Watford 1-3 Chelsea

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Watford 1-3 Chelsea F.C.

February 14 2009, FA Cup Fifth Round, Vicarage Road, Watford


Nicolas Anelka celebrates scoring against the Hornets.

Nicolas Anelka scored a brilliant hat-trick to put Chelsea into the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup, at the expense of valiant Watford.

The Hornets, managed by former Chelsea Reserve team boss Brendan Rodgers took the lead on 69 minutes when Tamas Priskin found the back of the net despite the best efforts of Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, but the Blues, under the temporary charge of Ray Wilkins, battled back to restore parity through Anelka's bicycle-kick.

The Blues went ahead just a minute after the restart, Anelka heading home from Ashley Cole's cross after disastrous defending from the Watford rearguard left the Frenchman free to steer the ball home. Anelka then completed his hat-trick in fine style after Cech had saved well when one-on-one with a Watford player, to put Chelsea through to the Quarter Finals of the competition they won under José Mourinho in 2007.

With Luiz Felipe Scolari sacked in the week following an indifferent start to 2009, Ray Wilkins took charge of the Blues as they took on the Hornets, and made several changes to the side that drew against Hull at Stamford Bridge - most notably with Michael Mancienne making his debut in place of José Bosingwa. Petr Cech, Branislav Ivanovic and Didier Drogba also returned to the starting eleven.

And it was Drogba who provided compatriot Salomon Kalou with the first chance of the match with less than a minute on the clock. The Ivorian showed great control to break down the Chelsea right, and his cross for fellow countryman Kalou was just too high for the young striker, yet the visitors were making an early indication of their intent in front of new manager Guus Hiddink.

Loach, the young goalkeeper for the hosts, then saved well from Drogba's volleyed effort from 25 yards, which was hit with considerable venom. The Chelsea number 11 was in inspired form and causing no end of problems for the Watford defence. Alex then headed over from a Lampard corner, the Brazilian looping his effort well off target. For Lampard, the game was of special significance, for Frank Junior was facing the side for which his father, Frank Senior, is a football consultant for. However, there was to be no sign of family ties disrupting the England midfielder, as Frank Junior put in an excellent performance throughout.

Adrian Mariappa wasted a decent chance for the home side, heading at Cech, before Ashley Cole picked up a costly yellow card which will see the England full back miss the side's trip to Villa Park to face Martin O'Neill's high-flying side. With 25 minutes on the clock, Lampard thundered a freekick goalwards that was subsequently cleared after a strong punch by Loach, before Anelka hit the woodwork after being set up excellently by Drogba. Cech then palmed away a far post header by Gregorz Rasiak in a frantic passage of play, before Anelka again tried his luck, but the Frenchman's aim was off and he fired wide.

Watford kicked off the second half in confident fashion, passing the ball around comfortably as they looked to build on their solid first-half performance, but it was Chelsea and the fired-up Drogba who had the better of the opening exchanges; firing towards goal from an acute angle, only for Loach to palm away. Michael Ballack - thus far anonymous - fired straight into the wall from a freekick after Alex was felled outside the area, and John Obi Mikel's follow-up effort was horribly high and wide.

Drogba then came inches away from connecting to a Lampard cross after the Blues skipper combined with Anelka and Kalou, before Michael Mancienne unleashed a left-footed effort that had Loach worried but was always rising. Ashley Cole then blocked his own teammate's shot as he inadvertently deflected Drogba's effort from close range away from goal, as Chelsea looked to find the opening their performance craved.

Tamas Priskin was then introduced and within two minutes, against the run of play, was on the scoresheet. A high ball caught the Chelsea defence pushed too far upfield, and despite Priskin being in an apparently offside position, the striker kept his cool to chip the onrushing Cech, who could not keep the ball out despite his best efforts.

But the goal, coupled with the introduction of Miroslav Stoch, turned the game. Slovakian winger Stoch, who played for his country in midweek, provided an attacking outlet and his pace on the wing was causing plenty of problems for the Watford defence. Going a goal down appeared to galvanise the Blues, and it was not long before Ivanovic's knock down from a Lampard corner found Anelka, who brilliantly found the net with an overhead kick.

Anelka completed the most rapid of comebacks when he was found unmarked in the penalty area to convert Ashley Cole's cross, although it must be said that the Frenchman only found the net thanks to some haphazard defending from the hosts. Watford's backline had been breached twice in two minutes after holding out so resolutely, and in somewhat cruel fashion, their FA Cup dream had been snatched from them.

Cech then flapped at a cross but the ball somehow stayed out, before Kalou curled wide late on. Cech then had to be at his best to smother a shot from close range when one-on-one, and immediately, Chelsea broke to seal the tie when Kalou and Stoch combined to find Anelka, who turned and fired home in clinical fashion. Into the last eight for the third time in four seasons, the Blues will surely look to build on their current FA Cup progress.

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The TalkChelsea.net Man of the Match award goes to...



Frank Lampard

Chelsea: Cech; Mancienne, Alex, Ivanovic, A Cole; Ballack (Belletti 82), Mikel (Stoch 72), Lampard ©; Anelka, Drogba, Kalou.

Manager: Ray Wilkins

Watford: Loach; Hoyte, Mariappa, DeMerit ©, Doyley; Jenkins, Smith, L Williamson (Cowie 66), McAnuff; Rasiak (Priskin 66), Hoskins (O' Toole 75).

Manager: Brendan Rodgers