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The Times
Didier Drogba has calming touch for edgy ChelseaChelsea 1 Juventus 0
Oliver Kay
The two men on the touchline barely exchanged a glance, two men bound by nothing more than a common mistress. It always seems to end in tears for a manager who engages with Roman Abramovich, but Guus Hiddink is quickly building the impression of a man who can control and perhaps ultimately tame the Chelsea beast, having insisted that their short-term relationship will be on his own terms.
Claudio Ranieri, who now seems like a distant predecessor, will have other ideas, feeling that Juventus can overturn a slender deficit when his former club travel to Turin for the second leg of the Champions League first knockout round tie on March 10. But for now, after victories by a single goal in his first two games in charge, Chelsea under Hiddink no longer seem like the soft touch they were becoming.
These are still early days and their lead over Juventus, courtesy of Didier Drogba’s twelfth-minute goal, is fragile, but if Hiddink’s brief is simply to stabilise Chelsea and to make them competitive between now and May, the progress over the past fortnight is encouraging.
The quality of Chelsea’s performance should not be overstated — they peaked in the first 20 minutes and had badly run out of steam by the end, looking susceptible to what would have been a damaging away goal — but Hiddink has already done the difficult part, injecting some vigour and self-belief into a squad who looked crestfallen in the dark final weeks of the ill-fated Luiz Felipe Scolari regime.
Petr Cech looks assured once more, John Terry and Frank Lampard are leading by example and, most encouragingly of all, Drogba looks like a centre forward who wants to play football, having spent too long feeling sorry for himself since José Mourinho left Stamford Bridge in September 2007.
It will take something a little more sustained before Drogba can start proclaiming that he is back to the form of the 2006-07 campaign, when at times he was unplayable, but this was much more like it. From the very start he was up for it and, having done the hard work for Nicolas Anelka at Villa Park on Saturday, this time he was quick to claim his reward, running on to a delightful reverse pass from Salomon Kalou, moving in for the kill and bouncing a shot past Gianluigi Buffon to spark heady celebrations among his team-mates, Michael Ballack being the first to join him.
For the next ten minutes or so, it seemed that this could be a special night at Stamford Bridge, with the feel-good factor of Hiddink’s nascent reign blowing away the sense of nostalgia that accompanied Ranieri’s return.
Chelsea performed impressively in the opening quarter of the game, with Drogba unfortunate not to score a second goal when he sent a header wide from Lampard’s inswinging corner, but Juventus, showing far more spirit and a little more quality than either Roma or Inter Milan produced in the Anglo-Italian encounters on Tuesday, slowly established some kind of foothold. Tiago, another Chelsea old boy, and Mohamed Sissoko, once of Liverpool, were doing their best to assert themselves against the home team’s midfield trio of Ballack, Lampard and John Obi Mikel.
Midway through the first half, Tiago, an underrated member of Mourinho’s first title-winning Chelsea squad in 2005, slipped a clever pass behind the home defence to set up Alessandro Del Piero, but the striker’s shot was well saved by Cech, diving to his right.
Juventus were not out of it by any means, but at that stage they had the look of a well-organised side in the top eight of the Barclays Premier League rather than a team befitting one of the proudest clubs in Europe. That much was reflected by some of the names in their squad — Olof Mellberg at right back, Sissoko and Tiago in midfield and Alex Manninger, the former Arsenal goalkeeper, on the substitutes’ bench, all of them rejected or passed over by some of English football’s elite.
A rasping shot by Anelka apart, the second half belonged — or at least should have belonged — to Juventus, who came back into the game around the hour mark. Despite losing Mauro Camoranesi and Tiago to thigh and facial injuries respectively, Ranieri’s team surged forward in search of the away goal they craved, Marco Marchionni, a substitute, sending a shot just over the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area.
With Ballack, Kalou and others tiring, Chelsea began to retreat, but while this was a problem in a collective sense, it was encouraging in the case of Drogba, who could be seen filling in on the left wing and even, on one notable occasion, in a deep midfield role when his team-mates were caught out of position in the closing stages.
Hiddink surveyed his options on the substitutes’ bench. They were not appealing, which is one reason why Scolari was often so reluctant to stray beyond plan A. But the Dutchman sent on Florent Malouda in place of Kalou on the right wing and then Michael Mancienne, the England Under-21 defender, to great acclaim in an unfamiliar midfield role in place of Ballack.
It was all hands to the pump in the closing stages and while it did not make for pretty or in any way convincing football, it was pleasing to see Chelsea performing as a team again, battling through potential adversity, with Drogba as eager as anyone to put in a shift.
Stoppage time was tense, with Pavel Nedved cutting inside and sending a fierce shot just wide of Cech’s left-hand post from 25 yards. Ranieri felt that Juventus had merited the away goal that would have changed the complexion of the tie, but Chelsea just about held firm against the nerves that were setting in.
At the end, finally, there was a smile, a handshake and a slap on the back for Hiddink from the Juventus coach, but Ranieri will cling to the hope that his ultimate revenge over Chelsea and Abramovich, that ruthless, unforgiving mistress, is still to come.
Chelsea (4-3-3): P Cech — J Bosingwa, Alex, J Terry, A Cole — M Ballack (sub: M Mancienne, 81min), J O Mikel, F Lampard — S Kalou (sub: F Malouda, 72), D Drogba, N Anelka. Substitutes not used: Hilário, B Ivanovic, P Ferreira, M Stoch, F Di Santo. Booked: Ballack.
Juventus (4-4-2): G Buffon — O Mellberg, N Legrottaglie, G Chiellini, C Molinaro — M Camoranesi (sub: M Marchionni, 52), M Sissoko (sub: D Trezeguet, 86), Tiago (sub: C Marchisio, 62), P Nedved — A Del Piero, Amauri. Substitutes not used: A Manninger, Z Grygera, C Poulsen, V Iaquinta. Booked: Molinaro, Sissoko, Marchisio.
Referee: O Benquerença (Portugal).
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Telegraph :
Didier Drogba repays Guus Hiddink's faithChelsea (1) 1 Juventus (0) 0 By Henry Winter at Stamford Bridge
Didier Drogba has gone from training with the kids to frightening the living daylights out of the Old Lady of Juventus, from being frozen out under Luiz Felipe Scolari to giving the returning Claudio Ranieri the heat treatment.
Drogba scored one, but deserved more for his marauding attacking, particularly in the first half largely dominated by Chelsea. Juventus raised their game after the break, and Ranieri's team may believe they can over-turn Chelsea's slender advantage before their passionate support in a fortnight, but there is a resilience to this team reinvigorated by Guus Hiddink.
The Dutchman's arrival has lifted Drogba in particular, and the Ivory Coast international was terrific here, although Nicolas Anelka was slightly subdued in his left-wing role of Hiddink's attacking trident.
Hiddink had wanted good movement from his front three, for Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou to lose their markers, smashing holes in Juventus' defence. If Anelka occasionally looked frustrated on the left, Drogba was in his element through the middle. Clearly in the mood, Drogba could have had a hat-trick in the first 15 minutes, rather than his one expertly-taken finish.
Here was the striker who had been such a barnstorming presence in Chelsea's title sides, who had drawn admiring glances from Europe's leading clubs until losing fitness, form and particularly focus. Rejuvenated by Luiz Felipe Scolari's departure, Drogba exuded heavyweight class against Juventus' middleweight defence.
Chelsea's No 11 began setting his sights early, meeting Jose Bosingwa's cross with a powerful header that flashed wide. He then appealed for a penalty after a gentle push from Cristian Molinaro. Reward for his persistence arrived after 12 minutes, Drogba capping a quickfire attack that tore Juventus to little golden ribbons.
The goal came out of Africa, out of the Ivory Coast to be exact. Kalou made it, moving in from his right-station to collect possession in the centre. Turning cleverly, Kalou delivered a superb reverse-pass through the middle, releasing his compatriot.
These are the situations Drogba loves, the ball slightly in front of him and the keeper left exposed. Drogba's left foot controlled the ball, and his right did the rest, drilling it low past Gianluigi Buffon. It takes something to beat Italy's No 1, a keeper who is considered the main challenger to Spain's Iker Casillas as the world's best, but Drogba managed it with ease.
As Roma and Inter Milan discovered this week, Juventus struggled against the pace of Premier League opponents. Serie A resembles a chess game compared to the ice hockey of English football. David Beckham certainly picked the right European league to return to.
Some of the visitors had the energy levels to live with Chelsea. Amauri ran hard in attack, supporting Alessandro del Piero. Hiddink's team had known they would not have it all their own way in midfield when little Mauro Camoranesi began flying into challenges, flattening Ashley Cole and Michael Ballack in quick succession. With a short pony-tail straight out of St Trinian's, Camoranesi needed only a lacrosse stick to complete a bloodthirsty image.
The Italian international can play as well, making a few busy runs, and soon receiving the compliment of a robust challenge from Frank Lampard which left him smeared across the grass, rubbing his bruised back and hamstring. Camoranesi dragged his battered body back into the fray, although he was to last only a few minutes of the second period.
Inspired by their right-winger and their boisterous supporters, Juventus responded brightly before the interval, finishing the half strongly. A flick from Tiago, a midfielder who should know his way around Chelsea's pitch, found Del Piero, who chugged forward and unleashed a shot that Petr Cech pushed wide. Del Piero, the darling of Juventus, ended the half with a free-kick into Chelsea's wall after Drogba, tracking back over-enthusiastically, had handled.
Some full-force tackles kept going in, and when Alex and Giorgio Chiellini contested a loose ball fiercely enough to burst it, a rare occurrence and not a great moment for the manufacturers. Drogba kept charging around, looking like he was ready to rupture Juventus' defence again. Lampard also went close, testing Buffon with a shot after Michael Ballack had done well to work the ball to the England midfielder. Ballack was certainly not holding back in the tackle, taking out Pavel Nedved.
Chelsea craved a second goal, so Hiddink switched his strikers around, moving Anelka over to the right, removing Kalou and inserting Florent Malouda on the left. Chelsea were still defending stoutly, Nedved bouncing off the rock-like John Obi Mikel and then Alex swatting away Amauri.
As Juventus pushed on in pursuit of an away goal, a wave of anxiety swept through Chelsea fans who responded by raising the volume, seeking to lift their players. Juventus' players sensed an opportunity, and Molinaro asked permission from Ranieri to push up from his left-back berth but his coach waved hi back.
Chelsea reacted, Bosingwa raiding down the right, eluding Molinaro and bringing a block from Chiellini. Hiddink again rang the changes, introducing Michael Mancienne into central midfield, bringing the youngster his European debut.
With seven minutes left, the blue hordes screamed for a penalty when Chiellini appeared to use an arm to knock Drogba off the ball as they ran into the box, stride for stride.
Deep into stoppage time, Juventus almost equalised when Nedved rolled back the years, accelerating forward, flaxen locks flowing behind him and meeting the ball firmly. His shot squirted just wide, bringing sighs of relief around the Bridge and cheers when the final whistle blew moments later.
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Independent:
Drogba strikes but limp Chelsea fail to convince
Chelsea 1 Juventus 0
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent
When it falls to Didier Drogba to make the difference for Chelsea in the Champions League, you can tell that not much has changed in Guus Hiddink's brave new world at Stamford Bridge. Still Chelsea await their transformation at the hands of their Dutch coach and, in the meantime, the job of winning the big matches falls to the moody striker with the suspect attitude.
Drogba scored the first-half goal last night that meant Chelsea go to Turin for the second leg on 10 March with an advantage, although it was far more slender than the one they might have hoped for having dominated the beginning of the game. While, in years past, Chelsea might have been expected to flatten a vulnerable opponent, now they seem to drift aimlessly for long periods unable to focus on what once made them such an implacable opponent in Europe.
At the end of the match, as he walked across the pitch in an empty stadium, Roman Abramovich's entourage was swelled by two new celebrity friends: Bono and the Edge off-duty from U2 and finally hanging out with someone who has more money than them. Abramovich might have acquired a new manager but as far as a Chelsea team that might win the Champions League, the Russian – as Bono himself would no doubt say – still hasn't found what he is looking for.
In the first 15 minutes Chelsea threatened to do some serious damage to the reputation of a once-great European club. Juventus, with their mixture of Premier League rejects and golden-oldies, should have been easy pickings for a Chelsea team that once thrived on muscular performances at home and a relentless bombardment of their opposition. Yet by the end of the game Chelsea were hanging on and the best player on the pitch was a 36-year-old – that's older than Ryan Giggs.
Pavel Nedved was the driving force in getting Juventus to the 2003 Champions League final although he had to sit out the game itself, a match played at Old Trafford at which – according to the official Abramovich history – the Russian oligarch fell in love with football. In 2003, Nedved, then the European footballer of the year, was exactly the kind of player Abramovich would have tried to buy. After last night he might try again.
Having established their lead early on Chelsea could not build on it. In midfield the pairing of Tiago Mendes and Momo Sissoko – never more than short-term solutions when they played at Chelsea and Liverpool – held their own against Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard. Nicolas Anelka found himself switched from the left to the right. Whatever winning formula Hiddink is edging towards it will have to be better than this.
Considering Abramovich has invested £679.6m in Chelsea over six years he should have a squad much stronger than that of Juventus who, during the chaos of their Moggi-gate scandal demotion to Serie B, have barely been able to renew their ageing players. The likes of Alessandro Del Piero (34 years old), Mauro Camoranesi (32), Nedved (36) and Nicola Legrottaglie (32) are still integral. At 31, Olof Mellberg and Gianluigi Buffon are relative youngsters. Yet Juventus gave Chelsea a run for their money.
Claudio Ranieri was given a much warmer reception when he was introduced to the Chelsea crowd than Hiddink and the Italian manager will take some credit for his team's second half performance. Juventus were better organised than the Chelsea side he managed in his last Champions League game at this club in that infamous semi-final against Monaco.
Drogba had already headed one chance wide when he scored on 12 minutes. His goal, only his fourth this season, was beautifully worked by Salomon Kalou. Ballack won the ball out on the right and Kalou, 30 yards from goal, played an instinctive ball through the Juventus' back four. It was an ideal pass for Lampard or Drogba and the England man, in a rare show of generosity in front of goal, allowed Drogba to take it on and score.
From that point on it looked like it should be simple for Chelsea but they could not keep up the fluency of their game. While Manchester United continued attacking Internazionale right up until the final whistle on Tuesday, never allowing the opposition off the hook, Chelsea failed to get a grip. John Obi Mikel allowed Del Piero to run off him and force a save out of Petr Cech. Camoranesi missed a chance at the back post. As Ballack, Kalou and Anelka drifted out of the game in the second half it was hard not to return to Luiz Felipe Scolari's theory that Chelsea desperately lack someone exciting. A player, like Arjen Robben and Damien Duff, who were once capable of injecting something unpredictable and magical into a game. Kalou was the only recognised winger in the first XI and when Florent Malouda came on he seemed unwilling to take on the full-back which rather defeats the object for a man in his position.
Seizing the reprieve, Juventus came back into the game. Cech flapped after a cross that he could not grasp just before the hour. Ballack committed a dreadful foul, catching Nedved around the knees, and in the last 15 minutes it was Juventus who pressed forward, the striker Amauri looking dangerous for the first time. The last action was a shot from Nedved that flew just inches wide of the post. As Hiddink is doubtless aware, the Chelsea conundrum will take more than re-arranging the existing personnel on the pitch. This is the weakest team with which they have tried to win this competition in the last four years and it would be remarkable if they were to be successful this season. Before that they have to get past Juventus.
Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, A Cole; Lampard, Mikel, Ballack (Mancienne, 81); Kalou (Malouda, 72), Drogba, Anelka. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Ivanovic, Ferreira, Di Santo, Stoch.
Juventus (4-4-2): Buffon; Mellberg, Chiellini, Legrottaglie, Molinaro; Camoranesi (Marchionni, 51), Sissoko (Trezeguet, 86), Tiago (Marchisio, 62), Nedved; Del Piero, Amauri. Substitutes not used: Manninger (gk), Grygera, Poulsen, Iaquinta.
Referee: O Benquerenca (Portugal).
10
Didier Drogba's opening goal last night was his first for Chelsea in his last 10 matches.

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Observer:
Drogba delivers as Chelsea display resistance of old Champions Lge KO Rnd 1, Leg 1
Chelsea 1 Drogba 12 Juventus 0
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge
A 1–0 win will make Stamford Bridge misty-eyed with reminiscences of the hardiness shown in days gone by, but this was no grinding success. Chelsea are fairly well-placed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals because they both attacked with verve, particularly at Didier Drogba's splendid goal, and resisted efficiently to see out the victory in the closing 20 minutes.
Juventus, all the same, cannot be discounted in the tie because there was endeavour and menace from them here with Pavel Nedved narrowly failing to equalise when he let fly in stoppage time. Recognition of the fact that this victory was hard-earned will be valuable to footballers seeking to re-establish themselves.
There is a perception that Chelsea are an old team. This is much exaggerated and here they began the match with three players in their thirties while Juventus had half a dozen. The real mission for Guus Hiddink is to purge the staleness that has gradually taken hold of the team since the departure of Jose Mourinho. The problem is more psychological than physical and it is being addressed vigorously.
The sheer beauty of the Nicolas Anelka goal that defeated Aston Villa, with its origins in Frank Lampard's marvellous footwork, was certainly heartening. The mood of the volatile Drogba has also improved remarkably. The Ivorian had been so eager to deny there is any disadvantage to having the first leg at home that he said: "Why can't we go out and prove the theory wrong by sticking four past Juve?"
It is quite an ambition to have against opponents of this renown, yet the real significance of Drogba's remark lay in the tone of excitement. Moody as he can be, that volatility leads him to periods of intensity. This was one of them. The striker was beyond the visitors' control even before he had established the early lead. Cristian Molinaro, the left-back was frantic enough to barge the striker in the back when a cross came over in the 11th minute and was fortunate that the referee, Olegario Benquerenca, did not award a penalty.
There was no further reprieve, though, as Chelsea took the lead with an admirable goal. Salomon Kalou threaded a fine pass through the centre of the defence when it looked impossible to find the correct angle and Drogba swept the ball into the corner of the net. Despite the seeming air of conservatism in Hiddink's 4–1–4–1 system, there was actually plenty of licence to drive into the attack. Juventus, accordingly, had scope for daring of their own.
Tiago, a Chelsea midfielder when the Premier League title came to Stamford Bridge, set up Alessandro Del Piero for a drive in the 22nd minute that was turned behind excellently by Petr Cech. There was nothing here of the tedious prudence that might have been anticipated. The Juventus manager, Claudio Ranieri, used, of course, to be in charge of Chelsea and his boldness even went out of control when he attempted to settle the 2004 Champions League semi-final with Monaco in the first, away leg by taking ultimately ruinous decisions.
He must have been seeking to impress the new Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich then, but instead made sure that he would lose his post. It is all the more impressive therefore that Ranieri has done so much at Juventus to enhance his reputation. Some of the credit may be due him for the continued commitment of men such as Del Piero and Pavel Nedved, who are 34 and 36 respectively.
This match did not suffer from the overwrought tone that generally afflicts occasions of such importance. It may not have been the most refined of games but the enterprise and energy were compelling. Drogba continued to show dynamism although he went down far too readily in the penalty area when Giorgio Chiellini challenged after 55 minutes.
Unflappability is no longer to be taken for granted in the Chelsea defence and Cech, for instance, floundered in a couple of attempts to claim the ball and end a Juventus attack. The substitute Marco Marchionni also came close with an angled effort that went marginally wide. The tempo stayed high and the visitors seemed to find the energy to pin down Chelsea.
Hiddink could still be glad that someone like Salomon Kalou, too often peripheral in the past, took such heart from his sublime part in the opener. He had been an important contributor before he faded slightly and was replaced by Florent Malouda.
If Chelsea had shed a little of their adventure as the game entered the closing 20 minutes it could have been because the score was to their satisfaction. All the same, with Ricardo Carvalho injured, the side cannot be impregnable, as it often looked under Mourinho, and Juventus were far from fatalistic.
John Terry has not always been in peak condition during this campaign but he constantly dominated here. Chelsea had a steadiness here that suggested Hiddink can lead a recovery at Stamford Bridge.

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Mail:
Chelsea 1 Juventus 0: Drogba delivers shattering blow to Claudio’s old men
By Matt Lawton
Even if the Old Lady is heading for the geriatric ward, she still managed to finish strongly against a tiring Chelsea last night — and that will concern Guus Hiddink.
On the face of it, Hiddink should be fairly satisfied. His first appearance as manager at Stamford Bridge did not just end in victory but one that spared him the embarrassment of losing to former Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri.
But he must have winced at the sight of a 36-year-old Pavel Nedved sending a shot whistling past Petr Cech’s left-hand post deep into stoppage time. Just as he must have watched anxiously, if rather admiringly, as Didier Drogba took it upon himself to drop deep into midfield and defend against an Italian side growing in stature.
After 20 minutes, Chelsea looked like they were going to make mincemeat of the opposition. Ahead thanks to a super goal from Drogba, they appeared so superior. So much so that even Big Phil Scolari would have backed himself to guide his former charges past ageing Juve.
In Alessandro Del Piero, and in Pavel Nedved and Gianluigi Buffon, some of the old magic does, however, remain and they must now consider themselves capable of performing an escape act that would even impress David Blaine.
Common sense says Chelsea have probably done enough. They have the advantage of a goal and Juve’s failure to score here makes the Italians more vulnerable in Turin.
But for Hiddink there remains much work to be done, on Chelsea’s fitness as well as the quality of their football.
If they were ruthlessly efficient in winning at Villa Park last weekend, they lacked much of the fluency of that performance on this occasion. Juve are not that good. They are a million miles from the team Manchester United only conquered because of a super-human performance from Roy Keane.
Light-years away from the days when Del Piero, Nedved and Buffon struck fear across Europe. They are a team of once great players and nearly men, with the old guard supported by players who never quite succeeded in the Barclays Premier League. Tiago, once of Chelsea, and Mohamed Sissoko, formerly of Liverpool.
In his honest assessment of Chelsea’s display, Hiddink identified flaws for the 70 minutes that followed that early promise.
They made hard work of this Champions League encounter, losing the momentum and almost losing the plot when the increasingly error-prone Petr Cech fumbled dangerously in his area. He also pulled off one or two excellent saves, not least in denying Del Piero in the first half, but if he was once Buffon’s equal as the finest keeper in the world, he no longer is now.
Confidence could be the key in Turin and the Italians may be short of it after the last 48 hours. Italian football is not what it was, as Manchester United discovered against Inter Milan and Arsenal did against Roma. The force is with the English trio and they should have no difficulty forcing their way past Italian opponents and into the quarter-finals.
Two more weeks with Hiddink will favour Chelsea. While Juve continue to work under the tinkering Ranieri, Chelsea have an astute tactician in Hiddink and someone starting to again get the best out of Drogba.
The striker could have had an early goal when Cristian Molinaro collided with him but no sooner had he dusted himself down than he was celebrating that terrific 13th minute goal. It was a beauty, from the quality of Salomon Kalou’s pass to the manner in which Drogba first left Nicola Legrottaglie standing and then lifted the ball over Buffon with a calmly-executed finish. He could have scored again three minutes later but headed wide. Chelsea were playing with real energy, their strength, power and relative youth seemingly too much for the Italians.
In Del Piero, though, Juve found inspiration. He tested Cech with a vicious strike and used a combination of intelligence and skill to at times dazzle defenders. Ashley Cole responded in frustration and took him out with a crunching challenge.
Further opportunities fell to both sides. Olof Mellberg threatened with a header; Mauro Camoranesi with a shot. Kalou tried his luck for Chelsea, as did the ambitious Cole.
A little tinkering from Ranieri in the second half — off went Camoranesi and on went Marco Marchionni — and Juve looked better still, limiting Chelsea to long-range efforts from Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack. That said, Drogba perhaps should have scored with another header.
Most impressive, however, was the sight of Alex bursting the ball in a thumping challenge that echoed around the stadium. A sign, at least, of Chelsea’s commitment.
Drogba then adopted an almost talismanic role, standing alongside John Mikel Obi as a second holding midfielder and using his ability in the air to deflect the danger.
The Old Lady could sense the anxiety and my, how she tried to force an equaliser, mustering attack after attack from those brittle bones. In Nedved, once a winner of the Ballon d’Or, they almost had their saviour before Hiddink realised a shot that appeared to finish in the net had, in fact, flown wide.

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Sun:
Chelsea 1 Juventus 0 From SHAUN CUSTIS at Stamford Bridge
THE Drog is barking again and Chelsea have a slender one-goal advantage to take to Turin.
Didier Drogba has spent the last 18 months with his tail between his legs, pining for his old master Jose Mourinho.
He hated life under Avram Grant and it did not get any better when Big Felipe Scolari took over.
But the arrival of stand-in boss Guus Hiddink has given him a new lease of life and he is fighting to make amends for the penalty shoot-out defeat to Manchester United in last season’s Champions League final.
Drogba was sent off on that fateful night in Moscow but if he keeps this form going, the Blues might turn those tears into cheers.
It remains a tall order, of course. Chelsea are still not firing as they should and Juve have hope of overturning the deficit in 12 days.
Hiddink, who has seen it all, done it and won the European Cup in 1988 with PSV Eindhoven, will know that better than anyone. But a bustling, battling Drogba, who provided the clinical finish on 13 minutes, could be the key man who makes the difference.
It needs two defenders to shackle him when he is in this mood and his ability to hold the ball up takes the pressure off his own side and allows the team to regroup.
Drogba is talking like a player who wants it, too.
In his pre-game battle cry he said: “I can assure the fans there is a real hunger within our players to succeed where we failed last season.”
That is the sort of talk Blues supporters want to hear and not the “Get me out of here” which had become Drogba’s mantra.
This was Hiddink’s first home game as boss but his reception paled compared to the one ex-Blues manager Claudio Ranieri received.
Ranieri was given the boot by Roman Abramovich in 2004 to make way for Jose Mourinho but the Stamford Bridge faithful still have a lot of affection for The Tinkerman.
Ranieri applauded all sides of the ground and then watched with some trepidation as Chelsea began by pulling his team apart.
Juve are not what they once were and are well off the pace in Serie A.
The Old Lady includes a number of ageing stars and a few Premier League rejects.
One-time European Footballer of the Year Pavel Nedved, who is now 36, lined up with striker Alessandro Del Piero, now 34.
Meanwhile, in central midfield there was former Chelsea squad player Tiago and Liverpool cast-off Mohamed Sissoko.
Hiddink has been preaching a pressing game since his arrival, a style that requires high levels of fitness and for the first half, Chelsea were right at it.
But they visibly tired late on and were fortunate not to concede an equaliser.
Drogba was a real menace throughout, heading just over from a Jose Bosingwa cross before bagging the all-important goal.
A cracking ball from the under-rated Kalou threaded its way between three defenders to put Drogba in on goal and, after one touch with his left foot, he buried it with his right.
It was the Drogba of old — ruthless, effective and enjoying his football. The goal was only his fourth of a frustrating season but the most significant so far. It was also his 20th European goal in his 50th Champions League game.
And he should have got another on 16 minutes when Frank Lampard’s corner presented him with a free header but he got a bit eager and put it wide from close range.
Juve did manage to get out of their own half — briefly.
Tiago played Del Piero in down the right and the veteran striker’s turn-and-shot brought an excellent save out of Petr Cech.
Chelsea needed that second goal and Drogba almost provided it again on 49 minutes.
The 6ft 2in powerhouse rose to crash in a header at the near post from Bosingwa’s cross but was just off target.
Another burst into the area saw Drogba go down under Giorgio Chiellini’s challenge but it was never a penalty.
The Ivory Coast striker did not make an issue of it but the fans behind the goal got excited. As long as Juve kept it to one-nil Chelsea had to push on for a second and there was a danger of the Italians scoring on the break.
Marco Marchionni gave them a scare with a dipping strike that just cleared the angle of post and bar as Hiddink sat twitching in his seat.
In injury time Nedved, who was still full of running despite his advanced years, fizzed a 25- yard shot just wide of the post.
Relieved owner Abramovich marched across the pitch at the final whistle, chatting with Bono and The Edge from U2.
Perhaps he was explaining that, in Hiddink, he’s got the right manager.
But as far as a ruthless team unit goes, he still hasn’t found what he’s looking for.
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Mirror:
Chelsea 1-0 Juventus: Didier Drogba puts Blues in charge
Uefa Champions League
Didier Drogba rekindled Chelsea's Champions League ambitions with a first-half matchwinner against Juventus.
It gives Guus Hiddink's side a slender advantage ahead of their last-16 second leg in Turin in a fortnight.
Drogba, his season hampered by injury, suspension and a fallout with axed coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, looked back to his predatory best when he took a pass from Salomon Kalou and despatched the ball beyond Gianluigi Buffon in the 12th minute.
Former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri, now in charge of Juve, was given a warm reception by the home fans before the game.
Ranieri is still held in high esteem by Chelsea fans even though he failed to win a single trophy during his four-year stint at Stamford Bridge.
Ranieri's welcome was reciprocated by the home fans for their new interim coach Guus Hiddink moments later.
Hiddink was taking charge of a Chelsea side at home for the first time since his temporary appointment.
It was the English side who made the first inroads towards goal with Jose Bosingwa forcing Gianluigi Buffon into a save with a left-foot shot from the edge of the penalty area in the fourth minute.
Four minutes later Drogba almost opened the scoring when he got ahead of his marker to turn a cross from Bosingwa just over the crossbar.
But the Ivorian put the home side in front in the 12th minute when a superb through ball from Salomon Kalou provided him with a clear-cut shooting opportunity and Drogba supplied the required finish in style.
It was the perfect start for the English side although Juventus claimed Drogba was offside before he fired the ball home from 10 yards.
In the 15th minute, Drogba should have made it two when he met a corner from Frank Lampard inside the six-yard box.
But the Ivorian inexplicably headed the ball wide of Buffon's right-hand upright.
It required a fine save from Petr Cech to preserve Chelsea's lead in the 21st minute, when Alessandro Del Piero tried to find the corner with an angled drive that was tipped round the post.
Juventus were enjoying their best spell of the game with Del Piero always a threat.
In the 31st minute, Ashley Cole saw a 30-yard shot deflected wide of the target with Buffon flatfooted.
The Serie A side were struggling to match Chelsea's determination and the English team's passion was underlined by two bone-crunching tackles from John Terry in space of a few seconds.
The second one left Mohamed Sissoko requiring treatment before being classed as able to resume his duties.
In the 41st minute, Pavel Nedved tested Cech with a 20-yard low drive that the Chelsea goalkeeper dealt with adequately enough.
Juventus were finding it hard to cope with the physical side of the game and Mauro Camoranesi also required lengthy treatment before continuing.
Two minutes before the interval a handball by Drogba gave Del Piero the chance to level the scores but his free-kick was hit straight at Cole.
It could have been worse for the visitors had Kalou not slipped as he tried to get on the end of Cech's long clearance.
Chelsea continued their high tempo at the start of the second half.
Some fine work by Lampard on the edge of the penalty area culminated in a shot from Michael Ballack that was wide of the target.
An away goal would have tipped the tie in favour of the Italians and Nedved again tried to outwit Cech with a long-range effort but the Chelsea keeper was at his most alert to deal with the threat.
Drogba, a constant threat, almost scored his second of the night when he got ahead of Nicola Legrottaglie to head a cross from Bosingwa just wide.
In the 50th minute Juventus lost the services of Camoranesi with a hamstring injury. He was replaced by Marco Marchionni.
Moments later John Mikel Obi was the recipient of a bad challenge by Cristian Molinaro and the Juve player was justifiably booked.
Chelsea felt they should have had a penalty when Drogba was brought down by Legrottaglie in the 53rd minute but Portuguese referee Olegario Benquerenca rejected their appeals.
It was all Chelsea now with a sustained spell of pressure ending in a 20-yard shot by Lampard straight at Buffon's midriff.
In the 57th minute, Ballack was yellow-carded for a foul on Nedved.
Cech was in trouble with a free-kick from Del Piero in the 59th minute. The Czech Republic international twice failed to gather the ball before it was eventually cleared by Terry.
Marchionni then gave Cech a scare with an angled 25-yard drive that flashed just over the bar. Juventus piled on the pressure as the game entered the last 15 minutes but Chelsea's rearguard admirably stuck to its task.
Indeed, they prevented the Italian side from engineering a clear-cut chance despite having the lion's share of possession in the closing stages.
But it was Anelka who almost gave Chelsea the cushion of a second goal when his 20-yard effort flashed inches wide of an upright in the 87th minute.
Nedved was wide by a similar margin in stoppage time but Chelsea held on for a deserved victory.
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sunday papers villa away 1-0

Observer:
Early Anelka strike sinks Villa as Hiddink opens with a winAston Villa 0 Chelsea 1 Anelka 19
Paul Wilson at Villa Park
Guus Hiddink could hardly have wished for a better start to his Chelsea stewardship. Three points took his new team back above Aston Villa to third in the table (why all the fuss about failing to qualify for the Champions League?) while victory at Villa Park is an achievement that even José Mourinho never managed to supervise.
This fixture, if you recall, was the scene of the first public rift between Mourinho and Roman Abramovich two years ago, when the owner left his seat before the end of a 2-0 defeat. The last time Chelsea won here in the league was 1999, when the two sides were respectively managed by John Gregory and Gianluca Vialli. That's a long time in Chelsea years.
So Hiddink has stopped the rot and seems well on his way to restoring confidence to a still-talented collection of players, even if this result only underlined what we already knew. Chelsea are not playing as well as they were when they blew Villa away at Stamford Bridge back in October, and while Martin O'Neill's side are considerably better than they appeared that day, they still appear likely to disappoint anyone who expects them to put a bomb under the top four any time soon.
Chelsea were clinically efficient here, though not sufficiently so totally to impress a new manager who complained his players were too static in the second half. Villa suffered from stage fright, appearing either nervous or reluctant to believe they could see off a team of Chelsea's stature, though O'Neill blamed it on tiredness.
Nicolas Anelka's goal was good enough to settle any encounter, though Villa made enough chances to get back on terms and missed them all. Absent too was the searing pace that has undone so many teams in their 13-match unbeaten run, yet perhaps credit should go to Chelsea for effectively shutting down the flanks and keeping an organised back line. In the final 15 minutes Chelsea created enough opportunities to win three games and missed them all, so Villa could have no complaints.
"I was pleased with the way we played in the first half," Hiddink said. "With our extra man in midfield we found we could get into their box quite easily and that is how the goal came about. I would have liked to dominate the second half too, but we became too static. We needed more movement. I feel we can improve on that a little bit, but it was not easy when Villa threw on their huge guys. There was always the threat of an air force."
O'Neill thought his players looked leggy after their midweek exertions against CSKA Moscow, and admitted the difficulty of chasing a top-four place is making him reevaluate the Uefa Cup, but did not disagree with Hiddink's conclusions. "They passed it around better than we did. They have been playing that midfield system for years, they keep three men close together and do it very well," the Villa manager said.
"We have strengths in other areas, we can be more explosive, but we couldn't turn it round today. We're disappointed, we felt we could win; even at half time we felt we could win, but we'll bounce back.
"We must have been doing something right because José Boswinga was time-wasting with half an hour to go. That's only a small crumb of comfort to take, but I'll still take it."
Chelsea again left themselves vulnerable to criticism that they lack width by playing without recognised wingers or marauding full-backs, yet they came up with the neatest of answers to take the lead after 19 minutes. When you can split defences through the middle as deftly as Frank Lampard did to create Anelka's opportunity you don't really need to use the flanks.
Lampard shuffled the ball between his feet and turned expertly past Curtis Davies's rushed challenge, then took Zat Knight out of the equation with a clever ball into the space between goalkeeper and back line. Brad Friedel knew he had to leave his goal but even as he did so Anelka darted in to lift the ball over him.
Friedel made a good save to deny John Terry from a corner on the half hour, but the next 30 minutes was about Villa fluffing their lines and missing a succession of chances. Emile Heskey headed comically wide after Ashley Young had rattled Cech's bar with a free-kick, and Gabriel Agbonlahor failed to get a crucial touch when Young's cross from the left picked him out in front of goal. Agbonlahor missed an even better chance at the start of the second half when a mistake by Alex left him free in the area; but he chose to shoot early from an unfavourable angle when he had time to get closer to goal.
After further misses from Gareth Barry and Agbonlahor, O'Neill sent on John Carew with 20 minutes remaining but it was Chelsea who finished the stronger side, with Deco and Didier Drogba missing decent chances and Friedel producing a save when Boswinga looked certain to score, then acrobatically denying Michael Ballack at the death.
"We could have scored one or two more, but overall I am pleased," Hiddink concluded. "After getting to know Frank Lampard as an opponent I enjoyed having him on my side. He made the goal and played well. And, as you English say, he's a good lad too."
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Mail :
Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 1: Anelka ushers in new era with a winner that jolts Villa fansBy Rob Draper
In the end, fans were leaving Villa Park as the fourth official raised the board that indicated four more minutes to be played. That, in itself, told its own damning story.This corner of Birmingham had been full of excitement a few hours previously, anticipation that has perhaps not been felt since Ron Atkinson's team chased Manchester United down to the first Premier League title.Yet, even with the score standing at 1-0, it seemed pointless for many to stay. Having surveyed the previous 90 minutes, it was clear there was not to be a late rally.
Potentially, it had been a historic day for the club. Victory would have been a huge step towards Villa qualifying for the Champions League and breaking up the cosy foursome that dominates the game.Chelsea, under new management, should have been vulnerable, but yesterday was merely a re-establishment of the old order.Villa are made in England, both in personnel and style, and how it showed. In fact, it was rather like watching one of those dreary England games, when they try to break down more intelligent and technical foreign opposition with long balls, crosses and set-pieces.
But Ashley Young is no David Beckham. Then again, Emile Heskey was no, well, Emile Heskey. 'We've all been around too long to draws lots on conclusions from one game,' argued Martin O'Neill.'Sometimes you can read an incredible amount into a game just because of a result. I don't see it. I see it as a setback and disappointment.'If I want to take a positive, it's Jose Bosingwa taking about four days to take a throw in with half an hour to go. I don't mind in the last few minutes. I've done it myself. But with half an hour left! I drew some small comfort from that.'We're not a long way away. There is absolutely no dent in belief. Absolutely not! We thought we could win today, at half-time we thought we could. We were beaten on the day, but we are still in there.'
Still, Guus Hiddink's Chelsea side played the part of the continental sophisticates extremely well. There were few innovations in formation and personnel, but the team looked more disciplined in midfield, less porous in defence and more potent up front, with Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka both on the pitch. That said, a better side might have exposed the deficiencies of Alex and Paulo Ferreira.In short, Hiddink could pronounce himself pleased, announce that Frank Lampard was a 'good lad' as well as a great player, yet concede that there might need to be some improvement to beat Juventus this week.'I'm very satisfied with the result, especially as we were coming here with Villa setting records at the moment. In the first half we could be very pleased, we had a good attacking way of football and were rather dominant,' said Hiddink. 'The only critical thing is that we did not finish it off. In the second half we were a little bit static in possession.'We forgot to move when we had the ball, so we can improve a little bit, but we are satisfied to get this game in our pocket.'
Hiddink claims that he sees no evidence of the personality clashes in the Chelsea team but nevertheless spent his first week reminding his players of the professionalism that is required from them.'We asked them, "Why are you in a big club?",' he said. 'But I didn't have to push them towards that attitude, they were there already.'How long will it take to get them back to their potential? I would like to do it in three or four days. When you are playing top football you have to be intelligent as a player, and open-minded and this week we have worked very well.'I was surprised, because there were these rumours about divisions but I was pleased with the attitude.' Principally he was pleased with Anelka and Lampard, who contrived to win the match with a superb combination of passing and finishing in the 19th minute.Lampard won the ball in midfield and, as Curtis Davies over committed himself in defence, he slid a delightful ball through for Anelka, who simply guided it home to take his tally to 21 for the season. 'I have been an opponent of Lampard on a few occasions and was always frightened of his performance,' said Hiddink.'He was impressive how he prepared this goal. He's a very good lad, as they say here.' It was not that Villa did not have chances. Ashley Young's superb free-kick on 34 minutes hit the underside of the bar and spun back as goalkeeper Petr Cech stood rooted to his line.
Gabriel Agbonlahor's pace and power rushed Alex into a mistake on 54 minutes and took the England man into a one-on-one with Cech, but the Chelsea keeper pulled off a smart save.And had Heskey pulled the ball back with greater accuracy after 69 minutes, Agbonlahor would surely have scored.Yet, there were as many occasions when Brad Friedel had to rescue his team-mates, not least from John Terry's header in the first half and Michael Ballack's shot after 90 minutes.For, in reality, the home supporters who left to beat the jams had it right. Villa are not in this class just yet.

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Telegraph:
Chelsea give Guus Hiddink the perfect startAston Villa 0 Chelsea 1 By Patrick Barclay at Villa Park To the neutral, the attraction of this match was the opportunity it afforded Aston Villa to embed themselves in the top four at the possible expense of Chelsea. But it was evident, even in the 18 minutes before Nicolas Anelka scored the only goal, that the away team were the better equipped. And we should have been able to predict it.
It was not just that class told (though it did) or that Chelsea benefited from new management (who knows?); both of these sides, the faded former champions and the Champions League aspirants, have obtained a majority of their points on their travels this season. This is especially true of Villa, who have now won only five of 13 home matches while winning 10 of 13 away. They do struggle to open defences here and visitors come aware that, if they blunt Ashley Young’s threat from the left flank, there is little else to worry about.
Seldom has Young been as quiet as on this occasion. Chelsea’s right-back, Jose Bosingwa, gave a masterly display of attack as the best form of defence, forcing Young on to his back foot with elegant forays. Towards the end Bosingwa might even have scored when he sprinted, executed a sweet one-two with Didier Drogba, and made Brad Friedel save sharply. Only Frank Lampard contributed more to Guus Hiddink’s satisfactory initiation as caretaker-manager. The England midfielder offered skill - most delightfully the turn, dart and pass that made the goal - and sweat in equal measure.
"I’ve been an opponent of his a few times," said Hiddink, "so it’s good to have him on my side. He made the goal very impressively and Frank’s a good lad - as they say here - for the team." The first-half performance, Hiddink added, had been especially pleasing, with its accent on attack. Afterwards, he conceded, Chelsea had shown that passing entails movement. "We were static - and that gave us a problem. Aston Villa came at us with these big guys, their air force. But it was good to get away with the points."
They were secured, as it turned out, by the most handsome move of the match, in which Lampard wheeled and spurted between Curtis Davies and Stilian Petrov before laying a perfect ball into the path of Anelka. The Frenchman deserved credit too; he times those runs almost by instinct. He also knows to shoot early and so, while Friedel got a touch to the ball, it was not decisive enough to prevent Anelka from celebrating his 15th Premier League goal of the season (he has 21 in all).
A five save by Friedel from John Terry’s header kept Villa in the match and they almost equalised when Ashley Young, from a free-kick Emile Heskey had dubiously earned, struck the crossbar. Terry was again dangerous in the air, Gareth Barry being obliged the head his effort off the goal-line, but Chelsea lost momentum. Hiddink ascribed it to a lack of movement rather than complacency, but it did invite Villa to try again and Petr Cech had to parry a full-blooded drive from Barry. There was, however, a shortage of subtlety in both their approach play and the movement of Heskey and Gabriel Agbonlahor.
The notion that the end of their Champions League dream is nigh was pooh-poohed by Martin O’Neill, who cited his players’ heavy programme of late (they lost in the FA Cup at Everton last Sunday and drew at home to CSKA Moscow in the Uefa Cup on Wednesday) and said: ‘’On other days, other teams will have to cope with that. We’ll bounce back.’’ Unfavourable comparison of his team with Chelsea need not be conclusive. ‘’They have been playing for a number of years with a style in which three midfield players operate close together, and it works well. That’s why we were outnumbered in there at times today. But we hope to make a difference in other areas of the field and to be explosive.’’
Among those who have encountered their explosions are that fine footballing side Arsenal, but that was at the Emirates Stadium. Here Villa have fired too many blanks. It cannot, however, be stressed often enough that they have travelled far under O’Neill in a relatively short time. Less than a year after we were congratulating them on finishing sixth in the Premier League, it is a bit premature to be demanding they break up the cosy dominance of the top four. Yet it could still happen. There is plenty of life in Villa’s season - as, with O’Neill around, you would expect.
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The Sunday Times
February 22, 2009
Guus Hiddink passes special test for ChelseaAston Villa 0 Chelsea 1
Joe Lovejoy at Villa Park
HERE’S to the new boss — same as the old boss. Guus Hiddink had the victory he and his team needed in his first match in charge but the new Chelsea, as they were billed, looked much like the model that got Jose Mourinho sacked in September 2007, grinding out an amply deserved but uninspiring 1-0 victory to leapfrog Villa and take third place in the table.
Roman Abramovich, who tired of Mourinho’s pragmatism and yearned for something more flamboyant, seemed happy enough at the final whistle, applauding with his phalanx of lieutenants and hailing Hiddink as the new “Special One”.
Chelsea’s self-satisfaction was excusable. Hiddink, having had only a week in which to work the Dutch oracle with his new charges, has at least got them playing like a united team rather than some clique-ridden collection of sulky prima donnas. Their form had dipped in the weeks before Luiz Felipe Scolari was dismissed but they were the powerfully effective machine of old throughout the first half and should have won by a more convincing margin, John Terry having a header cleared off the line by Gareth Barry with Brad Friedel well beaten.
Martin O’Neill said on Friday that this was a match Chelsea could not afford to lose but made no mention of any pressures on his own team, which was taken as a tacit admission that Villa were not genuine title contenders. At no stage did they threaten to disabuse their manager here. Faced with their third match in seven days, one of the smallest squads in the Premier League was found wanting. Their England players in particular had been to the well once too often and looked desperately tired.
That 13-match unbeaten run ended with more of an exhausted whimper than a bang. They have another Uefa Cup match on Thursday in Moscow and the challenge of regaining their lost momentum is bound to be mentally and physically demanding. The fourth Champions League place is probably the best they can hope for.
Beyond the West Midlands, interest focused on Chelsea and the latest manager to try to fill Mourinho’s shiny size nines. The cast were entirely familiar, but the line-up less so. Scolari maintained that Chelsea did not have the right players for a 4-4-2 formation and tended to use only one striker — either Nicolas Anelka or Didier Drogba. The new broom swept out the old thinking and picked both. The result was instantly impressive, Frank Lampard’s neat turn and bisecting through-pass inviting Anelka to run on and beat Friedel from 12 yards with the cool expertise of a born finisher. That’s 21 goals and counting for the reborn French striker.
With Chelsea’s midfield dominant, it would have been 2-0 after half an hour but for the flying, one-handed save with which Friedel repelled Terry’s header from a Lampard corner.
The wingers on whom Villa’s attacking tactics depend made little worthwhile progress and when they did their crossing was poor. That said, they did have Petr Cech’s heart in his mouth once in the first half, when Ashley Young shivered the crossbar with a an impressive 20-yard free kick and Emile Heskey nodded the rebound horribly wide.
Barry made his goalline clearance from Terry early in the second half but the lack of the second goal that Chelsea always threatened kept Villa in with a shout and they began to fashion chances of their own. Gabriel Agbonlahor demanded a decent save from Cech, as did Barry from 20 yards, and suddenly Chelsea were reduced to familiar time-wasting ploys. They still came closer to scoring, however, with Jose Bosingwa and Ballack testing Friedel in the last 10 minutes.
Hiddink pronounced himself “very pleased and very satisfied”. Invited to elaborate, he said: “Villa had not been beaten for a long time, so it is pleasing to get the points. In the first half we played in a good, attacking way and were dominant in midfield, where we always had the extra man. The only thing wrong was that we didn’t do well enough in their box. In the second half they came at us with their air force and sometimes we were a bit too static in possession. As a principle, when you have the ball, you have to move — if you don’t, you ask for trouble. The movements don’t have to be big but they do have to be smart.”
In his first week, he said he had worked his players hard “not just physically but strategically”. The attitude in the dressing room was a pleasant surprise but he had seen fit to tell all and sundry “why you’re at a big club and what is expected”. Juventus at home on Wednesday in the Champions League will come as another reminder.
ASTON VILLA: Friedel 6, Cuellar 5, Knight 6, Davies 5 (Carew 70min), L Young 7, Milner 6, Petrov 5, Barry 6, A Young 6, Agbonlahor 6, Heskey 6
CHELSEA: Cech 6, Bosingwa 6, Alex 6, Terry 7, Ferreira 6, Mikel 6, Kalou 5 (Deco 55min, 5), Ballack 7, Lampard 8, Drogba 6 (Belletti 90min), Anelka 7
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Independent:
Hiddink does his homework to expose Villa
Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 1: Anelka goal earns debut win for Chelsea’s new manager as O’Neill’s men begin to look weary
By Steve Tongue at Villa Park
It was the week in which Aston Villa, keen to establish a position among the big beasts, bared their teeth and failed to frighten anyone. Put to the test in the space of seven admittedly arduous days, they lost against Everton in the FA Cup, surrendered third place in the Premier League to Chelsea and were held at home in the Uefa Cup by CSKA Moscow, a result that must be improved on in the second leg on Thursday.
There can be no second chance against Guus Hiddink’s new charges, however. Well beaten 2-0 at Stamford Bridge on Luiz Felipe Scolari’s best day in charge in October, Villa were found wanting again yesterday and for all their undoubted progress in the past 12 months have now won only one of a dozen games against the big four English clubs they are attempting to match. Hiddink had done his homework and knew Martin O’Neill’s team are essentially a counter-attacking side reliant on the pace of Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young. Yesterday that pair were allowed little scope, while Emile Heskey, just back from injury, looked nothing like the frightening figure who had once terrorised Hiddink’s Russia at Wembley.
Five other Englishmen started in claret and blue yesterday in front of Fabio Capello, but Chelsea’s patriotic pair Frank Lampard and John Terry were their team’s best players, as they have often been in this troubled season. Troubled though hardly hopeless; Hiddink has taken over a side that is about to meet Juventus in the Champions’ League, should reach the FA Cup semi-final and has the momentum to continue pursuing Liverpool and Manchester United in the League. Already the wily old Dutchman has a notch on his gun that even Jose Mourinho never achieved with Chelsea: a win at Villa Park, where the London side had not succeeded for almost exactly 10 years.
His first game in charge, after watching the 3-1 victory at Watford last weekend, saw Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba more committed, the latter happy to take a turn out on the left occasionally and allow Nicolas Anelka more space down the middle where they both prefer to operate. There was much neat and confident passing in midfield, although Paulo Ferreira offered less of an attacking option from left-back than the suspended Ashley Cole would have done.
Villa, even after 13 unbeaten League matches, needed a bright start for extra self-belief, but found themselves trailing to a lovely goal after 19 minutes. Lampard’s quick feet confounded two defenders before a perfect pass found Anelka moving into the inside-right slot to chip over the advancing Brad Friedel. It was his 21st goal of the season but first in nine League games. Hiddink jumped to his feet for the first time before resuming his seat and stony expression, as if admonishing himself for this outburst of emotion.
There could easily have been a second goal 15 minutes later. Lampard took a corner from in front of adoring Chelsea fans on the right and his England colleague and captain Terry rose above everyone for a header that Friedel had to be at his best to paw away. It would have been an injustice had Villa equalised just after that, not least because Heskey merely slipped over to win them a free-kick from Mark Halsey. From 20 yards Ashley Young curled it against the bar, Heskey heading the rebound feebly wide. The near miss did enliven the home crowd, however, and Villa had plenty of possession from then on. Agbonlahor was gifted a glorious chance when Alex failed to deal with Luke Young’s hopeful punt down the touchline, but Petr Cech, slowly returning to form, saved well, before holding two strong shots from Gareth Barry. Chelsea’s potential at set-pieces through Terry, Alex, Drogba and Ballack was evident again following another excellent delivery by Lampard. Once again Terry headed powerfully at goal and Stilian Petrov had to clear off the line. Hiddink’s first substitution as manager then brought Deco into the game for Salomon Kalou, sitting a little deeper and unable to exert much influence on the game.
Villa went for broke by introducing big John Carew alongside Heskey, but Terry and Alex are not a pair to be intimidated by physical power. Carew glanced his one chance wide and at the other end Drogba, shooting too high, and then the right-back Jose Bosingwa, and Ballack, both thwarted by Friedel, could have allowed Hiddink to relax.
Villa’s manager Martin O’Neill felt that not too much should be read into one result. The two defeats by Chelsea this season nevertheless say something about where his team stand in relation to their admirable ambitions.
Attendance: 42,585
Referee: Mark Halsey
Man of the match: Lampard
Match rating: 6/10
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NOTW:
ASTON VILLA 0, CHELSEA 1 Frank Lampard gets new boss Hiddink off to a flier From ANDY DUNN at Villa Park
“WHERE’S your missus gone?” enquired the Holte End. In response, Frank Lampard gave them only trouble ’n strife.
And he was still out there when that huge stand had emptied into the streets of Aston. Co-ordinating the group hug, high-fiving more sheepish-looking team-mates, wrapping an arm around the bare shoulders of John Terry.
And he was still out there when Roman Abramovich was working his way through underground pathways, seeking out his latest managerial plaything, Guus Hiddink.
And he was still out there after everyone else had disappeared down the tunnel. It was symbolic.
By example, Lampard had led from the front. Now he wanted to bring them home from the rear. And as he finally ducked under the tunnel canopy, Lampard let out a final screech of triumph.
The brave, new world of Hiddink turned out to be the brave, old world of Chelsea. The one symbolised by Lampard and Terry, stood bicep-to-bicep in front of the travelling fans, screaming out their unity.
It will take more than an orchestrated show of chumminess to prove there are no splits in the Stamford Bridge dressing room. But this was a start.
It was not so much that the players reacted to Hiddink’s arrival with a determination to convince us that, even though they are unlikely to catch United, they are united.
It was that they reacted to the embarrassment of losing a World Cup-winning manager his job. It was that they reacted to being labelled a hotch-potch of moaning minnies. Hangdog millionaires.
Lampard was inspirational, his work for the goal sublime and one late defensive chore earning the fist of approval from Deco. Terry, if not exactly foot-sure, was wildly determined, unlucky not to net.
Didier Drogba was on his best behaviour, diligent, bustling and not a single toy leaving the pram. And Nicolas Anelka’s finesse won the game, all silk and no sulk.
Hell, even Michael Ballack tried. And Petr Cech looked as safe as I’ve seen him for a while, apart from when he turned frozen orange as Ashley Young’s free-kick sent the crossbar into convulsions.
Cech fielded a couple of heartily-hit Gareth Barry efforts in the second half but this was the performance of a Villa side who have jumped a string of fences only to see Becher’s Brook looming in the distance as their breathing gets harder.
Even the odd injury exposes Martin O’Neill’s squad. With Martin Laursen missing after knee surgery, Zat Knight and Curtis Davies form an unconvincing partnership at the heart of the defence. They are too similarly gangly, with rash interventions their speciality.
Lifting So it was when Davies hurriedly advanced on Lampard only to see the England midfielder’s quick feet take him clear and gently persuade a pass into the path of Anelka.
The Frenchman — now with 21 goals in a tantrum-free season — did not have to interrupt his thoroughbred stride before delicately lifting his finish over Brad Friedel.
He may be hard to take to but he is one class act. And Anelka was as enthusiastic as anyone in the post-match love-in . . . maybe he’s beginning to buy into this team thing.
There has never been any doubting Villa’s team ethic and, after an insipid first-half display, they at least brought a touch of vibrancy after the interval.
Gabriel Agbonlahor annexed Alex to leave himself alone with Cech but struck straight at the Chelsea keeper. And Barry connected well with his attempts but sent them both into Cech’s comfort zone.
The Villa captain was again the source of most things promising but even he looked a little laboured as Lampard loped remorselessly from box to box.
With Fabio Capello joining the rich and, er, even richer in the directors’ box, the man who must have impressed him most was a man he knows an awful lot about. And a man to whom he preferred Barry and Manchester United’s Michael Carrick the last time out.
England captain Terry must also have pleased Capello, even though he looks increasingly liable to take a gamble (and I’m not talking parking the roller outside Ladbrokes).
In fact, Terry was more eye-catching in the opposite area — his first effort a thumping header that brought a wonderful reaction save out of Friedel, his second a looping little number that was cleared off the line by Stiliyan Petrov.
The main criticism of Chelsea yesterday was that they did not quell doubts after Anelka’s beautiful finish.
Even when Deco entered proceedings and promptly beat more men in a minute than he has all season, his pass was wasted by Ballack — the German’s shot bringing out a posturing save that Friedel should not have been allowed to make.
The inability to brush Villa aside niggled at Hiddink and brought him into the technical area, although not with O’Neill’s inimitable style.
But there was little on which to judge the Dutchman yesterday. He looks tidy, organised, stern, determined, tough to crack. Presumably, that is what he wants his side to look like.
Grinning And that is what Chelsea always used to look like. The Chelsea Abramovich used to love under Jose Mourinho. And then didn’t . . . most notably when he slunk away early from the self-same Villa Park when Mourinho’s mediocrity finally became too much to bear.
Gazing down at Guus and grinning, Roman was there again yesterday. You don’t see him for two months and then, all of a sudden, he’s stalking you.
So was Randy Lerner, who had to be prodded when the Holte End stopped taunting Frank about his missus and chanted the owner’s name. But despite the presence of the uber-rich and the uber-coach, this day was about old values on the pitch.
About Chelsea — led by Frank’s imperious example — going back to the basics and proving that, sadly unlike the Lampard household, there are no splits.
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sunday papers watford fa cup 3-1

Sunday Times

Nicolas Anelka lifts Chelsea spiritsWatford 1 Chelsea 3
Joe Lovejoy at Vicarage Road

HE HAD only one match in charge but Ray Wilkins showed the tactical appreciation that Luiz Felipe Scolari was deemed to have lacked to turn around this FA Cup tie and instal Chelsea safely in the quarter-finals. Watford were leading through Tamas Priskin and a bad week was turning worse for their Premier League opponents until Wilkins switched to a 4-4-2 formation and Nicolas Anelka rattled in a hat-trick in the space of 15 second-half minutes.
Scolari, sacked last Monday, said Chelsea lacked the playing resources for the Plan B used here. Top tactical marks then to Wilkins, then, for moving Anelka from the right into the middle, alongside Didier Drogba, where the Frenchman’s technical skills and finishing expertise proved devastating against Championship defenders.
Chelsea were much the better side and deserved their win, but for a long time they made hard work of it. Guus Hiddink, the new coach, watched, stone-faced, flanked by Roman Abramovich and Peter Kenyon. What will the Dutchman have made of it all?
Before yesterday he knew the worst. The briefing he sought from his predecessor will have told him that the squad is not as “special” as some would have us believe. He will have heard that Petr Cech had dropped well below the form that once made him the world’s best goalkeeper, that John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho were missing more games than they once did — both were absent again here — that John Obi Mikel had been found wanting as Claude Makelele’s replacement and that Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou were not up to the standard required. There was no Arjen Robben to unlock defences with a pacy dribble and the most potent weapon, Drogba, was sulking instead of scoring these days.
Enough bad news? Not quite. The club’s newly published accounts revealed that they lost another £65m in the financial year. There will be no money for new players at the end of the season if Hiddink does stay on beyond the summer.
Welcome to the Roman empire. It is his unenviable, if well-remunerated, task to halt its fall. Wilkins was left in charge yesterday, a decision that prompted cynics to suggest that Chelsea couldn’t risk having their knight in shining armour embarrassed by Watford’s Brendan Rodgers, who was reserve team coach at Stamford Bridge until November.
Hiddink starts officially tomorrow and his first match is the Premier League tussle for third place at Aston Villa on Saturday. Given the respective form of the two teams, it promises to be a baptism of fire. It will certainly be a lot tougher than this.
Watford were without Jack Cork, their England under-21 midfielder, who is on loan from Chelsea and unable to play against his parent club. Michael Mancienne, the young centre-half who got into the England squad before he had played first-team football for Chelsea, was finally given his debut last night, but at right-back, with Branislav Ivanovic preferred as Alex’s partner in central defence. Mancienne had a curate’s egg of a match, giving the ball away too easily at times, but showing good pace in recovery. Whether Hiddink will risk his inexperience against Villa, and Ashley Young, remains to be seen.
Rodgers’ team hover precariously above the Championship’s bottom three. They are a pretty ordinary bunch, as that position would suggest and, given the quality of the opposition, Chelsea were again disappointing, their passing telegraphed, their attacking play for a long time too predictable.
They started in promising fashion, Drogba bringing a save from Scott Loach with a rasping 25-yarder and Alex threatening with a header from Lampard’s corner, but then became laboured. Kalou misdirected a header to waste an inviting chance set up by Lampard.
The best chance of an undistinguished first half saw Anelka exchange passes with Drogba before firing in a shot from the right that bounced off the far post, with Loach stranded.
After the interval, Drogba demanded a flying save from Loach and Lampard was only a foot or so away with a shot from distance. Chelsea again had the initiative, but needed to make better use of their overwhelming territorial advantage. Fairly typical of their work was Drogba’s failure from close range after another cross from Lampard.
They ought to have had the goal they needed after 61 minutes, when Anelka nodded the ball down to Drogba, whose shot was goalbound until it hit Ashley Cole. The rebound fell for Ballack, who shot over from three yards out. Hiddink looked on, horrified. Abramovich, at whose behest Chelsea are paying the German £130,000 a week, laughed.
Anelka shot wide, Ballack was similarly inaccurate with his head. Watford were hanging on when substitute Priskin accelerated away from Ballack and beat Cech, who was unable to keep out a shot that hit him on the head before looping up and under the bar.
Chelsea were in danger of humiliation but turned deficit into profit in the space of seven minutes. Wilkins took off Mikel and went 4-4-2. Eureka! Equality was restored when Lampard’s corner from the left was flicked goalwards by Ivanovic for Anelka to score with an overhead kick from three yards. Then Ballack delivered a long crossfield ball to Drogba, who controlled it on his chest before backheeling to Cole, on the overlap. The England full-back’s clever, dinked pass was met Anelka, ghosting in front of his marker to make it 2-1 with a deliberately placed downward header. He completed his hat-trick with a neat turn and shot from 16 yards. Hiddink left without a word but there is one name, at least, on his first teamsheet.
WATFORD: Loach 8, Hoyte 6, Mariappa 7, DeMerit 6, Doyley 6, Smith 6, Jenkins 6, L Williamson 6 (Cowie 67min), McAnuff 7, Rasiak 6 (Priskin 66min), Hoskins 6 (O’Toole 76min)
CHELSEA: Cech 6, Mancienne 6, Alex 6, Ivanovic 6, A Cole 6, Lampard 7, Ballack 6 (Belletti 83min), Mikel 5 (Stoch 73min), Kalou 5, Anelka 8, Drogba 6

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Telegraph:
Nicolas Anelka to the rescue as Chelsea labour to victoryWatford (0) 1 Chelsea (0) 3 By Duncan White at Vicarage Road
It was impossible to watch this game without imagining how it must look through the gold-rimmed spectacles of Guus Hiddink. The Dutchman, perched in the stands, remained inscrutable behind the glint of those glasses, but he cannot have failed to pass harsh judgement on his new charges.
It’s going to be a tough week at Chelsea’ Cobham training ground and Hiddink must draw deep on his well of football wisdom if he is to turn this Chelsea side into a team capable of securing silverware. Nicolas Anelka scored twice within a minute to save Chelsea an embarrassing elimination in front of their new coach.
Having gone one down with just over 20 minutes left it was looking grim for Chelsea before the Frenchman scored with an acrobatic overhead kick to equalise, and then squeezed a glancing downward header in at the near post to secure progress into the next round.
Ray Wilkins was in charge of picking the team and decided to try and find the width that Chelsea have so desperately lacked all season by switching to a 4-3-3. That meant Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou playing as wingers with Didier Drogba as the spearhead.
Luiz Felipe Scolari had largely refused to play Anelka and Drogba together, claiming incompatibility. On this evidence the Brazilian was in the right – although the French striker did hit the post in the first half when Drogba played him in.
That was one of the few highlights in an uninspired first half from Chelsea. Frank Lampard did have Scott Loach, the Watford goalkeeper, in a fluster with a swerving free kick and Kalou inexplicably headed the ball away from his waiting team-mates when the home offside trap failed. To be fair to Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack, their attempts to play crisp passing football were undermined by a pitch worthy of an Antiguan outfield.
Brendan Rogers, the Watford coach who was part of the Chelsea coaching staff last season, was evidently targeting setpieces, seeking to exploit the visitors’ vulnerability to the cross. Both Adrian Mariappa and Grzegorz Rasiak forced Petr Cech to save from firm far post headers, while Jobi McAnuff came close to winning a penalty, luring Alex into a foul on the very edge pf the area.
Pleasingly, Wilkins had decided to give a debut to Michael Mancienne at right back. The 21-year-old has been with the club since the age of nine and got into Fabio Capello’s England squad before even making an appearance for his club so it was about time he got his chance. His dynamic, penetrative runs from deep cannot but have impressed Hiddink, especially when one of those bursts was punctuated by a crisply struck left-footer that went just over the bar. The jaded Bosingwa might well fear for his place.
Drogba, while not quite the brutal bully he used to be, was certainly sharper than of late. Early in the second half he rolled his man and shot left-footed and powerfully across the goal, Loach saving well. It was the kind of undefendable effort he thrived on two years ago. The embarrassing air kick, from Lamaprd’s cross moments, later, was a reminder of his more recent form, though.
Ballack, another of the supposed architects of Scolari’s sacking (Cech was the other who apparently briefed Roman Abramovich about the Brazilian’s failings), had a dreadful afternoon, culminating in the miss of the game. When Drogba’s snapshot was saved, the German hooked the rebound way over the empty goal.
It was the same old story for Chelsea – huge amounts of possession but an inability to kill off mediocre opposition. Watford worked tremendously hard and kept their shape in the face of wave on wave of attacks but their attacking contribution was negligible until Priskin’s remarkable intervention.
The Hungarian had only been on the field a few minutes when Lloyd Doyley sent him scampering down the left channel. Cech came hurtling out and Priskin bravely took on the chip, his clever effort clipping the advancing goalkeeper and looping into the net.
The delirium of the Watford fans did not last. Anelka’s cobra-quick finishing undid all the home side’s valiant defensive work in two rapid strikes. His third, in added time, from Kalou’s pass, put further gloss on the result.
Anelka’s goalmouth expertise could not deflect the wider problems of his team though. Hiddink will go into start work tomorrow knowing this is no sinecure.

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Mirror:
Rudderless Chelsea still too good for Watford Watford 1 - 3 Chelsea
Nicolas Anelka put Chelsea into the last eight of the FA Cup with a superb hat-trick after struggling Watford had given them a massive fright.
The Coca-Cola Championship side stung the Blues in the 69th minute when substitute Tamas Priskin raced clear to put them ahead.
But with Chelsea's domestic season on the brink of collapse, Anelka hooked home the equaliser in the 75th minute and nodded them in front two minutes later.
Petr Cech then denied Jobi McAnuff an equaliser in stoppage time and Watford's hopes were finished off seconds later when Anelka claimed his 20th of the season.
Assistant boss Ray Wilkins had challenged his side to prove their spirit was still intact following last Monday's sacking of Luiz Felipe Scolari.
The club's new interim coach Guus Hiddink takes charge on Monday and he watched from a seat in the main stand at Vicarage Road as Chelsea were made to fight all the way by the home side.
The Blues began tentatively but in the seventh minute Didier Drogba brought a fine save from Scott Loach with a 30-yard half-volley that looked destined for the top corner.
Chelsea goalkeeper Cech was largely untroubled until the 11th minute when he was forced to collect a header from Adrian Mariappa.
Chelsea's Ashley Cole was booked for a foul on Tommy Smith in the 18th minute but Watford could not punish the Premier League side from the resultant free-kick.
Moments later Grzegorz Rasiak held back John Obi Mikel but Frank Lampard's 20-yard free-kick was kept out by Watford's defensive wall.
The Coca-Cola Championship side were matching Chelsea in every department and when Michael Mancienne hopefully despatched a cross into the Watford penalty area, Loach was quick to see the danger and deal with it.
Loach then pulled off another super save from Lampard's free-kick after Drogba had been fouled 25-yards from goal.
Drogba was beginning to find space and time among the Watford rearguard and in the 28th minute he tested Loach again with a low 20-yard drive.
In the 33rd minute Alex brought down McAnuff on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area but Watford wasted the resultant free-kick when McAnuff's effort was blocked by Mikel.
Chelsea almost broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Drogba set up Anelka.
The France striker's shot eluded the outstretched hands of Loach in the Watford goal but the ball bounced off the outside of his right-hand post.
It was a real let-off for the home side who had previously restricted Chelsea to long-range efforts.
Smith gave Chelsea's defence some anxious moments when he weaved his way into the penalty area but the Watford striker was eventually crowded out.
Chelsea had the lion's share of possession but apart from Anelka's shot against the post, the home side had managed to hold them at bay quite comfortably.
In the 43rd minute, Watford almost went ahead when a cross from McAnuff was met at the far post by Rasiak.
But the Watford striker was thwarted by a fine save from Cech who managed to keep the ball out at the second attempt.
Watford immediately set about Chelsea from the restart and Will Hoskins brought Cech into action with an angled drive which the goalkeeper held comfortably.
Loach denied Drogba again in the 49th minute with a fine save at his near post. Branislav Ivanovic had put the Ivorian clear and his left-foot shot was heading for the net until Loach intervened with a one-handed stop.
Moments later, Lampard was a foot wide with a trademark 25-yard drive.
The Championship strugglers were now having to defend in numbers as Chelsea increased the tempo.
In the 55th minute, Drogba just failed to get on the end of a delightfully chipped cross from Lampard.
Mancienne, who had enjoyed a fine debut for Chelsea at right-back, decided to try his luck in the 60th minute but his 20-yard effort was just too high to trouble Loach.
In the 62nd minute, Chelsea wasted another chance to go in front. Anelka nodded a long cross from Salomon Kalou back to Drogba but his shot was blocked by Ashley Cole.
However, the ball fell into the path of Germany international Michael Ballack who somehow contrived to send the ball high over the crossbar from point-blank range.
But Watford stunned Chelsea when substitute Tamas Priskin, on for Rasiak in the 65th minute, put them in front four minutes later. The striker ran clear of the visitors' defence to lift the ball over the advancing Cech.
But Anelka then sealed an amazing Chelsea comeback with a hat-trick. He levelled the scores in the 75th minute by hooking the ball home from close range.
Two minutes the France international headed home a cross from Cole and then, after Cech had saved superbly from McAnuff in stoppage time, he drove Kalou's pass beyond Loach for his 20th of the season

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Mail:
Watford 1 Chelsea 3: Anelka treble steals it as Hornets are denied famous victoryBy Rob Draper
Roman Abramovich sat in the stands with his pet manager Guus Hiddink on one side and girlfriend Daria Zhukova on the other and looked to be happy in love again.Why, he even laughed when Michael Ballack missed from three yards out, grinned when Didier Drogba struck a shot and cheered when Nicolas Anelka rescued his side from ignominy with a 15-minute, match-saving hat-trick.In short, it was a thumbs-up from The Emperor this week as Chelsea progressed to the FA Cup quarterfinals, eventually running out comfortable winners against an impressively workmanlike Watford side.
But alongside the Chelsea owner, Hiddink, a man with a lifetime's experience in football, struggled to raise a smile. Called in from Moscow like International Rescue to salvage the season after Luiz Felipe Scolari was judged to have failed, the Dutchman sat grim-faced as he absorbed all before him.Perhaps he knows better than his paymaster the size of the task ahead and probably he is aware that changing the manager every six months is no way to run a football club.Doubtless, these are thoughts he will keep to himself for the moment as, for now, The Emperor is happy and another bright, new era is under way; the third in 18 months. This one may even last beyond the summer.Yesterday, Hiddink confined himself to a brief visit to the dressing room before and after the game to wish his new players well and then congratulate them. Tomorrow, he will begin planning for season defining games against Aston Villa and Juventus.At least he will do so with a victory on which to build, for a poor season looked to have taken a turn for the worse when Watford substitute Tamas Priskin sprinted past a flat Chelsea defensive line on 69 minutes and lifted the ball over Petr Cech and into the net.
Lloyd Doyley provided the decisive pass and Praskin looked suspiciously offside, but that would have been a footnote had Watford managed to hang on to their lead and further dismantle the expensively assembled Chelsea machine.Another year, another £66million subsidy from the owner and still Chelsea look like they are going backwards.
Perhaps Hiddink will regain the momentum, but they possess a fragility about them at present, and the invincible aura of Jose Mourinho is long gone, even if it did require some minor heroics from 20-year-old Scott Loach in goal to keep Watford in the game.'People say it's been a difficult season, but we're through to the next round of the FA Cup, we're in the hunt in the league and and still in the Champions League,' said coach Ray Wilkins. 'And we haven't seen our best yet. I think we'll get better.'
The manager for the day had left his mark on the side. Jose Bosingwa was 'rested' and Michael Mancienne was given a start, as was Drogba, who curiously seems to have thrown off the fatigue which bedevilled him when Luiz Felipe Scolari was at the helm.'I had no doubts about him,' said Wilkins, who went on to laud Drogba as a great influence in the dressing room. 'I had a little one-to-one with Didier in the week,' he said.'He's had a difficult season and been in and out, but I felt he was the type of guy who will do better from the start than coming off the bench and it was nice to see the big man back.'
Brendan Rogers, the Watford manager, was mildly upset that in the six minutes in which his side held the lead he had been unable to bring on substitute John-Joe O'Toole because the earpiece of referee Mike Dean was not working.But the former Chelsea man acknowledged that with players of the quality of Anelka on the pitch it probably would have made little difference. The Frenchman scored his 18th, 19th and 20th goals of the season in a 15-minute spell which underlined the quality gap between the sides.The pick was the first, on 75 minutes, an overhead kick which he managed to collect from a loose header with his back to goal and a crowd of players around him. Few could have executed such skill.
His second, two minutes later, was a more routine header from an Ashley Cole cross and the third, in injury-time, came after good work from Salomon Kalou allowed him to guide the ball into the net from just inside the area.It was an emphatic display and Anelka has been a rare bright spark in a dark season for Chelsea. Alongside Drogba and playing as a front two for the final 15 minutes, Anelka may well have resolved the endless debate over whether the two strikers can be paired together.
Watford persevered despite having allowed their lead to slip. Indeed, with 90 minutes up and the score still at 2-1, Jobi McAnuff was clean through on goal.Cech was off his line smartly this time and managed to save when, really, the Watford winger should have equalised. It was to be Watford's last stand.Seconds later, Anelka added the third and the natural order had been restored.
WATFORD (4-4-2): Loach; Hoyte, DeMerit, Mariappa, Doyley; Smith, Williamson (Cowie 67min), Jenkins, McAnuff; Rasiak (Priskin 66), Hoskins (O'Toole 76).Subs: Lee, Sadler, Harley, Parkes. Booked: O'Toole.CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech; Mancienne, Alex, Ivanovic, A Cole; Lampard, Mikel (Stoch 73), Ballack (Belletti 83); Anelka, Drogba, Kalou.Subs: Hilario, Di Santo, Quaresma, Ferreira, Deco.Booked: A Cole.Referee: M Dean (Wirral).
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Indy:
Anelka papers over cracks in front of Hiddink
Watford 1 Chelsea 3: French forward's hat-trick strikes positive note but Dutchman has work cut out to turn around Chelsea
By Steve Tongue at Vicarage Road
A Watford side in danger of relegation to League One gave Chelsea's temporary manager Guus Hiddink plenty to ponder before a hat-trick in 15 minutes from Nicolas Anelka guided his team into the FA Cup quarter final for a fourth successive season. Watching from the directors' box alongside his patron Roman Abramovich, Hiddink saw the home side take an unlikely lead with only 21 minutes to play before the Frenchman's dramatic intervention.
Three clinical strikes, taking Anelka's total to 20 this season, were in contrast to many of their previously profligate efforts. The turnaround also came after little Miroslav Stoch was brought on with Chelsea one-nil down, changing the formation to the 4-4-2 that Luiz Felipe Scolari believed was impractical because their wide players lack of defensive nous.
Before that Anelka and Didier Drogba had alternated between their best position in the centre and a berth wide on the right that suits neither. There is still much for Hiddink to sort out and he will presumably believe that the FA Cup offers a more realistic prospect of a trophy than either the Premier League or European Cup. Hiddink visited Chelsea's dressing room before and after the game but Ray Wilkins picked the team, as well as making the crucial tactical change when Watford scored.
"I thought we were outstanding against a world-class squad," said Brendan Rodgers, who has made a good impression since leaving his position as Chelsea's reserve-team manager to succeed Aidy Boothroyd at Watford. "I'm very proud of the club tonight. With 20 minutes left, I thought, 'Here we go', but I should have known better because I've worked with these guys." So it proved.
Losing to a struggling Championship side (Barnsley) in the FA Cup last season effectively cost Avram Grant his job, even though he was allowed to carry on all the way to the Champions' League final. Scolari was not allowed either opportunity and his goose might have been cooked even earlier had Petr Cech not brought off a stunning save to prevent Chelsea falling two goals behind in the third-round replay at Southend.
The London side survived that day and Cech was back from injury here to take his place behind an unfamiliar back four. Michael Mancienne was at right-back – where he was caught out for the goal – with Branislav Ivanovic partnering Alex in the centre because of John Terry's suspension. Frank Lampard was outstanding in front of a father who as a Watford consultant was in the rare position of wanting his son to lose. Further forward, it took Drogba and Anelka 35 minutes to link up effectively but when they did, Anelka struck a post.
Before that Watford's goalkeeper Scott Loach twice had to fist away fierce drives by Drogba and Lampard, and Alex headed a corner just over the bar. Rodgers might have been forgiven for packing his midfield to combat the players he knows so well but to his credit he went with two forwards, pushing Will Hoskins up alongside Grzegorz Rasiak. Watford were pleased to reach the interval on level terms, having competed well but found it difficult to put the makeshift visiting defence under pressure. Their best moments until the goal were headers by Adrian Mariappa and then Rasiak.
For 25 minutes in the second half Chelsea camped in opposition territory, so that it was all the more of a shock when Watford scored. Drogba, latching on to Ivanovic's long pass, drew a fine one-handed save from Loach, and then Lampard flashed a shot just past the post. In the nextattack Ashley Cole of all people blocked a shot by Drogba, the ball rebounding to the ineffective Michael Ballack, who from six yards hit it too high.
In the 69th minute, however, Vicarage Road was given reason to dream. It was just about their team's first serious attack since the interval when the Hungarian striker Tamas Priskin, only just on as a substitute, raced on to a pass down the left from Lloyd Doyley and dinked it over Cech.
The dream lasted only six minutes. From Chelsea's 15th corner, the substitute Stoch flicked on and Anelka produced an equalising overhead kick and within 90 seconds he headed in a cross from Cole, who had been set up by Drogba. Still Watford were not done and Jobi McAnuff would have brought the score level again but for Cech's save at close-range. It was added time before Anelka completed hishat-trick from Salomon Kalou's pass.
Attendance: 16,851
Referee: Mike Dean
Man of the match: Anelka
Match rating: 7/10
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Observer:
Anelka keeps Chelsea fighting in the FA Cup after sinking WatfordWatford 1 Priskin 69 Chelsea 3 Anelka 75, Anelka 77, Anelka 90
Paul Wilson at Vicarage Road There was no St Valentine's Day ­massacre, either of Watford's Cup hopes or in Chelsea's attempts to reinvent themselves under the gaze of a new boss, though there was a Sapphic proposal of marriage at half-time. To Linda from Jackie: "You make me complete." Exactly what a manager sent from Russia with love is supposed to do for the Blues.
A second-half hat-trick from Nicolas Anelka helped Chelsea progress easily enough in the end, as they ought to have done against opponents from the ­bottom three of the Championship, though it took the Premier League side over an hour to make their class tell. Guus ­Hiddink will have observed that Anelka and Didier Drogba can play together after all and he will also have formed a fair impression of what has been going wrong with Chelsea. It took an opening goal from the home side to force any urgency into Chelsea and while Frank Lampard was his usual industrious self Michael Ballack and Salomon Kalou once again had a game to forget.
"I don't think you've seen the best of us yet," Ray Wilkins said, rather missing the point of the week's upheavals. "People keep saying we've had a difficult season, but we are now in the FA Cup quarter-finals and still in the hunt for the league and the Champions League. All we need is a bit more luck in front of goal."
A promising Cup tie when it came out of the hat, this game had already been overshadowed by all the managerial machinations of the preceding week, and that was before José Mourinho announced today in Milan his intention one day to be manager of Chelsea again. That would be popular with ­supporters, most of whom are of the opinion he should never have been removed in the first place, though whether he gets the chance possibly depends on what sort of job Hiddink does in the next four months.
The Dutchman watched the proceedings from the stands in the company of Roman Abramovich, Peter Kenyon and Bruce Buck, the club chairman – some sort of three-line whip obviously having been applied for the welcoming committee. While Wilkins enjoyed a relatively low profile in the dugout, he did claim sole responsibility to rest the "tired" José Bosingwa in favour of Michael Mancienne.
The most noticeable difference in Chelsea on the pitch was that Drogba looked far more interested than of late. Played on his own at the point of the attack with Anelka and Kalou just behind, Drogba brought a save from Scott Loach as early as the eighth minute. Kalou should have done better than that when Lampard's free-kick found him for a free header in front of goal six minutes later, yet inexplicably he opted to knock the ball down to a non-existent colleague rather than give Loach anything to worry about. As Watford had little to offer in attack and were not making much progress down the flanks, it was inexplicable when ­Ashley Cole picked up a needless booking midway through the first half for kicking Tommy Smith up in the air.
Lampard livened up matters just before the half-hour with a powerfully struck free-kick that Loach had to leap to punch away. But while Chelsea were applying most of the pressure there was a marked lack of excitement or end product. Watford's best hope of scoring for most of the first half, apart from a Smith dribble into the box that promised much yet came to nothing, was when Alex tripped Jobi McAnuff on the edge of the area. It was clearly outside the area, but it still amounted to Watford's best attacking position and McAnuff wasted it with a feeble free-kick.
Happily there was a flurry of excitement at either end just before the interval. Drogba and Anelka combined effectively for once, only for the Frenchman to see his shot rebound off an upright, then McAnuff, who at least remained Watford's liveliest attacker, looped a diagonal ball to the far post, where Grzegorz Rasiak tested Petr Cech with a header.
Chelsea stepped up their efforts in the second half. Drogba brought a sharp save from Loach, while Lampard found only the side netting with a 25-yard drive that most people thought had gone in. When Drogba next received the ball, he was unlucky enough to see his shot blocked by Cole, which gives a good indication of how many men the visitors were getting forward. The rebound fell to Ballack, who managed to scoop over the bar from two or three yards. It was knockabout stuff for a while, with Chelsea doing everything except force the ball over the line. At one point, even Abramovich was laughing, though beside him Hiddink maintained a straight face.
It must have turned even straighter when Tamas Priskin came on with 23 minutes remaining and scored with his first touch. Even though there was a suggestion of offside, it was far from convincing defending by a Chelsea side caught hopelessly on the break. Alex was out of position to deal with Lloyd Doyley's ball forward from half-way and while Priskin gleefully ran on to it in the absence of any flag, Ballack did not even offer the pretence of a chase. Priskin ended up with only Cech to beat and although the goalkeeper got a hand to the shot he could not keep it out of the net.
It turned out to be exactly what Chelsea needed to wake them up. They were level inside five minutes, when Branislav Ivanovic got his head to a Lampard corner and Anelka hooked the ball in despite having his back to goal, and in the lead just seconds later when Drogba and Cole combined to give Anelka his second. After the huffing and puffing that had gone before, the striker made scoring look ridiculously easy, his downward header bouncing before going past Loach. If Anelka's third in stoppage time made the whole afternoon look like a breeze, it was never quite that. Just seconds earlier Cech had made an outstanding save to deny McAnuff an equaliser.
"We had a chance for 2-2, but they showed a wee bit of quality at the end," the Watford manager Brendan Rodgers said. "I'm still proud of the technical discipline we showed against world-class players, though. We showed we can play with our brain. Football's not all about heart – that's one of the things I learned at Chelsea." (He was Chelsea reserve coach from 2006-08.)
Chelsea were not flattered when Anelka made it three from Kalou's run into the box, just relieved. Wilkins ­completely blew his air of studied indifference on the touchline to punch the air in delight – and he will not even be manager this time next week. "Guus was delighted," Wilkins was able to confirm. "He came into the dressing room afterwards and he knows he's got a wonderful group of players to work with."
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NOTW:
WATFORD 1, CHELSEA 3 It's love at first sight thanks to Nicolas Anelka
From ANDY DUNN/ROB BEASLEY
ON Valentine’s Day Nicolas Anelka at least guaranteed there was some love at first sight for Guus Hiddink. Whether it will turn into a fully-blown affair is anybody’s guess.
At times, Hiddink looked like he was on a date from Hell. But as he strolled purposefully around the perimeter of this homely stadium after the match — Roman Abramovich and a posse of flunkies trailing in his wake — he had the cut of a man who means business. Business made easier by Anelka.
Relationships are normally fleeting for Nicolas. Nine clubs in the career of a 29-year-old are testament to that.
Hiddink would earn his eye-watering amount of corn if he keeps Anelka happy and in this form. And he will go the way of Big Phil Scolari if he doesn’t use the Frenchman in a conventional central striking role.
With Salomon Kalou employed as a left-sided attacking midfielder, Anelka often found himself isolated on the right flank. Coaches too clever for their own good — that’s what formations like this are all about.
You might have thought Ray Wilkins would know better. He was the temporary boss and his one-night stand looked to be heading for a million regrets when substitute Tamas Priskin put Watford ahead.
But to be fair to Wilkins, wide-eyed bemusement turned into tactical genius when he sent on Miroslav Stoch and moved Anelka into a more central role.
Even he might not have guessed it would turn into a 15-minute hat-trick. But credit to Wilkins should be tempered by the fact that he started with a holding midfielder, Jon Obi Mikel, against a mediocre Watford side in the first place.
Boasts
At least he has handed on the FA Cup baton to Hiddink, who will have plenty of raw material to work on when he rolls his sleeves up at the Cobham training complex today. And no one boasts more raw material than Didier Drogba.
He went through the full repertoire yesterday — a fizzing 25-yard shot that stretched impressive Watford keeper Scott Loach to the limit, a Beckham-esque Hollywood pass to Kalou and a bullying header — all inside the opening half-hour.
And, of course, a good old whinge — at Kalou, after he misguided a free header from formality territory.
Oh, nearly forgot — there was also the obligatory dive as he almost screwed himself into the ground when Jobi McAnuff brushed his sleeve.
Thankfully, in the interests of justice, Loach just about managed to keep out Frank Lampard’s dipping free-kick. But Drogba also looked more comfortable in a regulation attacking pairing and Hiddink will surely keep this pair in harness for as long as they remain fit in body and mind. And on recent evidence, the latter could be more prone to injury.
Michael Ballack certainly needs to get his head right. One passage in the second half was particularly illustrative of the task facing Hiddink’s man-management skills.
Sloppy
First he was sloppy, then he was slovenly. In a farcical few seconds, Ashley Cole contrived to block a goal-bound shot from Drogba and the loose ball was an embossed goal invitation. Ballack turned it down, instead sending it into the rafters.
The reaction in the posh seats was intriguing. Abramovich laughed heartily, Hiddink stared coldly ahead.
And coldly became icily when Priskin made the most of Ballack’s abject refusal to track back and raced on to a Lloyd Doyley pass.
Petr Cech was quickly and bravely out but his helmet only helped guide Priskin’s dink into the net. Ballack was the culpable figure until Anelka dug his German friend out of very dark hole.
Anelka’s natural predatory instincts saw him turn a Branislav Ivanovic back-header into an equaliser courtesy of an overhead kick and then steal between two static defenders to head in Cole’s cross.
It was enough to have Blues owner Roman chuckling again but still Hiddink wore a grim look.
At least the stone features cracked into something resembling a smile when Kalou’s injury-time pass found Anelka in the box and his turn and shot was Premier League class against Championship mediocrity.
There was plenty of chat of the score being unflattering to Brendan Rodgers’ Hornets. But, quite honestly, it wasn’t. Loach had to be outstanding to keep out Drogba on three occasions and Lampard on two while, going forward, they offered precious little.
McAnuff was their most inventive player and actually had a chance to level the scores before Chelsea’s third but Cech denied him.
And the fact that a Blues defence — albeit a very makeshift one — allowed a sluggish Watford to break through on a handful of occasions will seriously worry new boss Hiddink.
John Terry will be back from suspension but there remains a new, hitherto uncertainty in the Blues’ rearguard. Cech is still not back to his authoritative best.
But the spring in his step on that walk around the cinder track and his grinning entrance into the post-match dressing room reflected a man who knows that there is still plenty of talent at Stamford Bridge.
That talent has become lazy, sulky, moody. The sort of words that you used to associate with Anelka.
Not any more. And if he can become diligent, determined and dedicated, then there’s no reason why Hiddink cannot get a few more to convert to the cause.
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