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times : Anderlecht and fans pose empty threat to Chelsea By Matt Hughes Chelsea 1 Anderlecht 0 THE good people of West London may prefer to queue for petrol than watch the champions, but Chelsea roar on regardless. Just 29,575 turned out for this routine group G victory over Anderlecht, seven fewer than watched West Ham United beat Aston Villa on Monday, and any neutrals in the crowd may have wondered why they bothered. As with many of their Barclays Premiership encounters, Chelsea were simply too good for their opponents and eased past them without leaving second gear. Not that Jose Mourinho was complaining. "In the first half we played very well and the result was short for the way we were playing," the manager said. "They had not one single shot and we played good football. In the second half we waited for them to come and they never came. "I told my players we could not lose the ball and we had 64 per cent possession, so they did what I said. They [Anderlecht] had one shot that hit the post, that's the only shot they had." Frank Lampard, the scorer of the only goal in the nineteenth minute, offered a more balanced perspective. "It's a funny result," he said. "We were a little bit on edge because they kept breaking away and we were a bit frustrated. We can do better, but when you look at our record we've won every game [this season]." Mourinho had made great play of the threat posed by an Anderlecht side used to competing at this level, without mentioning that their recent experiences of the Champions League have resembled that of cannon fodder. The Belgians contrived to lose all six of their group matches last season and this was their eighth straight defeat, a competition record, prompting suggestions from some home fans that they were Sunderland in disguise. Chelsea have generally been slow starters this season, establishing control like patient matadors before moving in for the kill late in the piece, but last night they made quick work of it. They poured forward from the start, Arjen Robben providing a signal of intent with a sparkling run down the left in the first minute. Robben has been subdued this campaign as he recovers from a series of debilitating foot injuries, but, after switching flanks with Damien Duff almost immediately, he was a menace throughout, creating Chelsea's first opening in the fourth minute. His free kick from the left was volleyed into a crowd of players by Michael Essien, playing in a more advanced role after the return of Claude Makelele, with Duff's follow-up drive smartly saved by Daniel Zitka. Lampard blasted a corner from Robben over the bar before the same combination secured the inevitable breakthrough. After a foul on Duff on the edge of the area, Robben squared the free kick to Lampard, whose shot beat Zitka for pace and swerve. The goalkeeper should have done better, but such was the speed and late movement that Andrew Flintoff would have been impressed if he had been sober enough to see it, that is. Having scored an early goal, Chelsea reverted to type, content to keep the ball and tease Anderlecht rather than seek to add to their lead. Lampard brought another good save from Zitka in the 62nd minute and Essien shot just wide shortly afterwards as Petr Cech remained a virtual spectator, a long-range effort against the post from Anthony vanden Borre their only attack of note. The home fans drifted away happily enough, with Mourinho sympathetic to their plight. "Not many turned up because they are not rich," he said. "Ticket prices are high, but every spectacle is expensive. The opera and theatre are expensive. For the life of normal people it's expensive, but the crowd were fantastic." Just like the price of oil, a product with which Roman Abramovich is no stranger, the cost of watching Chelsea could do with being cut. CHELSEA (4-3-3): P Cech P Ferreira, J Terry, R Carvalho, W Gallas C Makelele, F Lampard, M Essien (sub: R Huth, 90min) D Duff (sub: J Cole, 77), D Drogba, A Robben (sub: S Wright-Phillips, 67). Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, H Crespo, Geremi, L Diarra. Booked: Wright-Phillips. ANDERLECHT (4-4-2): D Zitka M Zewlakow (sub: N Jestrovic, 81), R Juhasz, H Tihinen, O Deschacht A vanden Borre, Y Vanderhaeghe (sub: L Delorge, 89), M de Man, B Goor M Mpenza, Serhat Akin (sub: C Wilhelmsson, 70). Substitutes not used: S Proto, W Baseggio, B Hasi, P Zetterberg. Booked: Serhat, Vanderhaeghe. Referee: W Stark (Germany). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ telegraph Lampard sets Chelsea on their way By Christopher Davies Chelsea (1) 1 Anderlecht (0) 0 It was business as usual for Chelsea as they opened their Champions League account with a victory over Anderlecht, whose losing run in the competition was extended to eight ties. Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has given himself a five-year timeframe to win the Champions League for the second time. "Winning the Champions League will be the natural consequence of our team quality," said the Portuguese who led FC Porto to the European club summit in 2004. "This season we could do it and we will see, but it's a competition of such incredible quality you can never promise you will win it." Maybe not, but Chelsea certainly seem to have what it takes and it is impossible not to admire the way Mourinho has organised his no-expense-spared team. Tactically astute, strong in every department with a spirit that typifies the manager's commitment Chelsea, semi-finalists for the past two seasons, have the qualities to emulate Liverpool. Yet once again Chelsea were as much no frills as no thrills as they registered their sixth successive win and shut-out of what is shaping up to be another memorable season. Michael Essien almost marked his Champions League debut for Chelsea with a goal after five minutes. From Arjen Robben's inswinging free kick on the right the Ghana international forced a fine save from Daniel Zitka who then dived to tip Damien Duff's follow-up shot for a corner. Chelsea soon assumed control of the tie, using the pace of Robben and Duff to good effect on the flanks. However, Anderlecht's first worthwhile attack in the 11th minute could have seen the Belgians take a surprise lead - Mbo Mpenza's clever through-ball to Serhat Akin saw the Turkish striker clear of John Terry but his mis-hit shot bobbled for a goal-kick. It was no surprise when Frank Lampard opened the scoring in the 19th minute though there was an element of luck about his goal. Robben touched a free kick to Lampard, whose 25-yard shot clipped the heel of an Anderlecht player in the defensive wall, which was enough to wrong-foot Zitka. Despite the setback the visiting fans continued to be the more vociferous even though their team were giving them little to cheer about. Mourinho had broken up the central defensive partnership of William Gallas and John Terry, recalling Ricardo Carvalho for his first start of the season. Carvalho had been out of the side since publicly criticising Mourinho for leaving him out of the team that opened the season at Wigan. Gallas and Terry had yet to concede a goal but the France international switched to left-back in place of the injured Asier Del Horno. Claude Makelele was fit to resume his anchor-man role with Essien and Lampard completing a formidable midfield triangle. Chelsea's strength in depth was illustrated by the fact there was no place in the 16-man squad for Eidur Gudjohnsen with Hernan Crespo, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Joe Cole among the substitutes. But whatever XI Mourinho selects these days seem to do the job and against a side who had lost their previous seven Champions League ties Chelsea had Anderlecht on the back foot for most of a first half that did not deliver as much as it promised. As Chelsea had yet to lose at home under Mourinho the Belgian League runners-up faced a huge challenge after Lampard's goal gave the home team the lead and only a poor final ball plus wayward finishing kept their lead to one goal at half-time. Duff and Robben switched wings after the interval as Chelsea continued to dominate though Mourinho would have been concerned that having almost total control had brought only a single goal. Chelsea obviously thought Zitka was a weakness, attempting several long-range shots which all went off target. In the 62nd minute Lampard almost scored a second goal but this time Zitka punched away his 25-yard shot after Robben had tapped a free kick to the England international. In a rare breakaway in the 65th minute Yves Vanderhaeghe laid on an opening for Anthony Vanden Borre, whose shot was deflected by Terry against the diving Petr Cech's left-hand upright. It was a warning that the Premiership champions were vulnerable. Match details Chelsea (4-1-2-2-1): Cech; Paulo Ferreira, Terry, Carvalho, Gallas; Makelele; Essien, Lampard; Duff (J Cole 76), Robben (Wright-Phillips 67); Drogba. Subs: Cudicini (g), Crespo, Geremi, Diarra, Huth. Anderlecht (4-4-2): Zitka; Zewlakow (Jestrovic 81), Juhasz, Tihinen, Deschacht; Vanden Borre, Vanderhaeghe, Deman, Goor; Mpenza, Akin (Wilhelmsson 69). Subs: Proto (g), Baseggio, Hasi, Delorge, Zetterberg. Booked: Akin, Vanderhaeghe. Referee: W Stark (Germany). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ sun: Chelsea 1 Anderlecht 0 FRANK LAMPARD answered his critics by firing Chelsea's winner in their Champions League opener at Stamford Bridge. England boss Sven Goran Eriksson had suggested the midfielder needed a rest after two sub-par performances for his country. But Lampard vowed to play on and netted the only goal of the game on 19 minutes with a 20-yard free-kick. A vintage Lamps' strike, however, this was not. His shot should have been confortably saved but the swerve totally bamboozled Anderlecht stopper Daniel Zitka and ended up in the back of the net. Chelsea bossed the first half but found it hard to create clear-cut chances and were almost made to pay after the break. Anthony Vanden Borre's 30-yarder struck John Terry's outstretched leg and crashed back off the foot of a post with Petr Cech well beaten. Anderlecht came into this game hoping to end a run of seven straight Champions League defeats but they were on the back foot right from the start. With only four minutes gone Zitka produced a marvellous double save to deny Claude Makelele and then Damien Duff. Duff and Arjen Robben caused full-backs Olivier Deschacht and Michal Zewlakow constant problems down the flanks. Lampard latched on to Robben's low corner but fired over, while Cech was a spectactor at the other end for most of the half. The only worry for the Blues before the break came when a corner appeared to hit Terry on the arm before bouncing into the goalkeeper's hands. Moments later Chelsea broke the deadlock. Yves Vanderhaeghe fouled Duff and Lampard's swerving free-kick made a fool of Zitka. It was his third goal of the season and should have been the signal for Chelsea to go and kill off the Belgians. Lampard stung Zitka's fingers with a 30-yarder, but it was the visitors who grew in confidence. Vanden Borre's long-range strike came back off the post and Chelsea suddenly looked rattled. But despite having to soak up some pressure they hung on comfortably enough to keep their sixth clean sheet in six games this season. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- independent: Chelsea 1 Anderlecht 0 Blue machine grinds out victory but fans stay away By Glenn Moore Published: 14 September 2005 Football's hottest ticket felt distinctly lukewarm last night as less than 30,000 people bothered to watch the Premiership champions ease through their first European tie of the season. The gate was lower than Sheffield Wednesday attracted in the Championship and, but for an unusually noisy and enthusiastic travelling support, Stamford Bridge would have been one-third empty. It was another indication that football's attraction may be starting to wane, through the combination of high ticket prices - a factor Jose Mourinho pointed to - live television coverage and predictable matches. For an hour those who stayed away seemed the better judges as Chelsea, a goal to the good from Frank Lampard after 18 minutes, strolled though the match at half-pace against resolutely defensive opponents. Then Anderlecht struck a post, both sides realised the result remained in doubt, and the tempo upped from soporific to diverting. In the event, Chelsea held on to extend their competitive record this season to six wins in six matches without a goal conceded. But they were time-wasting and wilfully conceding free-kicks by the end. Mourinho, Chelsea's manager, blamed Anderlecht for the dull fare. He had a point. Chelsea are frequently functional rather than stirring but it is hard to thrill when only one side is competing. Even after Lampard put Chelsea ahead the visitors' continued to put bodies behind the ball. "We were waiting for them [to attack] and they never came," said Mourinho. "In the last 10 minutes they had a go but we were always comfortable and the result was justified. "Why should we force the pace? The supporters are happy with three points; they prefer 1-0 to 1-1." Of the empty seats Mourinho said: "It is because [supporters] are not rich. We have had consecutive matches and ticket prices are high. Everything is expensive for ordinary people, opera, theatre." Tickets ranged from £35-£60. Those who paid those prices saw Anderlecht threaten just once in the opening half hour. The game was still goalless when Bart Goor and Mbo Mpenza combined to release Serhat Akin behind John Terry. It was a decent chance but the Turk shot woefully wide. Chelsea had begun with greater intent. A clever second-minute free-kick from Arjen Robben resulted in a blocked shot from Michael Essien, the ball broke to Damien Duff, whose volley drew a sharp save from Daniel Zitka. Another set-piece broke the deadlock. After Duff was brought down on the edge of the area the ball was tapped to Lampard who drove through the wall. There was a suspicion of a deflection off a defender's heel but Zitka still looked badly at fault as the ball flew past him. Further chances were, though, elusive, especially from open play. In the 63rd minute the game received the tonic it needed. Anthony Vanden Borre chanced his arm from just over 30 yards out. His shot took a deflection off Terry's shin and beat Petr Cech, only to cannon back off the post. Mourinho immediately brought on Shaun Wright-Phillips while Frank Vercauteren added Christian Wilhelmsson. The Swede soon won a corner but it was the English substitute who came closer to making the difference. Having set up Essien for a shot he should have settled the tie in injury time but shot over. Chelsea (4-5-1): Cech; Ferreira, Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Gallas; Duff (J Cole, 76), Essien (Huth, 89), Makelele, Lampard, Robben (Wright-Phillips, 66); Drogba. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Crespo, Geremi, Diarra. Anderlecht (4-4-2): Zitka; Zewlakow (Jestrovic, 81), Juhasz, Tihinen, Deschacht; Vanden Borre, Vanderhaeghe (Delorge, 88), Deman, Goor; Mpenza, Akin (Wilhelmsson, 69). Substitutes not used: Proto, Baseggio, Hasi, Zetterberg. Referee: W Stark (Germany). ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ guardian; Lampard finds his spark to light up dull Chelsea Chelsea struggle to find top gear Jon Brodkin at Stamford Bridge Wednesday September 14, 2005 The Guardian Chelsea may yet become the strongest team on the planet but their fans are clearly not willing to pay the high asking price to watch every step along the path. Only 29,575 were here last night, among them a sizeable number from Anderlecht. Those who stayed away might be glad to hear they did not miss much: yet again Jose Mourinho's team won but failed to shine. It is becoming a familiar story but Mourinho will care little when his side have now won six out of six in the Premiership and Europe without a goal conceded. Only a post denied a limited Anderlecht an equaliser in the second half but Chelsea deserved the points that Frank Lampard earned. It was as well for them that the England midfielder's swerving 19th-minute effort went in when the goalkeeper Daniel Zitka ought to have stopped it, because their marked dominance of possession produced very few chances after that. Anderlecht's negative approach made life difficult but there is a lack of sparkle to Chelsea's game at the moment. They are happiest on the counter-attack when their quick passing and speed on the flanks can punish teams but Anderlecht opened up only in the last 15 minutes. When it was put to Mourinho that his team might have thrown more men forward to try to kill off the game, rather than controlling things and probing for chances, the manager was unrepentant. "The players did what I wanted them to do," he said. "I'm happy." Might the fans have expected more from this expensive side? "They're happy, three points," Mourinho said. "They prefer 1-0 to 1-1." It is not the style which kept the fans away. The low attendance said much for the way less attractive Champions League games are regarded and reflected high ticket prices. Non-members, including children, could not get in for less than £45. The cost of entry was picked up on by Mourinho. "They're not rich," he said. "We have had consecutive matches [after Sunderland at home on Saturday] and the ticket prices are, of course, high. For normal people this is expensive." Over the opening weeks of the campaign Mourinho's costly side have provided value in their results rather than performances. Those craving excitement will find it hard to envisage an open game at Liverpool in the next European fixture in a fortnight. "We were a little bit on edge," Lampard said. "It's not normal to hit top form early in the season but, when you look at our record, we have won every game." Mourinho is entitled to feel content when more attractive sides such as Arsenal are dropping points and so many opponents are setting out to frustrate his team. Anderlecht have an attacking outlook in Belgium but in these more testing surrounds they put the emphasis on defence and tried to counter-attack without much success. A five-man defence and three-man midfield not far in front ensured Arjen Robben and Damien Duff were quickly closed down, often faced with two men, and it was difficult for Chelsea to thread balls to Didier Drogba's feet or play clever passes around the box, as they like. It might have made sense to bring on Shaun Wright-Phillips before the 67th minute given that Robben was constantly coming infield into bodies from the right to stay on his left foot. The former Manchester City player did enliven Chelsea, notably setting up Michael Essien for a shot which was deflected wide, but he was also helped by Anderlecht's belated commitment to attack. Although Chelsea are scoring, it is not hard to see why Mourinho has tried to sign a centre-forward. Drogba was marginal and Hernan Crespo, who did not get off the bench, has not impressed. They were grateful to Lampard here. After a bright start during which Essien and Duff had shots saved, chances had dried up before Lampard's goal. Robben tapped a free-kick to him and his swerving shot appeared to clip an Anderlecht heel before beating Zitka, who later saved well from the same player. After the focus on his pallid performances for England, Lampard must have particularly enjoyed his third goal of the season - not bad for someone described by Sven-Goran Eriksson as a slow starter. It had been hard to envisage an Anderlecht equaliser until Anthony Vanden Borre's shot deflected off John Terry and struck a post with Petr Cech beaten. Though pushed back towards the end Chelsea stood firm. If playing badly and winning is the sign of a good side, Chelsea must be set for greatness.