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Wolves 1 Chelsea 0:

Ancelotti future in grave doubt after Bosingwa own goal inflicts yet more damage to title defence
By Neil Moxley


Clad from tip to toe in black, Carlo Ancelotti had obviously dressed for the occasion.
Save for a very dark blue shirt and matching tie, the Italian's sombre attire reflected Chelsea's mood as the champions of English football trudged dejectedly away from a tumultuous Molineux. The colour of his clothing may be symbolic, too, as the Italian's weakening grasp on his job matched that of his side's hold on their Barclays Premier League crown.Never mind beating Manchester United in March. Defeating a Wolves team that was bottom of the pile proved beyond Ancelotti and his increasingly disillusioned bunch, who look anything like title contenders.Short of confidence, lacking in defence and attack, there was none of the swagger that has been the trademark of Chelsea sides of the past.Passes went astray, chances were missed and offered up more in keeping with teams in relegation trouble. And now it just remains to be seen just how long and how deep the slump is.
The title has surely been conceded.
Nine points behind leaders United, who have a game in hand, and Sir Alex Ferguson would have enjoyed his claret last night as the final score filtered through.Not that Wolves didn't deserve it. Given the fillip of Jose Bosingwa's fifth-minute own goal after defending at a corner that would have embarrassed schoolboys, Mick McCarthy's side chased down these points as a starving dog would trail a juicy bone.Ancelotti trotted out the normal platitudes. Yes, he was convinced about the character of the players. Yes, he thought that quality would shine through.But as must be pointed out, after one victory in nine and 10 points from the last 11 games, it looks as though the only place it is being demonstrated is on the training fields at Cobham. This is the club's worst run since 1995-96.
Why, Chelsea's boss even guaranteed this victory in the pre-match build-up. He looked a little sheepish after the final whistle. McCarthy wore a wry smile. 'I did mention it,' he said when quizzed.'I made a mistake,' said Ancelotti, 'but I did say that. I said it because I know this team very well. I don't see there is a problem in this squad. They are working hard with a good spirit but I think it's not enough. We have to maintain confidence.'I'm sure that this moment will change and we will be able to fight for everything. But it's not a good season. We can still fight for a lot of things . . . it's difficult to come back in the Premier League. But we still have the FA Cup and the Champions League.'Asked about his own situation he added: 'What can I say? I would be surprised (to be sacked) but it is not my decision. I hope I can continue in this job because I'd like to stay here because I have a good relationship with the players and the club.'For the visitors, it was a similar defeat to that suffered in November at St Andrew's. At least, the scoreline was similar.
There were chances. At least three in the second half that, when the confidence is flowing and finishing is instinctive rather than considered, would have been put away.But Wolves keeper Wayne Hennessey only really enjoyed one hairy moment towards the end of the first half, fortunately sticking out his right boot to deflect a slowly rolling ball around the post.Three opportunities - good ones - came and went as two one-onones ended with shots being screwed wide. Didier Drogba smacked a post with the other.It took more than a regulation stop from Cech as early as the fourth minute to prevent Ronald Zubar, Wolves' right back, finding the net with a 30-yard drive off his less favoured left foot.
The defender controlled Branislav Ivanovic's header clear from a weak corner before swinging a shot that took a deflection and forced Chelsea's keeper to push the ball for another corner.If that was slack, what followed was even worse. Hunt's corner kick carried just about enough strength to reach the near post. Somehow it evaded Ashley Cole, who appeared to jump out of the ball's way.It bounced before deflecting into the net off the knee of Bosingwa, no more than a yard from goal. McCarthy was scarcely able to believe his luck.'Look, we are more than likely only going to have 10 really good days in a season,' said the Wolves boss. 'The rest of the time we are going to have to put up with feeling absolutely rubbish in the morning. So let's enjoy this. It was a fantastic effort and fantastic result for us. John Terry said we shouldn't be in the bottom three as we were coming off and I happen to agree with him.'But let's have it right. We go to Manchester City next. That should be a piece of cake, shouldn't it?'

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Sun:

Wolves 1 Chelsea 0
By DEAN SCOGGINS

CARLO ANCELOTTI'S cocky statement Chelsea would WIN at Wolves backfired as the champions' title hopes went up in smoke.

Jose Bosingwa's early own goal sent the Blues to a woeful defeat against Mick McCarthy's side, who were bottom at kick-off.
Italian boss Ancelotti said before this match: "We will not lose. We will win. There's no more pressure on me."
Well, Rafa Benitez once guaranteed a fourth-place finish at Liverpool just over a year ago - and we all know what happened to him.
Ancelotti is now hanging on by a thread, after all, his predecessors were sacked with better records.
Chelsea are bottom of the form table and have won only once in nine games. Hardly the stuff of champions.
What on earth did they do in sacking Ray Wilkins?
The last time Chelsea triumphed away from home was at Blackburn in October - 10 days before No 2 Wilkins' shock axe - and they are nine points behind Manchester United having played a game more.
But perhaps more relevant now, they are three points behind Spurs who occupy the fourth spot.
It is not only the fact they lost to Wolves that will worry owner Roman Abramovich and the Chelsea fans but the manner in which they went down.
Wolves were hungrier, worked harder and showed more togetherness than a side that looked like they would swagger their way to another title earlier in the season.
Frank Lampard was anonymous, John Terry wasteful in possession, Ashley Cole awful and Didier Drogba outmuscled.
And as for Ramires, Brazil must be struggling in midfield for him to get capped.
But credit must go to Wolves who did exactly what was required.
Home fans have been used to seeing early goals - usually against their team. This time McCarthy's side were rewarded for their frenetic start.
Right-back Ronald Zubar, who bounced back from an own-goal last week in impressive fashion, bounded forward on to Terry's headed clearance and brought a fantastic save from Petr Cech.
The Chelsea keeper was wrong-footed by a slight deflection off Ramires but managed to push round the post to his left.
But from the corner, Wolves led - and both Chelsea full-backs were hanging their heads.
Cole missed Stephen Hunt's low corner to the near post and as Cech could only watch on, Bosingwa poked into his own net under pressure from Steven Fletcher.
Chelsea were all over the place, the body language was terrible and Wolves were winning all the one-to-ones.
Kevin Doyle, who never stopped running, then fired at Cech after the seemingly possessed Zubar robbed Cole of possession.
Keeper Wayne Hennessey was the next Wolves player to excel. Florent Malouda crossed low and Salomon Kalou poked an effort at goal from six yards.
The Wales No 1 was heading across goal but somehow managed to stick out a leg to deflect it wide.
Blues skipper Terry was very fortunate to avoid a card for shoving Hunt on the back of the neck as he held up play by carrying the ball in hand after a foul.
Chelsea were out at least three minutes before Wolves for the second half - obviously after some harsh words from Ancelotti.
Michael Essien fired over from 30 yards before Kalou brought a comfortable save from Hennessey.
And on 53 minutes, Kalou should have levelled.
Lampard's back-heel split the Wolves defence but the Ivorian striker fired across goal.
Drogba did hit a post just after the hour as Chelsea upped the tempo. But Wolves then hit the woodwork themselves with Hunt's whipped free-kick.
Wolves looked dangerous on the break while Chelsea failed to break them down.
Drogba's free-kick that hit feet in the wall in added time summed up Chelsea.
Wolves, however, epitomised their boss - stubborn, hard working and with quality to back it up. And their first Prem win over the Blues lifted them out of the drop zone.
Ancelotti stood waving his hands on the touchline wearing what looked like an undertaker's jacket.
Chelsea's title hopes can now rest in peace - or should that be 'in pieces'?

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Star:

BOSINGWA HAS ANCELOTTI CHOKING ON HIS WORDS

Wolves 1 - Chelsea 0

By Dave Armitage

COCKY Carlo Ancelotti must have been wishing he’d kept his mouth shut just minutes into this game.
The under-pressure Chelsea boss was in no doubt that his men would win this match and didn’t mind who knew about it.
So goodness knows what was going through Ancelotti’s mind after his ­out-of-form side did the unthinkable – conceded early on and lost against the basement boys.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich can only be thinking of one thing after such a nosedive in form for the Premier League champions.
The fact that the Blues were playing a Wolves side who had started the night at the very bottom of the table only heaped more pressure on Ancelotti.
The Italian tried to quell the storm ­raging around him by publicly ­declaring that Chelsea would see off Wolves.
But five minutes into the proceedings against a side rooted at the bottom of the table, he was left choking on his words.
The unthinkable, suddenly became ­reality and a Jose Bosingwa own goal in the fifth minute had his struggling ­champions on the back foot.
What a difference a couple of months can make.
When Chelsea beat Wolves 2-0 at ­Stamford Bridge back in October it gave Ancelotti’s men a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
But they were absolutely rocked on their heels right at the beginning of this must-win match when Bosingwa ­ deflected the ball into his own net from a corner.
Chelsea were in a panic right from the very second Ronald Zubar decided to take a pot-shot from 25 yards.
He ripped it towards goal and Petr Cech did well to go full length to his left to tip Zubar’s scorcher around the post for a corner.
That was only the start of their ­troubles as Stephen Hunt whipped an ­inswinging corner towards the foot of the post. ­
Ashley Cole missed it as it bounced no more than a yard out and as Stephen Fletcher moved in to pounce, Bosingwa intervened.
Unfortunately for him, he only managed to shin it into the net and though Fletcher peeled away with arms raised, replays showed that he hadn’t got a touch.
Wolves weren’t bothered about the finer points of who actually scored, the goal had given them a dream start against a side with good reason to be experiencing a crisis of confidence.
They might be champions but their form is anything but – and a haul of just 10 points from the previous possible 30 available has completely undermined their title hopes.
Just one win in eight had seen them slip out of the top four and Wolves boss Mick McCarthy didn’t need to tell his side that there might never be a better time to put them to the sword.
McCarthy’s men had already enjoyed some success against bigger sides in the Premier League having grabbed wins against Manchester City and Liverpool.
Despite Ancelotti’s cocky pre-match prediction that his side would win, the Wolves boss had told his squad that the Londoners would be nervy – and how right he was.
Chelsea tried to hit back immediately after Wolves’ goal, Didier Drogba tracing his way across ­the length of the 18-yard box in his efforts to get a shot in.
Eventually he found the gap he needed but Dave Edwards dived in to the rescue with a superb block.
In the 10th minute, Ramires had a strong appeal for a penalty after tumbling in a challenge with Hunt, but referee Mark Halsey waved them aside and gave a foul in the home side’s favour. Then it was Cech in action again, ­making a fairly ­routine save to stop a 20-yard angled drive from Kevin Doyle.
Chelsea were unlucky not to get ­themselves level on the half hour when only keeper Wayne ­Hennessey’s studs saved the day.
Florent Malouda cut Wolves open with an incisive cross across the box which was met by Salomon Kalou who dived to reach it.
He sent the keeper the wrong way with his shot but the Wales international ­managed to re-adjust, sticking out his foot to get a crucial faint touch which stopped it going in.
Chelsea’s urgency to get back on level terms was plain for all to see and ­Hennessey was forced to save low down soon after half-time when Ashley Cole sent in a low shot from the left.
Wolves had a real let off in the 53rd minute when Frank Lampard split them open with the deftest of back heels which sent Kalou clear.
Kalou managed to take Hennessey out of the equation but, unforgivably, he sliced it wide of the target and a great ­opportunity ended up being wasted.
Chelsea were pressing hard as Wolves struggled to maintain any sort of decisive possession and the warning signs were there for an equaliser.
Kalou had ­another attempt at goal in the 53rd minute, meeting Bosingwa’s cross but failing to get enough power behind his header and, again, Hennessey was ­allowed to make a routine save.
But the more Wolves found themselves under pressure, the more Chelsea risked being hit on the counter-attack.
Nonetheless, Drogba gave them another scare when he hit the foot of the post with a shot on the turn in the 68th minute.


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Guardian:

Chelsea bottom out at Wolves after José Bosingwa calamity

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Chelsea 0
Stuart James at Molineux

Carlo Ancelotti claimed he was "lucky" to still be in a job before this game but good fortune only lasts so long. The Chelsea manager was left clinging on to his position after his side suffered a humiliating defeat that exposed the brittle confidence within their ranks and the alarming depths to which the champions have fallen. Nine points behind Manchester United and having played a game more, their title challenge looks to be over.
Ancelotti stated beforehand that Chelsea "will win" but there was no sign of that belief in his players on a sobering night for the visitors. The Italian barely had time to get acquainted with the touchline area where he spent most of the evening looking a lonely and dejected figure when José Bosingwa put through his own net. Chelsea had 84 minutes to turn the game around but there was no reprieve for Ancelotti or his beleaguered players.
They have now won one out of nine in the league and collected 10 points from their past 11 games, a run of form that would normally be associated with a club in a relegation battle and represents their poorest sequence of results since the 1995-96 season. This fixture, against a team that started the day bottom of the league, was viewed as the ideal opportunity for Chelsea to turn their season around. Instead it merely served to emphasise just how deep-rooted the malaise is at the club.
Chelsea were not without their chances but the ruthless touch in front of goal was badly missing. Salomon Kalou, who had earlier been denied by an instinctive save from Wayne Hennessey, should have scored when he was one-on-one with the Wolves goalkeeper in the second half but dragged his shot beyond the far post. Didier Drogba later struck the foot of the upright and Florent Malouda wasted a wonderful chance when he speared wide.
Yet this was no Chelsea hard-luck story. Afterwards Ancelotti's players were queuing up to tell Mick McCarthy, the Wolves manager, how well the home team had played. "Drogba said: 'Well done, you deserved it, you were better than us,'" McCarthy said afterwards. "[John] Terry said we were as good as anyone they've played home and away and shouldn't be where we are – but I don't think he knew we were out of the bottom three."
Wolves' breakthrough arrived inside six minutes and it was a shambolic way for Chelsea to go behind. Having seen Petr Cech make a splendid save to turn Ronald Zubar's 35-yard shot behind, Ancelotti looked on in disbelief as his side conceded in farcical circumstances from the corner that followed. Ashley Cole failed to cut out Stephen Hunt's inswinging kick at the near post and the ball bounced off Bosingwa's left shin and into the net.
It was a calamitous start and one that Chelsea struggled to recover from during a first half when Wolves spent long periods defending but rarely looked in serious trouble of conceding an equaliser. The visitors had no shortage of possession but it was a measure of their lack of penetration in and around the Wolves penalty area that Hennessey had only one notable save to make before the interval.
That pattern changed for a period after the restart as Chelsea began to pin Wolves back and cut through them. The best of their opportunities fell to Kalou in the 53rd minute but the Ivorian, set free by Frank Lampard's exquisite backheel, clipped the ball past the advancing Hennessey and wide. Kalou was withdrawn not long afterwards and it was no surprise that the hugely disappointing Ramires soon joined him on the substitutes' bench.
There were certainly no passengers in the Wolves team. McCarthy's players worked tirelessly, pressing Chelsea all over the pitch and chasing lost causes. "Their effort and endeavour is always there," said McCarthy. "They don't leave a drop on the pitch and I'm hugely thankful and proud of that. Sometimes there's a lack of quality and they make mistakes, but so do I. What they give me is fabulous."
The result lifts Wolves out of the relegation zone and completes a bizarre festive period during which McCarthy's players have won at Anfield and beat the champions but lost to Wigan and West Ham. "We might go up and down like a fiddler's elbow but it is nice to be out [of the bottom three]," said McCarthy. "We're probably going to have 10 good days out of 38. The rest of the time I go home feeling shite." Ancelotti knows how he feels.


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Independent:

Clouds gather over Ancelotti as Wolves dig in for famous win

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 Chelsea 0
By Phil Shaw at Molineux

Chelsea's bleak midwinter entered an icy new depression here last night. "We will win," manager Carlo Ancelotti had promised – yet it was Wolves, who propped up the entire Premier League at kick off, who took the spoils, clinging to them for 85 minutes after Jose Bosingwa's unwitting own goal.
This latest catastrophe for last season's Double winners effectively ended their title challenge. After taking just 10 points from 11 matches – their worst run since 1995-96 – Chelsea stand nine adrift of Manchester United and have played a game more. Sunderland, whose victory at Aston Villa helped Wolves out of the relegation zone, lie only two points behind Chelsea, threatening the top-four spot they have long taken for granted.
Afterwards, Ancelotti insisted "nothing is lost" at this stage, though he added grimly:
"Obviously it is going to be difficult to come back in the League, but there's still the Champions' League and FA Cup. We have to keep fighting but the gap is not so good."
Asked whether he would be surprised if he was sacked, the Italian replied: "Yes. But it's not my decision. I hope I can continue in the job. I have a good relationship with the players and they have the skill and character to move on."
As for his rash prediction, Ancelotti shrugged and conceded: "I did a mistake." His Wolves counterpart Mick McCarthy admitted he "did mention it" in his pre-match talk. He added: "We'll probably have only 10 good days out of 38 in a season. The rest of the time we have to put up with feeling bad."
McCarthy, who had to separate Didier Drogba from Chelsea bête noire Stephen Hunt at the final whistle, also savoured an unexpected compliment from the losers. "John Terry told me, 'You're as good a team as we've played all season and you shouldn't be where you are'. I don't think he knew we were out of the bottom three!"
The goal arrived before Chelsea could show the renewed vigour Ancelotti detected against Villa and Bolton. Petr Cech had already been forced to make a desperate save from a long, swerving drive by Ronald Zubar. From the corner, driven low to the near post by Hunt, Steven Fletcher flicked the ball on, whereupon it hit Bosingwa on the shins and shot into the net.
Hunt's role added to the chagrin of Chelsea's followers. Their booing indicated they have not forgiven the Irishman for his involvement in the incident at Reading which resulted in Cech sustaining a serious head injury in 2006. Nor, it seemed, had Terry. After Hunt was penalised in the first half, he picked the ball up as he protested his innocence to referee Mark Halsey. The Chelsea captain, never to be outdone in the petulance stakes, grabbed at the scruff of Hunt's neck before Mr Halsey called them together for a ticking off.
For Wolves, the challenge once they had scored was to keep a clean sheet, which they had managed only twice previously. However, Birmingham had also struck early against Chelsea, holding on to win 1-0 in November, and the contest swiftly began to resemble the one at St Andrew's, the visitors piling forward and the home crowd cheering every tackle and clearance.
As the pressure intensified, Salomon Kalou came close to an equaliser midway through the first half when he connected with Florent Malouda's cross at the near post. Wayne Hennessey somehow kept the ball out with an outstretched foot.
Hennessey, like Ben Foster at Birmingham, appeared inspired by the task of defying Chelsea, who resumed their territorial dominance after the break. In the 53rd minute a one-two between Kalou and Frank Lampard led to the England player playing in his team-mate with a back-heeled pass. Faced by the onrushing keeper, Kalou angled his shot narrowly wide.
Drogba's contribution to Ancelotti's cause had not been conspicuous, but in the 66th minute he turned sharply and beat Hennessey from 10 yards. To Wolves' relief, the ball struck the base off the post.
Chelsea's anguish would have been deeper still had Hunt scored, and it almost happened in the 70th minute. This time, as his 20-yard free-kick smacked the angle of post and bar, the woodwork rescued Cech. Whether Ancelotti can save himself remains to be seen. It appears Roman Abramovich will either have to back him, funding some big spending in the transfer market, or send him the way of Jose Mourinho and Big Phil Scolari.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (4-4-2): Hennessey; Zubar, Stearman, Berra, Elokobi; Hunt, Foley, Edwards, Jarvis; Doyle (Ward, 70), Fletcher (Ebanks-Blake, 69, Milijas, 82). Substitutes not used Hahnemann (gk), Jones, Batth, Doherty.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole; Ramires (Sturridge, 72), Essien, Lampard; Kalou (Anelka, 66), Drogba, Malouda (Kakuta, 79). Substitutes not used Turnbull (gk), Ferreira, Bruma, McEachran.

Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
Match rating 7/10.
Man of the match Hunt.
Attendance 26,432.

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