Thursday, October 29, 2009

bolton 4-0


The Times

Chelsea show class in easing way past Bolton’s pussycats
Chelsea 4 Bolton 0
Patrick Barclay, Chief Football Commentator

Maybe Bolton Wanderers were trying to lull Carlo Ancelotti, relatively new as he is to English football, into a false sense of security before the Barclays Premier League fixture between these clubs at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday.
If so, they went against the wishes of their manager, Gary Megson, who called their performance “poor from minute one”, acknowledging that they played at too slow a tempo and won too few challenges to disturb such a superior side. With their leonine centre forward, Kevin Davies, whom Megson rested last night, they will surely be less like pussycats.
Ancelotti is certainly prepared for that. “We know it can be a different kind of match,” the Chelsea manager said, “and must be ready for it.” He, too, will be able to strengthen his team. John Terry, Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka were among those missing during Chelsea’s smooth progress to the Carling Cup quarterfinals, while Michael Essien and Didier Drogba were used only as substitutes.
The Italian must have been heartened by most of the displays from the replacements, aware as he is that injuries, suspensions and the African Cup of Nations will take their toll on his squad this winter.
The only disappointment for the home support was the contribution of Daniel Sturridge. The 20-year-old was utterly outshone in the first half by Salomon Kalou and lasted 17 more minutes before being replaced by Drogba. Kalou’s third goal in a week had put Chelsea in front and Florent Malouda followed up before a near rout was completed by Deco and Drogba.
Megson, alluding to Drogba’s appearance as his team belatedly strove for respectability, remarked: “When you can put a £28 million substitute on — that’s as much as we’ve spent in two years — you can’t compete on equal terms. But I’m pleased to be playing Chelsea again. This was a bit of a stroll. Our team will be a bit more wholehearted, I hope, at the weekend.”
Last night featured a pre-match ovation for the late Matthew Harding, who died with fellow Chelsea supporters 13 years ago when the helicopter carrying them from a League Cup tie away to Bolton crashed on the way back to London. In his wildest dreams as vice-chairman — or even after a few glasses of red, for he was a convivial fellow — Harding cannot have envisaged that the club would one day have the likes of Essien, Drogba and Frank Lampard. Not on the bench anyway.
Sturridge, the striker signed from Manchester City this summer, was given his first start against a defence featuring Gary Cahill and found the England contender hard to outmuscle or outmanoeuvre.
Kalou, by contrast, kept finding space. Yet when Chelsea took the lead it was all too easy from the Bolton point of view. Malouda found Paulo Ferreira, who crossed right-footed from the left, bisecting the centre backs for Kalou to nod wide of the exposed Ali al-Habsi. Soon, Kalou, who scored twice against Atlético Madrid seven days earlier, showed that he can make them, too.
Collecting Ferreira’s flip, the Ivory Coast forward turned deftly and measured a short cross for Malouda. The France winger’s header was going limply wide when the ball bounced off Zat Knight and obligingly back to him; this time Malouda lashed the ball firmly past al-Habsi.
Bolton made a rare impression when Hilário, in the Chelsea goal, went down to save from Matthew Taylor and rose with a concussion that caused him to be replaced by Ross Turnbull.
The rest was almost a stroll for Chelsea — and how Deco and Michael Ballack enjoyed that pace. For the second half, Essien came on for Kalou, Deco moving to a position just off the front, while Bolton brought on a second striker in Johan Elmander, but the pattern was unchanged.
Only minutes after Sturridge, having miskicked wide, had left, Chelsea contrived a superb goal, the ball being swept from one end to the other. After Ballack had denied Bolton with a block, Essien took up the running and fed Joe Cole, who squared for Drobga to flick on to Deco and a crisp, low shot left al-Habsi flat-footed.
Nor were Cole and Drogba finished there. Cole went down the right and crossed for the centre forward to round matters off with a downward header. For the England midfield player to be ending the match so strongly after all his months out of action only enhanced the pleasure of Ancelotti. He also mentioned the “intelligent” contribution of Ferreira. “It is a good moment for us,” he said.
Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Hilário (sub: R Turnbull, 23min) — J Belletti, Alex, B Ivanovic, P Ferreira — M Ballack, Deco, F Malouda — S Kalou (sub: M Essien, 46), J Cole — D Sturridge (sub: D Drogba, 62). Substitutes not used: F Lampard, N Matic, J Bruma, F Borini.
Bolton Wanderers (4-1-4-1): A al-Habsi — S Ricketts, G Cahill, Z Knight, J Samuel — F Muamba — G Steinsson (sub: J Elmander, 46), M Davies, M Taylor (sub: C Basham, 64), R Gardner — I Klasnic. Substitutes not used: J Jaaskelainen, P Robinson, T Cohen, Lee Chung Yong, A O’Brien.
Referee: A Marriner.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 4 Bolton Wanderers 0
By John Ley at Stamford Bridge

If Chelsea were to follow the in-vogue trend for seeking stadium naming rights, they should simply change their stadium to Fortress Stamford Bridge after claiming a 10th straight home win and ninth of the season. They also extended their run without conceding a goal at home to an impressive 13 hours and two minutes.
Chelsea left some big hitters out but still moved comfortably into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup thanks to goals from Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda, Deco and Didier Drogba to take their recent goal tally to 13 in three games, in three different competitions. This was a warning to the rest; whatever team Chelsea field in whatever competition they are in, they mean business.
Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, remained faithful to his promise to give striker Daniel Sturridge his first start since arriving from Manchester City, while Alex was back in defence after recovering from a groin strain in the summer.
Chelsea made a total of seven changes from the side that beat a Blackburn team suffering from an outbreak of swine flu on Saturday and Bolton Wanderers arrived with their manager Gary Megson admitting there had been cases of the illness at his club.
That may have explained the omission of John Terry, the Chelsea captain, who complained back in September that he had been spat at by Ivan Klasnic, playing for Croatia against England at Wembley.
Given the warning from the authorities, to Premier League players, to stop spitting to avoid the spread of the epidemic - and the fact that Klasnic was making only his third start since arriving on loan from Nantes, Terry was well out of the way.
Bolton made four changes from the side that won 3-2 against Everton, with goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi, an Omani international, given a rare opportunity ahead of Jussi Jaaskelainen. It was, in fact, Al Habsi’s first start for Bolton for 17 months, when he featured in the last game of the 2007-08 season - at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea went into the game boasting a run of nine straight home wins, two short of the club record set in 2006, and had not conceded a goal at Stamford Bridge in 11 hours and 32 minutes prior to kick-off. Just one goal had beaten the Chelsea rear-guard all season, and given that Bolton had scored only seven away goals, the portents for an away win were not good.
And that possibility increased after just 15 minutes when they took the lead. With Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, who have scored 13 goals, rested, it fell to Salomon Kalou to claim his fourth goal of the season .
It was a simple goal: Paulo Ferreira crossed from the left and Kalou rose unchallenged to head into the top right hand corner. The Ivorian scored the winner in the previous round, against Queens Park Rangers, and his latest effort settled the nerves at Stamford Bridge.
Bolton tried to respond within a minute when Gretar Steinsson crossed from the right and the ball fell to Matt Taylor, whose shot was parried by Henrique Hilario but the goalkeeper struck his head on the ground and he needed lengthy treatment before continuing.
But just a few minutes later Hilario went down again, clearly unable to continue, so allowing former Middlesbrough goalkeeper Ross Turnbull – the third choice at Stamford Bridge – to make his debut, after just 23 minutes.
And in the 26th minute Chelsea extended their advantage when Kalou fed Malouda, whose first touch bounced off Bolton defender Zat Knight before presenting the midfielder with the red boots with a simple finish.
Before the interval Al Habsi saved well from Kalou, with Sturridge completely missing the bounce from the rebound.
Both sides made interval changes with Bolton’s Steinsson making way for Johan Elmander, and Chelsea replacing Kalou with Michael Essien.
And Chelsea wasted little time in threatening again, with Joe Cole’s attempt not far off target. Juliano Belletti was allowed another chance that was squandered and Chelsea were given a reality jolt when, from Elmander’s determination, Mark Davies saw a good attempt well blocked by Turnbull.
Then just before the hour mark, Sturridge had two chances to open his Chelsea account but the striker stabbed both efforts wide.
A third goal arrived in the 67th minute when Joe Cole crossed, substitute Drogba missed the ball, but Deco latched onto it before finding the bottom left hand corner. And in the final minute Drogba completed the rout.
Match details
Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Hilario; Belletti, Alex, Ivanovic, Ferreira; Deco; Ballack, Malouda; J Cole; Kalou (Essien ht), Sturridge (Drogba 62).Subs: Turnbull, Lampard, Matic, Bruma, Borini.
Bolton Wanderers (4-5-1): Al Habsi; Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Samuel; Steinsson (Elmander ht), Muamba, M Davies, Taylor (Basham 65), Gardner; Klasnic.
Subs: Jaaskelainen (g), Robinson, Cohen, Lee, A O’Brien.Referee: A Marriner (W Midlands).

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Independent:

Kalou strike kick-starts Blues cruise
Chelsea 4 Bolton Wanderers 0
By Jonathan Wilson

The first of Jose Mourinho's five trophies at Stamford Bridge was the Carling Cup, and Carlo Ancelotti has spoken of the potential benefits to confidence of similarly getting a first trophy in the cabinet at Wembley in February. Chelsea remain well on course for that after another emphatic home performance. There was something almost contemptuous about the way they dismissed Bolton last night, stretching their run without conceding at home to 13 hours, and taking their tally of goals in the past week to 13 in three games.
"The team are working very well," Ancelotti said. "The defence has balance on the pitch during 90 minutes, maintaining good control defensively and offensively. This is the most important thing for the team, to have a balance. For us the first thing is to play well and to win a game. It happens we've won with large results, but that's not so important. Rather, we want to win the games. We played the last three games very well."
Perhaps most encouraging for Chelsea were the performances of two players who have, for different reasons, spent much of the last year in the shadows. Joe Cole, in his third start since returning from a serious knee injury, sparkled, having a hand in three of the goals. "I was surprised because, after eight months, it's not easy to play like Joe has played these two games," said Ancelotti. "This means that he worked very hard to rest his injury and arrived to play in good condition."
Salomon Kalou, meanwhile, still only 24, continues his development from the goal-poacher he was when he arrived from Feyenoord in 2006 to being a more complete forward. Given the glut of central strikers in the Ivory Coast squad, that can only be of benefit to him at international level as well.
It was Kalou, operating as a link between Cole and Daniel Sturridge, who opened the scoring after 15 minutes, offering a reminder of the sniffer he used to be with an accurate downward header from Paulo Ferreira's cross. The second, 11 minutes later, ended up looking scruffy as Florent Malouda fired in after his initial header ricocheted off Zat Knight, but Cole's chip and Kalou's cross were of the highest order.
That goal finished off a Bolton side who had just begun to stir. Ivan Klasnic hit a post late on, but the only really anxious moment for Chelsea came at 1-0, when Henrique Hilario saved at the feet of Matt Taylor. He banged his head on the ground in making the save, a blow that led to his departure a few minutes later. Ross Turnbull came on to make his debut, but barely had to dirty his gloves. "We didn't play as we needed to play," said the Bolton manager Gary Megson. "We didn't play at a tempo that might have upset Chelsea.
"It became about the quality of one team against the other and we haven't got the wherewithal for that. They've beaten us 4-0 and they probably could have had another three or four."
As it was, they settled for just two more, the loss of Kalou to injury at half-time barely affecting their flow. Cole laid on the third for Deco with a low cross and then teed up Didier Drogba, on as a second-half substitute, for a late fourth with a neat chip to the back post. It was all very, very easy. "It was," Megson admitted, "a bit of a stroll." The sides meet again in the Premier League on Saturday. "The venue will be different," he promised. "The teams will be different and our approach will be different."

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-1): Hilario (Turnbull, 23); Belletti, Ivanovic, Alex, Ferreira; Deco; Ballack, Malouda; J Cole; Kalou (Essien, 46), Sturridge (Drogba, 62). Substitutes not used: Lampard, Matic, Bruma, Borini
Bolton (4-1-4-1): Al Habsi; Ricketts, Knight, Cahill, Samuel; Muamba; Steinsson (Elmander, 46), M Davies, Taylor (Basham, 64), Gardner; Klasnic. Substitutes not used: Jaaskelainen (gk), Robinson, Cohen, Lee, O'Brien.
Referee: A Marriner (W Midlands)

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Guardian:

Stylish Chelsea ease past Bolton into Carling Cup quarter-finals
Chelsea 4 Kalou 15, Malouda 26, Deco 67, Drogba 89 Bolton Wanderers 0

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

The competition may change, the advertising hoardings spinning to proclaim Champions League or Premier League or Carling Cup, but Chelsea's swashbuckling home form remains a constant. A tenth consecutive win here, achieved gracefully and impressively last night, has propelled Carlo Ancelotti's team into the quarter-finals. This side feels untouchable in these environs.
This was a breeze, a much-changed line-up securing comfortable success against opponents in Bolton who had rested only four players from their league win at the weekend. If Chelsea's attacking caught the eye – they have scored 13 goals in a week – then the fact that they remain stingy at the other end should not be ignored. Ivan Klasnic struck a post late on but it is now 13 hours and two minutes since they last conceded here, back on the opening day against Hull. Opponents must arrive south-west London with a shudder.
This had been an opportunity for Chelsea's fringe players to make their mark and for first-teamers shorn of games in recent times to sharpen their skills ahead of a critical stage in this club's season. The Londoners collide with Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City over the next five weeks in the Premier League, fixtures that will test the depth of their squad and shape their title challenge. This selection's eagerness to impress was simply too much for Bolton.
The hosts had established a comfortable advantage by the interval, with their only real concern the loss of their No2 goalkeeper, Henrique Hilário, to a head injury. The Portuguese hit the turf in saving Matthew Taylor's close-range attempt, and though there were six minutes between injury and substitution – in which time Wanderers failed to test his reaction – the goalkeeper departed with his head still swimming.
Bolton had been rendered dizzy more by Chelsea's dazzling approach play. Joe Cole had unfurled his usual range of tricks and flicks, his team-mates a blur of blue movement all around. The initial wave of attacks, sparked after 11 seconds with Cole's shot from distance, blew itself out but Bolton yielded to the second flurry. Paulo Ferreira was granted too much time to flight over his cross from the left and Salomon Kalou nodded in his third goal in a week.
Hilario was injured in the subsequent riposte, but Bolton's threat was sporadic where Chelsea purred with menace and duly gleaned further reward. Florent Malouda's exchange of passes with Kalou culminated in the winger flicking a header which rebounded back off a panicked Zat Knight and, from point-blank range, the France international slammed in a second. Wanderers were merely relieved not to incur further damage by the break, Ali Al Habsi doing well to deny Kalou as Chelsea set about emulating their five-goal mauling of Blackburn on Saturday.
That was the Ivorian's last contribution, Michael Essien adopting the role at the base of midfield at half-time, but the pizazz was still largely all Chelsea's. There is a real swagger to this team at present, particularly at Stamford Bridge where they are unbeaten in almost a year in all competitions. They were irresistible here only for Daniel Sturridge, on full debut but rather anxious where his team-mates were so calm and collected, to twice drag shots wide of the far post when he should have scored.
The youngster needed a goal to make him feel as if he belonged in this company. His departure for Didier Drogba just after the hour was a reminder of how onerous a task it will prove to break into this team. Once he had gone, Deco – gathering Cole's cross which had been flicked on inadvertently by Drogba – fizzed a third into the far corner and Bolton, half-chances to Taylor and Mark Davies aside, had been washed away. Drogba's own reward, nodding in Cole's cross with a minute to play, merely confirmed this as Chelsea's latest rout.

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Mail:

Chelsea 4 Bolton: Blues ease into last eight of Carling Cup with comfortable victory
By Matt Barlow

Those who threaten Stamford Bridge can all expect to be greeted with similar disdain at the moment as Carlo Ancelotti restores a sense of invincibility to Chelsea's home.Visitors from Madrid, Blackburn and Bolton have been crushed under a weight of 13 goals in eight days and Sam Allardyce's threat of an outbreak of swine flu seems to have been repelled for good measure.'We are in good condition,' said Ancelotti. 'This is a good moment for us.'
Too right. His team have not conceded a goal at home in more than 13 hours of action. The last man to put the ball in their net at home was Hull's Stephen Hunt on the opening day of the season.Four were smashed past Atletico last week and five past Blackburn on Saturday. Last night, with senior stars rested and fringe players given a run, Chelsea never looked like missing out on a place in the last eight of the Carling Cup.Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda, Deco and Didier Drogba scored the goals which sent Gary Megson back north to chew over the dilemma of how to tackle Chelsea's first team on Saturday at the Reebok in the Premier League.'I'm pleased we've got them again,' said Megson. 'We need to put on a performance because that was a bit of a stroll. Our team will be different, not just in personnel but in approach, and I hope we're a lot more wholehearted than we were tonight.'
Ancelotti, in contrast, could reflect on another good night's work. Joe Cole continued his sparkling form and Alex, playing for the first time this season, got through 90 minutes.The fact that back-up goalkeeper Henrique Hilario went off with concussion in the first half and 20-yearold striker Daniel Sturridge failed to impress on his full debut will be of little consequence to the Italian.This was a 10th successive home win for his side. To equal a club record of 11, they will have to beat their closest title rivals, Manchester United, a week on Sunday, although it is hard to back against them.Suddenly the Bridge feels like the fortress it was under Jose Mourinho and Avram Grant, when Chelsea did not lose a home league game for well over four years.United will surely test them more than Atletico, Blackburn or Bolton, who were criticised by Megson for failing to show the strength or speed required to give Chelsea a fright.Without Kevin Davies, who was given a breather, the visitors lacked their usual physical threat and went behind after 15 minutes. Sam Ricketts gave Paulo Ferreira time to cut back on to his right foot and cross, and Bolton's back four watched as Kalou drifted between Jlloyd Samuel and Matthew Taylor to direct a simple header inside the far post.
Megson's team could have pulled level within a minute but were denied by Hilario's bravery. The Portuguese keeper hurled himself at the feet of Taylor, left unattended in the box by Juliano Belletti, and parried the shot but banged his head on the ground as he did. Play went on with Hilario rolling around on the turf before Ricardo Gardner lashed a shot over the open net from 20 yards.Hilario staggered through another seven minutes but was clearly dazed and was sent for a precautionary scan as soon as he was substituted Ross Turnbull went on for his debut, charged with protecting the proud clean-sheet record. Turnbull did his job, smothering Bolton's best chance of the second half, a shot from Mark Davies, soon after the interval. He was beaten in the closing minutes when Ivan Klasnic prodded a low shot past him but the ball hit the foot of a post and bounced safely away. Chelsea were safe by then anyway. Malouda fired them two up, ramming in a shot from close range. He had squandered the initial chance, glancing a header from Kalou's cross into the body of Zat Knight, but the ball rebounded kindly for him and his second finish was more forceful.

ONE TO WATCH DANIEL STURRIDGE (Chelsea)
The 20-year-old striker has talent, no question. It is his attitude which is under scrutiny and last night's display did not dispel the doubts. Slow to get involved on his first start for Chelsea, limited movement and a poor work ethic. Yet, still he threatens the goal. Tested Ali Al Habsi and tried the patience of Carlo Ancelotti in the first half. Ali Al Habsi made a fine onehanded save from Kalou but Cole started to dominate after the break as Bolton risked more in attack.He set up two wonderful chances in quick succession for Sturridge but the youngster missed the target with both. First Cole rolled a short pass into his path but Sturridge snatched at it and put it wide. Then Cole delivered a precision pass over 50 yards. This time Sturridge had time to pick his spot and he turned towards goal but again drilled his effort wide.Ancelotti took off the England Under 21 striker and replaced him with Drogba.Sturridge looked crestfallen as he settled on to the bench in time to see Deco's example of clinical finishing after 67 minutes. Cole picked out Deco and he drove in the third.'I'm disappointed for him,' said Ancelotti. 'I asked him to play for the team, not just to score. He did what I asked of him. For me, it's not important that he didn't score. The others scored. For him it would have been better to score, but he has to stay quiet because I'm happy with his work out on the pitch.'
A volley from Deco dipped just over before Drogba completed the scoring with a simple header at the back post to convert a cross delivered, somewhat inevitably, from the boot of Cole after 89 minutes 'The first thing is to play well and to win a game,' said Ancelotti. 'It so happens we've won with large results but that's not so important.'We played the last three games very well, and Saturday can be another kind of match. We have to be ready to play a different match.'CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): Hilario (Turnbull 23min); Belletti, Ivanovic, Alex, Ferreira; Ballack, Deco, Malouda; J Cole, Kalou (Essien 46); Sturridge (Drogba 61).BOLTON WANDERERS (4-1-4-1): Al Habsi; Ricketts, Cahill, Knight, Samuel; Muamba; Steinsson (Elmander 46), M Davies, Gardner, Taylor (Basham 63); Klasnic.
Man of the match: Joe Cole.
Referee: Andre Marriner.

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Sun:

Chelsea 4 Bolton 0
By MARK IRWIN

THIRTEEN goals in a week, thirteen hours without conceding at home.
Chelsea remain in the rudest of health despite Sam Allardyce's concerns for their well-being.
Blackburn boss Big Sam claimed at the weekend his men could have infected Carlo Ancelotti's superstars with swine flu.
But the Londoners are clearly made of sterner stuff than those northern softies as they rolled up their sleeves and got on with the job of sweeping all before them.
Two points clear at the top of the Premier League, they are now firmly on course for their fourth Carling Cup final in six years.
Ancelotti's rock-solid defence have not let in a goal at Stamford Bridge for 782 MINUTES now.
Hull's Stephen Hunt was the last to break Chelsea's great wall on the opening day of the season.
And galvanised by the manager's patent cold remedy of red wine and hot milk, there was no danger of them catching a cold against Bolton.
While other clubs might treat the Carling Cup with barely disguised disdain, it is clear Chelsea will never pass up any opportunity to win silverware.
One week after annihilating Atletico Madrid and days after battering Blackburn, it was poor Bolton's turn to be beaten and bewildered.
Manchester United are next up at the Bridge on Sunday week.
At least that one should be a bit more competitive than recent processions here.
Gary Megson's team were never at the races as they were swept aside by goals from Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda, Deco and Didier Drogba.
Only Daniel Sturridge, 20, disappointed as he blew his big chance to make an impression.
The striker has had to wait all season for his first start in the famous blue shirt since his controversial summer move from Manchester City.
But, after finally being given his opportunity to shine, the self-assured youngster left home fans wondering what all the fuss was about.
Twice in the space of a minute Sturridge was teed up for his debut Chelsea goal by Joe Cole but failed to hit the target on both occasions.
And moments later he paid for his lack of a killer instinct when he was hooked by Ancelotti in the 62nd minute. Yet even Sturridge's struggles could not take the gloss off Chelsea's 10th straight win at fortress Stamford Bridge.

The Blues did not have to wait long for their breakthrough goal, with Kalou drifting behind the static Zat Knight to head in Paulo Ferreira's 15th-minute centre.
Yet Bolton could have been level within a minute when Juliano Belletti made a horrible mess of Gretar Steinsson's pass to leave Matt Taylor with a clear sight of goal.
Hilario dashed out to save bravely but took a blow to the head as he hit the deck and eventually had to be replaced suffering from concussion.
Chelsea made it two in the 26th minute - Malouda failed to get a firm head to Kalou's inviting cross but when the ball bounced straight back to him off Knight he did not need a second invitation.
Deco dispatched Cole's 67th-minute cross for the third.
While Ivan Klasnic almost pulled one back when he struck a post late on, the final word belonged to sub Drogba.
Hopefully Sturridge was watching and learning from his place back on the bench.
Bolton will have to learn their lessons quickly ahead of Chelsea's visit on Saturday.
CHELSEA
Hilario 6
Branislav Ivanovic 7
Paulo Ferreira 6
Alex 6
Juliano Belletti 5
Joe Cole 8 - STAR MAN
Michael Ballack 6
Florent Malouda 7
Deco 7
Salomon Kalou 7
Daniel Sturridge 5
Subs: Turnbull (Hilario 23) 6, Essien (Kalou 45) 7, Drogba (Sturridge 62) 6. Not used: Lampard, Matic, Bruma, Borini.













Sunday, October 25, 2009

blackburn rovers 5-0


Sunday Times
Frank Lampard brace puts Chelsea back on topChelsea 5 Blackburn Rovers 0

FOOTBALL has never been more important than family for Carlo Ancelotti who, even as a star player for AC Milan and Italy, would spend holidays back in his village near Parma, helping on the farm of his father, Giuseppe.
Chelsea’s best performance and biggest victory of his tenure were a diversion and he was subdued after the game. Giuseppe, 86, is recovering from major surgery and Ancelotti is flying back to his own country today to be with him. He was at Giuseppe’s bedside on Friday and only returned to London for this match. “I think my father was better today,” said Ancelotti. “This is life.”
Chelsea did all they could to soothe their manager, brutalising Blackburn, and Paul Robinson in particular, with their fluent, powerful and penetrative football. If all their games were at Stamford Bridge, Ancelotti’s side would be certainties for the Premier League. After Burnley’s loss to Wigan, they have the only perfect home record in the competition and have now scored 21 times at their stadium this season, conceding just once. Away, where they have lost recently to Wigan and Aston Villa, it is different. Though this win took them back to the top, they will be displaced should Manchester United win today’s northwest derby. “I’ll watch it,” said Ancelotti. “For one day I can be a fan of Liverpool.”
Despite his troubles, Ancelotti drew on his considerable reserves of warmth to reward Joe Cole with a giant smile and hearty hug when he substituted the attacker with minutes remaining. Starting a Premier League game for the first time in 10 months because of a serious knee injury, Cole emerged unscathed and, though he did not take part in the goals festival, he displayed neat touches and linked expertly with Frank Lampard, who netted twice.
“After so long out it’s not easy to play the way he did today. He is a genius,” said Ancelotti.
Cole’s return is good for England too, and timely, with Fabio Capello keen to reintroduce the player to his side in next month’s friendly against Brazil. The attacker was almost back with an immediate bang. After 29 seconds Lampard bore down the left, cut back onto his right foot and clipped the ball into the area, where Cole was arriving untracked. A large swathe of goal lay unprotected but he glanced his header wide.
A lovely first-time flick with his heel that nearly sent Nicolas Anelka clear, however, soon reaffirmed Cole’s quality.
Anelka owes much to Sam Allardyce for rehabilitating him in English football but showed little gratitude. In Chelsea’s winger-less system, much onus is on him to peel to the left to provide width. Anelka befuddled Blackburn and stretched them to create the first goal. From a switch of play, he made ground to the touchline and centred low. Gael Givet, pressured by Didier Drogba, turned the ball into his own net.
At half-time, though his side’s final ball was poor, Allardyce was pleased with his defence. “We’d only lost out to an own goal and they were restricted to shooting from distance,” he said. “But our tactics went out of the window and I’m bitterly disappointed with the players’ lack of understanding of their instructions. In the second half we were pathetic.”
Ancelotti’s take was: “Chelsea played very well and it’s not very easy to play against Chelsea when we put such great quality on the pitch, Blackburn did what they could”, and the truth was somewhere in between. Michael Ballack in particular would have been difficult for most midfields to live with. One 70-yard pass, from the right-back position to Juliano Belletti on the right wing, was a delight.
Just before half-time, Robinson distinguished himself with three saves, from a dipping long-range Drogba shot, a close-range header by the same player and a powerful John Terry volley. But the second period proved traumatic for the former England No 1. It was seconds old when Michael Essien played Drogba to the touchline and the Ivorian cut the ball back for Lampard to stroke it home. Robinson was blameless then but not soon after when Essien exposed a dreadful piece of positioning by scoring from 30 yards with a shot that seemed straightforward. Lampard then beat Robinson again, this time with a penalty when Alan Wiley punished Keith Andrews for fouling Drogba.
Drogba scored Chelsea’s fifth, Robinson rooted as the striker nodded in a Ballack corner. Terry cleared off his line to ensure there would be no consolation for Blackburn, who lost David Dunn and Chris Samba to a virus. “Several players played with it, we prepared for the match on paracetomol,” said Allardyce.
Before his humiliation, Blackburn fans honoured Robinson with chants of “England’s No 1” but on this form that status belongs to Chelsea.
Star man: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
Yellow card: Blackburn: Pedersen.
Referee: A Wiley. Attendance: 40,836.
CHELSEA: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho (Bruma 67min), Terry, Belletti (Ferreira 61min), Essien, Ballack, Lampard, J Cole (Sturridge 77min), Anelka, Drogba.
BLACKBURN: Robinson, Jacobsen (Salgado 60min), Olsson, Nelsen, Givet, Andrews, Nzonzi, Pedersen (Hoilett 69min), Emerton, Diouf, Roberts (Kalinic 53min).
Lampard finds his touch
If Chelsea are to win the Premier League this season then Frank Lampard rediscovering his goalscoring form is crucial. The England midfielder’s goal against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday was his first in 11 games, while his two against Blackburn last night were the first for him in the league since scoring a penalty against Sunderland in August. Before last night’s excellent display Lampard, inset, had scored more times for England this season — three in five internationals — than he had in 13 league and cup games for Chelsea.
It had been Lampard’s most barren run in the league for Chelsea since 2004-05, when he did not hit his second league goal until the 11th match. A good omen for Chelsea fans is that he went on to score 13 Premier League goals that season, still his second-best tally, and Chelsea won their first title in 50 years. His best scoring season in the league was the following year when he hit 16 as Jose Mourinho’s side retained their crown.
Lampard has gone into double figures in the league for the past six seasons, in contrast to his days at West Ham, where he never scored more than seven in a season. Even his first two campaigns at Stamford Bridge after his £11m move across London brought just five and six goals respectively. Last night’s double, his third against Blackburn, made it eight goals in 16 games against the Lancashire side.

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Telegraph:
Chelsea 5 Blackburn Rovers 0
By Gerry Cox at Stamford Bridge

Joe Cole was back –and back to his best – as Chelsea moved back to the top of the Premier League by destoying a weakened Blackburn Rovers side.
Cole made his first league start since January and showed no adverse effects from the knee injury that had kept him out of action for so long. The England midfielder was full of inventiveness, always looking to play in team-mates with his trademark tricks and flicks, and fitted smoothly into a well-oiled Chelsea machine that got back to winning ways in the league after their defeat at Aston Villa last week.
Gaël Givet opened the scoring with an own goal in the 19th minute when he beat Didier Drogba to Nicolas Anelka’s low cross from the left and turned the ball past Paul Robinson.
The Blackburn keeper performed heroics, however to keep the score down to 1-0 at half-time, saving at the feet of Anelka, tipping away a John Terry volley and then pushing away a dipping shot from Drogba.
But Robinson could not perform like King Canute and hold back the Blues tide forever, and had little chance with any of the goals that put Chelsea 4-0 ahead within the hour.
Frank Lampard drove the ball home from 12 yards twice in the space of 11 minutes, first after Drogba’s low cross was only partially cleared in the 47th minute, and then from the penalty spot after the Ivory Coast striker was tripped by Ryan Nelson.
In between Lampard’s goals, Michael Essien thundered the ball past Robinson from 35 yards with a sweriving shot to make it 3-0, and then Drogba added a fifth in the 63rd minute when he headed in Michael Ballack’s corner at the near post.
It was exhibition stuff from Chelsea as they cruised to their biggest victory since they beat Sunderland 5-0 almost a year ago, and when Cole departed in the 77th minute, he got a standing ovation from Chelsea’s supporters and a hug from his manager Carlo Ancelotti.

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Independent:
Cole 'the genius' helps leaders take five
Chelsea 5 Blackburn Rovers 0: Winger's outstanding return after nine months has Ancelotti purring as Chelsea stroll to the top of Premier League

By Steve Tongue at Stamford Bridge

Pilloried last weekend after losing a second successive away game at Aston Villa, Chelsea soared back to the top of the Premier League with another emphatic victory to follow the 4-0 demolition of Atletico Madrid three days earlier.
Their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, happily restored to the dug-out after visiting his seriously ill father in Italy, may have been concerned by a failure to capitalise on first-half domination with more than a single goal, but the second period was a rout. Despite slip-ups at Wigan and Villa Park, his team remain as impregnable at the Bridge as Horatius; with Manchester United due here a fortnight today, this was an eighth successive home win of the season in all competitions, in which only one goal has been conceded. Losing Ashley Cole from the Atletico game proved far less important against a feeble Blackburn than the return of Didier Drogba and Joe Cole, both of whom were outstanding in a vibrant attacking display. Nicolas Anelka in attack and Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack and Michael Essien, the other members of the oft criticised midfield diamond, were not far behind. After a comparatively dull first half-an-hour, in which the only score was an own goal, this was Chelsea glittering and sparkling in the manner Roman Abramovich has paid so much money and paid off so many managers to see.
Only the nature of the opposition could temper the praise. Blackburn had Sam Allardyce on his feet and bellowing at them throughout the first half, but later he seemed resigned to their collective fate. There were far fewer consolations for him than in the previous away game, a 6-2 defeat at Arsenal; and on Saturday they go to Old Trafford. "The second half was pathetic," Allardyce said. "At the moment they're not good enough, not mentally resilient." It was certainly not the day for David Dunn and Christophe Samba, two of the better competitors, to be missing with a virus.
As for Chelsea's performance, "it was a pleasure to see," Ancelotti said. He described Cole as "a genius", although perhaps it was excitement at being back after nine months that caused him to fluff the chance of a goal within 30 seconds of his return. He drifted into a perfect position six yards out and was picked out by Lampard's cross, but glanced his header wide. It did not seem to matter when Chelsea scored after 20 minutes. Justifiably accused of lacking width at times, they made some through Anelka's run down the left, where Ballack found him for a low cross that Gaël Givet diverted into his own net.
Given Chelsea's recent weakness at set-pieces, the first couple of Blackburn free-kicks from out on the left were awaited with some trepidation by the home crowd. Petr Cech collected them easily enough, then caused an intake of breath by missing a long throw from Morten Gamst Pedersen. That was as good as it got for the visitors for a long while, as Lampard, Anelka, Drogba (twice) and John Terry all threatened to increase the lead.
Blackburn's only hope, that Chelsea would drift into complacency, was shattered by four more goals in the first 20 minutes of the second half. First, Essien sent Drogba thrusting into the penalty area and he crossed low, Lars Jacobsen only diverting the ball out to Lampard for a second goal in four days after 10 games without one. Then, as Blackburn prepared to replace the hapless Jason Roberts, Essien decided to have a pop from 35 yards and a combination of power and swerve defeated Paul Robinson.
The goalkeeper had earlier saved brilliantly from John Terry but he was to be let down by his leaky defence twice more.
Ryan Nelsen brought down Drogba to give Lampard a second goal, this time from the penalty spot, and the referee Alan Wiley, looking fit enough here, could easily have pointed to the spot again as Robinson challenged Drogba without taking the ball. The Ivorian had his revenge with a header from Ballack's corner for the fifth goal. As thoughts turn to Anfield this afternoon, Ancelotti said: "For one day I can be a fan of Liverpool."
Attendance: 40,836
Referee: Alan Wiley
Man of the match: Drogba
Match rating: 7/10

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Observer:
Chelsea return to summit with rout of Blackburn
Chelsea 5 Givet (og) 20, Lampard 48, Essien 52, Lampard (pen) 59, Drogba 64
Blackburn Rovers 0
Amy Lawrence at Stamford Bridge

Nine goals in four days seems like a more than reasonable way to get a blip out of the system. During the second-half tornado, a blue force ripped through Blackburn, inhabitants of the Shed End jumped with enough vigour to test the stand's foundations, and there was a buzz in the air that made you wonder if Carlo Ancelotti had found the X-factor Roman Abramovich has long been after.
This was a thrill-a-minute Chelsea, a forward-thinking Chelsea, a team brimming with goals and attacking intent. Frank Lampard gave a vintage display. Didier Drogba was a menace all evening. Michael Essien scored a picturebook goal. And Joe Cole enjoyed his first league start since 11 January at the head of the midf flashes even though he was understandably a little rusty. Ancelotti was impressed enough to call him "a genius".
Such was Cole's impact and all-round popularity, Lampard confessed later to feeling bad that he had taken the penalty for Chelsea's fourth goal, rather than giving it to his mate after an eight-month absence.
In the past week, Chelsea have responded powerfully to setbacks at Aston Villa and Wigan. It was as if they took surrendering top spot as a personal insult. This was an emphatic way to retake the position, even though Manchester United may overtake them again at Anfield today. "For one day only, I will be a fan of Liverpool," smiled Ancelotti.
What a bloody nose for a Blackburn team who are suffering notable travel sickness. They are in the middle of a run on the road that has served up Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United. Here, as at Emirates Stadium, they were out of their depth. Sam Allardyce intimated he may need to field 13 players to get an improvement next time out.
"Pathetic," was how Blackburn's manager condemned what he saw. "I am bitterly disappointed in the players' lack of understanding of the situation. All the tactics went out the window. We haven't got the resilience, mental strength, physical presence to go away from home and win games." It did not help that a virus is sweeping through the squad.
They were only a goal down at half-time. Michael Ballack's slide-rule pass sent Nicolas Anelka scurrying up the left flank. The Frenchman clipped a cross in the general direction of the onrushing Didier Drogba. Frankly, that was near enough. Just having Drogba breathing down his neck was sufficient to panic Gaël Givet into turning the ball past Paul Robinson. The crestfallen defender covered his head with his shirt in dismay. A tough task for Blackburn just got tougher. Robinson kept them in contention for a while. But the breathing space Chelsea craved arrived early in the second half, with two goals in four minutes — the signal for a complete breakdown in the opposition ranks. Lampard, fresh from rediscovering his scoring touch in midweek, scored with a trademark finish when Drogba's cross was cleared into his path.
Then came the moment that really liberated Chelsea and clicked the enjoyment button into overdrive. Essien was 35 yards out when he let fly with a ferocious drive that glossed with a mighty swerve. With that, Robinson's evening took a turn for the worse. It was potshot time.
There was a tangible shift in Chelsea's body language. Everybody wanted a piece of the action, with the Stamford Bridge brigade yelling "shoooot" at will. Anelka seized the moment to fire one in at Robinson. The goalkeeper seemed struck by nerves and butterfingers.
Just before the hour, Ryan Nelsen was penalised for a trip on Drogba and Lampard stepped up for the penalty. He sent Robinson the wrong way to dispatch his third goal of the week. He might have had another had Alan Wiley awarded another penalty when Robinson tripped Drogba. Not to be.
In the 63rd minute, Chelsea made the most of a set piece as Drogba slammed a header past Robinson. This was perhaps the most satisfying goal of all for Ancelotti. "After Aston Villa, we had a good solution about set plays," he pointed out. "We scored two against Atlético Madrid and one here. We have improved very quickly and very well."
All in all, it made for the best performance since he arrived at the club. Ancelotti returned to Italy after the game to see his ailing father, but expects to be back in London tomorrow morning with good news about his recovery.
THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT
Trizia Fiorellino, Chelsea Supporters Group A good win, although Blackburn were the makers of their own undoing with an absolutely woeful performance. I don't want to sound arrogant, but I don't think we ever had to get out of second gear and still managed to absolutely hammer them. Joe Cole did well on his first start after injury, even though he looked knackered after half an hour. We've missed his creative passes. I felt sorry for the Blackburn supporters who had come down – that was a performance to make you angry.
The fan's player ratings Cech 7; Ivanovic 7, Carvalho 7 (Bruma 66 7), Terry 8, Belletti 7 (Ferreira 60 7); Essien 8, Ballack 8, Lampard 9; J Cole 8 (Sturridge 76 7); Anelka 7, Drogba 8
Mike Delap, Blackburn.VitalFootball.co.uk At least against Arsenal a couple of weeks ago we gave it a good go. Here, we looked more concerned with damage limitation and avoiding a cricket score. It's easy to make excuses and the absence of our biggest goal threats in Samba and Dunn didn't help. But Nzonzi was the only one who looked interested in getting on the ball and making something happen. It's hard to watch Blackburn play like that when you know they're much better than what you're witnessing.
The fan's player ratings Robinson 6; Jacobsen 5 (Salgado 59 5), Nelsen 5, Givet 4, Olsson 6; Diouf 5, Emerton 5, Nzonzi 6, Andrews 4, Pedersen 4 (Hoilett 68 6); Roberts 5 (Kalinic 53 6)

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Mail:
Chelsea 5 Blackburn 0:
Five star Blues head back to the top of Premier League with thumping victory

Something like normal service has resumed at Chelsea, with nine goals in a week and two resounding victories.
Frank Lampard is scoring freely again, Joe Cole has returned from injury and all was well with the world at Stamford Bridge yesterday evening.Chelsea were impressive as they swept aside an abject Blackburn Rovers to return to the top of the Premier League.
That said, any manager feeling an inkling of pressure from his employers could not wish for more than to encounter Atletico Madrid, a shadow of the team who qualified for the Champions League, and this woeful Blackburn side, who declined to compete.For now, Carlo Ancelotti will worry little about the quality of his opponents while emphasising the positives of his Chelsea players.They have responded positively to defeats by Wigan and Aston Villa in what has been an emotional week for their manager, who spent much of it in Italy tending to his seriously ill father, Giuseppe.
Regarding more mundane matters on the pitch, he will know that sterner tests lie ahead, notably next month when Manchester United and Arsenal visit, and that better teams will exploit Chelsea’s evident weaknesses.But any opponents who decline to display whole-hearted commitment against them will be dispatched in emphatic fashion, as Blackburn were.Ancelotti considered yesterday’s performance Chelsea’s best in his short reign, a pleasure not shared, obviously, by his Blackburn counterpart.‘The second half was pathetic,’ said Sam Allardyce. ‘At the moment, these players are not good enough, bottom line.
The mental resilience is not there, the physical challenge is not there; they just want to play football and that doesn’t get you results.’Blackburn were without key players, including David Dunn and Christopher Samba, who were struck down with a virus, Franco di Santo, who was ineligible, and Pascal Chimbonda, who had a calf injury.
Nevertheless, as Allardyce made clear, they lacked basic competitive mettle. As for Chelsea, none could be happier with his performance than Joe Cole, relishing his first Premier League start since sustaining a knee injury last January.His energy and sharpness cannot have failed to impress the watching Franco Baldini, assistant to England manager Fabio Capello, and one audacious piece of skill on 62 minutes, when he executed a chip by dragging his left foot behind his right, sent Paul Robinson scrambling to save.Indeed, his only disappointment can have been his failure to score. His chance, when it came, was perhaps a little too early into his comeback.
Just 25 seconds had passed when Frank Lampard set him up for a free header six yards out; Cole directed it wide but did little wrong thereafter.‘I was very impressed,’ said Ancelotti. ‘He is a genius. He has fantastic quality in midfield. After nine months out it is not easy to play like Joe played. I’m happy for him and for us, as he’s an important player.’Despite Chelsea missing a plethora of chances, with Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Michael Ballack and Lampard all going close after Cole’s first-minute miss, it took a Blackburn defender to set them on their way after 20 minutes.
Ballack, dominant in midfield, sent Anelka sprinting down the left, past Lars Jacobsen, and he cut inside and delivered a cross which perplexed the retreating Gael Givet. In his efforts to steer the ball away, Givet turned it into his own net.The game effectively ended as a contest three minutes after halftime when Drogba tore past Martin Olsson to cross. Jacobsen failed to clear and Lampard seized on the opportunity to steer the ball past a cluster of bodies and into the net.If Blackburn had any inclination to strike back, all remaining resolve dissipated on 52 minutes when Michael Essien unleashed a 35-yard strike that thundered past Robinson, Blackburn allowing Essien time and space to line up his shot, with Steven N’zonzi making but a token effort to close down his opponent.So there could be little sympathy for them on 59 minutes when Ryan Nelsen felt he was hard done by in conceding a penalty, with Drogba tumbling to the ground with his customary histrionics.Referee Alan Wiley was well up with the play and made the correct call, as Nelsen had panicked after being dispossessed by the Ivorian and failed to play the ball.
Lampard thumped the penalty home for his third goal of the week. Freed of the responsibility at the apex of Chelsea midfield diamond, the Lampard of old is beginning to re-emerge.More was to come, with Blackburn by now a shambles and Chelsea rampant. When Blackburn failed to defend a Ballack corner on 64 minutes, Drogba headed in from close range, despite Nelsen trying to unsettle him, to finally claim the goal his performance merited.
Even John Terry went close with a sweetly executed volley from just inside the box, which required a smart save from Robinson.
It was that kind of day for Chelsea.

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NOTW:

COLE ENJOYS ORGY OF SHOWBOATING Chelsea 5 Blackburn 0
By Andy Dunn

JOE COLE is a big fan of rhyming slang. And after 75 minutes of this shamefully one-sided romp, he was cream-crackered.
In fact, he looked like he'd been up and down the apples 'n pears a thousand times.
But no one had a bigger smile on his boat race.
Not Frank Lampard, whose renaissance after the briefest of lulls doubled his season's goal tally.
Not Didier Drogba, whose all-round performance - capped with a headed formality - was a 90-minute testimony to all that is now right with his game and his attitude.
Not Michael Essien, whose spectacular strike was merely one small act in a Chelsea carnival.
Not Carlo Ancelotti, for whom this early- evening stroll provided some comforting distraction from far more serious matters back home.
Cole was the one with a beam of floodlight wattage.
He had performed like a kid opening his Christmas presents. Not knowing what to play with and when.
All those pent-up flicks, dinks, dummies, backheels - stored over eight months of injury-enforced inactivity - were released in an orgy of showboating.
Jose Mourinho would probably have booted him halfway down the King's Road.
Ancelotti indulged him.
And it was fantastic to see.
Some things came off, some didn't. He wasn't the best player on the park - not by a distance.
Drogba and Lampard could scrap for that title.
But the high-fives all round when he puffed his way to the dugout with a quarter of an hour left and the standing ovation that reverberated around Stamford Bridge told you what this occasion was all about.
This was the moment - his first Premier League start since January - that Chelsea and England fans have been waiting for.
And it was a return that lifted club and country spirits.
Effervescent
Anticipating his comeback a couple of weeks back, Cole said he was licking his lips at the prospect of playing in the sausage roll.
(Well, he didn't actually say licking his lips but he did say sausage roll.)
The sausage roll is his own improvised, contemporary Cockney rhyming slang. For the hole.
In the hole. Geddit.
Joe wasn't exactly in the hole but he provided more attacking threat in his full return than Deco has in all his appearances this season.
It was clear that Lampard and Michael Ballack relished his effervescent presence.
Ditto Nicolas Anelka and Drogba.
Cole could claim a distant assist for Chelsea's opener, bringing down a Juliano Belletti clearance before shuttling possession to Ballack.
Anelka peeled left and dashed on to the pass before sending a cross into the cluster of onrushing bodies.
And now, it seems, Drogba only has to stare to score. Gael Givet had stolen a march on the Chelsea striker but seized by panic, slid in the own goal. Defensive apologists may call it unlucky, even unavoidable. It was nothing of the sort.
It was poor defending - just as it had been an inexcusably poor cross from Morten Gamst Pedersen that had set the Chelsea counter-attack in motion.
That typified Blackburn's delivery. Worse than the Royal Mail.
When you place so much store on set-pieces - as Rovers did yesterday - then execution is vital.
Brett Emerton was one of the main culprits. It was impractical to log the amount of kicks that flew in isolation towards Petr Cech.
He must have thought his practice routine had not finished. It certainly gave him some misplaced confidence - his spillage from a throw-in giving Chelsea their only anxious first-half moment.
Cech is having an awkward season. It is clear he is trying to rebuild confidence threatened not only by some poor performances for Chelsea but also by the Czech Republic's failure to qualify for the World Cup finals.
He is trying to do it by being a touch more dominant. And with that comes risks.
Against more dangerous opposition, he will always carry a threat to his own team.

Blackburn might have been more dangerous had David Dunn not cried off. Without his creativity, they looked bereft of genuine invention. But Givet's aberration apart, they defended stoutly enough. Well, in the first half at least.
None more stoutly than Paul Robinson - no pun intended, Paul. Honest.
He made himself big - no pun intended again - to deny Anelka after a slick move inspired by Cole and he risked finger-dislocation to divert a strike of eye-popping velocity from Drogba.
Having clicked them back into place, Robinson then produced one for the season's highlights.
Ricardo Carvalho headed into the path of John Terry, who connected sweetly with a kung-fu kick.
As agile a piece of work as you are likely to see somehow kept it out.
Fabio Capello had been at White Hart Lane earlier in the afternoon and decided not to dice with tea-time London traffic. But his No 2 Franco Baldini - as well as filling his notebook full of Cole - was surely impressed with Robinson's performance.
He must be among England's top three form keepers right at this moment.
He didn't have to be on his best form to deal with Lampard's first-half output - prolific as it was.
Buoyed by his first goal for a while in midweek, Lampard's every touch was a shot.
He took the 'If you don't buy a ticket . . . ' adage to ridiculous extremes.
You wouldn't want to be behind Frank in a lottery queue.
But we all know it pays off.
Ease
And, sure enough, his third of the season arrived soon after half-time. Drogba rolled Givet with ridiculous ease, his cut-back was partially cleared and Lampard welcomed the invitation.
A goal that was an advert for Lampard's predatory instincts and Drogba's new-found selflessness. What stuffing had been inside Blackburn was gone.
And even Robinson appeared deflated, floundering for the first time when Essien's long-range strike smuggled itself inside the near post.
In response, Sam Allardyce threw on a couple of subs - his team threw in the towel.
Ryan Nelsen joined the queue of defenders to be humiliated by Drogba. Only the supremely-fit Alan Wiley could keep up, striding alongside when Nelsen tripped the Ivorian.
Lampard - who else? - converted from the spot.
And Drogba - who, and this is not a misprint, later tried to stay on his feet after Robinson rushed out irresponsibly - received his due reward when Ballack's corner and abysmal Rovers defending allowed him to glance home the fifth.
The gap between the two teams was, quite frankly, an embarrassment - even though Blackburn were shorn of numbers.
Not that it bothered Cole.
Blowing desperately for most of the second half, he was finally spared exhaustion when Ancelotti put up his number.
The acclaim from the crowd was thunderous. And there was only one name on their lips as they headed for the rub-a-dub-dub.
Cole, himself, had broken into that wonderful grin before he fell into the arms of his manager.
Ancelotti probably welcomed the hug for different reasons - for Cole, it was an embrace that confirmed he is back doing what he loves.
Playing football with a smile.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

athletico madrid 4-0




Times

Salomon Kalou double eases Chelsea to easy win over Atletico Madrid
Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0
Matt Hughes, Deputy Football Correspondent


When Salomon Kalou signed a new three-year contract two weeks ago, some Chelsea fans asked in jest whether he was able to put pen to paper at the first attempt.
Applying such finishing touches in a neat and orderly fashion does not come naturally to the Ivory Coast forward, but he cast off his untidy nature to begin a rout that all but guarantees Chelsea a place in the first knockout round.
Kalou’s goals either side of half-time — a tap-in and a close-range header — were straightforward enough, but in keeping with their scorer they did not come easily. Kalou had missed four decent chances — and denied a goal to Frank Lampard by straying into an offside position — before finally repaying a show of faith from Carlo Ancelotti that initially had appeared undeserved.
Lampard added a third from the edge of the penalty area for good measure before Luís Perea’s own goal completed the scoring.
Chelsea’s desire to tie Kalou to the club was partly a response to the Fifa transfer ban that may leave them short of players in the future, but their Champions League campaign has made a mockery of fears over the depth of their squad, even if the extent of this victory flattered them. Without the suspended Didier Drogba and José Bosingwa, the latter of whom was eligible but injured last night, Chelsea have cruised to victory in their opening three matches, leaving them needing a single point from the return fixture in Madrid in a fortnight to secure their passage from group D.
Chelsea are appealing against Fifa’s transfer ban in any case. The Court of Arbitration for Sport confirmed last night that the club have asked for the suspension, covering the next two transfer windows, to be frozen while justice takes its course, which may enable them to sign players in January. Chelsea’s defence against the charge of tapping up Gaël Kakuta is unclear, but with the Roman Catholic church seemingly intent on poaching Anglican priests the club could do worse than appeal to an even higher power.
After Nicolas Anelka answered the call to replace Drogba’s goals by scoring in victories over Porto and Apoel, last night belonged to Kalou, who has been forced to wait rather longer for his day in the sun. The 24-year-old divides opinion like few others, with his infuriating unpredictability offset by the occasional moments of brilliance, and even his manager’s praise was lukewarm.
“Kalou is an important player for us because when we are without Drogba, he can play and play well,” Ancelotti said. “He started the game not good because he made a big mistake, but he maintained good motivation and good focus to score twice after that. For him it was very important to score.”
Kalou was slightly fortunate to start the match, replacing Florent Malouda in one of four changes from the defeat away to Aston Villa, including the surprise omission of Ricardo Carvalho. But Kalou appeared determined to be noticed, if not necessarily for the right reasons.
The Ivorian was involved from the outset, lazily heading Juliano Belletti’s cross wide of the far post in the third minute, and going on to spurn three further opportunities before being presented with a chance in the 41st minute that even he could not miss. Simão’s cynical foul on Deco was exploited by a quickly taken free kick from Lampard, whose clever, angled ball found Ashley Cole in space, and Kalou directed the full back’s left-wing cross into an empty net.
Kalou’s contribution to the second half was rather less erratic, and he managed the unusual feat of scoring with the first chance that came his way. Anelka had brought another good save from the precociously gifted Sergio Asenjo with a dipping drive, but the 20-year-old Spaniard could do nothing to prevent a second goal as Atlético showcased the type of sloppy defending that has caused them to concede 17 goals in seven league matches this season. Lampard was again the provider, with Kalou rising above Perea to head home his third goal of the season from a 52nd-minute corner.
While Kalou’s goals are a nice bonus, it is Lampard’s that have the potential to win trophies for Chelsea, so seeing the England midfield player return to the scoresheet for the first time in 11 matches was arguably the most pleasing aspect of their evening despite Ancelotti’s claims to the contrary. Lampard had not scored for Chelsea since a penalty in the second game of the season at Sunderland, but last night’s goal was worth waiting for as he cut in from the left and played a one-two with Michael Essien before beating Asenjo from 18 yards.
Perea’s stoppage-time aberration from Malouda’s free kick added gloss to the scoreline, but Ancelotti will not have been entirely satisfied as some of his side’s defending was again a cause for concern after their recent high-profile howlers. Atlético had their moments during an entertaining first half, with Chelsea equally vulnerable to the ball played neatly on the floor and the long one lumped over the top.
Atlético’s tricky attacking trident of Diego Forlán, Sergio Agüero and Simão caused the home side no end of problems and, without two smart saves from Petr Cech, Chelsea could have easily fallen behind. The goalkeeper may resemble a gibbering wreck under the high ball, but remains one of the best when one on one with an opposing striker, as he showed when making two smart saves from Forlán, who shares with Kalou the uncanny knack of inspiring mockery and marvel in equal measure.
As one of the sport’s genuine good guys Kalou should not be begrudged his moment of triumph in the group stage, but Chelsea will need all of their key players fit and firing if they are to enjoy an extended run in this season’s competition — and they will need to take all of their chances.
Chelsea (4-3-3): P Cech — J Belletti, B Ivanovic, J Terry, A Cole (sub: F Malouda, 75min) — M Ballack, M Essien, F Lampard — S Kalou (sub: Y Zhirkov, 73), N Anelka (sub: D Sturridge, 78), Deco. Substitutes not used: Hilário, R Carvalho, J Cole, J Bruma. Booked: Belletti.
Atlético Madrid (4-3-3): S Asenjo — T Ujfalusi, L Perea, Á Domínguez, A López — Cléber Santana (sub: M Rodríguez, 65), R García, P Assunção (sub: J Jurado, 54) — D Forlán, S Agüero, Simão (sub: J A Reyes, 77). Substitutes not used: D De Gea, F Sinama-Pongolle, Juanito, P Ibáñez. Booked: García, Dominguez.
Referee: F Meyer (Germany).

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Telegraph:
Chelsea 4 Atlético Madrid 0
By Henry Winter

Another good night in Europe for Carlo Ancelotti, another stride taken by Chelsea towards the knockout stages courtesy of Salomon Kalou’s double, Frank Lampard’s fine low strike and Luis Perea’s own goal.
Early on, Kalou was more Clouseau in his approach to finding a lead but he grew in confidence and Ancelotti could soon relax.
Rafael Benitez cool on Premier League title talk ahead of Chelsea clashAncelotti becomes an intense, nervous figure on match-days, a contrast to the equable, humorous soul the rest of the week. The Italian had not felt under pressure following Chelsea’s stumbles, the defeats at Wigan Athletic and Aston Villa, primarily because he is aware of the quality of his squad and the support he enjoys in Roman Abramovich’s inner circle.
Still, Ancelotti also knows that the Russian oligarch craves glory in the Champions League so this untroubled victory, strengthening their control of Group D, was welcome indeed. As well as the realisation that Didier Drogba now returns from his ban, the sight of Kalou shouldering some of the goalscoring burden was encouraging for Ancelotti.
Similarly uplifting was the stirring image of Lampard back to his creative best in midfield, patently enjoying a freer, deeper role, allowing him space to run into. With Michael Essien anchoring well, Lampard kept pushing on, even scoring a fine goal after 69 minutes, a low shot that ended a 10-game drought.
For all the talk of transfer bans, and Chelsea stepped up their fight against the Fifa embargo yesterday, last night showed they have strength in depth. Ancelotti had demoted Ricardo Carvalho to the bench for Chelsea’s defensive glitches at dealing with set-pieces in recent weeks but Branislav Ivanovic did well enough alongside John Terry.
Yuri Zhirkov, an accomplished Russian international, came off the bench. So did Danny Sturridge and Florent Malouda.
Joe Cole’s return from lengthy injury gives Ancelotti another option, particularly at the forward point of the diamond. Last night’s formation was 4-1-2-2-1, more Christmas tree, and certainly blessed with rich pickings for Kalou.
Before Kalou discovered the way to goal, the game had been disappointing, starting in slightly desultory, distracted fashion with Chelsea fans initially focusing on booing those opponents with English connections, Diego Forlan (Manchester United) and the subs Florent Sinama Pongolle (Liverpool) and Jose Antonio Reyes (Arsenal).
Atletico’s fans, who had spent the afternoon busily shopping in Harrods and Hamleys, responded lustily, targeting the former Real Madrid striker, Nicolas Anelka, who was leading the Chelsea line as Drogba completed the last game of his suspension.
Anelka was supported by Deco, loosely left-sided but roaming, and Kalou, who endured a hapless opening until finally getting his penalty-box SatNav working four minutes from the break. It was worth the wait as, his confidence strengthened, Kalou added a second seven minutes into the second period.
Chelsea had to resist some early pressure, during which Forlan and Sergio Aguero went close, before Ancelotti’s men began to check on Atletico’s well-known defensive vulnerabilities. They first had to journey through a vale of frustration.
When Lampard lifted in a free-kick from near the halfway line, Sergio Asenjo fisted the ball into his own net, much to the Bridge’s delight and merriment. Chelsea’s pleasure was short-lived, Kalou rightly ruled offside.
After a brief break for Ashley Cole to receive treatment, having been struck by a Czech steam train called Tomas Ujfalusi, Chelsea pieced together a magnificent attack, bringing supporters to their feet, thrilled by the one-touch football, the speed and imagination. They then flung their hands into the air in despair at Kalou’s finish.
What a waste. Deco’s flick was sublime, transferring the ball into the path of Michael Ballack, who was gliding into the box. Germany’s captain could have shot, really should have done in the light of Kalou’s subsequent effort but he selflessly squared the ball. Kalou, unmarked, missed horribly, the ball hurtling apologetically a yard wide.
Consoled by Lampard, Kalou refused to wallow in self-pity and kept running, kept knocking at Atletico’s shaky back door, which always looked ready to fall off its hinges. At the other end, a Forlan volley that stung Petr Cech’s gloves provided a momentary scare but soon Chelsea were raiding forward again.
Kalou had a shot saved by Sergio Asenjo and then, at last, found the mark. Lampard had been increasingly involved, clearly enjoying building moves from a deeper station, slightly to the left of the holding midfielder, Essien. Lampard, looking right to deceive Atletico’s defence, delivered a reverse pass down the inside-left channel.
Ballack cleverly let it run for the overlapping Ashley Cole, whose frequent trips to the Bridge deck following Atletico fouls had not dimmed his appetite for the forward gallop. Cole’s cross was low and hard and Kalou simply could not miss, the Ivory Coast forward turning the ball into the net from five yards out.
Like the buses trundling down the King’s Road, the Bridge did not have long to wait for another Kalou goal. Seven minutes after the restart, Lampard swept over a corner that the unmarked Kalou headed easily in.
Still Chelsea looked for more. After exchanging passes with Essien 25 yards out, the outstanding Lampard beat Sergio Asenjo with a strong drive, ending the game as a meaningful contest. “Are you watching Liverpool?’’ inquired the Matthew Harding Stand. Cruel. Chelsea march on.
As Chelsea fans were flocking to the exits, disappearing merrily into the west London night, Ancelotti’s side added a fourth, Perea accidentally heading in Malouda’s free-kick.
“Adios,’’ chanted the remaining Blues fans.

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Independent:
Lampard's strike caps Blues stroll
Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent

It might have taken 11 games and two months to arrive, but when Frank Lampard slammed a shot past the Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo last night, Stamford Bridge could at last be assured that normal service had been resumed.
Chelsea's favourite son finally broke his scoring hex, the trimming on a performance of complete and utter domination from Carlo Ancelotti's team. The Premier League may have thrown up two straight away defeats for Chelsea but the Champions League has yielded no such problems and certainly not yesterday against poor old Atletico with their third win in three.
The Premier League 1, La Liga 0. Atletico were Spain's fourth-placed team last season but this time around they have plummeted to 15th and all their problems were laid bare by a remorseless Chelsea performance. Any team that concedes two goals to the erratic blunderbuss finishing of Salomon Kalou, as Atletico did last night, do not need telling twice that they have serious problems.
By the end Atletico saved Chelsea the trouble and put the fourth goal in their own net themselves. The most impressive statistic of all after three games in the Champions League is that Chelsea are now the only team in the competition who are yet to concede a goal. For Ancelotti, whose side have lost recently to Wigan and Aston Villa, the pressure eases.
This was the last game for which Didier Drogba was banned by Uefa for his meltdown against Barcelona last season and Chelsea have not yet dropped a point. Once again Nicolas Anelka was an excellent stand-in, especially compared to Sergio Aguero, Atletico's Argentine striker. Whoever suggested he was worth £50m last summer needs to take a long lie-down in a darkened room after his hapless performance last night.
Chelsea were in such control by the end of the game that Ancelotti felt sufficiently confident to give Daniel Sturridge his Champions League debut 12 minutes from the end. There was a run-out for Yuri Zhirkov too but no opportunity for Joe Cole, substitute again, who remains, apart from one Carling Cup start and two substitute performances, strangely ignored by Ancelotti.
Last night was Lampard's first goal since his penalty against Sunderland on 18 August, and while Ancelotti later played down the significance of his goalscoring there is little doubt that the man himself sees it as a crucial part of his game. As a 20-goal-a-season midfielder, Lampard will always attract attention when he does not score goals. As for Chelsea, they have come to rely upon them.
By the end the Chelsea fans were feeling sufficiently sure of themselves to break into a few verses of "Are you watching Liverpool?" Unlike their old adversaries, Chelsea require only two points from their remaining three games to be sure of qualification and you would assume that, if Atletico's poor form continues, they will get them in Madrid next month.
Chelsea's success over the last six years has been divided between those players who are core to the club's success and others who have been happy to ride shotgun for the glory. Into the latter category falls Kalou, a perfectly adequate footballer who has never quite reached the same heights as some of his compadres.
On some occasions, Kalou, who signed a new four-year deal this month, can look the part and other times he can sink without trace in a squad so brimful of talent. He took his goalscoring record to 33 on his 160th Chelsea appearance last night but it would be stretching it to say he had a good first half.
First of all he strayed offside when Lampard hit a 30-yard free-kick and ensured that the goal, fumbled into the net by Asenjo, was disallowed. From Michael Ballack's cross on 16 minutes, Kalou arrived right on cue to place his shot from 10 yards wide of the post. A John Terry header on 37 minutes was pushed wide from Kalou, who had managed to get himself offside anyway.
The beauty of playing in front of such a gifted midfield as Chelsea's is that sooner or later they will make you a chance that you cannot fail to miss – even Andrei Shevchenko used to score occasionally. And so it came four minutes from the end of the first half. Lampard passed down the left; Ballack dummied; Ashley Cole crossed and Kalou kept his shot from seven yards under the crossbar.
Atletico have an enviable forward line in Aguero, Diego Forlan and Simao Sabrosa but, apart from an early header from Forlan, they barely threatened Petr Cech at all. On 52 minutes, Chelsea scored their second. Lampard's corner found Kalou at the back post and he headed the ball down and inside the post.
Lampard's goal came from the left. He was played in by Michael Essien and hit his shot inside Asenjo's near post. A truly dreadful display by Atletico was capped by Luis Perea heading Florent Malouda's free-kick into his own goal in injury-time. You suspect that Blackburn Rovers will provide a stiffer test for Chelsea on Saturday.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Belletti, Ivanovic, Terry, A Cole (Malouda 75); Essien; Kalou (Zhirkov 73), Ballack, Lampard, Deco; Anelka (Sturridge 78). Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Carvalho, J Cole, Bruma.
Atletico Madrid (4-5-1): Asenjo; Ufjalusi, Perea, Dominguez, Lopez; Forlan, Santana (Rodriguez, 65), Garcia, Assuncao (Jurado, 54), Simao (Reyes 77); Aguero. Substitutes not used: De Gea (gk), Sinama Pongolle, Juanito, Ibanez.
Referee: F Meyer (Germany).

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Guardian:
Salomon Kalou double helps Chelsea keep perfect record
Chelsea 4 Kalou 41, Kalou 52, Lampard 69, Perea (og) 90 Atlético Madrid 0
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge

The Champions League ought to be a stern test and, in due course, it will bring severity to bear on Chelsea but this encounter was more of a therapy session. Atlético Madrid, worn down in the end, posed a challenge and the victors could tell themselves that the solidity missing in the 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa had been recovered.
There were nuances, too, that had the resonance to warn everyone that Carlo Ancelotti is more ruthless than his benign manner would suggest. The manager was determined to drop Ricardo Carvalho, who had floundered at Villa Park, even though the natural alternative Alex was not quite fit enough to displace him.
Ancelotti instead put Branislav Ivanovic at the core of the defence with Juliano Belletti at full-back. Carvalho will do well to realise that talk of his being rested is mere euphemism. The squad now appreciate the steep price to be paid by those who let the manager down. The win will be recalled for sunnier reasons as well.
Frank Lampard, for instance, got his first goal from open play for the club in this campaign when he put a low shot into the corner of the net after 69 minutes to stretch the lead to 3-0. Atlético, bright and incisive at times, were ultimately despondent. In stoppage time, Luis Perea diverted a free-kick from the substitute Florent Malouda into his own net.
There had been encouragement for Chelsea, as well, in the sight of Salomon Kalou shedding initial haplessness to claim the first two goals. Atlético were ideal adversaries. They had more than enough ability to merit respect but the inherent brittleness ensured that they would succumb in the end.
That team is 15th in La Liga and has so far collected a single point in the Champions League. Even the goalless draw should make them cringe since they had been at home to Apoel Nicosia. The Atlético players were either stirred initially by the sense of occasion at Stamford Bridge or just angry with their lacklustre efforts.
They could have been ahead when Simão crossed for Diego Forlán, whose header had to be saved smartly by Petr Cech. The goalkeeper also needed to beat away a drive in the middle of the first-half from the same attacker, who has long since demonstrated that he is far from the misfit he appeared in his Manchester United period. Ancelotti must have fretted that something must soon go right for such opponents. Chelsea, after all, were faced by a line-up with a glaring potential for goals in the attacking partnership of Forlán and Sergio Agüero.
In the wake of events at Villa Park, the manager must have hoped that this competition would be a setting in which the team donned its customary vigour. With Atlético committed to an attacking style in the quest for revival, Chelsea could not afford simply to be patient.
They went in search of the visitors' defects. A fine move opened up the Spaniards and Kalou can be relieved his bungled finish in the 12th minute was irrelevant since he had wrongly been ruled off-side. The officials seemed skittish and Agüero had wasted an opening when his marginally off-side position was overlooked after 10 minutes. Kalou's goal did not call for forensic examination. A dummy by Michael Ballack let a Lampard ball run to Ashley Cole and the cut-back was forced home by the Ivorian after 41 minutes.
There had been indications of Kalou locating composure when Sergio Asenjo made a particularly good save from his deflected drive in the 36th minute. Atlético had come up with some of the spirit that, presumably, had been dormant until now but it was no longer enough to hinder Chelsea once they held the lead.
There was a hungry persistence to Ancelotti's line-up. Asenjo made an excellent save from a Nicolas Anelka drive but was merely delaying the second goal that Chelsea sought so urgently. After 52 minutes, an unmarked Kalou struck again as he headed in a Lampard corner.
Atlético had been worn down and the brittleness that has typified them in this campaign started to become apparent once more. They were also hurt, too, by bad challenges here and there from Michael Essien. He was not cautioned by the referee, Florian Meyer, even when a tackle on Paulo Assunção ended the midfielder's involvement.
The visitors flickered into life on occasion and Agüero made space before firing at Cech from an angle on the left. To their annoyance, the Atlético players would have appreciated that they were doing no more than giving Chelsea a work-out for which Ancelotti will have been grateful.

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Mail:
Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0
Frank Lampard back on goal trail after Kalou lands the KO
By Simon Cass

Frank Lampard is so often the man Chelsea rely on when they are in need of a little inspiration - the same cannot be said for Salomon Kalou.
But those roles were reversed on Wednesday night as Kalou provided the breakthrough, Lampard added the gloss and Atletico Madrid defender Luis Perea completed his team's misery.
Kalou's display was peppered with a little of the sublime and a fair share of the ridiculous, but will have done wonders for his confidence.
Confidence-wise, the same is true for Lampard, who ended a 10-game spell without a goal for his club and moved to fifth place in Chelsea's all-time scoring charts.
Didier Drogba should be very grateful to his team-mates for taking Chelsea to within one point of the Champions League knockout stages during his self-inflicted absence.
He will be available after a three-match suspension for his abuse of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo when Chelsea aim to complete the job in the Vicente Calderon Stadium in a fortnight.
And after laboured victories over Porto and APOEL Nicosia, courtesy of solitary Nicolas Anelka goals, Drogba owes his team-mates a performance in the Spanish capital having blotted his copy book so spectacularly in last season's semi-final.
But if Drogba's presence was missed in Chelsea's first two Group D games, the same cannot be said of last night's meeting with Atletico.
After some initial ebb and flow, normal Stamford Bridge service was resumed as Chelsea extended their unbeaten home run in Europe to 20 games.
Chelsea's suspect defending of late - six of the eight goals they have conceded in the league this season have come from opposition set-plays - may have prompted Carlo Ancelotti to wield an axe which fell on Ricardo Carvalho.
But any problems at the back are mild to those of Atletico. Arriving at Stamford Bridge with an atrocious defensive record of 21 goals conceded in 11 games - 17 away from home.
Neither have Atletico been helped by the loss of form by the strike partnership of Sergio Aguero and double Golden Boot winner Diego Forlan. The South American duo left Stamford Bridge without adding to the combined total of four goals this season as their team shipped the same amount.
That said, the early exchanges suggested this might turn out to be a tighter affair than transpired.
Chelsea were first to show their teeth, Juliano Belletti testing Sergio Asenjo inside a minute before Kalou planted a header wide.
But Atletico were soon giving cause for concern, Forlan's bullet header from Simao's ball forcing a smart stop from Petr Cech before Aguero blasted into the side netting. The pulsating pace did not abate, both sides mounting attack after attack while the high percentage of sloppy passes only added to the spectacle.
Chelsea thought they had drawn first blood when Lampard's looping free-kick found the back of the net with a helping hand from Asenjo. But the strike was ruled out with Kalou deemed to have been offside.
If that decision was harsh then there was no excuse for the miss which followed. Deco worked the ball to Michael Ballack on the right who crossed unselfishly only to see Kalou side-foot wide with the goal at his mercy.
With 10 minutes of the half remaining Kalou came within a whisker of atoning for his howler with a deflected shot, although the linesman's flag saved his blushes when he appeared to clear John Terry's goalbound header of the line.
Such calamities were soon forgotten four minutes before the break when Lampard found Ashley Cole on the overlap and his cross was too inviting for Kalou to miss from point-blank range. The alarm bells started ringing again after the restart for Atletico when Anelka picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box and crashed a rising drive which required a spectacular one-handed stop from Asenjo.
Their chaotic defending was in evidence once more when Belletti's long throw was allowed to bounce in the box, nearly deceiving Asenjo who was forced to claw it away for a corner. The respite was brief, however. Lampard sent in the resulting centre and Kalou rose the highest to power home his header from close range in the 52nd minute.
With a defence this porous, it was on the cards that Lampard would end his barren spell. But still his 20-yard skimmer into bottom corner was certainly one to savour as it moved him ahead of Jimmy Greaves in the Chelsea record books.
Perea completed his team's misery, heading substitute Florent Malouda's free-kick past his own keeper.
No doubt the pasting prompted angry recriminations among the Atletico players like those among the Chelsea squad after the defeat at Aston Villa.
Thanks to Kalou and Lampard, there were no such harsh words in the Chelsea dressing room.

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Sun:
Chelsea 4 Atletico Madrid 0
IAN McGARRY at Stamford Bridge

NO defensive cock-ups, no goals conceded, no doubt they'll qualify.
Chelsea answered all of the questions that have been asked of them in the last few days with a thumping four-goal victory over Atletico Madrid last night.
After all the stick they took for the way goals were shipped at Aston Villa, the action in their own penalty area was as important as their attacking thrust.
But Chelsea's indomitable spirit ensured a clean sheet which meant that when the goals came, they were more than a consolation.
Salomon Kalou got a goal either side of half-time and Florent Malouda forced an own goal from Luis Perea in the dying seconds.
But it was Chelsea's third strike which will resonate for years to come as it set another landmark in the career of a club legend.
Frank Lampard went into last night's match without a goal in his last 10 club games.
It is the kind of statistic the England midfielder hates but never lets it affect his game.
Against Atletico, he worked tirelessly for 90 minutes making chance after chance for his team-mates.
By his standards, opportunities to grab a goal for himself were rare but, when he sniffed a gap in the Spanish defence, his instinct kicked in.
Lampard took one touch to create some space and drilled his shot low into the net to make it 3-0.
It was goal No 133 in his Chelsea career as Lamps moved to No 5 in the list of the club's all-time goalscorers.
It put him above the great Jimmy Greaves and sees him perched on the shoulder of the legendary Peter Osgood.
Both men are considered perfect examples of the predatory striker which makes Lamps' achievement even more remarkable.
Humble as ever, the most Lampard would say about the achievement was "not bad for a midfielder".
Between Lampard, John Terry and Petr Cech, the Blues got the best out of their big players in this contest and they made sure there were no slip-ups.
Keeper Cech put his indecisiveness of last weekend behind him and made great stops from Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero.
Terry was the most angry man in England after the way the team defended in the defeat by Villa but last night the skipper turned frustration into excellence.
There were some hairy moments in the opening 20 minutes but once Chelsea found their stride there was never any doubt about the outcome.
Even though Kalou - in for the suspended Didier Drogba - did his best to infuriate his team-mates with a few off-key moments to start with.
On 16 minutes he was given the kind of chance every striker dreams of. Michael Essien fired a brilliant quick pass to Michael Ballack to spring the offside trap and Germany's captain drew the keeper before squaring to Kalou.
It was genuinely harder to miss the target than hit it. Kalou managed the difficult part.
Forlan, on the other hand, was making things look easy as he smashed a brilliant half-volley on the angle which Cech parried well.
It was just as well for Kalou. With eight minutes to half-time he was on the Atletico goal-line to clear Terry's header from under the bar AND get caught offside.
In the circumstances, the Ivory Coast striker must have thought nothing would go his way. But after 41 minutes he was advancing on goal when Lamps' reversed a brilliant ball to Ashley Cole.
His cross fell at Kalou's feet two yards out and this time he managed to hit the target.
A goal up, Chelsea returned after the interval with every intention of building on the lead rather than sitting on it.
Maybe boss Carlo Ancelotti's nerves over the defending saw him insist on more attacking - if so he got his wish.
Anelka blasted a brilliant right-foot drive which produced the save of the night from Atletico stopper Asenjo.
The series of corners and throw-ins which followed, however, proved to be decisive.
Asenjo parried a simple cross out for a corner which Lampard hit into the six-yard box and there was that man Kalou to meet it.
This time his aim was true and he bulleted a header low into the corner of the net.
It was the striker's second of the night and third of the season - which partly explains his form in the first half.
Lampard added the third with his historic strike before Malouda's excellent delivery led to the own goal which completed the rout.
Chelsea are now the only team in the Champions League who have not conceded a goal this season - strange given the stick they've taken over here for defending in the Premier League.
Now all they need to do is emulate their form in Europe against Blackburn on Saturday and even the ever-dour Roman Abramovich will be happy.
But then again...

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Sunday, October 18, 2009

aston villa 1-2


Sunday Times
James Collins condemns Chelsea to second lossAston Villa 2 Chelsea 1
David Walsh, chief sports writer, at Villa Park

IF IT is the old-fashioned game you love, where passion counted for more than pace and heart was as important as technique, then you would have enjoyed Villa Park. The tackling was tough but honest, most of Aston Villa’s players ran themselves to a standstill, and then goaded themselves into another effort. All the while Chelsea tried to match their fervour and came close, but Villa deserved their victory.
There is much to admire about Martin O’Neill’s work-in-progress. In a game where it has become almost uncool to roll up your sleeves and fight, his team does just that. Through the last 35 minutes, when hanging on to a 2-1 lead, every Villa player saw himself as a defender and queued up to play a part. Ten, perhaps 15 minutes from the end, they had tackled Chelsea into submission.
You could pick from any one of a hundred challenges but one from James Milner defined the team’s essence. With 72 minutes on the clock, Nicolas Anelka had broken free on the right and, against Villa’s stretched defence there was the chance of an equalising goal. Anelka’s cross flew towards Florent Malouda but Milner, who had tracked back from halfway, got himself in front of the French international to head away. Villa immediately regrouped and attacked down the left, Gabriel Agbonlahor swept in a fine cross beyond the far post and there was Milner guiding a volleyed pass into John Carew’s path. Although the Norwegian failed to finish, you just marvelled at Milner’s enthusiasm. Of course he’s from Yorkshire, so the grit was probably licked from the side of the road.
When the game was perfectly balanced in the first half, Stiliyan Petrov played with that mixture of aggression and authority that forces the away team into thinking a draw wouldn’t be a bad result. If there was a Chelsea weakness, that was it: they would have taken a draw from an early stage in the match. Villa’s desire to win was so desperate that when James Collins headed them 2-1 up in the 52nd minute, they just wanted to dig in and give Chelsea nothing to shoot at. It was dangerous but they managed it.
O’Neill’s achievement isn’t just his ability to create a committed team. He has bought astutely. Needing to reinforce his defence this season, he brought in an Irish centre-back, a Welsh centre-back and an English full-back. Richard Dunne, Collins and Stephen Warnock all played terrifically and the centre-backs got the goals, both from corners. Warnock is a steady defender, old-style in the pride he takes in his performance and you can see why O’Neill wanted him.
Villa’s manager has never hidden his admiration for Chelsea and you wondered in the first period if his players were too respectful. They probed carefully but were mostly content to stay tight and tactically disciplined. That suited Chelsea, who wanted to ease themselves into the battle.
It was Petrov who threw down the gauntlet, making a fine run down the right and delivering an intelligent pass to Agbonlahor, who was readying himself to shoot when Jose Bosingwa’s clumsy challenge brought him down. It looked a penalty but referee Kevin Friend, the fourth official who was a late replacement for the ill Steve Bennett, didn’t give it. As the home crowd voiced their disapproval and Villa’s players nursed their sense of injustice, Chelsea went in front. Didier Drogba got the goal, turning away from Collins about 30 yards from goal and firing in a shot that Brad Friedel should have saved.
That came in the 15th minute and it was equalised in the 32nd when Frank Lampard rose to clear Ashley Young’s corner but miscued and Dunne reacted sharply to head his second goal for Villa.
The first half had been a fine contest, the second was even better. Chelsea weren’t playing badly and Friedel did well to keep out efforts from Deco, Malouda and Anelka. Coming seven minutes after the break, Villa’s winning goal was delivered by a thunderous header from Collins after Petr Cech misjudged the flight of Young’s corner.
Sometime before the end, Petrov, Milner and a few more Villa players were out on their feet. They didn’t give in but it made you wonder how many games they can play like this before a more long-term fatigue afflicts them and it raises the question of squad rotation which, up to now, O’Neill hasn’t done.
That is about to change. “This season we have more depth and I hope we can rotate the squad,” said O’Neill. “I’ve said this to the players, but for whatever reason, when Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal do it, it is called rotating players, when we do it, it’s called dropping players.” Sixth for the past two seasons, on yesterday’s form, it’s not unrealistic for Villa to believe they can climb higher this campaign.
Chelsea, meanwhile, must work on defending set-pieces, as both goals came from corners. Their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, said: “Chelsea played a good game and we don’t want to lose the game in that situation, only if the other team play better than us. Aston Villa were very able on the set plays. We want to do better for sure. We need more concentration.”
Star man: Stiliyan Petrov (Aston Villa)
Yellow cards: Aston Villa: Agbonlahor, Milner Chelsea: A Cole
Referee: K Friend
Attendance: 39,047
VILLA: Friedel 7, Cuellar 7, Dunne 7, Collins 7, Warnock 7, Milner 8, Sidwell 6, Petrov 9, Young 6, Agbonlahor 7, Carew 6 (Heskey 82min)
CHELSEA: Cech 5, Bosingwa 6 (Ivanovic 69min), Carvalho 6, Terry 7, A Cole 6, Deco 6, Essien 6, Lampard 7, Anelka 6, Drogba 6, Malouda 5 (J Cole 85min)
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Telegraph:
Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1
By Jason Burt at Villa Park

Another mistake by Petr Cech led to Chelsea slipping to a second Premier League defeat of the season – and the second in a row away from Stamford Bridge – with Aston Villa coming from behind to claim victory through two headed goals.
Both came from their central defenders – Richard Dunne with the first and James Collins with the second – and both from set-pieces. While Frank Lampard inadvertently flicked on Ashley Young’s corner, directing it straight to Dunne who headed in from four yards, Cech flapped at another corner in the second-half to allow Collins to also head home. Cech had erred recently against Stoke City, again mis-judging a cross.
On both occasions the Villa goal-scorers had evaded their markers with Chelsea’s defence showing a worrying fraility – similar to the frailties that had afflicted them last season under Luiz Felipe Scolari.
It was at Villa Park that Guus Hiddink had re-focussed Chelsea last season but although they played the more attractive football, they deservedly slumped to a defeat that, although it leaves them still at the top of the table, means they could be overtaken by Manchester United later this afternoon. Villa, meanwhile, move up to fifth place.
For both sides the line-ups were unaltered from their last league matches before the international break – except for the return of Jose Bosingwa, fit again, to the Chelsea defence although he was later replaced by Branislav Ivanovic, hobbling off injured. The whole Chelsea team had featured in midweek internationals and did appear affected by fatigue.
They could have fallen behind when Bosingwa appeared to catch Gabriel Agbonlahor as he shaped to shoot but the appeals were waved away by referee Kevin Friend, a late replacement for Steve Bennett after the official had felt unwell prior to kick-off which meant the start of the game was delayed by five minutes.
Soon after the penalty appeal, Chelsea scored with Didier Drogba superbly turning Collins and striking a shot from 30 yards that kicked up horribly in front of Brad Friedel and spun into the net. It was Drogba’s seventh league goal of the season. Undoubtedly the goalkeeper was culpable although he also went on to make fine saves from Deco and Nicolas Anelka – denying both players in one-on-one opportunities – and beating out a powerful drive by Florent Malouda. Friedel also clawed out a wonderful chip by Deco, just as it had appeared to have looped over him as Villa held on for a landmark win.
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Independent:
Chelsea Dunne and dusted by pure hard work
Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1: Ancelotti's midfield diamond not allowed to sparkle as Villa use their heads to exploit defensive lapses
By Steve Tongue at Villa Park

A fixture that Chelsea won in Guus Hiddink's first League game last February with an early goal seemed to be going precisely the same way when Brad Friedel allowed Didier Drogba to score from 30 yards. Eight months on, however, Aston Villa have more about them than the side that faded so badly after that defeat last season and by profiting from some unusually poor defensive work they scored twice from corners to achieve another victory over one of the acknowledged big four to follow success at Liverpool in August.
Friedel and James Collins, who had been too easily turned for Drogba's goal, recovered well, the goalkeeper bringing off a series of saves to preserve the lead. James Milner, having demonstrated his versatility for England by filling in at left-back on Wednesday, was excellent on more familiar ground wide on the right, where he worked prodigiously before moving back inside as Villa retreated into a 4-5-1 formation for the final quarter of an hour.
Emile Heskey, another England candidate in need of playing time, was given only 10 minutes as a substitute and cannot expect to displace John Carew in the big Norwegian's current form; Ashley Young, dropped by Fabio Capello, and Gabriel Agbonlahor, who replaced him in the squad, were fitfully impressive, two inswinging corners by the right- footed Young bringing the goals.
The visitors worked some neat triangles in midfield but were dependent as ever on the full-backs to supply their width and even when Joe Cole was introduced for his first League appearance of the season towards the end, he went into Deco's role behind the two strikers. Carlo Ancelotti might have been expected to send John Terry forward for the final fling; instead his team continued to try threading short balls through the needles of the Villa defence. It was a packed defence by then, and with Richard Dunne another lionheart alongside Collins, Drogba and Nicolas Anelka were continually crowded out.
Villa's manager Martin O'Neill said: "Maybe we've learnt some lessons from last year. When we played Chelsea in February we were third in the table, going strong but we surrendered fourth spot and finished sixth. I think we've made progress, we've got some good players and a decent squad and that's been really encouraging."
Having been brought down to earth in embarrassing and painful fashion on the touchline when Anelka crashed into him, O'Neill is now hoping that he and his players will keep their feet on the ground. "It's a setback for Chelsea and a great boost for us, but I wouldn't draw 15 conclusions from one game. I think Chelsea are a great side."
As in defeat at Wigan recently, they rarely looked like one yesterday. Pushed back while Villa started as brightly as the autumn sunshine, they must have surprised themselves in taking the lead after 15 minutes; all the more so since the vastly experienced Friedel was at fault on his 198th consecutive League appearance.
Frank Lampard played an ordinary pass forward for Drogba, who turned it into a threatening one with his sudden turn past Collins. The shot from almost 30 yards was routine until it bounced in front of the goalkeeper, who would have kept it out had he not gone to ground, watching in anguish as the ball reared up over his arm.
Before half-time there were further opportunities for Deco and Drogba, but Friedel redeemed himself with a superb save and Collins blocked bravely. In between times, critically, Villa had won an equaliser. Young whipped over a corner from the left, and Lampard merely nudged his header dangerously across goal, where Dunne was unmarked to head in for the second successive match.
Chelsea were rattled, Drogba running 20 yards to bawl out Ashley Cole, who was immediately booked for an unnecessary foul. Worse, they conceded another bad goal only six minutes into the second half. It was almost what Match of the Day used to call an action replay: Young's corner, dreadful marking with the goalkeeper Petr Cech nowhere and a firm header by an unattended centre-half – this time Dunne's partner Collins.
Ancelotti's initial reaction was that his team had played "a good match". Further analysis of the videotape before he concentrates on Atletico Madrid this week may offer conflicting evidence.
Ref watch
Steve Bennett having declared himself unfit – no jokes please, Sir Alex – the fourth official Kevin Friend took over for his third Premier League match of the season and handled it well.
Attendance: 39,047
Referee: Kevin Friend
Man of the match: Milner
Match rating: 8/10
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Observer:
Aston Villa's James Collins leaves Chelsea heading to second defeat
Aston Villa 2 Dunne 32, Collins 52 Chelsea 1 Drogba 15
Paul Wilson at Villa Park

Should Steve Bruce need any tips on how to pick a man of the match, he might like to contact the Aston Villa sponsors. They plumped for the solid and unspectacular James Collins, no messing about, and rarely can a call have been made more correctly.
For a start, Martin O'Neill's £5m deadline capture from West Ham scored the winning goal, his first for Villa and the first he has managed for four years. Collins also produced a magnificent block to deny Didier Drogba just before the interval and, had Chelsea turned around 2-1 in front, the second half might have been a very different story. Most of all, though, Collins is a capable defender – and this was a defenders' game.
All the Villa back line were superb: Richard Dunne scored the other goal, Stephen Warnock was a revelation at left-back and Brad Friedel proved, once again, that he has few peers as a shot-stopper, even if his mistake let Chelsea take the lead.
Steven Warnock's good work in the final third for Villa contrasted with the more passive role played by Chelsea's Ashley Cole
If Fabio Capello had been hoping to see more of Emile Heskey than a token eight minutes, he will have been disappointed and this was not a game in which Gabriel Agbonlahor or Ashley Young greatly enhanced their reputations, either. At least Young finished quite strongly, finding his passing range in the second half after being wasteful in the first, and Capello could only have been encouraged by another exemplary display from James Milner.
If Villa's defending was the reason for their win, Chelsea's defending was squarely to blame for their second defeat – a second successive away lapse. There were similarities with their unexpected collapse at Wigan and Carlo Ancelotti was not slow to point them out. "We played a good game on the pitch, but lost the match through set plays," he said, reflecting on the fact Chelsea allowed both opposing centre-halves to score with headers from corners. "Players in England are good with their head and we have to show more concentration in the box. We need more markers and to put more pressure on the ball. There are things we have to improve."
He can say that again. Chelsea looked vulnerable to crosses all afternoon and it was frustrating for the home crowd that Young, and others, failed to provide sufficient quality and quantity early on. Conceding twice from corners means that, of the eight league goals Chelsea have let in this season, six have come from set pieces. Alarming as that statistic must be for Ancelotti, Chelsea are far from alone among the top four clubs in taking their eyes off the dead ball. Five of Arsenal's 11 goals conceded have come from set pieces, while Liverpool are the worst of the lot, with 10 out of 13
"It's just a setback for Chelsea, one bad day, I wouldn't go reading too much into it," O'Neill said. "I have every admiration for John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, and Chelsea have won numerous things through goals from set plays. There's nothing wrong with that, it's part of the game, but we deserve a bit more credit for the rest of our play. We may have won through set pieces, but you still have to take into account the running of Milner, Young and Agbonlahor."
Fair comment, though Villa spent the first 15 minutes running up blind alleys and picked themselves up and dusted themselves down only once Drogba had put them behind with an opportunistic strike against the run of play.
Kevin Friend, hurriedly promoted from fourth official after Steve Bennett took ill just before kick-off, had a decision to make when Agbonlahor went to ground under José Bosingwa's challenge in the 10th minute. He decided it was not a penalty and was probably right, though the crowd let him know they didn't like it, and O'Neill later claimed it was an obvious offence.
"He probably didn't give it because he would have had to send the player off," the Villa manager said. "He couldn't have been expecting to be in charge, though, and, since we've won, I'll excuse him." Agbonlahor went to ground rather too easily and, although Bosingwa may have been holding his man, he did not appear to pull him over.
Villa were left to rue their attacking impotence when Chelsea went upfield and scored with almost insolent ease. Drogba received the ball in the centre circle, turned and advanced a few yards, then hit a dipping shot that looked optimistic. Yet, surprisingly, it went straight past Friedel. The ball came down quickly and bounced awkwardly in front of the goalkeeper, but one still does not expect to see him beaten from 30 yards out.
Villa turned the game around with two corners, though in each case Chelsea defending played a part. Frank Lampard attempted a clearing header, but succeeded only in flicking the ball to the far post, where Dunne crashed in an equaliser after half an hour Then, at the start of the second half – with Villa still in the game thanks to Collins snuffing out what looked like a certain second goal for Drogba – Petr Cech was impeded by his own players as he failed to prevent the ball reaching the Welsh centre-half. Collins did not need asking twice to open his Villa account in front of the Holte End.
Chelsea went close to levelling on several occasions. Ancelotti was not exaggerating when he said their play deserved something, he just reckoned without the reflexes of a 38-year-old goalkeeper. Friedel more than redeemed himself for his earlier mistake with terrific saves from Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka, though John Carew, with an uncharacteristic miss in front of goal, passed up the easiest chance of the day, after excellent approach work by Young and Milner.
"It was tough at times, but we saw it through," O'Neill said. "We beat a good team today. I think anyone finishing in front of Chelsea this season will win the title." That depends, of course, on how quickly Chelsea tighten up at the back.

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Mail:
Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 1:
Richard Dunne and James Collins strike to give Carlo Ancelotti the Blues
By Patrick Collins

Martin O'Neill frowned and grimaced and insisted that it was just one victory and that he wasn't about to draw any dramatic conclusions. But still he could not quite conceal the glow of satisfaction.As for Carlo Ancelotti, he did not even try to hide his feelings. Sucking a sombre cigarette before boarding the team bus last night, his eloquent face answered all the important questions. O'Neill was right, of course. These are early days, and when the Villa manager declares that any team finishing in front of Chelsea will probably win the title, he is simply stating the obvious.
Yet the suspicion remains something significant may have happened; that in the course of a crowded lunchtime in the West Midlands, the English season started to wear a different face. Ancelotti blamed the defeat on his side's abject defending of set-plays. It was difficult to argue, since both Villa goals came from central defenders infiltrating the six-yard box to punish permissive marking.Yet O'Neill was irked by the implication that his team had somehow won on a technicality. He thought that did Villa a disservice. And again he was right. They won because they worked harder, thought more clearly and seized the chances when they arose. They fell undeservedly behind to a goal so soft that goalkeeper Brad Friedel is still blushing but they reorganised, spilled their sweat and kept faith in their methods. Chelsea's inability to play with dangerous width or to cajole performances of real authority from their most important players was just as costly as their defence of set-pieces.Indeed, it might have been even easier for Villa had the referee, Kevin Friend, given them the penalty they deserved in the 11th minute, when Jose Bosingwa sliced down Gabriel Agbonlahor and the official decided the challenge was innocent. Friend had been recruited just 20 minutes before kick-off, when the original referee Steve Bennett fell sick.
That decision apart, he did a competent job despite the petulant barracking from O'Neill in the technical area. The manager was unforgiving after the game. Indeed, the best he could come up with for Mr Friend was: 'Since we've won, I'll excuse him.' It was a graceless remark and, on consideration, he may regret it. O'Neill is better than that, and so, on the day, was Friend.Yet Villa were still cursing their misfortune four minutes later when Didier Drogba - apparently on a whim - spun off James Collins some 30 yards out and attempted a wildly ambitious shot. The ball found more lift than the English pacemen managed all summer, Friedel went down clumsily, and Villa Park just boggled as the vastly experienced keeper helped it into the net. The fact that it was wholly against the run of play was of no concern to Chelsea.Four minutes on, Nicolas Anelka was bundled off the pitch and sent thudding into O'Neill. The manager fell, clutching his knee and seemed in intense pain. But he recovered swiftly to resume his rant at the ref. Meanwhile, his team were setting to work and solving their problems. And in the 32nd minute they received a generous reward. Ashley Young's left wing corner found Frank Lampard rising early and misjudging his header. Richard Dunne reacted instinctively, battering his own header into the net from a couple of yards as Villa celebrated equality.But Chelsea were coming on strongly, enjoying greater possession, while failing to put it to effective use. Going into the second half, they seemed ready to lift their game and kill off the challenge. In fact, their designs fell apart in the 51st minute.
Again, it was sheer simplicity. Villa won a left-wing corner and Stiliyan Petrov demanded a short pass from Young. The winger ignored the plea and waited for Collins to complete his long excursion from the back. The kick was swung long and high, and Collins - as unobtrusive as a 6ft 3in centre-half can ever be - devoured the header. John Terry screamed at the innocent ball, thudding it back into the net. He might have reserved his anger for more deserving candidates.Villa were now required to survive for more than 40 minutes, and they managed without too much discomfort. True, Friedel had to make fine, agile saves from Florent Malouda and Anelka, while there was a half-hearted, instantly rejected penalty appeal against Collins for handball.
But had Villa extended their lead, then none could have complained. Instead, they came through by the diligent excellence of players such as Stephen Warnock, James Milner and their wondrously dependable central defenders.Villa Park looked a picture in the autumn sunshine but the day carried a sharp edge, an ominous hint of things to come. As did the football.

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NOTW:
ASTON VILLA 2, CHELSEA 1
Tormented Terry is armed and dangerous
By Andy Dunn

IT WASN'T quite ripped from his bicep. Angrily yanked, more like. But one thing is for sure, this captain's armband will not be finding a home in John Terry's sprawling collection of memorabilia.
In fact, as he stamped into the privacy of the tunnel - offending item in hand, swearing and shouting to himself like a roaring drunk - I doubt it made it to the dressing-room.
Terry wears his heart, as well as that armband, on his sleeve.
But rarely has his rage been this pure.
Raging, perhaps, against the profligacy of Florent Malouda, Deco and Nicolas Anelka - or maybe their shyness in combat.
Furious, no doubt, with the lamentable and sudden vulnerability to set-pieces.
Angry, probably, that Frank Lampard has been transformed from the epitome of a modern, goalscoring midfielder into a tidy, but mundane, nudger and nurdler.
I wouldn't begin to second-guess Terry's opinion of progress under manager Carlo Ancelotti.
But Terry's torment and Lampard's torpor are significant for Ancelotti.
Chelsea is not unique in this phenomenon but, as Big Phil Scolari discovered en route to a P45, certain players have certain influence.
Comments from the coach afterwards - even allowing for his improving but far-from-footsure English - that he was 'not interested' in Lampard not scoring will need some training-ground explanation.
As will the startling issues surrounding dead-ball defending that allowed Richard Dunne and James Collins to render Brad Friedel's early gift to Didier Drogba irrelevant.
But there is a more general - but more crucial problem - surfacing gradually under Ancelotti.
The stomach for the fight away from Stamford Bridge, this was a second successive reverse, appears to be weakening.
Sure, the Chelsea manager was right to highlight the fact that two poor instances of defending cost them a second successive away defeat. But Martin O'Neill was also correct to point out that it would be doing a major disservice to the application, determination and doggedness of Aston Villa if this result was seen purely through that sort of lens. Villa looked just a smidgeon more committed.
And that, you suspect, is why Terry left the pitch in a prolonged fit of pique, shaking the hands only of people who got in his way. It's certain he would have meant no disrespect to Villa.
Their work ethic was a wonder. James Milner's effort was typified by a wonderfully-timed late block as Malouda cocked his left foot, while Gabby Agbonlahor pulled, pushed, shoved and stretched the Premier League's most experienced defensive unit.
He also pushed Anelka into O'Neill - with the result being that the Villa chief was sent up in the air and needed brief treatment from the team physio.
Stiliyan Petrov revelled in the unaccustomed situation of being allowed to operate unchecked by a Chelsea midfield that looked so unusually awkward, Steve Sidwell was as unfussy as he is unheralded.
Ashley Young was fitful in his contributions - Ashley Cole exposing the reasons why the Aston Villa winger has faded to the back of Fabio Capello's mind.
Yet he could still milk the applause for his significant role in both Villa goals.
His first corner for the equaliser deceived Lampard, whose attempt at a clearing header only produced a telling glance that diverted the ball into the path of a rampaging Dunne.
Nothing gets in the path of a rampaging Dunne and survives. Ball, buried.
Lampard was harsh on himself - but correctly so.
A flicked header was worse than no header at all.
At least it absolved Petr Cech of blame - but only until Collins nodded in the winner.
Wear a luminous jersey and your every move is luminous. Cech's mistake was day-glo.
Granted, Young does spin a mean corner. And sure, if you fail to notice a 6ft 4in ginger Welshman marauding with intent, then you might be in a spot of bother.
But Cech was as culpable as those who laid down the carpet for Collins. He should have been able to place himself in the path of the kick's trajectory but he wandered like a first-day tourist. Chelsea's defending from set-pieces was truly desperate.
And Villa - through a centre-half pairing who could have been named No and Nonsense - threatened to extend their lead.
But contrary to O'Neill's claims, it was Chelsea who created the clearer chances and played the slightly more incisive football.
Not that their lead-taking goal early in the proceedings had anything remotely incisive about it.
A wonderful turn that rooted Collins gave Drogba the shooting chance but even though his long-range effort reared off a length like an Andrew Flintoff special, Friedel should have done better than to be caught in a corridor of uncertainty.
But that turned to certainty and when facing the eye-whites of Malouda, Deco and Anelka, he didn't blink. The Chelsea trio did.
Good saves, yes. But he shouldn't have been offered the chance of redemption.
And what was more significant is that Friedel was at his most comfortable when fielding the efforts of Lampard - who has now gone 10 games without a goal, and that is a double-take statistic.
But you don't need Opta to recognise a dip in the form of such a relentlessly effective performer.
Physically and mentally, he simply didn't bond with Deco yesterday.
His role appears too withdrawn for the comfort of familiarity. Ancelotti needs to sort it out as matter of some urgency.
Of course, this is not a Chelsea crisis.
The loss at the DW Stadium was startling but this Villa team looks to have top-five credentials.
Indeed, they might have handed Chelsea a more damaging setback had rookie referee Keith Friend - a very late replacement for sickness-stricken Steve Bennett - not decided pre-goals that Jose Bosingwa's grappling of Gabby was as much Agbonlahor's fault as the Chelsea defender's.
On that occasion, Ancelotti certainly had a Friend.
He'll need plenty more pretty quickly at Stamford Bridge. Just ask Big Phil.