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Guardian:
Chelsea make the most of Drogba's good fortune
Kevin McCarra at Stamford BridgeMonday August 22, 2005The Guardian
Having trounced the opposition last season Chelsea, for the sake of variety, have now taken to teasing them. For the second week in a row the champions have performed drably before winning 1-0, almost despite themselves. Didier Drogba settled the encounter with a goal characterised by luck and, as in the Community Shield, a capacity for paralysing Arsenal's young Swiss centre-back Philippe Senderos with apprehension. Chelsea, none the less, would not have struck terror into many hearts with this display, unless rival managers quake at the thought that a great improvement by Jose Mourinho's squad is an inevitability. While the Stamford Bridge players wait to retrieve their best form, they were able to while away an afternoon by beating Arsenal in a league fixture for the first time in 10 years.
Arsène Wenger, therefore, marked his 500th match in charge of Arsenal by shedding three points to Chelsea for the first time. But he was much too annoyed by proceedings to slink into self-pity. He was a picture of discontent in front of the dug-out, muttering to himself and gesturing in exasperation. If a new Arsenal really is being raised by him, Wenger has to pace the floor during its teething pains. There are some compromises in the Frenchman's thinking as he reacts to Chelsea's domination. His Arsenal were defensive. Wenger had actually turned to what might have been termed the Keegan Protocol. Last season, while in charge of Manchester City, Kevin Keegan had used an attacker to stifle Chelsea and glean a draw from Stamford Bridge.
Claude Makelele is the starter motor of Mourinho's team, but the ignition kept cutting out in that game as Antoine Sibierski carried out his sabotage mission. Wenger wanted Robert Pires to undertake a similar job yesterday, but he had to be reassigned to the wing following an early injury to Freddie Ljungberg. Robin van Persie came on but did not hamper Makelele much.
The Frenchman and others guaranteed that Chelsea were marginally the better of two sides who succumbed to mediocrity. In the first minute, Frank Lampard released Damien Duff and the Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann had to be smart in his response to touch the ball away from the area. A corner ensued and Asier Del Horno's header was prevented from reaching the net only by the chest of Ljungberg. This passage of play was misleading, though, since it did not herald any kind of barrage by Chelsea. It could even have been the visitors who opened the scoring after 12 minutes, but Ljungberg lashed high from an angle.
As champions, it will always be Chelsea who are under under review, and they will be judged strictly. While Lampard, for instance, ran and crossed well in the 42nd minute for Arjen Robben to hit a bouncing finish against the head of Lehmann, there was some disquiet about the midfielder.
Here, as at Wigan, he bore no resemblance to the enterprising plunderer of defences who was so admired last season. It could be that he is still to reach peak condition after a foot operation in the summer and there may even be an extra pound or two on the frame of a man who had acquired a lean look over his sea sons with Chelsea. Mourinho, though, will not be anxious and he must be more perplexed by the fashion in which Hernán Crespo conducted himself. Anyone who thought the Argentinian would be galvanised by his beautiful winner at Wigan has failed to appreciate how tortuous the psychology of this striker really is.
He was listless for as long as he lasted and when a questioner suggested that Crespo had lacked support the manager's contempt for such an explanation was unmistakable.
Drogba, despite his harrying of Senderos in the Community Shield, had surprisingly been named among the substitutes, but that may only have seen the neurosis in the 20-year-old Swiss expand as he awaited the introduction of his nemesis.
Drogba, by and large, was not intimidating and Mourinho probably trembled merely with frustration when the Ivory Coast international sliced a first-time shot foolishly off-target. After 73 minutes, however, Lampard chipped a free-kick into the right of the penalty area and Arsenal, possibly aiming to operate an offside trap, did not get the benefit of a decision too tight for the officials to guarantee that the geometry had been assessed perfectly. The attacker deserved to be allowed to proceed.
Senderos, as he did for the opener in Cardiff, had let Drogba elude him by a couple of yards. The ball then bounced against the outside of of the attacker's knee and, with Lehmann wrong-footed, Chelsea had their lead.
The most disappointing aspect of Arsenal's efforts was they never looked liable to score before or after that breakthrough by Drogba, even if Ashley Cole did claim to have been bowled over in the penalty area early in the afternoon.
Chelsea should take pride in that and also in the pairing of John Terry and William Gallas. During the 21 matches of Mourinho's tenure in which the Englishman and the Frenchman have been together at centre-back, they have conceded only two goals. Maybe the excellent Ricardo Carvalho should not be so confused by his current exclusion from the line-up.
Even if they did not require to do so, Chelsea could have scored a second in stoppage time after Senderos had knocked the ball into Drogba's path, but the shot went straight to Lehmann.
Michael Essien, Chelsea's record signing, had made his debut by then as a substitute. The Ghana midfielder dispossessed Cole and the left-back was booked for the foul that followed.
Essien had helped Chelsea see out the match with a narrow lead intact. He may do rather a lot of that in the years to come.
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Independent:
Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0 Mourinho's functional champs win the battle of Drogba's knee By Sam Wallace Published: 22 August 2005 Last week it was the glorious left foot of Hernan Crespo that proved Chelsea's decisive act, yesterday it was the less subtle talents of Didier Drogba's right knee. The margins of victory are becoming ever finer for Jose Mourinho but the occasion of his club's first league win over Arsenal in almost a decade carries a significance that will resonate throughout the Premiership.
Chelsea started the match as the champions and they finished it having quelled one of the country's last outposts of serious resistance. Only Manchester City now remain unbowed by Mourinho's Chelsea revolution and judging by Arsène Wenger's reaction to defeat on the touchline, in his 500th match in charge of Arsenal, this also proved one of the most painful. He stomped tormented around the perimeter of this game, despairing at the details of a performance that failed to conform to his masterplan.
This was not quite the early chapter of the Premiership that would give us the vital clues to its eventual plot. Chelsea were as indomitable in defence as their reputation dictates but once again the attacking edge to their fleet of wingers was ponderous. Arsenal, still adapting to life without Patrick Vieira, were adequate but they did not excel and for Wenger the fear must nag that defender Philippe Senderos is starting to wilt under the responsibility of his task.
For much of this game, Arsenal proved themselves crisper passers of the ball, more prepared to pick away at the complexities of Chelsea's defence than, as their opponents did, launch their best attacks through the air. But it was to Arsenal, and Wenger's discredit, that the aerial approach of Mourinho's that they have so derided proved their ultimate undoing. Unlike their victory at Wigan last week, Chelsea could not summon a moment of definitive brilliance, but they won the battle with Drogba's knee.
There was a hint of offside about the goal the Ivory Coast striker, introduced as a half-time substitute, scored on 73 minutes but it owed much more to the disintegrating concentration of Senderos. The young Swiss defender was too far from Drogba as Frank Lampard's free-kick drifted over.
It was the worst of first touches, it was the best of first touches. Thierry Henry would, no doubt, have dragged an equivalent ball into his stride before picking his spot but lesser mortals have to exist on more modest talents. Drogba appeared to have shaped to control the ball as he entered the area but instead it cannoned off his knee and wrong-footed Jens Lehmann who let it run past him at his near post.
Wenger was not the only anguished bystander. Mourinho's edginess was evident when he admonished his physio for over-eagerness in tending to an injured player as Chelsea defended a corner. The Chelsea manager did not even include Joe Cole or his latest rebel, Ricardo Carvalho, on the bench. The Portuguese defender cut a forlorn figure as he wandered around the pitch after the final whistle.
Without him, Mourinho's defence looked as intimidating as ever with Asier del Horno at left-back his outstanding performer. The Spanish international has a ruthless abandon in the tackle that has already endeared him to Stamford Bridge and he almost scored with a header from a corner in the second minute that Freddie Ljungberg was forced to shuffle off the line.
The Swedish international was on the end of Arsenal's best attack of the first half when Alexander Hleb switched a pass out to Henry on the left and Ljungberg crept in at the back post to shoot over the bar. As Arsenal settled in midfield and pushed back Chelsea's initial pressure, Ljungberg smashed into an advertising hoarding and eventually had to be replaced by Robin van Persie.
From the bench before the hour Mourinho was able to summon Shaun Wright-Phillips and debutant Michael Essien and it was the England winger who had the more obvious impact. He is one of the few wide players capable of reducing Ashley Cole to wild, ill-timed tackles and in the build-up to Drogba's goal the strain was beginning to show on Arsenal's left flank.
Drogba's goal was not a strike of great beauty, and in the context of a game that never really ignited, it is difficult to tell whether this display has saved his career or cast more doubt - he missed a great chance on 55 minutes. But Mourinho's creed is victory - by long ball, by glorious dipping long-range shots or by opportunist knees - and it is a creed they have embraced whole-heartedly at Chelsea.
Goal: Drogba (73) 1-0.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Del Horno; Makelele; Duff, Lampard, Gudjohnsen (Essien, 58), Robben (Wright-Phillips, 58); Crespo (Drogba, h-t). Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Huth.
Arsenal (4-4-1-1): Lehmann; Lauren, Toure, Senderos, Cole; Ljungberg (Van Persie, 25), Gilberto, Fabregas (Flamini, 85), Hleb; Pires; Henry. Substitutes not used: Almunia (gk), Bergkamp, Cygan.
Booked: Chelsea Makelele; Arsenal Van Persie, Cole.
Referee: G Poll (Herts).
Man of the match: Del Horno.
Attendance: 42,136.
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Sun:
Chelsea 1 Arsenal 0 DIDIER DROGBA'S fluke put Chelsea in the driving seat for the Premiership title.
The Blues striker could not believe his luck when he miscontrolled the ball with 17 minutes left only to watch it bounce off his shin and past Jens Lehmann.
That gave Chelsea their first league win over the Gunners in 10 years.
But more importantly, it gives them the early initiative in the championship race.
The gulf between the two clubs was highlighted even further by the three substitutes which Jose Mourinho brought on - costing more than the entire Arsenal squad.
Drogba's effort made Arsenal pay for a shocking lack of concentration by Philippe Senderos.
The Swiss international's confidence was clearly affected and only Drogba's indecision in front of goal saved him from further punishment after an awful attempted back-pass in the final minute.
Last season, Chelsea had defeated Manchester United by a similarly narrow margin in their first home game, causing Sir Alex Ferguson to reflect that his side never truly recovered.
Arsenal must now make sure they do not similarly allow their morale to suffer.
Just as worryingly for the Gunners is how they enjoyed much of the possession but only carved out a few half-chances.
Alexander Hleb was handed his full debut on the left flank while Robert Pires played in behind skipper Thierry Henry.
But it was Chelsea who made a storming start, almost seizing the lead within the first two minutes.
Frank Lampard's through-ball sent Damien Duff scampering through the centre, but Lehmann was out in a flash to dive at his feet and block the opening, with Senderos clearing behind.
Freddie Ljungberg cleared off the line from the corner after Lehmann had only been able to take the sting off John Terry's powerful header.
After that fiery opening, the game settled down and Chelsea seemed to be paying the price for picking Hernan Crespo over Drogba.
Arsenal began to dominate possession with Henry steering one shot wide and Ljungberg firing another past the far post from a tight angle.
That was the Swede's last meaningful act as he was then forced off injured after just 24 minutes, with Robin van Persie replacing him and Pires being switched out to the right flank.
Van Persie offered more of a direct attacking threat, but it was Chelsea who threatened next as Lehmann blocked Arjen Robben's close-range shot with his face.
Once Drogba replaced Crespo, the game really fired into life.
The Ivory Coast ace blazed his first half-chance wildly into the crowd, before Shaun Wright-Phillips and Michael Essien came on.
There was little immediate improvement as Arsenal still pressed, with Gilberto's header being grasped by Petr Cech, while van Persie flicked a volley wide.
However, Arsenal lost the plot when they failed to react to Frank Lampard's free-kick.
Drogba left Senderos in his wake and beat Lehmann from close range with probably the most bizarre goal he will ever score.
That should have prompted a late assault by Arsenal but Henry, who had one shot pushed around the post by Cech, was still a lone figure up front.
It was instead Drogba who should have scored again only to aim his effort straight at Lehmann after Senderos' slip.
It is early days, but it is already advantage Chelsea.
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Telegraph:
Gold reserve puts Chelsea ahead By Henry Winter (Filed: 22/08/2005)
Chelsea (0) 1 Arsenal (0) 0
Chelsea's substitutes are worth so much that their arrival should really be announced to the Stock Market as well as to Stamford Bridge. Yesterday, before a crowing West London audience, £70 million of talent emerged from the bench and one of the trio, the £23 million Didier Drogba, scored a winner off his knee that was rich in fortune in every sense.
Drogba had just sent spectators in the Matthew Harding upper stand diving for cover with a wayward shot, but the muscular Ivory Coast international lacks nothing in perseverance, particularly when the startled Philippe Senderos strives to mark him. Racing on to Frank Lampard's 73rd-minute free kick, Drogba was almost pushed into its path by poor Senderos. The ball hit Drogba's right knee and diverted past the wrong-footed Jens Lehmann, gifting Chelsea the three points and their first league triumph over Arsenal for 10 years.
If nightmares ever disrupt Senderos' sleep, it is sure that the looming figure stalking his slumber will be Drogba, who also terrorised him in the Community Shield a fortnight ago. Sol Campbell would not have been out-muscled so easily.
Frustration followed the visitors all the way back to north London. Their urbane manager, Arsene Wenger, complained about the long grass, claiming it was designed to slow Arsenal's passing style and hold the ball up when Chelsea launched long balls. And to think Chelsea fans sing about the joy of mowing meadows.
For Arsenal, cheekily welcomed as "the runners-up" at the home of "the champions", it confirmed that Senderos loathes robust opponents, that they will miss Patrick Vieira's physical presence and leadership and that when Thierry Henry is marshalled by someone as mobile as William Gallas, they lose a colossal percentage of their goal-scoring threat.
Yet some of Arsenal's accurate passing was pleasing on the eye, if failing to scare the champions' defence, a unit strengthened by the excellent Asier Del Horno.
The Chelsea coach, Jose Mourinho, will particularly delight in the sight of a substitute, Drogba, making such a significant impact. After a week in which Ricardo Carvalho and Arjen Robben had whinged about their need to start games, the uncomplaining Drogba provided a vibrant reminder that everyone has a part to play in the Chelsea power show.
It reflects the cosmopolitan nature of the Premiership that Drogba was not even the best Ivory Coast player on view. That honour went to Kolo Toure, an Arsenal centre-half as assured as Senderos was shaky. Toure tackled superbly, including one sliding classic on Crespo, and used the ball intelligently, embarking on one run that almost brought reward.
It defied belief that the man-of-the-match bubbly was taken home by Lampard, not Toure. Lampard has yet to find his imperious stride yet, though he almost forced a goal after two minutes by guiding a corner on the head of Del Horno. Freddie Ljungberg cleared off the line. Robben also threatened, firing in a shot that crashed into Lehmann's face, but the visitors enjoyed first-half chances of their own through Ljungberg and Robert Pires.
Drogba came on for Crespo at the interval and began his familiar hounding of Senderos. Largely dis-appointing fare was enlivened when a further £45.4 million of Roman Abramovich's munificence charged on in the spritely forms of Michael Essien and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Essien, whose international clearance had been filed in time, kept it neat and simple in right central midfield, focusing mainly on breaking up Arsenal moves, including two bruising tackles on Cesc Fabregas. Wright-Phillips was particularly lively, running enthusiastically at Ashley Cole.
If Robben is to start on the bench on Wednesday against West Brom, Wright-Phillips certainly deserves a game. But poor Joe Cole. After starting for England in Copenhagen last week, the midfielder found himself joining Sven-Goran Eriksson in the stands at the Bridge yesterday.
Drogba's lucky strike reflected that rotating some players can work, though it would be surprising if Mourinho tinkered with his spine of Petr Cech, John Terry, Claude Makelele and Lampard in important games. After Drogba's goal, Arsenal sought vainfully to impose their undoubted technical class but they found Terry, Gallas and company unyielding. Wright-Phillips even put in a marvellous challenge on Henry.
Arsenal's captain kept being ushered into culs-de-sac by Gallas, though he still managed to test Cech with two stingers. Toure continued his magnificent form in defence but Senderos and Ashley Cole were struggling. Drogba almost exploited more largesse by Senderos while Cole then cynically fouled Essien.
So Chelsea comfortably held on and their 39th successive unbeaten home game breaks a record set back before most of the Pensioners were even born. This was not how Wenger had hoped to celebrate his 500th match in charge of Arsenal, watching his team bow to Drogba, Wright-Phillips and Essien. Even an alchemist of Wenger's class can do little against such deep gold reserves as Chelsea's.
Match details
Chelsea (4-1-2-2-1): Cech; Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Del Horno; Makelele; Lampard, Gudjohnsen (Essien, 58); Duff, Robben (Wright-Phillips, 58); Crespo (Drogba, h-t). Subs: Cudicini (g), Huth. Goal: Drogba (73). Booked: Makelele, Gallas.Arsenal (4-4-1-1): Lehmann; Lauren, Toure, Senderos, Cole; Ljungberg (Van Persie, 25), Gilberto, Fabregas (Flamini, 84), Hleb; Pires; Henry. Subs: Almunia (g), Bergkamp, Cygan. Booked: Cole, Senderos.Referee: G Poll (Tring).
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Times:
Fortune favours the wealthiestBy Matt DickinsonChelsea 1 Arsenal 0
SOMETHING ALWAYS TURNS UP AT Chelsea these days, whether it is an outburst from the manager, a boast from the chief executive or, most recently, a whinge from the dressing- room. There has not been a dull day at Stamford Bridge for months now but, just when it seemed like this might be a hugely disappointing exception, the ball bounced off Didier Drogba’s knee. The manner of the winner was enough to make Arsenal, and perhaps Manchester United for that matter, wonder how they are going to stop the Barclays Premiership champions. If it was not already hard enough competing against the billions of Roman Abramovich and the wiles of José Mourinho, they are discovering that Lady Luck has signed for Chelsea.
Undeserving of their three points at Wigan Athletic last week, they were little better against cautious visitors yesterday. It was not a pretty sight in West London — even after the departure of the hairy-backed streaker.
Rescued by Hernán Crespo’s thunderous late shot at the JJB Stadium, they maintained their 100 per cent record when Frank Lampard’s quick free kick reared up on to Drogba’s knee in the 73rd minute. Arsenal cursed their misfortune but, in Abramovich’s mind, it was probably the sort of luck that you buy when you spend a couple of hundred million pounds constructing a football team.
With the goal came a shift in perspective. A troublesome week for Mourinho, which had seen Ricardo Carvalho publicly humiliated and dropped from the squad for insubordination, suddenly looked more than satisfactory. “It reminds me of how we started last season,” the Portuguese said, ominously for his title rivals. Like last year, they are struggling for goals but, with Asier Del Horno a sturdy addition at left back, have now kept two clean sheets.
Mourinho can expect much more from Frank Lampard and Arjen Robben, among others. He has such a vast array of playing resources that Joe Cole did not even make the bench. Glen Johnson is lucky to get a seat in the stand these days and the biggest threat to the manager may yet come from inside the dressing-room even though he appears to have supressed the first signs of rebellion with his schoolmasterly treatment of Carvalho.
Mourinho used his programme notes to deliver another lecture to the Portugal defender who had complained about his omission at Wigan.
“One of the many reasons why Chelsea were champions last season was because . . . nobody had selfish feelings,” he said. “When after the first Premiership game this season — not after ten, 15 or 20 games — when Ricardo doesn’t respect the essence of the group then he needs to learn it.” An afternoon in exile may have done the trick.
Robben has also made dissenting noises but, for now, Mourinho is judging him on how he plays (he was replaced before the hour mark for the second week running) rather than what he says. “You can’t compare [his case to Carvalho],” the manager said. “He says he doesn’t want to be on the bench but he just expresses his opinion. It doesn’t make me change my mind and he will be on the bench [against West Bromwich Albion] on Wednesday.”
As well as allowing Mourinho to talk from a position of strength (doesn’t he always?), Drogba’s goal ensured that reviews of Arsenal’s performance had to be hastily altered. Instead of sensibly controlled, Arsenal suddenly looked limited with Thierry Henry very peripheral.
They had not come to defend as they did against Manchester United in the FA Cup final but Arsène Wenger admitted that there was a collective lack of conviction. “We had a lot of possession but lacked incisiveness,” the Arsenal manager said. “We need a fraction more belief. The players should realise we can do much better and believe in it.”
Wenger is entitled to think that Alexander Hleb, bright and busy throughout, can take heart in defeat but he must fear for Philippe Senderos. The Switzerland defender, 20, looked comfortable against Crespo in the first half but became a liability once Drogba appeared at half-time. Still haunted by his battering from Drogba in the FA Community Shield, Senderos was paralysed by anxiety.
He was not solely culpable for the goal when it was Lauren who played Drogba onside, but he presented the big striker with an easy finish late on. The forward’s weak lob went straight into Lehmann’s arms and Chelsea supporters will remain equivocal about their £24 million signing. One fan who berated Drogba for a miss early in the second half was on the receiving end from the striker after his kneed finish.
Mourinho was happy to play down the significance of such an early victory over one of his title rivals. “If I was Arsenal, I wouldn’t panic,” he said, but then he could afford to be magnanimous.
Fortunate it may have been but this was Chelsea’s first league win over Arsenal for ten years. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------