sunday papers man city away

The Sunday TimesApril 6, 2008
Nervous Chelsea maintain pressure on Manchester UnitedManchester City 0 Chelsea 2 Paul Forsyth at Eastlands
VULNERABLE they may be under the guidance of Avram Grant, but Chelsea’s title hopes are still alive. An own goal by Richard Dunne, and a more conventional strike by their own Salomon Kalou, extended an unbeaten league run that stretches back to December, and narrowed the deficit by which they trail Manchester United to just two points.
Any lapse in concentration, like that which nearly cost them against Middlesbrough last week, and eventually did in Turkey four days later, could be fatal at this stage of the season, but here they are, with five matches left, still breathing down Manchester United’s neck. The pressure is now on Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to win their game in hand against Middlesbrough this afternoon.
“If you ask Sir Alex, he will tell you that we have put them under pressure for the last three months,” said Grant. “We have won about 80% of our games, which is the form of champions, but they are also doing very well. I don’t think they will win it until the end of the season.”
A Freudian slip perhaps? United, certainly, will not be unnerved by this Chelsea display, however effective. Gifted an early goal, they allowed their opponents to take the initiative, and only came to life after a second had settled the outcome.
Unlike their luminous yellow shirts, it was functional rather than flashy, as professional as it needed to be.
As demonstrated against Fen-erbahce, Chelsea seem to lose the matches in which they play best, and win those that are a grind. As Grant pointed out last night, when they beat City 6-0 in November, they were seventh in the league. “We have come a long, long way,” said the manager. “Now there is only one team ahead of us.”
With one eye on this week’s second leg, Grant made wholesale changes, resting Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho, who were not even on the bench, and drafting in Shaun Wright-Phillips. The home support warmly applauded their former winger beforehand, and again when he was taken off early in the second half, which was maybe a measure of his contribution.
Thanks to Arsenal’s lunch-time draw with Liverpool, Chelsea had slipped to third in the league without kicking a ball, so the goal they were handed after only six minutes came as a welcome filip. Dunne has been told by his manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, to put contract talks on the back burner, and focus instead on his football, but the captain’s response was overshadowed by an own goal. When Kalou, surging towards the penalty area, was brought tumbling to the turf, the ball broke to Michael Essien, who in turn fed Nicolas Anelka wide on the right. When the former City striker cut the ball back into the box, Dunne attempted a sliding interception that succeeded only in diverting the ball past Joe Hart.
It was one of those goals that came before the match had been able to take shape, which was just as well for Chelsea, who found themselves on the back foot for the rest of the first half. Although dangerous on the break, where Nedum Onuoha twice had to thwart Anelka with an outstretched boot, the visitors were asked several times to take desperate measures at the back.
Stephen Ireland would surely have converted a cutback from Benjani Mwaruwari had it not been for Juliano Belletti’s block that sent the ball spinning over the bar. And Ashley Cole’s scissor kick off the line prevented the equaliser young midfielder Michael Johnson deserved after a neat exchange with Ireland.
Johnson has had a frustrating time of it since undergoing an operation last November, but his contribution here was a reminder of what he can do. Although he snatched an early volley over the top, his delicate touches in the middle of the park, intelligent balls wide and timely dashes forward unsettled Chelsea, as did the left boot of Martin Petrov.
One of his trademark efforts sailed narrowly past the upright from all of 30 yards, and a free kick from the corner of the penalty box curled just a fraction too much. If, as expected, City’s interest in Ronaldinho comes to nothing, this man will do to be getting on with.
Chelsea, though, were a different proposition in the second half, especially after they had doubled their lead. Essien’s cute reverse pass on the edge of the area took a deflection on its way to Kalou, who was composed enough to round the goalkeeper and slot over the line.
If a second goal was more than Chelsea deserved for a strategy based largely on counter-attack, they responded to the comfort zone with a spell of sustained pressure that confirmed their superiority. When Anelka, their biggest attacking threat, was presented with a chance almost identical to Kalou’s, he hesitated long enough to let England Under-21 goalkeeper Hart pluck the ball from his feet.
Then, when Frank Lampard picked out the Frenchman in the box, he was twice denied by the goalkeeper. Not only did Hart touch his header on to the bar, he lunged back to claw the dropping ball off his line.
A damaging passage of play for City then took a physical toll when Onuoha had to be stretchered off. The challenge by Essien was harmless enough, but the defender dislocated his shoulder in the fall. While he was taken to hospital, City’s hopes of salvaging anything were beyond repair. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph:
Chelsea refuse to give up on Premier LeagueBy Derick Allsop at the City of Manchester Stadium
Manchester City (0) 0 Chelsea (1) 2
Love him or loathe him, no one can dispute Avram Grant has kept Chelsea in a Premier League marathon that was surely reduced to two contenders yesterday.
Hours after Arsenal's latest and seemingly fatal stumble, the self-proclaimed Un-Special One shuffled his resources again and came up with a formation that had too much guile and penetration - albeit with a healthy helping of good fortune - for Manchester City.
Richard Dunne, City's generally dependable captain and central defender, contributed to Chelsea's title mission with an own-goal and inadvertent collaboration in the creation of the second, scored by Salomon Kalou.
City had their moments, particularly during a 15-minute period of the first half, yet ultimately had their goalkeeper, Joe Hart, to thank for averting a more substantial defeat.
Chelsea were content to take the three points with a minimum of effort, closing to within two of leaders Manchester United, who visit Middlesbrough today. Grant's planning now turns to their next home match, the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Fenerbahce. Chelsea trail 2-1 but have fresh players to recall and even those who put in a shift here were scarcely extended.
Given the strength and flexibility of Chelsea's squad, they look eminently capable of emerging as United's challengers for the top prizes in England and Europe.
Grant said: "We have come a long way, but still one team is in front of us. I don't know if it will be enough to win every game. We need to do our job. I don't know whether it is better to play before United. We just need to do our job."
City's season, so bright and promising in its infancy, is in danger of ignominious disintegration. Their miserable day was compounded by a dislocated shoulder and wrist injury for the excellent Nedum Onuoha.
City's task became onerous in just six minutes. Chelsea's composed approach play carried them into the penalty area and Nicolas Anelka's low cross was turned past Hart by Dunne in his desperation to cut off the supply to Michael Essien.
Onuoha's intervention denied Anelka the opportunity to capitalise on Essien's service before City managed to venture out of their own territory and launch a series of assaults. Most of them disturbed the top tier rather than Carlo Cudicini until Gelson Fernandes eventually dirtied the Chelsea goalkeeper's gloves.
Another crucial challenge by Onuoha checked Anelka's break as Chelsea reminded City of their threat. Undeterred, Sven-Goran Eriksson's team pressed forward again, Stephen Ireland and Michael Johnson going close and Martin Petrov forcing Cudicini into a splendid save. For all City's endeavour, they were relieved not to go further behind when Kalou lofted over a beckoning goal. He atoned for that wretched miss early in the second half, combining cleverly with Essien and accepting another assist from Dunne before walking the ball around Hart.
The City goalkeeper somehow spared his side further damage, taking the ball off Anelka's toe, then tipping the striker's header on to the crossbar and clearing off the line.
Best moment: Joe Hart’s fantastic save to tip former City striker Nicolas Anelka’s header on to the bar.
Worst moment: The freakish injuries that put the excellent Onuoha in hospital last night. Another defensive nightmare for Sven.
Man of the match
Salomon Kalou (Chelsea) 8
Scored Chelsea's second goal
Set up one chance
Completed 82 per cent of his distribution---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mail:
Dour one is now special one: Grant takes a lesson from Mourinho's old play bookManchester City 0 Chelsea 2
By Joe Bernstein
Avram Grant does not sound like Jose Mourinho very often but, in the afterglow of a hard-earned win at Eastlands, he very definitely laid down the title gauntlet to Sir Alex Ferguson.
A goal in each half, with plenty of dogged defending in between, took Chelsea to within two points of longtime leaders Manchester United with a tasty encounter between the two scheduled for Stamford Bridge on April 26. No wonder the Dour One came over almost as bullish as the Special One as Chelsea extended their incredible league run to just one defeat in 26 matches.
"I think if you ask Alex he will say we have been putting them under pressure for a while," said Grant. 'We have the record of champions over the past three months. When I arrived, we were five points behind Manchester City, we were behind Liverpool and other clubs, too.
"We have been playing without a lot of important players since January as well, but the squad have brought us to this point. Psychologically, I'm not sure if it's better to play first or second [United meet Middlesbrough today], but now that we've won, I think it's better to play first."
Grant promised to change Chelsea when he replaced Mourinho in the autumn. Instead of all-out entertainment, however, he is threatening to grind his way to silverware just as his predecessor would have done.
City skipper Richard Dunne put into his own net to gift Chelsea the opening goal after six minutes. The home side threatened an equaliser for long periods after that, but a clinical finish by Salomon Kalou in the 53rd killed the contest. A dislocated shoulder and possible broken wrist late on for Nedum Onuoha, who required nearly five minutes' treatment before he was carried off in clear distress, summed up the dismal second half of City's season.
"It is always awful when you lose but I am less depressed than when we were beaten at Birmingham a week ago," said manager Sven Goran Eriksson. "We showed spirit against a good team and made more chances than them."
However, ambitious owner Thaksin Shinawatra will want to see an improvement on one win in seven games if he is to trust Eriksson with the summer war chest.
Home fans generously applauded their former heroes Shaun Wright- Phillips and Nicolas Anelka on to the pitch before kick-off, but it was not long before the grumbling began.
Anelka was given time in the penalty area to deliver a low cross towards Michael Essien. And the only reason it did not reach the Ghanaian was that Dunne foolishly slid in and stuck out a left leg to divert the ball past goalkeeper Joe Hart.
The Irishman's forlorn expression told its own story. It was the fifth owngoal of his City career, nearly as many as the six he scored at the other end in more than 300 appearances.
City fans must have feared a repeat of the 6-0 drubbing they suffered at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season. But, inspired by Martin Petrov, they instead had numerous chances to level. Petrov was denied by Carlo Cudicini with a stinging shot and set up Benjani and Stephen Ireland with excellent crosses that were not capitalised upon. Ashley Cole then headed off the line from Michael Johnson.
Having weathered the storm, Chelsea sealed the points early in the second half on a breakaway. Mourinho would have been proud. Poor Dunne was involved again, deflecting Essien's pass into the path of Kalou. Once free, there was no doubting the Ivory Coast forward would score as he rounded Hart before tapping in. That was game over and it was left to Hart to keep the score down with two excellent stops from Anelka, as Chelsea moved down the gears to save themselves for Tuesday's key Champions League home tie against Fenerbahce. However disappointed City felt, the result was put into perspective when Onuoha fell awkwardly after tangling with Essien and dislocated his shoulder. The pain-stricken defender was offered oxygen before being carried off and taken to hospital.
The result means Chelsea can begin to dream of being champions for the third time in four seasons.
"You never know in football," said Grant, when asked to consider the possibility. "If I knew what would happen in this game, I would gamble and be a millionaire."
There is always Eriksson to bring them down to earth, though. "Chelsea are strong but so are Manchester United. If I had to bet £10 on it, I would go for United," he smiled. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Indy:
Manchester City 0 Chelsea 2: City Dunne and dusted by Chelsea
Own goal helps Londoners keep up pressure on Manchester United as Eriksson's team look forward to end of seasonBy Guy Hodgson at the City of Manchester StadiumSunday, 6 April 2008
Chelsea have five matches to catch Manchester United at the top of the Premier League, and if they are all as easy as this they will have every chance of succeeding. This makes it eightgoals for and none conceded against Manchester City this season; who needs friends with opponents like these?
This was a stroll on a cool but sunny afternoon for Avram Grant's team against a City side who have won one match in their last seven and who, apart from a 15-minute spell before half-time, looked like they cannot wait for the season to end. Slow, sloppy and dull, just about the only imagination anyone with Sky Blue affiliation showed came from the announcer on the public address system, who billed the start of the second half as "the push for Europe". Push for mid-table mediocrity more like.
City gave the visitors a goal start when Richard Dunne put through his own goal after six minutes, and although Michael Johnson had a shot cleared off the line they never seriously suggested they would discomfort Chelsea. Instead the visitors made the points safe when Salomon Kalou dribbled round Joe Hart in the 53rd minute.
The romp pushes Chelsea, who rested Ricardo Carvalho, Claude Makelele and Didier Drogba, to two points behind United, who face Middlesbrough this afternoon, and ensured they will go into Tuesday's Champions' League quarter-final second leg against Fenerbahce with two prizes very much in mind.
"Now we have to hope for a good result at Middlesbrough," Grant said. "I never know whether it's better to play first or second but I know it's always best to play first and win."
The City manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, also struck a positive note. "I'm less depressed than I was a week ago," he said, referring to the lame 3-1 defeat at Birmingham City. "It was impor-tant for the players to know they can play good football against a team like Chelsea."
City lost 6-0 at Stamford Bride in October so the portents were not good, and they looked even less promising after six minutes. They had endured almost unceasing Chelsea possession without alarm when Michael Essien moved forward and then passed to Nicolas Anelka on the right. Even then, there seemed little danger from a low cross until Dunne slid in to clear but instead thumped the ball past his own goalkeeper from10 yards.
Chelsea would have taken advantage of more sloppiness in the home rearguard but for two immaculate tackles on Anelka from Nedum Onuoha. It appeared City were dozing their way to another reverse until they woke up after half an hour and could have scored twice. First Juliano Belletti stopped a goal-bound shot from Stephen Ireland, then Ashley Cole cleared off his line from Johnson.
Despite the number of incidents round the goalmouths, the first half had been played at a pedestrian pace, but the introduction of Joe Cole for the disappointing Shaun Wright-Phillips brought an injection of thought if not pace and a notable sense of urgency from Chelsea. Their second goal, after 53 minutes, came almost immediately after the substitution when Essien placed a clever through- pass that deflected off Dunne into the path of Kalou. The Ivory Coast striker coolly went round Hart and rolled the ball intothe net.
Suddenly the shackles were off Chelsea and they could have scored twice more within two minutes. First Hart flicked the ball away from Anelka's feet as he bore down on goal, then the City goalkeeper tipped Anelka's header on to the bar and recovered well to scoop away from his line when the ball hit his back.
After that Chelsea could ease up with Fenerbahce in mind, secure that the gauntlet has been thrown in the champions' direction. Who will win the title? The answer from the City manager was unexpected. "If I had a £10 bet," Eriksson said, "it would be on United."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chelsea stay in hunt as Kalou hits target
Jamie Jackson at EastlandsSunday April 6, 2008The Observer
Chelsea deserve a little of the stuff they sometimes lack - goodwill - for at least keeping the Premier League title race alive with this victory, which maintains the pressure on Manchester United. They deserved this win, though their performance was, like the match, hardly vintage. Still, with Arsène Wenger fielding a virtual second string against Liverpool earlier in the day who could earn only a draw, Avram Grant's team deserve credit for a surge that has not included a league defeat since 16 December.
There had been a shock before kick-off nestling in the opening column of Sven-Göran Eriksson's programme notes. 'I was really disappointed with our defeat against Birmingham last weekend... It happens from time to time that a team does not play well, but when that happens,' wrote the City manager, no doubt to the mood music of a Swedish hairdryer, 'it is vital to at least show maximum effort and I'm not sure that is what I saw on Saturday.'Eriksson hiding any passion he may have is a hoary old topic, of course. But to be talking about the tame 3-1 defeat at Birmingham seven days later was a fair indication he still had a fume on.
Well, that took about six minutes to get a whole lot worse. His team had hardly touched the ball when Salomon Kalou wandered down the centre of City's midfield before laying the ball off. In doing so, the Ivory Coast forward fell awkwardly, but referee Chris Foy allowed what proved to be a good advantage. The ball came to Nicolas Anelka on the right and the former home favourite - who had received more cheers than boos before kick-off - played it into the area. Michael Essien had made a run, but was not needed because Richard Dunne, maybe unaware the midfielder was a few yards away, panicked and finished past Joe Hart.
Although Chelsea dominated this opening period, encouragement came for City. After 14 minutes, Michael Johnson skied a volley from close range following a weak header by Juliano Belletti. Martin Petrov went closer with a sweet 30-yard shot and Mwaruwari Benjani then headed over when free inside the area. Gelson Fernandes also made goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini think, with a long-range effort.
Chelsea's approach to attack throughout the first half was to get Frank Lampard on the ball and wait for Anelka or, in lesser fashion, Shaun Wright-Phillips to make the break behind the home defence. After 23 minutes, the routine worked well - the England midfielder playing the striker in with the outside of his right foot. Nedum Onuoha's intervention as the Frenchman shaped to shoot was timely.
Chelsea, though - and surprisingly for a team led by John Terry - were standing off the home team too much and Grant's team should have paid the price around the half-hour as City created a series of chances.
First, Benjani raced down the right and his pull-back, via Terry, found Stephen Ireland. But he could not finish. Seconds later, Petrov's dipping effort with his left foot was denied a place in the net only by a Cudicini fingertip. Michael Johnson went nearest when his cross, from close in on the left, was cleared off the line by Ashley Cole, following a deflection by Alex. But no goal came and, at the break, Chelsea were heading for the three points.
That prospect blossomed further eight minutes into the second half. City's defence was slumbering when Kalou and Essien swapped one-twos, the second of which clipped Dunne's heel and, when Kalou made it 2-0, the Irishman had added an assist to the earlier own goal.
That compounded Eriksson's frustrations and hardly helped to kindle hopes of European football here next season, though at least the blue half of this city could watch on, knowing defeat for their team would mean the title still needed to be won by Manchester United.
Chelsea should have had a third when, again, the Lampard-Anelka axis created an opening for the latter. This time, Lampard stood the ball up for his team-mate with a delicate cross from the right and the header from Anelka was superbly tipped on to the bar by Hart. The City goalkeeper then somehow plucked the rebound away from the striker and to safety.
By the 75th minute, the atmosphere in the City of Manchester Stadium - hardly lively at the best of times - had become soporific. Eriksson had also used up his attacking options by introducing Felipe Caicedo for Ireland, having earlier switched Darius Vassell for Elano.
It all made little difference, though. Eriksson's next programme notes should contain more despair at a season now dying, while Grant and his team might still snatch the title.
Man of the match: Joe Hart
Was not to blame for either goal and made a series of saves that at least provided damage limitation for Manchester City's goal difference by keeping the score down. England need a keeper and, while judgment is sometimes offered too hastily on a young prospect, Hart is worth keeping an eye on.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------