The TimesOctober 30, 2008
Hull City have their wings clipped by classy ChelseaHull City 0 Chelsea 3
Oliver Kay
The noise that could be heard on the banks of the Humber last night was not that of the Hull City bubble bursting but of the Chelsea bandwagon roaring into motion once more. It required the most elegant of kick-starts from Frank Lampard, whose third-minute goal was described by Luiz Felipe Scolari as one of the best he has witnessed in his career, but, once on the road, Chelsea were able to leave their blues behind them.
A first home league defeat in 4½ years, inflicted by Liverpool on Sunday, has left a dent in Chelsea’s armour and indeed their pride, but, away from the erstwhile fortress of Stamford Bridge, they are equally formidable. This was their fifth win in as many away matches in the Barclays Premier League under Scolari and, given that it came against a resilient Hull team whom they led only on goal difference at the start of play, it should not be underestimated.
This had all the makings of a difficult night for Chelsea, but, if second-half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda allowed them to relax, it was Lampard’s exquisite strike that was the abiding memory of their evening, a floated shot from the corner of the penalty area with his weaker left foot. Had it been another player, it might have been tempting to call it an overhit cross, but not Lampard. “He’s the only player with the quality to score this goal,” Scolari said. “He had the intelligence to see the goalkeeper and then the touch to score the goal. It was one of the best goals I have seen in football.”
Given that Scolari, in his time in charge of the Brazil and Portugal national teams, has coached players such as Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo, it was an almighty compliment, but the sincerity seemed to diminish slightly as the praise kept coming. Informed that five of his players had been among the 23 nominated as Fifa World Player of the Year, the Chelsea coach replied that: “My vote is for Frank.” Very laudable, but it is worth noting Scolari’s love of a superlative, particularly when he is quizzed in a foreign language.
Lampard’s goal certainly changed the complexion of the game, but Hull, after five straight wins, did not succumb until the second half, when a calamitous mix-up between Boaz Myhill and his defenders resulted in Anelka’s goal. To that point, Phil Brown’s team had fought hard, with Dean Marney competing well with Lampard in midfield, Geovanni trying to weave his magic and Daniel Cousin striking the foot of the post from 25 yards after holding off challenges from José Bosingwa, John Obi Mikel and John Terry.
For all Hull’s enthusiasm, though, the game would have been over sooner had Anelka and Malouda not taken until the second half to find their composure in front of goal. On no fewer than five occasions in the first half the France internationals found themselves with time and space to test Myhill, but their shooting was awry. Whatever their subsequent contributions, the return of Didier Drogba cannot come soon enough for Scolari.
The goal that Anelka scored, five minutes into the second half, was a gift from Myhill, who inexplicably waited on his 18-yard line to try to head away a bouncing ball. Even Anelka managed to raise a smile after nipping in to intercept and roll the ball into the unguarded net.
Malouda made it 3-0 with 15 minutes remaining, but the man who deserved the credit was Ricardo Carvalho, who set him up with the type of cross of which centre halves are not meant to be capable. The Portugal defender’s departure with a hamstring injury was the only black mark on Chelsea’s evening — that and news of Liverpool’s breakthrough at Anfield, which came through just as they were leaving the pitch.
Hull City (4-3-1-2): B Myhill — P McShane, M Turner, K Zayatte, A Dawson — D Marney (sub: R Garcia, 71min), I Ashbee, G Boateng (sub: P Halmosi, 63) — Geovanni — M King (sub: D Windass, 84), D Cousin. Substitutes not used: M Duke, B Mendy, S Ricketts, B Hughes.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): P Cech — J Bosingwa (sub: B Ivanovic, 86), R Carvalho, J Terry, A Cole — J O Mikel — J Cole (sub: J Belletti, 54), Deco (sub: S Kalou, 78), F Lampard, F Malouda — N Anelka. Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, Alex, W Bridge, F Di Santo. Booked: J Cole.
Referee: A Marriner.
Battle of the big Phils
Phil Brown
Born: South Shields.Age: 49.Clubs played for: 4, including Hartlepool United and Bolton Wanderers.Teams managed: 3, Bolton (caretaker), Derby County and Hull City.Contract: Signed new three-year deal in August.Salary: About £1.5 million a year.
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Born: Passo Fundo, Brazil.Age: 59.Clubs played for: 4, including Caxias and Juventude.Teams managed: 16, including Kuwait, Brazil and Portugal.Contract: Agreed four-year deal in June.Salary: £5.5 million a year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Telegraph:
Chelsea assert their dominance over high-flying Hull CityHull City (0) 0 Chelsea (1) 3 By Oliver Brown
Andrew Marvell, late of this parish, played his part in bringing Hull to the attention of a London elite – after all, he represented the place to Parliament during the Restoration. And a where metaphysical poet led, a collection of supremely physical footballers have also dared to tread, with Hull City cutting a swathe across a succession of the capital’s clubs before Chelsea revived a semblance of London pride.
Chelsea had been right to cross the Humber with trepidation but they returned with a reminder of their dominance. Three goals, three points, and at a stroke the pain of ceding an advantage to Liverpool in the title race was erased.
The gap at the top of the Premier League has closed to a single point and perhaps the old order of the game has not been recast in the many would like to think. The last time Hull had hosted Chelsea in the league, 20 years ago, they won 3-0; their recent exploits had suggested a repeat was not inconceivable, instead the KC Stadium was silenced as the scoreline was reversed. Phil Brown and his team had endured an early day of reckoning.
But Hull reckoned without the vision of Lampard, who, in a moment of breathtaking audacity, derailed their best-laid plans within two minutes. The strength of the midfielder’s shots is well-documented, yet the goal he contrived here was altogether cuter: rushing to intercept Paul McShane’s half-hearted clearance from Florent Malouda, he set himself for a chip with his left foot and watched the ball sail beyond goalkeeper goalkeeper Boaz Myhill with perfect flight and swerve.
The execution was elegant, but one worried what Lampard might do if he scored another. This was, after all, his 99th league goal and perhaps he had prepared one of his ostentatious T-shirt tributes to the Chelsea fans – the memory of “100 goals and they are all for you,” unveiled when he reached the century mark for Chelsea against Huddersfield in the FA Cup last season, has lingered long.
Lampard, though, was only delivering a statement through the quality of his play and he again ruffled Myhill with a lethal free-kick. But Hull have not achieved their early-season parity with Chelsea for nothing; indeed, the 20 points they had taken from their first nine games matched the start Manchester United made last year en route to winning the title, and Daniel Cousin began to betray some of the attacking verve that brought them there.
The striker’s low effort from 20 yards took a slight deflection and left Petr Cech well beaten, only to bounce back from the post, before Geovanni – the free-scoring, free-wheeling Brazilian who only needs to cross the halfway line to hear the supporters’ cries of “shoot” – unleashed a long-range free-kick that bobbled awkwardly in front of Cech.
But Chelsea’s resilience under Luiz Felipe Scolari is formidable and there was scant surprise when they doubled their lead in the 50th minute, Nicolas Anelka moving in to punish nerves in the home defence. The centre-half duo of Michael Turner and Kamil Zayatte, so instrumental in Hull’s success, lapsed as they let a ball bounce between them while the Frenchman beat Myhill to the ball, steering it goalwards with ease.
Malouda, with 15 minutes left, stabbed home Carvalho’s cross to quell any remaining resistance. Chelsea had dealt Hull a humbling, a reassertion of metropolitan might.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Independent:
Lampard brings Hull back down to earth
Hull City 0 Chelsea 3
By Jon Culley
This was the match in which Hull's dream start might have stretched the limits of imagination again with a scalp maybe to eclipse even that of Arsenal at the Emirates but Chelsea were in no mood to be part of anyone's fantasies, even those of a record Premier League crowd of almost 25,000 at the KC Stadium.
Goals by Frank Lampard, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda gave Luiz Felipe Scolari's side an emphatic victory but had the scoreline been double or more in Chelsea's favour they would not have been flattered. Phil Brown's team deserve all the respect they have gathered so far in winning six of their opening 10 matches – as many as Chelsea at the game's start – but for all that Hull remain fifth in the table, the gulf between these sides last night was as wide as the Humber.
Their finishing apart, Chelsea played with a quality befitting of their status, with Lampard supreme at the heart of it, drawing superlative praise from Scolari afterwards, both for the speed of thought behind his goal and for the dynamism of his play throughout. "He is the best goalscoring midfield player in Europe, one of the best in the world, and I don't think there is another player who could score a goal like that," Scolari said. "He is so intelligent a player and he seems to be never tired. If he is a contender for world player of the year he gets my vote."
The goal that so excited his manager came less than three minutes into the game. There were mistakes made by the home side but it was Lampard's ability, in a split second, to weigh up an opportunity, make a decision and execute it flawlessly that made the goal, the England player's 99th in his league career, so special.
If there was an obvious culprit it was Boaz Myhill, the Hull goalkeeper, who was just too far ahead of his line to be ready for what was coming.
But then Hull, in general, seemed unprepared for their lines to be pressed so soon by swarming blue shirts and when right-back Paul McShane tackled Malouda but could not get the ball away, it was a good bet that it would run to an opponent. Lampard, ready for a return pass at the edge of the penalty area, assessed the possibilities in an instant and delivered the perfect chip beyond Myhill's reach.
It could have been the cue for the ruthless restating of intent that Chelsea wanted after the shock of losing their long unbeaten home run at Liverpool's hands at the weekend. By half-time, however, two good chances each had fallen to Malouda and Anelka and another to the returning Joe Cole, but none was taken.
Myhill redeemed himself with a fine fingertip save from one Anelka shot but Chelsea were not being decisive enough to make Hull pay.
So Hull reached the break with a chance still that they might find some way in the second 45 minutes to add another thrilling episode to their story, encouraged moreover by creating some opportunities of their own, notably when Daniel Cousin hit an upright with the fluorescently clad Petr Cech beaten, and when Geovanni had the Chelsea goalkeeper scrambling to deal with two long-range free kicks.
But to find a way back though, Hull needed first to make no further mistakes and it was in pursuit of that target that they failed miserably five minutes after the restart as Chelsea at last seized control, courtesy of a genuine gift goal. This time blame attached itself to McShane and centre-back Kamil Zayatte, who stood back in the belief that a hopeful punt out of the Chelsea half would carry through to Hull's goalkeeper only to look on in horror as it pulled up short, allowing Anelka to nip in as Myhill stumbled into the "D" and take the ball wide before rolling it into the unguarded net.
Malouda missed another chance but did score Chelsea's third 15 minutes from the end, sidefooting home from close range after Ricardo Carvalho, popping up on the left flank, supplied the pass to finish another Chelsea move of crisp passing and clever improvisation.
Only an injury late on to Carvalho, and more worries over Joe Cole, marred Chelsea's night.
Goals: Lampard (3) 0-1; Anelka (50) 0-2; Malouda (75) 0-3.
Hull City (4-1-3-2): Myhill; McShane, Turner, Zayatte, Dawson; Marney (Garcia, 71); Geovanni, Ashbee, Boateng (Halmosi, 62); King (Windass, 83), Cousin. Substitutes not used: Duke (gk), Hughes, Mendy, Ricketts.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa (Ivanovic, 86), Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Mikel; J Cole (Belletti, 53), Lampard, Malouda; Deco (Kalou, 78); Anelka. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Di Santo, Bridge, Alex.
Referee: A Marriner (West Midlands).
Booked: Chelsea J Cole; Deco.
Man of the match: Lampard.
Attendance: 24,906.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Guardian:
Lampard gets Chelsea back in the old routine to put Tigers in their place
Hull City 0 Chelsea 3 Lampard 3, Anelka 50, Malouda 75
Louise Taylor at the KC Stadium
The established order was restored in East Yorkshire last night but only after Hull City had given their wealthy guests an exacting work-out that is well disguised by the scoreline. These teams had started the night level on 20 points in the Champions League zone and, though Chelsea's class ultimately told as Luiz Felipe Scolari's side revived their title challenge, it was initially easy to see how Hull had claimed so many sizeable scalps of late.
Though their six-game unbeaten streak - a run featuring five wins - was always destined to end after Frank Lampard had struck with a third-minute chip to claim what Scolari described as "one of the best goals I've seen in the world," Phil Brown's side showed they have class, too.
Despite last weekend's unscheduled reverse at home to Liverpool, few would question Chelsea's quality and Scolari enthused: "Our reaction to Sunday was very good," before launching into an ode to a man whose current form is deservedly winning plaudits.
"My vote is for Frank as world player of the year," said the Brazilian, whose evening was marred only by a hamstring injury sustained by Ricardo Carvalho which could sideline the centre-half for two to three weeks. "Frank's a very intelligent player who scored a goal that maybe only he could. But he also played very well, he's the man that's never tired."
In truth if certain players had claimed that opener cynics might have questioned if they meant it. Lampard, though, knew precisely what he was doing when the ball rolled towards his left foot after Paul McShane dispossesed Florent Malouda but saw his clearance fall to a most dangerous enemy.
Spotting an opening others might have been blind to, the England midfielder had the instinct and audacity to use his first touch to chip the ball, sublimely and left- footed, sending it arcing over Brown's defence. Stunned, Boaz Myhill was caught cold and remained rooted to the spot as it dropped just inside the far post.
It was the 99th league goal by a player who can do little wrong and served as a reminder that Hull might be mortal after all. That said, Brown's side could have equalised when, spying a gap between Jose Boswinga and Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Turner threatened with a thumping header, only fractionally off target.
"Turner for England," chorused the KC in homage to their centre-half, one of the success stories of the Premier League season so far whose performances have been one of the main reasons why it was the first time in four games Myhill found himself picking the ball out of his net.
Unfortunately this was not to prove Turner's best night or even Geovanni's. Floating just behind the front two, the latter is Hull's principal creative catalyst and a player well known to Scolari, who coached him at Cruzeiro.
Chelsea's manager had doubtless told his charges all about his compatriot's dead- ball ability and Petr Cech was required to make a decent save from one of Geovanni's whipped free-kicks. Shortly afterwards Daniel Cousin came even closer to scoring when his shot from distance rebounded tantalisingly off the base of a post.
Hull's relentless quest for an equaliser was aided by a similar determination on the part of Chelsea's Boswinga and Asley Cole to overlap at every opportunity. Although Mikel John Obi frequently dropped back into what at times was effectively a back three, this penchant offered the Tigers inviting space to exploit.
The line between being commendably positive and slightly gung-ho is fine, though, and Hull were nearly caught out by a Chelsea counter-attack featuring a glorious Joe Cole pass and a ferocious drive from Nicolas Anelka which was destined for the top corner until Myhill performed heroics to tip it over.
Hull, clearly on a collective adrenaline high, worked hard to close Chelsea down but trying to second-guess Lampard and company over 90 minutes can run down the concentration reserves of even the most willing opponents.
So it proved when Boswinga swung in an innocuous cross and the hitherto reliable Turner and Kamil Zayatte went into an 'after-you' routine, letting the ball bounce embarrassingly between them and leaving Myhill to deal with it.
Anelka may not score as many goals as a striker of his consummate talents really should but he had no hesitation about pouncing on this gilt-edged opportunity. As Myhill advanced, the Frenchman teased the hapless keeper, dragging the ball round him before stroking it into the bottom corner.
Malouda, a midfielder renascent under Scolari's management, lent a flattering air to the scoreline when, arguably offside, he stretched out a boot and diverted Carvalho's cross beyond Myhill. "We caused them plenty of problems in the first half but we didn't bring our best game to the table," lamented Brown, whose spirited side will surely bounce back from this. "Chelsea are very good, though."
How they comparePrice of average terrace house
Hull: £88,215
Chelsea: £2,033,000
Main span of landmark bridge
Hull: 1410m
Chelsea: 107m
Nightlife
Hull: The cheap and cheerful Spiders is popular, thanks to its alternative music and relaxed attitude, and does a roaring trade in "parntsa larga"
Chelsea: Princes William and Harry have enjoyed many a night in London's most exclusive club, Boujis. Tipple of choice is the vodka chocolate martini
Rugby league clubs in borough
Hull: 2
Chelsea: 0
Celebrity Spotting
Hull: Daniel Bryan came third in Big Brother 2004. Pop groups Everything But the Girl and The Housemartins were founded there. Philip Larkin lived in the city, as does Norman Collier, master of the faulty microphone gag and chicken impersonator nonpareil
Chelsea: The Rolling Stones, Margaret Thatcher, Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury and Oscar Wilde all called Chelsea home. Artists and prime ministers have made way for a who's who of the haves and have yachts
Most expensive signing
Hull: Anthony Gardner £2.5m
Chelsea: Andriy Shevchenko £30m
League position October 30 1998
Hull: Twenty-fourth in Division Three: 92nd overall
Chelsea: Sixth in Premier League: Sixth overall (out of 92)
Pre-match banter
Hull: "Summatup wi' yer peas, pal? Stop mernin'. Tha'll get nowt else from us tonight"
Chelsea: "Delicious fish and chips but the guacamole was ghastly"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mail:
Hull 0 Chelsea 3: Lampard chips in as the Blues tough it out
By NEIL ASHTONWith Chelsea boasting five nominees for the world player of the year, Frank Lampard celebrated with an effort worthy of the award itself.Cristiano Ronaldo will eventually be crowned king, but perhaps this is the year when Lampard's fellow professionals vote the midfielder PFA player of the year for the first time in his exceptional career.
Chelsea were brisk and business-like, with Lampard the brainchild behind this systematic demolition of Phil Brown's ambitious team. Lampard's drifted effort, clipped off the laces of his left boot after just three minutes, was exhilarating as well as exquisite, stunning in its execution and a statement of intent from a team beaten at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 86 attempts last weekend.They were hurting, stung by the way Xabi Alonso's deflected effort for Liverpool knocked them off their perch at the top of the Barclays Premier League. What a response. Lampard is 99 league goals not out, scored during spells with Swansea (on loan), West Ham and Chelsea. The century could well be secured against Sunderland on Saturday.Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari said: 'It is the best goal I have seen in my football career. Only Lampard could score that goal. He is an intelligent player. Every game you know how he will play. He is never tired. 'I don't see any player as good as Frank. It is fantastic for a coach to have a player like him. My vote for world player is for Frank.'Scolari has warmed to Lampard, but the team scored two more, when Nicolas Anelka pounced on a defensive mistake in the 50th minute and then a third, ultimately dispatched with embarrassing ease by the outstretched leg of Florent Malouda.
This was a different Chelsea, relying on resilience and some of the more praiseworthy habits this team picked up under Jose Mourinho to match Hull for commitment and courage.They returned to London with casualties, notably Ricardo Carvalho after he left the field with a thigh strain after a gritty battle with Marlon King and Daniel Cousin. Scolari's side set about them, getting in their faces and preparing for hand-to-hand combat against a team with top order ambitions of their own.
They were ruthless. It had to be that way, especially whenever Cousin or Geovanni were involved. Cousin's shot beat Petr Cech for pace, rebounding off the base of the post and then Geovanni teed up a free kick from 35 yards that forced Cech to fist the ball away for a corner.
It was cup-tie stuff, back to the good, old days when Lampard and Terry would tear off their shirts at the final whistle and thump their chests in front of the travelling supporters. They were prepared for the onslaught, with Hull piling bodies forward in search of an equaliser. Cavalier perhaps, but captivating all the same.'There was a gulf at times,' admitted Tigers boss Phil Brown. 'It might look like a drubbing, but we have two days now to prepare for Old Trafford and I have told the lads that if anyone doesn't think we can get anything there they should not bother coming in.'Great stuff from the Hull manager, clearly irritable after the team's first defeat since August. Chelsea came prepared, with lessons learned from last Sunday's defeat against Liverpool. Perhaps they needed some steel, a spine to complement the unquestionable skill that is found in every area of this super-strength team.
They finished them off when Anelka took advantage of an uncharacteristic mistake between Michael Turner and Kamil Zayatte, Hull's central defensive pairing, to score a second in the 50th minute.They hesitated, allowing Anelka to dispossess Boaz Myhill on the edge of the area to make certain of all three points for Chelsea when he clipped the ball into an empty net. 'The second goal was Myhill's mistake,' added Brown. 'He has made his apologies in the dressing room, but that is too late for me.'Brown wants qualification for Europe in their first season and a top eight finish to underline his burgeoning reputation. Instead, they fell apart after Anelka's strike. Hull encouraged Chelsea to attack, allowing Carvalho to play a neat pass down the left, sending a curved ball into the path of Malouda and the Chelsea winger scored from close range.
A classy finish. Just not world class.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sun:
From ANTONY KASTRINAKIS at KC Stadium CLASS wins titles and Frank Lampard has it in abundance.
The way the England ace set up Chelsea’s triumph last night took your breath away.
Lampard’s third-minute opener was straight out of the Samba stylebook — and one that left his Brazilian boss Big Phil Scolari hailing him as the world’s best player.
Picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box, Lamps mesmerised Bo Myhill with a left-foot chip that nestled in at the far post.
It capped a great night for the Blues midfielder, who was named as one of the contenders for world player of the year along with team-mates John Terry, Deco, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba.
Lampard, 30, who was runner-up for the prestigious gong in 2005, showed last night why he is still one of the world’s finest.
Scolari said: “My vote for World Player of the Year is for Frank. Only he could score that goal.
“It’s one of the best goals I’ve seen. There’s only one player with this quality to score that goal.
“To have that intelligence to see the goalkeeper and to finish like that, I think it’s one of the best I’ve seen in my football career.
“He’s an intelligent player. I don’t see any player the same as Frank — it’s a fantastic for a coach to have a player like him.”
Yet Lamps — and Chelsea — have another vital ingredient for success. Character. Just three days after their devastating loss to Liverpool they showed plenty of that, too.
High-flying Hull were meant to be no pushovers and gave Chelsea a run for their money for 50 minutes.
It was then that keeper Myhill’s clanger ended the contest. For some reason, he tried to head the ball ahead of Kamil Zayatte but completely missed it allowing Nicolas Anelka to steal in and score.
The Tigers were finally tamed and it was no surprise when Florent Malouda put the gloss on an emphatic display 15 minutes from time, tapping home Ricardo Carvalho’s square ball.
Scolari said: “After the defeat against Liverpool we had a good response. Now we have to try to put great pressure on other clubs.
“I like Hull, they’re difficult to beat. But after we scored in the third minute it was difficult for them.”
Yet Hull have plenty of reasons to smile. Just 12 months ago there was a huge gulf between them and Chelsea — Hull were 18th in the Championship while the Blues were second in the top flight.
Chelsea had also mauled them 4-0 in the Carling Cup. This time round, Hull kicked off level on points with their illustrious rivals — and gave as good as they got until Myhill’s clanger.
Phil Brown’s side are riding on the crest of a wave and Chelsea arrived a wounded animal after losing their 86-game unbeaten home league record to Rafa Benitez’s men.
Tigers boss Brown said: “There was a gulf at times, 3-0 might look like a drubbing but if we’d minimised the mistakes and maximised the performance it might have been different.
“We needed to bring our best games to the table and cut out mistakes and we didn’t do that.”
Lampard’s brilliant strike was the first goal Hull had conceded in five hours and 12 minutes. And they tried to react when Michael Turner headed Andy Dawson’s corner just over.
Joe Cole could have made it two on 12 minutes but volleyed straight at Myhill then Lamps had a try from 40 yards with a free-kick but it fizzed wide.
The Tigers showed their teeth though. Striker Daniel Cousin should have put them level after 22 minutes when he turned Terry and struck Petr Cech’s upright.
Brazilian hotshot Geovanni then had a blast from fully 45 yards that Cech pushed away for a corner.
But five minutes after the restart Myhill’s howler allowed Anelka to score into an empty net, putting Chelsea firmly in command.
Brown added: “Bo’s made his apologies in the dressing room but apologies are too late for me.
“We’ve got two days now to prepare for going to Old Trafford and I’ve told the lads that if they think we can’t get anything there they shouldn’t bother coming in.”
Chelsea’s injury woes struck again, though, with Scolari set to miss Carvalho for three weeks with what seemed a hamstring problem.
And Joe Cole, just back from a three-week lay-off with an ankle problem, limped off early in the second half as he felt a twinge.
Scolari added: “I don’t know the situation with Ricardo but it could be a minimum of three weeks. Joe maybe felt something with his ankle.”
The last word should be about Lamps and no-one put it better than Brown who said: “He’s a bloody good player isn’t he! End of story.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Mirror:
Hull City 0-3 Chelsea Chelsea put high-flying Hull in their place to get back to winning ways in the Barclays Premier League tonight.
Hull had gone into the game at the KC Stadium trailing the Blues only on goal difference but a stunning strike from Frank Lampard after just two minutes established superiority.
The Tigers hit the post through Daniel Cousin but Nicolas Anelka pounced on a mistake and Florent Malouda struck from close range to settle the contest.
It was the perfect response from Chelsea after suffering a first defeat of the season at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday.
Hull, who had won their previous four games, battled hard but in the end were well beaten by a Chelsea side whose extra class was evident.
Home boss Phil Brown had named the same side for the fifth game in succession but their soaring confidence ultimately counted for little has Chelsea handed them a reality check.
Chelsea, lifted by the return of Joe Cole, were soon into their stride as Lampard gave them an early lead with a delicate left-footed chip which oozed class.
The England midfielder displayed perfect technique to clip over the stranded Boaz Myhill after Paul McShane had dispossessed Florent Malouda but failed to clear.
It was his 99th career league goal and lifted the Blues after the shock of the Liverpool loss.
Hull, after conceding for the first time in four games, tried to respond through Geovanni but the Brazilian was denied a free-kick after running into Ricardo Carvalho.
Lampard tried his luck again with a shot from a free-kick 30 yards out but could not find the target.
Marlon King looked to have Hull's first real chance but was flagged offside as he shot at Petr Cech.
Yet the hosts were inches away from an equaliser after 22 minutes as Cousin's low shot from 20 yards took a slight deflection and beat Cech, only to bounce back off the post.
Geovanni also tested Cech with a long-range free-kick but the Chelsea goalkeeper beat the ball away after it bounced awkwardly in front of him.
Hull were then forced to sit back for a spell and survived a scare as Malouda found room to shoot but fired over.
Anelka went even closer with a ferocious drive just before the break but Myhill did brilliantly to tip over.
Cech was also in action again, keeping out another Geovanni free-kick and a King header.
Chelsea doubled their lead in the 50th minute as Anelka capitalised on uncertainty in the home defence.
Michael Turner and Kamil Zayatte, so impressive in recent weeks, switched off as they allowed a ball to bounce between them.
Myhill came forward to gather but was caught in two minds as he reached the edge of the area and Anelka nipped past him to turn the ball home.
Malouda should have added a third moments later but blasted over.
The Frenchman, however, made up for his earlier misses as he reacted first to stab home a Carvalho cross from close range after 75 minutes.
There was no way back for Hull but Brown gave the home fans something to cheer when he introduced local hero Dean Windass for only the second time this season late on.
Another Hull substitute, Richard Garcia, headed a late chance wide from a corner but there was to be no consolation. Nevertheless, the Tigers have still enjoyed a fine introduction to the top flight.
Their initiation will continue on Saturday when they travel to Manchester United.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Express:
TIGERS BROUGHT BACK DOWN TO EARTH
Chelsea put high-flying Hull in their place to get back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 triumph.
Hull had gone into the game at the KC Stadium trailing the Blues only on goal difference but a stunning strike from Frank Lampard after just two minutes established superiority.
The Tigers hit the post through Daniel Cousin but Nicolas Anelka pounced on a mistake and Florent Malouda struck from close range to settle the contest.
It was the perfect response from Chelsea after suffering a first defeat of the season at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday.
Hull, who had won their previous four games, battled hard but in the end were well beaten by a Chelsea side whose extra class was evident.
Chelsea, lifted by the return of Joe Cole, were soon into their stride as Lampard gave them an early lead with a delicate left-footed chip which oozed class.
The England midfielder displayed perfect technique to clip over the stranded Boaz Myhill after Paul McShane had dispossessed Malouda but failed to clear.
The hosts were inches away from an equaliser after 22 minutes as Cousin's low shot from 20 yards took a slight deflection and beat Petr Cech, only to bounce back off the post.
Chelsea doubled their lead in the 50th minute as Anelka capitalised on uncertainty in the home defence to nip past Micheal Turner and Kamil Zayatte and turn the ball home past Myhill.
And Malouda made up for some earlier misses as he reacted first to stab home a Carvalho cross from close range after 75 minutes.
------------------------------------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment