birmingham city 0-1

Independent:

McLeish toasts Foster as Chelsea problems mount
Birmingham City 1 Chelsea 0

By Phil Shaw at St Andrew's

Chelsea's blip is in danger of becoming a full-blown slump. The champions' standard still flutters on the Premier League summit, but it is looking increasingly ragged after Birmingham, third from bottom at kick-off, emulated Sunderland's win over them. Lee Bowyer converted their only scoring chance early on before they mounted a rearguard action in whichBen Foster answered criticsof his performance forEngland in midweek.
Foster's brilliance was largely responsible for Chelsea's failure to score for the fifth time in nine League fixtures – after the previous eight had delivered 38 goals – yet there was a desperation about Carlo Ancelotti's side from around the hour mark. They have now lost successive League games for the first time since May 2006, and three of the past four, while their schedule over the next month pits them against Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United. Chelsea finished the contest with Petr Cech marauding in the Birmingham 18-yard area. Their overwhelming territorial dominance led Ancelotti to claim it was not as worrying a setback as last weekend's; it was just that fortune had not favoured them.
"We didn't win because I think we were unlucky," the Chelsea manager said. "We played good football and had lots of chances, but we lost. As a performance, everything was ok. We just had one mistake when we lost a player [Bowyer] who ran into the box."
The announcement that Ray Wilkins, Ancelotti's former assistant, intends to take action for unfair dismissal did not, according to the Italian, "affect this moment". The injured John Terry and Frank Lampard were again absent, with Ancelotti adding: "We want them back, though we didn't miss them today because we didn't deserve to lose."
Alex McLeish was quick to praise Foster. "The criticism of him after the France match was harsh," the Birmingham manager said. "A goalkeeper can win you championships and keep you in a division and today he carried on the great, solid work he's done for us. We had to defend really stoutly, and we had a wee bit of luck, and there have been games we've deserved to win where we haven't."
Ancelotti was joined on the bench by Michael Emenalo, who has replaced Wilkins, and as if to honour the Nigerian Chelsea sported a lime-green strip similar to the Super Eagles' shirt. There was an African flavour to their initial ascendancy, too, one fine move seeing Salomon Kalou send his fellow Ivorian Didier Drogbain for a shot which theadvancing Foster saved.
Birmingham exposed Chelsea's soft centre with a 17th-minute goal against the run of play. Sebastian Larsson crossed for Cameron Jerome to outjump Paulo Ferreira and nod the ball into the path of Bowyer, who side-footed his first goal of the season.
This was the cue for a 73-minute siege, but after a chastening night at Wembley against France, Foster was defiance personified. Following a cross by Nicolas Anelka midway through the opening half, his diving, one-handed save from Drogba's sharp, downward header was brilliant.
The first half turned into a personal duel between Foster and Drogba and when the striker did beat him, with a glancing header from Florent Malouda's cross, the ball slapped the bar. In the second half, another fine save kept out a Branislav Ivanovic header.
Birmingham's resistance verged on illegality when Roger Johnson appeared to bring down Ramires as he surged into the box. The referee, Mark Halsey, ruled he had taken a bit of the ball first, and the injured Johnson, who needs to lose a limb before he will consider coming off, received treatment before resuming his place and using his aerial strength to keep Drogba and his cohorts at bay.

Attendance: 24,357

Referee: Mark Halsey
Man of the match: Foster
Match rating: 6/10


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Observer:

Lee Bowyer's first-half goal clips the wings of profligate Chelsea

Birmingham City 1 Bowyer 17 Chelsea 0

Stuart James at St Andrew's

Carlo Ancelotti will take no pleasure from seeing his prediction come true. The Chelsea manager reminded everyone he forecast a month ago, when his players were sweeping opponents aside and looking untouchable at the top of the table, that there were more difficult times ahead. Whether the Italian could have imagined three defeats in four matches, however, is quite another matter.
This latest setback was nothing like as damaging as the humiliating defeat at home to Sunderland a week ago, but it was, all the same, another sobering afternoon for the champions. Ancelotti claimed his players will win the league if they reproduce the same level of performance over the remainder of the season, but what the Chelsea manager omitted to mention, as he reflected on his side's dominance against Birmingham, was that his players need to remember how to put the ball in the net.
For the fifth time in their last nine league games, Chelsea failed to score, and it is beginning to feel like a trick of the mind that the goals were flowing so freely earlier in the season. Chelsea were certainly not without their chances – they created at least 10 decent opportunities – but a combination of wastefulness, the woodwork and, most significantly of all, the outstanding form of Ben Foster helped Birmingham to record their first league win over Chelsea in 30 years.
Chelsea remain top of the table, ahead of Manchester United on goal difference, but there is a sense that things are unravelling on and off the pitch at Stamford Bridge. Ancelotti dismissed any suggestion that the furore surrounding Ray Wilkins's dismissal was affecting his players, but it is impossible to ignore that Chelsea have suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time in four-and-a-half years in the wake of the assistant manager's sudden departure.
The only goal of the game arrived in the 17th minute, when Lee Bowyer punished some poor Chelsea defending to score his first of the season. The anticipated Chelsea onslaught followed but, not for the first time in recent months, Ancelotti's players were unable to peg opponents back. This was the 11th time in 12 matches that Chelsea have fallen behind and ended up losing, a damning statistic that says little for the players' powers of recovery.
"I was a good magician because one month ago, when everything was OK, I said a difficult moment will arrive. It's arrived and we have to be able to move quickly on," Ancelotti said. "We didn't win because I think we were unlucky. I don't have to say nothing to my team because everyone showed good spirit, good attitude and wanted to win. We played good football, we had a lot of chances but we lost. It's a difficult moment. But we don't have to lose confidence."
On another day, Didier Drogba would have scored a hat-trick. He was clean through in the sixth minute but Foster denied the Chelsea captain, and the Birmingham goalkeeper produced an even better save moments later, when he instinctively saved a point-blank header from the striker. Next up was a vicious free-kick from Drogba that Foster turned around the post before the Ivorian headed Florent Malouda's centre against the bar.
Salomon Kalou, Ashley Cole and Branislav Ivanovic also had chances to bring parity but none of the Chelsea players were able to show the same ruthless finishing Bowyer demonstrated in the first half. Running onto Cameron Jerome's knock-down from Sebastian Larsson's deep centre, Bowyer made the most of the freedom Chelsea afforded him and clipped a half-volley over the advancing Petr Cech. "A trademark Bowyer run," said Alex McLeish.
The Birmingham manager described Barry Ferguson as "imperious", although he also admitted Chelsea controlled the match from start to finish. "We had to defend stoutly. They had all the ball and some good chances," said McLeish, whose side have climbed up from the relegation zone to 12th place. "We got a wee bit of luck but we've had games this season that we deserved to win but didn't."
At least Arsenal's result, which saw the Gunners miss the chance to top the table, provided Ancelotti with some consolation. "It's a strange Premiership because there are a lot of opportunities to improve the gap [at the top]," he said. "We are losing the opportunity but other teams are [doing the same]. It will be a long race and it will be more difficult compared to last season. But if we are able to play like we did today, I think that we can win [the title]. The problem is to play every game like we did today."

THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT

KYM YPRES-SMITH, SmallHeathAlliance.com

It was quite a game today – a case of immense defence by a side who, to a man, were fantastic. From the moment Bowyer scored our soft goal they battered us – but it was obvious that Chelsea are out of sorts. Drogba was sulky and didn't look interested, and towards the end their defenders were getting very tetchy. But it was a fantastic performance by Birmingham. It was typical of how McLeish wants us to play – to think about the build-up, be careful, keep the ball and not make cheap mistakes. We were organised and very alert in defence. We're getting back to how we were last season.

The fan's player ratings

Foster 9; Carr 9, Johnson 9, Dann 8, Ridgewell 8; Larsson 8, Ferguson 7, Bowyer 8, Fahey 6; Jerome 7, Zigic 6 (Hleb 72 6)

NICK RICHARDS, Observer reader

The stats will show we peppered their goal, but for a club with our ambition it's not good enough to shrug this defeat off and say we were just unlucky. We're way off the form we need to be showing as title favourites; we're looking weirdly toothless and downbeat. You have to wonder what's going on behind the scenes after the Wilkins sacking. Mikel was our strongest player by a long way, but otherwise no one really stood out. Ramires was awful, and Drogba just wasn't in the mood. For them, Ben Foster was superb: he looked like a proper England keeper.

The fan's player ratings
Cech 6; Ferreira 5 (Bosingwa 65 6), Alex 6, Ivanovic 6, Cole 6; Ramires 4 (Sturridge 72 5), Mikel 7, Malouda 6; Anelka 6, Drogba 5, Kalou 5


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Mail:

Birmingham 1 Chelsea 0:

Superb Foster keeps league leaders at bay after veteran Bowyer scores for first time in a year
By Malcolm Folley

Goalkeeper Ben Foster returned from England duty an inspired man at St Andrew’s yesterday to darken the gloom unexpectedly settling over Chelsea. As darkness fell, and a swirling mist rolled across Birmingham, Chelsea had suddenly become a club who have lost their way.A second defeat in six days, and their third loss in four matches, has decimated the dominance Carlo Ancelotti’s team had on the Premier League. Only goal difference keeps them above Manchester United.But this is a distortion of Chelsea’s state of health. It overlooks how comprehensively they overran Birmingham and ignores the possibilities that on a more fair afternoon, they might have been celebrating a win that would have placed fear into the hearts of rivals.
Michael Essien will be back from suspension to reclaim control of the midfield one match from now; and in a fortnight Ancelotti will again have Frank Lampard. John Terry’s back injury sidelined him after he missed the defeat by Sunderland at Stamford Bridge, but he is expected to be back sooner than first thought.
‘We will watch John day by day, while Frank should be ready in two more weeks,’ said Ancelotti. ‘They are important players but, if you look at the performance, we didn’t miss them today.’ Chelsea’s only misfortune was to meet Foster playing with such conviction, composure and maturity.Birmingham boss Alex McLeish, proud of not just his keeper but the work-rate of a team orchestrated by Barry Ferguson’s enthusiasm, said: ‘I’ve always stressed the importance of having a good goalkeeper. They can win you a championship but they can also help keep you in this division.’
There was not much wrong with Chelsea’s football or their spirit. But they came up against Foster, who showed no side-effects after being criticised for being beaten at his near post by Karim Benzema in England’s defeat by France in midweek.Salomon Kalou should have capitalised on Foster’s secondminute indecision when he failed to gather the ball in his six-yard box but, once he had survived that indiscretion, he proved to be a colossus. An early five-pass move involving Branislav Ivanovic, Ashley Cole, Florent Malouda and Kalou set Didier Drogba clear but, as the striker opened his body to place his shot, Foster smartly dived to his left to brilliantly deny him.The importance of Foster’s work was enhanced when Birminghamwent ahead. There was an unaccountable sloppiness about Chelsea when Sebastian Larsson delivered a cross from the right. Cameron Jerome won his aerial duel with Ivanovic and unmarked Lee Bowyer hooked the ball past Petr Czech. Worse was to follow as Foster continued his master-class.
A Nicolas Anelka cross was met with a powerful header by Drogba, but Foster deflected the ball around his near post. It was a save of exceptional quality. He then denied Drogba by diving to flick the striker’s 30-yard free-kick around the same post. And on the one occasion when Drogba got the better of Foster with another magnificent header, the crossbar denied him.
McLeish’s team withdrew into a compact shape to shield their lead after the interval. Yet Foster’s day was not quite over. Kalou appeared to have wriggled past him but, without the ball under full control, he was dispossessed by the keeper. Usually, strikers win games. Not yesterday. That honour went to Foster.

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Telegraph:

Birmingham City 1 Chelsea 0 Lee Bowyer scored the only goal of the game as Birmingham inflicted Chelsea's third defeat in four games

By Jonathan Liew, at St Andrew's

At times Michael Emanalo, Chelsea’s new assistant manager, scarcely looked like he belonged in the dugout, such was the look of bewilderment on his face. He had better get used to it. He has a lot of work to do.
If Chelsea’s surrender against Sunderland last weekend was a seismic event, this fraught, maddening defeat at St Andrew’s was the aftershock. After three losses in four games, they still just about lead the Premier League, but the aura they wove over the first few weeks of the season has disappeared into thin air.
This was less of a capitulation than the Sunderland game, but once again their glittering front-line failed to deliver, and once again it was a defensive error that opened the door for Birmingham, allowing Alex McLeish’s side to lift themselves out of the bottom three.
The contrast between Birmingham City’s settled, almost resident, defensive unit and Chelsea’s improvised assembly was stark. It is now 10 games since Carlo Ancelotti named an unchanged back four, and what was apparent against Sunderland last Sunday was scarcely less so here. John Terry is being sorely missed.
Chelsea, meanwhile, could take little comfort in their own efforts when Birmingham took the lead. Sebastian Larsson turned unopposed and crossed from the right, and Cameron Jerome rose above Branislav Ivanovic to head the ball down.
With Alex dozing on his 18-yard line, Lee Bowyer slithered past him and into the area, where he thinned the ball over Petr Cech. It was a soft goal to concede; an unhappy parting gift from Alex before he undergoes knee surgery next week.
And thus began the 73-minute rearguard. As Chelsea advanced, Birmingham retreated. McLeish’s side have always been comfortable on the back foot, but they relied on Ben Foster to keep them ahead at the break.
First Didier Drogba was denied by a brilliant low grab. Next Ashley Cole’s stinging shot was saved. Then, having sighted Drogba’s daisy-cutting free-kick late, Foster did well to push it clear. Finally, Drogba managed to steer a header past Foster, but it clattered into the post.
It was turning into an immensely frustrating afternoon for Chelsea, who failed to hit their straps after the break but still enjoyed a number of chances.
Salomon Kalou glanced a header just wide, and was through on goal when Roger Johnson slid in desperately but just won the ball. It was a tackle matched in brilliance only by Mark Halsey’s decision to wave away Chelsea’s penalty appeals.
By the time Ivanovic’s header was parried with 10 minutes remaining, it was clear this was going to be Foster’s day. Birmingham defended with guts and brio, taking fierce pride in their work. Forward came Cech for the final corner, but to no avail.
Birmingham’s day, then, but one that could have repercussions for Chelsea’s entire season.

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