Wednesday, February 23, 2011

copenhagen 2-0




Independent:


Anelka's double delight lifts Chelsea's spirits as Torres starts to look at home

FC Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2

By Sam Wallace at Parken Stadium


Carlo Ancelotti left the pitch with a fist raised in salute to the Chelsea fans who sung his name in the away end of the Parken Stadium and when he looks back on last night, the Italian will reflect it has been a while since that has happened. It has been a while since his Chelsea team have been quite so good as they were last night.

Instead of the meek, afraid-to-make-a-mistake team who have wrecked much of their season in the last three months, this was a different Chelsea. This was the Chelsea that likes to swagger into the homes of lesser European lights and, quite frankly, give the locals a lesson in how to play.

Led by Nicolas Anelka, and his two splendid goals, they dismissed the ambitious young kings of Denmark and as good as booked their place in the last eight of the Champions League. There was no doubt Copenhagen, who had not played a competitive game since 7 December thanks to a winter break in their league, were poor. Ancelotti's team, however, were ruthless.

The return leg at Stamford Bridge cannot be taken for granted – not until Chelsea's form has proved to have stabilised – but this was a giant stride in the right direction. There have been hints that Ancelotti's team were getting back to their form of before the start of their slump in November, especially in that win over Sunderland at the start of the month, but it is a long time since they have looked so in control of a game from the beginning. If Fernando Torres had been capable of mustering a goal that would have made it the ideal night but at least the £50m man looked much more on the pace.

Instead it was Anelka, with a goal in each half, who converted Chelsea's confident style into goals. The Frenchman has now scored seven goals in the Champions League this season in six appearances. Combined with Tottenham's defeat to Blackpool in the League, this turned out to be one of the best nights in a long time for Ancelotti.

As expected, the manager dropped Didier Drogba, but his 4-4-2 formation was something of a surprise. In attacking moments, Florent Malouda pushed on and tucked in to make it look more like 4-3-2-1. Torres benefited from the direct nature of Chelsea's play – more often than not it was a quick ball over the top.

From the way Ancelotti spoke later it was hard not to form the impression that he believes the partnership of Anelka and Torres is the way forward for his team. Drogba, he said, had taken the news that he was being left out well. "We want to maintain their fitness, but rotation could do them good with the Premier League and the Champions League," Ancelotti said. "They are accepting my decisions without problems, and this is important."

There was nothing about Drogba, who played 120 minutes against Everton on Saturday, that suggested he was having a sulk when he came on for the last 18 minutes. But it will be interesting to see his reaction should Torres and Anelka become the default option for the big games. Against Manchester United on Tuesday it seems certain Ancelotti will stick with the pair.

"They were two goals better than us, no discussion about that," said the Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken. Those long weeks of inaction took their toll on this bright young team who, right from the start, were on the back foot. Solbakken admitted it was a problem. It is a major problem for Danish teams in European competition.

Copenhagen were taken by surprise in the early stages when Chelsea attacked in waves, but for all of their energy it was old boy Jesper Gronkjaer who unwittingly made his former side's goal in the first half when he gave the ball straight to Anelka who ran on goal unchallenged to score. It was Gronkjaer's first Chelsea assist since he made that goal for Marcel Desailly in the win over Liverpool in 2003. Still, Anelka was allowed to run a fair distance before he got his shot off.

This makes it three goals for Chelsea without a goal for Torres but he seems to be getting closer. His first meaningful touch, when he tried to control Ramires' wayward shot in the seventh minute, was poor but he improved. He got a harsh booking for a foul on Christian Bolanos.

Anelka's second goal was sweetly worked. It went from Essien to Lampard who slipped a pass into the right channel for Anelka to run on to. The distance from goal, as well as the angle, made it look unpromising but Anelka hit it so cleanly that the ball was past the goalkeeper Johan Wiland before he could get his hands anywhere near it.

Torres was played in by Essien before the hour and cut back inside nicely to deceive two Copenhagen defenders but could not beat Wiland with his shot. Whether this is the end of Ancelotti's "bad moment", we will be closer to knowing after United visit Stamford Bridge.

FC Copenhagen (4-4-2): Wiland; Pospech, Jorgensen, Antonsson, Wendt (Bengtsson, 75); Bolanos, Kvist, Claudemir, Gronkjaer (Zohore, 86); Santin (Vingaard, h-t), N'Doye. Substitutes not used Christensen (gk), Kristensen, Hooiveld, Delaney.

Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Malouda (Zhirkov, 85); Anelka (Drogba, 73), Torres (Kalou, 90). Substitutes not used Turnbull (gk), Mikel, Ferreira, McEachran.


Man of the match Lampard.

Match rating 6/10.

Referee B Kuipers (Netherlands).

Attendance 28,000.

Chelsea: Man for man marking

Petr Cech

Made some important second-half saves but never tested too much. 6/10

Ashley Cole

Lively overlapping beyond Malouda but delivery not at usual standard. 6

John Terry

Strong in the air as usual, booked late in the game after getting turned. 6

Branislav Ivanovic

Trademark reliability from the Serb, marked and tackled well throughout. 7

Jose Bosingwa

Tidy in defence without ever penetrating when in advanced positions. 6

Florent Malouda

Did not get into the box much, but provided good service from the left. 6

Frank Lampard

Passed the ball more quickly than recently, classy assist for the second goal. 7

Michael Essien

A more ambitious pick than John Obi Mikel, he drove forward throughout. 7

Ramires

Moved out to the right wing, working hard in defence and attack. 7

Fernando Torres

Movement and link-ups excellent but still short of confidence in the box. 6

Nicolas Anelka

Enjoyed playing up front rather than wide, took both goals clinically. 9

Substitutes Drogba: Some powerful play 6; Zhirkov: Too late to really impact 5



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Guardian:


Chelsea bounce back as Nicolas Anelka hits double in Copenhagen


FC Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2


Lost amid the tub-thumping rallying cry delivered by John Terry on the eve of this contest had been Carlo Ancelotti's reminder that Chelsea had "not died". This first-leg saunter in Denmark was nothing more than confirmation that the Champions League may yet breathe new life into the club's season. The Londoners have their respite.

They will not draw too many conclusions from a contest that appeared a mismatch once a lead had been established. But, where confidence had been so brittle after a sequence that had yielded only five wins in 16 and seen them jettisoned from the FA Cup and playing catch-up in the Premier League, hindsight would now suggest that a meeting with FC Copenhagen, who had been in competitive hibernation for more than two months, was a godsend.

The evening could hardly have gone better. While TottenhamHotspur were sinking at Blackpool back home, leaving Chelsea two points adrift of their rivals in the coveted fourth place with a game in hand, progress was being smoothed towards a quarter-final berth in Europe. Just as significantly, Ancelotti employed a system in which Fernando Torres and his team-mates seemed comfortable. Nicolas Anelka ended the evening as the Champions League's joint leading scorer for the campaign to date, level with Internazionale's Samuel Eto'o on seven, but Torres's rewards will also be forthcoming with performances such as this.

After Christmas trees and diamonds, this was more of a conventional 4-4-2 with Didier Drogba, absent from the pre-match warm-up as he underwent a rubdown in the warmth of the changing rooms, required for only the last 17 minutes, once the game had long since been won.

There was more width to enjoy down the left, where Florent Malouda stretched disconcerted opponents, and Ramires offered industry and energy tucked in slightly from the opposite flank. Chelsea have appeared awkward in recent weeks, attempting to shoehorn Torres into a variety of systems to squeeze form from their £50m signing. They may have stumbled upon a solution.

Better teams might have exploited the visitors' lack of a natural defensive midfielder, with gaps sometimes apparent between Frank Lampard and Michael Essien in the centre, but the Danes were too rusty to capitalise. Johan Wiland, alone of their players, appeared sharp, but the Swedish goalkeeper was horribly overworked and his reactions staved off a drubbing. He denied Torres a hat-trick, blocking at the Spaniard's feet twice in the first half and then pushing away a well-worked attempt with an outstretched hand after the break. When the goalkeeper was beaten, Oscar Wendt scrambled back to clear an effort from the line.

There was fluid movement and clever combination play to admire from Torres, as well as industry in tracking back to sniff out possession. He departed heartened, feeling as if he belonged, though Anelka's goals secured the victory. The Frenchman has rejoiced in the Champions League this term and he maintained outstanding form with two goals that left the locals numbed in a bitter sense of anticlimax.

Stale Solbakken's side had been preparing specifically for this contest since returning to training in early January, but were off the pace and out-muscled throughout. Not since Marseille won here a little over a year ago have their first-choice team been outclassed at Parken. At no stage did they threaten to snuff out Anelka's menace; the return fixture must now feel daunting.

The Frenchman had already been denied twice when Jesper Gronkjaer, a Chelsea player for four years until 2004, attempted to find Claudemir and merely presented Anelka with possession just inside the Danish side's half. The Frenchman was allowed to glide into the area unchallenged, Mikael Antonsson unable to muster a tackle, before finishing smartly beyond Wiland. "They were stronger than us and we made too many technical errors," said Solbakken,. Gronkjaer's misplaced pass was more basic.

The home side attempted to stir after the interval but Chelsea retained their bite on the break and a second goal reflected their true dominance. Lampard collected from Essien 54 minutes in and with the Danes anticipating a delivery for Torres, conjured a neat reverse pass to by-pass Antonsson and send Anelka through. The 31-year-old's finish was low and true, across Wiland and into the corner.

Ancelotti departed with the substantial travelling support chanting his name, prompting a polite wave and even the hint of a grin. Manchester United will test at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday whether the tide has truly turned but although a second leg of this tie awaits in three weeks' time, Chelsea will already feel as if the last eight beckons.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/gallery/2011/feb/23/chelsea-champions-league-pictures


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Telegraph:


FC Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2

By Henry Winter



Assailed with questions from all quarters, Chelsea demonstrated their character last night, emerging from the Big Chill that threatened to put their season into cold storage. On an evening of brutally plummeting temperatures at Ice Station Parken, Chelsea's spirits soared.

Looking solid in their 4-4-2 system, and always looking committed, Chelsea were given real sharpness by Nicolas Anelka if not Fernando Torres. Anelka was terrific, striking twice to take his tally to seven in his last six Champions League games. He roamed all over the front-line, seemingly as suffused with confidence as Torres was bereft.

While Anelka glided around one could almost hear Torres clunking through the gears, still struggling to find his stride. The Spaniard will come good because of his work-rate. Torres kept showing for the ball, kept running down channels which turned into cul-de-sacs. His perseverance could not be doubted; if anything the £50m man was trying almost too hard to force his way through for his first Chelsea goal.

When wasting possession late on, Torres was even told to proceed with more calm by Didier Drogba, hardly a sentinel of serenity. Such was the nervousness inhibiting Torres' play that he gave away the ball with 16 of his 31 passes.

Stats can be spun any way, particularly for an attacking player who inevitably gambles with the ball, but Torres' 52 per cent pass completion contrasted with his team-mates' greater control; the closest was Frank Lampard with 73 per cent.

Torres' contribution was really the only negative and even he seems to be moving, however hesitatingly, in the right direction. Otherwise positives abounded. Carlo Ancelotti's tactical alterations largely

worked, confirming his calibre as a manager. The support he received from Chelsea fans will also have warmed him on a bitterly cold night.

So did a club beanie hat. As well as the headline act of Anelka, who took his two goals well, Chelsea were well served by others. Petr Cech was composure personified in goal, although fortunate that Copenhagen looked desperately rusty after their winter hibernation.

John Terry organised the defensive resistance with his usual noisy zeal, barring a couple of mistakes when caught upfield and a foolish late booking. In midfield, Michael Essien was an energetic presence while Frank Lampard, particularly in creating Anelka's second, provided a timely reminder of the imaginative nature of his passing.

Florent Malouda was more like his old self, linking well with Anelka and making some incisive runs. The one obvious problem with Chelsea's 4-4-2 was that the wide players, Malouda and particularly Ramires, tended to tuck inside.

It was little surprise to learn that Chelsea's assessment of 4-4-2 in training had not been deemed a particular success by Ancelotti's players. Yet it worked well enough against the disappointing Danes.

What Chelsea proved last night was that they still have the hunger for the fight. They need to show such resilience week in, week out, particularly next week when they face the Premier League pacesetters. To borrow a phrase from Terry, Chelsea again need to "man up" with Manchester United up next.

Terry's pre-match rallying cry certainly worked. Anelka was the first to show. The Frenchman sought to create some chances for Torres, including an early pass that released the Spaniard. Only a foul from Matthias Zanka Jorgensen, the Copenhagen centre half, stopped Torres having a clean run through on goal.

Torres was certainly not starved of the ball's company. When Ramires mis-hit a shot, a tantalising glimpse of goal opened up for Torres. His body language never exuded confidence and his shot drew a routine save from Johan Wiland.

After Terry twice rescued his team with important interceptions, Chelsea began building again. The eye kept being drawn to Anelka. So did the ball.

In the build-up to Anelka's opener, an old friend did Chelsea an unexpected favour. Jesper Gronkjaer, formerly of the Kings Road parish, suffered one of those nightmare lapses of concentration, gifting possession to the opposition. Anelka was on to the stray ball like a flash running through and shooting low, from right to left, past the exposed Wiland. Copenhagen's keeper should still have formed more of a barrier.

The Blues were now in the mood, belief now suffusing their movements, counter-attacking with growing menace. When Ashley Cole ended one Copenhagen break with a neat headed clearance, Malouda made good ground and sent Torres hurtling down the inside-left channel. A change of pace created a sight of goal but the Danes had manned the barricades.

Hinting at a sense of frustration, Torres was then booked for a push. His team-mates kept looking to release him, to help him to a first goal that would inevitably lift the striker's spirits.

Unlike Torres, Copenhagen briefly appeared invigorated at the break, a sign of the many positive qualities of their coach Stale Solbakken, whose credentials have been so enhanced this season. Striving to get his team to shift up a gear, Solbakken sent on the lively Martin Vingaard. It proved a false dawn.

Anelka pounced again eight minutes into the new half, capping a fine move. Essien began the attack with a neat pass to Lampard. The England midfielder responded in superb fashion, playing a magnificent reverse pass to send Anelka racing into the box. His finish was again true, low and hard past Wiland.

The Chelsea choirs were now in full voice, lauding Anelka and the team. "You only sing when you're winning" rebuked the locals in perfect English. Chelsea's fans ignored them, carrying on bouncing and swayed and singing, soon turning their attention to Drogba, who was warming up in trainers.

Torres was struggling to impose his undoubted talent. Just before the hour, Torres he hinted at his class, but found his sight of goal quickly blotted out. Running again towards Copenhagen's goal with 20 minutes remaining, brought was brought down by Zdenek Pospech. Lampard swept the free kick over the bar.

Drogba soon arrived, replacing Anelka, whose team-mates applauded him from the field. Torres himself was removed shortly before the final whistle. An evening of personal frustration for one player, a night of collective delight for Chelsea.



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Mail:


FC Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2: Anelka hits Danish double to save Carlo's bacon

By Matt Lawton

Chief Football Correspondent in Copenhagen



As Carlo Ancelotti said, Chelsea are not dead yet. Not even close judging by the manner in which they secured victory here at a particularly parky Parken Stadium.

They were excellent in the way they seized a significant first-leg advantage in this important Champions League last 16 tie, and while it remains far too early to say if this can be their 'best season ever', there were signs that it could yet turn out to be a successful one.

Ancelotti certainly emerged with much-needed credit. It has been a struggle accommodating Fernando Torres in a reshaped attack but the Italian simplified matters by dropping Didier Drogba for the second time in three matches and switching to a more conventional formation that worked a treat.

Beating Copenhagen here is no easy task. They had not lost at home since September and held Barcelona to a draw in the group stages. They came into this game full of confidence despite their winter break. Stale Solbakken, their coach, boldly declared they were more than ready after a six-week period of intense preparation for this one fixture.

In the end, two Nicolas Anelka goals swung the tie very much in Chelsea's favour, the French striker seizing on a mistake by Jesper Gronkjaer in the 17th minute, adding a second nine minutes after the break.

But as Ancelotti noted later, it was the way Anelka also combined with Torres that proved so decisive. 'The key to the game was the work of the strikers,' he said, and it was.

Torres might still be awaiting his first Chelsea goal but the £50million striker looked sharp on this occasion, twice going close when forcing a fine save from Johan Wiland and seeing an effort cleared as the ball rolled beyond the Copenhagen goalkeeper and towards the net.

For Drogba, however, it must have been painful to watch. He was the one player who did not emerge for the pre-match warm-up - the club said he was having a rub-down - and his chances of returning to the starting line-up for the more crucial matches will diminish after this. Torres and Anelka are beginning to develop quite a partnership.

From all the Chelsea players, this was much better. Skipper John Terry had called for them to 'man up' and the sight of so many short-sleeved shirts in sub-zero conditions suggested they were in the mood to lift themselves out of a slump that dates back to early November.

Ramires enjoyed one of his better games and Florent Malouda, who has been poor compared to last season, was more effective on the left of a midfield four.

In adopting a more defensive 4-4-2, Ancelotti was responding to what he saw in last week's Champions League fixtures. He noted that the counter-attacking teams had been more successful and that was pretty much the approach he employed.

By half time they had unleashed four shots on target with none in return. One of those was the opening goal, a superb finish from Anelka. He owed much to the error committed by Gronkjaer.

The former Chelsea winger - a man credited with securing Chelsea's original passage to the Champions League with a goal against Liverpool in 2003 - misplaced a pass that went straight to Anelka. Gronkjaer watched in horror as the Frenchman accelerated towards the penalty area and scored his sixth in as many Champions League games.

Anelka's passing was crisp, his movement terrific, and when he seized on a delightful reverse pass from Frank Lampard after the break he took his European tally to seven. Again, with an excellent angled strike with his right foot.

Ancelotti's night got better with Tottenham losing at Blackpool and Chelsea will go back into fourth in the Barclays Premier League if they beat Manchester United at Stamford Bridge next Tuesday.

The Italian, though, remains cautious, even when it comes to predicting the outcome of this tie.

'Don't forget,' he said. 'I lost a Champions League final when I was leading 3-0.' Too true. Too true.



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Sun:


Copenhagen 0 Chelsea 2


By MARK IRWIN


CARLO ANCELOTTI had told us not to write him off too soon and last night in the bitter cold of Copenhagen his players backed up his bold words.

Two goals from Nicolas Anelka and Fernando Torres' most effective display in a Chelsea shirt were enough to warm the cockles on a night when the thermometer plunged to minus five degrees.

There must be times when Ancelotti feels like strangling the languid Anelka - but this was not one of them.

It was the Frenchman's casual penalty miss which had contributed to the Blues' FA Cup penalty shootout KO by Everton and left Ancelotti clinging on to his job for dear life But last night Anelka said sorry in the best possible way as he fired his misfiring team to the brink of the Champions League quarter-finals. Anelka has now scored 16 times this season - including seven in Europe.

If Chelsea are to continue to progress in the competition they crave above all others, they will need Anelka to maintain this faultless level of performance.

When England played Denmark here in the Parken Stadium two weeks ago, the roof was closed to protect the players and the crowd from the Baltic wind and sub-zero temperatures.

But this time the stadium was wide open to the elements to accommodate the extra TV cameras filming the action. Thanks for that all you armchair viewers, maybe you know a decent remedy for frostbite!

For the Danish champions, this was their first competitive game since their last Champions League group game against Panathinaikos on December 7.

Plenty of time to prepare for this one, then. Mind you, it could be argued Chelsea have hardly played in that 11-week period, either.

They have already kissed goodbye to their Premier League title and relinquished their grip on the FA Cup.

So this return to European action represented a last chance to save their season from total disaster - and Ancelotti from the axe.

It was only after listening to captain John Terry's passionate rallying cry on the eve of this match that Ancelotti stirred himself to defiantly declare "Chelsea is not dead."

Usually it is the manager who inspires his players. But in Chelsea's case it appears to be the other way round.

Sometimes you just wish the mild-mannered Ancelotti would allow his anger to show. Maybe a blast from the hairdryer is just what his under-performing players need to get them going.

But there is a complacency which has crept into Chelsea's recent performances created by the knowledge that no matter how wretchedly they might perform, no one is going to be dropped and no one is waiting to chew them out in the dressing-room.

That was certainly the case for Torres, who had done nothing in his previous two appearances for Chelsea to warrant his recall last night.

Yet the £50million striker still went straight back into the team, with Didier Drogba once again having to settle for a place on the bench.

The last of Torres' eight Champions League goals for Liverpool had come in a 3-1 defeat by Chelsea in April 2009.And last night it was clear he was desperate to open his account for his new employers - and start justifying his record transfer fee.

Within a minute of kick-off he had teed up Florent Malouda for a volley high into the crowd and 10 minutes later his curling pass set up Anelka for a shot which was deflected wide by Mikael Antonsson.

In the end, though, it was a former Chelsea player who provided the opening for their breakthrough goal when Jesper Gronkjaer's dreadful pass went straight to Anelka.

The Frenchman had squandered a much easier chance when he missed from 12 yards on Saturday.

But there was no loss of nerve this time as he raced clear of the Copenhagen defence to sidefoot into the far corner.

Time was when that would have been game over for Chelsea. However, they have failed to hold on to a lead too many times this season.

But they secured the second goal their efforts deserved when Anelka latched on to Frank Lampard's 54th-minute through-ball to effectively end this tie before next month's return leg.

That was to be Anelka's last meaningful contribution before making way for Drogba for the final 18 minutes.

But it was Torres who came closest to extending Chelsea's lead when his low shot was cleared off the line by Oscar Wendt.

It certainly helped that Chelsea were up against a team making their first appearance in the Champions League knockout stage and the weakest remaining team in Europe's elite competition.

Copenhagen might have held Barcelona to a draw here in November, but there is nothing to suggest that they can threaten Chelsea's progress to the quarter-finals.




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Mirror:


Copenhagen 0-2 Chelsea

by Darren Lewis



Better. Much better from the men who had been ordered to man up.

And the way in which Carlo Ancelotti was received by the travelling Blues fans at the final whistle suggested it met with their approval too.

It wasn't just the clinical fashion in which Nicolas Anelka dispatched his two goals to earn his status as Man of the Match.

It wasn't just the fact that Chelsea put themselves within range of the Champions League semi-finals with pretty much the minimum of fuss.

It was the way they went about their work in the bitterly cold, sub-zero temperatures at the Parken Stadium.

It was the way that they responded to the rallying cry of their captain, John Terry to 'man up' and show what they were made of.

And in the city of fairytales a good night was made even better as news filtered across the north sea that Spurs had been stunned by Blackpool to put Chelsea back into contention for fourth in the Premier League.

Barcelona could not win here last November while Manchester United were beaten back in 2006.

Chelsea, however, shattered Copenhagen's proud home Champions League record with the players showing they had woken up to the fact that they need to win this competition to save their season.

Ancelotti had insisted in the pre-match build-up that reports of his Chelsea demise had been greatly exaggerated.

And if there was any doubt about the team's commitment to Ancelotti, the players dispelled them as well by dominating the Danes from the first minute to the last.

Copenhagen coach Stale Solbakken declared afterwards that some of his best players didn't have their best days.

Yet that was because Chelsea refused to allow them to, with the statistics at half-time - 17 efforts on goal to the home side's four - evidence of the one-way traffic.

Anelka's sixth and seventh goals make him joint-top scorer in the competition with Inter Milan's Samuel Eto'o.

The Chelsea marksman vindicated utterly Ancelotti's decision to pair him with Fernando Torres with the Danes unable to cope with their movement throughout the first half.

In doing so he had bravely opted to abandon to 4-3-3 formation that has served the club so well over the years.

But the doubts were dispelled immediately and there seemed an irony about the fact that Gronkjaer, the man whose 2003 goal had secured Chelsea's champions League status - would inadvertently provide the pass for the goal that may yet keep his former club in it.

But it was indeed the Danish winger's mistake that allowed Anelka to power into the box and dispatch the ball with the clinical efficiency that Chelsea have lacked on far too many occasions this season.

The Danes, despite insisting beforehand they were primed and ready to wreak havoc on Ancelotti's job prospects, were authors of their own misfortune.

Bright, pacy and full of enterprise going forward, they undid their good work on too many occasions by needlessly conceding possession.

It was also easy too, to see why only four teams have had fewer attempts on goal than Copenhagen in this season's Champions League.

They make too many poor decisions in the final third, going for the spectacular when the simple ball will do.

The second half was only six minutes old when Anelka made the game safe, with a smart diagonal effort across keeper Johan Wiland.

And Torres's big moment came just before the hour mark, the Spaniard showing quick feet to leave two defenders for dead and looking for all the world as if he was about to break his duck before Wiland's outstretched arm denied him.

He will indeed find himself back among the goals sooner rather than later, however.

Ancelotti expressed himself satisfied with the Spaniard's work-rate afterwards and it will be interesting to see how the Italian's declaration that Torres will score in his next game - against Manchester United - goes down at Old Trafford.

In the meantime the Chelsea players will enjoy a well-earned day off today.

Even though their boss was anxious not to start insisting they had turned a corner, they look to be on the way back.


http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/pictures/FC-Copenhagen-v-Chelsea-Uefa-Champions-League-Picture-special-article704281.html



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Sunday, February 20, 2011

everton 1-1 aet ( 3-4 pens )




Independent:

Neville spot on for Everton
Chelsea 1 Everton 1 (aet; Everton win 4-3 on penalties)
By Conrad Leach at Stamford Bridge

It is a good thing Chelsea are still in the Champions' League, because if they were not, then Carlo Ancelotti's hint yesterday that he might not stay in the job after the summer would have seemed a rather optimistic bit of forecasting.
With this exit from the FA Cup, and with the Blues out of contention for the Premier League, let alone their fight to qualify for the Champions' League next season, Roman Abramovich might have decided to call time on the Italian's 20-month tenure before spring has truly sprung.
Ancelotti saw his side take the lead in extra time and in the penalty shoot-out, but the club still suffered their first defeat in the Cup in three years, thanks to Leighton Baines's brilliant free-kick in the penultimate minute of extra time and Phil Neville's decisive effort in the shoot-out.
But Ancelotti always has FC Copenhagen. The Danes are their opponents in the first leg of the last 16 in Europe on Tuesday and progress is imperative for many reasons, not least Ancelotti's job security.
Chelsea met David Moyes's men on the rebound from their 2-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers last weekend. The Scot, who will now prepare for a home fifth round tie against Reading, said: "You have to prod people now and again and they responded. They were top notch. We've always been high energy and committed although it didn't look that last week and we were at Chelsea from the off."
Added to that, Chelsea are back in a mini-slump. After their home League defeat by Liverpool they only scraped a draw at Fulham on Monday, failing to score in either game.
Yet Frank Lampard's goal here was scant reward for dominating the two hours. Time and again the midfielder went close, as did Florent Malouda and even John Terry, while Phil Jagielka headed on to his own post. Didier Drogba, in for the ineligible Fernando Torres, always posed a threat.
And then there was the penalty that should have been. At the end of the first half of normal time Ramires was set free into the penalty area and Tim Howard raced out. The Brazilian went to ground as the two had a minor collision, but the referee, Phil Dowd, booked the midfielder for simulation. Ancelotti, and virtually everyone inside the ground, thought it was a penalty but Dowd decided he had seen a dive. From this perspective, there was enough contact to warrant a penalty.
That decision should have been redundant as Chelsea continued to test Howard and his well-organised defence. Howard's best save came after 65 minutes, when Malouda teed up Lampard whose effort was smothered. From the ensuing corner, Branislav Ivanovic's header was cleared off the line.
Nothing much changed in extra-time, beyond Lampard finally getting the reward for 104 minutes of persistence. Drogba touched down Nicolas Anelka's cross, and Lampard was free, eight yards out.
In the Cup final two years ago, Everton took the lead against Chelsea before losing. This time the pattern was reversed. Baines stepped up with a minute of extra time remaining, after Ivanovic had fouled Jagielka 22 yards out. When the left-back's effort was in mid-air it was already clear it was going to beat Petr Cech.
Cue delirium, cue penalties. Baines had his effort saved but so did Anelkawhile Ashley Cole fired over, leaving Neville to wrap things up.
"We are disappointed," said Ancelotti. "We worked hard for two hours, we created a lot of chances, we deserved to win."
Moyes was happy to take the creditfor putting Neville, not most people's choice for penalty taker, at the end of the shoot-out. He said: "I had a feeling he should go last. His experience, his nous, I thought he could handle the situation." He was right.

Attendance: 41,113
Referee: Phil Dowd
Man of the match: Baines
Match rating: 7/10


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Observer:

Phil Neville puts Everton through in FA Cup as Chelsea pay penalty
FA Cup Fourth Round replay

Chelsea 1 Lampard 104 Everton 1 Baines 119
Everton won 4-3 on penalties

Jamie Jackson at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea were European football's great runners-up in 2008. Second in the Premier League, second in the Carling Cup, and a John Terry penalty away from becoming the capital's inaugural holders of the Champions League.
Yet in Avram Grant's single season in charge the bitter disappointment was tempered for Terry and company in knowing that they would at least be back for a crack at the European Cup the following campaign.
Three years on and after this penalty shoot-out defeat in their FA Cup fourth-round replay – following the 1-1 stalemate over 120 minutes – Carlo Ancelotti faces the prospect of taking his Chelsea project from claiming the Double in his debut year in English football to a trophyless second season and the possibility of competing only in the Europa League in 2011-12.
The Italian hinted this week that this might trigger his resignation – if he was, of course, to first dodge the bullet from Roman Abramovich – and though Chelsea go to FC Copenhagen in the Champions League on Tuesday and are only two points from fourth position an opinion is forming that they may now finish outside the top four for the first time since Abramovich walked into the club in June 2003.
Asked if he was still confident of securing a Champions League berth Ancelotti said: "I think so. We have the possibility. We were unlucky today, the FA Cup was a very important competition for us. Now we have to look forward and keep going and prepare well [for] the next game. It is not an easy moment obviously [but] we cannot be afraid to play Copenhagen and Manchester United [on Tuesday-week] — it can be a good motivation. We have to use these days to recover well – it will not be easy."
The Italian's quest to rescue the season appeared to have struggled on courtesy of Frank Lampard's 104th-minute goal after Everton had coasted through the first half and Chelsea subsequently claimed the second. When Phil Jagielka, who had the post to thank for not scoring an own goal before the break, and John Heitinga each missed a Nicolas Anelka cross, Lampard stepped in to crack the ball beyond Tim Howard.
Before this, on an afternoon in which Didier Drogba did little to silence those who have told him Fernando Torres's £50m arrival had instantly made him a Chelsea has-been, Everton had what would have been a winner chalked off in the closing moments of normal time.
Leighton Baines, who foraged successfully throughout the game down his flank, collected the ball from a free-kick and then unloaded a right-foot shot that Petr Cech could not hold. Marouane Fellaini snaffled up the rebound to finish but the officials ruled he had been offside when following in.
When extra-time moved into the final minute the prospect that Chelsea were about to imbibe a particularly bitter pill began to emerge. Baines stepped up to curl in a left-foot free-kick that meant penalties would now decide the tie.
A showdown on the spot on a Saturday in the FA Cup is surely a collectors' item. Aiming at the goal behind which Everton's travelling support howled throughout, Lampard began the shoot-out by blasting beyond Howard. Next up was Baines, who had his effort saved by Cech to the goalkeeper's left. A Drogba boot-shuffle preceded a confident finish to Howard's left and Phil Jagielka did the same with Everton's second, which he sent beyond Cech's right.
Now came the first augury of disaster for Chelsea. Nicolas Anelka followed his miss in that 2008 Champions League final, which allowed Manchester United to claim the cup, with a lazy-looking chip that Howard stopped at half-height. Mikel Arteta's placing of the next kick to the right of Cech offered relief to David Moyes and his bench as the score was now level at 2-2. When Michael Essien and John Heitinga each coolly slotted in, Ashley Cole strode up to take the side's fifth conscious that if he missed and Everton then scored the Cup holders would be knocked out.
To the delight of Moyes he scooped his penalty over Howard's bar before Phil Neville secured victory.
Ancelotti, inevitably, was then asked who precisely had chosen Cole to take what can often be the crucial kick in the shoot-out. "I decided," the manager said. "He wanted to take a penalty. Because we try in the training session and Lampard, Drogba, Anelka, Essien and Ashley Cole were the best shooters of the penalty," Ancelotti added, reeling off the five who had taken the responsibility.
What, then, of Anelka: had he been too casual when taking his? "No. In the training session he tried a lot of times to shoot and he always scored. Obviously penalties are a lottery: sometimes you can win and sometimes you can lose. It could [still] be a very good season for us. We want to stay in the Champions League and obviously reach fourth place."
It could indeed. But Ancelotti and Chelsea need to start picking up results again. Or he could be on his way in May, along with a few of this now visibly ageing team.


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Mail:

Chelsea 1 Everton 1 AET (Everton win on penalties):
Cole and Anelka bottle it in shoot-out as Blues crash out

By Patrick Collins

As the triumphant anthems of the Mersey erupted around The Shed, the blue shirts of Chelsea slunk away to confront their crisis.
A season which started with a stylish swagger is ending in a protracted train crash. The Premier League has disappeared over the hills. The FA Cup is merely a memory. All that remains is the distant prospect of the Champions League. And Stamford Bridge is not holding its breath.
Everton deserved their celebrations, for their collective character as much as their performance. After toiling through 90 tepid minutes of normal time, they fell behind to a Frank Lampard goal in the 14th minute of extra-time, but found equality with Leighton Baines’s beautifully flighted free-kick with 70 seconds remaining.
They were behind once more after the first penalties, but their heads were up, their ambition was fierce and Phil Neville’s thumpingly emphatic final kick saw them through.
But while Everton attacked their task with spirited optimism, Chelsea could not make a similar claim. The manager, Carlo Ancelotti, made all the approved noises yesterday. He thought his team deserved to win, that they had created ‘lots of chances’ and that penalties are ‘a lottery’. He thought this could still be ‘a very good season for us’.
But, significantly, he conceded: ‘Every time the team doesn’t make the result, the manager is under pressure.’
This is the way of things at Chelsea, where the manager’s head is usually the first to roll while the players are encouraged to draw a line under their own incompetence. Certainly students of body language would have detected few signs of loyal support for Ancelotti yesterday, especially when the penalty drama unfolded.
Yet this time, the executioners might search elsewhere for their victims. In truth, they would not have far to look. John Terry looks more vulnerable than at any time in his career, an accident in waiting. We can only imagine how much injury has taken out of him, but the player who remains seems unequal to his task.
Lampard, despite the opening goal, was almost wholly irrelevant; his finishing insipid, his distribution mundane. Didier Drogba was at his self-indulgent worst, posturing and preening in a manner which mocks his talent.
And Nicolas Anelka, arriving as substitute, once again missed a crucial penalty with a flaccid swish. Pity the manager who finds himself at the mercy of their collective whims and fancies. Where Chelsea lacked serious intent, Everton exceeded their own limitations.
‘The way they set about the game was great,’ said Eveton manager David Moyes, and indeed their application was faultless.
Chelsea missed two or three acceptable chances in the first half then, on half-time, they demanded both a penalty and a red card when Tim Howard’s sprawling body was flung across the path of Ramires. Phil Dowd dismissed the protests and booked the Chelsea player for diving. Replays indicated that it was a correct decision, as well as a brave one.
Chelsea lacked both width and inspiration, and for the second half they brought on Michael Essien for the hapless John Obi Mikel. The match did not improve.
The classic which Arsenal and Barcelona played out in the same city the other evening had taught them nothing, such was the lack of respect for possession. Lampard should have won it with eight minutes remaining, but he chipped over from a dozen yards.
Then, in the final minute, Marouane Fellaini’s effort was dubiously disallowed for offside. Anelka instigated the Chelsea goal with a moment of skill out on the right touchline, producing a cross which Drogba touched on for Lampard to score. It seemed sufficient until Everton won a free-kick 20 yards out, and Baines contributed the finest touch of the entire match as he chipped the kick into the top corner.
And so to penalties, taken in front of the visiting fans. Lampard scored the first, Baines missed the second, and it seemed Chelsea might put an uncomfortable afternoon behind them. Then Anelka made a slovenly hash of the third Chelsea penalty, while the Everton takers kept their heads. The last Chelsea kick fell to Ashley Cole, who struck the kick so high and so wide that it might be travelling still.
The denouement fell to Neville, and there could have been no better choice. The old pro drove it high into the Chelsea net, far beyond Petr Cech’s right hand, and the music of the Mersey began.
There were no songs for Chelsea, merely the sound of people preparing evidence for the inquest. The easy option would be a guilty verdict on Carlo Ancelotti. But justice demands that this time the real culprits should face the consequences.

MATCH FACTS

CHELSEA (4-4-2): Cech; Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires,Lampard, Mikel (Essien 46min), Malouda (Anelka 91); Drogba,Kalou (Zhirkov 111). Subs (not used): Turnbull, Bertrand,McEachran, Sala. Booked: Malouda, Ramires.

EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville, Jagielka, Distin, Baines;Coleman, Fellani, Arteta, Osman (Heitinga 95); Cahill (Bilyaletdinov70); Beckford (Anichebe 80). Subs (not used):Mucha, Hibbert, Duffy, Baxter. Booked: Baines, Coleman,Distin, Arteta.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).
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Mirror:

Chelsea 1-1 Everton (3-4 pens)
By Gerry Cox

It is never nice having to eat humble pie, but there are two groups of people who should be tucking into it as their breakfast this morning
First, there are those who say the FA Cup has lost its magic.
Pah! Try telling that to the 6,000 travelling Everton fans who ­celebrated this famous victory wildly at the final whistle, as well as the neutrals who witnessed a cracking cup tie.
Then there are those critics who wrote off Everton after their collapse against Bolton last week.
They should take a look at the side who dumped FA Cup holders Chelsea out of the competition and proved yet again that ­Stamford Bridge holds no fear for them.
From goalkeeping hero Tim Howard through to free-kick king Leighton Baines and Phil “Captain ­Marvel” Neville, here was a side who thoroughly ­deserved to go through to a fifth round tie against ­Reading. No ­matter that Chelsea had not lost an FA Cup tie in three years. Everton’s record against the Blues is as good as anyone’s, and the only time they have lost in their past eight meetings was the 2009 FA Cup final.
Didier Drogba scored the winner then, after Louis Saha had opened the scoring for Everton – but both were ­missing yesterday. Saha had a ­hamstring strain, while Drogba WAS on the pitch – but missing everything in sight.
With new signings Fernando Torres and David Luiz ineligible, Chelsea looked back to their pre-Christmas worst.
They clearly lacked fight or guile against an Everton side who were determined to atone for letting Carlo Ancelotti’s side have a ­second chance after the original game two weeks ago.
With Marouane Fellaini ­dictating play from midfield, while Baines and Seamus Coleman were always willing to get down the flanks, Everton had plenty going for them – except a target man. Without Saha, they looked lightweight in attack, where ­Jermaine Backford was no match for John Terry.
Most of the action was in the opposite goalmouth, with Howard in ­defiant form. He made two ­terrific saves from Florent Malouda in the first-half but his most valuable ­contribution came on the stroke of half-time.
Salomon Kalou’s pass gave ­Ramires a free run on goal, and as Howard dived at his feet, the ­Brazilan tumbled. Referee Phil Dowd spotted what TV replays proved – that Howard had got out of the way and Ramires had dived over him, earning a yellow card rather than a penalty.
Howard was beaten once in normal time, when Lampard’s free-kick was headed against his own post by Phil Jagielka, but Terry hit the rebound high and wide.
With 90 minutes almost up, Everton thought they had scored the winner when Fellaini shot home from close range, but he was offside by a whisker and Chelsea took the game into extra time. It was Lampard who broke the deadlock in the 14th minute of extra time. Nicolas Anelka swung in a cross, Drogba controlled the ball with his chest and it dropped for Lampard to thump home from eight yards.
But Everton refused to give up and when Ivanovic fouled ­Jagielka, there was only one man to take the free-kick.
England full-back Baines, who smacked a beauty against Spurs earlier this season, lined up again and, though Chelsea had plenty of men in the wall, his free-kick was perfect, lifted over them and into the top corner of Cech’s goal.
That equaliser – in the 118th minute – meant the game went to penalties and the stats were definitely not in Chelsea’s favour.
And so it proved again.
Baines had his shot saved after Lampard had scored first. But then Howard saved from Anelka, who also missed in the Champions League final three years ago, to restore parity.
When Ashley Cole blazed Chelsea’s fifth penalty high over the bar, it left skipper Neville with the job of putting the ball away – and putting Chelsea out of the cup.

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Star:

CHELSEA 1 - EVERTON 1:
CARLO ANCELOTTI'S ON THE SPOT AS EVERTON GO THROUGH ON PENALTIES

By Tony Stenson

PHIL Neville put Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti’s job in further jeopardy yesterday.
The Everton skipper sparked wild celebrations after firing home a dramatic penalty in an FA Cup shoot-out that could have massive consequences at Stamford Bridge.
It makes Chelsea’s Champions League quest even more important and defeat in Copenhagen on Tuesday certainly won’t make it wonderful for Ancelotti.
Owner Roman Abramovich doesn’t do second place.
He’d have been appalled by missed penalties by Ashley Cole and Nicolas Anelka.
Cole can claim he was knocked off stride when blatantly barged by John Heitinga after he had scored to make it 3-3. The England left-back blasted high and wide but Anelka’s effort was casual, lazy almost.
Ancelotti said: “I’m very disappointed. Every time when a team loses it puts a manager under pressure. But I have the support of my players and the fans.
“Let us see what happens at the end of the season. We could still have a good one. It is, however, very important we pick ourselves up quickly as we have vital games ahead.
“I thought we deserved to win but it didn’t happen and we have to look forward. The penalty takers scored each time in training. These things happen.” Chelsea were aiming to become the first side in 125 years to win three successive FA Cups but Everton destroyed that target when Neville blasted home his penalty.
The shoot-out came thanks to Leighton Baines striking home a magnificent 20-yard equalising free-kick in the last minute of extra-time.
Everton manager David Moyes said: “It did need something special to decide this tie and Baines produced it. Then Phil’s experience and nous got us home. He usually takes our first but I said I wanted him last this time. I just had the feeling this was going to happen. Now I feel we can go all the way.
“This was Chelsea’s first defeat in almost three years in this competition so you can imagine my happiness.
“I hope we sent our 6,000 fans home with a different feeling after Bolton last week.”
Everton deserved their win. For a team that arrived without a clean sheet in 12 games, they defended well, with Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin constantly covering Didier Drogba’s movement and denying the dangerous Frank Lampard shooting opportunities.
Lots of niggling fouls happened across the pitch, making the game too stop-start, although Tim Howard was brilliant, twice making saves from Florent Malouda and denying Lampard.
After a goalless 90 minutes, Chelsea finally made the breakthrough in extra-time when Anelka beat Distin and Baines on the right and crossed. The ball deflected to Lampard, who scored his 22nd FA Cup goal for Chelsea in the 104th minute, moving to just two behind Bobby Tambling’s all-time club record.
Their proud run of 16 unbeaten FA Cup matches looked to be secure until Branislav Ivanovic needlessly gave away a free-kick in the closing minute.
Baines immediately grabbed the ball, teed it up and fired home a cracker to take the game into its epic penalty shoot-out.
Baines marred his heroics by missing Everton’s first penalty, with Petr Cech saving after Lampard had put Chelsea ahead.
Drogba added another. Jagielka replied. Then came Anelka’s dreadful effort. Michael Essien made it 3-2, before Heitinga equalised and Cole missed. Then cometh the hour, cometh the man – Captain Fantastic Neville.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 1 Everton 1 (Everton win 4-3 on penalties)
By Duncan White

This is supposed to be Chelsea’s favourite competition. They had not lost in the FA Cup since March 2008 and won it three times in the last four seasons. This was supposed to be the release valve on the pressure that has built up at the club in a frustrating second season for Carlo Ancelotti.
This game was supposed to be won but, in a dramatic denouement to a fiercely contested game, Everton prevailed.
With a minute left of extra-time, Chelsea were home. They had fought hard against a resilient Everton, missing a series of good chances, before Frank Lampard gave them an extra-time lead.
That left many Everton players stunned, sapped of energy. They thought they had won the game themselves in the last minute of normal time, only for Marouane Fellaini to be flagged offside (he was, just) when he tapped in the rebound from Leighton Baines’ shot.
"At that stage we needed something special," admitted David Moyes. They got it.
From Chelsea's point of view they got themselves into needless trouble with the game almost over. Ancelotti turned, arms flung out in exasperation, to his coaching staff. Branislav Ivanovic, who had been excellent throughout, had given away a free-kick in an aerial challenge with Phil Jagielka just outside the box. With Phil Neville berating referee Phil Down to get Michael Essien 10 yards from the ball, Baines, with Buddhist calm, curled the ball up over the wall and down into the top corner to force penalties.
The psychological momentum swung back and forth. Petr Cech saved Everton’s first effort – from Baines – before Tim Howard then brought his team back in by getting a glove to Nicolas Anelka’s casual effort (he took barely any run up).
Johnny Heitinga, on as a sub, celebrated furiously with the away end after making it 3-3 and, as he walked back to his team-mates, stuck his shoulder into Ashley Cole, who was understandably angry. Cole then sent a wild penalty high and wide. Neville, the Everton captain, converted nervelessly to take his team through to a fifth-round tie with Reading at Goodison on March 1.
“When we got them over after extra-time I told Steve Round [Moyes' assistant] that Phil Neville should take number five,” Moyes said. “I just had a feeling about it, that he should go last. I knew he was someone who could handle the situation.”
As his players and coaching staff sprinted to the away end to celebrate with Neville, Moyes remained dignified by the bench, shaking the hands of his opposition players. It was a revealing contrast to the lack of sportsmanship shown by Heitinga. With Baines, Fellaini and Jagielka taking the fight to Chelsea, they did not need to stoop to that kind of stuff.
It was an absorbing game. With David Luiz and Fernando Torres ineligible, it was back to the old Chelsea set up, although interestingly Ancelotti played Salomon Kalou as a second striker, sticking with a formation that would allow Torres into the team.
There were the same frustrations. With Florent Malouda constantly drifting inside and Ramires uncomfortable on the right, the champions lack width and can get snagged trying to force the ball through a crowded middle. Still, they created enough chances to win this game.
Jagielka sent a header from a Lampard free-kick against his own post in the first half, while the outstanding Howard twice denied Malouda by throwing himself at the ball and spreading his limbs.
Just before half-time Howard made his only serious error of judgement. He came hurtling out to a ball he realised he was not going to get to. Ramires got there first and pushed it past him before appearing to be clipped by the American goalkeeper. Replays showed that Howard had pulled out of the challenge but that there still might have been slight contact. Ramires did not help himself by clearly throwing himself to the floor. Dowd booked the Brazilian for diving.
Chelsea began to dominate around the hour mark. Lampard headed a Drogba free-kick wide while Ivanovic shot against Kalou with the goal clear. Howard was still performing heroics, sticking out his right boot to deny Lampard in the save of the game.
Lampard kept going and going and, just before the break in extra-time, finally got his goal. Anelka, on as a substitute, left Baines and Sylvain Distin for dead and got to the by-line and crossed for Drogba. He in turn chested down the ball to Lampard to finish. It looked too far back for Everton from that. Baines and Neville had other ideas.


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Tuesday, February 15, 2011

fulham 0-0



Independent:

Cech comes to Chelsea's rescue after tepid Torres draws a blank
Fulham 0 Chelsea 0

By Mark Fleming at Craven Cottage

If part of Roman Abramovich's intention in spending £50m on Fernando Torres was for the striker to revitalise Chelsea's flagging defence of their Premier League title, then that part of the plan can now be said to have failed.
Chelsea have gained just one point from a possible six since Abramovich's decision to shatter the British transfer record to buy the Spanish striker, and instead of closing the gap on Manchester United, they have slipped further behind the leaders and currently languish 12 points behind.
Torres endured another blank night in Fulham, following his meagre debut in last week's defeat to former club Liverpool. Chelsea had goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for not slipping to a second successive defeat, with a brilliant penalty save in stoppage time to deny Clint Dempsey.
Carlo Ancelotti bit the bullet and dropped Didier Drogba from the starting line-up, opting for a three-man forward line with Torres in the centre, and with Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda playing behind him in a Christmas tree formation. Ancelotti also brought in Ramires in midfield and gave a full debut to £25m defender David Luiz.
Chelsea dominated possession in the early stages, but struggled to make anything with it and it was Fulham who enjoyed the better early chances, with former Chelsea winger Damien Duff enjoying the chance to run at Ashley Cole.
Duff's low cross provided the first sniff of a chance for Andy Johnson, but Luiz was across swiftly to snuff out the danger. Duff then produced a surprise shot from distance that almost caught Chelsea goalkeeper Cech unawares.
Chelsea created very little, Frank Lampard and Malouda firing into the crowd at the Hammersmith End. Just before the half-time break Torres then wasted a couple of decent chances. He pounced on Ramires' clearing header, but after holding off Chris Baird he could not evade Aaron Hughes and fired a weak shot at Mark Schwarzer's body.
Then, in first-half stoppage time, he raced onto a raking ball from Luiz but his first touch with his left foot let him down, and Schwarzer smothered the danger, prompting the inevitable chants of "What a waste of money".
Chelsea increased the tempo after the interval but still laboured to create meaningful opportunities to score. Torres had a couple more half-chances, heading Ramires' cross over the bar, and then minutes later curling a shot over the bar.
That ended up being that from Torres, who was withdrawn in the 71st minute, replaced by Drogba. Malouda looked far more threatening when he received the ball. The Frenchman had Schwarzer scurrying across his goal with a thumping shot from distance that Fulham's Australian goalkeeper was relieved to see fly past his post.
Malouda also had a decent claim for a penalty when he was bundled to the ground by Brede Hangeland as the pair challenged for a ball from Ashley Cole but referee Mike Dean was not impressed.
While Torres again disappointed, the Chelsea support were cheered by the performance of Luiz, who was calm and composed in defence while also inventive and adventurous when breaking forward. One overhead cross he pulled off could only have been made in Brazil.
The former Benfica man however blotted his copy book by conceding a penalty for a needless trip on Clint Dempsey in the 93rd minute.
The American struck his spot-kick well but Cech dived to his right to keep the effort out, before a leaping Dempsey hit the rebound high and wide.
Fulham had other chances to continue their home winning streak, which had been extended to five games in all competitions before last night, but could not find a way past Cech.
Dempsey broke free of John Terry but Chelsea's imposing goalkeeper was alert enough to parry his fierce shot to safety.

Fulham (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer; Baird, Hughes, Hangeland, Salcido; Dempsey, Sidwell, Murphy (Gera, 83), Duff; Dembele (Gudjohnsen, 83); Johnson (Davies, 74). Substitutes not used: Stockdale (gk), Kelly, Pantsil, Greening.
Booked Sidwell, Gera

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard; Anelka (Kalou 65), Torres (Drogba, 71), Malouda. Substitutes not used Turnbull (gk), Ferreira, McEachran, Sala, Mikel.

Booked Ivanovic
Referee M Dean (Merseyside).
Attendance 25,685 Man of the Match Hughes
Match Rating 7/10

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Guardian:

Chelsea survive late Fulham penalty but still have a night of despair
Fulham 0 Chelsea 0

Chelsea's title defence had already felt fraught; now it merely appears forlorn. The champions limped from this local derby perplexed as to how their monopoly of possession had not yielded any reward but even more baffled that they should be left feeling relief at having claimed even a point. These are uncomfortable times indeed.
Petr Cech's fine penalty save in the final minute of stoppage time at the end, the goalkeeper diving full length to his right to push away Clint Dempsey's attempt, salvaged a draw, though it has not resurrected a championship challenge.
Too much about this team suddenly feels awkward and ungainly, with Fernando Torres's integration into both form and formation still painful to behold. The leaders, Manchester United, are a distant 12 points away. More urgent is the champions' need to reclaim a position in the top four. Carlo Ancelotti insisted he was pleased with his team's performance, if not the result, in the aftermath though the manager's backing was unconvincing. Mid-season is a tricky time to re-jig an approach, and each outing feels experimental at present.
Torres had been included ahead of Didier Drogba here as part of a concerted effort to dominate midfield. That much was achieved, with Chelsea enjoying the ball at will, but there was little bite and shape to their attacking play. The possession counted for little.
Then there was Torres himself. The £50m Spaniard showed only vague flashes of belief and his display was summed up by a heavy touch after collecting David Luiz's wonderful long pass just before the interval, the ball dribbling obligingly to an onrushing Mark Schwarzer. The forward was hauled from the fray some 19 minutes from the end to allow Drogba an opportunity to ruffle tiring if admirably resolute opponents. Torres retreated with a sigh and to a hug, delivered almost apologetically, from the striker who replaced him.
"Every striker wants to score but I don't think Fernando's frustrated," said Ancelotti. "He just needs time to play with us. He played well, using his ability to move, and had some opportunities. His performance was better than against Liverpool." How long Drogba will put up with life as second fiddle remains to be seen, but Torres must be this forward line's focal point.
At present, Ancelotti is still attempting to accommodate this country's record transfer. Privately Torres will be craving a goal to choke the permanent and predictable chorus from opposing supporters. There were four chances here either side of half-time, though his radar remains skew-whiff. None really troubled Schwarzer. The manager's dilemma is compounded by the reality that Drogba has hardly been setting the Premier League alight either this term. Indeed, this club's only in-form forward is currently on loan at Bolton Wanderers. Suddenly, Daniel Sturridge feels sorely missed.
Chelsea created plenty of half-chances, Michael Essien flicking a header wide and Frank Lampard and David Luiz sending efforts high where they might normally have scored. Yet they could have ended with nothing. The game had been drifting, with Chelsea apparently spent of ideas, when Dempsey wriggled into space on the counterattack and drew David Luiz's only notable error on his full debut. The Brazilian's lunge conceded a penalty. "Maybe he was tired," said Ancelotti. The mistake should not deflect entirely from a hugely impressive performance. At least one of the champions' big money signings appears to have settled in with ease.
Dempsey took the spot-kick himself with Danny Murphy having been replaced, only for Cech to muster the game's most significant save. The referee, Mike Dean, chose not to order a retake despite Drogba clearly encroaching. "For the title, a point is too little," said Cech. "It is not over but the others are winning while we have dropped another two points."
Behind the scenes, the focus must be switching to a return to the top four and their ongoing Champions League campaign, which resumes in Copenhagen next week. Torres qualifies for that competition, though not for the FA Cup on Saturday. Ancelotti's attempts to conjure a formula for his forward line go on.


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Mail:

Fulham 0 Chelsea 0: Torres fails to cash in - £50m striker draws another blank for Blues
By Matt Barlow

Jose Mourinho's sense of mischief must have clicked into overdrive as he gazed down from the stands at Craven Cottage and assessed the mystery of how Carlo Ancelotti might best accommodate Fernando Torres.
Having endured something similar with Andriy Shevchenko once upon a time, Mourinho may even feel sympathy for the Chelsea manager, who made the bold decision to axe Didier Drogba to play Torres at centre forward, only for it to backfire.
The Spain star lasted 71 minutes at Fulham, slightly longer than he did on his debut against Liverpool, before departing to cries of 'What a waste of money'.
Drogba came on and looked hungrier than ever but Chelsea drew another blank and were grateful for a penalty save by Petr Cech in added time to stop Clint Dempsey stealing all three points for the hosts.
After two games without a goal, the champions are 12 points behind Barclays Premier League leaders Manchester United with 12 games to play.
More worryingly for Ancelotti, they are two points adrift of fourth-placed Tottenham and the momentum they recovered in mid-January seems have vanished amid the disruption caused by the arrival of a £50million striker.
Torres moved intelligently last night but his touch was poor from the start, when he clipped his first meaningful pass into the crowd. He made some nice little contributions but standards are exacting when you cost so much and his mistakes were regular enough to keep the home fans amused.
He did not link the play particularly well and there was no sign of his killer instinct in front of goal. Too tense? Too eager to impress? Whatever the reason it was painful to watch. Torres cannot play in the FA Cup against Everton on Saturday because he is cup-tied and will relish the break.
Sent clear by David Luiz just before half-time, his touch deserted him and allowed Mark Schwarzer to smother the ball.
Another feeble effort was easily saved by the Fulham goalkeeper, although Chelsea thought their record signing was also punished for trying to stay on his feet when he was clipped inside the penalty area by Chris Baird.
He went closer after the half-time break. First, a header from an excellent Ramires cross looped over from eight yards, then a curler with his right foot did not quite bend enough. In between, he dithered when Frank Lampard rolled a quick free-kick his way and was dispossessed.
In an effort to help, Chelsea fans sang his name.
If Torres misfired, he was in good company. Branislav Ivanovic gave the ball away cheaply early on, as did Nicolas Anelka, an error which sparked a rapid Fulham break and a timely intervention from the impressive Luiz to thwart Andy Johnson.
Brazilian Luiz, a £25m deadline signing from Benfica, looks far more comfortable in his new surroundings than Torres. Quick across the ground, capable of reading the game well and stylish on the ball, he appears to have adjusted to the faster tempo of English football.
At least he did until his needless foul on Dempsey, two minutes into added time. Referee Mike Dean pointed to the spot and Dempsey's effort was saved by Cech, diving to his right.
Dempsey hooked the rebound over the bar. Dean had earlier rejected an appeal from the visitors when Florent Malouda was bundled over by Brede Hangeland.
Defeat would have been a cruel twist for Ancelotti, who abandoned his one-game experiment to cram Torres, Anelka and Drogba into the same team and reverted to the formation which has been the template for Chelsea's success over the last seven seasons.
Mourinho, on a break from Real Madrid, was there to enjoy the compliment. The visitors were the better team but rarely threatened Fulham's goal. Cech made the first save of the night, punching away a swerving shot from former Chelsea winger Damien Duff.
The visitors found some rhythm before half-time. Lampard and Malouda went close before the break and the Blues dominated the second half as Fulham sat back. It was a risky strategy but it did deny Torres the chance to capitalise on space behind the back four.
When Ancelotti's first change came after 65 minutes, it was not Drogba going on but Salomon Kalou, and it was not Torres going off, but Anelka.
Drogba came on six minutes later and was somewhere near his best. The last time he was dropped to the bench, at Tottenham in December shortly after his bout of malaria, he came on at half-time, scored the equaliser and missed a last-minute penalty in a 1-1 draw.
The Ivorian produced one dribble down the left and a low cross, which was crying out for a tap-in from a poacher like, erm, Torres. Or Anelka.
But this was not Chelsea's night and it was left to Cech to prevent a second successive loss.

MATCH FACTS

FULHAM (4-4-1-1): Schwarzer 6; Baird 6, Hughes 6, Hangeland 6, Salcido 7; Duff 6, Murphy 6 (Gera 83min), Sidwell 6, Dempsey 7; Dembele 7 (Gudjohnsen 83); A Johnson 6 (Davies 74, 6). Subs not used: Stockdale, Kelly, Pantsil, Greening. Booked: Sidwell, Gera.

CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 7; Ivanovic 8, Luiz 6, Terry 6, Cole 6; Ramires 6, Essien 6, Lampard 6; Anelka 5 (Kalou 65, 6), Torres 5 (Drogba 71, 6), Malouda 5. Subs not used: Turnbull, Mikel, Ferreira, McEachran, Sala. Booked: Ivanovic.

Man of the match: Mousa Dembele.
Referee: Mike Dean 6.

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Sun:

Fulham 0 Chelsea 0

By ANDREW DILLON

NEVER MIND, Chelsea. There's still the league - the Europa League.
Another step towards the end of a disappointing season and the Double winners are left in fifth place after stumbling again.
Fernando Torres flopped on the night just about everyone else in the country was scoring for fun.
St Valentine's night came and went yet still the £50million Blues striker failed to perform.
And when new £23m defender David Luiz gave away an injury-time penalty, a massacre looked on the cards.
Petr Cech's save from Clint Dempsey's spot-kick spared humiliation but the result does not look anything other than embarrassing this morning.
It was if they had run out of ideas. What boss Carlo Ancelotti needed was big men to come in and do the business right from the start.
There is no time left for bedding in with Manchester United and Arsenal pulling away from the pack at the top.
Even Didier Drogba, who replaced a dejected-looking Torres with 19 minutes left, failed to mount a threat on the Fulham goal.
Torres is entering his third week as the most expensive signing in Chelsea's history, yet he still looks as if he is struggling to breathe properly down in the Big Smoke.
The Cottagers policed him tightly with the defence swarming all over his every move but in the first half he was his own worst enemy.
What looked like a quiet and ineffective 45 minutes ended on a particularly duff note with a terrible touch wasting a great opportunity for Chelsea to snatch the lead.
Luiz delivered a masterful 60-yard ball and dropped it right on to Torres' big toe, running at full speed into the Fulham area.
However, the Spaniard's attempt at control looked anything but £50m.
And his big moment ended with the ball dribbling safely through for Mark Schwarzer to gather with gleeful ease.
It was the last kick of a deeply frustrating half. All eyes, including Jose Mourinho's in the stand, were on Torres but looking around the Craven Cottage pitch there was no star turn in a disappointing first half.
Frank Lampard did well to carve out space and time to latch on to Branislav Ivanovic's cross but his effort grazed the bar.
Florent Malouda went close, hitting a rising ball which forced Schwarzer into action. But the bald statistics showed the outgoing Premier League champions failed to muster a single shot on target in the first half.
For Fulham, ex-Chelsea winger Damien Duff hit a half-volley to half-threaten the Blues' goal on 24 minutes.
And Mark Hughes' rejuvenated side finally started to sense they could actually go on and win as the game ticked past the hour mark.
Carlos Salcido hit a dipping 25-yarder which Cech did well to hold and, as the tempo increased, Fulham pushed Chelsea further and further back as Torres became less and less significant.
Eventually, Ancelotti was forced to act and took off his new man.
But it was too late by then. Fulham had built up a head of steam.
And they pressed right to the end, the way the Blues used to.
Dempsey teased and tricked his way into the box and brought the foul out of Luiz.
But the American could not add the final magic touch for Fulham by powering his penalty home - Cech pushed away his shot and Dempsey had too much to do with the rebound.
It earned Chelsea a point that is pretty much pointless now.
Fulham have now gone four home games without defeat and without conceding a goal.
Hughes has injected some of his trademark steel into a team which now combines grit with good football.
With injury worries fading, his team have climbed into 12th place when just a few weeks ago relegation was a looming spectre.
The contrast in finances could hardly be bigger with the Blues parading £73m of new talent in just two players. There are also big differences in terms of spirit between the West Londoners.
Fulham are bouncing back from a poor start while Chelsea look beaten up after bursting out of the blocks.


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Star:

FULHAM 0 CHELSEA 0: ROSES ARE RED TORRES IS BLUE

FERNANDO TORRES looked the least likely man on earth to score on St Valentine’s Day last night.

Chelsea’s £50m recruit endured a date from hell as the champions fired blanks to ­remain a huge 12 points behind ­Manchester United in the title race.
Taunted mercilessly by the Fulham fans, everything Torres did went wrong – and it was no surprise when he got the hook with 19 minutes to go.
The Blues are still two points behind ­Tottenham in the race for a Champions League spot, but it would have been even worse if Petr Cech had not saved a ­last-gasp Clint Dempsey penalty.
That was awarded for a clumsy foul on the USA striker by Chelsea’s other ­deadline-day signing, £25m defender ­David Luiz, who was otherwise man of the match on his full debut.
Cech spared his blushes, but it was a ­miserable night for Chelsea all round against their resurgent west London ­rivals, who remain unbeaten at home since the turn of the year.
The question for Chelsea boss Carlo ­Ancelotti last night was whether to stick with the three forwards who failed so ­miserably against Liverpool.
He made the brave decision to ditch that idea, dumping Didier Drogba on the bench and bringing Florent Malouda back into the starting XI.
That handed centre stage to Torres, who endured a dreadful start to life at Stamford Bridge against his old club.
The former Anfield darling didn’t look worth a fraction of his massive transfer fee when he was chased from the field in that humbling 1-0 defeat by the Reds.
But things went no better for him here. Since being picked, Chelsea have failed to score a goal and their hottest ­property is Daniel Sturridge – who has three goals in three games on loan at Bolton!
Torres heard it from Fulham fans ­every time he did something wrong, with chants of, “What a waste of money” and, “Are you Torres in disguise?” ­ringing out around the ground.
There were plenty of them in the first half as Chelsea toiled and toiled, only for things to break down when they tried to hit their big-money buy.
Torres had a real stinker, with Fulham looking the more dangerous side – Damien Duff warming Cech’s hands with a dipper from 25 yards.
England star Frank Lampard then fired a foot over the crossbar at the other end ­after getting an ­instinctive boot to Branislav Ivanovic’s cross.
Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer did well to tip a cross-shot from Ivanovic over the top moments later as Chelsea began to ­exert some pressure.
When Torres finally did get a sniff of goal, after a mix-up at the back for ­Fulham, Aaron Hughes was in quickly to deny him a shooting chance.
The longer it went on, the worse it got. Torres ended up with another half-chance, but rolled a daisy-cutter of such feeble power goalwards it drew laughter from the home crowd.
However, worse was to come when Luiz picked him out with a ­sensational 40-yard pass and Torres spooned it straight into Schwarzer’s arms.
Midfielder Ramires was next to find him with a cross from the right, but the Spain striker could only head it over the bar from eight yards.
By the time he blazed high and wide from a difficult angle after a nice feed from ­Lampard, you were almost begging ­Ancelotti to put him out of his misery.
When the change finally came, it was Anelka who was brought off, and Salomon Kalou who replaced him, much to the amazement of many in the stands.
Chelsea were then denied strong claims for a penalty when Norwegian defender Brede Hangeland ­bundled over Malouda in the box, but the deadlock remained and finally it was time for ­Drogba.
There were ironic cheers as the Ivory Coast star replaced Torres, who couldn’t wait to get off, after 71 minutes, though the misses ­continued as Michael Essien headed wide a Lampard centre.
And Fulham could even have nicked it at the death, with Dempsey twice going close before the drama in stoppage-time saw Cech deny him from the penalty spot.

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Mirror:

Fulham 0 Chelsea 0
By Darren Lewis

There were wives and ­girlfriends all over the country who had a better night than Fernando Torres last night.
The £50million man started his second match in a Chelsea shirt but he looked like another Andriy Shevchenko as – on a night when the Blues badly needed a win – he was all gong and no dinner.
Indeed this night could have been even worse had Clint Dempsey not missed a dramatic last-minute penalty.
These were dropped points with massive ramifications. They ­effectively ended Chelsea’s lingering title hopes and will have handed a massive boost in the race for fourth place to Spurs and Manchester City.
And with Jose Mourinho sitting in the stands at Craven Cottage, having expressed his interest in a Premier League return, this was no night for Ancelotti to be fluffing his lines.
On a night of romance there was some tough love for Didier Drogba, despite scoring three goals in his last four games against Fulham.
The Ivorian was left on the bench by ­Ancelotti who had clearly realised his team just could not ­accommodate all three of his marksmen.
Instead he handed the stage to Torres, who had promised owner Roman Abramovich goals in return for the Russian’s ­deadline-day rescue act to airlift him out of Liverpool.
There was pressure on the Spaniard to deliver in the Premier League, with ­Champions League qualification – let alone ­Chelsea’s title chances – now looking very uncertain. Yes, Fulham’s record against their ­neighbours was poor – the Cottagers have won just one of their last 28 meetings over the past 31 years.
But Mark Hughes’ men had responded to a poor first half of the season by making Craven Cottage a fortress, remaining unbeaten at home in 2011 prior to kick-off and winning their last three League games without conceding.
The feelgood factor has sent the club up the table to 12th while Chelsea have suffered sustained blows to their title bid with seven defeats going into the match.
With one clean sheet in their last nine matches it was little wonder that £21million David Luiz was given his first start. The Brazilian impressed immediately with his confidence and ­composure.
So much so that he was soon directing operations in the Chelsea backline. When he was called upon to do his job, he was alert enough to block Andy Johnson from close range on six minutes.
He was confident enough to bring it into central midfield three minutes later, riding a couple of challenges before feeding a team-mate.
But chances were proving hard to come by for Ancelotti’s all-stars, with Fulham resolute and well organised. Indeed, it would be half an hour before a decent one was fashioned, Frank Lampard scooping over the bar from nine yards.
At the other end, Luiz put a rare foot wrong two minutes later and was caught in ­possession by striker Moussa Dembele. The Belgian, however, panicked under ­pressure to spear his shot wide.
And so it went on. Fuham full-back Carlos Salcido sent an effort into the away stand on his weaker right foot.
Florent Malouda, playing behind the Chelsea front two, smashed a screamer wide of the angle of post and bar.
Then Torres reminded us he was still playing with a trio of missed ­opportunities.
First, five minutes before the break, the Spaniard failed to get a shot off after the ball was given away by Danny Murphy. Then Torres could manage only a weak effort straight at Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer under pressure from Aaron Hughes.
And when Luiz sent a ­sensational ball over the top for Torres to run on to, it looked as though he would ram the taunts of “What a waste of money” from the home fans down their throats.
Instead his touch was poor and the ball trickled into the arms of Schwarzer.
Ancelotti kept faith with his new recruit and his line-up, despite the fact his £78.5million strike-force failed to produce a single, first-half shot on target.
And there was more of the same after the interval. Torres headed over the bar on 47 minutes and was slow to react to a Murphy back pass two minutes later.
And when he did find space two minutes after that, he curled an effort high and wide. There was incredulity when ­Ancelotti’s first substitute, Salomon Kalou, replaced Anelka and not Torres.
Shortly after that, however, common sense prevailed when Drogba finally entered the fray to put Torres out of his misery.
Michael Essien could easily have shown them both how it was done 12 minutes before time when he got a head to Lampard’s cross but, like his team-mates, he just could not hit the target.

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Monday, February 07, 2011

liverpool 0-1


Independent:

Torres endures nightmare debut as Liverpool recover old swagger
Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

By Sam Wallace at Stamford Bridge

The first shot that Fernando Torres struck yesterday afternoon hit the banner midway up the Shed End that commemorates Peter Osgood, another famous Chelsea No 9, and if that sounds bad for the £50m man, it got even worse from there.
It was another extraordinary result in an extraordinary weekend of Premier League football in which events on the pitch steadfastly refused to stick to the script. Torres had little discernible effect on the game and was substituted after 66 minutes, Liverpool won the match without Luis Suarez even setting foot on the pitch and the Roman Abramovich strategy to rejuvenate his team fizzled like a damp firework.
Torres will undoubtedly score goals for his new club, but this was one of those occasions when football's great unpredictability confounds billionaire owners and record-breaking signings and serves up a result that no one really expected.
It was Jamie Carragher, the old warhorse who would no sooner contemplate leaving Merseyside than he would contemplate changing his name to Sandra, to whom the day belonged as well as an unlikely supporting cast of Raul Meireles, Lucas Leiva and Glen Johnson.
Carragher's crowning moment came when, as Torres pulled the trigger on a through ball from Didier Drogba, the Liverpool defender slid across and blocked the shot as soon as it left the striker's foot. It was reminiscent of Carragher's great cramp-inducing tackle on Andrei Shevchenko in the 2005 Champions League final and this in his first game back since November.
But Carragher and his two fellow centre-halves that were part of Kenny Dalglish's 3-5-1-1 formation – a system used only for the second time – closed Torres, Drogba and Nicolas Anelka out of this game. When Torres was called to the touchline there was a sense that half the job had been done, and three minutes later Meireles' goal reflected the direction the game was heading.
Carlo Ancelotti's team have now lost seven league games, more in a single season than any since Claudio Ranieri's side lost seven in 2003-04 and the boost of their re-connection with Abramovich's enormous fortune has been postponed. Funnily enough, the player who really impressed was new signing David Luiz who played only 27 minutes as a substitute but looked every inch a talented defender.
As for the rest, it was a tired, mish-mash of a performance. It was always going to need something special to break down what was effectively a five-man defence, especially as the selection of three centre-forwards denied Chelsea width. Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa leant Chelsea some threat on the wings but the arrival of Torres does present Ancelotti with problems.
On the pitch before the game there was a snatched conversation between Drogba and Torres that looked like an ad hoc division of labour between the two strikers. Whatever they decided upon it did not work. Drogba barely had a shot on goal and none of Chelsea's three forward players fancied it much when it came to tracking back.
Chelsea should have been given a penalty in time added on at the end of the game when Johnson craftily barged into the back of Branislav Ivanovic in the Liverpool area. But what was surprising about Chelsea is that for all the attacking talent at their disposal, Ancelotti's side created so few chances.
It will not just be a case of Ancelotti selecting all his strikers in future, he will have to find a combination that actually works – he hinted as much after the game – and that will mean making some tough choices. That is a lot to consider with only 13 games left of the season and the gap to Manchester United still a troubling 10 points.
When the focus on Torres is put to one side, and the emotion taken out of the occasion the biggest blow to Chelsea is that they could not close the lead that United have on them. Once again Sir Alex Ferguson's team have escaped relatively lightly after that defeat to Wolves. Only Manchester City have gained three points on them after the leaders' worst result of the season.
It was hard to recall a single Chelsea chance other than a Florent Malouda shot that Pepe Reina blocked on 75 minutes. Their diamond formation in midfield played into the hands of Liverpool who closed down the central areas with excellent performances from Lucas and Meireles.
This time it was not Steven Gerrard who was required to perform his usual heroics; instead he laid on the ball for Meireles' goal. Making space for himself down the right wing Gerrard struck a cross that, disastrously for Chelsea, Petr Cech and Ivanovic left to one another. Although the ball travelled beyond the far post, Meireles did an excellent job of getting his foot round it and steering it inside the post.
Once ahead it never looked likely that Liverpool would relinquish that lead and something of that old intransigence that they made their trademark in games against Chelsea in the Rafael Benitez years was evident. They seem to perform best when they have something to defend and when the occasion requires them to be stoic and determined.
Otherwise their best chance came when Maxi Rodriguez got his shin on Gerrard's fast-travelling cross from the left from which, a matter of yards from goal, Rodriguez could not control his shot and instead rattled the crossbar. Chelsea never even got that close to their opponents' goal.
With four straight wins, four clean sheets and sixth place in the table this job is becoming Dalglish's by default. Some would argue he has already done enough. Last night he played down his role in the whole show and contended that he would not stand in the way of anyone who was better suited to the job. But who is he kidding? Liverpool is becoming Dalglish's club again and having nursed them through the departure of Torres, to win this game six days later only cemented his position.
"It has been a great week for us," he said, renewing that old habit of dismissing anyone or anything outside of Liverpool. Dalglish has certainly delivered Liverpool a grand consolation in the Torres saga. Torres got his move but his moment of glory will have to wait.

Match facts

Substitutes:
Chelsea Kalou (Torres, 66), Malouda (Mikel, 72), Luiz (Bosingwa, 73). Unused Turnbull (gk), Ferreira, McEachran, Sala.
Liverpool Aurelio (Rodriguez, 75), Poulsen (Meireles, 84). Unused Gulacsi (gk), Kyrgiakos, Suarez, Jovanovic, Ngog.
Booked: Chelsea Mikel Liverpool Lucas.
Possession Chelsea 51% Liverpool 49%.
Attempts on target Chelsea 4 Liverpool 4.
Man of the match Carragher. Match rating: 6/10.
Referee A Marriner (West Midlands).
Attendance 41,829.


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

Observer:

Meireles strikes as Liverpool win on Fernando Torres's Chelsea debut
Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge

Surely it ought not cost so much to play in an impoverished match. Having just become the most expensive signing in the history of English football, Fernando Torres was derided by the fans of his old club when Chelsea took him off in the 66th minute. The centre-forward had certainly not flourished on his debut and the £50m fee is a weight he must learn to carry, but there were many around him whose cheaper stumblings went unnoticed.
Liverpool, even so, are entitled to delight. The obligation was not on them to entertain and they could have taken pride in a goalless stalemate. Kenny Dalglish's tactics were impeccable if unexpected. The manager fielded a back three and that was shrewd since the narrowness of the defence could be risked when Chelsea carried such little threat on the flanks. Dalglish has now won four Premier League matches in a row without conceding a goal.
Any fear that his appointment might be burdened with sentimentality is waning. This success was the club's first at Stamford Bridge since October 2008. Dalglish had the luxury of letting his new acquisition Luis Suárez remain on the bench for the entire game. As matters stand, it seems almost useful that Andy Carroll is injured. Liverpool functioned effectively without him and can now anticipate another fillip when the £35m purchase is over his thigh strain.
Everything necessary to Liverpool was already present at Stamford Bridge. Jamie Carragher, who dislocated his shoulder at White Hart Lane in November, made a comeback at Stamford Bridge that suggested he had been out for no more than a day or two.
The defender snapped into sharp action and made a block on Torres. The striker, all the same, was only in that briefly promising position because of a Lucas error that had left Didier Drogba to play a through pass in the 31st minute.
There was a general drabness to a fixture that will still glow in Liverpool's memory. They have grounds to think that they are on the rise. Chelsea, on the other hand, stalled here and qualification for the Champions League continues to be a test of their mettle more than a foregone conclusion. The manager, Carlo Ancelotti, can be sure, in any case, that the owner, Roman Abramovich, appreciates the extent of the rebuilding that has to be undertaken.
Last week's other acquisition David Luiz, at a mere £25m from Benfica, came off the bench for his first outing with Chelsea. He will not have appreciated the novelty of disappointment for the club at a ground where they are often commanding. This was Liverpool's first win at Stamford Bridge since October 2008. No one at the club will care that it came about through the sheer sloppiness of Chelsea. The goalkeeeper Petr Cech failed to collect a cross from Gerrard in the 69th minute and Raul Meireles volleyed the ball home with great composure.
It was disappointing that the entertainment should mostly have been associated with mistakes. Torres lashed a shot high with two minutes gone, but it had been an errant pass from his former-team-mate Maxi Rodríguez that led to the opening. Ancelotti ought to be uneasy that the invention that would have assisted Torres was lacking in the remainder of the line-up.
The scheming of the Chelsea manager for this fixture only saw him outfoxed by his opposite numbers. A means of accommodating important players is yet to be found.
This, of course, was merely his initial experiment in fitting Torres into the scheme. The Spaniard was paired with Drogba and the Nicolas Anelka took up a position a little way behind the duo of outright strikers. Nobody looked wholly comfortable in that arrangement.
There is more time to come for experiments, but in this game the side was blunt. A draw would have been an unlikely reprieve and a penalty appeal in stoppage time went unheeded although Glen Johnson, the former Chelsea player, had been unwise to bump into Branislav Ivanovic.
All in all, Chelsea had been mediocre. Their campaign has a curious air since notions that they might rally to mount a strong defence of their Premier League title are in doubt once more. It looked here as if a variety of alterations is called for rather than the arrival of one great and costly talent. Torres, at least, is eligible for the Champions League, which must be the principal target.
Liverpool, peculiarly for an institution with such a heritage, may be enjoying a relatively low profile in the league. This was a fine win, but the emphasis is still on the reshaping of the club.
The sales of Torres and Ryan Babel paid for Carroll and Suarez, so there must be so far untouched means to continue with the reconstruction of the squad in the summer.
Dalglish, for his part, had been out of the manager's role since a short spell with Celtic in early 2000, but he can only have assuaged any doubts that Liverpool's owners may have had about making this a permanent appointment. A regretful Chelsea can give Dalglish an excellent reference.


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Telegraph:

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1
By Henry Winter

For Liverpool, this has been the year of Kenny Dalglish famously cutting short a cruise and Fernando Torres jumping ship. Sunday confirmed which was the more significant event.
As the clock ticked down on this most tense of contests, Dalglish kept kicking every ball in the dug-out, kept willing Liverpool to protect their lead and kept checking his watch every few seconds until the final whistle brought deserved victory.
Here was Liverpool reconnected to their glorious past, a loyal servant exhorting the team to reach for the skies again. Ably assisted by Sammy Lee and Steve Clarke, Dalglish had Liverpool’s players hunting in pairs, seeking and destroying Chelsea moves before they could build real momentum.
Lucas was outstanding, a figure of perpetual motion between the boxes, a model of composure when Chelsea came calling with urgency late on. Raul Meireles made some important tackles and shuttled between midfield and attack, even ghosting in to score his fourth in five games.
Even without Luis Suárez, who remained on the bench, and Andy Carroll, who remains on the treatment table, Dalglish’s men were too organised and determined for the champions. Even without Torres, now sporting Chelsea blue, so much belief remained.
Liverpool’s fans set the tone of defiance, backing their team with chants of “Suárez” or “Dalglish” whenever the home fans sang Torres’s name. The Merseyside Banner Factory had been busy with the bed-sheets and Sally Bercow, the Speaker’s wife, was well advised to steer clear.
A minute before kick-off, Chelsea stewards failed in their attempt to grab one of the banners. It read: “He who betrays will always walk alone”. Another declared: “Torres a pawn on our chessboard but the King remains.”
Such is Liverpool’s transformation under Dalglish, a reinvigorated team now sixth, it can only be a matter of time before he is confirmed as long-term manager. Martin Kelly’s vibrancy, defending hungrily and attacking with pace and persistence, rivals Meireles in embodying the new model Liverpool under Dalglish.
Clarke, warmly greeted by Chelsea fans beforehand, has also played his part in the revival, notably drilling the defence at Melwood. This was Liverpool’s fourth successive clean sheet, the players showing their adaptability by again making the back three work. Jamie Carragher’s return from shoulder surgery added further to the resistance movement. But the key was that the visitors defended as a unit, playing the old Liverpool way, the Dalglish way.
For Carlo Ancelotti, this numbing defeat reduces the champions’ chances of catching Manchester United, who remain 10 points clear. The last time Chelsea lost seven games in a league season the manager, Claudio Ranieri, was sacked. Ancelotti needs time to bed his new players in but a huge call has to be made on his attack, one that could define Chelsea’s season.
Clearly, the Drogba-Torres-Anelka triumvirate needs working on, or simply abandoning, omitting Nicolas Anelka and reverting to a 4-4-2 system. Chelsea were desperately short of width on Sunday, particularly with Liverpool’s wing-backs, Kelly and Glen Johnson mainly keeping Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa deep on another epic day in the mighty Premier League soap opera.
Sunday’s two away wins, here and for Birmingham City at Upton Park, capped an extraordinary weekend. Following Saturday’s series of goal sprees and comebacks, Richard Scudamore sent a message to his Premier League staff.
“Remember Saturday 5th February 2011,” said the chief executive. “There has never been, and I doubt we will ever see, quite such a remarkable single day in our great competition… let the Select Committee and Government try to improve it!”
Sunday’s shocks simply added to the drama. Initially, this was a slow-burner, the first half notable only for a skied Torres effort, a Torres shot blocked by Carragher and an astonishing miss from Maxi Rodríguez, who hit the bar from three yards. Heaven knows what Mini Rodríguez is like. Signs of the unease in the Chelsea ranks surfaced when Branislav Ivanovic and Petr Cech argued.
Chelsea briefly stirred at the start of the second half. Anelka shot wide. Ivanovic headed over. But familiar themes continued to be seen. When Torres collected possession, Meireles and Lucas hounded him into giving up the ball.
Chelsea’s menace was too infrequent, too slowly unfurled. Liverpool were too alert, Lucas nipping in to ensure Jose Bosingwa’s cross did not reach Torres. The £50 million man was withdrawn after 66 minutes, to applause from the Chelsea fans and unrestrained glee from the red section of the Shed. “You should have stayed with a big club,” chanted Liverpool fans, clearly not forgetting Torres’ parting words that he was joining a “big club”. As if to emphasise past feats in Europe, Liverpool supporters chorused: “In Istanbul we won it five times.”
Three minutes later Steven Gerrard charged down the right, whipping in a cross that should have been meat and drink for Cech but he made a real meal of it. Hesitating with Ivanovic, Chelsea’s keeper allowed the ball to carry through to Meireles, who finished with an unstoppable volley.
The crowing intensified. “Torres, Torres, what’s the score?” enquired the Liverpool fans. Chelsea were stunned, their attempt at a comeback unconvincing. Anelka had a shot saved and David Luiz came on, allowing Ivanovic to revert to right-back. Luiz kept pushing into midfield but Liverpool stood firm. Cech needed to save from Fabio Aurelio but Chelsea were denied a penalty when Johnson barged into Ivanovic’s ribs, knocking the Serb over. Nobody was going to wrest this victory away from Dalglish and Liverpool.

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Mail:

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1:
Total torture for Torres as Meireles ruins £50m striker's Stamford Bridge debut

By Matt Lawton

Had Fernando Torres still been wearing red, there would have been plenty to celebrate. As it was, he endured the most miserable of afternoons. Not a hint of romance for the most expensive player in British football history.
Just humiliation and what amounted to a humbling defeat that probably marked the end of Chelsea's title challenge.
In three second-half minutes, Torres must have wanted to be anywhere but here at Stamford Bridge. To be hauled off after 66 minutes of misery and frustration in front of the visiting Liverpool supporters would have been bad enough.
'You should have stayed at a big club,' they cried as the Spaniard trudged off the pitch, looking every bit as unhappy as he had done at Anfield in the six months prior to moving south.
But then came the goal from Raul Meireles. Then came the opportunity for his former colleagues to celebrate a magnificent win; a victory that was all the sweeter because of the extraordinary events of transfer-deadline day.
It was no less than Liverpool deserved. A reward for their defiance and determination as well as the tactical mastery of a manager who is demonstrating exactly why Liverpool's new American owners are so keen to see him succeed in his second term at Anfield.
As Kenny Dalglish said, it was a fourth consecutive clean sheet as well as a fourth consecutive win that lifts Liverpool to sixth in the table and the formation he employed worked a treat. A formation that extends a remarkable record for the Scotsman against Chelsea. Played 21, won 15, lost one.
Dalglish said the Stoke game in midweek was not a dress rehearsal for this, but the use of three centre backs proved hugely effective when it came to combating the threat posed by Torres and Didier Drogba. Not to mention Nicolas Anelka in the hole behind the front two.
With Jamie Carragher simply immense in his first start since the end of November, and Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger following his lead, they smothered every Chelsea attack.
When Torres was suddenly presented with an opportunity to strike, Carragher was there to make the block. Only when Maxi Rodriguez passed to his former colleague by mistake in the opening couple of minutes did Torres have another chance, and on that occasion he shot high and wide.
Sunday saw a second outing for a new Chelsea formation too, one that enables Carlo Ancelotti to keep Anelka in the side despite the use of two other strikers. But what worked well at Sunderland was nothing like as successful here, not least because it was so lacking in width.
With Liverpool able to more than match them through the middle, the use of two wing backs in Martin Kelly and Glen Johnson meant the visitors could control the field there too.
Chelsea had nowhere to go and Pepe Reina had very little to do as a result, his only save coming when Florent Malouda provided Chelsea with a threat from out wide and forced Liverpool's goalkeeper to stand tall and parry the Frenchman's effort.
For Ancelotti, rather like Torres, it amounted to something of a nightmare. Not a good day at the office when the boss has just allowed you to spend £75million of his money.
Even if his side did deserve a late penalty for Johnson's foul on Branislav Ivanovic, Ancelotti will wince at the fact that the last time Chelsea lost seven games in the league was Claudio Ranieri's last season in charge.
It will, of course, get better. Ancelotti has bought one of the finest strikers in the world and David Luiz impressed when he came on as a second-half substitute.
But it was so much more positive for a Liverpool side who managed to complete a fine double over Chelsea this season without the two new signings they now have to fill the void left by Torres.
Even with Andy Carroll injured and Luis Suarez sitting on the bench, Liverpool could have won this by more.
More should have been made of some fine passing from the back from Carragher but when Steven Gerrard drove the ball across the face of Chelsea's goal in the 33rd minute, Rodriguez somehow sent his shot against the crossbar from three yards.
It amounted to a lucky escape for Chelsea, as did a moment when Petr Cech and Ivanovic collided in pursuit of a cross from Kelly. Incensed by a lack of communication, an angry exchange between them followed.
It probably contributed to the goal that Meireles eventually scored in the 69th minute, his fourth in five games for Liverpool.
When Gerrard sent in a cross from the right, a moment's confusion between Cech and Ivanovic led to a collective failure by both of them to deal with the danger - although in fairness to the Serb, Cech was more at fault - and Meireles arrived at the far post to strike with a super half-volley.
After that there was a penalty claim, and a brief but physical confrontation between Carragher and John Terry as they both crowded the referee in response to the incident.
But Liverpool remained very much in control against a Chelsea side seemingly bereft of ideas. A Chelsea side that, while looking like they had emerged from their slump with victories over Bolton and Sunderland, again lacked the fluency and finesse they have shown in previous seasons.
Compared to Liverpool they also lacked desire on Sunday, Gerrard's reaction to the final whistle a measure of how much it meant to them. He threw his arms in the air and looked to the heavens; the highlight, clearly, of his season.
'We've had a great week,' said Dalglish, and given how it had started it had most certainly been that.

MATCH FACTS

Chelsea (4-3-1-2): Cech 5; Bosingwa 6 (Luiz 73min, 7), Ivanovic 5, Terry 6, Cole 6; Lampard 6, Mikel 6 (Malouda 71, 6), Essien 6; Anelka 5; Torres 5 (Kalou 66, 6), Drogba 5. Subs not used: Turnbull, Ferreira, McEachran, Sala. Booked: Mikel.

Liverpool (3-4-2-1): Reina 6; Carragher 9, Skrtel 7, Agger 7; Kelly 6, Lucas 7, Rodriguez 6 (Aurelio 75, 7), Johnson 7; Gerrard 7, Meireles 8 (Poulsen 83, 6); Kuyt 7. Subs not used: Gulacsi, Kyrgiakos, Suarez, Jovanovic, Ngog. Booked: Lucas.

Star man: Jamie Carragher
Referee: Andre Marriner 6. Attendance: 41,829.

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Sun:

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 1

From SHAUN CUSTIS at Stamford Bridge

LIVERPOOL fans felt Fernando Torres was talking bull when he said he was joining Chelsea because it was a bigger club.
And how they lapped it up as their matadors slayed the Spanish defector and his new pals.
This was so sweet for the resurgent Reds, who have now notched up four straight wins under the Kenny Dalglish regime without conceding a single goal in the process.
Dalglish has transformed Liverpool's fortunes and it cannot be long before the caretaker boss gets the job full-time again. He is working the magic Roy Hodgson could not produce. Even so, Hodgson can take some credit for this victory. The man who scored the 69th-minute winner, Portuguese midfielder Raul Meireles, was signed by the former Fulham boss in the summer for a mere £11million.
That is chicken feed compared to the £50m Chelsea splashed on Torres.
Meireles struggled to find his feet under Hodgson. He seemed lost in the middle and did not appear to know his job.
But he has blossomed with Dalglish in charge and become one of Liverpool's most influential players.
Torres will hope to improve in the same way at Stamford Bridge. He could not have made a worse start. To say he was quiet was an understatement - comatose more like.
He had two attempts on goal. The first sailed high over the bar, while the second effort came from a Didier Drogba pass on to the striker's right foot.
Torres hit it first time but there was a man in the opposition defence who was never going to allow the ball past.
Jamie Carragher, a Liverpool legend playing his first game since the end of November, flung himself at the shot and blocked before Pepe Reina had to take action.
That was that. Torres was never seen again, apart from a pass straight into touch, and was subbed on 66 minutes to mass hilarity from the travelling Reds.
Liverpool supporters had made their feelings known well before then on a variety of banners.
One read 'Once a hero in our hearts. You are dead. Lying Judas'.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti tried to accommodate Torres, Drogba and Nicolas Anelka. It did not work.
There is a strong belief Ancelotti had little say in the Torres signing, that it was all down to Roman Abramovich. But it is Ancelotti who has to find a way of sorting it out.
The trouble is there is no time. Chelsea failed to capitalise on Manchester United's defeat at Wolves and are clinging to a top-four place on goal difference from Tottenham.
How ironic it would be if Torres was to miss out on Champions League football at the end of this season - especially if Liverpool, coming from nowhere, were to nick a place off them.
The visitors were well worth their win. They were disciplined, organised and could afford to leave £23m striker Luis Suarez on the bench for the whole game.
After Torres had failed with his couple of efforts, Liverpool should have gone ahead on 33 minutes.
Skipper Steven Gerrard drilled a left-foot shot across the box and Maxi was there at the far post. But the ball bobbled off his ankle and cannoned off the bar.
Anelka, another former Liverpool player now in blue, shot wide from 20 yards and Michael Essien was narrowly over the top.
But the home side were restricted to long-range efforts.
Liverpool seemed to take encouragement from Torres' departure and the winning goal capped their day.
Gerrard was given too much space by Frank Lampard on the right and, when the cross came in, the ball flashed between defender Branislav Ivanovic and keeper Petr Cech.
Meireles got round the back to hammer in a left-foot shot in front of the Liverpool fans.
Gerrard, who twice almost joined Chelsea, went absolutely nuts as he joined Lucas and Meireles in the celebrations.
He sensed his team were turning a very big corner.
The Reds rode their luck in the closing stages, after Chelsea's other new signing, £23m centre-back David Luiz, entered the fray and looked calm and composed on the ball.
There were two shouts for penalties which might have been given.
One was for handball against Lucas. It definitely hit his hand but there seemed little intent. The second came right at the death, as Glen Johnson blocked off Ivanovic.
Referee Andre Marriner was not having it, though Ancelotti claimed that it was a definite penalty.
Then again, Ancelotti said Torres played well. So perhaps his judgment was actually a bit skewed all round.

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