Sunday, January 30, 2011

everton 1-1 fa cup




Independent:


Kalou rides to rescue and frustrates dominant Everton

Everton 1 Chelsea 1

By Tim Rich at Goodison Park




Louis Saha should know by now that scoring against Chelsea and beating Chelsea are two entirely different things. When he ran back in pink boots, blue shirt and hair dyed bronze after heading home Leighton Baines' corner, it was his fifth goal in as many appearances against Chelsea and only one of those games had been won. This should have been.

Everyone agreed on the turning point. There were 18 seconds separating Michael Essien's desperate lunge to block Seamus Coleman's shot with the goal gaping in front of him and the soft swish of the ball striking Tim Howard's net.

Chelsea had performed haltingly and but for Petr Cech, who had instinctively parried Coleman's initial header before Essien intervened and later tipped over a drive from Jermaine Beckford, their chances of a third successive FA Cup would have been dashed beneath the Gwladys End.

This was the 26th game Chelsea have played in the competition since they were overcome by Liverpool in the 2006 semi-final at Old Trafford and only one of those, at Barnsley nearly three years ago, had been lost. They needed luck and resilience to survive here and got both. Had Ramires' shot not struck the foot of the post, they might even have repeated the scoreline in the 2009 final when Saha's goal in the opening minute suggested a script that was never followed

"That one tackle from Michael Essien has saved the game for them," Everton's captain, Phil Neville, reflected. "If that goes in, we are through to the next round. Then they counter-attack and score in a game in which we have dominated possession. We are very, very disappointed. We have shown again we are a good team but we have to produce it again in the replay at Stamford Bridge and it will be a hell of a task. We just have to remember that a couple of years ago we drew with Liverpool and won the replay."

Everton's record in this corner of London is a highly creditable one – their last five League matches at Stamford Bridge have been drawn – but it was 1994 when they last won there. Saha commented: "We are fed up with playing well and it is time to start winning games. We have not got our rewards and once more it is a bitter shame."

Everton's domination after a flat and insipid 45 minutes began after the interval when David Moyes reminded his players that the low winter sun would now be shining directly into Chelsea eyes. It might explain why when Leighton Baines delivered a high corner, John Terry appeared to lose the ball and his marker, allowing Saha to make the breakthrough.

Later another set-piece, by Mikel Arteta, was aimed at the big hair of Marouane Fellaini and Cech, who has at times been found wanting when a ball comes out of the floodlights, was again at the peak of his game.

Nevertheless, Chelsea looked sluggish in the midday frost. They appeared what they are; an ageing side in need of new blood with only one header from their 30-year-old captain across the top of Howard's net to show for their efforts.

Chelsea looked lost without actually losing, epitomised by the waves of Didier Drogba's arms and the shrugs of his shoulders, although Moyes wondered aloud whether the Ivorian's pass that led to Salomon Kalou's shot that appeared too soft to result in a goal, was intended for Ramires. Nevertheless, Kalou's aim was so beautifully directed that its pace scarcely mattered.

However, new blood is required and in the shape of Fernando Torres it appears to be coming. Chelsea's fans acted as if Torres had already arrived, singing the song with which the Kop has hymned him for several seasons now. Meanwhile, his posters were being taken down from bedroom walls all over Merseyside.


Attendance: 28,376

Referee: Howard Webb

Man of the match: Coleman

Match rating: 7/10




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Observer:




Salomon Kalou earns FA Cup holders Chelsea a replay against Everton



Chelsea may be in for Fernando Torres but they would be out of the FA Cup without Petr Cech. The goalkeeper produced a save from Seamus Coleman to prevent Everton going two in front that proved to be a turning point when Chelsea mounted a swift counterattack to equalise, then denied Jermaine Beckford with a fingertip save in the final minutes to earn a replay.

A draw was a fair result in a game that only got going at half-time, yet Everton did enough to win and could reasonably claim that only Cech, with crucial back-up from Michael Essien when it mattered, prevented them inflicting the first Cup defeat on Chelsea since Barnsley beat them in March 2008.

Essien threw his body in the way of Coleman's attempt to follow up his headed effort in a manner that demonstrated his team's determination and their desire to keep their hands on a trophy that has resided at Stamford Bridge for the past two years. Playing their strongest team was a similar declaration of intent, though for most of the second half the visiting team seemed not to have turned up. It was all Everton. "A draw was a great result for us," a relieved Carlo Ancelotti said. "It was a difficult game, they were very dangerous at set pieces, and every time we play Everton we see a close match. We keep on drawing against them."

David Moyes made optimistic noises about Everton's chances in London but was probably closer to the mark in his programme notes when he said his players had to make home advantage count. "We nearly did," the Everton manager said. "We probably did enough to win, and I don't think Chelsea would have come back from two down, but their goalkeeper makes a great save, they score, and that's what happens against quality opponents."

The first half was truly terrible, a slow, uneventful affair on a frosty pitch enlivened only by the Chelsea fans chanting for Torres to give them a wave. The Liverpool striker was not here, of course, the only player in the guest seats was Gary Neville watching his brother get trampled underfoot by John Terry, but it was an amusing follow-up to the usual request made of Ancelotti.

Each team had one decent chance before the interval. Marouane Fellaini's persistence won the ball from Essien and set up Jack Rodwell for a shot straight at Cech, while at the other end Nicolas Anelka was given a slightly clearer opportunity by Ramires's through ball but was unable to beat Tim Howard. It was the sort of chance Anelka normally accepts, though perhaps Sylvain Distin deserves credit for coming across quickly and forcing him to hurry his shot.

The second half was immediately better, mainly because Everton took the game to Chelsea and threw men forward in support of Louis Saha, who had been asked to do too much on his own in the first period. Saha might have scored from a Rodwell cross after Terry had given the ball away but for Ramires sprinting back to block on the line, and from a Mikel Arteta free-kick Fellaini produced a header that Cech had to tip over his bar.

With Chelsea pinned in their own half it was always likely Everton might be first to score, even if the breakthrough after just over an hour did come from a set piece. Leighton Baines sent over a measured corner from the right, and Saha found just enough space on the six‑yard line to score with a firm downward header.

Chelsea could have had no complaints at that stage – they barely crossed the halfway line for half an hour after the interval, yet once they did they equalised with almost nonchalant ease. Cech had just produced a save to keep out a Coleman header, Essien making his important cover tackle to prevent him following up, when Anelka brought the ball out of defence and played a crossfield pass that Ramires allowed to run on to Salomon Kalou. The substitute had only been on the field a few minutes, but with Everton backing off seemingly unaware of the danger, he beat an unsighted Howard with a low shot past Distin and Phil Neville.

"It was a disappointing game to lose," Neville said. "We were all over them in the second half and if Seamus had put that in we would be in the next round."





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Telegraph:


Everton 1 Chelsea 1


Chelsea returned to London from their first visit to Merseyside this weekend mired in stalemate, aware that they will be given a second chance at success early next month. Roman Abramovich will be aware that his second, rather more expensive, foray north-west in the next 48 hours will not come with a do-over.

Liverpool, as they attempt to hold on to Fernando Torres, could do worse than copy their neighbours' example. Everton were defiant, dominant at Goodison Park, deservedly taking the lead through Louis Saha and only ceding it thanks to a fortuitous strike from Salomon Kalou.

Abramovich covets Torres as much for his unpredictability, his dash of daring and his frisson of flair, as he does for his star quality and market appeal. For all the hundreds of millions he has spent, all of the internationals at his disposal, Chelsea remain at heart the functional, effective unit Jose Mourinho wished them to be. Chelsea are easy to admire; for all but their fans, they are hard to love.

Torres represents someone who can capture the heart and the imagination.

That sort of purchase, the acquisition of a status symbol by an owner with a taste for the exotic, the unattainable, is anathema to most managers. Even Ancelotti, with his background fitting Silvio Berlusconi's square pegs into round holes at AC Milan - not to mention playing with any number of the Italian Prime Minister's flights of fancy at San Siro - is thought to harbour doubts over where Torres will fit in.

It is not hard to see why. The Spaniard thrives as a lone striker, rather like Didier Drogba, roaming the front line as he pleases.

Unlike the Ivorian, Torres requires an accomplice lurking in his shadow. He plays on the shoulder of the last defender; his partner-in-crime, be it Steven Gerrard at Liverpool or Maxi Rodriguez at Atletico Madrid, is expected to maintain his supply line. Torres might be one of the world's best safe-breakers; even he must first get into the bank.

At Chelsea, that assistant does not exist. Ancelotti has, after a brief flirtation with a diamond midfield, returned to the 4-3-3 that Mourinho has bequeathed the club and with which his players are comfortable. Torres's arrival would require a switch to 4-4-2. Of such tinkering are troubles made.

And yet, the counter argument, the one Abramovich would propagate, was proven here. Chelsea, for all they are well-organised and effective and disciplined and talented, lack something. They lack sparkle.

In games like this, such a trait is priceless. This was a war of attrition, of two sides whose systems cancelled their opponents out, of fine margins and slender advantages. Chelsea, ageing, their morale fragile after six weeks of toil, slowly but surely ceded ground.

The first half was largely, grindingly, even. Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, tasked with replacing Steven Pienaar, could only toe poke softly at Petr Cech after Seamus Coleman - a man Ashley Cole will not wish to see again in a hurry - flicked on Phil Neville's throw. Jack Rodwell was denied by the Czech goalkeeper's legs.

Chelsea's opportunities were equally scarce. Tim Howard denied Nicolas Anelka after the best move of the opening period, the Frenchman slipped through by Ramires, the pick of the visitors' midfield. The American did well to tip a Florent Malouda effort round the post.

That moment represented Chelsea's high point; Everton, after the interval, began to assert themselves. Jose Bosingwa denied Saha on the line, Marouane Fellaini headed straight at Cech from a Mikel Arteta free kick. When Saha, unmarked, powered a header past the goalkeeper to send Goodison Park into raptures, the lead was deserved.

It might have been doubled, too, Bilyaletdinov's ambitious overhead kick spinning just wide before Coleman was denied first by Cech and then the outstretched leg of John Terry. Chelsea looked down; they seemed out.

Loveable or no, though, they have not sat at or near the top of the Premier League for seven years without a degree of resilience. They had created little or nothing when Kalou's pea-roller wrong-footed Howard, gifting Ancelotti's side a leveller. They had created precious little more when Ramires swerved a 25-yard effort off the post. The visitors would have been unwarranted victors; the hosts less so, had Jermaine Beckford managed to beat Cech at the last, rather than seeing his shot tipped over.





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Mirror:


Everton 1-1 Chelsea


By Simon Mullock


Carlo Ancleotti may be in the market for more quality, but there is nothing wrong with Chelsea’s spirit.

The Blues boss is desperate to take Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and Benfica centre-back David Luiz to Stamford Bridge before the transfer window slams shut tomorrow night.

Whether he is successful or not, the players Ancelotti already has at his disposal proved at Goodison Park that when it comes to the business end of the season they won’t be taking a backward step.

Nothing illustrated Chelsea’s hunger to make history by becoming the first club since Blackburn 125 years ago to lift the FA Cup for a third successive time than the turning point of this fourth round tie in the 75th minute.

Louis Saha had put the home side into a deserved lead just after the hour and David Moyes’ dogs of war had the scent of blood in their nostrils.

Leighton Baines crossed from the left for Seamus Coleman to climb above Ashley Cole and connect with a textbook downward header that Petr Cech did well to claw away at the foot of a post.

The livewire Coleman reacted first to the rebound, only to be denied by a heroic block from Michael Essien.

This was Chelsea refusing to be beaten, despite coming off second best for much of the tie.

And within seconds, Blues substitute Salomon Kalou had secured a replay by putting the finishing touch to a sweeping counter-attack.

Neither manager was in any doubt as they highlighted those two moments as the reason why the clubs will be meeting again in west London next week. “The block was a very important moment for us in the game because after that we equalised immediately,” said Ancelotti.

“In the end a draw was a great result for us because Everton are a good team and they can be very dangerous from set-pieces.”

Ancelotti’s relief was in contrast to Moyes’ sense of injustice.

“The game changed with that chance for Coleman,” he said. “It was a good, old-fashioned header at the far post that

Petr Cech did really well to save and then Essien made an unbelievable challenge from the rebound.

“Then they go up the pitch and score pretty much against the run of play.

“We are disappointed because when you get the chance to beat Chelsea at home you really have to take it.”

Everton skipper Phil Neville set the tone for the contest with a bone-jarring first-minute challenge on Florent Malouda.

Jack Rodwell failed to test Cech with a shot on the run after Saha had given him a clear sight of Chelsea’s goal.

And at the other end, Tim Howard managed to block Nicolas Anelka’s drive when the Frenchman went for power rather than precision after being freed by the impressive Ramires.

After the break, though, the home side really forced the champions on to the back foot.

Ramires showed that he can operate in both penalty areas by throwing himself fearlessly in front of Saha’s far-post volley after Rodwell had served up a teasing cross.

Then Marouane Fellaini should have scored when he rose unchallenged to meet Mikel Arteta’s free-kick but instead directed his header straight at Cech.

Saha made no such mistake in the 62nd minute.

The Frenchman scored the fastest goal in FA Cup final history in 2009 with a strike after 25 seconds – only to finish on the losing side.

This time, Saha’s movement when Baines swung in a corner from the right was too clever for John Terry and his header gave Cech no chance. But Chelsea had not been beaten in 14 FA Cup ties and this was time for their sheer bloody-mindedness to kick in.

Ancelotti replaced Malouda with Kalou after 70 minutes – and was given his reward just minutes later.

But not before Essien had come up with the kind of inspirational block that will go down in Chelsea folklore if the Cup is back at Stamford Bridge in May.

Ramires started the move after dispossessing Rodwell deep inside Chelsea’s penalty area.

The Brazilian sent Anelka galloping into Everton territory and although he failed to find Ramires with a return pass, there was Kalou drifting in to fool the unsighted Howard with a low shot that bobbled through the legs of Sylvain Distin.

Chelsea could have stolen it in the last five minutes when Ramires’ fierce low strike from 20 yards hit the foot a post.

Asked whether there was any update over the signing of Torres, Ancelotti simply smiled and said: “No, but I am always happy.”

With his Blues still in with a shout of making history this season, the Italian had every reason to be cheerful.



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Mail:


Everton 1 Chelsea 1: Super sub Saloman Kalou rescues FA Cup holders

By Rob Draper


It was only 18 seconds' worth of time yet it could prove pivotal to the seasons of both Chelsea and Everton.

More than 75 minutes had elapsed and Seamus Coleman, excellent throughout, had initially jumped superbly to meet a Leighton Baines cross, only for Petr Cech to save sharply.

The young Irishman then hauled himself to his feet and struck the rebound goalwards. All seemed lost for Chelsea. They were already a goal down and seemed about to concede the second.

They have already effectively conceded their Premier League title and seemed about to surrender their FA Cup.

At the last, though, came Michael Essien, diving desperately across to block the chance. He was an unlikely saviour, for had you wished to single out a visiting player who was furthest from fulfilling his potential in this game - and there were a clutch of candidates - Essien would have topped the list with his repeated inability to retain possession. But his heart remains and there he was, saving Chelsea.

Then came the 18 seconds as the ball eventually reached Nicolas Anelka after going out for a corner.

A dash down the left wing followed, a misplaced pass for Ramires, which eventually found Salomon Kalou on the right flank, a cut inside and an equaliser off a post.

From being a fraction away from another crushing blow to morale to a saving moment, all in the space of less than half a minute.

'The difference between 2-0 and 1-1,' sighed Everton manager David Moyes. 'It was against the run of play as we'd had the better of the second half. We were caught on the break and Chelsea do that to you because they have so much speed.'

Everton skipper Phil Neville added: 'It was the turning point. We're disappointed because, in the second half, we took it to them.

'The manager wanted more tempo in the second half and he wanted us to play the ball forward because the sun was in their eyes.

'The big man, Louis Saha, was world class for us. And if Seamus's effort goes in, we win the tie.'

Everton talked up their record of not losing to Chelsea since their FA Cup final defeat in 2009 as they began preparations for next week's replay at Stamford Bridge.

But for all that, they recognised that they had missed their best chance to finish off the holders.

'If you get a chance at home, you want to take it,' said Moyes. Fernando Torres, watching at home, would doubtless have been unimpressed with his potential new team-mates.

'Torres, Torres, give us a wave,' chanted the visiting Chelsea fans triumphantly early in the first half. Both sides had been seemingly stupefied before half-time, with little class of note.

Jack Rodwell was played in by Saha after Marouane Fellaini had caught Essien in possession on 25 minutes but his shot was saved by Cech. And Anelka, fed beautifully by Ramires, was in on goal but had his strike well saved by Tim Howard on 31 minutes.

Those were the only meaningful efforts on goal in the opening 45 minutes. John Terry put a free header over on 18 minutes and Mikel Arteta shot just wide on the stroke of half-time but that was about it for the first half.

Nevertheless, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti made all the right noises about the performance.

'A draw was the right result,' he said. 'The second half was really difficult and they put us under a lot pressure. Going 1-0 down wasn't easy but we showed good attitude and spirit.'

And for all Chelsea's lack of bite in midfield, the ineffectiveness of Didier Drogba up front and the failure of Terry to mark Saha for the opening goal, they did show resilience.

It was not just Essien's block, but a similar lunge from Ramires which saved them from Saha on 53 minutes. And there were key saves from Cech, from Fellaini on 56 minutes and then his last-minute tip over the bar from substitute Jermaine Beckford's spectacular volley, which had been presented to him following a woeful error by Branislav Ivanovic.

Chelsea's vulnerability from set-pieces became evident again when Saha's checked run fooled Terry, allowing him to rise magnificently and relatively unchallenged to head in a Baines corner, his seventh goal in eight games against Chelsea.

Until Chelsea's equaliser Everton had looked in control, yet they almost lost the game when Ramires struck a post from 25 yards on 86 minutes.

That would have been a travesty, yet Everton still may live to regret those infamous 18 seconds that snuffed out their lead and their best chance of overcoming the FA Cup holders.



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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

bolton 4-0




Independent:


Chelsea back in the hunt after rediscovering their lethal edge

Bolton Wanderers 0 Chelsea 4

By Sam Wallace at the Reebok Stadium



It has been a while since Didier Drogba has pulled off his shirt at the end of a game and handed it over to a member of his club's travelling support but then it has been a while since Chelsea have been as good as they were last night.

The prospect of Carlo Ancelotti's team defending the Premier League title they won last season remains a distant one but had they not won they might as well have dropped the trophy off in Manchester on the way home. Instead, they are clinging on and in the four goals there was the glimmer of hope that, in the words of their manager, they have "turned the corner".

There have been false dawns before in the darkness of Chelsea's decline of the last three months but nothing as encouraging as this, a four-goal victory over a Bolton side with a decent home record. And if Chelsea's fans were looking for a sign that things really are looking up then Drogba's brilliant opening goal was a reminder that, for all their problems, this side still has some formidable individuals.

With the expectation that the Benfica defender David Luiz will arrive this week, perhaps even in time for next Tuesday's trip to Sunderland, then it would seem that Chelsea – from Roman Abramovich down – are not prepared to give up without a fight. There was no Frank Lampard last night but the club hope he will be back in the side for Saturday's FA Cup fourth round game against Everton.

If Chelsea are to close the gap on United then the six points at stake between the two sides before the end of the season are crucial and last night, for the first time in a long time, they looked like the kind of side that could potentially beat United. Petr Cech and Michael Essien, as well as Drogba, looked much more like their old selves.

That is not to say they dominated Bolton who had by far the best of the first half. Instead, as Owen Coyle later bemoaned, at the critical moments of the game Ancelotti's team just had the quality that set them apart. Bolton worked hard at opening up Chelsea but every time the home side put a foot wrong they found themselves, in their manager's words, "brutally punished".

Just eight points from the relegation places and without a win in the league since Boxing Day, these are nervous times for Coyle's side. Last night the club said farewell to the late Nat Lofthouse with a touching tribute from fans outside the stadium's reception and a minute's silence before the game. They would like to have honoured his memory with three points and until Drogba scored there looked every chance they might.

On more than one occasion, Cech kept Chelsea in the game though he would have been able to do nothing about Kevin Davies's header in the first three minutes had it not been offside. The Bolton captain misjudged the target when Martin Petrov, who gave Jose Bosingwa a difficult time, crossed and Johan Elmander flicked on.

It got worse for Davies whose wayward pass started the move for Chelsea's third goal but in those early stages there was nothing to suggest that this would turn into such a stroll for the away side. They just about hung on at times. It was a mistake by the Bolton right-back Gretar Steinsson that gifted possession to Florent Malouda on 11 minutes which began the sequence that ended in Drogba's goal.

The Chelsea striker still had a lot to do when Florent Malouda fed him the ball 35 yards out. He struck a shot that dipped over Jussi Jasskelainen and was hit so hard that the goalkeeper never really knew what to do about it. It was Drogba's ninth league goal of the season and, he said, his best so far.

Drogba hinted later at a lack of confidence that may explain his form this season. "I think I had the confidence to try it," he said. "You have to try if you want to score. The manager said to me that I needed to shoot when I had the chance and I did that. Maybe I've not been shooting enough. I was maybe thinking about it too much and not making the right decision but this time I decided to have a go."

On 31 minutes, Elmander might have scored with a header that Cech saved well. Had it gone in then Chelsea risked losing their momentum. Ten minutes later they scored a second. From a corner the ball dropped to Malouda on the right side of the goal near the touchline. His first shot was blocked by Gary Cahill but he sneaked the second in at the near post.

It was a moment that epitomised Bolton's bad luck. "We were punished every time," said Coyle. "Every bounce of the ball went against us. It is hard to take. We had as many goal attempts as they did but they were clinical. That's why they are champions."

The third started with Kevin Davies who inexplicably passed the ball across the pitch to Nicolas Anelka and then watched in growing horror as Chelsea built the move that ended with the same Frenchman scoring.

From Anelka to Malouda and on to Essien, who crossed to Drogba. When he could not get a clean shot on goal the ball spilled loose and Anelka, who had caught up with play, tidied up the move with a finish inside Jaaskelainen's right post.

Ramires scored the fourth, his first for Chelsea, after Anelka's shot had been blocked by Paul Robinson on 74 minutes. Again, Essien was crucial to the move. Before then Cech had made another good save at the feet of Elmander and, for the first time in a long time, Chelsea looked unbeatable. That it was their first back-to-back league win since October tells you that this has been a long wait to return to form.



Bolton Wanderers (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen; Steinsson, Cahill, Knight, Robinson; Taylor, Muamba (M Davies, 63), Holden (Blake, 87), Petrov (Rodrigo, 63); K Davies, Elmander. Substitutes not used Bogdan (gk), Ricketts, Blake, Cohen, Wheater.



Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires (Kalou, 77), Mikel (McEachran, 72), Essien; Anelka, Drogba, Malouda. Substitutes not used Turnbull (gk), Ferreira, Sturridge, Bruma, Kakuta.



Possession Bolton 44% Chelsea 56%.

Shots on target Bolton 8 Chelsea 11.

Man of the match Drogba. Match rating 7/10.

Referee C Foy (Merseyside). Attendance 22,837.



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Mirror:


Bolton 0-4 Chelsea:
By Martin Lipton

He's back, without a doubt.

And maybe, just maybe, they’re back too, exactly as Carlo Ancelotti promised.

Given lift-off by a long-range stunner from Didier Drogba, and breathing space by Florent Malouda, Chelsea picked their favourite ground to finally end their away-day toils and perhaps get themselves back into the title race.

Since Roman Abramovich bought the Blues in 2003, Chelsea had won on all seven visits to the Reebok, without conceding a goal.

And on a night dedicated to the memory of Bolton’s favourite son, Nat Lofthouse, it was the sheer physical power of Drogba that helped ­Ancelotti’s men end that shocking run of just two points from their previous six away games.

Drogba’s poor form as he battled to shrug off the effects of malaria have summed up Chelsea’s toils in recent weeks, looking a pale shadow of his normal self in a team that has been equally off-key.

But the African king’s 11th-minute screamer tore the heart out of Bolton’s early impetus, with Malouda’s soft strike just before the break confirming their superiority.

And when the third member of the front-line that has mis-fired throughout their winter wobble, Nicolas Anelka, thumped home before the hour, it became a shooting gallery for Owen Coyle’s men, Ramires scoring his first goal for the club to finish it off.

As Bolton began like a house on fire, not even Ancelotti could really have guessed what was coming. The Italian has consistently moaned about his side’s inability to get out of the blocks and for the first 10 minutes they were firmly on the back foot.

Branislav Ivanovic’s poor clearance gave Stuart Holden an early shooting chance the American snatched at wildly and seconds later the recalled Martin Petrov’s cross caused real danger.

Johan Elmander, unmarked, flicked on but Kevin Davies’ header lacked the power to trouble Petr Cech.

Chelsea looked sluggish and off-key, which made what followed even more unlikely.

Malouda caught Gretar ­Steinsson in possession but even when the loose ball fell to Drogba 40 yards out, there seemed little on.

Drogba took two touches to get within shooting distance and then let fly, the ball swerving late and away from Jussi Jaaskelainen’s despairing right hand, smashing into the net as the Ivorian celebrated.

Bolton had a ­mountain to climb and Chelsea something significant to hold onto, their tackles – from skipper John Terry in particular – carrying more bite, with Petrov wasting the ­opportunities to expose Jose Bosingwa’s flank.

Drogba and Anelka looked sharper, although they still appeared lightweight in midfield in the absence of Frank Lampard. Yet Bolton were finding it hard to create more good openings and when Elmander was robbed by John Obi Mikel, who instantly fed Anelka, the former Bolton man should have put the game to bed, wasting two chances.

Chelsea were so nearly made to pay, Petrov’s cross met by Matthew Taylor on the penalty spot, with Cech making a terrific stop down to his left to fingertip behind.

And Chelsea took advantage of the let-off. Ashley Cole had been just wide after a driving run by Drogba but four minutes from the break they had clear Blues water.

Mikel lofted into the crowded box, Ivanovic’s touch fell to Malouda and while Gary Cahill blocked the first effort, the France skipper rolled the second ball between Jaaskelainen and his near post.

While Cech uncomfortably shovelled an acrobatic Elmander effort aside before the break, jeers met the half-time whistle and Chelsea were in control.

And 11 minutes after the restart, that was confirmed as Anelka atoned for his earlier misses by putting it to bed.

Michael Essien overlapped outside Malouda, Drogba got a touch at the near post and as the ball fell onto Anelka’s left foot, the effort had the strength to go in despite Jaaskelainen getting a hand to it.

Now it was a question of the victory margin, the “bad moment” well and truly consigned to the past, with the fourth coming after Anelka’s shot was blocked only as far as Ramires, who forced home.




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Guardian:

Didier Drogba sets Chelsea on way to big win over Bolton Wanderers



If Carlo Ancelotti really intends to win 13 of his last 16 Premier League games, to keep Chelsea in contention for the title, he is going to need Didier Drogba back to his best. He can only have been encouraged by the way his main striker set the tone for the first victory of the sequence here, putting his side in front with an unstoppable 30-yard shot that must rank as one of the best goals the Ivorian has ever scored.

Drogba was jeered by the home crowd afterwards, mainly for a theatrical tumble to win a free-kick on the edge of the Bolton area, which was further evidence he is back to his old self. Ancelotti's target may be an improbable one but if a fully recovered Drogba can continue to score goals of such quality Chelsea may still have a chance.

When the game began, after an immaculate minute's silence for Nat Lofthouse, Bolton created a chance within a couple of minutes. Johan Elmander helped on Martin Petrov's cross from the left to find Kevin Davies in front of goal but the striker was unable to put enough power into his header to trouble Petr Cech.

It was Chelsea who struck next and there was so much power in Drogba's shot that Jussi Jaaskelainen was beaten from 30 yards out despite having a clear view of the flight of the ball. There appeared no particular danger when Gretar Steinsson was dispossessed by Florent Malouda on the Bolton right; as the ball broke to Drogba he turned inside, looked up at goal and let fly. Jaaskelainen was not badly positioned, not even far off his line, yet he could not prevent the ball going over his head and into the net.

Drogba shot straight at Jaaskelainen from a narrow angle a few minutes later and then saw Nicolas Anelka squander an even better opportunity, uncharacteristically wanting too much time for a show after a perfectly placed through ball had put him one on one with the goalkeeper. Bolton managed their next threat on Cech's goal after half an hour. Again Petrov was the provider, with an early cross from the left touchline, and Matt Taylor's header was creeping inside the upright before the diving Cech reached it with his fingertips to push it round for a corner.

An equaliser at that stage would have made the game interesting but Bolton put themselves under a severe handicap by conceding a second goal four minutes from the interval, through sloppy defending. Owen Coyle will hardly know where to start when he begins his inquest. First Paul Robinson conceded a needless corner after mistiming a header and not realising Anelka was behind him. Then Malouda's corner was not properly cleared, and when the ball came back to the taker the France winger had a choice of targets to aim for from the byline. Gary Cahill managed to block his first attempt at a cross but then turned his back, and so was powerless to prevent Malouda collecting the rebound and successfully steering a low shot through a crowd of players and into the goal.

Bolton attempted to redress the damnage before half time but Cech was equal to Elmander's close-range effort, even though he may not have known much about it.

Chelsea could have had even more as Bolton left themselves stretched in the second half but Michael Essien, unlike Drogba, does not appear to be back to his best and his distribution was at times wayward. Essien was involved in the third goal, however, a patient build-up on the left leading to a cross that Drogba nudged backwards for Anelka to score against his old club.

Bolton were only playing for pride after that – the contest was as good as over in under an hour – but Cech was obliged to make a smart save from Mark Davies after the substitute replaced Patrice Muamba and immediately made a run into the Chelsea penalty area. Cahill completed an unhappy evening by giving the ball away to Anelka in his own half, and was grateful for Jaaskelainen's help in preventing a fourth. Bolton's evening was summed up when Elmander and Kevin Davies combined to send over a cross from the right, one that either of them would have been better off meeting in the middle. As it was there was only Taylor to try a header, and his contact was feeble.

The fourth goal arrived shortly afterwards, Anelka seeing a shot blocked after Essien had crossed from the left and Ramires seizing on the rebound for his first goal for the club.

"Chelsea are back," chorused the travelling support, and at this rate they might be. Four-nil victories at the Reebok are not to be sniffed at, and at least one of this clubs seems to be in a false position





======================================================



Telegraph:


Bolton Wanderers 0 Chelsea 4

By Henry Winter


On an emotional evening when Bolton Wanderers gathered to pay tribute to their greatest striker Nat Lofthouse, Chelsea celebrated their current crop of forwards. All three of Carlo Ancelotti’s attackers, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka, scored as the champions mocked claims of a crisis.

With Ramires finding the target for the first time for Chelsea, Michael Essien refinding form and work-permit forms submitted for David Luiz, the future looks rather more promising for Ancelotti’s side. “Chelsea are back,” chanted the visiting fans, who had braved the M6 and bitter conditions. They believe.

Retaining the title remains a tall order, particularly with Manchester United looking unbeatable. If Sir Alex Ferguson’s men win at Blackpool tonight, the leaders will be 10 points ahead of fourth-placed Chelsea with 15 games remaining. At the very least, Ancelotti’s side know they have to win their duels with United at home on March 1 and away on May 7.

But they have given themselves a chance, lifting their confidence levels by brutally brushing aside a surprisingly effete Bolton. Owen Coyle has instilled many positive qualities into Bolton, particularly in possession, but they were poor from back to front here. In truth, Chelsea were pretty unplayable at times. In truth, history dictated little else. In their eight visits to the Reebok, Chelsea have won all eight and never even conceded a goal.

If Monday night’s four finishes were all good, then what also impressed about Chelsea was that they never let up. The accelerator remained not just pressed to the floor but almost through it. Even when leading 4-0, blue waves kept rolling towards Jussi Jaaskelainen, who managed to make an astonishing save from Anelka just before the final whistle.

At a venue where they sealed the 2005 title and all but sewed it up in 2006, Chelsea confirmed they will not give up their title lightly. There is too much firepower and willpower in this side.

Maybe the emotion of the occasion inhibited Coyle’s players. The evening had begun with a wonderful tribute to the late, great Lofthouse, a moving pre-match period of a minute’s silence, thunderous applause, black-and-white footage of the The Lion of Vienna in action and the laying of floral tributes by Kevin Davies and John Terry. The game then commenced with the type of goal that Lofthouse would have relished, barring the identity of the victims. Here was a muscular centre-forward unleashing a shot that stormed past a nonplussed goalkeeper. It was not the last time a striker strode through with venomous intent. Chelsea’s forwards were dominant all night.

The first was a magnificent strike from Drogba, who responded so emphatically after Malouda had dispossessed Gretar Steinsson. Drogba advanced and let fly, the ball going straight before deviating as it swept inexorably past Jaaskelainen. Bolton’s keeper almost suffered whiplash simply watching Drogba’s shot speed past.

The Blues were in the mood, banishing thoughts of their recent poor form with some powerful surges. When Johan Elmander lost possession, Chelsea raced through the gears, releasing Anelka into the box. The former Bolton forward should have scored but hesitated, allowing Zat Knight to make an important block. With David Wheater watching from the bench, this was an big night for Knight, though neither he nor Gary Cahill particularly impressed.

Bolton settled, briefly, and almost equalised. Martin Petrov suddenly sprung to life on the left, curling a cross around Jose Bosingwa into the box. Matt Taylor reacted brilliantly, twisting to meet the ball and flick a downward header towards goal. Somehow, Petr Cech dived to his left, stretched out a fingertip and nudged the ball to safety.

From the brink of parity, Chelsea went downfield and doubled their advantage. Having taken a corner from the right, Malouda drifted into the box, looking to exploit any mayhem that his dead ball had caused. When John Obi Mikel lifted the ball back, Branislav Ivanovic inadvertently headed it on to Malouda. His first effort having caught Cahill, Malouda kept his composure, calmly slotting the ball low past Jaaskelainen.

Bolton attempted to rally. From Davies’ dinked pass, Elmander met the ball athletically, transferring it goalwards until Cech shovelled it to safety. The Bolton public soon began to become enervated at the antics of Mikel, who twice went down far too easily. Davies certainly made local contempt known to the midfielder.

A new target soon presented himself. When Taylor caught Drogba with a raised boot, making contact but hardly vicious. Chelsea’s Ivorian reacted as if he had been hit by the nine o’clock from Manchester Piccadilly. When Taylor complained about Drogba’s response, the striker lifted his shirt to point out where he had been kicked. The rich comic value of the scene grew further when Steinsson hoisted his own shirt.

The game was effectively ended as a contest shortly afterwards. When Davies ceded possession, Chelsea went for the jugular again. Malouda found Essien and soon Anelka was involved, the forward threading a low shot past Jaaskelainen.

Coyle had to shake up his team. The lively Mark Davies arrived but Chelsea made changes of their own, Josh McEachran coming on to continue his education. His team soon had a fourth, Essien breaking in from the left and cutting the ball back to Anelka. His shot was blocked, the ball falling to Ramires, who placed a sidefooted effort past Jaaskelainen. “Chelsea are back...” reverberated around the Reebok.




==================================================



Mail:


Bolton 0 Chelsea 4: Carlo's boys roar back as dynamic Drogba reignites title chase

By Matt Lawton


Just as anybody imagined Chelsea would collapse in quite the manner they have these past few months, it is now hard to envisage them catching Manchester United and successfully defending their Barclays Premier League title.

But a victory as comprehensive as this, in a match when you could almost see their confidence returning with every goal they scored, might just spark a revival.

The smart money says no. It says too many problems remain in a team enduring a tense political situation at Stamford Bridge that has left the manager undermined and the players disillusioned.

But these players have overcome such adversity before and it will be interesting to see if they are re-invigorated by a powerful performance as well as these goals from Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka and Ramires.

If they are, they will owe something to Jussi Jaaskelainen, the usually reliable Bolton goalkeeper who had a bit of a shocker on Monday night.

But a first away win in any competition since October was an important one for Chelsea, especially in the context of the success the club have enjoyed since Roman Abramovich marched into the club with his billions.

When a team are struggling in the way Chelsea have been, some setbacks are more significant than others. Losing at Bolton, when they had won on all seven previous visits to the Reebok under Abramovich's ownership, could have been catastrophic for Carlo Ancelotti. Not so much the beginning of the end, as the end.

So it must have been quite a relief to the beleaguered Italian to see Chelsea's run here continue, and a relief to see his players grow in stature too.

Owen Coyle's men were by far the better team for the first 10 minutes. Bright, physical and determined, and no doubt inspired by the emotional tribute to Nat Lofthouse, they terrorised Chelsea's back four and almost scored when Johan Elmander flicked on a cross from Martin Petrov into the path of Kevin Davies.

As it was, his close-range header went straight to Petr Cech. But Drogba's spectacular 12th-minute strike was like a shot of adrenaline for Chelsea, as was every goal that followed. As John Terry said, it has been a long time coming.

The performance was built on composure, cohesion and a much-needed touch of class. Drogba, Anelka and Malouda again combined effectively; the midfield looked strong,even in the absence of the injured Frank Lampard; as did a back four that has been alarmingly fragile.

So often Chelsea's match winner, Drogba provided what could be a turning point. His 32-yard strike moved slightly to the left and seemed to accelerate as it dipped under the crossbar, though Jaaskelainen misjudged it a little.

Bolton responded defiantly, keen to end their own miserable run. They have now taken just one point from the last 15 available. Matt Taylor forced a fine save from Cech with a decent header. But confidence is clearly an issue for Coyle's men and the way they conceded Chelsea's second four minutes before the break will do nothing to improve matters.

It was another nightmare for Jaaskelainen, even if his defenders should have done better dealing with a cross from John Obi Mikel.

After Gary Cahill blocked Malouda's first attempt, the Finnish keeper let the Frenchman's second slip between him and a post at the tightest of angles.

To Bolton's credit, they continued to battle and it took another decent save to deny Elmander. There was also an amusing exchange when Drogba's attempt to prove he had been injured by Taylor's high challenge prompted Gretar Steinsson to reveal his six-pack, too.

But when Bolton could only clear a teasing delivery from the excellent Michael Essien as far as Anelka, the Frenchman responded with a decent shot that Jaaskelainen again could not stop.

Crushed, Bolton then let Ramires score his first goal for Chelsea. Having blocked an effort from Anelka, they watched in horror as Jaaskelainen was beaten for a fourth time.

In a jubilant mood, Chelsea's fans first turned their attention to the an absent television commentator. 'Andy Gray, channel five,' they cried, before returning the focus to their team.

'Chelsea are back,' they sang, and their words met with Abramovich's approval. Whatever happens now, this is certainly a step in the right direction.


MATCH FACTS

BOLTON WANDERERS (4-4-2): Jaaskelainen 3; Steinsson 5, Cahill 6, Knight 5, Robinson 5; Taylor 6, Muamba 6 (M Davies 64min, 6), Holden 6 (Blake 86) Petrov 6 (Rodrigo 64, 6); Elmander 6, K Davies 7. Subs not used: Bogdan, Ricketts, Cohen, Wheater.

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): Cech 7; Bosingwa 6, Ivanovic 7, Terry 7, Cole 6; Essien 7, Mikel 6 (McEachran 72, 6), Ramires 6 (Kalou 77); Anelka 6, Malouda 7; Drogba 7. Subs not used: Turnbull, Ferreira, Sturridge, Bruma, Kakuta.

Man of the match: Florent Malouda.

Referee: Chris Foy 6.



====================================================




Sun:


Bolton 0 Chelsea 4


By SHAUN CUSTIS


"CHELSEA are back," sang the visiting fans.

They may well be right.

It is a long haul for the current champions to make up the difference on leaders Manchester United, who are seven points ahead having played a game fewer.

But the Blues still have to play United twice and victories in both games could yet give this topsy-turvy season an astonishing twist.

This was a job very well done, a first away win since October 30 at Blackburn, and Chelsea will be looking to kick on from here.

They just love their trips to Bolton. No matter what form they are in they can always guarantee three points at the Reebok, which has long been a happy hunting ground.

It was where they clinched their first Premier League title back in 2005 and last night they notched up an incredible eighth successive league victory on Bolton turf, having scored 18 times without reply.

That was almost good enough to put a smile on manager Carlo Ancelotti's face - and he has not had much to laugh about in recent months.

"Carlo, Carlo give us a wave," came another chant from the supporters. He did, eventually, but the Italian is not one for getting carried away - particularly after the season he has been through.

A brilliant strike from Didier Drogba on 11 minutes set Chelsea on the road to success and Florent Malouda added a second just before half-time.

Former Bolton star Nicolas Anelka notched number three and Ramires completed the scoring with his first goal in English football.

All over the pitch, the visitors lifted their game.

The Drog was at his snarling best, Malouda constantly torm-ented the home back line, Anelka was sublime on the ball, Mikel was composed, skipper John Terry was a rock at the back and Petr Cech was excellent in goal.

Ancelotti confessed pre-match that he had not been satisfied with a Chelsea performance since they beat Arsenal three months ago, while the likes of Frank Lampard and Drogba had expressed their concerns at the manner of the decline.

But they had steadied the sinking ship somewhat with a thumping FA Cup win over Ipswich and a home league triumph against Blackburn and in Bolton they were up against a team which had not won in the Prem since Boxing Day.

It is now one point from the last 15 for the Trotters, who are suddenly seriously on the slide themselves.

Drogba reckoned that rather than think about winning the title, Chelsea should first concentrate on stringing two or three wins together. And he led by example with a stunning effort to ease any anxiety.

Malouda won the ball thanks to a committed challenge against a flat-footed Gretar Steinsson and played a pass infield to Drogba.

No opponent came to challenge the Ivory Coast striker and he measured his shot before sending a ripper dipping over Jussi Jaaskelainen, who could do no more than paw helplessly at thin air.

This was more like the Drogba of old. He has been out of sorts since suffering a bout of malaria.Drogba linked well with Malouda all night and, as the Frenchman once more got through some tame defending, he picked out his mate on the left of the area. This time Drogba could only shoot into the keeper's midriff from a tight angle.

On the half-hour, Bolton almost equalised. Martin Petrov crossed from the left, Matt Taylor climbed to head towards the bottom corner and Cech got across at full stretch to fingertip the ball round his left post.

Four minutes before the break, the visitors doubled their lead.

Malouda had a shot which Gary Cahill blocked. But when he got the ball back, the Frenchman somehow squeezed it past the centre-back and inside Jaaskelainen at his near post.

Chelsea then kept their goal intact when Kevin Davies played one into the box with the outside of his right foot and Johan Elmander flicked the chance against Cech and wide.

By the 56th minute it was well and truly over. The ball fell to Anelka 15 yards out and his shot found its way under Jasskelainen's body.

Ramires added the fourth with 16 minutes to go, firing in after an Anelka shot was blocked.

The entire Chelsea team swamped Ramires, delighted the Brazilian had broken his duck.

If there were any doubts about team spirit, that celebration laid them to rest. Everyone is pulling in the same direction again - and not a moment too soon.



====================================================


Star:


BOLTON 0 - CHELSEA 4 - THAT'S ANCELOTTI BETTER

By Jeremy Cross




DIDIER DROGBA rediscovered his old magic with a stunning first-half strike at the Reebok.

The Chelsea star has endured a ­miserable season, by his own high ­standards.

A severe bout of malaria earlier in the campaign left Drogba struggling for full ­fitness, with goals hard to come by.

But that wasn’t the case for the Ivory Coast hitman last night – thanks to a little help from Jussi Jaaskelainen.

Drogba fired Carlo Ancelotti’s men ­ahead after 11 minutes with a powerful strike from around 30 yards.

The ball seemed to dip and swerve, but replays showed Jaaskelainen should have got something behind it and kept it out.

Not that Drogba and his team-mates will mind one bit.

Nor Ancelotti, for that matter, ­considering the under-fire Blues boss has been long overdue some unexpected help.

And further goals either side of the break from Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka ensured the visitors were in total ­control before Ramires capped an ­impressive display late on.

Ancelotti had to cope without key man Frank Lampard after he broke down with a calf problem, with John Obi Mikel ­replacing the England ­midfielder.

The Italian needed his star names like never before as the Blues looked to hang on to the coattails of leaders ­Manchester United.

At least Ancelotti could take heart from the fact that Chelsea had not lost on this ground for 13 years.

Not much, granted, but it was something for him to cling on to in these desperate times for the champions.

This promised to be an emotional night for the home side, following the recent death of legend Nat Lofthouse.

The club paid tribute to their former England star before kick-off and ­Bolton boss Owen Coyle urged his side to win the game for him.

However, the Trotters were in a bit of a slump themselves.

No win in four outings and just one point since Boxing Day had seen Coyle’s men fall down the table.

New signing David Wheater had to settle for a place on the bench, while Ivan ­Klasnic missed out with a groin problem. But Coyle welcomed back winger Martin Petrov and right-back Gretar Steinsson as the hosts looked to halt their slide.

It was the Trotters who started the brighter and could have gone ahead inside three minutes.

Petrov swung in a cross from the left which Johan Elmander flicked on to Kevin Davies, but his header flew straight at keeper Petr Cech.

Coyle had told his players to give the visitors no time to settle, but there was ­little they could do to stop Drogba’s ­brilliance in breaking the deadlock.

Steinsson lost possession deep in his own half, yet there seemed little danger as Drogba picked up the loose ball.

However, he was allowed to turn and head towards goal before unleashing a long-range effort which went straight through flapping Finn Jaaskelainen. The goal, his 10th of the season, helped settle the visitors down and Drogba tested Jaaskelainen again on 20 minutes, but this time he was up to the task.

Coyle’s men had lost their momentum but came close to levelling on 30 minutes when Matt Taylor’s header was superbly tipped wide by Cech.

Drogba then fired a free-kick just over the top before the Blues doubled their lead four minutes before half-time.

The Trotters defence failed to deal with a Mikel cross and when the loose ball fell to Malouda he was somehow allowed to squeeze in a low shot from the tightest of angles at the second time of asking. The Trotters’ night went from bad to worse on 56 minutes when Anelka drove home a low shot from just inside the box.

And their misery was complete in the 74th minute when Michael Essien broke wide and his cross was met by Anelka.

The French hitman’s effort was blocked, but Ramires arrived on cue to sidefoot home from the edge of the area, his first goal for Chelsea going in off the post.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

blackburn 2-0


Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Blackburn Rovers 0
By Jonathan Liew

Carlo Ancelotti talks a lot about being in a 'good moment’ or 'bad moment’. At this point, it is probably fair to say his team are somewhere in between.
Grinding out wins in adversity may be the hallmark of champions, but still, this was about as unsatisfying a 2-0 victory as it is possible to imagine. For a team low on morale and down on their luck, it is a start, but Ancelotti will be aware it is no more than that.
This was a Chelsea in transition, still trying to locate their poise, still struggling to prioritise instinct over thought. That apprehension has filtered through to the fans. Stamford Bridge was eerily hushed for the most of the game, and even when Chelsea broke through, the customary chant of “that’s why we’re champions” was notable by its absence. The quality was there, but the sharpness and swagger remain elusive.
“The performance was good,” Ancelotti insisted. “More intensity, more quality, and we have to be happy for this. We have to play better again, but we have more confidence now. I’m sure we will do better.”
For Blackburn Rovers’s part, the best that could be said of their approach was that it probably reassured Ronaldinho that he made the right choice in joining Flamengo.
David Dunn’s early hamstring injury robbed them of guile, and for most of the game they were obstinately functional. Their lone forward — Nikola Kalinic in the first-half, the returning Roque Santa Cruz in the second — was often hopelessly isolated.
“We felt we were forcing it when we got the ball,” manager Steve Kean admitted. “We were trying to hit the front too quickly.”
That Blackburn remained in the game as long as they did says more about their opponents’ profligacy than their own virtue. For most of the afternoon, Chelsea were like a joke without a punchline.
In the first two thirds of the pitch, they moved the ball with assurance and intelligence. As soon as the goal loomed into view, they thwarted their own aggressive intentions with heavy first touches and misplaced passes. It was telling that both their goals came from set-pieces, and Nicolas Anelka only got his by diverting in a Branislav Ivanovic header that was going in anyway.
Didier Drogba remains a source of concern for Ancelotti. The Drogba of old might have scored three or four yesterday; instead, he drew another blank, his 11th in 14 league games. He tried everything: speculative long-rangers, cute dinks, dipping free-kicks. Left one-on-one with the goalkeeper on innumerable occasions, he tried to lift the ball over Paul Robinson’s body and he tried to slide it underneath. Nothing worked.
“He played a good game, he was not selfish,” Ancelotti said, ignoring the fact that a self-seeking Drogba is generally a more effective one.
“He didn’t score, but it doesn’t matter. He is very close to his best. Sometimes you have to shoot 10 times to score.”
As the deadlock persisted, irritation turned to frustration. Wave after wave of attacks crashed against Robinson’s goal. Anelka curled a shot just wide from 20 yards. Frank Lampard headed over Jose Bosingwa’s cross. Ramires, one of the best players in a blue shirt, dragged a shot inches wide and also struck the woodwork, as did Anelka.
Blackburn’s best chance came in the first half, when Junior Hoilett cut in from the left and produced a diving stop of the highest quality from Petr Cech.
Chelsea needed a lucky break, and early in the second half an ordinary piece of Blackburn defending granted it to them.
Morten Gamst Pedersen tried to clear a Florent Malouda corner but could only get the faintest of touches. Ivanovic was able to gather at the back post, shield the ball from Ryan Nelsen and slot it past Robinson through a forest of legs.
With 14 minutes left, Blackburn were undone again. Malouda swung in the corner, Ivanovic headed the ball at goal and Anelka was on the line to turn the ball in. Relief, but one look at the league table will remind Chelsea that restitution is still some way off.
==================================
Independent:

Ivanovic inspires as Chelsea turn corner
Chelsea 2 Blackburn Rovers 0:

Blackburn caught napping at set-pieces as champions grind out victory
By Steve Tongue at Stamford Bridge

It was a win, though still not as Chelsea supporters know it; or indeed expect. Last weekend's 7-0 romp against Ipswich in the FA Cup had revived memories of more carefree days earlier in the season but this was back to hard grind. That made it similar to the victory against Bolton two weeks ago, the only one in nine previous League games.
The points earned by goals from Branislav Ivanovic and Nicolas Anelka following corners in the second half carried the champions above Tottenham into fourth place, remaining in some sort of contact with Manchester United before that pair meet at White Hart Lane this afternoon. At least both cannot win. Finishing above Spurs to secure a vitally important place in the Champions' League would appear to be a more realistic target than retaining the Premier League title.
Naturally Carlo Ancelotti could or would not admit that. "It's not easy to close the gap in the Premier League but we have to think we can do it," the Chelsea manager said.
Blackburn's manager, Steve Kean, a Portuguese speaker who almost joined Chelsea as a coach under Luiz Felipe Scolari, had seen his team defend stoutly for almost an hour before submitting. "We're disappointed because we're normally very good at defensive set-plays," he said.
Blackburn proved fallible at two of the umpteen corner-kicks Chelsea won. In the 57th minute, John Terry was allowed too much room to head on Florent Malouda's flag-kick, and when Morten Gamst Pedersen failed to clear, Ivanovic drove it past Paul Robinson from an acute angle.
Blackburn might have claimed – though Kean to his credit did not – that Malouda should not have been on the pitch after the sort of double-footed challenge 10 minutes earlier that has recently cost other players a red card. It was another left-wing corner from the French winger that brought the second goal, and relief all round Stamford Bridge, with 14 minutes to play. The powerful Ivanovic reached this one first and his header might even have crept in had Anelka not made certain with a deft touch from close range.
Chelsea, to be fair, dominated the second half. At the interval the visitors had thrown on Roque Santa Cruz, welcomed back from Manchester City complaining he had been offered far too little playing time. But the effect of that, unfortunately, was that he looked rusty.
Blackburn made their best chance without him, after half an hour's play. David Hoilett drifted through the centre, easily avoided Terry and forced a fine save from Petr Cech, Terry recovering to block the follow-up. They packed the midfield but suffered from losing the influential David Dunn midway through the first half with a hamstring strain, offering a first opportunity to Jason Lowe, an England Under-19 squad member who had made his Rovers debut in the FA Cup last weekend.
Ryan Nelsen and Gaël Givet did particularly well in defence, although twice in that opening half the crossbar saved their team. In only the second minute Ramires cracked a shot against the bar from some 20 yards. Just before the interval Didier Drogbawhipped over a cross and the ball came back off the angle of post and bar.
There has been talk of both principal strikers being left out recently. They each looked sharper yesterday and combined well after half an hour when Anelka played his partner in – albeit looking suspiciously offside – only to be denied by a fine saving tackle from Givet.
The day before the game Ancelottihad not discouraged speculation that Drogba and Michael Essien could be dropped. His insisted afterwards, however: "We needed more size because I knew Blackburn could use the big ball and set-pieces. So Essien and Drogba started the game."
Of his team's fluctuating form, he added: "I think our bad moment is over. Our [form] is better and now we have to play better again."

Attendance: 40,846
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Man of the match: Ivanovic
Match rating: 6/10


=====================================

Observer:

Nicolas Anelka helps Chelsea to victory against Blackburn Rovers

Chelsea 2 Ivanovic 57, Anelka 76 Blackburn Rovers 0

Paul Doyle at Stamford Bridge

This was not quite a return to form for Chelsea but it was an encouraging step in the right direction, albeit against a Blackburn side whose ability seemed as limited as their ambition.
Carlo Ancelotti went into this game hoping for proof that last weekend's 7-0 FA Cup demolition of IpswichTown had propelled his team out of the rut that they had sunk into over the past two months, during which they had won only one of nine Premier League games.
The initial signs were promising for the Italian as Chelsea nearly blew Blackburn away in the opening minutes, during which the ball was barely out of the visitors' half. Even the much-maligned Ramires looked formidable and nearly gave the hosts the lead in the third minute, but his shot from 10 yards following a half-cleared corner cannoned back off the bar.
Chelsea dominated possession for the rest of the half but, with the visitors defending with diligence and great numbers, often struggled to pick a way through Blackburn, their approach work often suffering from stodgy predictability.
Didier Drogba, José Bosingwa and Nicolas Anelka all tried their luck from distance but their shots failed to find the target and for a while this seemed like being another frustrating afternoon for Ancelotti. In the 33rd minute, Anelka did manage to release Drogba with a ball straight through the middle but Gaël Givet – hardly a speedster – managed to catch up with the Ivorian and make a saving tackle just as he wound up as shot. Clearly Drogba, though willing, is not yet back to his best.
Sighs began to be heard around Stamford Bridge and they almost turned to shrieks when Blackburn sweptunexpectedly forward in the 34th minute and worked an opening for David Hoilett. Petr Cech produced a fine save to foil the attempted smash-and-grab. Two minutes before the break Chelsea came close again, Drogba delivering a cross from the
right that Anelka met with a neat flick six yards out - for the second time, however, the champions were thwarted by the frame of the goal.
Blackburn introduced new re-signing Roque Santa Cruz at half-time, seemingly in a bid to sharpen their offensive threat, but the direction of play continued to be overwhelmingly towards the other penalty area.
In the 56th minute, Chelsea finally forced their way in front with a goal born more of persistence than of inspiration.
John Terry sent a firm header into a cluster of bodies around the six-yard box following a Drogba corner and, as Ryan Nelsen struggled to clear, Branislav Ivanovic squeezed the ball over the line from five yards. Relief exploded around the ground.
Blackburn never looked like scrounging an equaliser, and Drogba, Terry and Frank Lampard – who was a peripheral influence throughout – all fluffed chances to extend the lead but Rovers' luck ran out in the 76th minute, when Chelsea struck their second.
Ivanovic was again instrumental, sending a powerful header towards goal following a Drogba corner. It would probably have crossed the line without Anelka's assistance but the striker, without a Premier League goal in over two months, gave it a helping prod from one yard just to make sure.
"I think our bad moment is over," declared Ancelotti, who nevertheless was not getting carried away over successive home victories. "Our play was good, with more intensity and quality, but our last two games have been at home. We have to check now how we are away – next week's game at Bolton is very important."
He was sufficiently buoyed, however, to suggest that there is still life in his team's ailing title challenge. "We have more confidence now and I am sure we will do better in the Premier League – it's not easy to close the gap but we have to think that we can," said the Italian. "We won last year and we want to do everything to be in the competition until the end."
Ancelotti scoffed at suggestions that this win had saved his job. "I never doubted the support of my club was very close to me and the players," he said.

THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT TRIZIA FIORELLINO, ChelseaSupportersGroup.net
Ivanovic is our player of the year so far, I can't believe the rumours that we are quibbling over his contract – we need to pay whatever it takes to keep him at the Bridge. Overall, it wasn't too convincing, but there was a little more positivity on the pitch. Lampard is not match-fit yet, but he's making a difference, orchestrating the midfield. Blackburn were very negative and we again weren't at our best, so if they'd had more of a go they might have got something. Despite the win, we're definitely out of the title race. We need to find some form and secure a Champions League place. Whatever happens on top will be a bonus.

The fan's player ratings Cech 8; Bosingwa 7, Terry 8, Ivanovic 9, Cole 9; Ramires 9, Essien 7 (McEachran 80 9), Lampard 8; Anelka 8 (Kalou 79 7), Drogba 7, Malouda 7 (Sturridge 87 8)

MARCUS TATTERSALL, Observer reader
It was a case of spot the difference between the old Allardyce methods and Steve Kean's new Rovers. The subtle changes he's made, with the full-backs pushing on, have been more positive, but that was rarely seen today. Which is a shame because Chelsea looked a shadow of the team they were, and it was a golden opportunity to get at least a point. Their goals seemed to be carbon copies, even though defending set pieces is one of our strengths. Santa Cruz looked class when he came on, but we desperately need a creative midfielder – forget bidding for Ronaldinho, I'd have Charlie Adam. I think he's a great player.

The fan's player ratings Robinson 8; Salgado 7, Samba 6, Nelsen 8, Givet 7; MB Diouf 6, Dunn 5 (Lowe 24 6), Pedersen 6, Olsson 6; Hoilett 5 (Roberts 68 5); Kalinic 5 (Santa Cruz 45 7)


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Mail:

Chelsea 2 Blackburn 0: Ivanovic and Anelka put Blues back into top four
By Rob Draper

Carlo Ancelotti purports to be confident about the future. ‘I didn’t have a doubt about my job before this game, because the club and the players have been very close to me,’ he claimed. ‘So you could have written that my job was safe even before this game.’ And that may be an entirely sensible line to take for public consumption.But in reality, having raised the prospect of dropping Didier Drogba and Michael Essien for the match then relenting and choosing to play them, and with owner Roman Abramovich due in London this week, a victory was the very least he required. Yet for almost an hour Ancelotti could not be sure it was coming.
True, Chelsea started at a blistering pace, with Ramires skewing a shot against the bar after two minutes and Ashley Cole rampaging down the left, creating three chances in the opening six minutes alone.But thereafter, they were laboured and insipid. In fact, they would have scared neither Manchester United nor Arsenal and certainly not Barcelona or Real Madrid. As for Bolton and Everton, their forthcoming opponents in the Premier League and the FA Cup, they, too, will not be terrorised by what was on offer.For Chelsea are not yet out of their ‘bad moment’, as Ancelotti refers to it. ‘We are not at the same level we were at the start of the season, but we will come back to that level,’ insisted Ancelotti.‘We don’t need much time to get back to that level. But the next game against Bolton will be very important because then, if we can win, we can say that moment has gone. It is a good test for us.‘The last two games were at home and now we have to check our moment away, which will be more difficult. But I think scoring the seven goals against Ipswich last week in the FA Cup was important psychologically. Our moment is really better and we are playing better. We have more confidence now and I’m sure we will do better.
‘It isn’t easy to close the gap on the leaders but we have to believe we are able to do this. I don’t know if it’s possible, but because we won the title last year we want to do everything to be competitive until the end.’It is a measure of how much things have changed in such a short space of time that a mediocre Blackburn side felt that they had a chance of winning at Stamford Bridge.
Their manager, Steve Kean, said: ‘We were confident as we’ve won three of the last four, so we felt we could get something from the game.’Rovers’ best chance came from lively Canadian David Hoilett, 20, who cut inside John Terry and forced a tremendous save from Petr Cech on 35 minutes. ‘It was a world-class save from Cech,’ said Kean.They might have had the advantage of an extra man had referee Martin Atkinson taken a sterner view of Florent Malouda’s two-footed challenge on Mame Biram Diouf on 49 minutes. A yellow card was produced but it could easily have been red, though Kean had no complaints. ‘I thought the yellow was fair,’ he said.Blackburn held their own until the 57th minute when they failed to defend Malouda’s corner, allowing John Terry a flicked header which reached Branislav Ivanovic who, from three yards, dug out a shot which somehow managed to sneak past the attendant Ryan Nelsen, Michel Salgado and Paul Robinson.
Then, on 76 minutes and from another Malouda corner, Ivanovic climbed quite magnificently — though without sufficient challenge — and powered a header goalwards, which Nicolas Anelka flicked past Robinson, also from three yards out.As for Essien and Drogba, Ancelotti has clearly indicated they are living on borrowed time by raising the prospect of dropping them. ‘It’s important for us that Josh McEachran is ready to play from the beginning and he can give more competition in the squad,’ said Ancelotti.‘But we needed more size. I knew Blackburn could use the long ball and set-pieces and I wanted to have power in the box, which is why Essien and Drogba started the game.‘They are some of the most important players not because they play every game — because sometimes they can stay out of the team, this doesn’t matter. But Didier was very close to his best today. He played a good game, didn’t score but played for the team and came back and also helped the midfield players.’
While neither is playing his best, both showed signs of the incision and power of which they are capable.Indeed, the final 20 minutes saw a succession of chances — Terry’s flicked header, Drogba’s saved shot, Malouda’s long-range effort — that suggested Chelsea might be emerging from their dismal midwinter.However, that came once victory was assured. When they can play like that from the start, then Ancelotti can be sure that his moment has passed.

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Star:

UGLY WIN'S A BEAUTY
By Tony Stenson

Chelsea 2 - Blackburn 0

IT was probably the ugliest goal Chelsea have ever scored under manager Carlo Ancelotti.
But after Branislav Ivanovic’s opener against Blackburn the Italian breathed deep, as if he had witnessed a footballing masterclass.
For a while his job was safe. But then came a collapse not seen at Chelsea since before Roman Abramovich started pouring cash into the Blues.
A win over Bolton at the end of last year seemed to have stopped the rot – but then a draw against a struggling Aston Villa and an away defeat at Wolves plunged Ancelotti’s men back into crisis.
Blackburn provided a tough test and gave a much better account of themselves than they did in a 7-1 mauling at Old Trafford earlier this season.
Steve Kean’s side did enough at times to show they could have taken all three points.
Chelsea thankfully had skipper John Terry back to his inspiring best, providing the muscle and mental toughness to get things moving.
They also had Ivanovic on hand to break the deadlock after 57 minutes. The Serb then also turned provider for Nicolas Anelka, who netted Chelsea’s second 14 minutes from time to seal the win.
Ivanovic didn’t make great contact with the shot for his goal – but it was good enough to squeeze between a number of Blackburn defenders and beat keeper Paul Robinson.
Terry had flicked on a Florent Malouda corner and the ball fell kindly for Ivanovic to score his fifth goal of the season.
Chelsea started out well but are still a long way off their classy best.
They are getting there – but it will be an uphill struggle until their confidence is fully restored.
England boss Fabio Capello was in the stands watching on but the game started with only five Englishmen on the pitch – none of whom was under the age of 30.
Chelsea’s Ramires, who signed from Benfica in the summer, struck the Blackburn bar early in the first half before Martin Olsson tested Petr Cech from 25 yards at the other end.
Michael Essien sent a header wide from a Frank Lampard corner, while Didier Drogba fired over from long range.
The striker then broke clear in the 33rd minute, only for Gael Givet to make up ground and put in a fantastic challenge.
Blues keeper Cech was then forced to make a fine save to deny Junior Hoilett two minutes later.
After the break Anelka dragged a shot just wide before Ivanovic’s opener.
And Robinson came to his side’s rescue 15 minutes from time when Christopher Samba’s poor backpass put Drogba clear.
But that work was undone by more poor defending from the following corner.
Ivanovic headed towards goal and Anelka was perfectly placed to fire home from point-blank range.
Ancelotti said: “I think our bad run is over. We still believe we can win the title.
“I did not have a doubt about my job because of the support I have had from the club.
“It was always good, so why should it be different now?
“Beating Ipswich by seven goals helped our confidence.
“Now we have to go forward, believing we can make up ground on the leaders. We will not give up.”
Blackburn boss Kean said: “We are disappointed because we are normally very good at set plays but we got caught out by two today.
“Roque Santa Cruz is lacking fitness but he showed one or two good touches and I hope I can add a couple more players to help him before the window closes at the end of the month.”


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Mirror:

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn:
By Paul Smith

Victory for Chelsea failed to mask the fact that their title challenge is all but over.
Although they secured only their second league win in 10 games, the defending champions, who looked to have their lost their way alarmingly in recent weeks, still showed no encouraging evidence that their early season form was returning.
Indeed until Branislav Ivanovic eased home pressure with the opening goal in the 57th minute they looked like a club low on confidence and short on belief.
Better sides than Blackburn, who didn’t decide to park a bus in front of their own goal, would have caused Chelsea far more problems.
And even though Carlo Ancelotti claimed Chelsea had momentarily emerged from a bad moment in their season you still suspected he had justifiable concerns to be cautious.
“I think the bad moment is over. It was important for us to play at home but the bad moment also has to be achieved away from home so the game against Bolton is very important.
“At least we will go into that game with some confidence, I am convinced we will be much stronger.
“There was more intensity and more quality about our play against Blackburn. Now we have confidence and I’m sure we will do better in the Premier League.”
But Ancelotti did concede that the gap between them and the title pacesetter might be too big to close.
“I am not sure whether the gap is too big now but we have to believe. We still want to win trophies.”
While Blackburn boss Steve Kean had no complaints about the defeat he was disappointed in the manner of the way his side conceded the goals.
“Overall I have no complaints with the result. We are disappointed with the goals though.
“Normally we are very good at defending set plays but today we were very sloppy.
“We did well in the first half and tried to go a bit more offensive in the second half. Having won three of the last four we came here confident we could get a result.
“We chipped away but never managed to really trouble Chelsea in the end.”
Ancelotti resisted significant changes despite claims he was set to drop key players for the home clash with Blackburn.
Indeed there was only one from the side that lost at Wolves in the last Premier league clash, Nicolas Anelka returning at the expense of Salomon Kalou.
Despite their recent poor form in the league that has seen Chelsea’s title campaign alarmingly falter, they went into the game full of confidence following the 7-0 win over Championship side Ipswich in the FA Cup.
They certainly made an encouraging start pegging Blackburn back in their own half in a frantic opening.
But while home possession was embarrassing at times, Chelsea inability to convert a succession of chances was cause for concern.
Didier Drogba’s form which has seen him score just two goals from open play since the start of October was showing little evidence of rediscovering his form in front of goal.
For their part Blackburn were more than content to sit deep and soak up home pressure.
Inevitably chances came and went for Chelsea but as close as they came to finding the opening goal you somehow suspected it was going to elude them.
Ancelotti certainly showed signs of growing anxiety as he paced up and down the technical area with the half time whistle fast approaching.
Sadly Chelsea’s frustrations continued after the break as more of the same followed while Blackburn introduced Roque Santa Cruz following his loan switch from Manchester City.
Tempting crosses from right, notably from Jose Bosingwa failed to find a man in a blue shirt.
Blackburn, while showing little appetite for offensive football, were an all together different proposition at the back where they packed their own penalty area to further frustrate Chelsea.
The home crowd were also becoming increasingly agitated until Chelsea’s dominance finally paid off in the 57th minute.
Flourent Malouda’s cross was headed on by captain John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic fired home at the far post.
The relief was evident and suddenly Chelsea had a real spring in their step.
The goal forced Blackburn to change tactics and Frank Lampard almost added a second when Chelsea broke swiftly from their own half.
Jason Roberts was introduced to add more power to the Blackburn attack.
Drogba should have added a second Chelsea goal in the 76th minute when he raced through on goal following Christopher Samba’s woeful back pass.
But Robinson momentarily averted the danger by touching the ball around his post.
Unfortunately from the subsequent corner Chelsea increased their lead.
Ivanovic rose unchallenged to send in a powerful goal bound header, which Anelka got the slightest touch on to wrong foot Robinson and secure the points.

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People:

Chelsea 2-0 Blackburn: Set-pieces revive Carlo's hopes as Blues turn the corner
By Tom Hopkinson, The People

CARLO ANCELOTTI will wake this morning knowing this was better, much better, from his Chelsea side.
But the Italian won’t need any ­reminding that the Blues still have a long way to go before they can claim to be genuine title ­contenders once again.
They deserved their ­victory over Steve Kean’s Blackburn, thanks to goals from Branislav Ivanovic and Nicolas Anelka.
But both came from corners. In open play Chelsea simply aren’t ­the same side that started the campaign in such blistering fashion.
Now they are having to grind results out and, worryingly for Ancelotti, for much of this match they looked every inch the top flight’s fifth-best team.
OK, so they might be back up to fourth and will stay there if Tottenham are beaten by leaders Manchester United this afternoon.
But Spurs, Arsenal, United and Manchester City are playing with much more confidence and flair, and Chelsea face a major battle to finish in the all-important Champions League spots.
Ancelotti says the “bad moment” he has often referred to in recent months is now over. But he admits they still aren’t back to their best and only another win away at Bolton next weekend will confirm they are even back in the mix.
Ancelotti said: “I have to judge this performance first, and I thought we started well and could have scored before the Ivanovic goal.
“We played with intensity, with ­quality and we have to be happy with this, but we have to check the next game because we play away and it will be more difficult.
“Last weekend was important but so was this weekend. We are playing better but we have to play better again.
“We have more confidence now and I’m sure we will do better in the Premier League.”
The win further eased the pressure on Ancelotti, although he insists he never doubted Roman Abramovich’s faith in him.
He added: “I didn’t ever doubt my position was safe, because the support of my club and the players was always very close to me.”
Ramires’ early effort hit the top of the bar after he shrugged off David Hoilett with ease, but Rovers keeper Paul Robinson had to wait almost the entire half before his goal was ­threatened again.
It wasn’t that Chelsea didn’t have chances. Didier Drogba’s wild shot was well wide and Frank Lampard was unable to keep a header down
And, when Robinson was beaten, the joint of bar and post came to Rovers’ rescue from Anelka’s deft touch.
Rovers had their chances, though none fell to Roque Santa Cruz on his return. The ­impressive ­Hoilett forced Petr Cech to make a great save with a low drive.
But they suffered when David Dunn went off with a hamstring tweak midway through the first half and fell behind shortly into the second. Florent Malouda’s corner was turned on by John Terry and Morten Gamst Pedersen could do ­nothing with his header but send it into Ivanovic’s path. The Serb slamming the ball past Robinson, who was ­unsighted by Michel Salgado.
Malouda was booked for a challenge on Mame Diouf which caused a few gasps around the ground but Kean felt referee Martin Atkinson was right not to dismiss the Chelsea man.
Good defending from Salgado then denied Terry, but ­moments later Anelka got the faintest of touches on Ivanovic’s header to double Chelsea’s lead.
Only then did Chelsea start to play and Robinson was forced to make a good save when Chris Samba’s woeful backpass released Drogba.
The Drog is still short of his best form but a late, snatched effort from him was a reminder that his sharpness is starting to return.
Rovers boss Kean said: “We felt there was a foul on Hoilett as the ball came over for the first goal but I’m still disappointed because normally we’re very good at defending set-plays and that was sloppy by our standards.
“We were confident because we’d won three of the last four and felt we could get something, but we chucked it away a bit and got our just rewards.”
Kean revealed American midfielder Jermaine Jones is on the verge of ­joining Rovers on loan from German side Schalke.

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Monday, January 10, 2011

ipswich 7-0



Independent:

Chelsea thrash Ipswich to earn brief respite
Chelsea 7 Ipswich Town 0

By Mark Fleming at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea could hardly have been more convincing but there was no mood for crowing afterwards. Chelsea's dismal run of late has instilled a sense of humility in the Double winners and manager Carlo Ancelotti's demeanour after the final whistle was remarkably subdued for a man who has just seen his team rattle in seven goals.
No one at the club was foolish enough to suggest this victory – over a team 19th in the Championship, who have just sacked their manager – means Chelsea's horror run has come to an end. It will take more than this mauling of poor Ipswich, who now entertain Arsenal in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday. However, there is nothing better than seeing the goals fly in, and the supporters inside Stamford Bridge sang the name of manager Ancelotti as loudly as ever.
There were also several encouraging signs in the team's display, all the more so as injury had ruled out Ashley Cole, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba. The brightest performance came from 17-year-old Josh McEachran in the centre of midfield, in only his third start for the club.
Chelsea's passing has been all over the place in recent weeks but, with McEachran occupying the key playmaking role in front of the back four, Ancelotti's side rediscovered the ability to find a team-mate with the ball. The teenager looks a slight player, but he showed strength enough to hassle the opposition and rarely gave up possession.
Daniel Sturridge also showed greater energy and invention, and scored twice on his 40th appearance for the club, a milestone that triggers a payment of £500,000 to Manchester City, the club he left in 2009. A return of nine goals from those 40 games is not particularly impressive, but Sturridge is still only 21 and Ancelotti will be heartened by his scoring form.
Of far greater importance still for the club's prospects of turning their season around was the return to scoring form of midfielder Frank Lampard, who scored twice in his sixth game since returning from injury; his performances in the coming weeks may well determine how Chelsea recover from their current crisis.
Ancelotti said: "The result was good and we did a lot of things well in this game but we don't have to be excited. We have to give the same performance next week against Blackburn.
"I think everyone has a better feeling, a better sensation, after this victory. But nothing's changed. We have to keep going. We have possibilities to be competitive. Nobody's happy at the moment. We hope this moment has gone, but now we have to wait."
In the end, it proved to be men against Tractor Boys as Chelsea, aiming to become the first team since Blackburn Rovers in 1886 to win a hat-trick of FA Cups, took out their frustrations on Ipswich, who were led by caretaker manager Ian McParland.
Salomon Kalou put Chelsea ahead after 32 minutes, although all the credit must go to Nicolas Anelka, whose shot was saved by Ipswich goalkeeper Marton Fulop but was dribbling goalwards only for Kalou to make certain from a yard out. A minute later, Sturridge met Jose Bosingwa's cross with a brilliant back-heel finish, and Chelsea were away.
Carlos Edwards headed a Lampard free-kick into his own goal to leave Ipswich 3-0 down at half-time, and after the interval it did not get any better for the visitors as Anelka finished well from a tight angle and Sturridge then curled in his second as Chelsea vented the frustrations of the past few months.
They were important goals for Sturridge, whose request for a loan move has been turned down by Chelsea. Ancelotti said: "Every player has to be ready when the moment arrives. In the future he'll have opportunities. We have a lot of games in this period coming up. I think he has to fight with the other strikers, but everyone has to fight."
Ancelotti's side, who drew Everton away in the fourth round, showed no mercy for Ipswich as Lampard scored twice in the closing minutes after the result was beyond doubt. He added Chelsea's sixth when Ipswich failed to clear Gaël Kakuta's poorly hit corner, and the England midfielder scored his third goal since returning from injury when he met Branislav Ivanovic's low cross in the 79th minute.
The scoreline was particularly harsh on goalkeeper Marton Fulop, who was on duty for Sunderland last season when they lost 7-2 on this ground. The Hungarian has now let in 14 goals in two trips to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Van Aanholt (Bruma, 71); Ramires, McEachran, Lampard; Sturridge, Anelka, Kalou (Kakuta, 55).
Substitutes not used Hilario (gk), Essien, Drogba, Malouda, Ferreira
.
Ipswich Town (4-4-2): Fulop; Brown, McAuley, O,Dea, Kennedy; Edwards, Norris, Healy, Peters; Scotland (Murray, 49), Wickham (Priskin, 64).
Substitutes not used Lee-Barrett (gk), Delaney, Smith, Eastman, Civelli.
Booked Norris.
Referee A D'Urso (Essex).

Possession Chelsea 60% Ipswich 40%
Shots on target Chelsea 20 Ipswich 2
Man of the match Lampard.

Match rating 7/10. Attendance 41,654.

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Mail:

Chelsea 7 Ipswich 0:

Tractor ride - relief for Carlo Ancelotti as Cup holders smash seven

By Matt Barlow

As the son of a farmer, Carlo Ancelotti will know all about the relief a tractor can offer to those sinking deeper into the mire.For Chelsea, the Tractor Boys appeared in the nick of time.
Managerless and beleaguered, Ipswich rolled into Stamford Bridge and rolled over, inviting Ancelotti's team to restore some confidence after two rotten months.
For the Italian on the touchline, it must have felt like summertime again as the sun shone down and seven goals flew in. The expression remained glum but he waved to the fans who sang his name.Frank Lampard and Daniel Sturridge banged in a couple each, Salomon Kalou and Nicolas Anelka found the target while Ipswich's agony was compounded by an own goal from Carlos Edwards.Chelsea, unbeaten in the FA Cup for nearly three years, go to Everton in the fourth round.'We needed this kind of performance,' said Ancelotti. 'The result was good and we did a lot of things well, the strikers are scoring again, but we don't have to be excited. We have to wait before we can say everything is OK. There are still some things we can do better but it was important to play well. Our confidence will improve.'
Ancelotti also pointed out how, for the first 20 minutes, it had seemed destined to be another day of frustration. Sturridge missed good early chances and Troy Brown cleared brilliantly off the line to deny Anelka.But once Kalou struck from an inch, with a goal resembling David Nugent's for England against Andorra, the pressure dissolved.Anelka was released by Sturridge after a mistake by Colin Healy only for Marton Fulop to drop a heavy hand on his low shot. The ball bobbled on towards the net and Kalou came crashing in to claim the final touch.
Fulop, who conceded seven playing for Sunderland at Stamford Bridge last January, was beaten again within a minute when Sturridge stole ahead of Darren O'Dea to divert a low Jose Bosingwa cross into the net with a neat backheel.It was 3-0 at the interval after Edwards glanced a header past his own keeper as he tried to clear Lampard's inswinging free-kick. Anelka slid in the fourth, his first in more than two months, and Sturridge curled his second into the top corner.It was a personal success for Sturridge on his 40th appearance for the club, a landmark which means another £500,000 will be paid to Manchester City, taking his transfer fee, set by a tribunal, up to £5.5million.
With his £60,000-a-week wages, this means the 21-year-old striker has cost £10m and has nine goals, six of them in the FA Cup against the might of Preston, Watford, Cardiff and Ipswich.Two came in the Champions League against Slovak champions Zilina and his only Barclays Premier League goal since moving from City was the sixth in a 7-0 thrashing of Stoke. Understandably, Ancelotti resisted the temptation to get carried away and promise him another start against Blackburn on Saturday.'In the future he will have opportunities,' said the Chelsea boss. 'We have a lot of games coming up. He has to fight with the other strikers.'
Having scored 11 goals in their previous 13 games, Chelsea blitzed five in 20 minutes, either side of half-time. Lampard helped himself to the last two and, despite his subdued reaction, Ancelotti can at last consider some of those selection headaches managers apparently crave. Does he recall Drogba or allow Anelka a run as the spearhead, flanking him with the boundless energy of Kalou and the boundless confidence of Sturridge?Does he keep Josh McEachran and Ramires in his midfield trio with Lampard ahead of an out-of-sorts Michael Essien?McEachran, at 17, is slightly built but his football is fluent, he has rarely looked out of place this season and he was terrific again. Ramires looks better with every game and threatened to break his Chelsea duck with a 25-yarder.
For Ipswich it was painful. Caretaker boss Ian McParland is not expected to survive when Paul Jewell is named manager today. Jewell will arrive with his own backroom team and the task of lifting a dejected camp after Roy Keane's sacking ahead of Wednesday's Carling Cup semi-final against Arsenal.'I live in the real world,' said McParland. 'I knew what was going to happen. The boys were a bit shell-shocked with the manager going. Even with our strongest team, I knew we could have a struggle down here.'Ipswich's day was made worse when the coach home broke down.

MATCH FACTS

CHELSEA (4-3-2-1): Cech 6; Bosingwa 6, Ivanovic 6, Terry 6, Van Aanholt 6(Bruma 71, 6); Ramires 8, McEachran8, Lampard 8; Kalou 7 (Kakuta 55, 6),Sturridge 7; Anelka 7.
Subs not used: Hilario, Ferreira, Essien, Malouda, Drogba.
IPSWICH (4-4-2): Fulop 5; Peters 5,Brown 5, O’Dea 4, Kennedy 5;Edwards 5, Norris 6, Healy 4, Peters5; Wickham 5 (Priskin 63), Scotland 5(Murray 49).
Subs not used: Lee-Barrett, Delaney, Smith, Eastman, Civelli.
Booked: Norris.
Man of the match: Frank Lampard.
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Guardian:

Chelsea goal spree against Ipswich lightens Carlo Ancelotti's mood
FA Cup Third Round

Chelsea 7 Kalou 33, Sturridge 33, Edwards (og) 41, Anelka 49, Sturridge 52, Lampard 78, Lampard 79
Ipswich Town 0

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have their light relief. Some two months of mounting frustration were taken out on Ipswich to offer the defending Premier League champions and FA Cup holders a reminder that their scintillating early-season form can still be replicated. There was no manic celebration from Carlo Ancelotti on the sidelines but a playful wave to those in the Matthew Harding stand chanting his name. It was not one of farewell.
This was a walkover from the moment that managerless Ipswich were breached. Their resistance evaporated, the locals delighting in the ease of a welcome victory that was secured initially with much needed energy and later at a stroll. Five goals were scored in a 20-minute period either side of the interval, the most eye-catching involving the often under-used Daniel Sturridge. Confidence flowed back into the system with each reward. Blackburn Rovers will arrive here wary on Saturday.
Sturridge's appearance, his 40th for the club, will trigger a final instalment of £500,000 due to Manchester City – the striker has now cost Chelsea £5.5m, with a further £1m to come if he represents his country – but Roman Abramovich will consider that a minor expense if this team have been shrugged out of their malaise. The 21-year-old has been a bit-part player for too long. Five goals for the reserves in midweek in front of the manager, some 24 hours after the first-team had lost dismally to Wolves, and a knock to Didier Drogba presented him with an opportunity he took gleefully.
Chelsea were already ahead by then through Salomon Kalou's tap-in after Nicolas Anelka's shot had dribbled through Marton Fulop when, some 60 seconds later, Sturridge stole space ahead of Darren O'Dea and back-healed José Bosingwa's centre beyond the goalkeeper. His second, curled home brilliantly from just inside the area, capped the frenzy of Chelsea goals around the interval.
Sturridge has now scored nine times for this club, albeit always against lower-end or demoralised opponents and rarely at critical moments, but he may now earn the opportunity to make his mark against better rivals. "Every player has to be ready when the moment arrives," said Ancelotti. "Daniel deserved to play and did well. In the future he'll have opportunities."
Just as pleasing were Anelka's first goal after 10 scoreless matches and the brace by Frank Lampard. Chelsea had managed 11 goals in the previous 13 matches. The glut will have reminded them of their quality.
Ipswich were outclassed, their caretaker manager Ian McParland helpless on the touchline. They had arrived with confidence shredded after a solitary win in nine league games that has dragged them towards the Championship's relegation zone. Roy Keane's departure last Thursday, on the same day that Chelsea were reiterating their backing for Ancelotti, has left them rudderless. "I live in the real world," said McParland. "The boys are a bit shell-shocked after the manager went, so we were either going to give a good account of ourselves or take a right thrashing. Unfortunately it was the latter."
Paul Jewell's appointment as successor should be confirmed within the next 24 hours, with the former Wigan manager attempting to lure Wally Downes from West Ham as his assistant. Jewell will watch Wednesday's daunting visit of Arsenal in the Carling Cup semi-final from the relative safety of the stands. "Whoever comes in has a very tough job," added McParland, whose own future at the club is inevitably in considerable doubt. "I just hope he's in by Wednesday."
The team Jewell inherits will need reviving, even if this was not the occasion to judge them fairly. Theyhad caused flutters of anxiety in the opening half-hour but, once two behind, they disintegrated. Carlos Edwards inadvertently flicked Lampard's free-kick into the corner, with Anelka converting his first goal since 3 November just after the break. Fulop was motionless as Lampard scored from outside the area 12 minutes from time and was exposed again as the midfielder prodded in his second moments later.
The goalkeeper had done well to prevent the hosts' tally stretching into double figures. The Hungarian had conceded seven on his last visit here, with Sunderland a year ago, and must wonder what all this talk of Chelsea enduring a slump actually means. Not that Ancelotti will relax just yet.
Abramovich is due back in the country this week after the Russian holiday and will speak to his manager, with all parties aware that Chelsea's momentum must now be transferred to the league. "We are all feeling better but nothing's changed," said Ancelotti. "We hope the bad moment has gone but we have to wait to see or not." This has to be the start of the recovery.

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Sun:

Chelsea 7 Ipswich 0
By ROB BEASLEY

GOALS six and seven would have pleased Carlo Ancelotti the most.
Yes, the first five must have given the under-fire Chelsea boss an over-whelming sense of relief.
But the last two provided an uplifting feeling of hope - because they were scored by the club's amazing talisman Frank Lampard.
And history tells us that when Super Frank is in business, then the Blues are in business.
If anyone needed any further proof of that - other than three league titles, three FA Cups, two Carling Cups and 161 goals - then this season has delivered it in huge capital letters.
Frank has been sidelined for 3½ months this season and boy has he been missed.
The England star, 32, helped Chelsea get off to a flier in August before he tore a tendon in his groin.
Then he had to sit back and, along with the rest of us, watch in amazement as the Double winners imploded.
Remember this was only Chelsea's third win in 12 games - the Blues' worst run of results for 15 years.
That's no blip, that's a full-blown crisis.
It has seen the Londoners slump alarmingly from five points clear at the top to fifth in the table and out of the Champions League places.
Had the Cup holders suffered a humiliating defeat at home to managerless Ipswich, it could have ended with Ancelotti following Roys, Keane and Hodgson, through the managerial exit door.
Now it may be the first step to recovery - with Lampard leading, as always, from the front.
For once this term, it was a day when just about everything went right for Ancelotti.
He promoted Daniel Sturridge to the starting line-up and the youngster performed well and scored twice.
He played Nicolas Anelka through the middle and he responded with a goal and an assist. And he kept faith with the infuriatingly inconsistent Salomon Kalou - and even he scored.
For the first 30 minutes, it appeared as if this might be yet another uncomfortable afternoon for Chelsea.
Ipswich actually started brightly before capitulating spectacularly.
Two goals in a minute shattered the Tractor Boys and it was the impressive Anelka who unlocked the door.
He dribbled into the box and unleashed a low shot that keeper Marton Fulop managed to get a hand to but could not stop rolling towards goal.
Just for good measure, Kalou slid in to nudge the ball over the line. The home fans were still celebrating when the lively Sturridge cleverly flicked home Jose Bosingwa's low cross from the right.
And when the unfortunate Carlos Edwards nodded a Lampard free-kick into his own net just before the break this tie was all over as a contest - with Chelsea heading to Everton in the fourth round.
Anelka made it four with a fine shot across Fulop into the far corner of the net and, moments later, Sturridge was on hand to seize his second.
The icing on the cake was a late double from Lampard.
With 12 minutes to go, he crashed home from inside the box and his huge grin told the world how much that meant to him.
Soon afterwards he was guiding in a driven cross from Branislav Ivanovic to show he is back in full flow and - just maybe - the champions are back on track.

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Star:

CHELSEA 7 - IPSWICH 0 - CARLO ANCELOTTI'S STILL PICK OF CROP
By David Woods

IT WAS men against ­Tractor Boys as Chelsea harvested seven goals to help lift Carlo Ancelotti out of the muck.
Ipswich – 19th in the ­Championship and without a manager following Thursday’s axeing of Roy Keane – proved the perfect lambs to the slaughter for the son of a farmer.
Doubles from Daniel Sturridge and Frank Lampard, strikes from ­Salomon Kalou and Nicolas ­Anelka and a Carlos Edwards own-goal boosted the worried west ­Londoners.
Prior to this clash, the Blues had won just two out of 11 matches, with Ancelotti, not surprisingly, ­declining to say this Sunday stroll meant all his problems were over.
“We have to give the same ­performance next week against Blackburn,” said the Italian.
“We have some things we can do better. There were differences in the first 30 minutes to the other 60. We were a bit worried, less ­confident in that first period.
“When we scored the first goal, everything was OK, but we have to play more games to say the bad moment has gone.”
You had to pity Ipswich keeper Marton Fulop. ­Yesterday’s match came just a week shy of a year since he last played at Stamford Bridge – a 7-2 mauling with ­Sunderland.
That he was the visitors’ best player said something about the performances of those in front of him!
It had looked like another ­dubious day for Double ­winners Chelsea when ­out-of-sorts Anelka leaned back too far and lofted over with the goal gaping.
But the Frenchman was hugely instrumental in the opening goal in the 32nd minute, surging into the box after a pass from ­Sturridge ­before producing a low ­sidefooted shot which Fulop ­managed to half-stop.
However, Kalou was alert enough to follow up and tap into the ­unguarded net.
A minute later Sturridge burst in front of Darren O’Dea at the near post to flick home Jose Bosingwa’s cross before Edwards glanced a Lampard free-kick into his own net.
In the 49th minute Anelka at last got in on the act, arrowing a low shot into the far corner after ­Sturridge had set him up in the box.
It was the former Arsenal ­striker’s first goal since he notched, also in the same minute, against Spartak Moscow on November 3, though that strike was followed by 10 blanks.
Sturridge claimed his second in the 52nd minute when Ipswich’s ­defenders stood off him, allowing the hitman to send a dipping drive over the unprotected Fulop. They did exactly the same in the 78th minute, giving Lampard bags of room to rifle high into the net from the edge of the box following a Bosingwa corner.
A minute later Lampard claimed his second, this time poking home from close range after Branislav Ivanovic’s ball across the box.
Fulop did well late on to keep out a close-range effort from Gael Kakuta and a fierce drive from Anelka.
Ipswich face Arsenal in the first leg of their Carling Cup ­semi-­final on Wednesday, with Paul Jewell ­expected to be in charge by then.
“The new manager’s got a very tough job and I hope he’s in by Wednesday,” said caretaker boss Ian McParland.
Ancelotti’s job got a bit easier ­yesterday … but not by much.

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