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Times: Benitez put in his place by Chelsea By Matt Dickinson Liverpool 1 Chelsea 4 RAFAEL BENÍTEZ’S SUGGESTION IN midweek that Chelsea might be “afraid” of Liverpool sounded unusually boastful at the time. By the end of a torrid afternoon yesterday, his remark could be described as wishful thinking (if you were being kind) or, bluntly, as utterly ludicrous. Benítez and his players had picked a fight with the biggest bully in the playground and, at Anfield, Chelsea meted out painful punishment. They did not outplay them — they rarely do — but they totally overwhelmed them in the end; first with goals, then with their celebrations and, lastly, with a barrage of statistics. “Gerrard, Gerrard, what’s the score?” the Chelsea fans sang, throwing some humiliation into the mix. The goals came from Frank Lampard, from the penalty spot, Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Geremi. The celebrations involved every one of Jose Mourinho’s players as they demonstrated the value of an eighth consecutive victory in the Barclays Premiership by gathering in a huddle in the centre circle. Their delight was not just in putting Liverpool back in their place (currently below Newcastle United) but in retaining one of their biggest weapons, the air of invincibility. As for the statistics, Mourinho deploys them like Didier Drogba to batter his team’s opponents. This was their 37th league match unbeaten (of which 31 have been won) and they remain on course to match the best ever start to a top-flight campaign of 11 consecutive victories. “We have more points, more victories, more goals than anybody else,” the Chelsea manager said. The question was, presumably, rhetorical so do not tell Mourinho that the country will not have been swooning at his team’s performance. They will have admired the ceaseless endeavour of the midfield, in which Michael Essien threatens to make even the indefatigable Frank Lampard and Claude Makelele look like slouches. They will have been impressed by the bravery of John Terry who, even at 3-1, was using his head to win tackles against other people’s feet. They will even have conceded that Didier Drogba can, despite appearances, turn games with moments of deftness but they will also have pointed out that this was another low-quality game between the English and European champions — worse on the eye, indeed, than the goalless draw in the Champions League in midweek — and one that was decided as much by Liverpool’s mistakes as by Chelsea’s ability. At least there were goals — five of them — and any criticism of Chelsea, the champions-elect with almost eight months of the season left, can be regarded as nit-picking. You did not have to be a perfectionist to find flaws in a Liverpool team whose European Cup triumph is becoming even more extraordinary with every mediocre performance. The Kop almost sounded embarrassed when, in response to some crowing from the Chelsea end, they burst into a chorus of “champions of Europe”. What, Liverpool? Really? There was dejection for Sami Hyypia, anonymity for Luis García and embarassment for Djimi Traoré. As for Peter Crouch, it is as if Benítez seems determined to highlight his limitations by ensuring that there is never anyone close enough, or quick enough, to receive his knockdowns and flicks. After 26 minutes of feisty but inconsequential combat, it was Traoré who stepped forward to give Chelsea a helping hand. Having hoofed a clearance straight into Drogba’s chest, his idea of making amends was to scythe down the forward in the area. Despite some helpful advice from Jamie Carragher about where to put the ball, Lampard kept his composure to bury his penalty under José Manuel Reina. He was so delighted that he ran past the home fans kissing his badge and raising his finger to his lips in a “shushing” gesture. No doubt they would have recovered from the trauma but Graham Poll, a referee broad-minded enough to have tolerated a torrent of four-letter abuse from Wayne Rooney, decided to book him. Liverpool roused themselves and responded within 11 minutes when Steven Gerrard met a corner at the far post with a powerful drive, but parity lasted only another six minutes. With by far the afternoon’s most memorable piece of skill, Drogba beat Hyypia with a neat turn. Duff was the beneficiary, taking Drogba’s pass and then sliding the ball past Reina for a 2-1 lead. With Crouch being mugged by several Chelsea players every time he received the ball, Liverpool’s efforts to put Mourinho’s defence under sustained pressure were never convincing. Benítez’s refusal to introduce Djibril Cissé until the 81st minute was baffling. And the more Liverpool pushed forward, the more Mourinho will have fancied his team’s chances on the counter-attack which is just what happened in the 63rd minute. Asier Del Horno stole the ball from García and knocked the ball forward to Drogba. His attempt to go for goal alone was thwarted but the ball squirmed free for Cole to finish. Eight minutes from time, Gérémi, on as a substitute, added the fourth when a now disorganised defence failed to react to a quick throw-in. Drogba crossed, Arjen Robben miscued and Geremi was at the far post to ensure Chelsea’s biggest victory at Anfield since 1907. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Telegraph: Chelsea scale new heights By Henry Winter at Anfield Liverpool (1) 1 Chelsea (2) 4 Clear blue water, as wide as the ocean, now separates Chelsea from the rest of the Premiership fleet. Nine points clear, brimming with intelligence and industry, Jose Mourinho's record-breaking Uncatchables are truly a class apart. The Romanovs were the talk of Russia, not Roman Abramovich, the last time Chelsea enjoyed a victory as large as this at Liverpool. Anfield's DJ had played U2's Vertigo before kick-off. Wishful thinking. Chelsea's head for heights is strong indeed, particularly with Frank Lampard dominant from box to box, John Terry a leader by loud word and stirring deed in defence and Didier Drogba a muscular destroyer of Liverpool's back-line. If Mourinho might have preferred Rhapsody in Blue as the accompaniment for Chelsea's exertions, Feel the Force would have been more accurate. Far from a creature of beguiling beauty, Chelsea are more a fast-moving beast of a team who prey mercilessly on opponent's weaknesses. No wonder they wear a menacing lion on their crest. Drogba had a field day running at Sami Hyypia and Djimi Traore, the weak links in Liverpool's defence, helping to create goals for Lampard (a penalty), Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Geremi. Chelsea's increasing control, which resembled a slip-knot being tightened as Liverpool slumped to their heaviest home defeat since 1969, was also rooted in Mourinho's canny tactics. Aware that Liverpool would launch long balls to Peter Crouch, Mourinho stationed Claude Makelele in front of the target man. Despite the disparity in heights, Makelele leapt and blocked prodigiously, often frustrating Crouch. At one point, the 6ft 7in Crouch complained to Graham Poll that the diminutive Makelele was short-pulling. In possession, Chelsea kept pulling fast ones, beginning in the 25th minute when Drogba's pace drew a foul from Traore. Classic gamesmanship followed Poll's award of a spot-kick. Jamie Carragher sought to psyche out Lampard, even whispering "good luck" as he ran in to address the penalty. Pepe Reina guessed correctly, but Lampard's kick was too quick and it skidded under the Spaniard's despairing body. Having bizarrely had his weight questioned by the Kop in midweek, the lean machine that is Lampard clearly enjoyed reminding Liverpool fans of his heavyweight talent. His badge-kissing, finger-pointing dance of celebration along the front of the Kop brought inevitable sanction from Poll. Lampard was not the only England international in flying form. Steven Gerrard was magnificent, raging against the fading of the red light in the Premiership, willing his team to believe they could live with Chelsea. Within 10 minutes of Lampard's goal, Gerrard was supplying an emphatic riposte, sprinting in to finish off John Arne Riise's corner with a powerful drive from right to left. Game on. For a while. Briefly, Liverpool dreamt that they could handle Chelsea. Gerrard executed a wonderful challenge on Terry. Xabi Alonso piled into Michael Essien. But Liverpool's back door was never securely fastened, and once again Hyypia was caught out. When Asier Del Horno's delivery found Drogba, the striker deceived Hyypia to race into the area. His cutback was placed for Duff, who comfortably swept the ball home. A game high on tempo, soon became higher on temperature when Alonso and Drogba squared up, Carragher joined in and Poll brandished some yellows to cool the reds and blues. Tested physically, technically or tactically, Chelsea are equal to any challenge. They certainly outwitted Liverpool, who must be kicking themselves for failing to land a run-through striker like Michael Owen. Crouch spends so long with his back to goal that he looks almost startled when finally facing the opponents' net. Just after the hour, the day darkened further for Liverpool. Del Horno again ushered Drogba down the left, and again he made good ground, rounded Reina and moved the ball across. Joe Cole applied the coup de grace. As Mourinho danced like a Latin David Pleat on the pitch, Benitez was also up out of his dug-out, screaming at the officials that Cole must have been offside. Liverpool's complaints rang hollow. With nine minutes remaining the queues for the exits thickened. Del Horno again released Drogba, whose centre was missed by Arjen Robben but not Geremi: 4-1 to the Chelsea and didn't their fans revel in the moment. "Gerrard, Gerrard, what's the score?" they inquired of the midfielder who spurned their advances last summer. "Boring, boring Chelsea," they reprised, managing to sing with tongues firmly in cheek. Boring? No. Catchable? Definitely no. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guardian: Stunning Chelsea in a league of their own Kevin McCarra at Anfield Monday October 3, 2005 Managers can snipe and disagree but only a football team itself can settle an argument. Chelsea left no room at all for bickering yesterday and barely allowed Liverpool a speaking part on their own Anfield stage. Rafael Bentez, manager of the losers here, has talked freely about the defects in his side but surely can never have guessed that they would be exposed so brutally. He was unable to sign a midfielder for the right flank or, crucially in this match, a new centre-half. Didier Drogba, with no one to check him, went on a rampage that strewed four goals for others in its wake and he was never as isolated as he had been last Wednesday in the 0-0 draw in the Champions League. Chelsea poured greater energy into this game and they will probably exercise themselves as strenuously to deny that there was any malice behind their attitude. Nonetheless they performed like men who were seething over the suggestion that Liverpool, their nemesis in the European Cup semi-final in May, do have some sort of hold of them. Bentez's team had no grip at all on this fixture. After the interval expert counter-attackers ransacked Liverpool on the break. It was the club's worst result at home since Manchester United trounced them by the same margin in December 1969. The Anfield side are now 17 points behind Chelsea, although they do have two games in hand. In all likelihood they may not be much worse than any of the supposed challengers and the reigning champions already have a nine-point lead in the Premiership. This match had a different character from Wednesday's encounter from the start. Chelsea had clearly resolved not to concede territory as they had then and the midfield engaged with Liverpool early and often. Michael Essien, somewhat bemused in the Champions League fixture, left others in a daze with his bulldozer tackling. While Peter Crouch had some telling moments, such as the chest control and flick that bamboozled Ricardo Carvalho before he lashed over in the 73rd minute, he was usually isolated. It appeared that only Steven Gerrard could be counted upon to put pressure on Chelsea and, with so little assistance, he eventually wearied. Events were going far too well for Chelsea to get tired and Drogba, in particular, has a boundless power. Djimi Traore, with a lapse into the waywardness that Bentez must have thought had been purged, hit a clearance at the Ivory Coast forward and then, in a folly spawned by his panic, lunged into a tackle that brought down Drogba inside the penalty area. Jamie Carragher, disregarding the fellowship of men who will meet up in the England squad on Tuesday, yapped at Frank Lampard but did not prevent the midfielder from converting the spot-kick with a finish that went under the torso of the diving Jose Reina. For all their endeavour it was still a surprise that Liverpool should equalise nine minutes later. Carragher flicked on a John Arne Riise corner and Gerrard rifled home a drive from a tight angle on the right. The Chelsea left-back Asier del Horno instinctively turned away as Liverpool's captain let fly but he can revel in the recollection of most other incidents that involved him. It was the Spaniard's header down the left, two minutes from the interval, that triggered the move that cracked the match open. Drogba pounced, beat the struggling Sami Hyypia with a turn and neat touch before laying the ball back to Damien Duff. Reina hesitated and the Irishman controlled before finishing a second before Xabi Alonso could challenge. The game continued to be heated but a desperate Liverpool made all the mistakes. In the 63rd minute Del Horno dispossesed Luis Garca to release Drogba and the latter stubbed the ball into the goalmouth where Joe Cole waited to score. Eight minutes from the end, to the ignominy of Liverpool and the inattentive Steve Finnan, the Chelsea left-back released Drogba with a mere throw-in. One substitute, Arjen Robben, failed to connect properly with the cut-back but the other, Geremi, did not. The dream of parity with Chelsea, which Bentez has maintained so resourcefully, had vanished. The Liverpool manager is left with a rather cold reality. Those shortcomings that he recognises cannot always be borne and the suspicions grow that he did require another striker far more than he would concede when the club was engaged in its attempt to re-sign the unaffordable Michael Owen. Liverpool cannot compete for the league unless there are improvements to the squad and they will depend for glory on the defence, with all its obvious hazards, of the European Cup. By contrast Paulo Ferreira and Shaun Wright-Phillips did not even make Jose Mourinho's squad here. This was Chelsea's biggest win at Anfield since 1907 but, if the club's history has had long lacklustre passages, the future looks spellbinding. Man of the match: Didier Drogba (Chelsea) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Independent: Drogba leads the rout as last bastion of resistance crumbles Liverpool 1 Chelsea 4 By Sam Wallace at Anfield Published: 03 October 2005 As an act of vengeance for that European Cup semi-final defeat that still lives on in the memory of Jose Mourinho, there could scarcely have been a Chelsea victory as punitive as this. On Wednesday night, Anfield again represented the last football outpost of this country to resist the domination of the blue empire with proud defiance; by yesterday evening, the old ground had been sacked in the most savage style. Four goals, the evisceration of Liverpool and suddenly the memories of last season's European Cup semi-final second-leg victory, when Anfield turned back what seemed like English football's inevitable tide, felt more like a piece of history. Led by an outstanding performance from Didier Drogba, Mourinho's Chelsea controlled in a manner they were never permitted to in the Champions' League match on Wednesday and extended their own lead at the top of the Premiership to nine points. As first Frank Lampard, then Damien Duff, Joe Cole and Geremi scored the goals that extinguished Anfield's frail hope, all the discussion of Chelsea's style and of their value as entertainers was rendered meaningless. What matters about them is that they are, for the moment at least, unstoppable. And Rafael Benitez, the man who so skilfully unpicked their Champions' League dream last season, is no closer to beating them this time than his humble neighbours at Wigan. Respect for his team, for their achievements was what Mourinho demanded in the aftermath, and as the Chelsea manager punched the air with every goal you sensed that this one counted more than most. The Kop's pre-match banner proclaiming "This is the Special One" was quietly rolled up and taken away as the away support mockingly asked whether they could play Liverpool every week. After two meetings in five days it has felt like they have of late, but yesterday there was no disputing who has emerged from the two games on top. Liverpool's defeat was about their failure to contain the awkward, truculent presence of Drogba and an old problem concerning their own goalscoring. They have just four goals in six Premiership games and for all the neat flicks of Peter Crouch, they would have exchanged all for just one goal from the England striker in waiting. Liverpool finally gave way in the 26th minute and for blame you needed to look no further than Djimi Traore. Dawdling down the left flank he cleared the ball against Drogba and allowed the Chelsea striker to go past him before offering a challenge so imprecise that it was bound to draw a penalty decision from the referee Graham Poll. Frank Lampard drilled his shot low past Jose Reina. Liverpool's equaliser came on 36 minutes and Chelsea will not be breached the same way too often this season. There was a corner from John Arne Riise on the left, a flick by Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard stole in at the back post to lash the ball into the far corner. Asier Del Horno won no awards for bravery with his shrinking attempt at a block, and Petr Cech brushed the ball as it went past, but the old stadium thrilled to the sense of parity. Not for long. It was removed before the end as Benitez committed to attack, but Sami Hyypia will not remember this day with any fondness. The old Finnish centre-half was reduced to his trundling worst for Chelsea's second: beaten by a flick from Drogba down the left wing, he could only watch as the striker crossed for Damien Duff at the near post to take one touch and score. Five minutes after the interval Hyypia was panicked into heading Duff's long ball straight to Drogba and he should have beaten Reina. That miss, and Drogba's fortune to have been only booked for a confrontation with Alonso in which he seemed to throw a punch, were the only flaws in an unimpeachable performance from the Ivory Coast striker and his role in the third goal was crucial. Settling on to a through ball from Lampard he cut in front of the pursuing Liverpool defenders and went round Reina. When his weak shot found Cole alone in the penalty area, the winger appeared to have drifted offside but there was no argument offered by Poll as Cole rolled the ball into the unguarded goal and ended any hope Liverpool might have had of a reward from the game. The fourth belonged to substitute Geremi, who converted a Drogba cross that Robben had not been able to reach on 82 minutes. Before then Crouch had turned Ricardo Carvalho with the most delicate of touches and then rattled his shot into the Kop. Upon such moments are the destiny of seasons decided; the problem for the rest is that, with eight successive victories, Chelsea appear to be deciding their own without toleration of any intervention. Goals: Lampard (26) 0-1; Gerrard (36) 1-1; Duff (43) 1-2; Cole (63) 1-3, Geremi (82) 1-4. Liverpool (4-1-3-1-1): Reina; Finnan, Hyypia (Sinama-Pongolle 71), Carragher, Traore (Cisse, 82); Hamann (Sissoko, 67); Alonso, Gerrard, Riise; Garcia; Crouch. Substitutes not used: Carson (gk), Josemi. Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Gallas, Terry, Carvalho, Del Horno (Huth, 84); Makelele; Cole (Robben, 67), Essien, Lampard, Duff (Geremi, 76); Drogba. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Crespo. Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire). Booked: Liverpool Carragher; Chelsea Cole, Lampard, Drogba. Man of the match: Drogba. Attendance: 44,235. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Sun; Liverpool 1 Chelsea 4 CHELSEA sent shockwaves through the rest of the Premiership by doing a demolition job on Liverpool at Anfield. Jose Mourinho's men had been criticised for their dour display in the Champions League clash between these two sides on Wednesday. They hit back in sensational style with a clinical exhibition of counter-attacking football to become the first team to hit four past the Kop in the Premiership. Man of the match Didier Drogba had a hand in all four of the Blues goals. He won the penalty converted by Frank Lampard just before the half hour. Steven Gerrard smashed an equaliser nine minutes later from a John Arne Riise corner and it looked like the game had the makings of a classic. But the Kop were caught out by a sucker punch two minutes before the break when Drogba's surging run set up Duff. Goals from Joe Cole and Geremi humiliated the Reds late on. Rafa Benitez and Mourinho made minor changes to the teams which drew in midweek. The Anfield chief left out Djibril Cisse and included John Arne Riise down the left, with Luis Garcia moved to the right. His plan was aimed at getting Gerrard further forward to support Peter Crouch. Asier Del Horno returned to take over at left-back for Chelsea, with William Gallas moving to the right and Paulo Ferreira dropping out, while Joe Cole took over from Arjen Robben. The visitors were content to sit deep and draw Liverpool on to them. Even so, Drogba had the first real chance of the match, firing in a low shot which Jose Reina saved comfortably. The Ivory Coast international then won his side a 27th-minute penalty. Djimi Traore tried to play the ball out of his own box but it rebounded back off Drogba's chest into the danger zone. Off balance and out of position, Traore lost his cool and hacked down the former Marseille ace. Despite some choice words of discouragement in his ear from England team-mate Jamie Carragher, Lampard stepped up and fired an unconvincing spot-kick which somehow found its way under Reina. Liverpool gathered themselves and surged back at the champions. Carragher flicked on Riise's header and Gerrard was there to smash a right-footed drive across Petr Cech and into the far corner. Less than three minutes from half-time Chelsea were back in front. Drogba battled his way down the left and shook off Steve Finnan and Sami Hyypia before laying the ball back for Duff to guide in off the far post. Drogba could have virtually finished things when a poor Hyypia header left him clear early in the second half. But he fired wastefully wide from the edge of the box. Chelsea made it 3-1 on 63 minutes as Drogba’s surging run ended with a pass for Cole to tap in at the far post. Riise fired over from 25 yards and Crouch produced a clever turn and flick over a defender but then blazed his 12-yard shot high into the Kop. Liverpool took off Hyypia and sent on Florent Sinama-Pongolle in attack, while Mourinho sent on Geremi for Duff. Drogba grabbed his fourth assist of the match eight minutes from time. He sprinted unmarked onto a long throw and threaded a ball to the back post where Geremi was there to stab home. CHELSEA DREAM TEAM RATINGS PETR CECH 6 ASIER DEL HORNO 7 RICARDO CARVALHO 6 MICHAEL ESSIEN 8 WILLIAM GALLAS 6 JOHN TERRY 8 DAMIEN DUFF 7 FRANK LAMPARD. Booked. 7 CLAUDE MAKELELE 6 JOE COLE. Booked. 7 DIDIER DROGBA. Booked. DREAM TEAM STAR MAN 9 SUBS Geremi (for Duff) 6, Huth (Del Horno) 5, Robben (Cole) 6. Not used: Cudicini, Crespo. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mirror: NOW WHO'S BORING? CHAMPS v CHAMPS: PART 2 LIVERPOOL CHELSEA FROM ANFIELD Blues batter Rafa's Reds ..and their critics Martin Lipton Chief Football Writer THEY MIGHT lack dignity, but they don't lack class, they don't lack desire, and they don't lack the killer instinct. And listening to the Chelsea fans celebrating at Anfield last night, it was hard to disagree with the sentiment: "That's why we're champions." Insults had flown back and forth for a week, with Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez suggesting Jose Mourinho's team were scared of them. Some fear. Some response. Mourinho's men simply annihilated Liverpool, embarrassing them in front of their own shocked supporters. Tormentor-in-chief was Didier Drogba, who smashed Sami Hyypia into pieces, trampled all over Djimi Traore, and shook Jamie Carragher out of his poise and confidence. Drogba has been criticised even by Chelsea supporters, but his sheer physical power created all four goals as Blues rubbed Liverpool out the championship equation. Only Steven Gerrard looked capable of holding the Blue tide at bay. But Gerrard alone could not deny the elemental force of nature that is Mourinho's team, so rock-solid from back to front, so quick and incisive, so sharp, above all so full of determination. Even at the start, as Liverpool took the route-one option of throwing everything towards Peter Crouch, there was a sense of destiny about what was to follow. For all that possession, for all the high balls launched in the direction of the towering Crouch, Liverpool had created nothing by the time Chelsea went ahead. Drogba fired a warning shot moments earlier when, first to react to the rugged Michael Essien's knock-down, he let fly with a left-footer that had Jose Reina scrambling to stop. And the breakthrough came after 26 minutes as Drogba, having slipped the ball beyond Hyypia, charged down Traore's attempted clearance. The bounce was fortunate for the Chelsea man but catastrophic for the Liverpool defender, whose reckless, scything lunge on the African represented the most blatant penalty offence seen at Anfield since... last Wednesday. Unlike Massimo De Santis, though, Graham Poll does not miss them, or the potentially inciting "shush" gesture Lampard gave to the Liverpool fans as he wheeled away in celebration after slotting underneath Reina's dive. Given that Chelsea had conceded only one goal so far this season, that looked as if it might prove the decisive moment of the game. But with Gerrard and his desire pumping the blood through Liverpool veins, the Reds were back on terms within 10 minutes. John Arne Riise's corner was flicked on by Carragher and, while the angle was tight, Asier Del Horno's decision to turn his back rather than attempt to block Gerrard's fierce shot proved fatal as even Petr Cech's right hand was unable to keep the ball out. It was Gerrard's eighth of the season, but his first Premiership strike since he spurned Chelsea at the 11th hour this summer. Anfield hailed its native son yet Chelsea have not built their reputation without an iron resolve and the ability to come up with something special in their hour of need. So it proved again two minutes before the break when Drogba's adroit turn left Hyypia looking like a man in need of a pension book as he powered into the box. Damien Duff's first touch gave Xabi Alonso hope of closing him down, but the second was sufficiently directed to slip past Reina and into the net - although if Joe Cole had been successful in producing the touch to make certain, he would have been offside. But while Liverpool came again at the start of the second period, there was only one winner in this one. Drogba, who wasted a chance gifted to him by Hyypia's error, made amends for his miss just after the hour, stealing in after Del Horno robbed Luis Garcia, with the ball running loose for Cole to mark his first start in more than a month by slotting home. And while Riise and Crouch - after expertly turning Ricardo Carvalho - both went close, the fourth goal was inevitable. Del Horno's throw sent Drogba deep into Liverpool territory and the unmarked Geremi converted at the far post after fellow substitute Arjen Robben had miskicked. It was as emphatic and unarguable as the scoreline suggested. Benitez's claims to the contrary were meaningless. Lacking dignity? Perhaps.But they don't lack much else. LIVERPOOL: Reina 5; Finnan 5, Hyypia 4 (Sinama-Pongole 71, 5), Carragher 6, Traore 4 (Cisse 82, 5); Luis Garcia 5, Hamann 6 (Sissoko 67), Gerrard 8, Xabi Alonso 7, Riise 7; Crouch 6. CHELSEA: Cech 7; Gallas 6, Carvalho 7, Terry 8, Del Horno 7 (Huth 84, 5); Essien 8, Makelele 7, Lampard 7; Cole 7 (Robben 67, 7), DROGBA 9, Duff 7 (Geremi 76, 7)60% POSSESSION 40% 3 SHOTS ON TARGET 6 5 SHOTS OFF TARGET 4 0 OFFSIDES 7 4 CORNERS 2 16 FOULS 18 1 YELLOW 3 0 RED CARDS 0 ATTENDANCE: 44,235 MAN OF THE MATCH: Drogba