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The TimesNovember 12, 2007
Blue is the colour...football is the same
Chelsea 1 Everton 1Martin Samuel, Chief Football Correspondent, at Stamford Bridge
As Avram Grant will be aware, this was the sort of result – and pretty much the sort of performance – that got José Mourinho, his predecessor, his P45. With managerial changes no longer part of the picture at Chelsea, however, Roman Abramovich, the owner, will have to grin and bear it.
Chelsea murdered Everton for most of the match, did not turn their possession and supremacy into goals and conceded from the first shot on target faced, which came in the 90th minute.
These days Grant will be commiserated on his bad luck by a benign employer who is also a friend; two months ago, this would have formed part of the case for the prosecution, not least because Chelsea appeared to settle for three points from a single goal scored by Didier Drogba in the 75th minute. Failing to press for a more convincing margin of victory was a criticism often levelled at Mourinho.
Everton’s point was no travesty, though, for it rewarded the three best players on the pitch. Tim Howard, the Everton goalkeeper, was man of the match, with one save in the first half from Frank Lampard as good as any seen this season. At other times, his handling was decisive and confident. Just behind him were Joseph Yobo and Joleon Lescott, the centre backs who had a Premier League defender’s most demanding job – dealing with Drogba, the man mountain.
The task fell mostly to Lescott, who was outstanding, and would have delivered a near-perfect display had he not lost his man from a corner for the goal. It was tough luck that this rare lapse was punished in typical Chelsea style. Salomon Kalou whipped the ball in and Drogba was left challenging Lee Carsley at the near post. His header was beyond a furious Howard in the blink of an eye.
This was an echo of the heartbreaking champions of old. Under Mourinho, Chelsea’s forte was the killer goal scored just when it looked as if the end was in sight. In this way, they would sap the morale of the opposition, stretched to full capacity trying to keep the score tied. When Drogba scored, even a resolute Everton team should have been there for the taking, such was their disappointment. Instead, Chelsea made no attempt to kick for home, much as they would not have done under Mourinho. The difference being that when Mourinho’s influence was at its most potent, Chelsea knew how to keep a lead.
This may be a simple personnel matter. Chelsea are again missing John Terry, the captain and centre back, and Petr Cech in goal, the double whammy that did irreparable damage to their title challenge last season, but a back injury suffered by Ricardo Carvalho after 28 minutes brought the introduction of the cumbersome Tal Ben Haim.
Yesterday, equally harmful was the continued absence of Paulo Ferreira, missing since the Champions League win over Schalke 04 in October. Ferreira is not the most eye-catching right back, but in the matter of holding a lead, he is an improvement on Juliano Belletti, the new arrival. When Everton equalised, it was because, one-on-one with Tim Cahill, Belletti came up short.
James McFadden, introduced at half-time and as responsible for Everton’s second-half improvement as anybody, hit a shot cutting in on the right that Cahill held up with his back to goal, shielding the ball from Belletti as it hung in the air. With a flash of attacking inspiration at odds with the cautious nature of the rest of Everton’s performance, he leapt backwards, striking a most sublime bicycle kick that left Carlo Cudicini grasping at air in the Chelsea goal.
On the touchline, Grant’s dour visage reminded of nothing more than Les Dawson’s colourful description of his battleaxe mother-in-law. A face, the comedian said, like a tin of condemned veal.
Certainly, the beautiful football that Abramovich is said to have demanded as a return on his £500 million investment is more of an aspiration for Grant than an achievement. The 6-0 victory over Manchester City the previous weekend wrote a cheque that this Chelsea team could not cash and, while Grant saw good, positive, attacking football here, he was not among the majority.
Chelsea had greater ambition than Everton, which was not hard, and Howard’s one-handed save from a shot by Lampard in the 30th minute was a stunner, but Mourinho’s style was not so dull or Grant’s brand so scintillating for there to be a huge difference between the two. How could there be when the players are largely the same, Grant’s introduction of Joe Cole on a consistent basis his most radical contribution?
Cole was good again here without fully displaying the wit to find a path through Everton’s massed ranks. The best return on his creativity was a Drogba header from a corner, which Howard dealt with comfortably. Indeed, the best move down the left came from a run by Wayne Bridge – much like the run for his money he is giving Ashley Cole – fed into Shaun Wright-Phillips, who switched the ball across to Drogba.
Amazingly, the striker missed his kick; Steven Pienaar did the same for Everton after a cut-back from Leon Osman in the fourteenth minute, but it was not quite as unexpected.
Even when Howard was threatened, the Everton defence was in top form. A shot from Lampard in the 26th minute was headed clear by Nuno Valente, just at the point when it was threatening to sneak inside the right-hand post.
Later, after Howard had punched a Lampard corner only as far as Alex, Tony Hibbert, the right back, blocked his shot on the line.
David Moyes, the Everton manager, described the performance as gritty and it was certainly that. For Grant, it was the sort of grit that lodges in the shoes and makes walking uncomfortable. Either that or he was having flashbacks to the bold promises made on the day he took the job. Something had to explain that pained expression.

How they rated
CHELSEA
4-3-3 C Cudicini 6 J Belletti Y 5 Alex 7 R Carvalho 6 W Bridge 7 M Essien Y 7 J O Mikel 7 F Lampard 7 S Wright-Phillips 6 D Drogba 7 J Cole 7
Substitutes T Ben Haim 4 (for Carvalho, 28min), S Kalou 6 (for Wright-Phillips, 63) Not used Hilário, A Shevchenko, C Pizarro
EVERTON
4-2-3-1 T Howard 9 T Hibbett 7 J Yobo 8 J Lescott 8 Nuno Valente 7 L Carsley 6 P Neville Y 5 T Cahill 7 L Osman 7 S Pienaar Y 6 Yakubu 5
Substitutes T Gravesen (for Carsley, 75min), J McFadden 6 (for Neville, 46), V Anichebe 5 (for Yakubu, 46) Not used S Wessels, P Jagielka
Referee: A WileyAttendance: 41,683
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph:
Tim Cahill cracker stuns ChelseaBy John Ley
Chelsea (0) 1 Everton (0) 1
Two Tims from either side of the planet blunted Chelsea's attempt to edge closer to the Premier League zenith, with an American goalkeeper and an Australian midfielder dampening blue spirits on a frustrating afternoon.
Tim Howard had produced a succession of outstanding saves to obstruct Chelsea before Tim Cahill stole a draw with a spectacular 89th-minute equaliser, cancelling out Didier Drogba's opening goal.
In restoring parity, Cahill also succeeded in becoming the first player to breach Chelsea's defence in the Premier League for a minute short of nine hours.
Having been repeatedly thwarted by the brilliance of Howard and the dogged belligerence of the Everton defence, Chelsea will also feel aggrieved at wasting chances. They may be trying to play attractive football, but that sometimes comes at a cost, with Chelsea ultimately exposed late on as they pushed for a second goal.
"We lost two points today and that's disappointing," said manager Avram Grant. "We want to win every game and we want to play good football."
As all the Englishmen appeared to come through unscathed it was an American who stole the show. Howard has been key to Everton's success and, against a Chelsea side keen to match their 6-0 thrashing of Manchester City in their previous Stamford Bridge league outing, the early signs pointed to another dominating home performance.
When Frank Lampard's volley was blocked in front of goal by Nuno Valente, Everton survived for the first time. But it was a save after half an hour which most impressed. Juliano Belletti fed Lampard, who side-footed a volley which Howard saved, changing his direction before tipping the ball around his left post.
It was a breathtaking save, following soon after another block, from Shaun Wright-Phillips. Howard then saved again, on the line, from Drogba's header.
In first-half added time, an error by Phil Neville saw Wayne Bridge set off on a 60-yard run before finding Wright-Phillips. The winger fed Drogba - who proceeded to kick air in front of goal. The quality of both the sublime move and faltering finish summed up Chelsea's half.
Everton manager David Moyes, sensing Neville and Yakubu were showing signs of fatigue following Thursday's 2-0 Uefa Cup win in Nuremberg, made two brave changes, with James McFadden and Victor Anichebe offering fresh legs.
Howard continued to impress in the second half, tipping over a Lampard chip, while Tony Hibbert cleared off the line after Alex's shot had deflected off Joleon Lescott.
Soon afterwards, Leon Osman was the subject of a high, crunching challenge from Michael Essien. The Chelsea midfielder was booked and Cahill later claimed that the Ghanaian would say sorry. "He's known for a few dodgy tackles," said Cahill.
"I heard the crunch, so if he's gone in a bit high he'll know about it and apologise later."
Chelsea finally got their breakthrough in the 71st minute when a corner from Salomon Kalou was met by the head of Drogba at the near post.
But with just a minute remaining McFadden's shot came off Belletti and spun up high. Cahill responded with an athletic and mesmeric bicycle kick to steal a draw for the visitors.
Steve McClaren may have chosen Stamford Bridge yesterday to check on Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Phil Neville and Joleon Lescott, but he will have left contented with the performance of another.
With Liverpool's Yossi Benayoun ruled out of Saturday's European Championship qualifier between Israel and Russia, the performance of Chelsea defender Tal Ben Haim could prove decisive in Tel Aviv. That the Israeli enjoyed more than an hour of action after coming on for the injured Ricardo Carvalho, will have given McClaren considerable satisfaction. It was only his second participation since September, so Ben Haim needed a game and he showed he could prove to be a hurdle for the Russian strikers. Dror Kashtan, the Israel coach, may be concerned that Ben Haim has struggled to hold down a regular place at Stamford Bridge but fellow Israeli Avram Grant, the Chelsea manager, said: "We have a different back four from a month ago, but that shows the strength we have in our squad.
"The fact that Chelsea have Alex, Carvalho and John Terry was always going to affect his chances of playing, but in terms of his ability to aid Israel - and England - he showed little to concern McClaren, who will also have been impressed with Lescott, whose performance alongside Joseph Yobo was imposing."
Man of the matchDidier Drogba (Chelsea)• The Ivorian scored one goal from six attempts • 50 per cent shooting accuracy• 100% tackle success---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Indy:Chelsea 1 Everton 1: Cahill's bicycle kick puts brake on Grant's winning streak By Sam Wallace
Delivering exciting football, as Avram Grant is discovering, is a splendid idea as long as you make sure your team win the game too. Chelsea's excitement factor was waning considerably yesterday when Tim Cahill's overhead kick levelled the score in the last minute and made the home side wish they could have been boring and victorious instead.
The notion of exciting football was seized upon by Grant in those desperate, chaotic days in September when no one could understand why he of all people had been brought in to replace the most charismatic manager of his generation. On days like these that promise sits upon Grant like a curse. He may be the man charged with bringing pulse-quickening football to the post-Jose Mourinho era but he still moans about an injury crisis like any other manager who finds his back against the wall.
A goal to the good, thanks to Didier Drogba, Chelsea found themselves seeing out the last few minutes with a defensive five that, Grant pointed out, included none of his first-choice defenders and a second-choice goalkeeper. That was not all down to injuries – Grant left Ashley Cole on the bench and no one knows who his favourite right-back is – but the absence of John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho was telling. Chelsea are now another two points further away from Manchester United.
They are third in the Premier League but after four straight victories under their new manager – including six goals at home to Manchester City – yesterday it was fair to concede that maybe the stylistic changes promised by Grant are still some way off. The only thing more complex than figuring out how to change Chelsea into the club everyone loves to watch is making sense of Grant's post-match explanations, which seem more arcane the worse the result.
He claimed yesterday that "we dominated the game for 90 minutes". He added: "We created a lot of chances, the other team did not. They scored from one good chance." There was, Grant said, "raised expectation" for his players, although he can blame himself for that. Once upon a time Chelsea would win 1-0 and Grant's predecessor would say afterwards they were the best team on the planet. Nowadays not even 1-0 is enough.
It will overshadow the achievement of Everton, whose equaliser was beautifully taken by Cahill for his third goal of the season, having recovered from a broken metatarsal last month. The Australian had his say about Michael Essien too after the Chelsea midfielder ran his studs down Leon Osman's leg and was fortunate to get away with a booking.
"I was behind Ossie and I heard the crunch," Cahill said. "If he [Essien] has gone in a bit high he'll know and he'll apologise later. He is known for a few dodgy tackles. Ossie's still walking and that's the main thing. Everyone has a dodgy tackle from time to time in football as long as he knows what he has done."
Even without Mikel Arteta, Andy Johnson and Leighton Baines, David Moyes has a side of typically British strengths – strength and tenacity above all. The Everton manager poured praise on his England defender Joleon Lescott, whom he named as one of his side's best players along with Joseph Yobo and the goalkeeper, Tim Howard. Lescott, however, might not have inspired complete confidence in Steve McClaren in the seconds leading to Drogba's goal.
In those moments, in the 71st minute, Salomon Kalou hit a corner to the near post and Drogba simply ran away from Lescott and Lee Carsley to head the ball past Howard from a tight angle.
"I always thought we were in it," Moyes said. "We were gritty and hung on." He took off Yakubu and Phil Neville off at half-time but it was Cahill who did the trick in the end.
The substitute James McFadden drilled in a shot which cannoned off Juliano Belletti and Cahill inside the area before the Everton man, with his back to goal, executed a textbook overhead kick to beat Carlo Cudicini from close range. By then the centre of Chelsea's defence was being marshalled by Alex da Costa and Tal Ben Haim, which is no-one's idea of a safe back line.
Carvalho's departure half an hour into the match was a major blow for Grant – turned upside down while challenging Yakubu for a header, the Portuguese landed awkwardly and was barely able to walk thereafter. Later in the first half Howard pulled off a brilliant one-handed save from Frank Lampard's close-range shot although in Stamford Bridge no-one was requiring oxygen from the St John's Ambulance on account of too much excitement.
In fact the only out-of-the-seat moment in the first half came when Drogba conspired to miss a chance from five yards out. There was a great, barnstorming run from Wayne Bridge, a cut-back from Shaun Wright-Phillips and then, with the goal at his mercy, the Ivorian striker seemed to collapse involuntarily. Proof that even the great Drogba can let the excitement get to him at times.
Goals: Drogba (71) 1-0; Cahill (89) 1-1.
Chelsea: (4-1-4-1): Cudicini; Belletti, Alex, Carvalho (Ben Haim, 29), Bridge; Mikel; Wright-Phillips (Kalou, 64), Essien, Lampard, J Cole; Drogba. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Shevchenko, Pizarro.
Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Hibbert, Yobo, Lescott, Valente; Cahill, Carsley (Carsley, 73), Neville (McFadden, h-t), Pienaar; Osman; Yakubu (Anichebe, h-t). Substitutes not used: Wessels (gk), Jagielka.
Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire).
Booked: Chelsea Belletti, Essien, Mikel. Everton Neville.
Man of the match: Howard.
Attendance: 41,683.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chelsea cut to the quick by Cahill's overhead scissors
Kevin McCarra at Stamford BridgeMonday November 12, 2007The Guardian
They say it is unhealthy not to mourn the departed. After an unexpected delay this was put right as Chelsea fans felt the loss of Jose Mourinho keenly for the first time since he left the club in September. He was, after all, the master of converting a narrow lead into a victory. The Portuguese seemed to prefer that sort of win but it is now out of fashion at a club that showed zest yesterday, only to falter at the last.
Everton's 89th-minute equaliser was hit with acrobatic force by Tim Cahill and it would take a dreary soul to reproach Chelsea too much. Avram Grant's side produced bright football and were on the verge, as well, of a sixth consecutive clean sheet in the Premier League. The credit for Everton was due primarily for continuing to be dogged despite 48 hours less rest than the opposition following midweek matches in Germany for both clubs.David Moyes, their manager, is seeking to manage with a boldness appropriate to the improved quality of his squad. When it was goalless at the interval he took off his captain Phil Neville because the presence of a pair of defensive midfielders looked excessive. "We made a brave decision," Moyes said in excusable self-congratulation. "I always thought we were in it."
The Scot, none the less, could not claim to have transformed the match. Only with a minute to go did Everton cause consternation. James McFadden, Neville's replacement, came in from the right to aim a shot that bounced off Juliano Belletti. Cahill ensured that the full-back could not complete the clearance, putting his body in the way before hitting the net with a strong overhead kick. It was the Australian's first Premier League goal of the season. The finish flew past Carlo Cudicini, the deputy for the injured Petr Cech. A rueful Grant mused that the Chelsea defence in place at the close of this fixture was entirely different from the one present at the start of last month. Ricardo Carvalho went off with a back injury here and will have a scan today.
Even so John Terry and Cech were not badly missed. The luxurious options were such that the splendid Wayne Bridge was picked in preference to Ashley Cole. The latter lacks only match fitness and will join up with the England squad this week. Irrespective of the personnel, Chelsea played with enough conviction to make it appear that the composition of the defence was immaterial.
Grant has introduced verve and the principal concern lies in the fact that Didier Drogba is the sole forward who can be trusted to score. With this match tied at 0-0, it was a withering rebuke to the experienced attackers Andriy Shevchenko and Claudio Pizarro that they were kept on the bench.
The African Nations Cup will do its main harm to Chelsea in January by plundering Stamford Bridge for Drogba. The Ivorian, judging by comments to interviewers, envisages a permanent separation but Grant brushes that aside. "I see Drogba play with a lot of passion," the manager remarked. "He hasn't said anything to me about leaving."
Chelsea do have a terrible need for high quality reinforcements in the forward line, lending credence to claims that a bid will be made for someone like Bolton's Nicolas Anelka in January. There is a burden on Drogba, even if those broad shoulders do not look as if they feel the weight.
Steven Pienaar might have scored from a Leon Osman header after quarter of an hour but the match was largely about Chelsea's hankering for a goal. With 30 minutes gone, the outstanding Tim Howard made a particularly good save when he needed to change direction to deal with Frank Lampard's effort following a Belletti cross. The goalkeeper, by then, had denied Shaun Wright-Phillips as well.
In the 45th minute Howard was powerless. The lively Bridge intercepted an attempted pass, burst past Joseph Yobo and found Wright-Phillips. While the winger's cross did bobble it was still remarkable that Drogba could not make some sort of connection in front of an open goal.
Everton were often beleaguered and Tony Hibbert needed to knock an Alex attempt off the line after Howard had punched out a Lampard corner in the 64th minute. Joleon Lescott generally looked calm and authoritative in the midst of the havoc, making his claim, before the watching Steve McClaren, for filling the vacancy in the England defence this week.
"He dealt with one of the best forwards in Europe," said an admiring Moyes. Well, not entirely. Drogba did break through in the 71st minute, slipping away from Lescott and not being picked up at the near post by Lee Carsley before he had headed the substitute Salamon Kalou's corner into the net.
Chelsea celebrated, never dreaming Everton's perseverance would meet with so unlikely a reward.
Man of the match Tim Howard
The American goalkeeper was outstanding when Chelsea's pressure was at its greatest and he ensured that the game was not killed off in the first half. He also denied Shaun Wright-Phillips after the interval and punched away a Frank Lampard corner.
Best moment His change of direction to put behind Lampard's attempt during the first half.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mail:
Chelsea fall flat, exactly like their bossChelsea 1-1 Everton
By MATT LAWTON
Avram Grant might think the football is more exciting these days but the post-match entertainment has definitely disappeared at Stamford Bridge.
Imagine how previous Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho would have responded had he seen Everton equalise in the final minute with their first effort on target.
He would have condemned the opposition for playing the first 45 minutes with five in midfield. Criticised them for defending too deep. Accused them, even, of "parking the bus".
It might not have been fair but the 'Special One' has never been big on rational thought when he plays the victim. Just ask a certain 12-year-old schoolboy in Portugal.
Grant reacts rather more passively, however.
"It was disappointing to drop two points," he said. "Especially after the number of chances we created. Except for the result, though, I'm happy."
He thought the football was every bit as sexy as he has promised since taking charge, which prompted the obvious question.
Was he watching the game or does he simply shut his eyes for 90 minutes and hope for the best?
His programme notes pointed to the latter, given that he described that recent Carling Cup encounter with Leicester as a game that "must have been amazing to watch".
Chelsea should have won this relatively one- sided contest and their failure to do so had as much to do with a lack of urgency as a brilliant defensive display from the visitors.
An Everton display that was memorable for one save in particular from Tim Howard and a performance from Joleon Lescott that would have encouraged a watching Steve McClaren.
Centre-halves are proving hard to find for England's coach and the way Lescott coped with Didier Drogba yesterday was timely.
It was a shortage of defenders that ultimately cost Chelsea on this occasion.
As Mourinho discovered last season, trying to protect your goal in the absence of goalkeeper Petr Cech and captain John Terry can be difficult.
For Grant yesterday, the situation was actually even more distressing. Left back Ashley Cole was also missing - although only because he has just returned from injury - and when Ricardo Carvalho then collided with Aiyegbeni Yakubu and suffered what looks like a nasty back injury, Chelsea started to look vulnerable.
So vulnerable, in fact, that David Moyes took off his holding midfielder, Phil Neville, and switched to 4-4-2. 'It was a brave decision,' said the Everton boss.
It looked a little too brave when Drogba scored in the 70th minute, accelerating away from Lee Carsley to meet a Salomon Kalou corner with a terrific header at the near post.
But Moyes had sent on James McFadden as part of his tactical reshuffle and it paid off.
It was Scotland forward McFadden, after all, who drove the ball into the Chelsea penalty area and Tim Cahill who then held off Juliano Belletti before flicking the ball into the air and beating Carlo Cudicini with a spectacular bicycle kick.
"Fantastic goal," said Moyes, which it was.
Moyes and Cahill were less impressed with Michael Essien's reckless challenge on Leon Osman in the 67th minute.
"It wasn't the best," said Moyes, while Cahill noted that 'Ossie' was at least "still walking".
Cahill added: "He's known for a few dodgy tackles. I heard the crunch, so if he has gone in a bit high he will know it and he will apologise later."
It was actually one of Essien's less serious offences and deserved no more than the booking he received but it gave some indication of Chelsea's frustration against a determined opposition.
After Everton squandered the first decent chance of the game - when Steven Pienaar somehow failed to connect with a header from Osman that bounced invitingly across Chelsea's six-yard box - what chances there were fell to Chelsea.
Shaun Wright-Phillips had a shot blocked close to the line and when Belletti then crossed to the feet of Frank Lampard it required a magnificent one-handed save from Howard to deny the England midfielder.
Drogba was then guilty of committing an error not that dissimilar to Pienaar's. Wayne Bridge made a terrific run down the left, Wright-Phillips then drove the ball into the box and Drogba, like Everton's South African, failed to connect.
Everton then survived a vicious strike from Alex that was blocked by Tony Hibbert, but in the end could not stop the brilliant Drogba.
If Grant thought a fifth consecutive Premier League win was about to follow, Cahill had other ideas.
"It is difficult when you are missing four of your best defenders," said Grant, as a first League goal against Chelsea since September 23 then proved.
Mourinho would have been livid. If only Grant had been too. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------