birmingham 0-0

Times:

Brave Joe Hart thwarts 10-man Chelsea as they drop yet more points in title race
Birmingham 0 Chelsea 0

David Walsh Chief sports writer at St Andrew’s


THERE are times in scoreless games when you yearn for excitement. It was never like that at Birmingham as the contest seesawed from one penalty area to the other and both teams chased a win that neither would get. And if you were a neutral, that was just fine because this marvellous game didn’t deserve to have a loser.

You may consider it two points dropped by Chelsea but it wasn’t. They played well and but for an outstanding performance by Birmingham’s goalkeeper Joe Hart, they might have won. Even when Hart was beaten, the crossbar seemed to dip slightly and take Alex’s free-kick on the forehead. But this is just one side of the story.

Birmingham were denied a legitimate goal by an offside decision that showed again how human match officiating can be. You couldn’t blame the referee or his assistant because it was borderline but it may have cost Birmingham a precious victory. Nobody was complaining. Birmingham played with spirit and poured everything they had into the game. Alex McLeish has now steered them to an unbeaten run that stretches to 10 games.

They were the first team since Barcelona at the Nou Camp last April to stop Chelsea from scoring. For Chelsea, that was a 35-game scoring run brought to an end. “There’s a bunch of blokes in there really together,” said McLeish, “and that makes them powerful.” Nothing foretold the nature of the match as much as the very first minute when Barry Ferguson played a precise through ball for Cameron Jerome, who muscled his way past Alex but then fired over the bar.
Apart from that slack early moment, Chelsea started well. Their approach showed they appreciated the significance of Birmingham’s unbeaten run as they zipped the ball about with great accuracy. Birmingham found themselves in chase mode and so frantically did they run that for the first 25 minutes they forgot all about playing.

Chances had to fall to Chelsea and they did, first to Dean Sturridge, who struck a fine shot that looked bound for the bottom corner until Hart produced an outstanding save. Three minutes later Branislav Ivanovic hooked a ball through for Frank Lampard in what seemed an offside position but there was no flag, merely a moment’s incredulity from the Chelsea midfielder and then the volley which drew another outstanding save from Hart.

He would make another terrific save from Salomon Kalou midway through the second half. Whether Hart is ready to leap-frog Robert Green into England’s squad is another thing because there are question marks about every candidate, Hart included.

Those near misses in the first half changed the pattern as Chelsea lost momentum and Birmingham realised they had to start playing. The reward was almost instant. Petr Cech came for a free kick as if determined to prove something and as well as punching the ball clear, he also floored his own man, Didier Drogba. The clearance fell to Stephen Carr, whose cross was headed on by Scott Dann for Liam Ridgewell to pull a shot across goal which Chucho Benitez tapped into an unguarded net. The linesman flagged in error and the goal was disallowed. Birmingham weren’t complaining because Alex’s free kick almost shattered the crossbar and in the 45th minute, Drogba played a fine cross to Sturridge at the back post but the striker flashed his shot just wide.

Chelsea were the better side in the second half. Lampard played a neat pass for Ashley Cole but Johnson made a fine tackle to stop the full-back and Seb Larsson’s free kick drew a brilliant save from Cech. Thereafter the better chances fell to Chelsea but Hart was brilliant and when his own defender Carr headed a suicidal backpass, the goalkeeper reacted sharply to get there before Drogba. Florent Malouda was sent off late in the game for a second yellow card.
McLeish was asked about the goal that should have been given but refused to criticise any of the officials. Instead he spoke about his team’s luck last week against Everton when an incorrect decision helped his team.

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has been boosted by the availability of three of his African stars. The Chelsea boss revealed Ivory Coast strikers Drogba and Kalou and Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel will be available for tomorrow’s derby against Fulham after agreement was reached with their national teams ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Star man: Joe Hart (Birmingham)

Yellow cards: Birmingham: Bowyer Chelsea: Ivanovic Red card: Malouda
Referee: P Walton (Northants) Attendance: 28,958

BIRMINGHAM: Hart 9; Carr 7, R Johnson 8, Dann 7, Ridgewell 7; Larsson 7 (D Johnson 88), Ferguson 6, Bowyer 7, McFadden 5 (Fahey 77); Jerome 6, Benitez 7.

CHELSEA: Cech 7; Ivanovic 7, Terry 7, Alex 6, A Cole 6; Belletti 6, Mikel 6 (Ballack 85), Malouda 5, Lampard 5 (J Cole 79); Drogba 6, Sturridge 6 (Kalou 67).

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Telegraph:

Birmingham City 0 Chelsea 0

By Sandy Macaskill at St Andrews

The roar that met the final whistle at St Andrews spoke volumes. Birmingham City have come a long way since the start of the season, but holding Chelsea, the league-leaders, to a draw is some achievement. And if anything, they were the victims of human error, Christian Benitez incorrectly ruled offside when he turned in a shot from Liam Ridgewell from less than a yard.

The reality, though, was that Chelsea had pushed Alex McLeish’s side hard for much of the match, and Carlo Ancelotti will be frustrated that Manchester United could move within two points of the top. This was a slow burning, back-and-forth affair, the stand-out contributors being Joe Hart, who ended the game with his head swathed in bandages, and Roger Johnson and Scott Dann, Birmingham’s Grenadier Guards, who were once again excellent. Birmingham’s defence has been super this season; the problem has been at the other end. Cameron Jerome has plenty of pace, as he showed inside thirty seconds, latching onto a Barry Ferguson pass, but his final ball needs work, and his shot went high and wide.

It should have settled the nerves, but Chelsea had too much possession to get comfy. Branislav Ivanovic tickled a header just over the bar, Daniel Sturridge came close with a left footed shot which was turned around the post by Joe Hart, and Frank Lampard was through with only Hart to beat, but the ‘keeper stayed big and saved, leaving Lampard standing in the six-yard box scratching his head, wondering how he didn’t score.

Next up was Alex, sending a fearsome free-kick from 40 yards out crashing against crossbar, and then Sturridge put the ball wide from a perfect cross from Drogba in added time. In spite of all that, it was Birmingham who should have seized the lead. Ridgewell, unmarked at the far post, beat Cech when Steve Carr found him with a cross, and Benitez put it over the line. St Andrews exploded but the linesman ruled him off-side.
Television replays subsequently suggested that a prostrate Drogba was playing the Ecuadorian on.

The second half was more of the same, Seb Larsson coming close with a free-kick that had Petr Cech at full stretch, and Florent Malouda had an open goal in the second half, but he sent his side-footer wide of the target. It just wasn’t his day, and he was dismissed shortly before the finish for a rash challenge on Carr.

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Independent :

Linesman lets Chelsea off hook
Birmingham City 0 Chelsea 0
By Glenn Moore at St Andrew's

The good news for Chelsea is that Didier Drogba is staying to play Fulham tomorrow before heading off to the African Nations Cup. The bad news is that this match underlined how much they need him.
The club's top scorer was relatively quiet by his standards, the closest he came to his 19th of the season was a volley which fizzed just wide, but his team-mates wasted a series of chances, and not just because of Joe Hart's inspired performance in the Birmingham goal. Chelsea thus failed to score for the first time since playing Barcelona in the Nou Camp in April, 34 matches ago.
Fortunately for Carlo Ancelotti a linesman's errant flag, which ruled out what would have been Christian Benitez's first home goal, meant Birmingham also drew a blank. But though Chelsea avoided defeat they have now won only one match in seven. It is an untimely slump. Drogba, and Salomon Kalou, will still be heading to passport control this week, as are Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel. Chelsea will also be without the injured Nicolas Anelka tomorrow, and Florent Malouda, suspended after being dismissed late on at St Andrew's.
"We are disappointed, but we improved compared to our last game against West Ham," said Ancelotti. "I think we played well and had a lot of chances but Hart made fantastic saves. It is not our best moment but I do not see big problems. At the halfway point in the season we are top, this is good for us. We are now losing players with good qualities but we have a very good squad and will find other solutions."
What they will be is not immediately clear. Ancelotti made four changes from the XI which scrambled a draw at West Ham, among them the deployment of Malouda in the hole, and a first league start for Daniel Sturridge. Aside from a snap-shot superbly saved by Hart, the youngster – playing against the club at which his father, Michael, had been on the books without ever making an appearance – was quiet.
Malouda was no more effective, and after an hour he swapped positions with Frank Lampard. Then, after a shocking miss following some clever work by Kalou, he incurred a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Stephen Carr.
While Ancelotti shuffled his pack, Birmingham's manager, Alex McLeish, fielded the same XI for the seventh successive fixture, hardly surprising given the previous six brought five wins and a draw. After giving Chelsea a first-minute scare, Cameron Jerome shooting over, Birmingham got bodies behind the ball as Chelsea passed around them. Chances, inevitably, were created. After Branislav Ivanovic headed over and Drogba volleyed wide Hart went full length to deny Sturridge then blocked Lampard's point-blank shot after the England midfielder, to his surprise, beat the offside trap.
Three minutes later a flag was raised, but wrongly, as Benitez touched in Liam Ridgewell's low cross after Scott Dann headed on Carr's cross. The linesman's only excuse was that Drogba, playing Benitez onside, was lying prone. McLeish's response was sanguine, and admirable. "He's definitely onside, but we got a break last week against Everton [a Louis Saha goal wrongly chalked off] and it went against us today. I've no problem with the officials. They have the toughest job in the game."
Thereafter, though City sought to attack, it was Chelsea against Hart, assisted by the bar which Alex rattled with a 35-yard free-kick. Hart denied Juliano Belletti, Kalou and Lampard (excellent in the hole, before being replaced by Joe Cole), and withstood an accidental raking by Kalou. "Joe was brave and took charge of the situation, he'll have a sore head but be OK," said McLeish, adding: "His form's been terrific. I know the England staff think a lot of him." City are now 10 matches unbeaten. McLeish said: "Can I believe it? I can, but it is a fantastic run."

Attendance: 28,958
Referee: Peter Walton
Man of the match: Hart
Match rating: 7/10

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Observer:

Florent Malouda sees red as 10-man Chelsea are held by Birmingham City

Joe Lovejoy at St Andrew's

It was Chelsea who were left with the blues after the battle thereof, dropping two more priceless points in a dangerous mid-season hiatus: they have only one win in their past seven matches in all competitions. The league leaders, who failed to score for the first time in 34 games, are increasingly vulnerable to Manchester United, whose trip to Hull today has the look of a gimme.
Birmingham, in contrast, are on the up and up – the division's form team with 17 points from their past seven games. They are unbeaten in their past 10, and would have claimed another notable scalp yesterday but for an erroneous offside decision which robbed Christian "Chucho" Benítez of what should have been the winner.
In fairness, defeat would have been hard on Chelsea, who created the lion's share of the scoring chances and were ultimately denied by a man-of-the-match performance from Joe Hart, who looked every inch the England goalkeeper in waiting. Alex McLeish, the manager at St Andrew's, said afterwards that he would love to make Hart, who is on loan from Manchester City, his first signing in January.
Birmingham's new owner, Carson Yeung, is committed to making "substantial" funds available, and McLeish's record in the market to date should get him whatever he wants – within reason.
Joe Hart's distribution is normally directed to the left wing, but against Chelsea his kicks went to the right. Had Birmingham identified Ashley Cole as a weak link? Chelsea's well-documented problems, which Carlo Ancelotti admitted were mounting, are exacerbated by the loss of Florent Malouda, sent off for the second of two yellow cards, and therefore suspended for tomorrow's west London derby against Fulham. Nicolas Anelka and Michael Essien are also unavailable, injured, but Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou will now both play against another of the league's over-achieving teams before joining up with the Ivory Coast squad to prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations.
This was an absorbing, thoroughly entertaining scrap, regardless of the scoreline. There was a time, not too long ago, when it would have been an away banker but the road Birmingham have been keeping on these past decades has ceased to be a cul-de-sac, and they are making great strides under McLeish's shrewd direction. It will have escaped no time-served follower of this yo-yo club that they were running sixth in April 2004, in Steve Bruce's day, before collapsing and finishing 10th, and a more recent sobering example is provided by Hull, who, like Birmingham, came charging out of the Championship and were seventh this time last year, only to avoid relegation by a single point.
Enough negativity. The Scot has fashioned an impressively organised, combative unit, whose efficient defence should keep them out of trouble. This clean sheet was typical of their parsimony.
McLeish dipped into the Championship, which many Premier League managers regard as a barren wilderness, to sign Roger Johnson (Cardiff) and Scott Dann (Coventry) for £8.5m the pair. Some well-respected sages are already likening the two centre-backs to Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister in their early days at Manchester United, and both added to their burgeoning reputations by subduing Drogba and Daniel Sturridge, whose first Chelsea league start was unrewarding. The central defenders are quick to acknowledge the debt they owe to the vastly experienced Stephen Carr, reborn after his brief retirement, and to a couple of old heads, Barry Ferguson and Lee Bowyer, in midfield.
Brimming with confidence, City might have scored after 30 seconds, when Barry Ferguson sent Cameron Jerome away in the inside-right channel, past Alex, only for the striker's finishing to let him down. Chelsea hit back hard, with Sturridge and Frank Lampard bringing the best out of Hart before the arrival of the major talking point, in the 34th minute. Carr's cross from the right was transferred by Dann's head to Liam Ridgewell, whose shot was heading wide when it was diverted in at point-blank range by Benítez. The referee's assistant, distracted by Drogba's prostrate body, flagged for offside when the Ecuadorian striker was level with the last man.
Most managers would have berated those responsible loud and long, but McLeish is as impressive off the field as his charges are on it, and he said: "I've seen the replay and Chucho is onside, but we got a break against Everton last week [when Louis Saha had a legitimate goal disallowed] and it went the other way this time. I've no problem with the officials."
Chelsea cranked up the pressure and Birmingham's back five had to earn their corn. Alex smacked a free-kick against the crossbar, Sturridge and Malouda both spurned open goals, Hart denied Kalou and Johnson headed clear off his own line at the death. Birmingham's only chance in the second half saw Petr Cech claw out a free-kick from James McFadden and collide with his right-hand post, summoning horrible memories of his career-threatening injury against Reading. To universal relief, he was able to continue after treatment. It was his manager who was left with the headache. "It was not a good result for us and this is not our best moment," Ancelotti said – an example, if ever there was one, of stating the bleedin' obvious.

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Mail:

Birmingham 0 Chelsea 0:
Stalemate sees leaders frustrated by high-flying Blues

Ian Ridley

Carlo Ancelott says he will run around a freezing Chelsea training ground naked if the club sign players in the forthcoming January transfer window.
With resources stretched and confidence waning, it is his team who are looking a little bare and blue right now.
These are challenging days for the manager and his side as they chase the title. Wins elude them, draws mount up and they allow stuttering fellow contenders to stay in the race.
Who really wants to be champions? Yesterday's point at St Andrew's extended their patchy recent form to one win in seven games since destroying Arsenal last month and they have just six points from their last five Premier League games.
Although creating the better chances - finding Joe Hart in fine form in the home goal - they might even have lost, with Chucho Benitez's tap-in for Birmingham wrongly disallowed for offside.
It is a worrying position for Chelsea at a time when they might have expected to have pushed on.
After tomorrow's home derby against Fulham - for which they have at least negotiated the availability of the Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou plus Nigeria's John Obi Mikel - they lose key men to the Africa Cup of Nations.
This on top of the absence of Nicolas Anelka - though expected to be fit next week - to which they can add for a game Florent Malouda, shown a second yellow card yesterday in the game's dying embers.
Ancelotti sought to put a brave face on it. 'I am disappointed with the result but not the performance,' he said.
'We have not always played good football lately, but today we did.
'It's not our best moment. Birmingham and Fulham are both in good condition now. We may have some problems with players out but I don't see big problems. We are halfway through the season and top. This is good for us.'
By contrast, buoyant Birmingham extended to 10 their remarkable run of unbeaten games that has seen them gatecrash the top half of the table, and they have form that Chelsea would envy of 17 points from their last seven league games.
Their best crowd of the season let out a mighty cheer at the final whistle as illustration of their surprise and joy at where they find themselves.
'It's a fantastic run,' said City manager Alex McLeish.
'If you had said we would have gone 10 games unbeaten, I'd have bitten your hand off. I run out of superlatives for these guys.'
In hindsight, we might have expected a goalless draw, with the two best defences in the league now having accumulated 18 clean sheets between them.
What happened to those Boxing Days of yore with their freak, high-scoring results?
Managers probably stopped players enjoying Christmas Day. Not that this was a festive turkey, with plenty of goalmouth action.
Defending can also be enjoyed, and Birmingham certainly seem to.
'Joe Hart has come on a ton,' said McLeish of his goalkeeper, who is on a season's loan from Manchester City.
'He is a conscientious big guy and I know the England coaching staff think highly of him. I have guys who love defending, heading and making tackles. They are a real throwback.'
The denial of a City goal came on half-hour courtesy of a linesman's flag.
Stephen Carr's feed into the Chelsea penalty area was headed down by Scott Dann to Liam Ridgewell, who turned the ball goal for the lively Benitez to turn home.
The offside decision ignored a prostrate Drogba, having been bundled over by Petr Cech earlier in the move.
Benitez might have also had a goal in the first minute when Barry Ferguson's ball sent him racing past Alex - the Brazilian labouring in only his second game in a month - but the Ecuador striker shot wide.
Sebastian Larsson also tested Cech with a 25-yard free-kick in the second half that the goalkeeper turned round a post. Otherwise, Chelsea were the dominant force.
With City looking to get the ball forward early when they did have it, they ceded possession regularly to the London side, who promptly made openings.
In the first half alone, Branislav Ivanovic headed Malouda's corner inches over the bar. Drogba volleyed Juliano Belletti's cross just wide and Hart made a fine low save from Daniel Sturridge's shot.
Frank Lampard also beat the offside trap but shot too close to Hart, Alex hit the bar with a free-kick from 35 yards and Sturridge turned wide Drogba's cross just on the break.
The pattern continued after the interval, with Chelsea forcing the pace, being thwarted by some last-ditch defending or their own wayward finishing.
Belletti turned Lampard's corner wide and Malouda miskicked when presented with a sight of goal by substitute Kalou's low cross.
Kalou then had a go himself, Hart, who finished the game with two staple stiches in his head after diving bravely at Drogba's feet, saving well again one-handed.
It all begins to carry the eerie echoes of this time last season which Ancelotti may not want to hear.
After a promising start, Luiz Felipe Scolari stumbled similarly and was out of a job in the new year.
Guus Hiddink is again in the wings, this time his Russia team having no World Cup fixtures to prepare for. For Chelsea and their manager, a naked moment of truth is approaching.

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NOTW:

NAKED TRUTH IS CARLO HAS CAUGHT A COLD
Birmingham 0 Chelsea 0
By Aidan Magee

ON this evidence, getting naked in January is the least of Carlo Ancelotti's worries.
The Chelsea manager must have thought his side were cruising to a first Premier League title in four years when they won so convincingly at Arsenal less than a month ago.
The talk then was that they had finally restored the mentality and recovered the ruthlessness that won them so many trophies under Jose Mourinho.
Since then, they have won just once in the league in five games and dropped nine points.
You don't have to think too far back to a time when Chelsea used to breeze past teams like Birmingham.
In fact, they hadn't lost to the St Andrew's club since 1980.
Yet their failure to find a way past the outstanding Joe Hart has given even more hope to the less than convincing teams below them.
Ancelotti pledged to run naked around the club's training ground in the snow if he bought a player in January - despite being given £55million to spend by owner Roman Abramovich.
But he faces losing Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and Jon Obi Mikel to the African Nations Cup after tomorrow's derby with Fulham.
Nicolas Anelka and Deco are injured, while Florent Malouda now faces a suspension after his red card late on yesterday.
Chelsea have known for months and months they would miss key players to international duty in January.
But Ancelotti was comfortable in the knowledge that the schedule of fixtures did not look as punishing as it could have been.
Yet suddenly, games against Hull and Bolton and the FA Cup tie with Watford look a lot tougher now the Blues have to rely on the inexperience of Daniel Sturridge and Fabio Borini up front.
Birmingham keeper Hart pulled off three excellent saves from Frank Lampard, substitute Kalou and former Manchester City team-mate Sturridge to deny Chelsea what would have have at least been a comfortable-looking victory.
It's not easy to stop the Blues scoring, either.
No team has managed that in 34 games in all competitions since Barcelona kept them out in the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Nou Camp last April.
England hopeful Hart was cast aside by Manchester City last summer and sent on loan to the Midlands club.
He ended the game with a nasty gash on his head which needed a bandage.
Hart could, however, end the season on the plane to South Africa if he keeps up his current form.
Birmingham have now gone 10 games unbeaten and taken 22 points in that time.
How Ancelotti could have done with that kind of record in recent weeks.
But even the form of the home side should not have mattered.
Harm
Edging past promoted sides in tight games should happen as a matter of course if you are going to win the league.
Beating your top-four rivals is not enough to guarantee becoming champions.
You only have to look at Liverpool last season to see that failing to overcome teams in the lower half of the division does you as much harm as beating the big sides does you good.
And you only need to ask Arsenal how your title challenge can come unstuck at St Andrew's.
They were looking good at the top of the table two seasons ago when a draw with Alex McLeish's team and an horrific injury to Croatian striker Eduardo set the tone for a disappointing end to the season.
Chelsea may have come up against an inspired goalkeeper at Birmingham but there was no escaping the fact Ancelotti's side were still pretty lucky.
Referee Peter Walton was let down by his assistant when Christian Benitez, or 'Chucho' to his mates, was wrongly adjudged to have been offside when he knocked the ball into the net 10 minutes before the break.
Initially, there was a suggestion that if Chucho had not touched Liam Ridgewell's goalbound effort while inside the six-yard box, the 'goal' would have stood.
The Ecuadorian striker copped a verbal volley from team-mate Roger Johnson for that reason.
A closer look at the TV replay showed that Benitez was standing behind the stricken Drogba when he touched the ball over the line.
Ancelotti may view it as his own piece of luck.
But he would do well to remember what happened to one of his predecessors - Luiz Felipe Scolari - less than a year ago when he had Chelsea riding high last Christmas.
The Blues blew it - and Manchester United eventually went on to win the Premier League title.
If Chelsea's rivals below fail to capitalise on their slip-up, then the point won't look as bad. But teams like United don't pass up gifts too many times in a season. Chucho should have put his side ahead in the opening few minutes when he brushed past defender Alex only to see his shot sent off course by the Brazilian's recovering tackle.
Sturridge then brought a first great save from Hart when his low strike from the edge of the box was well dealt with by the former Shrewsbury keeper.
Drogba got in front of the impressive Johnson for the only time soon after but his vicious volley on the run flew narrowly over.
Four minutes before half-time, Alex nearly shattered Hart's crossbar with a ferocious free-kick from 35 yards.
Hart needed to be inspired once again when Lampard, who everyone thought was yards offside, was correctly allowed to play on - only to see his fierce volley inside the area beaten away brilliantly by the on-loan keeper.
Chelsea upped the tempo after the break but they needed to rely on Petr Cech - who has been out of form recently - to keep out a superb 30-yard free-kick from Seb Larsson.
The Czech stopper collided with a post in the process.
Sweat
French winger Malouda found his way into the referee's notebook with a poor challenge on Benitez.
And Ancelotti decided to shake his side up by bringing on Kalou for Sturridge and Joe Cole for the disappointing Lampard.
It didn't make any difference to the outcome as his team continued to sweat without getting any reward.
Sturridge's final contribution was to put Drogba's centre wide of a post.
Hart pulled off another fantastic save from Kalou when the Ivorian was sent clear.
Even after Malouda was dismissed for a clumsy foul on Stephen Carr, the six minutes of stoppage time signalled by referee Walton was not enough for Chelsea to force a breakthrough.
Birmingham defended very well and it was not difficult to see why they have strung together such an impressive run of form recently.
Kalou left his mark on Hart in the shape of a cut to head.
But the naked truth is that Chelsea will need to improve drastically in the near future if they are to have any hope of regaining the title.

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