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The Sunday Times
September 16, 2007
Chelsea in goal row
Chelsea 0 Blackburn 0
Brian Glanville at Stamford Bridge
Jose Mourinho, Chelsea’s ever-voluble not to say explosive manager, had no doubt about it. Chelsea were denied a legitimate goal. They scored, he insisted, an undeniably good goal after 58 minutes which was scandalously given offside. When asked about its validity, he answered: “That’s the kind of question you don’t need to ask. I think that’s the question you can ask to the linesman if you have the chance, not to me. Only the linesman can tell you why he disallowed the goal. It’s no question, because everybody has the answer. It was so obvious that I think you should try to ask the linesman, because I can’t understand . . . I tell him, tomorrow I’m waiting for his phone call and his apology.”
What happened was that Joe Cole found the adventurous Brazilian right-back Juliano Belletti on the right, and his cross, seemingly pulled back, was knocked in by Salomon Kalou. The linesman flagged and referee Howard Webb endorsed his decision.
Chelsea’s assistant manager, Steve Clarke, surged fuming from the dugout, followed by an incensed, gesticulating Mourinho. Right or wrong, he was arguably lucky that Webb restricted himself to a few placatory words, rather than sending him as many a referee might have done to the stand.
As for Mark Hughes, the Blackburn manager, he replied to questions with tongue probably in cheek: “He was only about half a yard, but from our point of view, we were happy that it was offside. He immediately put his flag up and it means the right decision.”
Mourinho lamented the absence of such key players as Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard. He had no extra strikers on the bench, he complained. Andriy Shevchenko, the £30m Ukrainian centre-forward who scored unavailingly for his country against Italy last Wednesday, made his first appearance of the season and was clearly well short of match practice. Only at the very end of a previously anonymous performance did he swoop on a right-wing cross from Florent Malouda with a far-post header which brought a glorious save, his second of the match, from big Brad Friedel in the Blackburn goal.
The veteran American had already saved his team with supreme agility, belying his giant frame when, after 27 minutes, a dash by Joe Cole ended with the ball breaking to Michael Essien.
The Ghanaian let fly a tremendous right-footed shot, but Friedel flew across his goal, got his left hand to the ball, and turned it round the left-hand post. Chelsea also accorded a rare start to Steve Sidwell, the central midfielder from Reading, but he looked seriously off the pace and was substituted early in the second half.
Both managers somewhat excessively praised their teams. Mourinho said: “We played well enough with a great spirit and great attitude.” For his part, Mark Hughes believed that though his team had started slowly “we were a little bit guilty of playing in our own half” – in the second half, things much improved. I’ve sensed a different mentality in the dressing room.” But apart from a sudden ferocious right-footed drive from a hitherto ineffective Robbie Savage after 76 minutes – Petr Cech leapt to turn it over – Blackburn’s attack carried little threat.
The game was slow to ignite, and only after 27 minutes did it truly come to life with Chelsea, in a three-minute burst, thrice threatening to score. First came Essien’s bullet, and Freidel’s save. Next, after a long run by the adventurous Belletti, his low shot was comfortably fielded by Friedel. Then, on the half hour, Joe Cole and Essien engineered a chance for Shevchenko. But clean through on goal, and seemingly a safe bet to score, he failed to keep control, and Friedel pounced on the ball. He subsequently easily dealt with Joe Cole’s curling right-footer, but was perhaps fortunate that when Joe Cole flighted a clever pass through to his namesake Ashley, the full-back just failed to make contact.
We were 42 minutes into the game when Blackburn at last attacked with any real threat. David Bentley, gratuitously booed by the crowd whenever he had the ball, guilty of the sin of pulling out of the England under21 scene, went round Ashley Cole with surprising ease to deliver a cross which Morten Gamst Pedersen, coming in at the far post, could do no better than fend into the side netting. In the opening minutes of the second half, David Dunn in Blackburn’s midfield sent a powerful drive from outside the box not far over, but we had to wait until that 76th minute and Savage’s drive before Blackburn struck again with any menace.
Christopher Samba alas tooka kick on the head and collapsed in the closing minutes. He was taken to hospital but was later discharged. Chelsea Blackburn 6 Shots on target (incl goals) 1 9 Shots off target 4 4 Blocked shots 1 9 Corners won 2 21 Total fouls conceded 13 6 Offsides 0 2 Yellow cards 2 0 Red cards 0 58% Possession 42%
Star man: Brad Friedel (Blackburn)
Player ratings. Chelsea: Cech 7, A Cole 7 (Ben-Haim 88min), Essien 7, Shevchenko 6, Sidwell 5 (Obi 57min, 6), J Cole 6, Kalou 6, Wright-Phillips 6 (Malouda 57min, 6), Terry 7, Alex 6, Belletti 6
Blackburn: Friedel 9, Emerton 6, Nelsen 6, Samba 6, Warnock 6, Bentley 6, Savage 6, Dunn 6, Pedersen 6, McCarthy 6 (Roberts 67min, 6), Santa Cruz 6 (Mokoena 79min) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sunday Telegraph
Mourinho left seething as Chelsea draw blank By Duncan White
Chelsea (0) 0 Blackburn Rovers (0) 0
This was supposed to be Andrei Shevchenko's redemption and the realignment of Chelsea's title surge. Instead Stamford Bridge was left seething with frustration and a sense of injustice as Chelsea stuttered for the second game in succession.
Jose Mourinho's histrionics on the touchline were a testament to Blackburn's resolution - this was the 15th game unbeaten for Mark Hughes's team - but they also belied his anger at Chelsea's inadequacies. With the talismanic Didier Drogba nursing a knee injury and Claudio Pizarro exhausted from a transatlantic flight, Shevchenko was given his first game of the season. His performance made it easier to understand why he is a £30 million fourth-choice striker. He worked hard but played like he had too much to prove. The nerveless assassin of Serie A looked anxious and impotent: twice he missed free headers from close range and in the first half, with his head down and a heavy touch, he wasted a one-on-one with the outstanding Brad Friedel.
Even so, Chelsea should have won and were denied a goal by a a wrong decision by a linesman. After just under an hour, Jole Cole slipped in Juliano Belletti on the right and the full-back squared the ball across goal to the unmarked Salomon Kalou. The Ivorian tapped into the net and it was only after almost a minute of ecstatic celebration that he realised the linesman had flagged him offside.
Mourinho was apoplectic. He brandished a video screen at the fourth official, giving it a petulant slap for emphasis. This was Mourinho theatrics at work and referee Howard Webb had to calm the Chelsea manager down. However, crucially, Mourinho was right and Chelsea had been wrongly denied a goal.
"Why the goal was not given is a question for the linesman," Mourinho said. "It is not a question for me, or the fans, or Mark Hughes. To me it was an obvious goal.
"The fourth official has no other responsibility in the game, and this is a sport where technology could instantly tell you whether it was a goal. I do not know why the linesmen or assistant referees are not required to explain their decisions after the game."
Still, the short-term injustice cannot obscure long-term problems in the attacking options available to Mourinho. The Chelsea manager admitted the absence of Drogba and Frank Lampard through injury left his side "without ammunition", hardly a compliment to Shevchenko.
Where is the man the Chelsea manager can turn to if he needs that moment of technical daring? Who can puncture even the doughtiest defence with improvised guile? Arjen Robben, shipped off to Real Madrid, may have lacked the macho attitude of the Chelsea dressing room, but they miss a player of his subtlety.
While they lack flair, they have plenty of force. Mourinho was in no mood to watch his team bullied by this robust Rovers side. Alex, the Brazilian centre-back with the build of a heavyweight boxer, was preferred to Tal Ben Haim as defensive partner for John Terry, presumably to negate the visitors' aerial threat.
That tactic was a resounding success. David Dunn and Robbie Savage were remarkably industrious in the centre of midfield and were certainly not cowed by Michael Essien and Steve Sidwell. Still, Blackburn struggled to open up their hosts: Petr Cech's only real test came in tipping over Savage's looping shot late in the second half.
With Shevchenko misfiring, Essien was Chelsea's most potent attacking threat and only an outstanding full-stretch save from Friedel denied the Ghanaian when he connected crisply with a half-volley from 25 yards.
Mourinho realised his team needed shaking up with just over 10 minutes gone in the second half: off came Shaun Wright-Phillips and Sidwell and on came Florent Malouda and John Obi Mikel. Seconds later Kalou scored the goal that wasn't.
Shevchenko had faded almost entirely in the second half, only to crop up with five minutes to go at the far post, found by Malouda's inswinging cross. Inevitably, his header was straight at Friedel.
Unfortunately, in clearing the ball Chris Samba slipped and was forced to head away from close to the turf. Shevchenko went for the ball at the same time and kicked Samba, without a hint of malice, in the back of the head. The Blackburn defender received extensive medical treatment on the pitch from both medical teams and was carried off strapped carefully to a stretcher.
"That was the one negative from our point of view," Hughes said "We hope it is not going to be too serious. I don't think he had come around when he was in the dressing room so there is a bit of concern." The good news emerging from hospital last night was that Samba had regained consciousness and was talking.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Observer:
Mourinho moans while Samba feels force of Shevchenko
Stuart Barnes
Jose Mourinho has enjoyed the luxury of free-scoring performances in three home league games against Blackburn during his stewardship at Stamford Bridge. Not so this time. The Chelsea manager was left frustrated by his side's failure to win a game they dominated for long spells and angry that what he felt was a perfectly good goal by Salomon Kalou was ruled out by a linesman.Peter Kirkup's ruling that Kalou's conversion of Juliano Belletti's cross as Chelsea's second-half pressure reached a peak looked, on TV replays, a borderline one. Mourinho had no doubt he had erred - and went in with both barrels afterwards.
'You don't need to ask me whether it was a goal,' he said. 'Nor my players, Mark Hughes, the crowd, or the people watching at home. Everyone knows it was a great goal and should have stood - it was so obvious. You should ask the linesman. I told him I am waiting for his apology tomorrow.'I have no complaints about Blackburn - only good things to say. They came with a good attitude. But we played with a great spirit and deserved to win the game. Even though we were without several players and did not have a single striker on the bench, we applied massive pressure.'
Hughes, predictably, took a different view. 'It was half a yard offside,' said the Blackburn manager. 'The assistant referee put his flag up straight away and that usually means he is certain about his decision. When everyone calms down they will see it was the right one.
'We showed some great qualities. I have sensed a different atmosphere in our dressing room which is enabling us to come to places like this and get something out of the game.'
Blackburn's performance was overshadowed to some extent when Chris Samba was kicked unconscious by an accidental boot from Andriy Shevchenko and carried off to hospital - an incident that contributed to nearly nine minutes of stoppage-time. Later, a club spokesman said Samba was talking and could be flying home with the Blackburn squad.
Mourinho brought Shevchenko in from the cold to replace the injured Didier Drogba, impressed enough with the underachieving £30m striker's performances for Ukraine in European qualifying matches to give him his first club appearance of the season.
With a sharper touch, and against a lesser goalkeeper than Brad Friedel, he could have marked his first appearance of the season with a couple of goals, starting with a header steered over from a good position. After gathering an awkward low cross fired into the six-yard box by Belletti, Friedel made a flying save from Michael Essien's sweetly struck 25-yarder aimed for the top corner, then saved low from Shevchenko when Essien played the ball through.
Rovers responded through David Bentley, who crossed to the far post for the unmarked Morten Gamst Pedersen to volley into the side netting. They reinforced their own threat when David Dunn's instant volley from distance was too high. Mourinho was soon berating match officials when Kalou's effort was disallowed. Hughes sent on Jason Roberts for Benni McCarthy, who had rarely threatened - or been given the opportunity to threaten by indifferent service. In a frantic finish, Robbie Savage had a shot touched over by Petr Cech. Friedel again denied Shevchenko, this time from Malouda's cross. In the melee that followed, Samba took the full force of Shevchenko's boot in the head.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mail:
Chelsea fury as Kalou goal is ruled out
Chelsea 0 Blackburn 0
By DANIEL KING
Jose Mourinho claimed he would be sitting by the telephone waiting for an apology after a controversial offside decision denied his team joint leadership of the Premier League.
A sickening injury to Christopher Samba,who was taken to hospital unconscious after being kicked accidentally in the head by Andriy Shevchenko,put into perspective the furore over Salomon Kalou's disallowed 'goal' in the 58th minute.
But Mourinho was in no mood to count his blessings. In a title race which promises to be the tightest for years, these two dropped points could prove crucial, and whatever happens, the Chelsea manager will remember Peter Kirkup, the assistant referee whose surname hints at his error.
After Mourinho somehow avoided being sent to the stands for his animated protests, which included demanding that fourth official Peter Walton watch the incident again on his monitor, a mental consultation of the rulebook suggested that since Kalou was behind the ball when Juliano Belletti crossed, it did not matter that he was ahead of the last Blackburn defender and the goal should have stood.
When referee Rob Styles gave Chelsea a penalty which should never have been and earned them a point at Liverpool earlier in the season, referees' chief Keith Hackett rang Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez to apologise and demoted Styles from the Premier League. Mourinho, it seems, will accept nothing less himself.
The Chelsea boss, who continued his complaints when referee Howard Webb ended a dramatic match with 98 minutes and 53 seconds on the clock, said: "I told him (Kirkup) that of course I will be waiting for his phone call tomorrow for an apology.
"It was so obvious. You don't need to ask me, my players, the Blackburn players, the crowd or all the people watching at home. You should ask the linesman why he disallowed it. I can't understand it.
"He should have to explain."
It is not often you feel sorry for Chelsea and Mourinho, but his team thoroughly deserved to win and leap to second in the table, behind Arsenal only on goal difference.
As it is they have now dropped five points in their last two games, following their defeat at Aston Villa and now lie fourth.
Mourinho's injury-hit team were unfortunate to find Brad Friedel in his usual sparkling form, but were also guilty of wasting chances to make Kirkup's decision irrelevant.
Mourinho was defiant and it seems Kalou's strike will assume the status of being the flipside to Luis Garcia's 'phantom goal' in the 2005 Champions League semi-final which Chelsea lost to Liverpool.
"I agree that one goal for such a dominant team is not enough," said Mourinho. "But we scored a goal, a good goal, a winning goal, but we finished with just one point."
If Shevchenko, making his first appearance of the season in the Chelsea squad, let alone team, had maintained the form which so impressed Mourinho in the Ukraine's midweek 2-1 defeat by Italy, the arguments would have been forgotten.
But in what was billed as a last chance for the £30 million striker, in the absence of the injured Didier Drogba and jet-lagged Claudio Pizarro, he failed to impress again.
After Michael Essien had forced Friedel into his first brilliant save in the 22nd minute, the Ghana midfielder played Shevchenko in, but his first touch was poor and his second sent the ball far enough ahead to allowed Friedel to smother.
In the closing minutes, after Shevchenko's header was blocked by Friedel, Samba stooped to head the loose ball clear. Shevchenko was also following up and unwittingly struck the defender on the back of the head, which knocked him unconscious. In the stoppage time which resulted, the lively Joe Cole's shot was deflected over.
Blackburn had gone close to snatching the lead themselves shortly after the Kalou incident but Petr Cech's only save of the match, from Robbie Savage, was excellent.
With the exception of Samba's injury, Blackburn manager Mark Hughes was happy.But what about the 'goal'? "It wasn't a goal, it was offside," he said Hughes. "The assistant referee immediately put his flag up and that usually means he's pretty certain it's the right decision."
But that will not stop Mourinho waiting for that call.
CHELSEA (4-4-2): Cech; Belletti, Alex, Terry, A Cole (Ben-Haim 87min); Wright-Phillips (Malouda 57), Sidwell (Mikel 57), Essien, J Cole; Kalou, Shevchenko. Subs: Cudicini, Ferreira. Booked: Belletti, J Cole.
BLACKBURN (4-4-2): Friedel; Emerton, Samba (Ooijer 90), Nelsen, Warnock; Bentley, Savage, Dunn (Mokoena 81), Pedersen; McCarthy (Roberts 68), Santa Cruz. Subs: Brown, Derbyshire. Booked: Warnock, Savage.
Referee: H Webb (South Yorkshire). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

morning papers villa away

The TimesSeptember 3, 2007
Abramovich scuttles from scene of defeat Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 0
Martin Samuel at Villa Park
The sing-along for the travelling fans before the game proved eerily appropriate. Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis got the vistors going. By the end, however, speculation surrounded the likelihood of one being planted between the shoulder blades of José Mourinho, if he fails to improve on this.
Roman Abramovich does not say much. Yesterday he did not need to. His exit two minutes from time after Gabriel Agbonlahor put the match beyond Chelsea’s reach was a speech in itself. Face like thunder, Abramovich headed for the exit as his team limped towards journey’s end behind him, pausing only to give the most cursory handshake of congratulation to Doug Ellis, the former Aston Villa chairman.
The official explanation was that he had gone down to the dressing-room to see the players, but that is a strange one. Did he not think they were still going to be there five minutes after the final whistle? Why the rush? Already rumours have circulated that he is unhappy with the thrill factor of Chelsea’s play this season — hence his stalking of Ronaldinho — but until now he has at least been unable to question the return. This was quite different, though. Lousy football is one thing; lousy losing football quite another.
This is to take nothing from Aston Villa, who were worth their win, whatever the bizarre protests of Chelsea’s manager. If anything, Villa played Chelsea at their game, looking like Mourinho’s championship vintage team from two seasons ago, with pace on the flanks, energy in the heart of midfield, solid defence and a bruising battering ram of a striker.
Ashley Young marked his call-up to the England squad with an outstanding performance but it was John Carew, in the role of Didier Drogba, that left Chelsea’s defence uncommonly rattled. John Terry had terrible problems with him early on, while debutant Alex looked worryingly short of the combative qualities that are essential for Premier League success. In many ways, this is mitigation for Mourinho. It is hard to blame him for Chelsea’s failings, when so many of his judgment calls are being proven right.
He was believed to be resistant to the purchase of Alex last season, considering him short of the level required, and Juliano Belletti was not his first-choice right back, coming into the picture only when the move for Daniel Alves had collapsed. On both men, his instincts appear correct. Neither Alex nor Belletti impressed on their debuts.
Unlike Villa’s new signing Zat Knight, scorer of the first goal after 47 minutes. His header from Gareth Barry’s corner, which eluded Petr Cech and Ashley Cole on the goalline, revealed just how vulnerable Chelsea can be when challenged. They demonstrated a damning absence of invention when asked to chase the game.
Mourinho tried all his tricks, throwing on Joe Cole, Claudio Pizarro and Salomon Kalou and even ordering Terry to go up front but to no avail. By the time Joe Cole hit a post with a shot from the left it was deep in injury time and Chelsea needed two goals for a point, not one.
Chelsea’s problem was a surfeit of scufflers: John Obi Mikel, Claude Makelele and Michael Essien all deployed. Without Frank Lampard there was no goal threat from central midfield, Drogba had one of his petulant afternoons while Florent Malouda was largely anonymous and Shaun Wright-Phillips lively but overanxious in front of goal. The upshot was that Chelsea, for all their possession, did not look like scoring. Villa, by contrast, were counterattacking chaos on toast.
While Carew battered the defence black and blue, Agbonlahor and Young wreaked havoc down the flanks and Luke Moore was tireless in support. Often, Chelsea’s centre halves had no answer to the physical challenge of Carew other than crude attempts to manhandle him, much to Martin O’Neill’s frustration. It could be argued that Villa rode their luck when Martin Laursen made a similarly clumsy effort to stop Wright-Phillips in the second minute and was fortunate not to concede a penalty, but Chelsea more than got their own back as Villa pressed on.
Alex never gained composure but even Terry looked uncomfortable. His fitness is still an issue and neither centre half was anywhere near a cross by Young in the 45th minute, which Ashley Cole cleared from his goalline under pressure from Moore.
Ultimately, Young got his reward as the architect of the opening goal. It was his shot from 20 yards, tipped over by Cech, that won Villa’s corner from which Knight scored.
A late second on the counter was always likely. It was rather a splendid one, though, Young bursting down the left flank and whipping in a cross that was rewarded by a first-time finish from Agbonlahor.
The best result for Villa under O’Neill? Undoubtedly. As for Chelsea, they are two points worse off than at the same stage last season when the grapevine began humming with news of Abramovich’s dissatisfaction. Yesterday, though, the empty seat said it all.
How they rated
Aston Villa 2 Knight 47, Agbonlahor 88
4-4-2 S Carson 7 O Mellberg 7 Z Knight 7 M Laursen 6 W Bouma 7 G Agbonlahor Y 7 N Reo-Coker Y 7 G Barry Y 7 A Young 8 J Carew Y 7 L Moore 7 Substitutes S Petrov (for Moore, 79min) Not used S Taylor, M Harewood, C Gardner, S Maloney
Chelsea 0
4-4-2 P Cech 7 J Belletti 5 Alex 4 J Terry 6 A Cole 6 M Essien 6 C Makelele 6 J O Mikel 5 F Malouda 5 D Drogba Y 5 S Wright-Phillips 6 Substitutes Kalou 6 (for Makelele, 63min), Pizarro 6 (for Mikel, 52), J Cole 6 (for Wright-Phillips, 63) Not used C Cudicini, T Ben Haim
Referee: M Clattenburg
Attendance 37,714 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph;Martin O'Neill plots Chelsea's downfall By Henry Winter
Aston Villa (0) 2 Chelsea (0) 0
Martin O'Neill is a dervish of the dug-out, a manager who kicks every ball with his team, so it is little surprise to find him fashioning an Aston Villa side very much in his own playing image. Belief, hard work and plenty of width characterise O'Neill's Villa, who boast a touch more pace in their busy feet.
Such uplifting qualities, and goals from Zat Knight and Gabriel Agbonlahor, brought Villa their first success over a top-four side in three years, sending Chelsea spiralling to their first Premier League defeat since January. The Holte End shouted themselves hoarse with delight at the embarrassment befalling John Terry and Chelsea, who simply could not break down O'Neill's magnificent defence even when the visitors switched to 3-2-5 late on. As loud as they were long, the hosts' celebrations were thoroughly justified. Villa's owner, Randy Lerner, sported a smile as broad as the Mississippi as the Holte End's songs of praise rolled around this famous old ground.
Chelsea's owner, Roman Abramovich, briefly held his head in his hands. The Russian has not invested so heavily to be left so heavy-hearted, yet he still went down to the dressing-room to console Terry and his vanquished colleagues.
An unexpected loss should not dampen Chelsea's fire. Jose Mourinho's side were all at sea at times yesterday, but only a fool would scramble the life-boats simply because Terry, Didier Drogba and company showed a rare weakness at defending and attacking corners.
Clearly missing Frank Lampard's vibrant movement and shooting, and with two new defenders in Juliano Belletti and Alex needing to learn the tricks of Terry's trade, Chelsea will be stronger next time out. In a Premier League race of welcome openness, Chelsea will not be the only ones to slip up on occasion.
advertisementIf only Shaun Wright-Phillips and Michael Essien impressed for the visitors, Villa were blessed with good individual displays all over the pitch. Gareth Barry covered every yard of Villa Park, looking every inch the inspirational captain and a genuine midfield option for England.
O'Neill and his assistant, John Robertson, know all about wide men influencing games from their Nottingham Forest playing days, and their current charges, Ashley Young and Agbonlahor, almost wore grooves out wide with their relentless running.
Young, all acceleration and ambition, will not be short of confidence when reporting for England duty this evening. O'Neill has instilled real belief in Villa's players and supporters.
Such fearlessness was thrillingly evident from the start. Agbonlahor turned Terry and drew a fine save from Petr Cech. Barry was dominating central midfield, spraying passes out to Young in particular.
Nigel Reo-Coker was putting in tackle after tackle, including one thunderous dispossession of Florent Malouda.
Chelsea still had their chances, and should have been awarded a penalty when Martin Laursen wrestled Wright-Phillips over. Opportunity knocked for the visitors but was spurned. Wright-Phillips hit the side-netting. Terry headed over.
Terry's moaning to officials began to enrage Villa Park. The Holte End, at their raucous best, inquired "Have you won a European Cup?'' The fantastic atmosphere generated by the home support certainly kept the adrenalin pumping through O'Neill's men.
Villa's determined mood seemed embodied by O'Neill removing his track-suit top as the second half launched into life, as if signalling a desire to get down to work.
His team certainly did. Within two minutes, Villa's persistence paid off. Barry, a mix of tenacity in seeking the ball and composure in using it, was predictably at the heart of the move that led to Villa's opener.
Barry's pass to John Carew was perfectly judged, and the striker laid the ball off to Young. The England aspirant's shot was clawed over by Cech. From Barry's inswinging corner, Knight showed most appetite for the ball, muscling between Drogba and John Obi Mikel to head powerfully home.
Ashley Cole attempted to clear but could only divert the ball into the roof of the net. Villa fans were also raising the roof as Knight, Solihull born and bred, sprinted off around the ground, pausing to high-five with O'Neill on the way.
Mourinho rang the changes, throwing more and more people into attack, including Terry and Alex. Joe Cole worked hard to break Villa's resistance, lifting in a corner that Terry headed over. Villa refused to yield. Barry twice shrugged off Malouda. Reo-Coker put in a wonderful tackle on Belletti. The noise intensified.
So did the siege. To push Chelsea back, O'Neill introduced the delicate creative talents of Stilian Petrov, which was rather like ushering Darcey Bussell into a game of 'Rollerball'. Petrov soon lost possession but Salomon Kalou wasted the moment, shooting wide.
Villa were doing more with less. With two minutes remaining, Young eluded Belletti, sprinted upfield and shot into the area where Agbonlahor stuck out a leg to flick the ball past Cech.
Frustration ate deep into Chelsea. Joe Cole rolled a shot against a post. Then Drogba went down, holding his knee, which Chelsea say may require a scan today.
Man of the match
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Indy:
Aston Villa 2, Chelsea 0: Chelsea exposed by Villa's sense of purpose By Sam Wallace
Fourth place was not exactly what Roman Abramovich had in mind when he agreed with Jose Mourinho that Chelsea needed to reinvent themselves as the Premier League's most entertaining side. Beaten by Aston Villa yesterday, and with a team struggling to score goals, Mourinho has a lonely week ahead to contemplate just how his side are to re-launch a season that went badly awry yesterday.
Abramovich himself, walked out of the directors' box seconds after Gabriel Agbonlahor hit Villa's second goal with just two minutes remaining for Chelsea's first Premier League defeat since January.
With John Terry playing centre-forward and the Chelsea defence in tatters it was certainly entertaining – but not in the way that Abramovich had hoped. That should take nothing away from Martin O'Neill's side, who were relentless after coming under pressure in the early stages and deserved their win.
There was a goal on his Villa debut from Zat Knight and, against a Chelsea defence that never looked settled, a brilliant performance from Ashley Young, included in Steve McClaren's England squad today, on the left wing. To make it even worse for Mourinho, Didier Drogba had to be helped from the pitch with a leg injury in the closing minutes. Without Frank Lampard they never looked quite the same threat in front of goal.
It looked very different in the early stages. In this brave new world of Mourinho's, the winger is king and Shaun Wright-Phillips played in the first half like a man who believes his time has come. Twisting and skipping away from challenges and switching with Florent Malouda on the opposite wing, he looked like a player who deserved to start for England against Israel on Saturday. Bundled to the ground in the earlier stages by Martin Laursen, Wright-Phillips might have been given a penalty on another day.
It seemed a painful afternoon was in prospect for Laursen as Villa struggled to contain Wright-Phillips in the opening stages. He skipped away from the Villa defender on 13 minutes and hit a shot that Scott Carson tipped wide. Knight had an unforgiving task marking Drogba, and for the early stages of the first half, Chelsea looked like the side Mourinho had promised in the summer: pacey, aggressive and built to attack.
Villa, however, have wingers of their own and they resisted the early pressure to gain a foothold in the game. In Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ashley Young they have thrilling pace on the flanks although it was John Carew in the centre whom Terry found the hardest to deal with. The England captain is rarely outmuscled, but the Norwegian proved difficult to dislodge with the ball at his feet.
It was a mistake from Alex, making his first Premier League start at centre-back for Chelsea, that let in Villa for their second good chance on 14 minutes. With the ball not properly cleared it fell to Agbonlahor on the edge of the area who hit his shot straight at Petr Cech. The England under-21 international had earlier picked up a ball from the left from Young and, with Terry behind him, spun and hit a shot that Cech did well to save.
The first half ended with Villa in the ascendance, and Chelsea's defence increasingly uncertain. One ball into the box appeared to clip Terry's hand, and in the closing stages, Ashley Cole had to head off the line.
There is a rule set in stone at Mourinho's Chelsea that it is Drogba who comes back to defend corners – and it is a plan that has served them well over the past three seasons.
Two minutes into the new half, the Chelsea striker jogged back into his own area to undertake his defensive duties and failed completely to spot the run of Knight. The £3m signing arrived behind Drogba to head the ball down past Cech.
It has been some eight days for the man signed from Fulham who played at Villa Park the previous week for Fulham and was substituted at half-time. His return to his native Birmingham looked like the ideal way out of Fulham until his brother Carlos's house in Erdington was raided by police – he was taken in for questioning and bailed – on the morning Zat was presented as a Villa player. A goal on his debut was the conclusion to an eventful few days.
Villa were proving worthy opposition for Mourinho, a frantic, hustling gameplan that closed down Chelsea at every turn. Very soon Mourinho called for Claudio Pizarro, sending on the Peruvian striker with such urgency that John Obi Mikel was shouted at by his manager for not coming off the pitch quickly enough. Very soon Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou were also called upon, but Villa stood strong.
Young, who joins up with Steve McClaren's England squad today, looked quick and direct against Juliano Belletti, the Brazilian from Barcelona making his debut at right-back. However, it was Terry who was sent back-pedalling as Young attacked the Chelsea box on 88 minutes. His sharply hit cross was tucked past Cech by Agbonlahor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Knight slays Chelsea as Abramovich exits early
Kevin McCarra at Villa ParkMonday September 3, 2007The Guardian
It was the day when the Premier League season began to make good on its promise. The expectation that the major clubs will have to endure distress more frequently was fulfilled as a mediocre Chelsea, stifled and stopped, were left last night as sullen occupiers of fourth place in the table. All that rose steeply for the visitors was the frustration that Martin O'Neill causes in them. This was Chelsea's first defeat in the league since they were beaten 2-0 at Anfield in January.
Jose Mourinho will have counted last season's pair of draws with Villa as significant in the loss of the title and the nature of the match should concern the Stamford Bridge club. Roman Abramovich was reported at the weekend to be still dissatisfied with Mourinho's type of football. There was compelling if circumstantial evidence for that here in his sullen expression and early departure from his seat.He did go to the dressing room and shook hands with the players when Mourinho was elsewhere, conducting post-match interviews, but solidarity is not synonymous with approval. While a fan with a grievance might settle for composing poison-pen letters in his mind, more profound steps are open to an owner.
The reported efforts of Abramovich to buy Ronaldinho, who dazzled with Barcelona yesterday, were a radical reaction to the cautious mediocrity that afflicts Chelsea now and again. It is an oddity that Mourinho, in his fourth season at the club, should be treated as if he were an unknown and rather dubious quantity.
The flaws at Villa Park are of the type known to exasperate a Chelsea proprietor craving spectacle. There was scant indication of any capacity in the side to respond to the opener from the debutant Zat Knight. Perhaps Abramovich will revert to championing the return of Andriy Shevchenko, who has been fit enough to represent Ukraine.
If England were looking for omens that Scott Carson can soon be their preferred goalkeeper they were disappointed because he was not granted many opportunities to shine, although he did put a Shaun Wright-Phillips attempt round the post in the 13th minute. It reflected well on Villa that mostly Carson was a bystander.
The game, in fairness to Chelsea, could have taken a very different course. After two minutes, Martin Laursen manhandled Wright-Phillips and Mark Clattenburg's refusal to award a penalty was perplexing. Maybe referees, like some footballers, need time to warm up, but Chelsea can hardly be asked to show understanding.
Chelsea, all the same, were toothless after Knight had put them behind. The injured Frank Lampard was missed terribly and in a squad of this value others should have compensated. While Wright-Phillips did that for a while and Juliano Belletti, on his first start for Chelsea, had some good moments there was no mood of mounting inevitability.
Villa were resilient and, ultimately, deadly. O'Neill's selection was intriguing, since it had a very adventurous air yet also required those men of attacking intent to get behind the ball whenever Chelsea were in possession. John Carew alone had the luxury of staying upfield. As on too many occasions last season, the visitors' destiny lay with Didier Drogba alone.
The striker is a phenomenon, yet he was just about shackled at Villa Park. The efforts of Laursen epitomised the persistence when, in the 87th minute, he recovered to tackle Drogba after he seemed to have broken away on the right. Moments later, defeat for Chelsea was confirmed.
Ashley Young, the surprise selection in the England squad, at long last had scope to run freely on Villa's left and his driven ball across was turned into the net by Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Villa had not lacked encouragement. They found a defence, in which Alex started for the first time, that was ill at ease. After seven minutes, Agbonlahor was fed by Young and John Terry could not prevent him from spinning to hit a drive that Petr Cech parried. Later Cech would tip over an attempt by Young.
Villa's progress since the first-day defeat to Liverpool here was remarkable, but Chelsea were more malleable material with which to work. After 47 minutes, Gareth Barry's corner was headed in by Knight. Ashley Cole might have cleared but he preferred the awkwardness of kicking with his favoured left. That moment was a perfect image of Chelsea's limitations yesterday.
Man of the match Nigel Reo-Coker (Aston Villa)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mail:Zat's the way to do itAston Villa 2 Chelsea 0By MATT LAWTON
AS Zat Knight said, it has been a funny old week. A week when Chelsea could, and perhaps should, have bought Ronaldinho.
A week that started with a sense of excitement but, judging by Roman Abramovich's mood as he stormed out of the Villa Park directors' box last night, ended with a deep sense of disappointment.
If ever a game demonstrated the value of wingers who provide width and flair, this was it. If ever Abramovich has reflected on a business meeting with some regret, it would have been the one he had with Ronaldinho's brother last week.
How Chelsea could have used a player of Ronaldinho's ability against Aston Villa. How Abramovich must wish those talks had concluded with the Brazilian at Stamford Bridge.
How he would have cursed at the news of Ronaldinho's two goals for Barcelona last night.
Chelsea could also have used Frank Lampard here yesterday, his absence with injury a major reason why they failed even to threaten Villa's goal after Knight opened the scoring in the 47th minute.
They did not manage a single effort on target after that, conceding a second two minutes from the end. But Abramovich did not appear prepared to accept any excuses.
He wants entertainment but again he was treated to a fairly dire display. The same, of course, could not be said of the side Martin O'Neill guided to what amounted to the most significant victory of his Villa tenure.
They were terrific, using the pace and poise of Ashley Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor to attack on the flanks and the sheer physical presence of Knight to land the first blow.
For Knight, it has indeed been a funny old week. From the own goal he scored here as a Fulham player the previous weekend to the events that very nearly ruined his first day at his new club.
The armed police officers who carried out the drugs raid on Knight's family home early on Wednesday morning certainly have a claim to fame after this. Who did they arrest and then release on bail without charge?
The bloke who traded handcuffs for a winning header against Chelsea and did so by rising above Didier Drogba and Mikel John Obi to meet Gareth Barry's corner.
Villa's second was more impressive and the product of wide rather than remarkably tall men — Young leaving Juliano Belletti in his wake then unleashing a shot that was guided in by the outstretched leg of Agbonlahor.
It was all too much for Chelsea's Russian owner, the sight of his side conceding a second convincing him it was time to go. Well, time to nip down to the dressing room to see his beaten boys anyway.
Contrary to what Jose Mourinho dared argue afterwards, they were well beaten. They might have deserved a first-half penalty for Martin Laursen's foul on Shaun Wright-Phillips.
If Mark Clattenburg and his bosses on the Match Officials Board look at it again and conclude it was a penalty perhaps they will call him and 'offer an apology'.
But they were conquered by a team who attack the way Chelsea used to attack when they had Arjen Robben on one wing and Damien Duff on the other.
Even when Mourinho sent on his second-half substitutes they had no effect. Claudio Pizarro, Joe Cole and Saloman Kalou were all unleashed but Villa soaked up the pressure with ease.
Nigel Reo-Coker was a constant presence, providing protection to his back four with a combative performance.
Mourinho would have been disappointed with his midfield. Claude Makelele seemed to sit far too deep and Michael Essien failed to fill the void left by Lampard. Mikel was also poor.
Most impressive, however, was Young, marking his call-up to Steve McClaren's squad with a display that suggested it will not be long before he is pushing for a place on England's left.
It was his cross which Agbonlahor volleyed to test Petr Cech at the start and his shot which led to Barry's crucial corner.
Chelsea offered little in response and even less when Mourinho tried to reshuffle, which must have been worrying for McClaren given that Wright-Phillips was replaced with the equally ineffective Cole.
Painfully aware that the chance to return to the top of the Premier League was slipping from his grasp, Mourinho abandoned all caution in the end and left two at the back.
Young needed no more invitation than that, exploiting the vast space behind Belletti with one neat touch and a surging run before driving the ball across the face of the six-yard box and into the path of Agbonlahor.
For O'Neill, perhaps here was revenge for the 2003 UEFA Cup Final defeat when he was in charge at Celtic and Mourinho at Porto.
Revenge, in the Ulsterman's opinion, for the diving and dishonesty. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mirror:JOSE'S KNIGHT TO FORGET BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE ASTON VILLA 2 CHELSEA 0 DEBUT BOY HITS MOURINHO HOPES Zat's not the way you keep Roman happy as Villa batter sloppy Blues Martin Lipton Chief Football Writer Reports From Villa Park 03/09/2007
The last time Chelsea lost 2-0 in the league, Roman Abramovich was ready to get rid of Jose Mourinho.
By the look on the Russian's face as he darted from the Villa Park directors' box last night, not much has changed in the past eight months.
Abramovich is known to be demanding more imagination, creativity and excitement from Mourinho and his team this season - after all, you don't spend £500million to be bored to death every weekend.
He certainly got the unexpected in the West Midlands, but not in the manner he could ever have anticipated as Chelsea gave arguably their most abject display since they lost at Middlesbrough two years ago. While Mourinho's Chelsea are not about flair, they are usually about grit and determination and will to win that allows them to overcome.
Yet, missing the injured Frank Lampard far more than was possibly acceptable, all of those qualities were lacking. At Anfield in January, Mourinho had all the excuses he could think of - no John Terry or Ricardo Carvalho, Petr Cech returning in a helmet for the first time, disruption all round.
But last night, as Martin O'Neill saw the last 14 months finally coming together in 90 high-octane minutes, there were no excuses, no justification.
A team as physically big as Chelsea cannot concede the simple set-piece goal which allowed Zat Knight to make a dream debut back in his home city.
They cannot lose shape and conviction so badly, to end the game with desperation hoofs forward, to be so disorganised as they were when Gabriel Agbonlahor finally brought profit from one of the terrific Ashley Young's lung-bursting runs.
Mourinho's men looked disjointed, dispirited and plain wrong. Key to that was the absence of Lampard's midfield energy, compounded by Claude Makelele playing so deep he nearly required oxygen.
But then again, the Frenchman was only responding to the uncertain Alex, the Brazilian looking over-priced at the nominal 50p Chelsea paid to acquire his services from PSV Eindhoven, as Terry struggled against John Carew.
At the same time, as Nigel Reo-Coker and Gareth Barry won the midfield tussle with Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel, the zest of England new-boy Young on the left and Agbonlahor on the right caused real problems.
Agbonlahor demanded a good save from Cech, before twice embarrassing Ashley Cole at the far post, while Wright-Phillips' raking shot from 20 yards after cutting inside Olof Mellberg was the only time Scott Carson was tested.
Chelsea are a threat in the air but Terry and Alex failed to hit the target from eight yards out, failures that were made to look all the more damning when Knight did not make the same mistake at the start of the second period.
Cech palmed Young's bending shot over the top but he could do nothing as Knight out-muscled Didier Drogba to plant Barry's corner into the net. Mourinho acted, sending on Claudio Pizarro for Mikel and switching to four in the middle.
It gave Chelsea better definition, but no more conviction. Mourinho then played his final cards, adding Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou to the mix.
But Villa were resolute and two minutes from time, the young guns combined, as Young skinned Juliano Belletti to scamper into the huge hole behind the full-back, before his thrash across goal was diverted beyond Cech by Agbonlahor's outstretched leg.
Abramovich's response was instant, leaving the director's box at a rate of knots. It meant he did not see Joe Cole's shot come off the post in added time. He had seen more than enough.
Villa: Carson 6, Mellberg 6, Knight 7, Laursen 7, Bouma 6, Agbonlahor 8, Reo-Coker 7, Barry 7, Young 8, Carew 7 (Petrov, 79, 6), Moore 6
Chelsea: Cech 7; Belletti 6, Alex 4, Terry 6, A Cole 7, Makelele 6 (Kalou 63, 6), Essien 6, Mikel 6 (Pizarro, 53, 6), Wright-Phillips 6 (J Cole, 63, 6), Drogba 5, Malouda 6 Ref: Mark Clattenburg ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Didier Drogba was guilty of such histrionics here, even if it looked like a genuine knee injury that forced him to limp off at the end.
ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Carson 6; Mellberg 6, Knight 7, Laursen 8, Bouma 5; Agbonlahor 7, Reo-Coker 7, Barry 7, Young 7; Carew 6 (Petrov 79min, 5) Moore 6. Booked: Agbonlahor, Carew, Reo-Coker.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 6; Belletti 5, Alex 6, Terry 6, Cole 5; Makelele 6 (Kalou 62, 5) Mikel 5, (Pizarro 53, 5) Essien 6; Malouda 5, Drogba 7, Wright-Phillips 6. (Cole 63, 5).
Man of the match: Martin Laursen.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Birmingham Post:
Vibrant Villa rip up the script Sep 2 2007 By Lisa Smith BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
When Premier League form books were given out last month, someone obviously omitted to give Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill a copy.
Here, his vibrant side cast aside Chelsea and all their statistics with an incredibly brave display.
Prior to kick-off, fans had been told how the game was Chelsea's chance to notch up their 1,500th Premier League win.
Chelsea, we were told, would also go back to the top of the table but someone also forgot to remind the pundits that Chelsea hadn't won at Villa Park for eight years.
And in the end, it was that latter statistic which was to be upheld at the final whistle as O'Neill's young guns ruined the form guide and snatched all three points.
Villa made two major changes from the side which beat Fulham last week, debutant Zat Knight given a centre-back's role alongside Martin Laursen, with Olof Mellberg moving to right-back.
Craig Gardner was the casualty while Stiliyan Petrov was also relegated to the bench, with Luke Moore coming in alongside John Carew up front.
And from the off, it appeared this was going to be a game played at some tempo, with both goalkeepers being severely tested within minutes of referee Mark Clattenburg signalling the start of play.
Just four minutes into the game, Michael Essien came close to opening the visitors' account but his shot was deflected just past Scott Carson's post and then Mellberg twice had to spare Villa's blushes as Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda went close.
It was then Villa's turn to threaten with Wilfred Bouma — celebrating his 50th game in a Villa shirt — making great strides on the left. He threaded an inch-perfect pass through to Gabriel Agbonlahor who fired straight at the Chelsea goal, only to force a fine save from Petr Cech.
Carew then found space on the wing and fired the ball across the box, but his pass-cum-shot was easily cleared by Essien and the rebounding ball gathered safely by the keeper.
In the 12th minute, a Chelsea corner saw John Terry climbing highest in the Villa penalty area but his effort just tipped over the roof of the net and then Scott Carson had to dive at full strength to deny an effort from Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Two minutes later and some neat trickery from Ashley Young — no doubt eager to show just why England manager Steve McClaren is putting his faith in him — forced Claude Makelele to clear his lines.
Mr Clattenburg was soon on the receiving end of some jibes from the Holte End when Carew appeared to have been pulled back by John Terry as he made a run for goal.
The official misread the situation and instead rewarded the free-kick Chelsea's way, much to the derision of the Villa faithful.
In the 25th minute, great work by Young again opened up an opportunity but the £9.5 million man's shot ended up over the crossbar. Carew then forced Cech into making another save after good work from Mellberg, before Ashley Cole headed away a Young effort but only as far as the edge of the penalty area.
As the second half got under way, it was Villa who came out all guns blazing, with Young having a fine floated effort just tipped over the bar and then, as Villa won a corner, up stepped Knight to ensure his dream debut.
The £3.5 million signing rose majestically above the visiting defence to beat Cech. Ashley Cole, minding the far post, was powerless to prevent the ball entering the net.
Just seven days after his own goal had helped Villa snatch three points from his former club Fulham, so he made his giant presence felt again as his goal sent the Villa Park stands into raptures.
By now, frustration was beginnign to show amongst Jose Mourinho's men and Drogba earned little respect from the home fans when he feigned a facial injury in a tussle with Moore to earn a free-kick.
Now it was Chelsea applying the heat as, time and again, they peppered the Villa goal; time and again, though, the home defence was equal to the task.
Mourinho then resorted to a double-substitution in a bid to try to win the game, replacing Wright-Phillips with Joe Cole and Makele with Solomon Kalou.
Cole immediately added to the mix, allowing Terry through for a header which just dipped over Carson's bar and then forcing Knight to make a couple of telling challenges.
O'Neill himself decided to try to close down Chelsea in midfield, bringing on Petrov for Carew, but this was not a question of Villa shutting up shop as they continued to seek the second goal which would put the game out of Chelsea's reach.
With just three minutes left, Villa's bravery was rewarded when Ashley Young got the better of Juliano Belletti, cut into the penalty area and drove the ball across the goalmouth.
Agbonlahor's predatory connection speared the ball past Cech.
Scorers: Knight (47), Agbonlahor (87).ASTON VILLA (4-4-2): Carson; Mellberg, Knight, Laursen, Bouma; Young, Barry, Reo-Coker, Agbonlahor; Carew (Petrov, 80), Moore. Subs: Taylor, Harewood, Gardner, Maloney.Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; A Cole, Terry, Alex, Makelele (Kalou, 70); Essien, Malouda, Obi (Pizarro, 48) Belletti, Drogba, Wright-Phillips (J Cole, 70). Subs: Cudicini, Ben-Haim.Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear).Bookings: Villa — Reo-Coker (foul), Agbonlahor (dissent), Barry (foul), Carew (foul); Chelsea — Drogba.Attendance: 37,714.Villa man of the match: Martin Laursen — timely interventions as Chelsea looked for a way through.

sunday papers portsmouth home

The Sunday TimesAugust 26, 2007
Lampard on strikeChelsea 1 Portsmouth 0
Brian Glanville at Stamford Bridge Jose Mourinho, Chelsea’s manager, seemed to have been resigned in advance to what kind of a disappointing game this would turn out to be. He makes no secret of the fact that he dislikes those weeks in which a host of international matches take place, taking his players away from him in numbers.
“I don’t like to play after one of the international weeks,” he said. “Some train very hard, some don’t train at all, some come back and train yesterday. I can’t train with the team. At the same time, I think Portsmouth is a good team, with good players and they made it difficult for us. Also, the weather is very hot. Very difficult to play in the first half. I have to shake them at half time.”
Though Chelsea won by Frank Lampard’s solitary goal, and thereby extended their remarkable unbeaten home sequence to 66 games, they could so easily have been caught at the end by a Portsmouth team less dynamic and well organised, consistent, persistent, and intelligent.
It was then that Sulley Muntari Pompey’s Ghana international, eulogised by his manager Harry Redknapp, after the game, sent in a high corner from the left. Hermann Hreidarsson who had adventurously moved upfield from defence, got his head to it strongly, obviously beating Petr Cech in Chelsea’s goal but Ashley Cole resourcefully cleared off the line. It was by far Cole’s most important contribution of a hot afternoon on which we scarcely saw him overlapping as he so famously can.
Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, had praise for the only goal of the game, which was scored, characteristically, by Frank Lampard. After 31 largely soporific minutes, Cech booted the ball Route One upfield, Didier Drogba controlled it and flicked it on, and on ran Lampard to send his strong right-footed shot home, though the Pompey goalkeeper David James did get a hand to it. Lampard, said Redknapp admiringly, gambled that Drogba was going to get the ball, ran past him, and was duly rewarded.
“Frank scored at Reading and Liverpool and now it’s four consecutive matches for England and Chelsea. They were important goals for us and every goal meant something,” Mourinho added.
Unsurprisingly, Redknapp had high praise for the intricate virtuosity of the lanky Nigerian, Kanu, in attack. “Kanu,” he said, “was terrific for us, he held the ball up, got people into the game, gave John Terry a hard day, which isn’t easy. What a footballer! Can you imagine what he must have been when he was 20 years old? The man’s a top-class footballer. He’s always got a smile on his face. He isn’t going to run all over the field like a looney, he’s a footballer.”
Memory was stirred to recall a still more remarkable display by Kanu on this very field. Playing for Arsenal, getting the ball on the left-hand goal line, he picked his way like some chamois past man after man, before finding the net.
Redknapp also rejoiced in the fact that “we can give anybody a game, now. I think we’re a decent team, we don’t come here thinking, my God, we’re going to get a real caning.”
He was also predictably pleased with the resilient performance in central defence of Sol Campbell, who, he pointed out, had had only one day’s training.
For the first half hour, the game stuttered in the sunshine. Drama was at a premium, though on 12 minutes, Kanu found Matt Taylor, always eager to strike, whose shot flew over the crossbar. Stepping his way past tackles, Kanu continued to keep his team on the move and then there was Taylor once again to shoot only narrowly wide from Kanu’s left-wing cross.
Lampard’s goal, however, brought Chelsea finally and belatedly to life.
On 44 minutes the same player had a powerful right-footed drive from outside the box that James threw himself full length to block. And now, Shaun Wright-Phillips, who had done so well for England last Wednesday at Wembley despite being brought on only in the second half and stuck on the left wing on his wrong foot, began to show his speed. Less than a minute of the second half had gone when he sidestepped his marker and shot just wide of the target.
But you never knew when Portsmouth were going to hit back and this they did when Kanu capped a perfect invitation to Sean Davis, only for Davis close in to shoot high over the bar and pantomime his dismay.
In due course, Chelsea sent on their newly acquired Brazilian right-back from Barcelona, Juliano Belletti, which enabled Michael Essien, another Ghanaian who is appreciated by Redknapp, to move into his preferred position in central midfield where we soon saw him bring James to full length with a fierce drive. On 84 minutes, there was James again to frustrate Drogba, who has been served by Florent Malouda.
There was still time for Chelsea’s narrow escape when Ashley Cole frustrated Hreidarsson. On the balance of play, and opportunities you might say that Chelsea just about deserved their exiguous victory. But who, even with enough Portsmouth supporters, could have begrudge the away team the draw they so nearly achieved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telegraph:
David James blunder hands Chelsea top spotBy Roy Collins at Stamford BridgeChelsea (1) 1 Portsmouth (0) 0
If ever there was an accident waiting to happen it was David 'Calamity' James appearing in the dress rehearsal before his official unveiling as the new/old England goalkeeper, with the emphasis very much on the old.
Both England manager Steve McClaren and his assistant, Terry Venables, thought it necessary to monitor the form of James, 37, who appeared to have reclaimed his old international job when he replaced the hapless Paul Robinson against Germany in midweek. But James never lets the headline writers down, allowing a half-hit shot by Frank Lampard to bounce under his left hand and into the net as the England management team threw their heads into their hands.
What does McClaren do now? Having attempted to make himself look like a fearless manager by briefing against Robinson 24 hours after the Germany game, he now faces going back cap in hand, which is the only thing his goalkeepers seem capable of holding on to, to tell Robbo that he is still the man.
Another fine mess McClaren has got himself into, although Pompey could not have expected anything else but embarrassment on a ground on which they have not won for 52 years and which has seen every Premier League game end in defeat.
As it turned out, they were unlucky to lose, especially to such a soft goal, manager Harry Redknapp diplomatically claiming not to have seen it clearly.
For all Jose Mourinho's promise of a new, attacking and exciting Chelsea, this was the same old boring stuff, the Lampard goal coming from a 70- yard clearance by goalkeeper Petr Cech, albeit embellished by a nice back-heel from Didier Drogba, who then immediately fell over and rolled around for a bit, as is his wont.
Pompey fans serenaded James beforehand as "England, England's number one" but we did not hear a peep out of them after his error, nor after he then proceeded to fumble a weak effort from Shaun Wright- Phillips, who continues to keep Joe Cole out of the side.
Mourinho left his new £3.5 million right-back Juliano Belletti on the bench, which meant Michael Essien once again filling an unfamiliar role, which he should perhaps take as a compliment, even if he covets the marauding midfield role of John Obi Mikel. He got that wish in the 64th minute when Mikel was replaced by Belletti.
The pick of the Chelsea new boys was Claudio Pizarro, who almost scored in the opening minutes and then showed great awareness to volley a free-kick from Florent Malouda over the bar. His sharpness and eye for a chance suggest it will be a long time before Andrei Shevchenko forces his way back in. The latter's whereabouts are a mystery, in any case - injured according to the club but as fit as a flea according to his website, though presumably a flea with a limp, given his performances last season.
For Chelsea, as always, gathering points is the only sort of entertainment they believe in, happy to hold on to their lead for a victory that puts them top of the league, just ahead of Manchester City - yes City, not United - with the slackers from Old Trafford already eight points behind.
Pompey took the Henry Ford view that all history is bunk, almost scoring when Matt Taylor's angled shot was diverted to safety by Ben Haim. Sean Davis also squandered a glorious second-half chance before Gary O'Neill lashed one into the side-netting. In between times Kanu pulled the attacking strings with that extraordinary ball control that only a man of his elastic limbs could manage.
McClaren and Venables looked so concerned in the stands that they might have been watching England. And they hardly needed to come here to check the fitness of Lampard, Terry or even Sol Campbell, though they did get the chance to watch a cameo by Joe Cole in the final 15 minutes. He came closest to making the game safe with a rasping shot past a post which James had covered. At least, he appeared to. And Campbell, who pulled out of the England squad with injury, produced a great recovery tackle to dispossess Drogba.
It was a curiously unconvincing performance by Chelsea, for whom Terry looked like a man still recovering full fitness, almost as lackadaisical as he was for England in midweek. Mourinho blamed it on international week and the weather, though his side were lucky not to pay for it in the dying minutes when only an acrobatic header off the line stopped Herman Hreidarsson scoring what only Mourinho would have denied to be a deserved equaliser. Why should he care after his 98th unbeaten home game here and in Portugal?
Chelsea are once again out in front in the title race, where they prefer to be, with the season just settling down. On Friday the draw for the group stages of the Champions League will put a spring in their step as they anticipate the big nights yet to come.
If Pompey continue to play with such spirit and flair, they might even be entertaining European ambitions of their own for next season. But one could not help feel sympathy for James, a consummate professional who performs brilliantly for over 90 per cent of the time, except on the occasions when it really matters.
Match summary Moment of the match: Ashley Cole's fantastic goal-line clearance with an acrobatic header which denied Hermann Hreidarsson a deserved equaliser, not that you would have got Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho to agree with that statement. Match rating: 5/10 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Indy:
Chelsea 1 Portsmouth 0: James fails to convince as Chelsea take pole position McClaren's dilemma goes on after hesitant display from England's No 2 By Nick Townsend at Stamford Bridge
Whether in artistic or goalkeeping guise, David James enjoys giving an exhibition. Yesterday, even he would probably admit, it was not his finest piece of work that he placed in front of his most demanding judges, the England coach Steve McClaren and his assistant Terry Venables, who, if they were looking to solve their goalkeeping dilemma after England's defeat by Germany, were no more the wiser after this. For that duo, it is back to the drawing board.
The curious aspect was, given that James was facing the club who already consider themselves champions-elect, the 37-year-old was not exactly overworked. However, he will not reflect well on the manner in which Frank Lampard's venomous drive from outside the area eluded him for what transpired to be the winner during an unconvincing first half for the former Aston Villa and Liverpool man.
It did not exactly rate full-on "Calamity" status, but nor will it have instilled karma in the watching England hierarchy. "I don't know if it took a deflection; I'll have to have a look later," was about the extent of his manager Harry Redknapp's non-committal reply, preferring to stress his admiration for James's quality as a "fantastic professional".
Unconvincing was also an adjective which could also apply to Jose Mourinho's men after a victory that left Chelsea top of the table, and more crucially eight points in front of Manchester United. The Chelsea manager attributed a generally turgid performance to post-international-week-itis and the heat. Certainly, for half an hour his players had the look of men who had forgotten each other over the preceding few days.
James, who could be restored as England's No1 against Israel in 13 days' time after Paul Robinson's indifferent display on Wednesday night, was virtually redundant as Portsmouth largely negated the threat of the Londoners. Claudio Pizarro headed over Florent Malouda's inswinging free-kick, but otherwise the visitors, with Sol Campbell restored to the side, defended stoutly. Indeed, Pompey had the best opportunity of the opening exchanges. Kanu's low right-wing cross was well-struck by Matt Taylor, but a challenge from Tal Ben Haim deflected the ball wide.
Mourinho's irritation with his side was evident from his histrionics on the touchline, but his men duly responded on the half hour. Didier Drogba collected Petr Cech's long clearance, and cleverly back-heeled the ball to Lampard who thumped the ball low and firmly past James. It seemed to affect the keeper, too. Before half-time, James spilled Wright-Phillips's effort, and then had his hands burnt by another attempt from Lampard.
The England coaches were also scrutinising Campbell and the Chelsea quintet, Terry, Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Ashley and Joe Cole, although the last-named started on the bench again. All impressed, although Terry, as Redknapp opined, was given a severe examination by the remarkable Kanu who appears to improve with the years.
The Brazilian attacking right-back, Juliano Belletti, Chelsea's £3.75 million acquisition from Barcelona, began his new career on the bench, but appeared late in the game, as did Pompey's David Nugent, who has been linked with a swift move on to Derby. Redknapp did not dismiss that possibility, but added: "we're happy to keep him".
If Chelsea believed they could stroll to victory, having forged into a lead, they were sorely mistaken. Pompey have a touch of class about them which extended their hosts to the limit, with Sulley Muntari prominent.
Just after the break, Kanu, under pressure in the area, set up Sean Davis, but the midfielder turned the ball over Cech's bar. Then O'Neill fired just wide. He was immediately replaced by Benjani Mwaruwari, who went close as Pompey strove for an equaliser they fully merited.
Though James, with an improved second-half performance got down well to save a deflected attempt from Michael Essien and later also thwarted Drogba, there was too much activity at the opposite end for Chelsea fans liking. The Portsmouth bench were all ready to celebrate the equaliser when Nugent contrived to strike the back of Kanu with a goal-bound effort. Then, as the ball bounced up off the striker, Hermann Hreidarsson's header had to be cleared off the line by Ashley Cole.
Essien, who made a fine contribution, apparently does appreciate the perils of hubris, claiming before yesterday that Manchester United are already too far behind Chelsea to catch up. Now that advantage has been extended further. But after four games? Sir Alex may have something to say about such audacity today.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------James error hands win to lacklustre Chelsea
Will Buckley at Stamford BridgeSunday August 26, 2007The Observer
It is now over a year since Chelsea produced a performance that showcased all their talents, their championship-clinching 3-0 victory against Manchester United in April 2006, which culminated with Ricardo Carvalho's length-of-the-pitch team goal.The oddity of last season was not that Chelsea should finish second but that they should do so having played so moderately. It is meant to be a sign of a good team that they win when playing badly but Chelsea took it to ridiculous lengths. It is also surely the sign of a good team that they occasionally play to their full potential.
Yesterday, they were at it again. Chelsea managed to go top of the table and they achieved their first clean sheet of the season but that was the limit of the positives. They played dismally and if the goalkeepers had been exchanged the result would have been reversed. Even with David James at his most jittery, Portsmouth can consider themselves unlucky not to have emerged with at least a point.'I felt we was always in the game,' said Harry Redknapp, the Pompey manager. 'There were some terrific performances.
'I thought [Sulley] Muntari was outstanding, you can see why he and [Michael] Essien are so good in the middle for Ghana,' he added, having watched the Black Stars draw 1-1 with Senegal at Millwall's New Den last Tuesday.
Jose Mourinho did not pretend that Chelsea had been anything other than average. 'I don't like to play the week after national games,' he said. 'I cannot train with the team, I cannot prepare the team. Some arrive on Thursday, some yesterday, some happy, some tired, some frustrated. If we play a bad game next Saturday I will be very frustrated. We are top of the league but we can play better.'
The game started slowly and it was not until the quarter-hour that a Florent Malouda free-kick presented Claudio Pizarro with a header, which he negligently put over. Essien was prominent at both ends, marauding down the right and producing a sharp tackle on the six-yard line to prevent John Utaka reaching a dangerous cross.
Pompey threatened again when Nwankwo Kanu smartly dragged the ball back for Matt Taylor whose shot curled just wide. On chances, if not possession, Portsmouth were shading it. 'We had no real problems in the first half-hour,' said Redknapp.
They were unfortunate therefore to fall behind thanks to - and how often have you heard this phrase? - a howler from an Observer columnist. There appeared little danger when Frank Lampard collected a knock-down from Didier Drogba, passed the ball to himself on the edge of the area and shot towards James, standing in the middle of the goal.
However, the England goalkeeper saw things rather differently and somehow contrived to dive over the ball. He got things half-right in that he went the right way, but his timing was awry.
Soon afterwards Shaun Wright- Phillips tested him again with a shot and he went all shaky before finally hanging on. It was enough to have the watching Steve McClaren checking his contact books for Joe Corrigan's number.
A minute before the interval there was another juggle when he was confronted by another unthreatening effort from Lampard. And at the other end another fine effort from Taylor, his crafty lob drifting just over. If James had been less calamitous, Portsmouth might have gone in at the break ahead rather than behind.
Chelsea should have increased their lead in the opening minute of the second half. Drogba stepped over and shielded the ball, shrugging off a defender in the process, and produced a perfect pass to Wright-Phillips but the winger over-elaborated.
Sean Davis fluffed a decent chance after wonderful work by Kanu. Minutes later the visitors broke swiftly from a Chelsea corner after Muntari had pulled off one of the braver challenges of the season, stopping Essien at full pelt, but Gary O'Neil shot wide.
Mourinho rejigged his line-up bringing on Salomon Kalou for the ineffectual Pizarro, the Peruvian having made a lesser attacking contribution than Essien at right back. Next, the Chelsea manager brought on new signing Juliano Belletti for the impressive John Obi Mikel, thereby releasing Essien to play in the middle of midfield. His best player, at last, in his most effective position.
It was not until the 75th minute that Joe Cole was finally introduced. One of the reasons given for the dour nature of many of Chelsea's performances last season was Cole's absence. Now he is fit but rarely used. In the short period available he did enough to suggest he deserves more time.
Five minutes from time, Portsmouth should have levelled when a goalmouth melee ended with Ashley Cole clearing Hermann Hreidarsson's header off the line. 'I was waiting for the ball to hit the back of the net. But never mind,' said Redknapp.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Mail:
James fumbles main chanceChelsea 1 Portsmouth 0
By DANIEL KING
Frank Lampard stuck another one in the eye of his critics and David James gave his detractors some more ammunition as under-par Chelsea ground out a trademark victory to go top of the table.
Lampard's goal a little after the half-hour mark, his third in a week after last weekend's controversial penalty at Liverpool and the opener against Germany, was enough to decide a game which never did justice to the long-awaited sunshine.
The strike may also be sufficient to put a few clouds of doubt in the mind of England manager Steve McClaren. Both he and assistant Terry Venables were in the stands to cast an eye over the man they apparently intend to restore to the national starting XI, but they may well be less secure in that conviction now.
Not that James's error, if it can be called such, was of the magnitude of the Paul Robinson blooper which had allowed Kevin Kuranyi to equalise and turn what had begun as a promising evening at Wembley into another long dark night of the soul. But most felt the Portsmouth keeper could have kept Lampard's low, 20-yard drive out of the net if his left hand had been stronger. A couple of nervous moments soon afterwards served only to cement that impression.
Ashley Cole had to nod Hermann Hreidarsson's header off the line with three minutes remaining, but apart from that late scare Portsmouth rarely threatened to take anything from a game which they had begun quite impressively. Chelsea, despite looking far from fluent, did just enough to win, and manager Jose Mourinho said he had expected nothing more.
"It is always like this after an international week," he said. "I knew it would happen. I had some players back on Thursday, some on Friday,some happy, some unhappy, some frustrated.
"I had to shake them at half-time to improve in the second half."
Since returning to the top flight, Portsmouth have taken not so much as a point off Chelsea and must still look back to 1955 for their last win at Stamford Bridge, but for half-an-hour, Harry Redknapp's game-plan had worked perfectly.
Pressing high up the pitch, his team were happy to let Chelsea play keep-ball across their back four, but stifled any sign of loftier ambitions so that the best chance for the home side was Claudio Pizarro's free header over the bar from a Florent Malouda free-kick.
Signs of frustration soon emerged from the Chelsea bench and crowd, and Portsmouth, as if sensing Chelsea had already run out of ideas, created two decent opportunities of their own, for John Utaka and Matt Taylor, before Lampard's goal arrived straight from the route one textbook.
Petr Cech launched a huge free-kick down the field which Didier Drogba won in a challenge with Sylvain Distin. The Frenchman and his team-mate Sean Davis then impeded each other,the ball broke to Lampard and although he struck the ball firmly, the feeling was that James should have done better than merely to delay the billowing of the net.
Redknapp preferred to praise the goalscorer, his nephew — "Frank does that better than anyone else" — but the impression James was partially at fault gained strength after the incident when the would-be England No 1 fumbled a cross-shot by Wright-Phillips and a save at the end of the half from Lampard was not much more convincing.
"Who else is there, again?" McClaren and Venables might have been forgiven for asking each other at the break. There was some encouragement for the away team in a scoop over the bar by Davis and a shot just wide by Gary O'Neil early in the second half, but little to suggest the game would end in anything but a home win.
So Redknapp threw on Benjani for O'Neil and moved Utaka to the wide position where he had enjoyed success in the previous three games.
But not this time. Mourinho brought on his latest make-do-and-mend signing, Juliano Belletti, allowing Michael Essien to take up his preferred midfield role, from which he tested James with a deflected shot after Malouda had sent a left-foot drive fizzing past the goalkeeper's right-hand post.
In between, Benjani had wasted Portsmouth's best chance yet to force Chelsea to find a higher gear by failing to control a crossfield ball well enough on his chest to allow himself a decent shot on goal.
"I thought we were always in the game," said Redknapp, but that was as much a product of Chelsea's failure to find a second goal as his team's opportunities to equalise.
Ashley Cole's clearance from Hreidarsson after the late goalmouth scramble ensured that Lampard's goal was decisive.
But James's performance,even allowing for a smart stop from Drogba, offered more questions than answers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

morning papers liverpool away

The Times August 20, 2007 Chelsea wolf bites Red Riding Hood Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1 Oliver Kay at Anfield It started as a fairytale afternoon for Liverpools new darling, slowly turned into a nightmare for the referee as Chelsea fought back and ended, amid plenty of mud-slinging afterwards, with Rafael Bentez talking about Little Red Riding Hood. If this is a sign of things to come in the Barclays Premier League title race, it promises to be a season full of twists, turns and a taste of the bizarre. Frank Lampards second-half penalty earned Chelsea a draw that they will treasure after falling behind to an early goal from Fernando Torres, on his Anfield debut, but that does not begin to describe the events of a quite breathless afternoon. Throw in the hugely controversial nature of that penalty, nine bookings or ten if you include the rogue second yellow card that Rob Styles, the referee, brandished to Michael Essien during a tense second period some spiky postmatch comments and, lest it gets overlooked, some good football from both teams, and you start to get the picture. Little Red Riding Hood? That cropped up in the postmatch press conference when Bentez, the Liverpool manager, was informed that Jos Mourinho had responded to Steven Gerrards criticism of Chelsea by painting a picture of an angelic, or at least naive, team. Bentez smirked. Then I am Little Red Riding Hood, he said. Look at their team and ask yourself how many times their players do the things they say they dont do. Their players talk to the referee all the time. And they do, as Sir Alex Ferguson, among others, has observed in the past. Mourinho expressed outrage at such accusations in the postmatch press conference, but, if ever perish the thought a team was to harangue a referee in the hope of planting a seed that might later come to fruition, it was here. Only Styles knows why he awarded Chelsea a penalty in the 62nd minute, when Steve Finnan and Florent Malouda were involved in an entirely inoccuous collision, and only he knows why he opted to wave a second yellow card at Essien soon afterwards if, as he claims, he was not booking the player. Both Bentez and Gerrard, his captain, sounded sick at the award of the penalty and it was hard not to sympathise. Liverpool, to borrow Bentezs favourite phrase, had been in control of the game for the first 45 minutes and had taken a deserved lead through Torres, their club record signing from Atltico Madrid. Chelsea got a foothold earlier in the second half, after replacing Salomon Kalou with Claudio Pizarro, but it still took a remarkable intervention from Styles to change the complexion of the game or at least to give Lampard the opportunity to do so, which he duly took. Mourinho said that he felt it was a fair result. Perhaps in one sense, if one looks beyond the injustice of the penalty, it was. Even Chelseas most unedifying quality, the one that sees John Terry and Co swarming around the referee any time a decision goes against them, is a manifestation of the mentality that Mourinho has instilled in his team. Three times in as many matches this season they have conceded the first goal and doubtless this will be a source of concern to the Portuguese perfectionist after an otherwise productive first week of the campaign but on each occasion they have fought back strongly. And yesterdays point, gained at the expense of Liverpool, could in some way prove as precious as the three they won against Birmingham City and Reading. But, no matter what other conclusions Mourinho might draw from this game, he is likely to have departed Merseyside in the knowledge that Liverpool are capable of posing a serious threat in the title race this season. Their first-half performance was highly impressive, with Gerrard and Xabi Alonso pulling the strings the former with the benefit of a painkilling injection after sustaining a broken toe that is likely to keep him out of Englands match against Germany on Wednesday Jermaine Pennant a menace on the right wing and, significantly, Torres showing signs of quality in attack. Recent history carries a few cautionary tales for Liverpools supporters Nigel Clough, Stan Collymore and even El-Hadji Diouf scored on their Anfield debuts but Torres appears to have something about him. He is no great physical specimen witness the number of times he hit the deck in the first half, with Terry imploring the referee to book the forward for diving but his goal in the sixteenth minute as, having been sent clear by Gerrard, he bamboozled Tal Ben Haim before stroking the ball past Petr Cech, was a moment of genuine class. Anfield has a new hero. Torres also appears to have brought a slickness to Liverpools play, one that could have reaped dividends in the second half, as some impressive moves resulted in chances for John Arne Riise and Dirk Kuyt, but Chelsea remain a fearsome proposition. Their second-half fightback was strong, with Pizarro narrowly missing with a far-post ahead two minutes after his introduction, and it was the Peru forward who set up the move that culminated the equaliser, releasing Shaun Wright-Phillips, whose cross resulted in that infamous collision between Finnan and Malouda. A phantom penalty to go alongside Luis Garcas phantom goal for Liverpool in the 2005 European Cup semi-final second leg at Anfield. Inevitably, Mourinho mentioned that goal last night. And if he cannot give it up after yesterday, he never will. Liverpool 1 Torres 16 Chelsea 1 Lampard 62 (pen) How they rated Liverpool 4-4-2 J M Reina Y 6 S Finnan 7 J Carragher 7 D Agger 8 Arbeloa 7 J Pennant Y 7 X Alonso 7 S Gerrard Y 8 J A Riise 6 F Torres 7 D Kuyt Y 7 Substitutes R Babel (for Pennant, 76min), P Crouch (for Riise, 83) Not used C Itandje, S Hyypia, J Mascherano Chelsea 4-4-2 P Cech 7 M Essien Y 5 T Ben Haim Y 5 J Terry Y 7 A Cole Y 6 S Wright-Phillips 6 J O Mikel 6 F Lampard Y 6 F Malouda 6 S Kalou 5 D Drogba 6 Substitutes C Pizarro 6 (for Kalou, 46min), J Cole (for Wright-Phillips, 77), Alex (for Malouda, 85) Not used C Cudicini, C Makelele Referee R Styles Attendance 43,924 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Telegraph: Penalty ignites Benitez feud with Mourinho By Tim Rich Liverpool (1) 1 Chelsea (0) 1 The voice of Anfield's Tannoy announcer was almost choked with glee. "I just want to point out that this is Manchester United's worst start to the season in 15 years," he shouted. They talk a lot about history at Liverpool but, had they checked, they would have discovered that the 1992-93 season finished with Sir Alex Ferguson winning his first Premier League title. You can tell little by beginnings, but this was a match that showed the balance of power in the Premier League is very slowly shifting under the patent leather shoes of the big clubs. On Chelsea's last two visits to Anfield, they had seen their hopes of a third Premier League and a first European Cup final drain away, and now they limped home to London grateful for a point. Having turned down a firm commitment to come to Merseyside, citing the Ashley Cole argument that a few thousand extra a week would make a significant difference to a millionaire lifestyle, Rafael Benitez had little love for Florent Malouda. The Liverpool manager would have even less desire to resume his summer conversations with the French winger as he attempted to dummy Shaun Wright-Phillips' cross and collided with Steve Finnan. The ball rolled out to an unmarked Didier Drogba, no Chelsea player appealed, Rob Styles, standing a few yards away, indicated a penalty. It was a dreadful decision, although not quite as ridiculous as one the referee was to make later in the game when he did not send off Michael Essien despite showing him a second yellow card. Significantly, Mourinho did not attempt to defend the penalty, except to argue that Chelsea had suffered so many setbacks at Anfield, including Luis Garcia's "ghost goal" in the 2005 European Cup semi-final, that they deserved some fortune. It was a curiously similar penalty to the one Malouda had won in the World Cup final, the one Zinedine Zidane had clipped home via an Italian crossbar. Frank Lampard converted, but, thereafter, a point appeared to be the limit of Chelsea's ambitions on a ground where they had won 4-1 in October 2005. When Benitez threw on Peter Crouch, Mourinho responded with a defender, Alex. "When I saw their giant come off the bench I thought it was time to bring my giant on," he said. "But we tried to win for 85 minutes. We never play here with our ideal team; last year I had to use Michael Essien as a centre half." Then, Essien had been all but humiliated. This time by pressing him into service as a right back Mourinho deprived himself of his likeliest candidate to win him the midfield. He was also extremely fortunate to finish the game. Essien had already been booked when, not for the first time, Tal Ben-Haim proved unable to cope with the pace of Fernando Torres. John Terry was booked for protesting and so, too, was Essien for a second time. Significantly, Chelsea were stretched almost to breaking point by two men who had rejected their money, Torres and Steven Gerrard. Benitez's policy of risking the broken toe his captain sustained in Toulouse and pulling him out of England's friendly with Germany was absolutely vindicated in one sumptuous pass that released all of Torres' pace and skill. It may be time to end the speculation that had Mourinho signed Ben Haim from Bolton in January he might have salvaged Chelsea's title. The Israeli blundered in, was wrong-footed and looked up to see Torres slide his shot past Petr Cech. The equaliser, however, would have done nothing to ease the dislike Benitez feels for Mourinho. When reminded of the Chelsea manager's observation that his were a "pure, naive team", Benitez quipped that if that were true, he was Little Red Riding Hood. There is no doubt whom he sees as the Big Bad Wolf. When congratulating Chelsea for breaking Liverpool's record of 63 unbeaten home matches set in the days of Bob Paisley, he talked of Claudio Ranieri, under whom the run began, and Roman Abramovitch, who had paid for it. Mourinho, who had supervised most of Stamford Bridge's triumphs, was mentioned not at all. Man of the match: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) 9 Assist for Torres' goal 82% accurate passes Completed 80% successful passes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indy: Liverpool 1, Chelsea 1: Malouda leap leaves Benitez feeling bitter By Andy Hunter There was no mention of Jose Mourinho as Rafael Benitez paid a pointed tribute to Chelsea's 64-game unbeaten home record in his programme notes yesterday but, however much he may wish otherwise, the Liverpool manager will not find it so easy to write his rival out of his pursuit of the Premiership title this season. Only a highly-contentious penalty award prevented Liverpool maintaining their 100 per cent start to the campaign at a soaked Anfield yesterday, the Kop's chorus of condemnation for the referee Rob Styles on the final whistle deafening following his dampening of what had promised to be an impressive announcement of intent from Fernando Torres. The afternoon had promised much for Liverpool as they attempt to develop into genuine championship contenders this term, the performance bright and belligerent and even the PA announcer struggling to contain his elation at events in Manchester as he revelled in United's worst start to a Premiership season for 15 years before kick-off. But this was an opportunity lost. There was a shrug from Roman Abramovich in the directors' box at full-time, yet it should have been relief that shaped Chelsea's reaction to a game in which they struggled to assert authority. Last week they had passed Liverpool's record of 63 home games unbeaten with victory over Birmingham, an achievement that prompted Benitez to write, "It is a record that was started by Claudio Ranieri when Roman Abramovich arrived at the club and we must congratulate them," and his spitefulness would not have eased after these events. "It was a very, very unfair decision," insisted Steven Gerrard. "Unbelievable," stated his manager. "Unbelievable." These sides have made a habit of nullifying their opponents' attacking edge beyond the boredom threshold in recent years and it was therefore an enthralled Anfield, and disgusted Chelsea bench, that saw the visitors prised apart and punished with beautiful simplicity by Gerrard and Torres in the 16th minute. The Liverpool captain, toe fractured yet instrumental in a strong opening from the home side that should have yielded a breakthrough from John Arne Riise after only 110 seconds, put the Spaniard clear with a weighted diagonal ball down the left, and the striker then showed the skill, acceleration and finishing worthy of a £26.5m club record signing. Tal Ben-Haim came across to cover but Torres glided away from the Israeli defender with ease before steering his shot into the far corner of Petr Cech's goal, a fine way to open his Liverpool account and to suggest he could have a major influence on the club's title aspirations this season. Benitez has long stressed the value of taking the lead in fixtures against the big four, usually after Liverpool had again failed to do so during their meagre return of four points from a possible 36 under his stewardship prior to yesterday, and the impact of the striker in whom he has invested so much money and reputation threatened widespread significance until his second major transfer target of the summer, Florent Malouda, left his own indelible mark on the contest wearing the blue of Chelsea. The French international, who Benitez has indicated rejected a move to Anfield only because of the better personal terms on offer at Stamford Bridge, had embodied the frustrations Chelsea encountered in attempting to escape the limpet-like attentions of a Liverpool team inspired by Gerrard in all areas of the pitch. Though Salomon Kalou and John Terry both failed to capitalise on half chances before half-time and the substitute Claudio Pizarro squandered an inviting header at the back post moments after the restart, Mourinho's side had failed to exert any meaningful pressure on Jose Reina in the Liverpool goal until gifted a penalty by Styles in the 62nd minute. Contact was clearly made by Steve Finnan in the back of Malouda as they converged on a Shaun Wright-Phillips pass but only as a consequence of the left-winger leaping into the Liverpool full-back as he attempted to dummy the ball for the waiting Didier Drogba. Styles, however, saw differently, awarding the spot-kick that allowed Frank Lampard to send Reina the wrong way in the goal where he registered Chelsea's only success in the Champions League semi-final shoot-out. The Chelsea equaliser was merely the start of a contentious period for the Hampshire official whose generosity with the yellow card appeared to create his own Graham Poll-moment in the 73rd minute. Booking Terry, on his return from a medial knee ligament injury, for remonstrating with the theatrical Torres, Styles also waved a card in the direction of the dissenting Michael Essien for what would have been his second yellow yet failed to produce a red card. It took clarification from the fourth official to explain that the card was meant for the Chelsea captain only, but Liverpool's annoyance would not be satisfied. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Styles pulls Poll's card trick and Chelsea escape Kevin McCarra at Anfield Monday August 20, 2007 The Guardian The teams could not be prised apart but this was an afternoon when Liverpool's spirits soared and plummeted. A likely victory was taken from them with the dubious award of a penalty by the referee, Rob Styles, whose form was so poor that he would have been substituted well before the interval had he been a player. Despite denials the footage suggests that, like Graham Poll at last year's World Cup, he showed a second yellow card to a miscreant without dismissing him. Michael Essien was the player in question and the incident involved prolonged wrangling over a decision in the 73rd minute. Styles attracts sympathy purely because the badgering of him by John Terry and others had, as is so often the case when Chelsea are at work, been frequent. There will be complaints about that, yet the proud obstinacy of these visitors has to be recognised as well. There never was a sense, following the interval, that they would necessarily be downed by Liverpool. The 62nd-minute penalty came when the substitute Claudio Pizarro sent an incisive pass down the right to Shaun Wright-Phillips. As the winger's low cross ran along the face of the area, Florent Malouda, attempting a dummy to the benefit of Didier Drogba, jumped and turned, making himself as responsible as Steve Finnan for the contact. Frank Lampard, undistracted by shame, slotted the penalty smoothly. When Jose Mourinho emerged later, he raised again the extremely questionable goal from Luis Garcia that eliminated Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final of 2005. Any sweep would have been won by the person guessing that the Portuguese would launch into the topic within moments of yesterday's penalty being raised. Nevertheless, when the bickering is over, few will claim that the result itself was a travesty. John Arne Riise might have scored for Liverpool and John Terry, returning from injury, could have forced a Lampard free-kick over the line. If Didier Drogba had enjoyed one of his superhuman moments, he could have claimed an earlier equaliser instead of heading Wright-Phillips's cross wide from beyond the far post. If Liverpool can stop themselves from recycling this fixture endlessly in their minds, they will reach some sort of serenity by dwelling on Fernando Torres's first competitive goal for the club on his Anfield debut. There was an immediate satisfaction for Rafael Bentez in the banishment of any fear that the £26.5m striker would begin his Premier League career with a long and much publicised wait to get off the mark. Better still, it was a goal that would most likely have been beyond Liverpool's scope had they not bought the Atltico Madrid attacker. Steven Gerrard, particularly impressive considering his fractured toe, hit a good pass down the left towards Torres in the 16th minute. If Tal Ben Haim imagined he was in command of the situation, he was disabused of the idea in explosive fashion. There was speed as Torres went outside the Israeli, then conviction and delicacy as he opened up his body to roll a right-footed shot across Petr Cech and into the net at the far post. It turns out that there can still be Thierry Henry goals in England even if the Frenchman has decamped to Camp Nou. While Chelsea had no such star quality, they are in an engrossing phase. Mourinho's concept of innovation would not previously have embraced a trend that entailed his men conceding the first goal in the three Premier League fixtures with which their season has begun. The manager will tolerate that, or pretend to do so, because there is a suppleness to the side he is developing. The system was fluid and, while there were periods when it resembled the old 4-1-3-2 formation, there is a key difference in having the versatile Mikel John Obi rather than the magnificent specialist Claude Makelele in the holding role. If the younger man cannot be the guardian of the back four to the same extent, he should make a more varied contribution to the team. Liverpool and Chelsea cannot be sure what they will become but there is no doubt that an abrasive rivalry will continue. Man of the match Fernando Torres No one could dominate a fixture as hard-bitten as this but the debutant came up with the most memorable contribution. Best moment The pace, confidence and refinement of the goal that put Liverpool ahead. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mail: You've blown it Styles - own up to blunders, says Gerrard Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1 By NEIL ASHTON After doing his talking on the pitch, Steven Gerrard could not be faulted for having his say after the final whistle. For 62 minutes at Anfield yesterday, the Liverpool captain had driven Chelsea to distraction with a performance that slipped effortlessly between the sublime and supreme. He ignored the pain of a fractured toe to set up Liverpool's opening goal with a superb pass but then came the moment that will rankle for the rest of the season. It has taken Jose Mourinho over three years to exact revenge for Luis Garcia's 'ghost goal' in the Champions League semi-final but he was repaid with interest when referee Rob Styles awarded a highly-controversial penalty in the second half. "Which penalty?" demanded a flustered Benitez as he began the inquest and the Liverpool manager was certainly not short of sympathy. The Premier League title will not be won or lost on the moment Florent Malouda collapsed inside the penalty area under pressure from Steven Finnan but it will certainly not be forgotten. "We felt that the referee did not play well," said Gerrard. "If players have to hold their hands up when they play badly so should referees." On that basis, Styles should walk the streets for the next week with his right arm reaching for the sky. Big games are for big names but Styles refused to explain his decision to award Chelsea's controversial penalty and he also sidestepped the issue of Michael Essien. The Chelsea right back was booked in the first half and television replays clearly showed him being cautioned for dissent when Tal Ben Haim tripped Fernando Torres on the edge of the area in the 72nd minute. It was another remarkable moment of good fortune for Chelsea but it was the decision to award the penalty that had brought them back on level terms. Until then, Liverpool had been in complete control. Gerrard, who will tell England coach Steve McClaren this morning that he will not be joining up with the national squad, weighed in with another towering display in the centre of midfield. The Liverpool skipper ran Chelsea ragged with a performance of pace, power and poise. Mikel John Obi, who played in the holding midfield role, was terrorised throughout a first half that Gerrard dictated. McClaren will have been marvelling at a performance that put his England colleagues in the shade but Wembley will not be witnessing a display like that on Wednesday. His exuberance earned him a booking just before half-time but by then Liverpool were ahead and threatening to score more. Gerrard provided the stellar moment of an absorbing first half when Chelsea's midfield gave him the freedom of Merseyside to deliver a weighted pass into the path of Torres with the outside of that mercurial right boot. With Essien hopelessly out of position, Torres showed Ben Haim one way and then the other before beating him for pace and curling the sweetest of shots beyond Petr Cech. That is what you get for £24million and the Spaniard continued to tease and torment. Chelsea's players complained to the referee that he was practising the dark arts but, in truth, they could not contain him. Instead, they simply took him out whenever he threatened to add to Liverpool's lead. He has added another dimension to their attacking thrust but Liverpool will have to find other ways to open up teams if they are to compete for the title. Gerrard delivers week in, week out remember his winning goal at Aston Villa on the opening day of the season but Dirk Kuyt, Jermaine Pennant, Xabi Alonso and John Arne Riise must also shoulder some responsibility. Benitez's side always raise their game for the visit of Chelsea and they had leaders all across their back line. They coped with Mourinho's tactical switch at the break, when he replaced the ineffective Salomon Kalou with Claudio Pizarro, but there was nothing they could do about the decision to award Chelsea a penalty. Even Malouda looked slightly sheepish when Styles pointed to the spot but Frank Lampard took responsibility. Abramovich, in the directors' box alongside his girlfriend, put his head in his hands when Lampard placed the ball on the spot but he had nothing to worry about. Lampard may have missed a penalty in the Community Shield against Manchester United but he made no mistake with a drilled effort to Pepe Reina's right. Honours even but Liverpool continued to press. Benitez is under pressure to deliver the club's first league title since 1990 but Mourinho shut up shop with his substitutions. Joe Cole, who had spent the previous 77 minutes attempting to attract the manager's attention by sprinting up and down the touchline, was finally brought on for Shaun Wright-Phillips. Five minutes from time, Alex was brought on to keep Peter Crouch quiet but Liverpool threatened relentlessly. Cech blocked Riise's effort at his near post, Kuyt's header was tipped over the crossbar and the Kop celebrated their own ghost goal when Ryan Babel's effort hit the side netting. "We tried to win the game and it was only in the last five minutes when I saw their giant come off the bench I decided to put mine on," said Mourinho. "So many times we have been unfortunate in this stadium. I really don't know if it was a penalty." Sorry, Jose, you will just have to trust Benitez on this one. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mirror: Raf justice as woeful Styles triumphs over Kop substance BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE LIVERPOOL 1 CHELSEA 1 CONTROVERY AT ANFIELD Martin Lipton Chief Football Writer 20/08/2007 You Can forget the "ghost goal", now, Jose . And be thankful for the ghost penalty. On a day when Manchester United wobbled again, their two most likely challengers had the chance to show why they both believe this could be their year. This should have been remembered as the game where Rafa Benitez's new-look Liverpool showed they are the real deal, where Fernando Torres began his love affair with The Kop and Steven Gerrard proved that even with a broken toe, nothing can break his spirit. Or the match where Mourinho's men demonstrated their resolve and refusal to yield even when playing nowhere near their best. But now it will always be inextricably linked to the man who got the got the big decision wrong. This match was all about Rob Styles. On the hour the ball ran to Florent Malouda just inside the box. The Frenchman's dummy, and a fairly obvious block of Steve Finnan, allowed the ball to run through to Didier Drogba. If there was a foul, at all, it had been committed by the Chelsea man, and Mr Styles, eight yards away, could not have had a better view. Instead, to the disbelief of the everyone inside Anfield, Styles pointed to the spot. Frank Lampard's conversion, struck unerringly into the bottom corner, meant that Mourinho stole away with a point his Chelsea side simply did not deserve - pay-back time for Luis Garcia's 2005 Champions League semi-final winner. If left Chelsea seven points clear of United, three ahead of Liverpool, and still unbeaten. And while referees do make mistakes, they should not be this blatant, this clear-cut, this crucial. Let there be no argument, Liverpool deserved far better. Where Mourinho got it so spectacularly right at halftime at Reading in midweek, yesterday, for 45 minutes, he got it just as comprehensively wrong. Michael Essien was patently unfit, Shaun Wright-Phillips a fish out of water through the middle and Drogba forced to battle away single-handedly up front. With Gerrard irrepressible and Liverpool flying out of the traps, there was only one side calling the shots. John Arne Riise's poor touch, after Essien's second-minute error, spared Chelsea once but when Gerrard brilliantly led the counter in the 16th minute, it left Torres one on one against Tal Ben Haim. It was not a contest. The Israeli defender showed the £26million Spaniard the outside but could do nothing to prevent Torres exploding into the space inside the box, before opening his body brilliantly and steering past Petr Cech and in off the post. Not a bad way to mark your home bow, especially from a player whose natural striking instincts have been doubted. Chelsea were floundering. Salomon Kalou did nothing on the right, Malouda was invisible, John Obi Mikel exposed. Only once, when skipper John Terry stole in at the back post but failed to make proper contact to Lampard's spearing free-kick, had they genuinely threatened. Mourinho, belatedly, recognised his folly, sending on Claudio Pizarro for Kalou and putting Wright-Phillips in his natural position. Yet Liverpool remained in the ascendency and Xabi Alonso should have hit the target rather than stabbing wide. It was to prove a costly miss, as Mr Styles showed his generosity to the visitors. Liverpool, rightly angered, looked to respond and lifted their game. Gerrard eased past Ashley Cole but blazed into The Kop, before Riise's flashing volley flew wide from 14 yards. Cue Mr Styles again, seemingly booking Essien for a second time - the African felt he was about to see red - and then failng to give a corner after Cech's fingertips denied Dirk Kuyt. Liverpool kept coming and the pace of substitute Ryan Babel gave Riise another chance at the far post, with Cech spreading himself superbly. Yet as Mourinho and Benitez prepared to restart the war of words, the jeers at the final whistle were directed squarely at the man in black. If his call matters in the final analysis next May, Mr Styles will have to take a long, hard look at himself. Liverpool: Reina 6; Finnan 7, Carragher 8, Agger 6, Arveloa 6; Pennant 7 (Babel, 68, 6), Gerrard 8, Alonso 7, Riise 7 (Crouch, 83, 6); Torres 7, Kuyt 7. Chelsea: Cech 6; Essien 5, Ben Haim 5, Terry 6, A Cole 6; Kalou 5 (Pizarro 46, 7), Wright-Phillips 6 (J Cole, 77, 6), Mikel 5, Lampard 6, Malouda 4 (Alex, 85, 6); Drogba 7. Referee: ROB STYLES LIVERPOOL V CHELSEA 44% POSSESSION 56% 3 SHOTS ON TARGET 1 10 SHOTS OFF TARGET 5 3 OFFSIDES 1 5 CORNERS 2 12 FOULS 18 4 YELLOW CARDS 5 0 RED CARDS 0 ATTENDANCE: 43,924 Man Of The Match: Gerrard --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sun: Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1 By PHIL THOMAS August 20, 2007 TWO months ago, Rafa Benitez would have wrung Florent Maloudas neck, after the Frenchman opted against joining Liverpool. One can only imagine what the Kop boss would do if he ran into the Chelsea star now, after the wide-boys outrageous con trick saved a point for the Blues. Malouda was all set for Anfield before a U-turn saw him head for the bright lights of London instead and a move, Benitez insists, fuelled by greed as much as desire. Benitez contents himself with a wry smile and a knowing pat of the wallet whenever Maloudas name crops up. Until yesterday, that is. For the £13.5million buy from Lyon suckered referee Rob Styles into pointing to the spot for the most ridiculous of dives across Steve Finnan. Replays showed Malouda was throwing himself down before Finnan was anywhere near him. It was that blatant not even Didier Drogba was seriously appealing! But Frank Lampard was not about to argue the point and drilled a low penalty into the corner. The equaliser was probably deserved. What was infuriating was the fact it came courtesy of as blatant a piece of gamesmanship cheating in any other language as you will see all season. And, most laughable of all, when Fernando Torres threw himself to the ground under a second-half Tal Ben Haim challenge, the ref was surrounded by men in Blue brandishing imaginary cards. Torres, it must be said, does not need too big a nudge to go down although he is still miles away from winning a place in the West London School of Ballet. Sorry, make that the Chelsea side. But he certainly has a sharp eye for goal and he took just 15 minutes to prove it yesterday. First, he showed great instinct in pulling away from Ben Haim on the left edge of the box, giving Steven Gerrard the chance to pick him out from halfway. Then he showed the coolest of heads as he skipped away from the Israeli centre-back, before opening his body and sliding the ball in off the far post. Torres was bought to fill the role of natural goalscorer, a gap created by the departure of the ageing Robbie Fowler. But the finish yesterday was pure Michael Owen in his pomp running at defenders, daring them to dive in and needing only half an opening to finish the job. Not even Chelsea, for all their willingness to complain at anything and everything that went against them, could whinge about the justice of Liverpools lead. In fact, they should have been behind inside three minutes when Michael Essien misjdged Jermaine Pennants deep cross. John Arne Riise, unmarked on the left of the box, cushioned it on his instep but not enough to stop Petr Cech dashing out to smother. Then Gerrard unleashed a first-time rocket that was certainly goalbound until it struck Lampard although, to be fair, there is rather more of the Chelsea star than most midfielders. Gerrard was running the show in the heart of the engine room but Jose Mourinhos men have not won two titles without having the heart for a scrap. And slowly, surely, they grabbed a foothold as much down to the game becoming a bad-tempered series of niggles and fouls as anything else. From one of them, Lampard curled over a free-kick that only needed the faintest contact from John Terry to level things. The more the football degenerated, the more Chelsea came into it. One thing is for certain, if they are going to regain their crown they certainly are not going to do it by winning pretty. It was hardly helped by an official who never entirely had things under control and when he did, got as many decisions wrong as he did correct. A staggering NINE yellow cards are testimony to the point. Although even that figure probably wouldnt be high enough if you asked the ever-moaning Ashley Cole. The England full-backs bleating could have cost his side dear when he led that procession of men demanding Torres be booked. Ref Styles finally showed some backbone in giving a home free-kick in response. But by then Liverpool had resorted to a succession of long balls and the chance of a winner was as likely as Malouda winning a stay-on-your-feet contest. Not that there werent any openings and Riise went as close as anyone with a volley wide, while Ryan Babel rippled the side-netting after cutting inside. Keeper Cech then showed great reactions in diving backwards to tip Dirk Kuyts goal-bound header over the bar. Styles, as you may have guessed, missed it and gave a dead ball.