, as Drogba's magnificent flick allowed Anelka to pick out Lampard who tucked the ball home to secure a massive, monumental three points. All ten of Chelsea's outfield players celebrated with one another near the visiting fans whilst Petr Cech calmly beat the badge with his fist.

Alex then came to Chelsea's rescue as Liverpool sub Ryan Babel broke through but the former-PSV man made a crucial interception. At the other end, Malouda's superb volley was stopped equally as brilliantly by Reina, who was keeping a speck of credibility to the scoreline.

All of that came after Reina had made a smart stop to deny Anelka a goal against his former employers, and the keeper then made a good double-save to deny Anelka and then Kalou.

It was a subdued atmosphere inside Anfield; only the travelling contingent could be heard as Chelsea played out the final twenty minutes in relative comfort; Liverpool having to wait until the 92nd minute to register their first shot on target.

Dirk Kuyt lost the attentions of Alex but his skipping shot was well held by Cech, who had done well to stay awake and alert at his near post. Ballack had moments earlier come close to increasing the divide between the two teams but his freekick was palmed away by Reina.

Nevertheless the necessary had already been done as Chelsea took a massive stride towards the title. It's still theirs to lose, but who would bet against them now?

___________________________________________________________________

Liverpool: Reina [7]; Mascherano [4], Carragher [6] (Ayala 56 [5]), Kyrgiakos [6], Agger [6]; Lucas [4], Gerrard © [5]; Maxi Rodriguez [5] (Babel 42 [4]), Aquilani [5] (N'Gog 76 [4]), Benayoun [5]; Kuyt [6]

Chelsea: Cech [6]; Ivanovic [7], Alex [7], Terry © [7], A Cole [7]; Lampard [8], Ballack [6], Malouda [6]; Anelka [8] (J Cole 90+1 [5]), Drogba [6], Kalou [8] (Zhirkov 87 [5])

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 39 - Nicolas ANELKA


]]> Mon, 03 May 2010 10:10:05 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6782-liverpool-0-2-chelsea/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6736-chelsea-7-0-stoke/ Chelsea returned to the top of the Premier League after destroying Stoke at Stamford Bridge.

Salomon Kalou scored his first Blues hat-trick, and Frank Lampard's brace brought his season's tally to a career best 25 goals. Further goals from substitute Daniel Sturridge and the in-form Florent Malouda ensured a record top-flight home victory for Carlo Ancelotti's title-chasers.

The result means Chelsea have re-established a one-point lead at the Premier League summit after Manchester United had supplanted them briefly after their 3-1 victory over Tottenham at Old Trafford.

It is also the third time the Blues have hit seven goals this season - another first in English football.

With John Terry red-carded last week at White Hart Lane, Chelsea were expected to be given a stern tested by Tony Pulis' side, but the Blues were fastest out of the starting blocks and only a decent double-save from Thomas Sorensen denied them the lead.

First Lampard's dipping shot was parried away before the keeper got up quickly to block Ashley Cole's effort. It was Cole's first appearance since breaking his ankle in February, and he was already proving an effective attacking outlet.

Drogba then tested the veteran Dane once more with a bullet header; Sorensen tipping the effort away superbly.

But the hosts did eventually break the deadlock through Kalou, who headed home a brilliant Drogba cross after some magnificent skill by the Ivorian to pluck Malouda's cross-field pass from the sky.

Drogba then hooked over himself from an cute angle before his deft touch once again unlocked the Stoke defence. Cushioning the ball to Lampard, the Chelsea captain's shot was only half dealt with by Sorensen, who was helpless as Kalou slid the ball in.

The Stoke shot-stopper dislocated his elbow in the collision with the Chelsea forward and received a standing ovation from the Stamford Bridge faithful as he left the pitch wearing an oxygen mask.



Stoke had also earlier lost skipper Abdoulaye Faye to injury, but their respective replacements - Ryan Shawcross and keeper Asmir Begovic - did little better against a rampant Blues performance.

Kalou was hauled down by ex-Chelsea defender Robert Huth, and although replays suggest the initial foul was outside the area, Lampard duly stepped up to roll the ball beyond Begovic with embarrassing ease. Though generously-awarded, it meant Chelsea had an unassailable three-goal lead at the interval.

And any hope held by the travelling supporters from the Midlands that Chelsea would go through the motions and take their foot off the gas was dashed when Kalou raced clear on 68 minutes to complete his first treble for the club.

Lampard's pass was magnificent, and the Ivorian finished at the second time of asking despite the attentions of Ryan Shawcross on the line.

And whilst Lampard made it 5-0 with the goal of the game; a deft flick over the advancing Begovic from a delightful cross by substitute Sam Hutchinson, the lead could have been even greater had Malouda have scored from just a half-yard out.

It was then Begovic who came to Stoke's rescue with a superb save after a brilliant counter-attack that was once again instigated by the faultless Lampard - Malouda once more denied.

But Chelsea were rampant and the introduction of Joe Cole and Daniel Sturridge did little to offer Stoke any respite. The latter raced through after a terrific defence-splitting pass by Drogba, and after rounding the keeper the Englishman stroked the ball into the net for his first league goal for the Blues.

And before the 90 minutes was up, Malouda finally recorded his 15th of the season with a tap-in after some good skill in the area by Joe Cole to add another layer of gloss to the result.

It's Chelsea's to lose.

___________________________________________________________________
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira (Hutchinson 72), Alex, Ivanovic, A Cole; Lampard, Ballack, Malouda; Kalou (J Cole 70), Drogba, Anelka (Sturridge 79)

Stoke City (4-4-2): Sorensen (Begovic 35) ; Huth, Ab Faye © (Shawcross 8), Higginbotham, Collins; Whitehead, Delap, Whelan, Etherington; Fuller, Kitson (Tuncay 58)

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 8, Frank Lampard


]]> Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:45:40 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6736-chelsea-7-0-stoke/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6663-tottenham-2-1-chelsea/ Chelsea's title ambitions took a massive blow thanks to goals from Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale as Tottenham won a crucial London derby.

Tottenham took a deserved lead when Defoe blasted home after John Terry had hand-balled in the area, and Gareth Bale then scored a second to effectively seal the victory before half-time.

Chelsea's chances of taking something from the game seemed to totally disintegrate when Terry was sent off for a second bookable offence with just under half an hour to play, and but for goalkeeper Petr Cech, the score could have been much worse.

Frank Lampard netted a late consolation but it was all in vain as Chelsea's lead at the title is now just one point, after Manchester United beat Manchester City 1-0 at Eastlands thanks to a last minute Paul Scholes header in the lunch-time kick off.

The result leaves Chelsea's championship hopes in tatters, with Carlo Ancelotti's side knowing they must win all three of their remaining fixtures, including a daunting away match at Anfield against Liverpool.

Tottenham, on the other hand, have spot up into fourth place and are now favourites to earn themselves qualification for the Champions League next term, and were good value for their victory.

Hammered 3-0 at Stamford Bridge in the reverse fixture, Tottenham were clearly buoyed by their historic win over Arsenal in mid-week, putting in a superb defensive performance to beat the Gunners at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham were the fastest out of the traps and had earlier efforts through Bale and Pavlyuchenko that were blocked by Chelsea defenders; the Blues evidently second-best in the opening exchanges.

And despite their lethargic start it was Chelsea who fashioned the first serious chance when Malouda stung Heurelho Gomes' hands with a strike from distance, but the Blues were soon on the back foot.

Unconvincing against Bolton on Tuesday and suspect in defence on more than one occasion, it was no surprise that Spurs began to exploit much of the space behind the Chelsea midfield right from the offing.

The moment that changed the game came with barely sixteen minutes played; John Terry handling inside the area. Up stepped Defoe, who clinically unleashed an unstoppable penalty that would have defied Petr Cech's dive even if he had guessed the right way.

Cech then made a smart save to deny Pavlyuchenko from close range whilst Gomes easily held on to a weak shot from Drogba, who was looking increasingly isolated.

Chelsea thought they had restored parity soon after but Malouda was correctly ruled offside when he stroked home Zhirkov's cross, but no such decision denied Tottenham a second goal just moments later.

It was Paulo Ferreira who was at fault. Consistently good in recent weeks, Ferreira was easily beaten by Bale who cut inside and slammed the ball beyond Cech to seal the win.

Chelsea might have been given a glimmer of hope had Lampard's well-hit volley gone in, but Gomes pulled off a spectacular save to preserve his clean sheet.

Only wastefulness by the hosts managed to keep Chelsea in the match in an intriguing second half that began with Drogba appearing to moan about an injury just seconds after Ancelotti had played all of his cards by making all three of his substitutions.

It might have been better for Chelsea, however, had the moody and wasteful Ivorian hobbled off.

Cech kept Chelsea in the game with one of the best saves of the season when he came out to deny Defoe when one-on-one with the in-form forward, but Chelsea's feint chances were wiped out completely by the stupidity of their captain.

Cautioned already for one foul just two minutes before hand, Terry received a second booking in the 66th minute to extinguish any hopes of a revival.

Cech then made an excellent save to deny Bentley who tried an outrageous chip from 25 yards, and also made a good block to deny Bale a second with a fine save. The Blues keeper was ensuring a speck of credibility about the result.

Lampard did finally break down the Spurs back-line late on when he poked home Ballack's pin-point cross, but it was a case of too little, too late for Chelsea, who lead United now by only a single point.

___________________________________________________________________

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira (Ivanovic 46), Alex, Terry©, Zhirkov; Deco, Mikel (Ballack 32), Lampard; J Cole (Anelka 46), Drogba, Malouda

Tottenham (4-4-2): Gomes; Kaboul, Dawson, Bassong, Assou-Ekotto; Bentley, Huddlestone, Modric (Gudjohnsen 77), Bale; Pavlyuchenko (Crouch 90+3), Defoe

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Tottenham's number 20 - Michael DAWSON


]]> Sat, 17 Apr 2010 18:42:38 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6663-tottenham-2-1-chelsea/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6648-chelsea-1-0-bolton/ Nicolas Anelka scored the only goal as Chelsea extended their lead at the top of the Premier League.

The Frenchman scored his 13th goal of the season to settle a tense encounter with Owen Coyle's side, who had two penalty shouts turned down during a frantic match that has consequences at both ends of the table.

Chelsea's lead is now a relatively healthy-looking four points, and with just four games remaining the Blues appear certain favourites for the Premier League title.

And Anelka's goal against his former employees ensures that Chelsea now have room for error at the top, and a 2-1 victory for Tottenham over Arsenal in the North London derby also has positive connotations for the Blues as Arsene Wenger's side are effectively out of the title race.

In a week where there has been criticism over Anelka's relationship with strike partner Didier Drogba, it was somewhat appropriate that the Ivorian and Frenchman should combine to score the game-winning goal, and Anelka's strike - his first since January - will do wonders for his confidence.

Carlo Ancelotti surprised many with his team selection as he chose to field Salmon Kalou and Anelka in favour of in-form duo Deco and Florent Malouda, whilst Joe Cole was also dropped from the bench.

The first half proved to be a dour stalemate - the best chance falling inadvertently to Kalou after Drogba's free kick was parried by Jussi Jaaskelainen. The ball hit Kalou on the head, but with mere milliseconds to react he could only direct the ball wide.

There was also a horrible clash of heads between Yuri Zhirkov and Trotters skipper Kevin Davies that saw the Russian require several stitches at half-time.



Drogba continued to be frustrated by a resolute Bolton side when he fired another free kick wide, whilst he then appeared to handle the ball in his own area when helping his defenders - Chelsea were lucky to survive a very strong penalty call.

But the Ivorian then made amends for his earlier wastefulness from dead ball situations when he fired in an inch perfect cross for Anelka, who headed beyond Jaaskelainen with aplomb.

Kalou then wasted a wonderful opportunity for the Blues to put the game to bed even before half-time when he shot straight at Jaaskelainen after good industry demonstrated by Drogba - but the narrow lead would ultimately prove a crucial one.

The second half was tense but offered more entertainment. The best Chelsea chances fell to Frank Lampard, who rifled against the post after a lovely dummy by substitute Joe Cole, and earlier Kalou who again fired too close to the goalkeeper.

Bolton had another penalty shout turned down when the ball hit John Terry perilously close to the arm, but replays showed it was the Chelsea captain’s shoulder that made contact.

Florent Malouda was introduced part-way through the half to add some much-needed energy into Chelsea's lethargic attack, and he made an instant impression as he set up Yuri Zhirkov, who stung the Bolton goalkeeper's hands with a fierce effort.

Cole was then guilty of a wonderful opportunity to ease nerves around Stamford Bridge when he stood on the ball rather than firing home, whilst Bolton forward Johann Elmander wasted a glorious chance to equalise when he headed wide with Petr Cech looking beaten.

Cech, though rarely tested, earned his 100th Premier League clean-sheet in 180 matches - and it was a crucial landmark in the Chelsea stopper's career. Their march to the title continues.

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Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira, Alex, Terry ©, Zhirkov; Ballack, Mikel, Lampard; Anelka (Malouda 66), Drogba, Kalou (J Cole 76)

Bolton (4-4-1-1): Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson; Lee (Klasnic 82), Muamba, Ricketts, Taylor; Wilshere (Elmander 82); K Davies ©

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 18, Yuri ZHIRKOV


]]> Thu, 15 Apr 2010 14:58:20 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6648-chelsea-1-0-bolton/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6611-aston-villa-0-3-chelsea/ An efficient second half performance earned Chelsea a place in the FA Cup final after thrashing Aston Villa at Wembley.

Just a fortnight after the impressive 7-1 mauling of Martin O'Neill's side at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea overcame Aston Villa once more to earn themselves the opportunity to make a successful defence of the FA Cup in the final on May 15.

After a tight first half which saw Carlo Ancelotti's men thwarted by a resolute Villa side, the Blues began to dominate following the interval and took a deserved lead when Didier Drogba flicked home from John Terry's pass.

Florent Malouda then celebrated his Player of the Month award with a superb volley after a breathless counter-attack, before Frank Lampard buried his twenty-second goal of the season - a personal best for the England man - to wrap up a conclusive triumph.

The score is harsh on Villa, who were the better team in the opening exchanges and had Chelsea under pressure for long periods of the first forty-five minutes, but Chelsea were ruthless after the break and ultimately warranted their win.

Had Howard Webb awarded the Midlands side a penalty kick after a blatant foul on Gabriel Agbonlahor by John Mikel Obi in the box, the match may turned out very differently indeed - however Chelsea were good value for the result based on their much-improved second half showing, and their double dream is still very much a possibility.

Ancelotti made only one change to the side that started the win at Old Trafford last weekend, naming Didier Drogba in place of Nicolas Anelka, with regular cup goalkeeper Henrique Hilario restricted to an appearance on the bench due to a niggling injury.

Once again it was the infamous Wembley pitch that was one of the key factors in what was a poor first half, with Chelsea looking lethargic and sloppy when in possession. James Milner and Paulo Ferreira were just two of the players who fell foul to the slippery surface in the opening exchanges - but the next player to go to ground did so under physical contact.

With the ball at his feet and preparing to turn and fire goalwards, Gabriel Agbonlahor was pulled down by Mikel inside the Chelsea area, but no penalty was given. The Villa man did have a chunk of the Nigerian star's shirt, but it was another controversial decision awarded in favour of the Blues - maybe luck smiles on them once more?

Chelsea responded with a header from Alex which failed to test Friedel, whilst Milner had earlier sent Cech scrambling with a long-range hit. The only real speck of quality demonstrated by the in-form cup holders was a smart turn of pace and strike by Joe Cole, who lashed into the side netting with the Villa keeper scrambling.

However the best chance of the half fell to the lacklustre Blues, who were denied at the death by a piece of exceptional covering by Stephen Warnock as Drogba looked to poke home from close range.



The second half saw Chelsea's midfield express more interest in the game and Lampard was soon at his dominating best. After a long spell of possession, the Blues fashioned the first chance of the half when Drogba turned Collins in the area, before seeing his shot charged down heroically by Dunne.

But a much improved Blues eleven was not to be denied, and Malouda's corner was directed home by Drogba after a ricochet which involved a mistimed shot-cum-pass from Terry which allowed the Ivorian to flick beyond Friedel's despairing dive.

And as they had done around the 70 minute mark at Stamford Bridge, Villa seemed to collapse physically; looking tired and bereft of ideas.

However, O'Neill's side were not yet out of it, and as they looked to find an equalising goal they found themselves creating good opportunities, only for their final deliveries to be crafted more through hope than expectation.

And they were made to pay when Malouda and Lampard added goals to add a layer of gloss to an efficient Chelsea display; Malouda first volleying home his 14th goal of the season from a magnificent Michael Ballack cross.

Lampard's finish was one of composure and quality, and as he had done four times in the 7-1 drubbing of the Villains in March, he coolly slotted the ball beyond Friedel to send the Chelsea supporters into raptures.

The Blue half of Wembley erupted into a semi-cauldron of noise and jubilation at the full-time whistle as Chelsea set up a May clash with either relegated Portsmouth or arch-rivals Tottenham; and you can bet your bottom dollar the Blues will be favourites to lift the famous trophy once more.

Villa will claim themselves hard-done by considering the strength of their early penalty claim, but the statistics proved otherwise; Chelsea mustered an impressive 11 shots on goal to Villa's mere 3; something Petr Cech will certainly appreciate.

However, no matter what is said in the aftermath, Chelsea won on the most important statistic of all - goals scored; 3-0.

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Aston Villa (4-4-2) Friedel; Cuellar, Collins, Dunne, Warnock; Downing, Petrov ©, Milner, A Young; Agbonlahor, Carew (Heskey)

Chelsea(4-3-3):Cech; Ferreira, Alex, Terry ©, Zhirkov; Deco (Ballack), Mikel, Lampard; J Cole (Kalou), Drogba (Anelka), Malouda.

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 26 - John TERRY


]]> Sat, 10 Apr 2010 20:16:15 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6611-aston-villa-0-3-chelsea/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6565-man-united-1-2-chelsea/ Didier Drogba scored a deserved winner as Chelsea opened up a two point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Joe Cole put Chelsea ahead with a sumptuous backheel after magnificent approach play by the in-form Florent Malouda. Both teams then had good penalty shouts turned down by referee Mike Dean before Drogba eventually fired home the winning goal in controversial circumstances.

United substitute Federico Macheda then bundled the ball home despite a blatant handball, but Chelsea's defence stayed firm as the visitors claimed a crucial victory in the title race.

And though their day will be somewhat soured by a last-minute Arsenal victory over ten-man Wolverhampton Wanderers, the result is one that confirms Chelsea's position as title contenders, as they now lead their closest rivals by two points.

Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti raised a few eyebrows with his team selection as Nicolas Anelka maintained his place in the starting eleven despite the return to fitness of 30-goal Didier Drogba, but it was not just Chelsea without their talismanic forward - United were missing star striker Wayne Rooney due to an ankle injury.

The hosts had faced a stern challenge in midweek when they faced Germany's Bayern Munich in a Champions League quarter-final and Ivica Olic's last-minute winner meant that the Bundesliga side take a narrow 2-1 aggregate lead into next week's second leg.

And their European exploits were evident; they were hugely lethargic throughout and were taken aback by a whirlwind start by the visitors; Deco volleying wide when well-placed with less than 30 seconds on the clock.

Chelsea had scored twelve goals in two matches after their elimination from the Champions League at the hand of Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan, including seven against Aston Villa, and their confidence was obvious as they took the game to their hosts.

Besides Deco's early attempt and a header from Alex that went well wide of goal, Chelsea had created few opportunities, however Florent Malouda's brilliant play saw the Blues take a crucial lead.



Picking the ball up some ten yards inside the United half, the Frenchman drove forward, took on three defenders before launching a teasing delivery across the face of goal which Cole instinctively flicked home for his just second goal of the season.

Paul Scholes then went in the book for a terrible challenge on Malouda who was proving Chelsea's best outlet. Anelka later had a shot blocked by Vidic before referee Mike Dean became the centre of two controversial decisions.

United may well feel aggrieved that they were not awarded a penalty when Ji-Sung Park was hacked down on the edge of the box by Zhirkov, but Gary Neville's blatant foul on Anelka moments later looked an even better shout for a spot-kick. Both were declined as Chelsea held out till the interval.

The hairdryer treatment may well have been what was awaiting Sir Alex Ferguson's team during the break and they were much improved for the second forty-five minutes, but it was Chelsea who threatened first in the second period.

It was Paulo Ferreira who burst forward, and only pressure from a United defender denied him a shot on goal as he could only poke his effort wide with Anelka sliding home at the far post.

United responded with a header by Berbatov that went wide with Petr Cech scrambling, and the same player headed over from a Gary Neville cross moments later as the home side grew in confidence.

With the hour mark looming, Didier Drogba was unleashed, replacing the tireless Anelka, and within ten minutes the Ivorian had scored what would prove to be the game-clinching goal. Played in by fellow substitute and compatriot Kalou, he slammed past Edwin van der Sar to give Chelsea a two-goal cushion.

Replays indicated Drogba was offside when he received Kalou's pass but Chelsea were not complaining. Ferguson fumed on the touchline and berated the forth official, but he was more than friendly with the officials when they allowed Macheda to blatantly handle the ball as he directed it into the net.

Chelsea were put under constant pressure in a grandstand finale, but Cech made routine saves from Berbatov's volley and late header when he should arguably have done better with both. The Blues held out for a famous victory - and they are now just five games from glory.

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Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ferreira, Alex, Terry ©, Zhirkov; Deco (Ballack 78), Mikel, Lampard; J Cole (Kalou 71), Anelka (Drogba 69), Malouda

Man United (4-2-3-1): Van der Sar; Neville ©, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra; Fletcher (Gibson 85), Scholes (Nani 71); Giggs, Park (Macheda 71), Valencia; Berbatov

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 15, FLORENT MALOUDA


]]> Sat, 03 Apr 2010 17:03:33 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6565-man-united-1-2-chelsea/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6533-chelsea-7-1-aston-villa/ Chelsea threw down the gauntlet to Manchester United with a stunning demolition of Aston Villa.

The Blues took an early lead when Frank Lampard slid in at the far post to convert Florent Malouda's cross, but John Carew soon equalised for Martin O'Neill's side. However as the interval loomed, Yuri Zhirkov was hacked down by James Collins and Lampard emphatically lashed the resultant penalty beyond Brad Friedel.

The gap was increased moments after the break when Florent Malouda volleyed home Zhirkov's teasing cross and a second Lampard penalty - again won by the Russian defender - saw the Chelsea number 8 complete a stunning hat-trick and score his 150th goal for the club.

Lampard then set up Malouda for his 13th goal of the season as the Blues continued to toy with their Midlands opponents.

Substitute Salomon Kalou then clinically netted his 8th strike of the season after superb skill by Nicolas Anelka, and Lampard completed the historic rout for his fourth of the day and his 21st of the season; equalling his best-ever tally from midfield.

And there were nowhere near enough superlatives to describe Chelsea's magnificent performance in what is surely one of the greatest team displays in Premier League history.

It is the second time this season that Chelsea have scored seven goals at Stamford Bridge, having thumped Sunderland 7-2 in January, and after Wednesday's 5-0 demolition of Portsmouth at Fratton Park, there is evidence that Carlo Ancelotti's side are again nearing their unplayable best.

Ancelotti's team selection may have raised a number of eyebrows with the omissions of Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack, but every single player the Italian coach called upon was brilliant. Lampard's contribution was clear. Deco and Anelka were instrumental; effortlessly knitting the midfield and attack together with incredibly fluidity. Zhirkov was tireless, and Florent Malouda may well have been arrested for the way he terrorised the visitor's defence.

Lampard's quatrick saw him eclipse Roy Bentley and the late, great Peter Osgood to emerge as the club's third top goalscorer of all-time with 151 on a historic day at Stamford Bridge, whilst John Terry captained the side for the 325th time on his 450th appearance in the famous Blue of Chelsea. It is also Aston Villa's biggest defeat in the top flight for some fifty years.

Interestingly, Villa had dented Chelsea's title challenge with a 2-1 win in the reverse fixture back in the autumn thanks to two set-piece goals from Richard Dunne and James Collins, and the Villains had an opportunity to add to Chelsea's defensive woes early on, but Petr Cech made a confident early take.

Anelka and Lampard fired early, dangerous shots from range that tested Friedel, but the visitors failed to heed the warning as the latter stole in to convert a low cross from the superb Florent Malouda.

It was Lampard who had both started and finished the move for Chelsea's equaliser, but Villa soon restored parity with a goal very similar in its creation; Ashley Young's low ball evading all but John Carew who tapped home.

But Chelsea were not to be denied a half-time lead, and their commitment to attack was rewarded when Zhirkov drew a foul from ex-West Ham defender Collins. Lampard, reliable from the spot, hammered home despite Friedel's best efforts to ensure that the hunt for the title remained on course.


Paulo Ferreira tustles with England's Stephen Warnock

The lively Anelka was off-target with Chelsea's first effort following the interval, but they soon extended their lead with Russian defender Zhirkov the instigator.

The Russian first bombed down the left flank and was picked out by a glorious cross-field pass by the creative Deco. Without hesitation he lashed the ball into the box, where Malouda fired home on the volley from eight yards out.

And mere moments later he was again involved when he won a second penalty. Steaming into the box after combining with Malouda, Zhirkov was clearly hacked down by Richard Dunne, earning the Villa man a caution. Lampard was again ruthless, finding the bottom corner with unerring accuracy.

Paulo Ferreira then turned provider as he crossed for Lampard in the box, who rolled the ball into Malouda's path to rifle into the net courtesy of the crossbar. It was a sumptuous finish by the Frenchman for a career-best 13th strike of the campaign.

And five soon became six as Kalou was the beneficiary of some stunning footwork by Anelka. The French striker had gone 10 matches without scoring, and after working a yard of space he set up his strike partner to smash beyond Friedel.

The Heavens then began to open as Chelsea continued to stroke the ball about with delightful ease. Patrick van Aanholt came on to make his home league bow and Michael Ballack made a return from a foot injury as the superb trio of Deco, Joe Cole and Zhirkov were withdrawn. O'Neill also made a number of changes to counter Chelsea's dominance.

However, Villa were beyond well-beaten at this point. This was a humiliation.

The closest they came to responding was when substitute Delfouneso's shot deflected less than a foot wide with Cech stranded, but the Villa fans were superb in their support; singing despite the scoreline. They were, however, drowned out by choruses from the Matthew Harding End.

Delfouneso looked to inject some enthusiasm into the visitor's attack, but it was John Terry's time to shine with two magnificent challenges to first deny the young winger a clear run at goal, and then to steal it off his toe as he again broke forward into the box.

But Chelsea were keen to have the last word and Lampard swept home from another Malouda centre for his fourth of the game, 21st of the season and 151st of his Chelsea career.

And confirmation of the victory was made all the sweeter when news filtered through of Arsenal's draw with Birmingham - leaving Chelsea and Manchester United as favourites for the title.

And, as fate should have it, the two teams meet at Old Trafford next weekend. No pressure.

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Chelsea: Cech; Ferreira, Alex, Terry ©, Zhirkov (Van Aanholt 75); Deco (Ballack 71), Mikel, Lampard; J Cole (Kalou 75), Anelka, Malouda

Aston Villa: Friedel; L Young, Collins, Dunne, Warnock; Sidwell, Petrov © (Downing 62); Agbonlahor (Beye 71), Milner, A Young; Carew (Delfouneso 62)

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 8 - SUPER FRANKIE LAMPARD

]]> Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:41:52 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6533-chelsea-7-1-aston-villa/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6514-portsmouth-0-5-chelsea/ Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda both scored braces as Chelsea moved to within a point of league leaders Manchester United.

In a game played in abysmal conditions on the south coast, the Blues took a first half lead when Didier Drogba capitalised on a David James error to give Chelsea a crucial lead heading into the interval. Florent Malouda then scored a quick-fire brace before Drogba and Frank Lampard completed the rout to send Chelsea back to second in the table.

Chelsea are now just a point behind league leaders Manchester United and will find this victory a welcome tonic to a poor run of form that has seen Carlo Ancelotti's side knocked out of the Champions League and lose ground in the title hunt.

But the team's biggest away win of the season ensures that Chelsea are back in the chase for the Premier League crown, with a crunch clash with Sir Alex Ferguson's side in early April looming ever closer.

Ancelotti will have raised several eyebrows with his team selection, selecting Deco and Daniel Sturridge ahead of Joe Cole and Nicolas Anelka respectively, but the Blues boss will be happy to see his side return to winning ways in what is their thirteenth triumph over Portsmouth in fourteen attempts.

With Arsenal and United in fine form it was absolutely paramount that Chelsea took three points from this game as they sought to preserve their faltering title ambitions, but they were not aided by a saturated pitch and a resolute Portsmouth backline.

But a superb night for the Blues saw them not only make up the ground on the league leaders but also match their northern rivals' goal difference - and only two points now separates the top three, though Chelsea can now boast the Premier League's best attack having netted 75 league goals this term.

Chelsea were the first to apply pressure and Ricardo Carvalho missed a chance to head home before Drogba had fired two snapshots wide of David James' goal.

James then made a smart save from a long-range shot from Lampard before bravely collecting a Yuri Zhirkov cross with Drogba looking to pounce. The England keeper then got down quickly to deny Lampard a second time with a good low parry.

Moments later, however, an error in judgement by James saw him kick nothing but air after the ball took a slight bobble, allowing Drogba to stroll home and score.


Drogba was in lethal form as he scored his 15th goal in 14 Premier League games.

The end of the first half was soured by a number of injuries, however, that first saw Ricardo Carvalho forced to withdraw and Alex replacing him. Portmouth's Ricardo Rocha was then stretchered off the field after suffering a broken cheekbone after a collision with Malouda.

But the worst of the injuries saw Tommy Smith's nose and eye socket fractured due to a stray elbow by Sturridge - and replays suggest the arm movement was deliberate.

Moments after the interval Chelsea stretched their lead when Malouda rifled home from close range after being fed by Lampard, and the in-form former Lyonnais man was in the right place at the right time ten minutes later when he fired home a rebound after James had denied Lampard yet again.

The England keeper's personal battle with his international colleague continued when he made a stunning diving save to keep out a Lampard thunderbolt from the edge of the area, but was being seriously let down by his defenders.

Joe Cole, in the meantime, had come on and seen a shot well-saved by James though he should have done better with his initial touch on second viewing. Patrick van Aanholt then came on for his Chelsea début on 71 minutes as Ancelotti looked to rest key men - Zhirkov was the man replaced.

Drogba then scored his thirtieth of the season after latching on to a sublime through-ball from Mikel, holding off Hermann Hreidarsson before lashing past a beleaguered James.

And matters went from bad to worse for Portsmouth as Lampard headed home his seventeenth goal of the season to continue his good form in front of goal and eradicate the advantage of Manchester United's previously superior goal difference.

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Chelsea: Cech; Ferreira, Carvalho (Alex 36), Terry ©, Zhirkov (Van Aanholt 69); Mikel, Lampard; Sturridge (J Cole 54), Deco, Malouda; Drogba

Portsmouth: James ©; Mullins, Rocha (Basinas 45), Hreidarsson, Finnan; Mokoena (Kanu 69), Wilson, Hughes; O'Hara, Smith (Owusu-Abeyie 46); Piquionne

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 15, FLORENT MALOUDA


]]> Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:54:33 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6514-portsmouth-0-5-chelsea/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6460-chelsea-4-1-west-ham/ West Ham's relegation fears were underlined after a 4-1 demolition by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea were dominant throughout and took a deserved early lead through Alex's first goal for nearly nine months. Ex-Blues midfielder Scott Parker equalised with a 25-yard belter in front of watching England manager Fabio Capello, but it was Frenchman Florent Malouda who stole the show with a match-winning performance.

In addition to setting up Alex's opener, Malouda provided the cross for Didier Drogba to make it 2-1 and Malouda himself fired home from the edge of the area to confirm the victory. Drogba poached a second in stoppage time as he continues his quest for the Golden Boot, as Chelsea returned to the top of the table in stunning fashion.

The omens are good for Chelsea - the last time they won the Premier League title they beat West Ham by an identical scoreline, and the confidence seems to have returned to Carlo Ancelotti's side after a terrible end to February with back-to-back defeats.

But stand-in keeper Ross Tunrbull was rarely tested on his Premier League debut as the Blues demonstrated the same defensive resilience they had shown earlier in the season. And Malouda's strike was the club's 100th in all competitions this season - showing Chelsea's new-found dedication to attack.

However in spite of all Chelsea's early possession, it was the visiting side that formed the best chance, and only a wayward finish from six yards out by Brazilian forward Ilan stopped Gianfraco Zola's side from going ahead.

Paulo Ferreira was beaten at the by-line by Mido who squared the ball for his strike partner, who lashed the ball feet over the crossbar. It was a miss that Chelsea would punish almost instantly - Malouda volleyed wide before winning a corner off Johnathon Spector.

The initial delivery was cleared as far as John Terry, who returned the ball to the Blues winger. Malouda had time to pick out the run of Alex, who met the ball with a fierce header to beat the despairing dive of Robert Green to hand Chelsea the lead.


Drogba scores... again...

West Ham were under mounting pressure and Chelsea came close to extending their lead but Malouda's cross was deflected on to the bar by Matthew Upson before Parker could hack the ball to safety.

The Hammers were soon on level terms thanks to Parker's excellent goal - his first of the season. Dyer's throw-in was flicked on by a stretching John Mikel Obi, and Parker took one touch before hammering home beyond the helpless Turnbull. That was as good as West Ham were to get, as the goal seemed to galvanise the hosts.

Frank Lampard stung the palms of Green with a fierce drive moments before half-time, and shortly after the interval it took some intelligent play from the England goalkeeper to deny Drogba as he raced out to meet the Ivorian.

But Drogba was not be denied, and he soon made it 2-1 - but the goal owed much to Chelsea skipper John Terry. The defender surged forward before laying the ball off to Drogba on the edge of the area. Drogba fed Malouda before racing into the area where he met the Frenchman's cross with aplomb for his 26th goal of the season.

Green then pulled off an excellent save to deny Alex before Terry poked the rebound wide of the target. Malouda then turned his marker on the edge of the area before firing into the bottom corner for his ninth of the campaign, and it was a deserved goal from the Frenchman.

Malouda then supplied a delightful flick to Lampard, who hit the base of the post with an instinctive effort from close range, before the rebound was blocked by a covering defender with Drogba looking to pounce. Malouda - enjoying one of his best spells in a Chelsea shirt - was then substituted to a standing ovation as Ancelotti looked to rest his troops before their crunch tie with Inter Milan.

And it was a tale of two saves in stoppage time - the first was from Green, who could only push the ball into Drogba's path from a Lampard effort, allowing the striker his second of the game, before Turnbull made a confidence-aiding save at his near post to ensure the scoreline reflected the events of the game.

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Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Turnbull, Ivanovic (Zhirkov), Alex, Terry ©, Ferreira; Ballack, Mikel, Lampard; Anelka (J Cole), Malouda (Kalou); Drogba

West Ham (4-3-3): Green; Spector, Gabbidon, Upson ©, Deprela; Kovac, Parker, Behrami; Ilan (Diamanti), Mido (C. Cole), Dyer (Stanislas)

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 15 - FLORENT MALOUDA

]]> Sun, 14 Mar 2010 09:30:29 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6460-chelsea-4-1-west-ham/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6420-chelsea-2-0-stoke/ Frank Lampard and John Terry scored to set up a Wembley showdown with Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

Having surrendered their lead at the top of the Premier League thanks to wins for Arsenal and Manchester United yesterday afternoon, Chelsea have added another Wembley date to their fixture list pile-up thanks to goals from Frank Lampard and under-fire captain John Terry.

The Blues - having lost their last two games - were in clinical mood and another efficient-if-unspectacular victory for Carlo Ancelotti's side sets up a semi final occasion with Martin O'Neill's in-form Aston Villa in mid-April.

They took the lead ten minutes before half-time when Terry teed up Lampard on the edge of the box, and it was roles reversed after the interval when Terry headed home his third goal of the season from his England colleague's corner.

The margin of victory might have been greater, but Ancelotti will be pleased with the performance of his team after their humiliating thumping at the hands of Manchester City the previous weekend, during which the hosts lost their superb 37-game unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge.

However Chelsea were not in charitable mood, and Stoke were outclassed and outplayed by their hosts, who looked as comfortable as ever - including their skipper and stand-in goalkeeper. Whilst allegations of Terry's private life have been spread across the news, Henrique Hilario, the understudy to the crocked Petr Cech, has suffered scrutiny for an unconvincing display against City.

But an excellent late save from Ricardo Fuller to preserve a confidence-aiding clean sheet will do the Portuguese goalkeeper - who earned his first international cap in midweek - a world of good.

The match was always likely to be a match-up of Chelsea's guile and Stoke's brute strength and physicality, but the Blues demonstrated a second string to their bow with a dominating defensive performance - although they nearly fell behind with less than six minutes on the clock.

Mamady Sidibe headed over from Robert Huth's flick, before having a second effort blocked by Alex, who replaced the rested Ricardo Carvalho. But it was Dean Whitehead who came closest for Stoke, forcing a brilliant clearance off the line by John Mikel Obi after smashing a loose ball towards goal.

Nicolas Anelka, arguably Chelsea's best player on the day, was enjoying freedom out wide due to Stoke's narrow midfield, and it was he who had the most presentable of Chelsea's early chances; the first forcing a good save from Thomas Sorensen.


John Terry celebrates his game-clinching header.

He should have scored moments later when pouncing on a Whitehead mistake, but flashed a shot well wide with his left boot. However, the opening goal would come from Chelsea's next attack.

Florent Malouda's corner caused all sorts of problems in the Stoke box, allowing Terry to feed the ball to Lampard who lashed home beyond the despairing dive of Sorensen thanks to the slightest of deflections off of Stoke's captain Faye.

But Lampard's 16th of the season could not have been better-timed, and the goal was deserved from Chelsea's point of view with the hosts clearly the more creative side.

It could have been 2-0 before the whistle was blown for the interval but Didier Drogba's volley from Paulo Ferreira's smart cross from the left was stupendously saved by Sorenson at his near post to keep his side in the tie. Branislav Ivanovic had a shot deflected wide as Chelsea continued to press.

And it was little surprise when they doubled their advantage twenty minutes into the second half. Andy Wilkinson made two brilliant blocks to deny first Nicolas Anelka from close range after an excellent Chelsea counter-attack, but heading Alex's rocket header over his own crossbar.

However the Stoke defender was less fortunate when Terry's header flicked off his chest and beyond his own goalkeeper - and how did the Chelsea captain celebrate; showing his armband to the euphoric Chelsea supporters behind the goal.

It was little more than Chelsea deserved and the Blues seemed to grow in confidence following the game-clinching goal.

Stoke were having to come out of their shell leaving space to be exploited by Chelsea's forwards, and only a better touch from Kalou might have increased the score before he was blocked at source by Sorenson, who was enjoying a fine game between the posts for the Potters.

Anelka had a shot smartly blocked before Lampard's long-range effort brought a top-drawer save from the Dane to order to preserve a crumb of credibility to the scoreline.

But in truth, Tony Pulis' side were well and truly beaten, and a last-minute save from Hilario following a decent effort from Ricardo Carvalho confirmed the victory as Chelsea celebrated reaching their 19th FA Cup semi-final - and a Wembley date with Aston Villa.

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Chelsea: Hilario; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry ©, Ferreira; Lampard, Mikel, Malouda; Anelka, Kalou; Drogba

Stoke: Sorensen; Wilkinson, Faye, Huth ©, Collins; Delap, Whelan (Pugh), Whitehead, Tuncay (Lawrence); Sidibe (Kitson), Fuller

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 39, NICOLAS ANELKA


]]> Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:40:00 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6420-chelsea-2-0-stoke/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6327-chelsea-2-4-man-city/ Carlos Tevez scored twice as Manchester City became the first team to beat Chelsea at home in 16 months.

The Argentine scored a stoppage time equaliser at the end of the first half for Roberto Mancini's side after a catalogue of errors from the hosts, only moments after Frank Lampard had given the Blues the lead.

But City started the second period with menace and it was little surprise when Craig Bellamy gave them the lead thanks to a fine run and finish beyond Henrique Hilario.

Substitute Juliano Belletti then hauled down Gareth Barry inside the penalty area to give City the opportunity to increase the lead. Tevez effortlessly dispatched beyond Hilario whilst Belletti was given a straight red card.

And the Brazilian was soon followed down the tunnel by Michael Ballack, who picked up a second yellow card for an aggressive tackle on City's diminutive Argentine, but Bellamy put the icing on the cake with City's fourth goal after ex-Chelsea man Shaun Wright-Phillips had been played in by Tevez.

Lampard pulled a late consolation back for Chelsea for his fifteenth goal of the campaign after Barry had brought down Nicolas Anelka inside the area - but that was scant reward for a Chelsea side whose lead at the top of the table is reduced to a mere point, with a visit to Old Trafford looming ever closer.

There will be serious questions asked of Chelsea after another below-par performance and more lacklustre defending. Under-fire captain John Terry was again partly at fault for allowing Tevez to roll home the equaliser, but besides perhaps goalscorer Lampard and the faultless endeavour of Nicolas Anelka, no Chelsea player can seek to take positives from the match.

With Petr Cech missing for a month due to a calf injury, stand-in goalkeeper Hilario was expected to grasp his opportunity between the posts with both hands, but an unconvincing, mistake-riddled performance will leave Carlo Ancelotti with a lingering seed of doubt planted in his mind.

And with Ballack and Belletti joining a list of unavailable players for the FA Cup clash with Stoke next weekend, the Italian's options look increasingly thin.

Much of the pre-match talk was of Wayne Bridge's feud with former team-mate John Terry over allegations of the latter's private life, but few expected anything other than a Chelsea victory as the Blues sought to increase their lead at the top of the table.

City mustered just one effort on target during the opening exchanges, and that was an easy take for Hilario as he gathered a freekick from Adam Johnson without concern.

Chelsea were coming closer as the half drew on - Malouda drilled a thunderous long-range strike narrowly over the crossbar, Drogba wastefully headed over and Vincent Kompany almost sliced an attempted clearance beyond his own goalkeeper. Joe Cole had also seen an effort saved after cutting inside Johnson.

And it came as no surprise that Chelsea would eventually take the lead, and it was Cole's ball into Frank Lampard that allowed the England star to score his fourteenth goal of the season.


Juliano Belletti sees red as Chelsea's day is summed up in one disastrous moment.

But the unthinkable happened when Tevez - a peripheral figure all game so far - stole a march on Terry, rounded Carvalho before rolling the ball into the net. The Argentine had been on a leave of absence to be with his wife and prematurely-born daughter, but scored despite a limp finish that Hilario should have done better with.

And they could have gone in ahead at the break had Joleon Lescott converted a free header from just six yards out - Chelsea were living dangerously.

Lampard and Anelka both had chances to give Chelsea the lead again as the second half began, but as the Chelsea attack broke down, Mikel found himself isolated against Bellamy marauding down the left flank.

The Welshman did not disappoint with his finish; low and across the goalkeeper, but questions must be asked of Hilario, who simply should not have been beaten from such a tight angle.

Only a last-gasp clearance by Branislav Ivanovic prevented City from increasing the lead any further - and there were was indication that their relentless pressure would cease. Ancelotti's side were becoming desperate and he responded with three quick fire substitutions.

The Chelsea manager's decision was met with boos as Joe Cole was withdrawn. Having set up the earlier goal for Lampard, Cole was enjoying his best game for Chelsea for some time, and his replacement Daniel Sturridge instead only frustrated by making a number of wrong decisions when well-placed in the City half.

And another of Ancelotti's substitutes - Belletti - lasted only fifteen minutes as he was dismissed for a foul on Barry inside the box. One lethally-dispatched penalty later, City had a healthy lead and Chelsea's problems did not look like ending.

Ballack saw a second yellow and Bellamy slotted home a second to confirm a magnificent result for City - their first league double over Chelsea for over fifth years.

Lampard's late consolation penalty came after a late surge by the nine remaining Chelsea players - Anelka had been foiled by a superb reflex stop by Given whilst Drogba had shot tamely wide on two occasions.

But Barry's hack on Anelka gave Lampard the chance to add a speck of credibility to the scoreline, but it was a weak performance by a lacklustre Chelsea side that barely deserved the scant consolation the penalty would prove to be.

The Chelsea number 8 comfortably stroked the ball home to partly amend for his costly miss in the reverse fixture where Given had denied him the opportunity to score Chelsea's second on that particular night, but the damage had been done.

Manchester United sit just one point behind Chelsea, and can go top next weekend due to the Blues being in cup action. The title is slowly slipping out of Ancelotti's grasp.
___________________________________________________________________

Chelsea(:Hilario; Ivanovic, Carvalho (Kalou), Terry ©, Malouda; Ballack, Mikel (Belletti), Lampard; Anelka, J Cole (Sturridge); Drogba

Manchester City: Given ©; Zabaleta, Richards, Lescott, Bridge (Santa Cruz); Kompany, De Jong, Barry; Bellamy, Tevez (Sylvinho), Johnson (Wright-Phillips).

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Man City's number 39 - Craig Bellamy

]]> Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:57:39 +0000 http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6327-chelsea-2-4-man-city/ http://forum.talkchelsea.net/topic/6299-wolves-0-2-chelsea/ Didier Drogba scored twice to earn Chelsea a crucial victory in the Premier League title race.

With defending champions Manchester United beaten 3-1 at Goodison Park by an in-form Everton side, Chelsea were presented with an opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the table to four points.

And a superb performance from key duo Didier Drogba and goalkeeper Petr Cech ensured that the Blues head to Italy to face Internazionale in the Champions League full of confidence.

The result means that no matter what result United achieve against West Ham in midweek, the Blues will head into their weekend clash with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge safe in the knowledge the destiny of the title is still very much in their own hands.

In a week where tabloid headlines have again focused around the private life of another Chelsea footballer - this time the injured Ashley Cole - the result acts as a welcome distraction from a tirade of media attention for Chelsea's Italian manager.

Speaking after the game, the Chelsea coach was full of admiration for his two star performers. "Didier is doing very well, not just because of his goals but because of his leadership with his team-mates. But Petr was man of the match because he saved the result for us."

And perhaps even more notable was Chelsea's triumph despite something of an injury crisis, with the aforementioned Cole joined on the treatment table by Ricardo Carvalho, Alex, Deco, Michael Essien and Juliano Belletti amongst those missing.

Another key member of the Chelsea set-up who was absent was star midfielder Frank Lampard, who missed out due to illness - but an efficient performance by his team-mates will be just the tonic to remedy the England star back to good health.

The match, in truth, was something of a dead-rubber clash for much of the first half. Wolves started the brighter of the two teams, matching Chelsea's midfield with a dogged performance, but it was the visitors who forged the first opening.


Chelsea's Yuri Zhirkov is congratulated for setting up Drogba's first goal.

It was Michael Ballack who shot wide, but as soon as Chelsea were into their stride, they found themselves on the back foot as the hosts replied.

Kevin Doyle forced Cech into a smart save at his near post with an instinctive effort only moments after the Irishman had tested the Czech shotstopper for the first time after a promising run from deep.

But by the time Chelsea had soaked up pressure from Wolves, they were hitting the hosts on the counter-attack, and a move of stunning simplicity led to their opening goal. It was the industrious Zhirkov who created it; playing a clever one-two with Ballack before teeing up Drogba to poke home from close range for his 24th of the season.

The goal - coming late in the half - held much promise for Chelsea in the second period, but it only seemed to galvanise Wolves, who were matching their hosts man for man. Their first effort of a period of great pressure on the Blues' goal came through new signing Guedioura, who forced a top save from Cech with a fiercely-hit volley.

Cech was keeping his team's lead intact, and his defence will be thankful for his fleet-footedness as he leapt to smother the ball at the feet of Kevin Foley before Guedioura's follow-up was hacked away by John Terry.

As at Goodison Park some ten days beforehand, Terry was out-of-sorts - without regular partner-in-crime Carvalho he seemed lost and times, and but for an impressive display by Branislav Ivanovic, the Blues skipper would have found himself on the losing side of the defence's match-long duel with the tireless Doyle.

But whilst Terry was under-performing, his goalkeeper was enjoying one of his best outings between the posts for Chelsea for some time, and his contribution was highlighted when he provided an assist for Drogba's second goal.

A long punt forward caught the Wolves defence unaware, and Drogba coolly rounded Marcus Hahnemann before stroking home to take his tally for the season to an incredible 25 in 29 matches.

Wolves continued to press, aiming for the goal their fight and grit warranted, but Chelsea were not to be denied only their second win away from home in seven matches and first in three. Ancelotti's winning machine marches on - thanks to their goalkeeper and talismanic forward.

___________________________________________________________________

Wolves: Hahnemann; Zubar, Craddock, Berra, Ward; Henry ©; Foley (Halford), Guedioura, Jones (Ebanks-Blake), Jarvis (Mujangi Bia); Doyle

Chelsea: Cech; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry ©, Zhirkov (Bruma); Ballack, Mikel, Malouda; Anelka, J Cole; Drogba

The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match was Chelsea's number 1, PETR CECH


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