morning papers blackburn away 2-0

The Times
November 10, 2008
Nicolas Anelka is in his element as Chelsea go back to the topBlackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 2Martin Samuel
It was one of those stereotypical “grim oop north” days, met with one of those stereotypically gutsy, efficient Chelsea performances. Rain made the pitch sodden and random, a biting wind made the location fiendishly inhospitable, yet Chelsea dug in, got in front and breezed through the rest of the game as if dozing in a deckchair on a summer day.
They are hugely impressive on occasions such as this, when weaker teams might shirk or disappear. Chelsea were so resilient, so determined that they could afford to play much of the second half in the manner of a training exercise. Knowing how fiercely Chelsea’s players like to play in training, too, maybe this would be a notch down. Blackburn Rovers never looked likely to beat the redoubtable Petr Cech.
His performance seemed to sum up Chelsea’s excellence: calm, perfect in his handling, quick to react, equal to the task in the rare moments when he was tested. Paul Robinson, at the opposite end, was equally impressive, but his form was more readily noticeable. It had to be: by the end of the first half, Chelsea might have been five goals clear were it not for him.
For some reason, the home supporters appeared to believe that Chris Foy, the referee, had some nefarious role to play in this defeat, but aside from denying Chelsea a certain penalty in the fifth minute, which, if given, might have resulted in the dismissal of Robinson, it is hard to remember a single significant call he made. Chelsea won because they are at an entirely different level to Blackburn, who frittered possession, missed Roque Santa Cruz, the forward, and have not won a league game since September.
The conditions should have been, as the cliché goes, a great leveller, but it is going to take a lot more than a few puddles to bring Chelsea down to Blackburn’s level. Even an utterly insipid performance from the play-making Deco did not influence the flow of the game. When it came to muscle, Chelsea had more of that, too. The big men in the heart of midfield, John Obi Mikel in particular, and Frank Lampard, dominated.
The weather was nearly the talking point. Foy persevered through the first half only after hearing that the deluge would not last beyond half-time. By the time it stopped, the ball was not travelling well, particularly in midfield. Had the game not been televised perhaps it would have been abandoned, as was requested by Paul Ince, the Blackburn manager (his team were a goal down at the time).
Luiz Felipe Scolari, who celebrated his 60th birthday with champagne and cake at the team hotel on Saturday night, did not dissuade his players from adopting their usual style, although Ray Wilkins, the Chelsea manager’s assistant, admitted that the conditions meant Chelsea had to play longer passes at times. Either way, and with either system, they had the measure of Blackburn and the comments from Ince, insisting that his players had the better of the second half, seemed to stem more from his annoyance at Wilkins’s words before the game than realistic analysis. If Blackburn saw more of the ball after half-time it was because Chelsea were so comfortable that they took their foot off the gas.
It could have been even easier had Robinson, who criminally was not given Blackburn’s man-of-the-match prize, been adjudged to have clipped the feet of Nicolas Anelka when the Chelsea striker took the ball round him after five minutes. Trying to keep his balance, Anelka took two steps and stumbled, but Foy ruled that he had merely lost his footing in the conditions. Replays suggested otherwise.
Robinson saved from Anelka in the thirteenth minute, Mikel in the fifteenth, Lampard in the 22nd and Anelka again in the 32nd. Finally beaten five minutes before half-time, it took a stroke of luck, but nobody can argue that Chelsea did not deserve the lead. Credit to José Bosingwa, the Chelsea right back, for having the wit to try a shot from range in the conditions, but commiserations to Robinson, who was left helpless when what would have been a harmless strike deflected in off Anelka’s thigh.
Chelsea’s second, after 67 minutes, was far superior. A pass by Florent Malouda was blocked before Lampard won a thunderous tackle, sending the ball to Anelka, who slipped it over Robinson with ease. He could have had a second consecutive hat-trick in the Premier League with two minutes remaining, but was kept out by Robinson, whose confidence appears to have been restored by the end of his working relationship with Juande Ramos, much like his former teammates at Tottenham Hotspur.
Ince’s version of events is overstated, but his side did force two excellent saves from Cech: from Carlos Villaneuva in the 23rd minute and Jason Roberts eight minutes after half-time. With Chelsea operating well within capacity, however, had either gone in it is likely that order would have been restored at the other end. It takes a lot more than a bit of rain and a blast of wind from the north to trouble Chelsea. It takes a lot more than Blackburn Rovers, too.
Blackburn Rovers (4-2-3-1): P Robinson 9 - D Simpson 5, Z Khizanishvili 5, R Nelsen 5, M Olsson 5 - V Grella 5, S Warnock 6 - C Villanueva 5, K Andrews 5, M G Pedersen 6 - J Roberts 5. Substitutes: A Mokoena 5 (for Grella, 44min), M Derbyshire 5 (for Andrews, 46), R Fowler (for Roberts, 76). Not used: J Brown, C Samba, Tugay Kerimoglu, K Treacy. Next: Sunderland (h).
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): P Cech 9 - J Bosingwa 8, Alex 7, J Terry 7, W Bridge 7 - J O Mikel 7 - S Kalou 6, Deco 5, F Lampard 7, F Malouda 7 - N Anelka 7. Substitutes: J Belletti (for Kalou, 61min 6), P Ferreira (for Deco, 90). Not used: C Cudicini, B Ivanovic, F Di Santo, S Sinclair, Mineiro. Next: West Bromwich Albion (a).
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Telegraph:
Nicolas Anelka double sends Chelsea back to top of the Premier League
Blackburn Rovers (0) 0 Chelsea (1) 2 Apres le deluge, Le Sulk. Following a monsoon that almost forced an abandonment, the famously moody Nicolas Anelka struck twice, once unintentionally, once brilliantly, to propel Chelsea back in front of this compelling title race. In setting a Premier League record of nine successive away wins, Chelsea also confirmed the character and technical class in their ranks.
When conditions are so atrocious underfoot, when the ball slows so unexpectedly, the better players come to the fore, rather than the poorer. The rain, descending with all the force and relentlessness of Niagara Falls, was not a leveller here, far from it. An adhesive first touch and balance were vital and in Anelka and Frank Lampard, Chelsea boasted technically superior players to anyone in Paul Ince’s hard-working but limited side.
At the end of a weekend when Arsenal and Liverpool both prevailed, at a time when Manchester United can field so many outstanding individuals, Chelsea reminded all their title rivals why they must be feared. No Didier Drogba. No Joe Cole. No Ricardo Carvalho. No Michael Ballack. No Ashley Cole. No problem.
Rovers could point to their own absentees, notably Roque Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy, but Chelsea’s thoroughbreds won at a canter. But for some terrific saves by Paul Robinson, reviving memories of the shot-stopping form that first brought him England recognition, Chelsea could have declared at the interval.
Ince railed at Chelsea’s assistant coach, Ray Wilkins, for suggesting in the build-up that Rovers might be "aggressive’’, sentiments which lit Ince’s fuse (never the longest item). Blackburn were not in the least bit overly combative here, both sets of players mainly showing a duty of care in the tackle on such a dangerous surface.
Luiz Felipe Scolari refused to talk afterwards, saving his breath for the 60 candles on his birthday cake and also smarting over how his comments about booking a hotel in Rome for the Champions League final had apparently been misconstrued. The Brazilian certainly has reservations with the English media now, and has taken a fortnight’s vow of silence. It’s like having Jose Mourinho back.
Scolari has been such a force for good in English, making Chelsea more attractive and earning praise for his restrained response to controversial refereeing decisions, that his impersonation of a Trappist monk, however brief, is disappointing.
Anyway, his players’ feet did the talking for him on Sunday. Rovers could have been a goal and a man down within 90 seconds. When Keith Andrews played the ball back blind to Robinson, the Blackburn midfielder had not sensed Anelka was lurking.
The Frenchman intercepted the ball, and dragged it around Robinson, the goal opening up. The keeper clearly caught Anelka, who stumbled on, eschewing the cynical reaction of finding the floor as many others would have. Anelka impressively tried to keep his footing, but eventually did fall to the sodden soil. Chelsea were understandably aggrieved that Chris Foy did not award a penalty and dismiss Robinson.
Lucky to be reprieved, Robinson enjoyed an extraordinary first half, denying Chelsea time after time. Headers from Anelka and John Obi Mikel were pushed away. So was a Lampard special. While Robinson stopped Chelsea, rain almost stopped play. Foy eventually received word from the fourth official that the Met Office predicted a dry second half.
Through the raindrops, moments of brief hope could be spotted for Rovers. Petr Cech repelled Carlos Villanueva’s shot and then kept an inswinging Morten Gamst Pedersen corner. Back came Chelsea but still Robinson stood firm. Anelka, dressed more for a night on Everest than an afternoon at Ewood, rounded Ryan Nelsen and unleashed a powerful shot that Robinson dealt with. Shortly afterwards, Lampard was thwarted by Robinson.
But the dam had to break. Six minutes from half-time, with the rain finally easing, Jose Bosingwa drilled in an ambitious shot which glanced off Anelka’s thigh and wrong-footed Robinson, who was already appealing for a perceived handing offence by Anelka as the ball rolled across the line.
Foy signalled a goal, and was castigated by the Rovers faithful for the remainder of the match. Blackburn’s case was rather undermined by the reality that Robinson should not have been on the pitch anyway, and that Anelka did appear to make legitimate contact with the ball.
Stirred up, Rovers players responded with greater adventure after the break, although Ince stuck with his 4-2-3-1 formation. Matt Derbyshire arrived, bringing some more enterprise, but he was used in midfield, leaving Jason Roberts a largely lonely figure. Roberts did manage to turn John Terry but Cech ended any hope of an equaliser.
Blackburn’s dreams of parity were completely extinguished midway through the half when Lampard cleverly ushered in Anelka. Robinson darted out, spreading himself, and blocking out most of the goal. To beat the keeper, Anelka’s response needed to be of the highest order. It was. His left foot dinked the ball over Robinson, echoing the work of two other exquisite executioners, Fernando Torres in the Euro 2008 final and Kenny Dalglish in the 1978 European Cup final.
Ince, typically defiant, tried to claw something back, pushing Pedersen more central and sending on Robbie Fowler but the 33-year-old inevitably lacked menace on his own upfront with Roberts removed and Derbyshire too deep. Santa Cruz cannot return soon enough and the word within Ewood is that the Paraguayan target-man is close to fitness.
The game all but won, Chelsea still threatened a third. Lampard fired in a free-kick that Robinson, stretching out a finger-tip, somehow managed to divert on to the bar and over. Robinson can take some pride from his display but all the points were deservedly Chelsea’s.
Apres le deluge, Le Sulk. Following a monsoon that almost forced an abandonment, the famously moody Nicolas Anelka struck twice, once unintentionally, once brilliantly, to propel Chelsea back in front of this compelling title race. In setting a Premier League record of nine successive away wins, Chelsea also confirmed the character and technical class in their ranks.
When conditions are so atrocious underfoot, when the ball slows so unexpectedly, the better players come to the fore, rather than the poorer. The rain, descending with all the force and relentlessness of Niagara Falls, was not a leveller here, far from it. An adhesive first touch and balance were vital and in Anelka and Frank Lampard, Chelsea boasted technically superior players to anyone in Paul Ince’s hard-working but limited side.
At the end of a weekend when Arsenal and Liverpool both prevailed, at a time when Manchester United can field so many outstanding individuals, Chelsea reminded all their title rivals why they must be feared. No Didier Drogba. No Joe Cole. No Ricardo Carvalho. No Michael Ballack. No Ashley Cole. No problem.
Rovers could point to their own absentees, notably Roque Santa Cruz and Benni McCarthy, but Chelsea’s thoroughbreds won at a canter. But for some terrific saves by Paul Robinson, reviving memories of the shot-stopping form that first brought him England recognition, Chelsea could have declared at the interval.
Ince railed at Chelsea’s assistant coach, Ray Wilkins, for suggesting in the build-up that Rovers might be "aggressive’’, sentiments which lit Ince’s fuse (never the longest item). Blackburn were not in the least bit overly combative here, both sets of players mainly showing a duty of care in the tackle on such a dangerous surface.
Luiz Felipe Scolari refused to talk afterwards, saving his breath for the 60 candles on his birthday cake and also smarting over how his comments about booking a hotel in Rome for the Champions League final had apparently been misconstrued. The Brazilian certainly has reservations with the English media now, and has taken a fortnight’s vow of silence. It’s like having Jose Mourinho back.
Scolari has been such a force for good in English, making Chelsea more attractive and earning praise for his restrained response to controversial refereeing decisions, that his impersonation of a Trappist monk, however brief, is disappointing.
Anyway, his players’ feet did the talking for him on Sunday. Rovers could have been a goal and a man down within 90 seconds. When Keith Andrews played the ball back blind to Robinson, the Blackburn midfielder had not sensed Anelka was lurking.
The Frenchman intercepted the ball, and dragged it around Robinson, the goal opening up. The keeper clearly caught Anelka, who stumbled on, eschewing the cynical reaction of finding the floor as many others would have. Anelka impressively tried to keep his footing, but eventually did fall to the sodden soil. Chelsea were understandably aggrieved that Chris Foy did not award a penalty and dismiss Robinson.
Lucky to be reprieved, Robinson enjoyed an extraordinary first half, denying Chelsea time after time. Headers from Anelka and John Obi Mikel were pushed away. So was a Lampard special. While Robinson stopped Chelsea, rain almost stopped play. Foy eventually received word from the fourth official that the Met Office predicted a dry second half.
Through the raindrops, moments of brief hope could be spotted for Rovers. Petr Cech repelled Carlos Villanueva’s shot and then kept an inswinging Morten Gamst Pedersen corner. Back came Chelsea but still Robinson stood firm. Anelka, dressed more for a night on Everest than an afternoon at Ewood, rounded Ryan Nelsen and unleashed a powerful shot that Robinson dealt with. Shortly afterwards, Lampard was thwarted by Robinson.
But the dam had to break. Six minutes from half-time, with the rain finally easing, Jose Bosingwa drilled in an ambitious shot which glanced off Anelka’s thigh and wrong-footed Robinson, who was already appealing for a perceived handing offence by Anelka as the ball rolled across the line.
Foy signalled a goal, and was castigated by the Rovers faithful for the remainder of the match. Blackburn’s case was rather undermined by the reality that Robinson should not have been on the pitch anyway, and that Anelka did appear to make legitimate contact with the ball.
Stirred up, Rovers players responded with greater adventure after the break, although Ince stuck with his 4-2-3-1 formation. Matt Derbyshire arrived, bringing some more enterprise, but he was used in midfield, leaving Jason Roberts a largely lonely figure. Roberts did manage to turn John Terry but Cech ended any hope of an equaliser.
Blackburn’s dreams of parity were completely extinguished midway through the half when Lampard cleverly ushered in Anelka. Robinson darted out, spreading himself, and blocking out most of the goal. To beat the keeper, Anelka’s response needed to be of the highest order. It was. His left foot dinked the ball over Robinson, echoing the work of two other exquisite executioners, Fernando Torres in the Euro 2008 final and Kenny Dalglish in the 1978 European Cup final.
Ince, typically defiant, tried to claw something back, pushing Pedersen more central and sending on Robbie Fowler but the 33-year-old inevitably lacked menace on his own upfront with Roberts removed and Derbyshire too deep. Santa Cruz cannot return soon enough and the word within Ewood is that the Paraguayan target-man is close to fitness.
The game all but won, Chelsea still threatened a third. Lampard fired in a free-kick that Robinson, stretching out a finger-tip, somehow managed to divert on to the bar and over. Robinson can take some pride from his display but all the points were deservedly Chelsea’s.
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Independent:
Chelsea splash out to swamp Rovers
Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 2
By Ian Herbert
Chelsea don't quite walk on water at present but they can glide across a Lancashire swamp on this evidence and that does not augur well for those who had hoped that events in Rome last week implied some kind of leak in their structure.
The sight of them emerging early yesterday afternoon into the sheeting rain carried across Ewood Park by a chill north wind, all but one of their non-English contingent wrapped in black woolly gloves, suggested some trepidation and so did Ray Wilkins when he said, before the match, that "this game is going to be one of aggression because that's what Blackburn are about with Paul [Ince] as their manager".
Ducks to water best describes what followed from Chelsea, who were back ahead of Liverpool at the top of the pile on goal difference last night, with 10-goal Nicolas Anelka top of the league's scorers for good measure. Paul Ince left Ewood Park a disgruntled man, demanding that Wilkins "get his facts right", having made his feelings known to him in the technical area about the "garbage" he considered his pre-match comments to have been. "Of course I was a physical player but also you don't play for the teams I played for if you are just a physical player," he said.
But no altercation between former England captains can disguise the story of the day – Chelsea's buoyancy on a pitch so waterlogged as the rain lashed down that the fourth official asked Blackburn officials for a short-term weather forecast as the first half drew to a close. It was not the kind of effortless control which has helped Chelsea put better sides than Blackburn to the sword. Only Florent Malouda, the one without the gloves, and Frank Lampard commanded the conditions with any authority. But there was a resolve which made up for the "hurt" as Wilkins described it with which Chelsea left Rome after Wednesday's 3-1 defeat. Ince joked he had suggested at half-time that referee Chris Foy "call it off" and he probably got it right, considering Chelsea's domination until then. There is no better time to play Chelsea than when they are splashing around a pitch, even Lampard leaving the ball behind, passes coming up short in water and every back-pass a danger. But Blackburn would have been humiliated without the presence of Paul Robinson, a man who is beginning to float again at Blackburn.
Twice in the first half, Robinson saved expertly with his feet after Malouda had floated chances up from the puddles. First Anelka was denied, then John Obi Mikel at the far post. "It's nice to see him back," Wilkins said last night. But Anelka, gifted perhaps the most elementary hat-trick in Premier League history at Sunderland last week, is on the kind of run of luck which made Chelsea's opener inevitable. A 30-yard shot fired in by Jose Bosingwa, five minutes before the break, rolled over the goal-line off his thigh and if Robinson had not been so busy protesting that Anelka had handled it, he might actually have scooped it out of the mud in time.
There was something elemental about Anelka's second, too – Lampard splashing into a challenge with Zurab Khizanishvili to squirt a ball through which the Frenchman slotted home. He would have had his second successive league hat-trick had not Robinson saved again with his foot after Lampard put him through three minutes from time. "It's not his game to play up there on his own and bring people into the game and hold the ball up but he's worked very hard at that aspect of his game," Wilkins said of Anelka. The contribution is all the more valuable considering Didier Drogba's slow recuperation from the knee injury sustained at Cluj in September. Drogba, Wilkins revealed, is "still not quite feeling good enough to come back into the fold."
Where once they offered resistance, Blackburn now offer the elite sides too much charity. Vince Grella's ill-advised backpass inside five minutes took Anelka around Robinson and there was a suspicion that the keeper's trailing leg took him down. Robinson also pushed a Lampard shot brilliantly around his right-hand post.
Cech saved brilliantly in either half, pushing Carlos Villanueva's right-foot shot over the top and smothering after Jason Roberts took down a Pedersen chip, spun and shot. But the Blackburn manager finds himself a point off the relegation spots in this most fluid of leagues. Scolari's views, on his 60th birthday, were not made clear but fortified by a glass of champagne and some cake with his players on Saturday evening, he was back in London with harmony renewed last night.
Goals: Anelka (40) 0-1, Anelka (68) 0-2.
Blackburn Rovers (4-5-1) Robinson; Simpson, Nelsen, Khizanishvili, Olsson; Villanueva, Andrews (Derbyshire, h-t) Warnock, Grella (Mokoena, 44) Pedersen; Roberts (Fowler, 76). Substitutes not used: Brown (gk), Samba, Tugay, Treacy.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1) Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Bridge; Mikel; Kalou (Belletti, 61), Deco (Ferreira, 90) Lampard, Malouda; Anelka. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Ivanovic, Di Santo, Sinclair, Mineiro.
Referee: C Foy (Merseyside).
Booked: Blackburn Warnock, Simpson; Chelsea Malouda.
Man of the match: Robinson.
Attendance: 20,670.
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Guardian:
Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 2 Anelka 40, Anelka 68
Tim Rich at Ewood Park
As someone whose hissy fits have matched any thrown by Joan Crawford or Mariah Carey, a November rainstorm in Blackburn is hardly a place you would expect Nicolas Anelka to thrive.
These days, however, the Frenchman is far from the caricature of a man who would flounce off to the dressing room at the hint of a misplaced pass. Last Tuesday night, after another deluge in Rome, his captain, John Terry, had accused Chelsea of "lacking character and attitude". The rain may have followed them from the edge of the Apennines to the heart of the Pennines but character and attitude were evident everywhere in a way seldom suggested by the 3-1 defeat in the Stadio Olimpico.
Having denied reports that they plan to abandon Stamford Bridge for a new stadium in Battersea, Chelsea endured the kind of conditions they would face if they relocated to the Norfolk Broads.
On a surface that resembled a fen, they hauled themselves to the summit of the Premier League, level on points with Liverpool but massively ahead on goal difference. Perhaps more significantly in the longer term, Luiz Felipe Scolari celebrated his 60th birthday - an age at which Sir Alex Ferguson believes a manager is close to his peak - eight points clear of Manchester United.
A pitch on which every first-half pass stopped as if the ball were fitted with anti-skid brakes and a back-pass was a form of Russian roulette ought to have acted as a leveller. Yet the only time Chelsea's control was threatened was shortly after the interval when conditions had eased enough to prevent an abandonment. Then, Frank Lampard burst through a thin defensive screen on the edge of the Blackburn area, throwing up a spray of water as he did so, and Anelka not only timed his run perfectly, he kept his feet to chip the ball beautifully over Paul Robinson's body for the second and decisive goal.
It had been in Moscow rain as hard if less cold than this that Anelka had squandered the penalty that cost Chelsea the European Cup. His response in the prolonged absence of Didier Drogba - whose injured knee meant he was unfit to travel to Lancashire or share champagne and birthday cake with Scolari - has been to score 11 times this season.
By any logical method of accounting, he might have had five at Ewood Park. Robinson, showing the form that suggests his international career may not be done, made two reaction saves from Anelka's head in the first half and then spread himself when he was clean through to deny the Frenchman a second successive hat-trick.
And yet, Blackburn might have lost their goalkeeper in the opening exchanges. As Robinson slid in feet-first to meet Anelka, his leg caught the striker who attempted to remain upright before going over.
That slight delay may have influenced the referee, Chris Foy, but while Anelka has a reputation for many things diving is not one of them. Like an umpire facing a batsman who walks, this only increases the pressure on a referee, although it paled alongside Foy's dilemma whether to continue the match as the rain sluiced down. It was decided by the fourth official asking for a short-term weather forecast that correctly predicted no significant rain after the interval.
Chelsea went into it ahead after receiving the kind of fortune they had largely been denied. Jose Boswinga's shot was hard, speculative and delivered from closer to the centre circle than the 18-yard line but it struck Anelka - whether on the thigh or gloved hand was not entirely clear - deflected past Robinson and crawled over the line.
Under Mark Hughes, Blackburn possessed a reputation for a bloody-minded attitude to the bigger clubs that has been largely absent under Paul Ince. Arsenal, Manchester United and now Chelsea have all won at Ewood with some comfort and without a victory since mid-September when they won at a St James' Park in a state of civil war, Ince rounded on the Chelsea assistant manager, Ray Wilkins.
Wilkins, in part appointed because of his silky diplomatic skills, had suggested before kick-off that: "Chelsea would have to put up with a game of aggression because that is what Blackburn are about with Paul as their manager."
"For him to come out with that garbage that we would try to put them on their arses is rubbish," said Ince. "We were not that today and I told him in no uncertain terms to get his facts right."
No, Blackburn were not over-physical and they were not over-aggressive but, unlike Anelka, it might have been better had they played up to their reputation.
Man of the match: Paul Robinson
Chelsea would probably have won anyway but without Paul Robinson, Blackburn would have lost by a landslide
Best moment: It began with a Deco back-flick, continued with a Lampard pass and was finished by a searing shot from Anelka saved at full stretch by Robinson
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Mail:
Blackburn 0 Chelsea 2: Big Phil celebrates while Butch and 'The Guvnor' clash
By Matt Barlow
Luiz Felipe Scolari nipped straight off to get dry and celebrate his 60th birthday on top of the Barclays Premier League, leaving his mild-mannered sidekick Ray Wilkins to spark an unlikely row with Paul Ince.
Wilkins had wound up Ince with his pre-match comments about Blackburn’s aggressive style and the Rovers manager snapped at the final whistle, turning to the Chelsea bench to deliver his own thoughts on the matter.
He had just stood on the touchline through a freezing downpour and seen his team sunk by two Nicolas Anelka goals.
It was a sixth successive defeat for Rovers and he was not in the best of moods.
‘I was a physical character as a player but all the teams I’ve managed play football,’ fumed Ince.
‘For him to come out with the garbage he came out with before the game about trying to put them on their a****s and that we’re overphysical - but we weren’t like that today.
‘We played some decent football and I just said to him next time you’re going to say something make sure you get your facts right.’
Before the game, Wilkins had predicted ‘a battle from the first whistle’ at Ewood Park, claiming any team of Ince’s would be ‘aggressive’.
After the match, his language was similar: ‘A lot of people around the country would have been saying that’s a tough game at Blackburn in difficult conditions. Will they fancy it, especially after the result in midweek? But you could see from the result and the performance we were well up for it.’
John Terry had criticised Chelsea’s attitude during last week’s 3-1 defeat away to Roma but it could not be questioned in Lancashire, even if six of their outfield players took the field wearing gloves.
They stuck impressively to their task when the driving winter rain threatened to have the game abandoned at half-time, when the officials asked for a weather forecast.
‘I told him to call it off,’ joked Ince, when asked what he had said to referee Chris Foy at half time. But Ince was serious when he pointed out: ‘It was getting a bit farcical inthe middle of the park.’
Passes were sticking in puddles and players aquaplaning on their backs as the weather was at its worst just before the interval.
Scolari stood on the touchline with the hood of his coat up as the rain poured down on him. It was a long way from his home town of Porto Alegre.
It stopped after the break and Scolari would have been cheered by the spirit of his team.
Arsenal wilt on ugly trips like this but Chelsea had the look of champions as theyadapted to the rain.
John Mikel Obi, awful in Rome, screened the back four brilliantly. He stood strong and broke down attacks and distributed the ball simply, without a trace of the casual style which cost him in Italy.
Petr Cech did everything you could ask of your goalkeeper in such grim conditions, dominating in the air and spotting the danger quickly if anything was threaded throughon the deck.
Cech made one outstanding save in the first half, unfurling his huge frame to reach a left-footer from Carlos Villaneuva, which had looked destined for the top corner.
In the second half, he made a series of brave blocks to frustrate Jason Roberts. The best was an astute decision and a dash from the goal-line to spread himself andsmother a shot after Roberts had turned Terry inside the area.
Paul Robinson, meanwhile, kept Blackburn in the game in the first half although a different referee might have sent him off after just five minutes.
He mistimed a challenge on Anelka and sent the Chelsea striker sliding head-first across the turf.
It looked like a foul, a penalty and therefore a red card but, amazingly, referee Foy waved play on.
Robinson made one fantastic save from Anelka low to his left and beat away a couple of efforts zipped across the slippery surface by Frank Lampard.
When he was beaten in the 40th minute, it was laced with luck. Jose Bosingwa unleashed an ambitious effort from 40 yards which was flying wide when it hit Anelkaand wrong-footed Robinson.
It trickled so slowly through the sodden turf that the goalkeeper might have been able to recover and save it had he not been appealing so enthusiastically for handball against Anelka. His appeal was ignored.
Chelsea took the lead and rarely looked like letting it slip. Anelka grabbed the second with a neat finish clipped over Robinson’s dive after Lampard had won possession deep in Blackburn territory and tucked a pass into his feet.
Ince wanted a penalty for a pull on the shirt of Morten Gamst Pedersen by Bosingwa but knew he was pushing it after the Robinson let-off.
Chelsea could have had more. Lampard rattled the bar from long range and Robinson denied Anelka a hattrick with a save in the last minute.
But two was enough to take them back to the top of the table and equal a club and Premier League record of nine successive away wins.
They have won all six this season and conceded only one goal - a deflected Robinho free-kick at Manchester City.
Scolari’s cake and champagne will have tasted divine.
BLACKBURN: Simpson 5, Khizanishvili 6, Nelsen 6, Olsson 5; Grella 4 (Mokoena 44min, 6), Warnock 7; Villaneuva 5, Andrews 5 (Derbyshire 46, 6), Pedersen 6; Roberts 7 (Fowler 81).Booked: Warnock, Simpson.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 7; Bosingwa 7, Alex 7, Terry 6, Bridge 6; Lampard 7, Mikel 7, Deco 6 (Ferreira 90); Kalou 5 (Belletti 65, 6), Anelka 7, Malouda 7.Booked: Malouda.
Man of the Match: Paul Robinson.Referee: Chris Foy.
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morning papers roma away 1-3

Times November 5, 2008
Luiz Felipe Scolari joke returns to haunt himRoma 3 Chelsea 1
Matt Hughes in Rome
Given their rush to cut costs, it is as well that Chelsea have not paid a deposit on rooms at the Cavalieri Hilton. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side should still qualify from group A and could return to Rome for a second successive Champions League final in May, but it will take a dramatic improvement after this shocking setback, their heaviest defeat for 3½ years.
Scolari’s boasts about advanced bookings, which he insists were intended as a joke, came back to haunt him. In his defence, the Chelsea manager had also stated that returning to the Eternal City would entail negotiating a long and difficult road, but against opponents fourth from bottom of Serie A, this pothole was an unforeseen danger.
Scolari’s frustration will have been compounded by Chelsea storming out of the blocks before stalling after half an hour, but he can also reflect on some important lessons. To judge from their second-half performance, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka’s future as a partnership is even less promising than that of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross, while the Frenchman’s very survival at the club could be in doubt after his lacklustre attempt at leading the line on his own in the first half.
This was a reminder of his ineffectiveness at the highest level after scoring possibly the softest hat-trick in Premier League history against Sunderland on Saturday.
Anelka was not the only one to emerge from a miserable evening with a question mark next to his name — plenty of his team-mates failed to perform. Florent Malouda also seems to lack the appetite for the biggest occasions, his profligacy in front of goal an increasing problem, and John Obi Mikel’s inexperience was exposed.
For the first time this season, Chelsea looked like they are missing the guiding hand of Claude Makelele, Mikel’s predecessor in the holding role, a player so distinguished that he had a position named after him.
Scolari attributed the defeat to uncharacteristic defensive mistakes, which were plentiful. Petr Cech was beaten three times in the space of 24 minutes either side of half-time after conceding just four goals in 15 matches this season.
Roma’s first was the result of that rarest of occurrences, an error from John Terry. A quickly taken free kick after a clumsy challenge from Deco in the 34th minute found its way to Cicinho on the right byline and his cross eluded Terry and Frank Lampard for Christian Panucci to tap in unmarked against his former club.
If Chelsea’s players looked shell-shocked after dominating the opening half-hour, it was nothing compared with their emotions at the start of the second period, when Roma scored twice in ten minutes to end the match as a contest. Mikel was partially responsible for both goals. He gave Matteo Brighi the space on the edge of the penalty area to find Mirko Vucinic, whose first-time shot beat Cech from 20 yards, the first second-half goal he has conceded this season.
After going 678 minutes without being breached after an interval, Chelsea had to wait only a further ten before Vucinic scored again. The Montenegro striker dispossessed Mikel just short of the halfway line and raced upfield, being caught by the Nigeria midfield player before beating him again and shooting calmly past Cech at the near post.
While Scolari deserves sympathy for being forced to look on horrified as his players made such elementary errors, the manager was also at fault. His decision to bring on Drogba and Juliano Belletti and move to a 4-4-2 formation after a first half in which Chelsea had enjoyed 58 per cent of the possession appeared impulsive and just three minutes later it was made to look dangerously rash, as the visiting team’s attacking instincts left holes at the back. It is not the first time this season that Scolari’s desire to entertain has left his players exposed, and for all the goodwill his free-flowing side have created, the thrashings of Sunderland and Hull City will soon be forgotten if Chelsea are beaten on the biggest European nights.
The even more desperate introduction of Salomon Kalou as Chelsea chased the game was partially vindicated by Terry’s late goal, but their misery was compounded by Deco’s dismissal for two yellow cards, his second sin the trivial one of attempting to take a free kick too early. Chelsea, though, would not have been in such trouble if some of his team-mates had been sharper from the outset.
Scolari would prefer to dwell on the start of the match, in which only a series of outstanding saves from Doni, the Brazil goalkeeper, kept Roma on level terms. Lampard and Deco were outstanding in the opening exchanges, but even their excellence could not be truly celebrated as they failed to take advantage.
Doni’s acrobatic saves after long-range shots from both of them meant that they could not be held personally accountable, but the same cannot be said for Malouda, who was played repeatedly into good positions down the left, only to blast woefully wide.
Chelsea must learn to convert such chances if they are to challenge for the top prizes this season, as this reconnaissance exercise fell desperately flat. Scolari’s preparations began by taking his players to St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, but they would have been better advised to take in the stunning spectacle that is the Trevi Fountain.
According to local legend, visitors who throw a coin into the fountain are guaranteed to return to Rome, which on this evidence may be Chelsea’s best bet of coming back next year.
Roma (4-1-3-2): Doni — Cicinho, Juan, P Mexès, C Panucci — D De Rossi — S Perrotta (sub: R Taddei, 72min), M D Pizarro, M Brighi — F Totti (sub: J Baptista, 61), M Vucinic (sub: J A Riise, 88). Substitutes not used: Artur, S Loria, M Tonetto, J Menez. Booked: De Rossi, Perrotta.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): P Cech — J Bosingwa (sub: S Kalou, 62), Alex, J Terry, W Bridge — J O Mikel — J Cole (sub: J Belletti, 46), Deco, F Lampard, F Malouda (sub: D Drogba, 46) — N Anelka. Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, B Ivanovic, F Di Santo, P Ferreira. Booked: Deco. Sent off: Deco.
Referee: L Medina Cantalejo (Spain).
* * * * *
Outnumbered
3: Seasons since Chelsea last trailed by three goals in a game
23: Before last night, 23 of the previous 24 goals in Chelsea games had been scored by Luiz Felipe Scolari’s side
6: Deco yellow cards (including last night’s two) in his past nine Chelsea games
8: Liverpool equalising or winning goals from 80th minute onwards this season
22: Liverpool attempts at goal, to Atlético Madrid’s six. Chelsea had 21 to Roma’s 14
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Telegraph:
Roma make Chelsea pay for carelessnessAS Roma (1) 3 Chelsea (0) 1 By Oliver Brown at the Olympic Stadium The latest legend of Rome’s magnificent Trevi Fountain is that you need to throw three coins into the water, with your left hand and over your right shoulder, to be sure of your return to the Eternal City. Chelsea would have been well advised to try this before catching their back from Fiumicino airport on Tuesday night, using one coin for each of the three goals that they so carelessly shipped against Roma, and that cast grave doubt over their chances of coming back to the Olympic Stadium for the Champions League final next May.
Roma have built much of their own reputation around Francesco Totti, their totemic forward, but it was his strike partner, a marauding Montenegrin in the shape of Mirko Vucinic, who proved Chelsea’s nemesis here. Vucinic, emboldened by Christian Panucci’s first-half goal, announced his presence with one superb, swerving drive, then outpaced John Obi Mikel with a mazy 50-yard run for an even more impressive solo effort.
His contribution shot to pieces the notion that Roma were a spent force, despite their position of fourth from bottom in their own league. It also dismantled the logic that Luiz Felipe Scolari can guide Chelsea to the Champions League title on the strength of their defensive record. Where Scolari could have dismissed the recent home league defeat to Liverpool, the evidence here was stark: the firm foundations on which this team are built have started to creak.Chelsea had prepared with this match with a little cultural immersion, spending Tuesday morning at St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican. The occasion was of signal importance to manager Luis Felipe Scolari, a devout Catholic born of Italian parents, and someone who harbours a passion for religious imagery.
Their encounter with Roma, however, threatened to be overshadowed by storms of a Biblical magnitude that left a 13-year-old boy dead. So sustained were the downpours that the game was in danger of being called off before a pitch inspection by referee Luis Medina Cantalejo allowed play to go ahead.
Even before a ball had been kicked in anger Luciano Spalletti, the Roma manager besieged after his team’s dismal run in Serie A, stressed his resolve by ordering iconic striker Francesco Totti to play through the pain of an inflamed knee, while abandoning his tactic of fielding only man up front for the first time in two years.
When pitted against Chelsea’s three-man attack, with Nicolas Anelka at its centre, the two systems threatened to neutralise each other until Deco unleashed a fine drive from 25 yards, which Doni was forced to tip wide. The Portuguese playmaker was, in tandem with Frank Lampard, controlling the midfield battle but such superiority was undermined by a toothlessness in front of goal.
Chelsea allowed this creeping frustration to consume them, as their players scythed into Roma with the type of tackles normally reserved for gladiatorial combat. John Terry was guilty of a clear shove, Joe Cole a ‘two-handed’ challenge, before Deco was finally booked for his cynical trip on Totti.
This error proved the most costly, gifting Roma a free-kick from which Cicinho delivered a telling cross from the right and straight into the path of Christian Panucci. Although Panucci did well to angle his shot beyond Petr Cech, who had recorded his 100th clean sheet for Chelsea in last Saturday’s Premier League win over Sunderland, he was profited from the indecision of Terry and stand-in centre-half Alex, both of whom stood motionless.
The entry of Drogba at half-time did little to arrest Chelsea’s slide as Vucinic wrought merry mayhem. First the 25-year-old took a short pass from Matteo Brighi, dispatching a rising shot beyond Cech. Next he capitalised on the doziness of Mikel, stealing the ball and running the length of the Chelsea half, beating the retreating Nigerian once more, and finally stroking the ball calmly into the net to seal a three-goal lead.
Terry atoned for his earlier mistake when he latched on to Deco’s cross, watching the ball cannon off Doni’s chest and finishing at the second attempt. It represented one step forward for Chelsea, but the good work was almost instantly undone when Deco was sent off, needlessly collecting another booking for a quick free-kick. There was to be no way back.
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Independent:
Deco walks as Chelsea retreat in face of Roman onslaught
AS Roma 3 Chelsea 1
By Jason Burt at Stadio Olimpico
Two defeats in four games? It is not a crisis at Chelsea but it is suddenly a lot less comfortable. A late afternoon deluge had put this game in serious doubt and then Chelsea's Champions League hopes also took a severe dousing as they succumbed – capitulated more like – to a resurgent Roma to leave qualification in the balance. To add insult they also had Deco sent off – his second caution coming, somewhat ridiculously, for taking a free-kick too quickly.
Their manager Luiz Felipe Scolari said the decision would never have been made against a Roma player but it wasn't the only act of madness. "Crazy," Scolari said of his team's display and their defending. "We didn't play very well. We made mistakes in critical times and they [Roma] killed us. Today we lost the ball and gave them chances to score. In other games we haven't made those mistakes. I'm not going to change everything about what I think after one game." As for qualification, Scolari added: "For the group, it's open. For all. We have seven points, but if you're thinking about the points, if we win one game, we are there. We need three points."
Chelsea still top Group A and still head the Premier League but it was the manner of the defeat, their heaviest in almost three years, which shocked so many, including, clearly, Scolari. Once behind, Chelsea folded in an alarming way that has not been witnessed before. They were pale, anonymous, naive at times. Beating Sunderland out of sight, and Hull City, is one thing, losing to Liverpool and, more so, Roma quite another.
The final is here, in this city, next May. It felt a distant prospect on last night's performance and for all the aesthetic pleasure and fun that Scolari has brought, for all the joyful football , he needs to also rediscover that mechanical edge.
He cut a frustrated figure. In the first half he urged more from his team – it all appeared a breeze against a Roma side shell-shocked by five consecutive defeats and their worst start to a season for 45 years – while in the second he stood motionless.
His substitutions did not work while the paucity of Nicolas Anelka's performance, and the lack of impact made by Didier Drogba, only highlighted further Chelsea's need for a new striker. A day after lauding the solidity of his defence, Scolari watched in horror as they gifted goals and John Obi Mikel had the kind of horrific evening that scars. At the end the Chelsea players trooped off quickly – apart from John Terry, who stood staring at the turf on the final whistle, his face frozen in frustration.
But how did it come to this? For half an hour it had been so, so easy. The only bang from Roma came from the cannon-like crackers that were tossed from the Curva Sud, the one bank of this cavernous arena that was just about full. A couple of long-range efforts whistled wide from Deco and Frank Lampard – forcing saves from Doni – and a goal seemed an inevitability if Chelsea simply raised the tempo a notch more.
They did not. Scolari detected the danger signs and suddenly appeared a more agitated presence. His body language spoke of exasperation and that exploded when Mikel miscontrolled, and allowed the ball to run to Francesco Totti who was then up-ended by Deco who earned his first yellow card. From the free-kick, Wayne Bridge neglected to cover Cicinho and he crossed low. The errors mounted as Alex and Terry stood rooted, allowing Christian Panucci, a former Chelsea player, to slip through and side-foot home.
It was a poor goal to concede and even poorer given how tamely Roma had performed up until then. It was also the first goal surrendered by Chelsea in this competition this season. Scolari had hailed his defence. Now it had let him down. The goal meant one more thing. Roma's confidence returned.
Scolari had seen enough. Off came both wide players – on came Drogba, as one of the replacements. However, just three minutes after the re-start, Roma struck again. And this time Cech appeared to be at fault as Matteo Brighi teed up Mirko Vucinic whose shot was fierce but perhaps should have been covered by the goalkeeper. Instead it rippled the net from 25 yards. Once more Mikel dangerously surrendered possession – this time to Vucinic who ran on the midfielder's despairing lunge and then prodded a shot past Cech to cause mayhem, with Luciano Spalletti, the Roma coach who has been under so much pressure, throwing himself on top of a huddle of players piled on the turf.
Everyone was stunned. And then there was a lifeline as Terry deflected Deco's shot, Doni parried but, with Roma appealing for offside, the rebound fell to the Chelsea captain who bundled it in. Chelsea pushed on but there was no real hope while Cech had to throw himself to deny Vucinic a hat-trick. Was Terry injured at the end, Scolari was asked? "He's angry, nothing more," came the reply. He wasn't the only one.
AS Roma (4-4-2): Doni; Cicinho, Mexes, Juan, Panucci; Perrotta (Taddei, 72), De Rossi, Pizarro, Brighi; Vucinic (Riise, 88), Totti (Baptista, 61). Substitutes not used: Artur (gk), Loria, Tonetto, Menez.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa (Kalou, 63), Alex, Terry, Bridge; Mikel; J Cole (Belletti, 46), Deco, Lampard, Malouda (Drogba, 46); Anelka. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Ivanovic, Di Santo, Ferreira.
Referee: L Medina Cantalejo (Spain).
Group A
Results: Chelsea 4 Bordeaux 0; Roma 1 CFR Cluj 2; CFR Cluj 0 Chelsea 0; Bordeaux 1 Roma 3; Bordeaux 1 CFR Cluj 0; Chelsea 1 Roma 0; Roma 3 Chelsea 1; CFR Cluj 1 Bordeaux 2
Chelsea's remaining group stage fixtures: 26 Nov: Bordeaux (a); 9 Dec: CFR Cluj-Napoca (h).
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Guardian:
Blues on red alert as messy Mikel sums up limp shows
Roma 3 Panucci 34, Vucinic 48, Vucinic 58 Chelsea 1 Terry 75
Dominic Fifield at the Stadio Olimpico
Luiz Felipe Scolari's reign at Chelsea has suffered its most resounding setback to date. If this squad had travelled to Italy sensing progress to the knockout phase was within their grasp, then they returned home in the small hours of this morning beaten, bewildered and with Group A breathing disconcertingly down their necks. This was a painful reality check.
Not since Middlesbrough rampaged to a 3-0 success at the Riverside back in February 2006 have they endured a loss this convincing but, while it was baffling to witness the visitors so overrun by a side that had apparently been broken by a dreadful run of recent defeats, there were too many familiar failings here to enrage Scolari. Just as against Liverpool in the Premier League last month, when the Brazilian tasted defeat for the first time, his team failed mystifyingly to ally possession with penetration. They will travel to Bordeaux in three weeks' time in what now appears a critical tie without their suspended playmaker, Deco, and aware that they cannot afford to be this wasteful again.
Scolari might have sensed debacle in the air. For 33 minutes last night, his team out-passed their hosts on a turf rendered sodden by a four-hour deluge which had briefly threatened the fixture itself. Florent Malouda tormented Cicinho, while Deco and Frank Lampard were untouchable in central midfield. Roma gasped as they chased the ball hopelessly. Yet the visitors boasted no bite in the six-yard box, no physical presence in the air to unsettle nervous defenders, and their monopoly of possession yielded nothing. Doni turned away long-range attempts from midfield but Nicolas Anelka was anonymous and, after the break, Didier Drogba demonstrated just how shorn he remains of match fitness.
Yet it was still hard to accept the farcical nature of Chelsea's defending. For a team had not previously conceded in this competition this season - they had not conceded in the second half of any game - they imploded remarkably as soon as they had been bypassed just once last night. Uncharacteristic vulnerability flared, John Mikel Obi's composure draining as his sloppy pass surrendered the ball and induced Deco to foul Francesco Totti. With the visitors distracted at the free-kick, Cicinho wriggled free down the right and crossed into a cluttered six-yard box. Even so, the Premier League team should have cleared only for one of their former players, Christian Panucci, to glide in between John Terry and Alex to touch in from close range.
That was Roma's first real opportunity and it served to pep the hosts after five successive defeats in all competitions, their mood further buoyed when Mirko Vucinic, fed by Matteo Brighi's lay-off, rasped in a glorious second from just outside the area three minutes into the second period. Chelsea, yet again, had been slow to react to suffocate the threat. Petr Cech was not close to reaching the shot, the ball veering into the corner, though his reactions, too, seemed dulled. It was as if this entire team had been lulled into a false sense of security as they had toyed with fragile opponents in the first period, with an utter inability to rouse themselves when urgency was most required.
The errors were maintained as a sense of desperation welled. Mikel, slack where he has been so impressive, lost the ball to Vucinic again some 10 minutes later and, having tracked the striker as he tore goalwards, failed to stifle his progress. He was sprawled on the turf by the time the Montenegrin finished low beyond an exposed Cech, the Roma manager, Luciano Spalletti, leaping head-first on to the delirious huddle of celebrating players on the touchline as this arena rejoiced. The coach had been on the verge of dismissal. He wheezed his way through the post-match press conference, his throat swollen by his screams of joy on the touchline.
Terry's consolation, tapped in after Doni had blocked the centre-half's chest down, came too late to fray the home side's nerves, with Deco's dismissal for taking a free-kick before the Spanish official had blown his whistle merely rubbing salt into gaping wounds. The Portuguese, already booked for the first-half foul on Totti, will be absent in Bordeaux with Scolari hoping for the return of Michael Ballack as a replacement. He will wonder how it came to this. Chelsea remain top of this group, and a win in France would secure passage into the knockout phase, but this was an unwelcome shock to their system.
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Mail:
Roma 3 Chelsea 1: Rome trip turns into nightmare for ScolariBy Matt Barlow
They came, they saw, they crumbled against a very ordinary Roma team and this may prove the beginning of the end for Luiz Felipe Scolari's love affair with the Italian capital.After sampling the charms of Rome during the day with a visit to the Vatican and a quick look at the Coliseum, the Brazilian was forced to endure his second defeat as Chelsea manager and an error-strewn performance.His aim is to return for the Final next year, but this result and Bordeaux's win in Romania against Cluj has blown Group A wide open.
Their former defender Christian Panucci started the damage when he tapped the Serie A strugglers into the lead before the break as Scolari's entire defence froze. It was the first goal conceded by Chelsea in this season's Champions League but Serbia striker Mirko Vucinic soon added two more, early in the second half.John Terry pulled one back to restore some pride but Chelsea finished the game with 10 men after Deco was dismissed for a second booking, when he took a free-kick before referee Luis Medina Cantalejo had blown his whistle.Deco claimed afterwards he had already started to swing his leg before Cantalejo told him to wait. 'There was nothing I could do,' he said. 'It was crazy.'Scolari agreed, claiming the referee would never have produced the red card if a Roma player had committed the same offence. Deco's first booking of the night came ahead of the opening goal.
John Mikel Obi, who marked the offer of a new five-year contract with a nightmare performance, left a pass short in midfield and Deco tripped Francesco Totti.Simone Perrotta rolled the freekick wide to Cicinho on the right and his low cross was tucked away by Panucci, the only man who moved in front of goal as he nipped between the frozen figures of Terry and Alex, giving Petr Cech no chance. Roma's beleaguered fans roared. They have suffered this season, losing six of their first nine in Serie A, but they had promised not to turn on their team during the game.
Patience was being tested, however, before Panucci struck. Some Roma supporters trace their rot back to the day when Spalletti met Chelsea's chief executive Peter Kenyon in Paris to discuss the manager's job at Stamford Bridge.That went to Scolari, of course, but there are those in Rome who fear Spalletti lost the special relationship he enjoyed with the players and fans by showing an interest in moving on.Last night he made up for it, and Roma's players and supporters celebrated a terrific win as though they had won the trophy. It might still have been different had Florent Malouda not wasted a wonderful chance to equalise before half-time. He broke clear down the left but shot wildly off target.Chelsea had dominated possession in the opening quarter and Doni made early saves to deny Deco and Frank Lampard twice.Scolari's team were so in command that they appeared to pass themselves into a lethargy and eventually nodded off in the buildup to the ultra-soft first goal.The manager tried to regain the initiative at half-time, sending on subs Didier Drogba and Juliano Belletti to match Roma's four in midfield. Drogba and Anelka were pushed up front together, but before Chelsea had settled into their new system they fell further behind.This time it was Vucinic who did the damage, collecting a pass from Matteo Brighi and firing a 25-yarder past Cech just inside the post. Vucinic then made it three in the 58th minute, stealing the ball from Mikel just 10 yards from his own penalty area and sprinting half the length of the field with the ball.
Obi chased the Serb back and tried to made amends, but his sliding tackle was feeble and easily avoided. Vucinic steadied himself and clipped a shot over Cech as he dived. The Chelsea goalkeeper later denied Vucinic a hat-trick with a brave save at his feet.With the game in the bag, Spalletti withdrew Totti, who had been doubtful ahead of the game with a knee injury. On went former Arsenal midfielder Julio Baptista.Terry snatched one back 15 minutes from time, forcing home a rebound from close range after Doni had saved a deflected shot from Deco, but the game ended miserably for Chelsea. Deco's comical red card summed it all up.
ROMA (4-1-3-2): Doni 7; Cicinho 5, Mexes 5, Juan 6, Panucci 7; De Rossi 7; Perrotta 6 (Taddei 72min, 5), Pizarro 5, Brighi 5; Vucinic 7 (Riise 88), Totti 6 (Baptista 61, 5). Booked: Perrotta.CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 6; Bosingwa 7 (Kalou 63, 5), Alex 6, Terry 6, Bridge 6; Lampard 7, Mikel 6, Deco 6; J Cole 6 (Belletti 46, 5), Anelka 6, Malouda 6 (Drogba 46, 5). Sent off: Deco.Man of the match: Mirko Vucinic. Referee: Luis Medina Cantelejo (Sp).

sunday papers sunderland home 5-0

Sunday Times
November 2, 2008
Nicholas Anelka leads Chelsea romp

Chelsea 5 Sunderland 0
David Walsh at Stamford Bridge

THERE are afternoons in football when you want to find a hole in the ground and disappear. So, perhaps referee Martin Atkinson was being kind to Roy Keane when banishing him to a quiet seat in the stand for the second half of this hopelessly one-sided match. By then Sunderland were losing 3-0 and it really was just a question of how many more Chelsea would score. From his new seat Keane was close enough to a defeat that bordered on humiliation.
The Sunderland manager got on Atkinson’s wrong side by pointing out, a little too vigorously, the failure to spot Joe Cole’s foul on Pascal Chimbonda in the preamble to Chelsea’s third goal. “He told me not come to the dugout for the second half, so whether that’s been officially sent off, you’ll have to ask him,” said Keane. Cole did get away with a foul and Nicolas Anelka did look offside when touching home Chelsea’s second game but we’re nit-picking here. Chelsea were miles the better side.
“I don’t want to sit here and take anything from Chelsea,” added Keane. “They were outstanding today, there was no shame in losing to a top team like that. I am very relaxed after the game, I felt my players kept going and when you’re 5-0 down and there’s 35 minutes to go and Drogba’s getting warmed up, you think, ‘I wish someone would fast forward that clock’.”
Sunderland tried but weren’t nearly good enough. Keane and his coaches would have noted how well Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso shackled Frank Lampard and Deco a week ago and Sunderland set out to suffocate Chelsea. They had two lines of four defenders inside their own half, every intention in the world of frustrating their rivals, but effort is no substitute for technical mastery, and there aren’t that many Mascheranos around.
Chelsea were more urgent and sharper in their passing than a week ago, almost as if they felt freer without the burden of having to defend that four-year unbeaten league run at Stamford Bridge. How else to explain the energy and concentration they brought to this match? Even at 5-0, they defended as if the concession of one goal would cost them the title.
The quality was epitomised by almost every Chelsea player, but especially by John Terry, the much improved Alex, Jon Obi Mikel, Lampard and Deco. With the rain cascading down and Sunderland desperate to make their tackles count, you wondered how Deco would cope. It wasn’t like this when he was learning the game in the Brazilian town of Sao Bernardo do Campo, but he was brilliant through the first half hour; that is, when the match was a contest.
He constantly wanted the ball, he looked for the pass that would hurt Sunderland and made the intelligent runs that catch out defenders. With him and Lampard running the game so brilliantly, it did always seem only a matter of time. The time came in the 27th minute after Lampard played a neat pass through to Joe Cole, who drove his shot across the goal. Sunderland’s keeper Marton Fullop should have done better than let the ball through his grasp and Alex had only to touch it over the line.
As there was no set piece, you may wonder what the centre-back was doing inside Sunderland’s six-yard box and you won’t be surprised to know he was just hanging around, waiting for a chance. Such had been his team’s dominance, moonlighting as a striker wasn’t exactly risky.
Before Sunderland could respond, they were two down. Deco opened Sunderland’s defence with the pass, Lampard’s cross was accurate and either Alex or Nicolas Anelka could have finished. Alex got the first touch and as his slightly mis-hit effort bobbled into the unguarded goal, Anelka followed in to make sure. He was in an offside position, unnoticed by the match officials. Sunderland were too demoralised to protest. Coming just before half-time, the third goal began with that foul on Chimbonda but from there, was the best of the five; Joe Cole, Lampard and Malouda combined brilliantly to pass their way through the opposition and left Anelka with another tap-in.
The rain kept falling, Sunderland continued to run but endeavour couldn’t lessen the chasm in class. What was remarkable was Chelsea’s professionalism; Terry and Alex never gave their rivals an inch, Mikel chased and harried and hardly ever gave the ball away. And as happens when Chelsea play, Lampard got another goal, this one a fine back-post header after Joe Cole skinned George McCartney.
Perhaps when the other four have slipped from the memory, the fifth goal will remain because it started with a fine piece of defending by Terry and when the clearance was played back to the centre-back by Deco, Terry struck the finest pass to send Malouda surging down the left. Anelka turned in the cross for his third, but it was the goal belonged to the skipper. Unlike other times this season, he looked the real John Terry yesterday.
CHELSEA:Cech 6, Bosingwa 6, Alex 7, Terry 7,A Cole 6 (Bridge 36min, 6), Mikel 7, Deco 8, Lampard 7, J Cole 6 (Drogba 63min), Anelka 7 (Mineiro 75min), Malouda 6
SUNDERLAND:Fulop 4, Chimbonda 5, Nosworthy 6, Ferdinand 5, McCartney 5, Malbranque 4 (Henderson ht, 5), Whitehead 5, Tainio 4, Richardson 6, Waghorn 5 (Diouf ht, 5), Jones 5 (Cisse 58min, 4)
100 The number of Premier League goals scored by Chelsea’s Frank Lampard and Wigan’s Emile Heskey. Both netted yesterday but are the slowest to reach the target in terms of games played - Lampard (406) and Heskey (414)
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Telegraph:
Nicolas Anelka scores hat-trick as Chelsea destroy soggy Sunderland

Chelsea (3) 5 Sunderland (0) 0 By Patrick Barclay at Stamford Bridge

Midway though the second half, the cameras spotted Roy Keane on his mobile phone. It was safe to assume the Sunderland manager was not fielding inquiries about his players, who can seldom, in all their 49 matches since promotion, have been made to look so unfit for Premier League progress.
And the worrying aspect is that even humiliation does not come cheap on this unforgiving stage: of the 14 players Keane used here, six arrived during the summer on substantial contracts.
It was one of those occasions that made you despair of a League once considered the most competitive in Europe. Unless, of course, you were a Chelsea supporter, gaily singing, free of the cares that beset Arsenal’s travellers at Stoke or even Old Trafford in the defiant face of Hull.
Luiz Felipe Scolari’s team hardly required the assistance of an illegitimate goal that contributed to Nicolas Anelka’s hat-trick and, indirectly, Keane’s banishment to the stands for a half-time protest to the referee, Martin Atkinson.
Chelsea, to their credit, entertained us handsomely with passing crisp enough to delight their Brazilian manager.
Keane reasserted complaints about both the second and third goals, saying: ‘’I’ve been with a big team and all you want, when you come to play them, is a bit of fairness. But I’ve never had a problem with praising the opposition and today I’ll do that.’’
Beforehand, he had declared a willingness to alter his team within five minutes if it became apparent they were not up to the task. After 10 minutes, we wondered what was keeping him and, although he made changes later, Keane said: ‘’I don’t think any system would have worked today.’’
For the first 26 minutes of their battering, Sunderland defended with as much dignity as the slippery surface permitted, riding their luck when Deco artfully scooped the ball against Martin Fulop’s crossbar.
Then Joe Cole turned inside George McCartney and, essaying a left-footer, miskicked, only for Fulop to let it squirm under his body and out to Alex, who hit an unguarded net.
There was scarcely any more resistance to the next goal, though it should have been disallowed. Deco found Frank Lampard, whose low cross was again met by Alex --- what else was there for a Chelsea defender to do on this day but try to score as often as possible? --- only for Anelka, sliding, to help it over the line.
In truth this was a daft thing for Anelka to do, because he was in front of not only Alex but any Sunderland player. Yet neither Atkinson nor the relevant linesman saw anything untoward.
By comparison such controversy as preceded the next goal was a mere tinge. Joe Cole’s challenge was wild enough to prompt Pascal Chimbonda to pull out and Cole, permitted to play on, found Lampard. A slick move ensued, Florent Malouda unselfishly setting up Anelka.
As Sunderland trooped off, the thought occurred that they would probably have preferred to stand in the rain. At any rate, whatever Keane said made so little difference that within seven minutes of the resumption they had conceded two more goals.
First came a nightmare for McCartney, whose wrestling failed to prevent Joe Cole from crossing for Lampard to nod wide of Fulop. Then, with Chimbonda AWOL, Malouda found Anelka, whose ill-placed shot looped in off Fulop.
Later Didier Drogba made his comeback after injury, but Scolari said Anelka would start Tuesday’s Champions League match in Rome because he was the fitter spearhead.
The luckier too, Scolari might have added. Anelka, joint leading scorer in the Premier League with eight, would not have minded.
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Independent:
Anelka the top dog as goals rain down on Keane's head
Chelsea 5 Sunderland 0: Blues cruise with Lampard on century duty but Sunderland manager sees red
By Glenn Moore at Stamford Bridge
It must be hoped Triggs is in the mood for a good walk this morning. Roy Keane is in the habit of taking his dog for a hike when he has matters to brood on, and after this thrashing there is plenty for the Sunderland manager to contemplate.
His team were outclassed at Stamford Bridge, where it rained cats, dogs and Chelsea goals. Nicolas Anelka helped himself to three of them, taking his season's tally to eight in the League. With Didier Drogba making his return it was a timely treble, though the plaudits belonged to its architects, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard. Keane's ire was further exacerbated by his being sent to the stands at the interval for disputing the validity of Chelsea's goals.
He had a point. Anelka was offside when he tapped in the second and Pascal Chimbonda was fouled in the lead-up to the third, but while goals change matches it is hard to believe the result would have been substantially altered. Keane admitted as much when he said: "Chelsea were outstanding and there is no shame in losing to them."
"We played football," said Chelsea's manager, Luiz Felipe Scolari. The Brazilian, who reserved particular praise for Joe Cole, added in a reference to his team's failings in last week's defeat by Liverpool: "We tried to play on the ground, not high balls, feet to feet with the players changing positions." The only negative for Scolari was a calf injury to Ashley Cole which will rule him out of Tuesday's Champions' League tie in Rome.
Keane denied he had been dismissed, but said the referee, Martin Atkinson, had "told me not to come to the dug-out for the second half," which sounds very much like it. He added: "All you want is a bit of fairness. We felt we did not get that today."
Keane was unhappy enough going into the match, making five changes from the side beaten at Stoke. Clearlyhe felt too many had still been basking in the glory of last weekend's first home League victory over Newcastlein nearly 30 years. The reshaped side never got going, and Chelsea's early dominance was nearly rewarded when Deco chipped Marton Fulop only to hit the bar. After 27 minutes the dam broke. Lampard slid a ball down the inside-right channel to Joe Cole, who turned George McCartney before driving in a low shot that Fulop allowed to squirm under his body for Alex to tap in. Three minutes later Alex was driving forward again as Deco picked out Lampard's excellent run into the same inside-right channel with a beautifully weighted pass. Lampard squared and Alex steered the ball goalwards, only for Anelka to pinch the goal. The Frenchman, though, was offside, having been ahead of Alex when he shot.
Chelsea had not got round the back of the defence at Liverpool once last Sunday. Now they were doing it to order. A minute before the break Joe Cole, Lampard and Florent Malouda exchanged passes and, with the Sunderland defence appealing optimistically for offside, Anelka tapped in.
Keane made two changes at the break, one positional as he switched to 4-5-1. As a damage-limitation exercise it failed miserably. Within six minutes Joe Cole skipped around the hapless McCartney again and chipped a cross which an unchallenged Lampard headed in. It was his 100th League goal.
"He can get 150 goals," said Scolari. "For a midfielder it is fantastic. We need to think about who is the best in the world in this position – maybe it is Frank Lampard."
With the next attack Anelka completed a 23-minute hat-trick, tapping in after John Terry freed Malouda on the left. Malouda missed further chances as Chelsea passed around the bedraggled visitors with ease. In the stand the cameras caught Keane on the phone. An amateur lip-reader swore he said: "Is that the Samaritans?"
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Observer:
Anelka spearheads rout to return Chelsea to summit
Chelsea 5 Alex 27, Anelka 30, Anelka 45, Lampard 51, Anelka 53 Sunderland 0
Jamie Jackson at Stamford Bridge
Delight and a return to the top of the table for Chelsea; a thrashing for Sunderland and an enforced seat in the stands for Roy Keane. This was far too easy for the home side. But while the five unanswered goals might seem to make last week's surrender of Chelsea's proud unbeaten run at home faintly unbelievable, there were hints that Luiz Felipe Scolari does need to find differing ways to beat sides who do not just roll over.
'We played well not because we won 5-0 but because we play football,' said Chelsea's head coach, who had bemoaned a lack of such qualities during the week. 'We try to play on the ground, feet by feet, and the players change position.
'Joe Cole, for me, played the best game [yet]. He helped when we did not have the ball and tried to build things for us - not only on the wing but inside, in midfield. This is what we need - for players to switch position.'
Cole was indeed outstanding. But as Keane pointed out, he is just one of a side who include Deco and Frank Lampard. 'We were outclassed by a top, top team. When you're losing 5-0 and Didier Drogba comes on, you know you're in trouble. You want that clock to go forward. I was in my bedroom last night thinking of tactics and tactic boards, but nothing would have worked today - I'm not too despondent.'
Early on, Chelsea had oozed class, but there were signs of frustration from Scolari at a lack of end product. Then came the opener. Lampard found Cole on the right. The midfielder scampered inside and shot with his left. Marton Fulop saved, but not well enough. It squeezed out from under the goalkeeper's body and pinged sideways to Alex, who had made the run into Sunderland's penalty area.
A second goal came very quickly. And was very similar. This time it was Lampard who was on the right and in a shooting position. Instead, he slid a reverse pass that wrong-footed Sunderland and again found Alex - Nicolas Anelka grabbed the final touch for his seventh goal this season, a tally to which he would add two more by the end in collecting his first Chelsea hat-trick.
Scolari had been counting the number of bookable fouls and conscientiously informing fourth official Andy D'Urso. By 31 minutes a flash of three palms indicated the count was now at 15 including one that did seem worth the yellow, by Steed Malbranque on Ashley Cole.
It was late and painful enough to finish the left-back's match - 'He could miss the trip to Roma on Tuesday,' Scolari said - but as Wayne Bridge replaced him in rain now hurtling down, Chelsea had not halted scoring. Joe Cole picked out Lampard on the edge of the Sunderland area, the ball went to Florent Malouda, then Anelka, and it was 3-0 in added time.
'You would have to ask the referee,' said Keane, when asked why he was forced to watch the second half away from the Sunderland bench after arguing with the official in the tunnel at the break. 'We certainly thought their third goal was unfair because of a foul on [Pascal] Chimbonda.' That incident was unclear, though. And the Irishman added: 'I don't want to take anything away from Chelsea - they are quality and still my favourites to edge the title.'
All Keane got from his new position in the stands after the break was the difficult sight of his team being routed. Cole would be replaced after 63 minutes by Didier Drogba. Before this, though, he had created wonderfully for Lampard. Again the winger was allowed inside on Sunderland's right and dinked the ball up for Lampard who, with his head, scored his 100th Premier League goal.
Soon afterwards, Anelka claimed his third. Sunderland seemed incapable of retaining possession and of providing resistance. Malouda set up his countryman inside the visitors' penalty area, Anelka's finish hit Fulop, but there was enough on it to make it 5-0.
THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT
Jonathan Dyer, ChelseaBlog.com I didn't actually feel that Sunderland played too badly, but they came up against a good team on a good day. They were solid and trying not to concede, but the first two goals knocked them and they fell apart a bit. And after Keane got sent to the stands it was all over for them. Anelka was exceptional – he's not got a reputation as a hard worker, but he was doing box-to-box stuff here and tackling back as well as scoring the hat-trick. Joe Cole was excellent, very difficult to play against. It's hard for anyone to contain him in a game like this. It remains to be seen whether we can marry this attractive football with winning trophies – in the Liverpool game, we couldn't open them up – but this was good stuff.
The fan's player ratings Cech 7; Bosingwa 7, Alex 8, Terry 7, A Cole 7 (Bridge 7); Mikel 8; J Cole 8 (Drogba 7), Deco 7, Lampard 8, Malouda 7; Anelka 9 (Mineiro 7)
Martyn McFadden, A-Love-Supreme.comWhere do I start? Their first three goals were really dubious – the first looked offside, the second definitely was offside because someone was standing on the line, and for the third there was a foul in the build-up. After that, it was over. I'm not sure about our formations overall – we've been playing 4-5-1 game after game yet Keane had a slightly more attacking set-up here, and it isn't really fair on Waghorn to be played as an attacker. It was a miserable day – horrible, cold and wet – but the Sunderland fans were still outsinging Chelsea's, who were probably too busy with their cappuccinos and biscuits. But then Chelsea just seems part of the London tourist trade – Madame Tussauds in the morning, game in the afternoon.
The fan's player ratings Fulop 5; Chimbonda 5, Nosworthy 5, Ferdinand 6, McCartney 6; Malbranque 5 (Henderson 6), Whitehead 6, Tainio 6, Richardson 7, Waghorn 5 (Diouf 5); Jones 5 (Cissé 5)
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Mail:
Chelsea 5 Sunderland 0: Anelka puts Keane's men to shame
By IAN RIDLEY
Most competitive league in the world? Not when the team second in the table going into the game can do this to the one then placed 10th.
It was a mismatch and an embarrassment.
Chelsea may have more charisma these days, but still a shambolic Sunderland should not have subsided so readily, even if they felt at least two of the goals should not have been allowed.
For complaining too forcibly, Roy Keane was banished to the stand for the second half by referee Martin Atkinson.
A hat-trick by Nicolas Anelka - though his first goal was blatantly offside - built on Alex's opener and made the Frenchman the joint top scorer in the Premier League with eight.
The other came from the deserving Frank Lampard, who was at his creative best, topping off his performance with his 100th goal in the top flight.
On a grey, grizzly day at Stamford Bridge, the pitch made slick by the steady drizzle, Sunderland mirrored the weather, Chelsea the pitch.
It could have been many more. The idea that Chelsea are casting off the shackles of the Jose Mourinho era may be to insult a fine manager who brought a winning mentality to the club, but it is clear that on good days against limited opposition they can certainly purr.
'We play football. We try to play on the ground, not the high ball. Feet by feet,' said the Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari in charming English.
'The players change position and I think we play well.'
Sunderland manager Keane was surprisingly philosophical about the defeat for a man who was such a competitor and winner as a player.
At one point he was spotted on his mobile, perhaps to his chairman Niall Quinn for another wedge of transfer money in January or to the Samaritans.Or even to the referees' chief Keith Hackett about two decisions.
'Against the big boys you just want a bit of fairness and we didn't get that,' Keane lamented. 'I thought my players kept going. Could we have played better? Yes. Could we have avoided two or three of the goals? Yes. But that's football.'
For all their impressive qualities yesterday, with Joe Cole and Deco delightful on the ball, it has to be said that stricter tests await Chelsea's lighter touch.
And they have already failed one, last Sunday at home to Liverpool.
Keane shook up his Sunderland side after the midweek surrender to Stoke with strikers Djibril Cisse and El Hadji Diouf consigned to the bench.
Goalkeeper Craig Gordon was still injured. But their replacements did not seize their moment, however, and, after his return from long-term injury, Kenwyne Jones barely touched the ball.
It did look for the first quarter of the game as if it could be a frustrating afternoon for Chelsea, though, with Sunderland initially solid of shape and firm of discipline.
But they probed persistently and Deco's chip against the bar from the edge of the box hinted at the possibilities.
Then came the break Chelsea needed. Lampard stretched Sunderland again with a ball wide to Joe Cole on the right and he cut inside George McCartney to send in a shot which squirmed under Martin Fulop and dropped conveniently for Alex to tap home from close range.
Within three minutes it was two. Deco played in Lampard for a low cross that Alex turned goalwards and which Anelka - clearly offside - seized upon to guide over the line from a couple of yards out.
It was never going to make material difference to the result, however, as confirmed by Anelka's second goal, and Chelsea's third, in added time at the end of the first half.Lampard was again the instigator, receiving a pass from Joe Cole and supplying Malouda for a low cross that saw Anelka all alone for another tap-in, with Sunderland left claiming a foul on Pascal Chimbonda in the build-up and Keane sent from the dugout for his half-time protest.
Sunderland's hopes were shattered with the swift arrival of a fourth goal early in the second half.
John Obi Mikel sent Joe Cole clear of McCartney on the right with a piercing pass and his cross to the far post was met with a simple header home for the persevering Lampard.
Within another few minutes it was five.
This time John Terry sent Malouda clear on the left and he picked out Anelka in the box, his sliding shot hitting Fulop, but dribbling over the line to give the Frenchman his hat-trick.
It was clearly to Sunderland's relief that Chelsea all but declared after that, as Keane admitted when Didier Drogba came on for a late run-out after injury.
'You just wish someone would fastforward at that point,' he said.Kenwyne Jones barely touched the ball on his return from long-term injury. He had that in common with Petr Cech in the home goal.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Ce Alex, Terry, Ashley Col Mikel, Deco, Lampard (Drogba 63), Malouda 75). Subs (not used): Kalou, Belletti. SUNDERLAND (4-4- Chimbonda, Noswort McCartney; Malbranq 46), Whitehead, Taini Waghorn (Diouf 46), J Subs (not used): Colg Meyler. Booked: Tainio.Referee: M Atkinson (Yorkshire)
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NOTW:
CHELSEA 5, SUNDERLAND 0
Nic Anelka's trick 'n treat
By ROB SHEPHERD at Stamford Bridge, 01/11/2008
The Stamford Bridge fans were singing in the rain: “Boring, boring Chelsea.”
The chant was ironic of course. The Blues were brilliant — it really was like watching Brazil.
True, Sunderland played their part. They were minging in the rain.
Chelsea boss Phil Scolari has constantly played down comparisons of the Blues’ style to his native Brazil, emphasising the need to win nasty at times.
But there is no question he has promoted a more expansive, entertaining brand of football.
It always seemed a little harsh that Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea were branded boring. And Avram Grant’s hangdog expression made them appear dull when they weren’t.
But there is certainly a feel-good factor around the club right now. Even Nicolas Anelka is smiling.
He had good cause after bagging his first Premier League hat-trick and then hearing he will continue to lead the line for Tuesday night’s trip to Roma even though Didier Drogba is fit again.
It is not often a striker grabs a hat-trick and does not get the man-of-the-match vote but Scolari agreed that Joe Cole had been the outstanding performer.
There were plenty of candidates though.
Frank Lampard, who became the first midfielder to hit 100 Premier goals, was everywhere. Deco was a delight and Alex, who opened the scoring, spent nearly as much time in the Sunderland box as his own.
Scolari, though, insisted: “We were probably better when we beat Aston Villa 2-0. The difference was we had more shots here and took more chances.
“The way we play? The emphasis is to play, play, to pass the ball on the ground not in the air.”
Sunderland boss Roy Keane was surprisingly calm about the defeat — and even about referee Martin Atkinson, who ordered him into the stands after a heated exchange in the tunnel at half-time.
Keane said: “The referee told me to sit in the stands for the second half. If that’s being sent off then you will have to ask him.
“But, to be honest, I am not as angry as I was after the Stoke game in the week. It’s no shame to be beaten by a team like Chelsea. They are a really top side.
“I was most disappointed with the third goal but I am not looking for excuses.”
Chelsea started slowly but with an assuredness that suggested they knew it was just when, not if, they would break through.
It wasn’t a long wait.
Deco laid down a marker in the 16th minute when he collected a pass from Joe Cole and, from 20 yards, caressed a chip which glided over keeper Marton Fulop.
It almost matched Lampard’s effort in the midweek crushing of Hull but dipped a fraction late and bounced back off the bar. After that Chelsea simply swaggered around, constantly cutting swathes through a Sunderland back four that just could not cope with the movement and subtle passing patterns of Scolari’s side.
After 27 minutes Lampard rolled a super ball into the path of Joe Cole, who then turned George McCartney inside out before shooting low and hard. The ball slithered under the body of Fulop and Alex tapped in like a centre-forward not a centre-half.
Two minutes later Alex miscued a Lampard cross and Anelka, looking suspiciously offside, rolled it in.
And in first-half stoppage time a great one-touch move ended with Florent Malouda crossing for Anelka to slide in another sitter.
Joe Cole was in dazzling mood and in the 51st minute produced a brilliant run and chip for Lampard to head his landmark goal.
Scolari added: “In a few years’ time when people ask who was the best midfielder of that time in the world then you would have to say Frank Lampard.
“If he carries on like this he will score 150 before he retires.”
Cole sent Malouda clear again after 53 minutes and Anelka scrambled home his third and Chelsea’s 27th in 11 games this season.
The only downside for the Londoners was losing Ashley Cole with a first-half injury. He may be out for a couple of weeks.
But Keane is still tipping them to regain the championship.
He admitted: “I have fancied them for the title since the start and I’m still sure. I think because they have lost out twice they will just have the edge over United.”
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morning papers hull away 3-0

The TimesOctober 30, 2008
Hull City have their wings clipped by classy ChelseaHull City 0 Chelsea 3
Oliver Kay
The noise that could be heard on the banks of the Humber last night was not that of the Hull City bubble bursting but of the Chelsea bandwagon roaring into motion once more. It required the most elegant of kick-starts from Frank Lampard, whose third-minute goal was described by Luiz Felipe Scolari as one of the best he has witnessed in his career, but, once on the road, Chelsea were able to leave their blues behind them.
A first home league defeat in 4½ years, inflicted by Liverpool on Sunday, has left a dent in Chelsea’s armour and indeed their pride, but, away from the erstwhile fortress of Stamford Bridge, they are equally formidable. This was their fifth win in as many away matches in the Barclays Premier League under Scolari and, given that it came against a resilient Hull team whom they led only on goal difference at the start of play, it should not be underestimated.
This had all the makings of a difficult night for Chelsea, but, if second-half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda allowed them to relax, it was Lampard’s exquisite strike that was the abiding memory of their evening, a floated shot from the corner of the penalty area with his weaker left foot. Had it been another player, it might have been tempting to call it an overhit cross, but not Lampard. “He’s the only player with the quality to score this goal,” Scolari said. “He had the intelligence to see the goalkeeper and then the touch to score the goal. It was one of the best goals I have seen in football.”
Given that Scolari, in his time in charge of the Brazil and Portugal national teams, has coached players such as Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo and Cristiano Ronaldo, it was an almighty compliment, but the sincerity seemed to diminish slightly as the praise kept coming. Informed that five of his players had been among the 23 nominated as Fifa World Player of the Year, the Chelsea coach replied that: “My vote is for Frank.” Very laudable, but it is worth noting Scolari’s love of a superlative, particularly when he is quizzed in a foreign language.
Lampard’s goal certainly changed the complexion of the game, but Hull, after five straight wins, did not succumb until the second half, when a calamitous mix-up between Boaz Myhill and his defenders resulted in Anelka’s goal. To that point, Phil Brown’s team had fought hard, with Dean Marney competing well with Lampard in midfield, Geovanni trying to weave his magic and Daniel Cousin striking the foot of the post from 25 yards after holding off challenges from José Bosingwa, John Obi Mikel and John Terry.
For all Hull’s enthusiasm, though, the game would have been over sooner had Anelka and Malouda not taken until the second half to find their composure in front of goal. On no fewer than five occasions in the first half the France internationals found themselves with time and space to test Myhill, but their shooting was awry. Whatever their subsequent contributions, the return of Didier Drogba cannot come soon enough for Scolari.
The goal that Anelka scored, five minutes into the second half, was a gift from Myhill, who inexplicably waited on his 18-yard line to try to head away a bouncing ball. Even Anelka managed to raise a smile after nipping in to intercept and roll the ball into the unguarded net.
Malouda made it 3-0 with 15 minutes remaining, but the man who deserved the credit was Ricardo Carvalho, who set him up with the type of cross of which centre halves are not meant to be capable. The Portugal defender’s departure with a hamstring injury was the only black mark on Chelsea’s evening — that and news of Liverpool’s breakthrough at Anfield, which came through just as they were leaving the pitch.
Hull City (4-3-1-2): B Myhill — P McShane, M Turner, K Zayatte, A Dawson — D Marney (sub: R Garcia, 71min), I Ashbee, G Boateng (sub: P Halmosi, 63) — Geovanni — M King (sub: D Windass, 84), D Cousin. Substitutes not used: M Duke, B Mendy, S Ricketts, B Hughes.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): P Cech — J Bosingwa (sub: B Ivanovic, 86), R Carvalho, J Terry, A Cole — J O Mikel — J Cole (sub: J Belletti, 54), Deco (sub: S Kalou, 78), F Lampard, F Malouda — N Anelka. Substitutes not used: C Cudicini, Alex, W Bridge, F Di Santo. Booked: J Cole.
Referee: A Marriner.
Battle of the big Phils
Phil Brown
Born: South Shields.Age: 49.Clubs played for: 4, including Hartlepool United and Bolton Wanderers.Teams managed: 3, Bolton (caretaker), Derby County and Hull City.Contract: Signed new three-year deal in August.Salary: About £1.5 million a year.
Luiz Felipe Scolari
Born: Passo Fundo, Brazil.Age: 59.Clubs played for: 4, including Caxias and Juventude.Teams managed: 16, including Kuwait, Brazil and Portugal.Contract: Agreed four-year deal in June.Salary: £5.5 million a year.
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Telegraph:
Chelsea assert their dominance over high-flying Hull CityHull City (0) 0 Chelsea (1) 3 By Oliver Brown
Andrew Marvell, late of this parish, played his part in bringing Hull to the attention of a London elite – after all, he represented the place to Parliament during the Restoration. And a where metaphysical poet led, a collection of supremely physical footballers have also dared to tread, with Hull City cutting a swathe across a succession of the capital’s clubs before Chelsea revived a semblance of London pride.
Chelsea had been right to cross the Humber with trepidation but they returned with a reminder of their dominance. Three goals, three points, and at a stroke the pain of ceding an advantage to Liverpool in the title race was erased.
The gap at the top of the Premier League has closed to a single point and perhaps the old order of the game has not been recast in the many would like to think. The last time Hull had hosted Chelsea in the league, 20 years ago, they won 3-0; their recent exploits had suggested a repeat was not inconceivable, instead the KC Stadium was silenced as the scoreline was reversed. Phil Brown and his team had endured an early day of reckoning.
But Hull reckoned without the vision of Lampard, who, in a moment of breathtaking audacity, derailed their best-laid plans within two minutes. The strength of the midfielder’s shots is well-documented, yet the goal he contrived here was altogether cuter: rushing to intercept Paul McShane’s half-hearted clearance from Florent Malouda, he set himself for a chip with his left foot and watched the ball sail beyond goalkeeper goalkeeper Boaz Myhill with perfect flight and swerve.
The execution was elegant, but one worried what Lampard might do if he scored another. This was, after all, his 99th league goal and perhaps he had prepared one of his ostentatious T-shirt tributes to the Chelsea fans – the memory of “100 goals and they are all for you,” unveiled when he reached the century mark for Chelsea against Huddersfield in the FA Cup last season, has lingered long.
Lampard, though, was only delivering a statement through the quality of his play and he again ruffled Myhill with a lethal free-kick. But Hull have not achieved their early-season parity with Chelsea for nothing; indeed, the 20 points they had taken from their first nine games matched the start Manchester United made last year en route to winning the title, and Daniel Cousin began to betray some of the attacking verve that brought them there.
The striker’s low effort from 20 yards took a slight deflection and left Petr Cech well beaten, only to bounce back from the post, before Geovanni – the free-scoring, free-wheeling Brazilian who only needs to cross the halfway line to hear the supporters’ cries of “shoot” – unleashed a long-range free-kick that bobbled awkwardly in front of Cech.
But Chelsea’s resilience under Luiz Felipe Scolari is formidable and there was scant surprise when they doubled their lead in the 50th minute, Nicolas Anelka moving in to punish nerves in the home defence. The centre-half duo of Michael Turner and Kamil Zayatte, so instrumental in Hull’s success, lapsed as they let a ball bounce between them while the Frenchman beat Myhill to the ball, steering it goalwards with ease.
Malouda, with 15 minutes left, stabbed home Carvalho’s cross to quell any remaining resistance. Chelsea had dealt Hull a humbling, a reassertion of metropolitan might.
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Independent:
Lampard brings Hull back down to earth
Hull City 0 Chelsea 3
By Jon Culley
This was the match in which Hull's dream start might have stretched the limits of imagination again with a scalp maybe to eclipse even that of Arsenal at the Emirates but Chelsea were in no mood to be part of anyone's fantasies, even those of a record Premier League crowd of almost 25,000 at the KC Stadium.
Goals by Frank Lampard, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda gave Luiz Felipe Scolari's side an emphatic victory but had the scoreline been double or more in Chelsea's favour they would not have been flattered. Phil Brown's team deserve all the respect they have gathered so far in winning six of their opening 10 matches – as many as Chelsea at the game's start – but for all that Hull remain fifth in the table, the gulf between these sides last night was as wide as the Humber.
Their finishing apart, Chelsea played with a quality befitting of their status, with Lampard supreme at the heart of it, drawing superlative praise from Scolari afterwards, both for the speed of thought behind his goal and for the dynamism of his play throughout. "He is the best goalscoring midfield player in Europe, one of the best in the world, and I don't think there is another player who could score a goal like that," Scolari said. "He is so intelligent a player and he seems to be never tired. If he is a contender for world player of the year he gets my vote."
The goal that so excited his manager came less than three minutes into the game. There were mistakes made by the home side but it was Lampard's ability, in a split second, to weigh up an opportunity, make a decision and execute it flawlessly that made the goal, the England player's 99th in his league career, so special.
If there was an obvious culprit it was Boaz Myhill, the Hull goalkeeper, who was just too far ahead of his line to be ready for what was coming.
But then Hull, in general, seemed unprepared for their lines to be pressed so soon by swarming blue shirts and when right-back Paul McShane tackled Malouda but could not get the ball away, it was a good bet that it would run to an opponent. Lampard, ready for a return pass at the edge of the penalty area, assessed the possibilities in an instant and delivered the perfect chip beyond Myhill's reach.
It could have been the cue for the ruthless restating of intent that Chelsea wanted after the shock of losing their long unbeaten home run at Liverpool's hands at the weekend. By half-time, however, two good chances each had fallen to Malouda and Anelka and another to the returning Joe Cole, but none was taken.
Myhill redeemed himself with a fine fingertip save from one Anelka shot but Chelsea were not being decisive enough to make Hull pay.
So Hull reached the break with a chance still that they might find some way in the second 45 minutes to add another thrilling episode to their story, encouraged moreover by creating some opportunities of their own, notably when Daniel Cousin hit an upright with the fluorescently clad Petr Cech beaten, and when Geovanni had the Chelsea goalkeeper scrambling to deal with two long-range free kicks.
But to find a way back though, Hull needed first to make no further mistakes and it was in pursuit of that target that they failed miserably five minutes after the restart as Chelsea at last seized control, courtesy of a genuine gift goal. This time blame attached itself to McShane and centre-back Kamil Zayatte, who stood back in the belief that a hopeful punt out of the Chelsea half would carry through to Hull's goalkeeper only to look on in horror as it pulled up short, allowing Anelka to nip in as Myhill stumbled into the "D" and take the ball wide before rolling it into the unguarded net.
Malouda missed another chance but did score Chelsea's third 15 minutes from the end, sidefooting home from close range after Ricardo Carvalho, popping up on the left flank, supplied the pass to finish another Chelsea move of crisp passing and clever improvisation.
Only an injury late on to Carvalho, and more worries over Joe Cole, marred Chelsea's night.
Goals: Lampard (3) 0-1; Anelka (50) 0-2; Malouda (75) 0-3.
Hull City (4-1-3-2): Myhill; McShane, Turner, Zayatte, Dawson; Marney (Garcia, 71); Geovanni, Ashbee, Boateng (Halmosi, 62); King (Windass, 83), Cousin. Substitutes not used: Duke (gk), Hughes, Mendy, Ricketts.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa (Ivanovic, 86), Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Mikel; J Cole (Belletti, 53), Lampard, Malouda; Deco (Kalou, 78); Anelka. Substitutes not used: Cudicini (gk), Di Santo, Bridge, Alex.
Referee: A Marriner (West Midlands).
Booked: Chelsea J Cole; Deco.
Man of the match: Lampard.
Attendance: 24,906.
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The Guardian:
Lampard gets Chelsea back in the old routine to put Tigers in their place
Hull City 0 Chelsea 3 Lampard 3, Anelka 50, Malouda 75
Louise Taylor at the KC Stadium
The established order was restored in East Yorkshire last night but only after Hull City had given their wealthy guests an exacting work-out that is well disguised by the scoreline. These teams had started the night level on 20 points in the Champions League zone and, though Chelsea's class ultimately told as Luiz Felipe Scolari's side revived their title challenge, it was initially easy to see how Hull had claimed so many sizeable scalps of late.
Though their six-game unbeaten streak - a run featuring five wins - was always destined to end after Frank Lampard had struck with a third-minute chip to claim what Scolari described as "one of the best goals I've seen in the world," Phil Brown's side showed they have class, too.
Despite last weekend's unscheduled reverse at home to Liverpool, few would question Chelsea's quality and Scolari enthused: "Our reaction to Sunday was very good," before launching into an ode to a man whose current form is deservedly winning plaudits.
"My vote is for Frank as world player of the year," said the Brazilian, whose evening was marred only by a hamstring injury sustained by Ricardo Carvalho which could sideline the centre-half for two to three weeks. "Frank's a very intelligent player who scored a goal that maybe only he could. But he also played very well, he's the man that's never tired."
In truth if certain players had claimed that opener cynics might have questioned if they meant it. Lampard, though, knew precisely what he was doing when the ball rolled towards his left foot after Paul McShane dispossesed Florent Malouda but saw his clearance fall to a most dangerous enemy.
Spotting an opening others might have been blind to, the England midfielder had the instinct and audacity to use his first touch to chip the ball, sublimely and left- footed, sending it arcing over Brown's defence. Stunned, Boaz Myhill was caught cold and remained rooted to the spot as it dropped just inside the far post.
It was the 99th league goal by a player who can do little wrong and served as a reminder that Hull might be mortal after all. That said, Brown's side could have equalised when, spying a gap between Jose Boswinga and Ricardo Carvalho, Michael Turner threatened with a thumping header, only fractionally off target.
"Turner for England," chorused the KC in homage to their centre-half, one of the success stories of the Premier League season so far whose performances have been one of the main reasons why it was the first time in four games Myhill found himself picking the ball out of his net.
Unfortunately this was not to prove Turner's best night or even Geovanni's. Floating just behind the front two, the latter is Hull's principal creative catalyst and a player well known to Scolari, who coached him at Cruzeiro.
Chelsea's manager had doubtless told his charges all about his compatriot's dead- ball ability and Petr Cech was required to make a decent save from one of Geovanni's whipped free-kicks. Shortly afterwards Daniel Cousin came even closer to scoring when his shot from distance rebounded tantalisingly off the base of a post.
Hull's relentless quest for an equaliser was aided by a similar determination on the part of Chelsea's Boswinga and Asley Cole to overlap at every opportunity. Although Mikel John Obi frequently dropped back into what at times was effectively a back three, this penchant offered the Tigers inviting space to exploit.
The line between being commendably positive and slightly gung-ho is fine, though, and Hull were nearly caught out by a Chelsea counter-attack featuring a glorious Joe Cole pass and a ferocious drive from Nicolas Anelka which was destined for the top corner until Myhill performed heroics to tip it over.
Hull, clearly on a collective adrenaline high, worked hard to close Chelsea down but trying to second-guess Lampard and company over 90 minutes can run down the concentration reserves of even the most willing opponents.
So it proved when Boswinga swung in an innocuous cross and the hitherto reliable Turner and Kamil Zayatte went into an 'after-you' routine, letting the ball bounce embarrassingly between them and leaving Myhill to deal with it.
Anelka may not score as many goals as a striker of his consummate talents really should but he had no hesitation about pouncing on this gilt-edged opportunity. As Myhill advanced, the Frenchman teased the hapless keeper, dragging the ball round him before stroking it into the bottom corner.
Malouda, a midfielder renascent under Scolari's management, lent a flattering air to the scoreline when, arguably offside, he stretched out a boot and diverted Carvalho's cross beyond Myhill. "We caused them plenty of problems in the first half but we didn't bring our best game to the table," lamented Brown, whose spirited side will surely bounce back from this. "Chelsea are very good, though."
How they comparePrice of average terrace house
Hull: £88,215
Chelsea: £2,033,000
Main span of landmark bridge
Hull: 1410m
Chelsea: 107m
Nightlife
Hull: The cheap and cheerful Spiders is popular, thanks to its alternative music and relaxed attitude, and does a roaring trade in "parntsa larga"
Chelsea: Princes William and Harry have enjoyed many a night in London's most exclusive club, Boujis. Tipple of choice is the vodka chocolate martini
Rugby league clubs in borough
Hull: 2
Chelsea: 0
Celebrity Spotting
Hull: Daniel Bryan came third in Big Brother 2004. Pop groups Everything But the Girl and The Housemartins were founded there. Philip Larkin lived in the city, as does Norman Collier, master of the faulty microphone gag and chicken impersonator nonpareil
Chelsea: The Rolling Stones, Margaret Thatcher, Bob Marley, Freddie Mercury and Oscar Wilde all called Chelsea home. Artists and prime ministers have made way for a who's who of the haves and have yachts
Most expensive signing
Hull: Anthony Gardner £2.5m
Chelsea: Andriy Shevchenko £30m
League position October 30 1998
Hull: Twenty-fourth in Division Three: 92nd overall
Chelsea: Sixth in Premier League: Sixth overall (out of 92)
Pre-match banter
Hull: "Summatup wi' yer peas, pal? Stop mernin'. Tha'll get nowt else from us tonight"
Chelsea: "Delicious fish and chips but the guacamole was ghastly"
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Mail:
Hull 0 Chelsea 3: Lampard chips in as the Blues tough it out
By NEIL ASHTONWith Chelsea boasting five nominees for the world player of the year, Frank Lampard celebrated with an effort worthy of the award itself.Cristiano Ronaldo will eventually be crowned king, but perhaps this is the year when Lampard's fellow professionals vote the midfielder PFA player of the year for the first time in his exceptional career.
Chelsea were brisk and business-like, with Lampard the brainchild behind this systematic demolition of Phil Brown's ambitious team. Lampard's drifted effort, clipped off the laces of his left boot after just three minutes, was exhilarating as well as exquisite, stunning in its execution and a statement of intent from a team beaten at Stamford Bridge for the first time in 86 attempts last weekend.They were hurting, stung by the way Xabi Alonso's deflected effort for Liverpool knocked them off their perch at the top of the Barclays Premier League. What a response. Lampard is 99 league goals not out, scored during spells with Swansea (on loan), West Ham and Chelsea. The century could well be secured against Sunderland on Saturday.Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari said: 'It is the best goal I have seen in my football career. Only Lampard could score that goal. He is an intelligent player. Every game you know how he will play. He is never tired. 'I don't see any player as good as Frank. It is fantastic for a coach to have a player like him. My vote for world player is for Frank.'Scolari has warmed to Lampard, but the team scored two more, when Nicolas Anelka pounced on a defensive mistake in the 50th minute and then a third, ultimately dispatched with embarrassing ease by the outstretched leg of Florent Malouda.
This was a different Chelsea, relying on resilience and some of the more praiseworthy habits this team picked up under Jose Mourinho to match Hull for commitment and courage.They returned to London with casualties, notably Ricardo Carvalho after he left the field with a thigh strain after a gritty battle with Marlon King and Daniel Cousin. Scolari's side set about them, getting in their faces and preparing for hand-to-hand combat against a team with top order ambitions of their own.
They were ruthless. It had to be that way, especially whenever Cousin or Geovanni were involved. Cousin's shot beat Petr Cech for pace, rebounding off the base of the post and then Geovanni teed up a free kick from 35 yards that forced Cech to fist the ball away for a corner.
It was cup-tie stuff, back to the good, old days when Lampard and Terry would tear off their shirts at the final whistle and thump their chests in front of the travelling supporters. They were prepared for the onslaught, with Hull piling bodies forward in search of an equaliser. Cavalier perhaps, but captivating all the same.'There was a gulf at times,' admitted Tigers boss Phil Brown. 'It might look like a drubbing, but we have two days now to prepare for Old Trafford and I have told the lads that if anyone doesn't think we can get anything there they should not bother coming in.'Great stuff from the Hull manager, clearly irritable after the team's first defeat since August. Chelsea came prepared, with lessons learned from last Sunday's defeat against Liverpool. Perhaps they needed some steel, a spine to complement the unquestionable skill that is found in every area of this super-strength team.
They finished them off when Anelka took advantage of an uncharacteristic mistake between Michael Turner and Kamil Zayatte, Hull's central defensive pairing, to score a second in the 50th minute.They hesitated, allowing Anelka to dispossess Boaz Myhill on the edge of the area to make certain of all three points for Chelsea when he clipped the ball into an empty net. 'The second goal was Myhill's mistake,' added Brown. 'He has made his apologies in the dressing room, but that is too late for me.'Brown wants qualification for Europe in their first season and a top eight finish to underline his burgeoning reputation. Instead, they fell apart after Anelka's strike. Hull encouraged Chelsea to attack, allowing Carvalho to play a neat pass down the left, sending a curved ball into the path of Malouda and the Chelsea winger scored from close range.
A classy finish. Just not world class.

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Sun:
From ANTONY KASTRINAKIS at KC Stadium CLASS wins titles and Frank Lampard has it in abundance.
The way the England ace set up Chelsea’s triumph last night took your breath away.
Lampard’s third-minute opener was straight out of the Samba stylebook — and one that left his Brazilian boss Big Phil Scolari hailing him as the world’s best player.
Picking up a loose ball on the edge of the box, Lamps mesmerised Bo Myhill with a left-foot chip that nestled in at the far post.
It capped a great night for the Blues midfielder, who was named as one of the contenders for world player of the year along with team-mates John Terry, Deco, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba.
Lampard, 30, who was runner-up for the prestigious gong in 2005, showed last night why he is still one of the world’s finest.
Scolari said: “My vote for World Player of the Year is for Frank. Only he could score that goal.
“It’s one of the best goals I’ve seen. There’s only one player with this quality to score that goal.
“To have that intelligence to see the goalkeeper and to finish like that, I think it’s one of the best I’ve seen in my football career.
“He’s an intelligent player. I don’t see any player the same as Frank — it’s a fantastic for a coach to have a player like him.”
Yet Lamps — and Chelsea — have another vital ingredient for success. Character. Just three days after their devastating loss to Liverpool they showed plenty of that, too.
High-flying Hull were meant to be no pushovers and gave Chelsea a run for their money for 50 minutes.
It was then that keeper Myhill’s clanger ended the contest. For some reason, he tried to head the ball ahead of Kamil Zayatte but completely missed it allowing Nicolas Anelka to steal in and score.
The Tigers were finally tamed and it was no surprise when Florent Malouda put the gloss on an emphatic display 15 minutes from time, tapping home Ricardo Carvalho’s square ball.
Scolari said: “After the defeat against Liverpool we had a good response. Now we have to try to put great pressure on other clubs.
“I like Hull, they’re difficult to beat. But after we scored in the third minute it was difficult for them.”
Yet Hull have plenty of reasons to smile. Just 12 months ago there was a huge gulf between them and Chelsea — Hull were 18th in the Championship while the Blues were second in the top flight.
Chelsea had also mauled them 4-0 in the Carling Cup. This time round, Hull kicked off level on points with their illustrious rivals — and gave as good as they got until Myhill’s clanger.
Phil Brown’s side are riding on the crest of a wave and Chelsea arrived a wounded animal after losing their 86-game unbeaten home league record to Rafa Benitez’s men.
Tigers boss Brown said: “There was a gulf at times, 3-0 might look like a drubbing but if we’d minimised the mistakes and maximised the performance it might have been different.
“We needed to bring our best games to the table and cut out mistakes and we didn’t do that.”
Lampard’s brilliant strike was the first goal Hull had conceded in five hours and 12 minutes. And they tried to react when Michael Turner headed Andy Dawson’s corner just over.
Joe Cole could have made it two on 12 minutes but volleyed straight at Myhill then Lamps had a try from 40 yards with a free-kick but it fizzed wide.
The Tigers showed their teeth though. Striker Daniel Cousin should have put them level after 22 minutes when he turned Terry and struck Petr Cech’s upright.
Brazilian hotshot Geovanni then had a blast from fully 45 yards that Cech pushed away for a corner.
But five minutes after the restart Myhill’s howler allowed Anelka to score into an empty net, putting Chelsea firmly in command.
Brown added: “Bo’s made his apologies in the dressing room but apologies are too late for me.
“We’ve got two days now to prepare for going to Old Trafford and I’ve told the lads that if they think we can’t get anything there they shouldn’t bother coming in.”
Chelsea’s injury woes struck again, though, with Scolari set to miss Carvalho for three weeks with what seemed a hamstring problem.
And Joe Cole, just back from a three-week lay-off with an ankle problem, limped off early in the second half as he felt a twinge.
Scolari added: “I don’t know the situation with Ricardo but it could be a minimum of three weeks. Joe maybe felt something with his ankle.”
The last word should be about Lamps and no-one put it better than Brown who said: “He’s a bloody good player isn’t he! End of story.”
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Mirror:
Hull City 0-3 Chelsea Chelsea put high-flying Hull in their place to get back to winning ways in the Barclays Premier League tonight.
Hull had gone into the game at the KC Stadium trailing the Blues only on goal difference but a stunning strike from Frank Lampard after just two minutes established superiority.
The Tigers hit the post through Daniel Cousin but Nicolas Anelka pounced on a mistake and Florent Malouda struck from close range to settle the contest.
It was the perfect response from Chelsea after suffering a first defeat of the season at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday.
Hull, who had won their previous four games, battled hard but in the end were well beaten by a Chelsea side whose extra class was evident.
Home boss Phil Brown had named the same side for the fifth game in succession but their soaring confidence ultimately counted for little has Chelsea handed them a reality check.
Chelsea, lifted by the return of Joe Cole, were soon into their stride as Lampard gave them an early lead with a delicate left-footed chip which oozed class.
The England midfielder displayed perfect technique to clip over the stranded Boaz Myhill after Paul McShane had dispossessed Florent Malouda but failed to clear.
It was his 99th career league goal and lifted the Blues after the shock of the Liverpool loss.
Hull, after conceding for the first time in four games, tried to respond through Geovanni but the Brazilian was denied a free-kick after running into Ricardo Carvalho.
Lampard tried his luck again with a shot from a free-kick 30 yards out but could not find the target.
Marlon King looked to have Hull's first real chance but was flagged offside as he shot at Petr Cech.
Yet the hosts were inches away from an equaliser after 22 minutes as Cousin's low shot from 20 yards took a slight deflection and beat Cech, only to bounce back off the post.
Geovanni also tested Cech with a long-range free-kick but the Chelsea goalkeeper beat the ball away after it bounced awkwardly in front of him.
Hull were then forced to sit back for a spell and survived a scare as Malouda found room to shoot but fired over.
Anelka went even closer with a ferocious drive just before the break but Myhill did brilliantly to tip over.
Cech was also in action again, keeping out another Geovanni free-kick and a King header.
Chelsea doubled their lead in the 50th minute as Anelka capitalised on uncertainty in the home defence.
Michael Turner and Kamil Zayatte, so impressive in recent weeks, switched off as they allowed a ball to bounce between them.
Myhill came forward to gather but was caught in two minds as he reached the edge of the area and Anelka nipped past him to turn the ball home.
Malouda should have added a third moments later but blasted over.
The Frenchman, however, made up for his earlier misses as he reacted first to stab home a Carvalho cross from close range after 75 minutes.
There was no way back for Hull but Brown gave the home fans something to cheer when he introduced local hero Dean Windass for only the second time this season late on.
Another Hull substitute, Richard Garcia, headed a late chance wide from a corner but there was to be no consolation. Nevertheless, the Tigers have still enjoyed a fine introduction to the top flight.
Their initiation will continue on Saturday when they travel to Manchester United.
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Express:
TIGERS BROUGHT BACK DOWN TO EARTH
Chelsea put high-flying Hull in their place to get back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 triumph.
Hull had gone into the game at the KC Stadium trailing the Blues only on goal difference but a stunning strike from Frank Lampard after just two minutes established superiority.
The Tigers hit the post through Daniel Cousin but Nicolas Anelka pounced on a mistake and Florent Malouda struck from close range to settle the contest.
It was the perfect response from Chelsea after suffering a first defeat of the season at the hands of Liverpool on Sunday.
Hull, who had won their previous four games, battled hard but in the end were well beaten by a Chelsea side whose extra class was evident.
Chelsea, lifted by the return of Joe Cole, were soon into their stride as Lampard gave them an early lead with a delicate left-footed chip which oozed class.
The England midfielder displayed perfect technique to clip over the stranded Boaz Myhill after Paul McShane had dispossessed Malouda but failed to clear.
The hosts were inches away from an equaliser after 22 minutes as Cousin's low shot from 20 yards took a slight deflection and beat Petr Cech, only to bounce back off the post.
Chelsea doubled their lead in the 50th minute as Anelka capitalised on uncertainty in the home defence to nip past Micheal Turner and Kamil Zayatte and turn the ball home past Myhill.
And Malouda made up for some earlier misses as he reacted first to stab home a Carvalho cross from close range after 75 minutes.
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