cardiff 4-1

Sunday Times

Didier Drogba kick-starts Chelsea to victory
Chelsea 4 Cardiff 1
Jonathan Northcroft

OF ONE Cole, too much is exposed. Of another, not enough is being seen. Nude footage of Ashley Cole was sent to the phone of a glamour model and he is unable to explain how it got there but another mystery at Chelsea is: what is happening with Joe Cole?
Since he returned from a knee injury in September, Cole’s form has been bland and rivals for the attacking slot in Carlo Ancelotti’s midfield diamond — Florent Malouda and Deco — have experienced renaissances. Here, given only his 16th start of the season, Cole was deemed such a liability he was replaced at half-time.
Among Cole’s low points was the moment when he came at Peter Whittingham, performing step-overs with an overeagerness that made him resemble a comedian doing an absurd Cristiano Ronaldo pastiche. Whittingham, almost wearily, relieved Cole of the ball. It was 1-1 at half-time and without Cole, Chelsea won the second half 3-0. Cole’s travails are not only ill-timed from an England point of view but for his own sake: his contract expires in June and talks on a new deal have stalled. AC Milan are said to be interested but their rivals, Internazionale, will be sanguine if, in this form, Cole is given any game time at the San Siro on Wednesday week.
Ray Wilkins, Ancelotti’s assistant, confirmed Cole’s substitution was “a tactical thing”. He tried to put a gloss on it. “When you’ve had as long a layoff as Joe did it takes time to get into tip-top form. Joe will get there. I’m not worried and not surprised,” Wilkins said.
Yesterday was less of a struggle for Cole’s colleagues. Cardiff were competitive, feisty in the tackle, disciplined in their shape, and not afraid to commit themselves. “I wanted to come here and have a go,” said Dave Jones, their manager. His captain, Jay Bothroyd, led his line staunchly despite — like midfielder Gavin Rae — requiring an injection to play. His other striker, Michael Chopra, scored a trademark close-range goal to equalise a strike after just 116 seconds from the indomitable Didier Drogba. But overall, the cup holders were capable of a different level of performance to their challengers from the Championship and Ancelotti’s diamond was dominant. Michael Ballack scored at the start of the second period, Salomon Kalou at the end and in the middle came a goal from Daniel Sturridge, the youngster’s fourth in three FA Cup games.
Initially it seemed the tie might be decided on the basis of which team’s defensive failings would be exposed most. Chelsea’s vulnerability to the crossed ball was evident when, after 34 minutes, Chris Burke centred and Chopra stole away from Alex to glance a header past Hilario. Alex had already had to clear off the line from Rae and a free kick, delivered by what Wilkins called Whittingham’s “Premiership left foot” saw Anthony Gerrard shake off markers to threaten with a header. From the corner, Chelsea were in disarray again and Chopra almost scored.
Cardiff’s bad defending proved costlier, however. “I don’t know why we try to play offside, haven’t got a clue,” Jones moaned, making it clear his back four’s lame attempts to catch out Drogba were not his idea. The first time Cardiff were caught, Drogba ran on to Jon Obi Mikel’s pass and volleyed past David Marshall. The second occasion led to Ballack’s goal from Drogba’s pass.
Drogba was also involved when Sturridge scored, sucking in two defenders and muscling the ball back in Sturridge’s direction when his partner played a give-and-go before nutmegging Marshall. Kalou’s goal was a fine header from 12 yards.
Wilkins said John Terry would return to training early this week, having flown to Dubai to patch up his marriage. In the programme Terry thanked Chelsea fans for supporting him “after everything that had happened over the previous weeks” and apologised for being at fault for both Everton’s goals in Chelsea’s defeat. “I’m big enough to admit responsibility,” Terry wrote. He is central to Chelsea and England: Cole has drifted towards the margins.

Chelsea: Hilario 6, Ferreira 7, Alex 6, Carvalho 6, Zhirkov 6, Ballack 7, Mikel 7, Lampard, J Cole 5 (Kalou h-t, 6), Drogba 8, Sturridge 7

Cardiff: Marshall 6, McNaughton 6, Gerrard 7, Gyepes 7, Kennedy 5, Burke 6 (McCormack 78min), Rae 5 (Blake 74min), Wildig 5 (Taiwo 90min), Whittingham 5, Chopra 6, Bothroyd 6

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Telegraph:
Chelsea 4 Cardiff City 1
Gerry Cox at Stamford Bridge

If proof were needed of the gulf in circumstances between these two sides, you only had to look at the banners and the fans in the stands during this FA Cup fifth-round clash.
While the noisy Cardiff City contingent that occupied the Shed End draped a flag proclaiming "Pontycymer Bluebirds", the silent suits in the million-pound boxes adjoining Roman Abramovich's had their own emblem - "Bermuda Blues".
But the 'Haves' did not have it all their own way against the 'Have-Nots', whatever the scoreline might suggest. Although it looked ultimately like a comfortable victory for Chelsea against a club who were almost bankrupted last week, Cardiff showed no paucity of grit or effort and for the best part of an hour threatened to upset the cup-holders.
Runners-up two years ago, almost wound up a week ago, Cardiff were up against it from the start, with key players out injured or playing with pain-killing injections. And when they fell a goal behind in the second minute, it looked like humiliation might ensue. But it did not, as Cardiff equalised through Michael Chopra and were unlucky not to go in ahead at half-time, which spoke volumes about the spirit in the side.
But it would be folly to think that Dave Jones' men have nothing but determination in their locker. The played some neat football and the deliveries brought about by the sweet left foot of Peter Whittingham ensured that Chelsea's back line, missing John Terry and Ashley Cole, were unsettled more than once as they attempted to extend a seven-year unbeaten run at home in this competition.
Michael Ballack's goal soon after half-time put Chelsea back in front, but it was not until the final quarter of the game that they eventually looked comfortable, with Daniel Sturridge scoring his fourth goal in the competition this season and Saloman Kalou adding a late fourth.
"Cardiff worked their socks off and made it hard for us," said Ray Wilkins, Carlo Ancelotti's assistant. "For an hour they gave us a tough old game, but we upped the tempo after and came through. But Dave's a good guy and you could see his players were playing for him."
Jones was not too downhearted. "It was a great achievement from my lads, who were absolutely magnificent. It was hard on them because the scoreline looks like a drubbing, but for over an hour we gave a good account of ourselves.
"In the end it was that little bit of quality - well, quite a lot of quality - from Chelsea that made the difference. Hopefully we will learn from it. You certainly don't come to a place like this, play like that and be downhearted."
Yet it would have been surprising if Cardiff had accepted their fate and caved in once Drogba scored his 23rd goal of the season, running on to John Obi Mikel's through pass in the second minute and slotting the ball past goalkeeper David Marshall.
But Cardff took the game to Chelsea. Defender Anthony Gerrard had a powerful header tipped away spectacularly by Hilario, replacing Petr Cech in goal, and from the resulting corner, Chopra should have done better than to put his header over the bar from close range.
Whittingham had a long shot deflected away before Chopra equalised for Cardiff, getting a diving header at the near post to convert Chris Burke's cross from the left in the 33rd minute.
At this stage, Chelsea were stuggling to find the target, with Ballack, Frank Lampard and Sturridge all shooting wide.
But five minutes into the second half, Drogba sent Ballack clear of the offside trap and the German placed the ball calmly past Marshall.
Still Cardiff refused to lie down, although they were pegged back in their own half and relying on quick breaks with balls to Chopra and Jay Bothroyd, who was clearly less than fully fit.
Sturridge finally added a third in the 69th minute after exchanging passes with Drogba and slipping the ball between Marshall's legs from close range.
And when Kalou headed high into the far corner from Paulo Ferreira's cross five minutes from the end it was all over. Cardiff were beaten - but not down.


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Observer:

Didier Drogba's brilliance helps Chelsea cruise past Cardiff City
Chelsea 4 : Drogba 2, Ballack 51, Sturridge 69, Kalou 86
Cardiff City 1 : Chopra 34

Amy Lawrence at Stamford Bridge

Not so long ago, Didier Drogba was the cartoon villain of Stamford Bridge. For anyone not of a Chelsea persuasion, the Ivory Coast striker's penchant for ­theatrics, for a strop, made him difficult to warm to. Now, certainly in the context of some of his less wholesome team-mates, he is nothing but admirable.
On the pitch, Drogba continues to deliver performances that defenders simply cannot contain. He was imperious here; scoring one, assisting two, and causing Cardiff an incurable headache.
He gave Chelsea the perfect start. It took 113 seconds, as Drogba advanced beyond a startled Cardiff defence to latch on to John Obi Mikel's ball over the top and, without breaking stride, lashed a volley beyond David Marshall. His 23rd goal of the season equalled Wayne Rooney's total in all competitions. Some race that is turning out to be.
The Cardiff manager, Dave Jones, did not have to be a tactical genius to ­recognise a way back was always ­possible via Chelsea's weak spot – the high ball. Anthony Gerrard and Michael ­Chopra had chances with headers before the contest tilted on its axis in the 33rd minute. Chris Burke jinked inside Yuri Zhirkov and delivered an arcing cross into the heart of the penalty area. Alex was caught daydreaming, for he stopped inexplicably, allowing Chopra the freedom to glance the equaliser past Hilario.
Frankly, the Brazilian defender may as well have been in Dubai for all the ­influence he had on the goal. It was no less than Cardiff deserved for a gutsy recovery from a dispiriting start.
Chelsea were able to call upon two internationals – Alex and Zhirkov – to cover for the absences of John Terry and Ashley Cole, but the two understudies were caught for the equaliser. It is not proving to be the happiest spell for ­England players from these parts. Another on Fabio Capello's radar, Joe Cole, has a struggle of his own as he endeavours to work his way back into form and favour. He was withdrawn at half-time after an ineffective display.
On Terry's part, he took a few moments before jetting off to thank the fans for their support in his programme notes, before holding his hands up about his part in the defeat at Everton, ­writing: "On a personal note, both ­Everton goals were my fault. I'm big enough to take ­responsibility for that." Taking ­responsibility for one's actions would not appear to be his specialist subject. Those queasy tabloid photographs of him canoodling by the swimming pool are not everyone's idea of contrition, but the result ensured he got away with it.
Jones was proud of his team's performance for an hour but conceded it was too much once Chelsea found their stride. "We got undone by the quality that came through for them," he said.
Chelsea recovered their lead five minutes into the second half. Salomon Kalou made an impression with a lay-off to Drogba, who hooked a superb pass through the Cardiff defence. Michael Ballack flicked past Marshall with steady composure.
The Drogba threat set up the third. As three Cardiff players were drawn towards the Chelsea hitman, the ball ­ricocheted to Daniel Sturridge, who was on hand to poke in his fourth FA Cup goal of the season. Then Kalou gave the scoreline some gloss with a fabulous header from Paulo Ferreira's whipped cross.
Drogba went on a mazy run late on and got his legs tangled. He tumbled to the floor, but there was not the slightest hint of an appeal or complaint. He really is the man of virtue for Chelsea.

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Independent:

Cole humiliated as Drogba routs Cardiff

Chelsea 4 Cardiff City 1:Half-time substitution hits midfielder's World Cup prospects but Ivorian's power carries Chelsea into quarter-finals
By Mark Fleming at Stamford Bridge

Being substituted at half-time is always a humbling experience for any player. But when you are an established England international, and your star-studded team is struggling against opposition from the division below, then the embarrassment is all the more acute.
Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, showed little mercy to Joe Cole when he replaced him with Salomon Kalou here yesterday. It was a bold decision but one that was fully supported by the evidence of the first 45 minutes, as Cole was awful. Although it came as a surprise, it was not a shock. His old manager Jose Mourinho would probably have hooked him after 20 minutes. Not the kind of thing to impress England coach Fabio Capello with the World Cup less than four months away.
Cole joined Ashley Cole and John Terry in a trio of England players missing, for varying reasons. Terry was in Dubai busy saying sorry to wife Toni for his infidelities. And he left behind him a message in the match day programme that contained two further apologies, for messing up for both goals in the midweek defeat at Everton, and for failing to acknowledge the Chelsea supporters at Goodison Park on Wednesday.
Terry wrote: "Both Everton goals were my fault. I'm big enough to take responsibility for that. Also, speaking to the lads afterwards, I know no one went over to our fans so, on behalf of everyone there, I apologise."
The message from his manager was very much, "Wish you were here." With Terry missing, along with Ashley Cole who will be absent for three months with a broken ankle, the Chelsea rearguard looked confused and hesitant in the first half. Terry was poor against Everton but his return to the club this week will certainly be a welcome one for Ancelotti.
In the absence of the captain, Didier Drogba rose to take up the role of team leader, even though it was Frank Lampard who wore the armband. Chelsea went ahead in only the second minute of the game, when John Obi Mikel played in Drogba and the Ivorian finished emphatically for his 23rd goal of the season. However, Cardiff rallied with bags of character and no little skill, and thoroughly deserved their equaliser.
Their goal, in the 34th minute, was the one occasion the Championship side were able to capitalise on the frailties at the heart of the Chelsea defence. The Cardiff winger Chris Burke delivered an impeccable ball between the Chelsea centre-backs and Michael Chopra made the most of the space afforded him by scoring with a stooping header. The 5,800 visiting fans massed in to the Shed Stand made the most of the moment.
Ancelotti responded during the break by replacing Cole with Kalou, and the impact was immediate. Chelsea's assistant manager, Ray Wilkins, afterwards described the decision as "tactical". "Joe was not injured," Wilkins said. "We have a squad full of quality and the manager will change this as he sees fit. When you have had a long lay-off with injury like Joe has it can be a shock to the system and it can take time to get back to top form."
The substitution, coupled with a few strong words from Ancelotti, turned the match in the FA Cup holders' favour. Drogba caused the Cardiff defence to have a collective panic attack every time he touched the ball, and not without reason. In the second half he stamped his authority on the game. It was his superb ball that set up Chelsea's second goal, for the excellent Michael Ballack who scored with typical assurance.
Drogba also made space for Daniel Sturridge to add a third goal on 69 minutes as Chelsea began to take a grip on the game, and Kalou rounded things off with a wonderful header into the top corner from a deep cross by Paulo Ferreira.
Dave Jones, the Cardiff manager, bemoaned the injustice of the scoreline. "It looks like it was a bit of a drubbing but it was far from that," he said. "We decided to come here and have a go, and we have worked our socks off. I thought it gave us a lot of credit when he [Ancelotti] brought on his big guns."

Attendance: 40,827
Referee: Andre Marriner
Man of the match: Drogba
Match rating: 7/10

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Mail:

Chelsea 4 Cardiff 1: Tough on City as Drogba tweaks the dragon's tail
By Ian Ridley

Exit the captain, enter a leader. John Terry decamped to Dubai to patch up his personal life and Frank Lampard led out Chelsea, but it was a towering performance from Didier Drogba that directed the FA Cup holders' march towards the arch of Wembley again.
Drogba, back from the Africa Cup of Nations with a double against Arsenal last weekend, scored his 23rd goal of the season to draw level with Wayne Rooney as the leading scorers in the English game.
As well as scoring and assisting in goals, he exuded an exemplary attitude and approach as the Blues ultimately overcame the Bluebirds for a seventh consecutive home win.
Injury-hit Cardiff had their moments, notably in equalising the Ivorian's goal through Michael Chopra before half-time, but the Premier League leaders' quality prevailed in the second half with goals by Michael Ballack, Daniel Sturridge - maintaining his record of scoring in every round - and Salomon Kalou.
'Cardiff worked their socks off and gave us a lot of problems in the first half,' said Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins, standing in for Carlo Ancelotti, who may not have wanted to endure questions about replacing the misfiring Joe Cole at half-time.
'But we upped the tempo in the second half and in the end it was comfortable. I thought the professionalism of Didier and Michael shone through and I would add Frank to that. They took it by the throat.' He dismissed talk of Cole's poor form, a worry for England manager Fabio Capello to add to the injury to Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole.
'After such a long lay-off, it's going to be a shock to Joe's system and it takes time to reach tip-top form,' said Wilkins. 'But he's working hard and we don't see any problems.'
Cardiff manager Dave Jones, who led his side to the final two years ago, was philosophical, his priority now promotion from the Championship with the next instalment at home to West Brom on Tuesday.
'It was hard on my team,' he said. 'The scoreline looks like a drubbing but we gave a good account of ourselves. We wanted to come here and have a go rather than shut up shop.'
His side got off to the worst possible start, conceding a goal in just one minute 50 seconds. For Chelsea, it was too easy. John Obi Mikel curled a ball forward into the inside right channel when Drogba's run went unchecked, with the Cardiff defence static. He simply strode on and buried the ball past David Marshall. The dragon's tail had been tweaked.
What would be the response? Surprisingly good. While Chelsea's supporters settled down for an afternoon of exhibition football and a goal glut, Cardiff had other ideas.
Chelsea looked especially vulnerable in the air early on. With Terry in the side at Everton in midweek they had looked dodgy. Without him they looked dodgier still.
Gabor Gyepes got in a header that was kicked away. Peter Whittingham's free-kick was met by Anthony Gerrard and Henrique Hilario had to make a flying save.
Then came the equaliser, Chelsea again found wanting in the air. Chris Burke sent in a cross from the left and Chopra escaped the labouring Alex and Ricardo Carvalho to glance home a header. It all left Lampard shaking his head at half-time. Having readjusted, with Cole - for all Wilkins' words, clearly not an Ancelotti favourite - replaced by Kalou for the second half, Chelsea quickly regained the lead. Drogba fed a ball inside Mark Kennedy and Ballack ran on to fire past Marshall.
Soon, Chelsea had all but sealed the game. Sturridge played a ball in to Drogba, the ball breaking off a defender back to Sturridge, who shot low through Marshall.
Kevin McNaughton curled a shot just wide as Cardiff made one last rally but Chelsea gilded their lily when Kalou was left alone on the penalty spot for a firm header home from Paulo Ferreira's cross.

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NOTW:
ANCELOTTI GIVES JOE THE COLE SHOULDER
Chelsea 4 Cardiff 1
Neil Ashton

THEY could easily come up with a cover story, hoodwinking the hordes and claiming injury after hooking Joe Cole at half-time.
"No, no - it was purely tactical," declared Chelsea's assistant manager Ray Wilkins, code in anybody's book for carrying the can.
Little wonder the little diamond left Stamford Bridge in a huff, a face like thunder after Chelsea flooded forward and cuffed Cardiff aside.
It was 1-1 when Carlo Ancelotti traded Cole for Salomon Kalou, a clean break after a disappointing spell out on the left of Chelsea's three-pronged strike-force.
He is the player Ancelotti simply cannot fathom, a free spirit but one he cannot find a place for in his first-choice team.
Time is running out for the midfielder, unsettled under Chelsea's Italian manager and fearing for his spot in Fabio Capello's World Cup party.
Little wonder after the post-match assessment of Ancelotti's assistant, left in little doubt that his career at Chelsea really is in danger.
There is anxiety over a new contract off the field and also the fear he will be the fall-guy whenever he is selected to start.
Four years ago, he scored the goal of the tournament against Sweden at the 2006 World Cup and yet his hopes of appearing in South Africa fade with every substitution.
He has been replaced nine times since he made his comeback against QPR in the Carling Cup last September, applauding supporters as he made his way towards the tunnel.
He didn't even get the chance against Cardiff, brutally brushed to one side by Ancelotti the moment they arrived in the changing rooms at half-time.
Cole did not re-emerge and yet a new-look Chelsea did, the first name in the perspex bowl for today's quarter-final draw.
They are on the charge again, eyeing up another trip to Wembley with another convincing victory.
The draws have been kind, with Watford, Preston North End and Cardiff the functional opponents standing in the way of progress.
Chelsea have a grip on this competition, the first winners at the new Wembley Stadium when Didier Drogba's goal in extra-time clinched victory over Manchester United in 2007.
The Chelsea striker is in ominous mood, almost rhythmic as he latched on to John Obi Mikel's through ball to score in the second minute.
He laid on two more after the break for Michael Ballack and Daniel Sturridge, underlining his importance to this team with an action-packed performance.
He has bagged 23 goals already this term and his clipped effort against Cardiff gave him the full set of Premier League (17), Champions League (3), Carling Cup (2) and FA Cup (1).
There will be many more to come as the Blues chase the game's top honours, feeding off his infectious enthusiasm.
Dare it be said he is a changed man, fully focused and in the frame to succeed Ryan Giggs as the PFA Player of the Year.
The personal awards can wait a little longer, with glory instead of gratification the motivation for the Chelsea striker.
"It says everything about their professionalism, the likes of Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and I'd put Frank Lampard in there too, that they turn in these performances," added Wilkins.
"They don't mind who the opponents are, they just want to win every game they play in. That's their mindset."
There is no other way for Chelsea's players, expected to record a run of victories that will power them towards glory in three competitions.
The FA Cup has opened up for them, favourites to win the competition after the unexpected exits of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal.
Despite being pegged back when Michael Chopra's header beat Hilario at the near post, it simply acted as a minor stumbling block.
For Cardiff's supporters, all 5,800 of them stationed in The Shed, it gave them to chance to dream.
They were at the centre of the biggest security operation in football for 15 years, closely monitored by police as they travelled in numbers to the capital.
Helicopters buzzed Fulham Broadway and yet most behaved impeccably, drowning out Chelsea's supporters with roars of approval for their gritty, Welsh dragons.
Two years ago, they were in the final themselves, beaten by Kanu's goal for Portsmouth.
This time it was about pride and a pay-day, using the cash from their run to help pay their crippling £30million debts.
Ancelotti is in credit after this, changing the game with a telling substitution that turned the tie back in Chelsea's favour.
Within six minutes of the restart, they were ahead, with Ballack reading Drogba's pass and guiding a left-foot strike beyond David Marshall.
Cardiff could not respond, despite the excellent performances of right-back Kevin McNaughton and 17-year-old Aaron Wildig.
They represent the future of the debt-ridden club, sacrificial lambs in the summer when the creditors come calling.
Both impressed and yet they were over-run, unable to contain the world-renowned names all over the field.
Drogba set up Chelsea's third for the willing legs of Sturridge, continuing his record of scoring in every round.
He deserved his strike, a left-foot effort beyond Marshall that marked an energetic performance in only his fifth start since his move from Manchester City.
There was still time for another, with Kalou rounding off the best move of the match to convert Paulo Ferreira's cross.
By then Cole was already showered and changed, on the periphery as Chelsea power their way into the season's final phase.
After seven years at the club he feels he has nothing to prove, scoring 38 times in 268 appearances for the Blues under a succession of managers.
He may be right and yet Ancelotti's darkest secret is finally out of the bag.
After 16 starts under the Italian and nine substitute appearances, he simply doesn't fancy him.

everton 1-2

The Times

Louis Saha strikes at the double as Chelsea's lead at the top is cut to a point
Everton 2 Chelsea 1

James Ducker, Northern Football Correspondent

John Terry has probably had nightmares about all manner of things in recent weeks, and now he can add Louis Saha to that long list of tormentors.
It has been a chastening time off the field for the disgraced former England captain, but his problems extended to the pitch last night, the Chelsea defender showing the first signs that the very public fallout from his extra-marital activities is taking its toll.
Attributing the lapses of concentration that handed Everton their first win against these opponents for 9½ years solely to Terry’s personal problems would do a great injustice to Saha, who, on this form, might have terrorised anyone, but the Chelsea captain looked very much like a man whose mind was elsewhere.
Ray Wilkins, the Chelsea assistant manager, did his best to defend the player, but the fact that he has been granted some time off to address what must still represent a huge elephant in the dressing room tells its own story.
There is a danger that Terry’s blunders will overshadow the bigger picture, which is the Barclays Premier League title race, but on that front Chelsea should probably just be thankful that Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw away to Aston Villa.
Although they rallied late on, Didier Drogba hitting the crossbar with a header from a Frank Lampard corner, Chelsea were deservedly beaten by an Everton team who refused to be fazed, despite going behind to Florent Malouda’s seventeenth-minute strike.
Carlo Ancelotti may not have been in England long, but the irony that it was a former United striker who inflicted the damage will not have been lost on the Chelsea manager.
Perhaps, having endured such a tormenting time at Old Trafford, one plagued by injury after injury, Saha felt that he still owed his old club something. He also deserved credit for not allowing a saved first-half penalty to dent his confidence.
Terry, for one, will not forget the experience in a hurry, even if he would like to, although Ancelotti — who had billed this as a potentially decisive week in the title race — will be less concerned about his captain’s personal welfare than his team’s continuing inability to defend setpieces.
Everton’s record against the established “big four” under David Moyes has been patchy to say the least — only seven wins in 76 matches in all competitions — but it was Chelsea, much like a lock that just will not be picked, who had proved a particular headache for the Merseyside club.
Their last win against the West London side was in November 2000 and, despite having had 22 stabs of his own at correcting that imbalance going into this game, Moyes had failed to mastermind a single victory.
Everton, then, did not just have the leaders to overcome, but a psychological hurdle, too. So when Chelsea took the lead via the kind of route-one tactics that Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, would claim support his flawed theory that Ancelotti’s team are little more than “efficient”, the Everton supporters could have been forgiven for fearing the worst.
It really was a dreadful goal to concede, one bearing all the hallmarks of a Bolton Wanderers special.
Petr Cech hoofed the ball upfield. For some strange reason, Tim Cahill was tasked with marking Drogba, but as good as the Australia player might be in the air, he was beaten by the sheer size and bulk of his opponent, who flicked the ball on with a backwards header.
The danger should still have been snuffed out, but with the defence out of position, Malouda was allowed to get the better of Phil Neville and drill his shot across goal and into the bottom corner.
How would Everton react? Superbly, as it happened. They had been unfortunate to fall behind, but rather than let that momentary lapse of concentration haunt them, they regrouped and were rewarded with an equaliser that once again exposed Chelsea’s Achilles’ heel, not to mention Terry’s troubled state of mind.
Chelsea had been undone from set-pieces during the 3-3 draw against Everton at Stamford Bridge in December, but they had obviously learnt nothing from that experience. Landon Donovan’s beautifully flighted corner beat the first man by a matter of inches, allowing Saha to steal ahead of Terry to power home a header.
It was the 21st goal conceded by Chelsea in the league this season, 16 of which have come from dead-ball situations, and if they are to surrender the title, it will more than likely be a consequence of the profound difficulties they have defending set-pieces.
For such a physically imposing team, it is a puzzling defect, but one that Everton, who afforded Mikel Artera his first start for almost 12 months, were thankful for.
Everton should have been 2-1 in front on the stroke of half-time when they were awarded a clear penalty after Ricardo Carvalho tripped Donovan. Saha’s spot-kick, though, was placed too close to Cech and a golden opportunity went begging.
How the France player would atone. Sylvain Distin’s long pass forward should have been easy pickings for Terry but, no doubt worried about where Saha might appear from, the Chelsea defender completely misjudged the flight of the ball. There was still plenty to do but, taking the ball neatly on his chest, Saha smacked a volley beyond Cech for his fourteenth goal of the season.
Chelsea rallied but Everton, tenacious throughout, were not to be denied. Terry’s lot just gets worse.

Everton (4-4-1-1): T Howard — P Neville, J Heitinga, S Distin, L Baines — L Donovan, M Arteta (sub: J Rodwell, 74min), L Osman, D Bilyaletdinov (sub: D Gosling, 86) — T Cahill — L Saha (sub: P Senderos, 90). Substitutes not used: C Nash, J Vaughan, Yakubu Ayegbeni, S Coleman. Booked: Donovan.

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): P Cech — B Ivanovic, R Carvalho, J Terry, A Cole (sub: M Ballack, 57) — J O Mikel (sub: D Sturridge, 76) — F Lampard, Y Zhirkov, F Malouda — N Anelka (sub: S Kalou, 67), D Drogba. Substitutes not used: Hilário, P Ferreira, N Matic, J Bruma. Booked: Mikel, Malouda.
Referee: A Wiley.

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Independent:

Chelsea fail to counter Saha’s strength as striker runs riot
Everton 2 Chelsea 1
By Ian Herbert

Louis Saha scored twice as Chelsea had their lead at the top of the Premier League cut to one point.
As the tidal flood of abuse against him gave way to intermittent waves, the best crack Merseyside could dredge up for John Terry last night was "same old Terry, always cheating."
By the end of the night that is precisely what he was reduced to – desperately blocking Louis Saha from racing into a counter attack which would have sealed his misery and Chelsea's. Not for the first time in the past two weeks, it was a French connection which proved his ruination.
Chelsea always knew they had something to fear in Saha, a player who now has two more goals against Chelsea to go with the fastest strike in an FA Cup final last summer and the finish which ruined Carlo Ancelotti's 100 per cent home record in December – a game in which his contribution was immense. But rarely in the course of his Chelsea career has Terry been pulled this way and that quite like this.
The winning goal was only a part of it – Terry misjudging the flight of Sylvain Distin's left-footed strike out of defence which sailed over his head. One neat piece of chest control later the Frenchman was crashing a swerving shot just beyond Cech's right hand. There was also the ghostly omen of all this, a mirror image first-half miscalculation which set Saha free in the box and required Ricardo Carvalho to tidy up. And then the vacant air which allowed Saha to step up ahead of him and calmly head home Landon Donovan's first half corner. By the end of the night Terry wore the same red face you feel has accompanied him through some of his recent private reflections, only this time it was the one pinched by the bitter cold and the sheer, relentless effort of chasing shadows.
In fairness, he was only part of Chelsea's struggles. The side really do not care much for North-west England – their season's two league defeats have occurred here – and the same malaise which affected them at Wigan and Manchester City contributed to the sense that they really are fallible outside of west London. Ancelotti's side have won only once away from home since November in the league but this failure was the most curious of all, considering the smooth sublimity of the first 20 minutes in which they looked on a different level. The 33rd minute goal was one of basic ingredients; a long punt from Petr Cech which Drogba escaped Mike Arteta to nod on for Florent Malouda who raced ahead of Phil Neville to finish impressively and left footed to Tim Howard's left. But the general impression Chelsea offered was of a side capable of the neat and "positive philosophy" in their football which Arsène Wenger has suggested is Arsenal's preserve.
Predictability was the attribute Michael Ballack found in Arsenal last Sunday, much to Wenger's indignation, but it is a pejorative term equally appropriate for Chelsea's record at set pieces and Saha's first goal bore that out. As the goal punctured Chelsea, so it inflated Everton. Or as Moyes so memorably put it later: "When we got to one-each everybody in the ground grew."
The analysis applied most to Donovan. With his side level, he immediately clipped in a ball which Saha might have buried had not his heavy first touch allowed Cech to save with his left foot. Carvalho's own left foot was less trusty as the Californian took a Tim Cahill pass and cut inside him seconds later, inviting the faintest clip. Saha's left footed penalty was at a comfortable height for Cech.
Moyes admitted later that there was a slighted haunted air on the Everton bench as they mused on what the opportunity the might have spurned but his analysis of that late first half period was accurate, too. "We smothered them."
Chelsea's haunted look was never to leave them in the face of Everton's invention after the interval. Cech touched over the bar a ball Diniyar Bilyaletdinov floated from the left and the sense of siege intensified when Terry appeared to have handled a ball Donovan lifted towards the Chelsea box on the counter attack. It actually hit the defender's face. Desperate for more momentum, Ancelotti threw on Ballack, rather than a defender, when Cole injured his ankle in a challenge with Donovan and limped off.
Chelsea responded immediately after the decisive second goal came – Lampard's corner reached Drogba who thumped a header against the bar – but Terry placed the rebound high and wide, which seemed to be a metaphor for his night. The welcome Everton had for him here included a prescient advert in the match programme for local sexual health clinics ("love is infectious") which many fans chuckled over last night. There was no fun for Terry. He needs that weekend off and has another good reason to put France from his mind.

Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard; Neville, Heitinga, Distin, Baines; Donovan, Arteta (Rodwell, 74), Osman, Bilyaletdinov (Gosling, 86); Cahill; Saha (Senderos, 90). Substitutes not used: Nash (gk), Vaughan, Yakubu, Coleman
Chelsea (4-1-3-2) Cech; Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole (Ballack, 57); Mikel; Lampard, Malouda, Zhirkov; Anelka (Kalou, 67), Drogba. Substitutes not used: Hilario, Ferreira, Sturridge, Matic, Bruma

Referee: A Wiley (Staffordshire)
Booked: Everton Donovan; Chelsea Mikel, Malouda.
Man of the match: Donovan.
Attendance: 36,411.

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Guardian:

Chelsea's John Terry takes a break after Louis Saha stuns Chelsea
Everton 2 Saha 33, Saha 75 Chelsea 1 Malouda 17
Andy Hunter at Goodison Park

That awkward date with the doghouse in Dubai suddenly seems as timely for Chelsea as for John Terry and his marriage. The defender had responded to the personal crisis that cost him the England captaincy as his club and the entire football world knew he would – with an impenetrable, defiant air. But the first cracks appeared at Goodison Park last night as two Terry mistakes hindered Chelsea's march at the Premier League summit. Typically, his nemesis proved to be French.
Louis Saha capitalised on both errors to give Everton their first victory over Chelsea in almost 10 years and do his old club, Manchester United, a huge favour in the title race. A fourth away defeat of the season for Carlo Ancelotti's team owed much to their inability to defend set pieces, Saha transforming the game when he escaped Terry at Landon Donovan's corner to equalise, but their captain's all-round display gave cause for concern. Only Terry will know whether weeks at the centre of scandal have taken a toll on his professional life, but it must disturb Ancelotti that the first questions can now be legitimately asked.
Ray Wilkins, the Chelsea assistant manager, was first to rebuke the suggestion that Terry's mind was elsewhere. "Not at all," insisted Wilkins. "You have to give Louis Saha credit, he is a tough opponent. John has been absolutely outstanding for us all season and if it was a mistake by John then I'm sure it is the slightest of blips." But he confirmed that Terry will be heading to Dubai today to visit his wife, Toni, adding: "John won't play this weekend [against Cardiff in the FA Cup]. Carlo has given him time off for a break and he'll be back for the Wolves game [a week on Saturday]. They had a little chat and decided that would be the best for all concerned."
All today's stories on our breaking news feedHaving been culpable, in Wilkins's words, for the "slight lack of concentration" that enabled Saha to cancel out Florent Malouda's early goal for Chelsea, Terry made a graver error for the Everton winner 15 minutes from time. A long ball out of defence from Sylvain Distin should have been routine to a defender of Terry's standing but he misread the flight completely, the French striker controlled the ball beautifully, and suddenly Petr Cech was watching a fine left-footed shot sail past him. David Moyes, roundly criticised for Everton's defeat at Liverpool on ­Saturday and his argument that his team played well, had instant vindication. This was his first victory as Everton manager over Chelsea, the side who destroyed his dreams of lifting the FA Cup last season.
"I'd rather have won the FA Cup final if I had my pick," said Moyes, who before kick-off had challenged Saha to mark his new two-year contract at Everton by ­rediscovering his goalscoring form and making life difficult for Terry. The former United player's response was emphatic, although he should really have departed with the match ball having also missed a 44th-minute penalty to accompany his brace.
With the exception of a dominant opening, in which the hangover from the Merseyside derby defeat appeared to be resting heavily on Everton players and the Goodison crowd, Chelsea were far from the swaggering, superior side that many believe will break United's hold on the league title this season. Everton were missing key midfielders in Steven Pienaar and Marouane Fellaini as a result of the bruising encounter at Anfield and, with Mikel Arteta making his first start for a year alongside Leon Osman, the visitors initially controlled the midfield with ease.
Malouda shot low under Tim Howard after only 17 minutes when Tim Cahill and Phil Neville were caught in two minds over how to deal with Didier Drogba in the air. In the event neither challenged the Chelsea centre-forward, and he flicked a header through a static Everton defence for the French midfielder to sprint clear and finish comfortably.
Everton's reaction changed the entire mood and flow of the contest. After Saha had glanced Donovan's corner beyond Cech the USA captain was tripped inside the area on the stroke of half-time, but the striker's spot-kick was at a comfortable height for the Chelsea goalkeeper who parried to his left.
Ancelotti made several tactical changes after the interval but could not stem a vibrant Everton display, in which Saha and Donovan remained to the fore. "That was Landon's best game for us," said Moyes. "But I don't think we'll be able to keep him when his three-month loan expires unfortunately." Saha's second gave Everton a deserved lead and ultimately, despite a late scare when Drogba headed against the crossbar, a merited and restorative victory. "I just thought we lacked a bit of intensity," said Wilkins, whose side also lost Ashley Cole to an ankle injury. "But full credit to Everton. They just about deserved to nick it."


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Mail:

Everton 2 Chelsea 1: Terry pays the price as Saha pounces to net Goodison winner
By John Edwards

He had plenty of advance warning, but John Terry was still powerless to prevent Louis Saha adding to his woes and putting a dent in Chelsea's Barclays Premier League title hopes at Goodison Park last night.The troubled Chelsea skipper has been in turmoil in recent weeks, following a series of indiscretions that cost him the England captaincy, and David Moyes advised him against expecting any upturn in fortunes as he prepared to lock horns with in-form former Manchester United striker Saha.Everton's astute manager has proved himself a sound judge on many a previous occasion, and his reputation for calling the shots was duly reinforced as Saha intensified Terry's discomfort by equalising Florent Malouda's early opener and firing a dramatic winner in the 75th minute.
As he reflects on a calamitous evening for himself and his side, Terry may just conclude that, as in his private life, his latest misery was entirely self-inflicted.A rare lapse of concentration cost him dearly for Saha's first goal and an equally unusual positional error carried an even greater price as he allowed Everton's lethal front- runner to advance unchallenged for his 14th goal of the season.Moyes had based his calculations on Saha finally breaking free of any uncertainty over his future by signing a new two-year contract worth ?55,000 a week. It enabled him to concentrate on what he does best, and Terry will be the latest to testify that few in the Premier League do it better.
There had been little sign of the defensive mayhem to come for Chelsea as they started with their customary swagger in midfield, piecing together slick passing moves and leaving Everton chasing shadows.Frank Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic both squandered openings, after impressive build-ups, but there could be no faulting Malouda's accuracy when he made the most of a chance set up by a route one approach in the 17th minute.Moyes may just have questioned the standard of defending, though, as Didier Drogba was allowed a free header from Petr Cech's clearance and Malouda held off a challenge from Phil Neville to drill a crisp low shot beyond Tim Howard.That should have been the cue for Chelsea taking complete control, particularly as they had never lost with Malouda on the scoresheet, but Everton had other ideas as they hit back with a 33rd-minute leveller that highlighted another, far more worrying, statistic about Carlo Ancelotti's side.As Landon Donovan swung over a corner from the right, Saha peeled away from Terry and planted a near-post header past Cech to leave Chelsea mulling over the stark reality that 16 of 21 set-pieces conceded in the league this season have led to goals.
If that came as a jolt, the alarm bells started sounding at the end of the half, as Saha had a point-blank shot blocked by Cech in the 44th minute and Ricardo Carvalho up-ended the lively Donovan just inside the area for the clearest of penalties.Saha struck his kick well enough, but Cech read his intentions and took off to his left to palm it to safety and earn the gratitude of his team-mates, Carvalho in particular.
Saha's demeanour as he trudged off seconds later, still reliving the miss and shaking his head in dismay, suggested it might have sapped his confidence. Appearances can be deceptive, however, as Chelsea were to discover in the 75th minute, as Terry erred once more and Saha made the most of his good fortune yet again.All the know-how and experience that has made Terry one of England's most dependable defenders suddenly deserted him, as he jumped under a long through-ball from Sylvain Distin and looked on aghast at the sight of Saha chesting it down and volleying unerringly past Cech.Drogba headed a late corner against the bar in a spirited Chelsea rally, but the way the ensuing scramble panned out said everything about Chelsea's malaise on the night. The ball eventually fell to Terry on the edge of the area, but he was left facing merciless jeers from all sides after leaning back and sending a side-foot finish high and wide into the Gwladys Street stands.
A delighted Moyes said: 'Saha should have scored four, not two. I have given him a slight pat on the back but not a proper one! We played really well. To go a goal behind and come back — I don’t know too many teams who do that against Chelsea.’
While Moyes celebrated his first ever victory over Chelsea, Ancelotti’s assistant RayWilkins, rallied round Terry, saying: ‘I don’t agree that his head wasn’t right. That wasn’t the case at all. he got caught under the ball for the second goal, but he has been absolutely outstanding for us all season.
‘It was just the slightest of blips, but you have to give Saha some credit for taking thechance so well.
‘Carlo has given John time off this weekend, but he will be back for the Wolves game.
Ashley Cole has picked up quite a nasty knock on the ankle, but we are going to have to assess it back at the training ground.’

MATCH FACTS
EVERTON (4-4-1-1): Howard 6; Neville 7,Heitinga 6, Distin 6, Baines 7; Donovan 8, Arteta 6 (Rodwell 74min), Osman 6,Bilyaletdinov 5 (Gosling 86); Cahill 6;Saha 7 (Senderos 90).Booked: Donovan.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech 6; Ivanovic 7,Terry 7, Carvalho 6, A Cole 6 (Ballack 56, 6); Mikel 7, Lampard 7, Zhirkov 6; Anelka(Kalou 66, 6), Drogba 7, Malouda 6.Booked: Mikel.
Man of the match: Landon Donovan.
Referee: Alan Wiley.

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Telegraph:
Everton 2 Chelsea 1
By Mark Ogden

John Terry is discovering the hard way that Parisiens can be nothing but trouble.
First the revelations of his alleged affair with the French underwear model Vanessa Perroncel and now his inability to get quite so close to Louis Saha, the Everton forward whose two goals in Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at Goodison Park barely tell the story of his comprehensive dominance of the former England captain.
Prior to his encounter with Saha, Terry had seemingly gained strength from the distraction of being the salacious focus of a nation.
That apparent problem was brushed aside, even though it cost him the England captaincy, yet Terry could not tough it out against Saha and the frailties exposed by the former Manchester United forward will concern Capello more than Terry’s off-field issues.
Saha, who had a penalty saved by Petr Cech, escaped Terry for both goals in a 90 minute centre-forward master-class that inflicted Chelsea’s first defeat since December and reduced their lead over United to just one point.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will have already plotted the title run-in from his Carrington office and this fixture would have been circled in red, just as Carlo Ancelotti will view United’s visit here in nine days’ time as a potential roadblock for their championship ambitions.
Catch Everton on the wrong day and they can inflict damage, so Ancelotti will have expected a defiant Evertonian response to Saturday’s defeat against ten-man Liverpool at Anfield.
And so it proved. David Moyes may have been without the suspended Steven Pienaar and injured Marouane Fellaini in midfield, but their grit and tenacity was replaced by the greater creativity of Diniyar Bilyaletdinov and Mikel Arteta, starting his first game since returning from a cruciate ligament injury.
As a result, Everton were able to claw their way back into the game in the first-half after Florent Malouda’s eighth goal of the season had put Chelsea ahead on 17 minutes.
Arteta has his qualities, but out-muscling Didier Drogba to clear a long punt forward from Cech isn’t one of them.
Drogba’s flick-on from Cech’s clearance enabled Malouda to break clear of Phil Neville before guiding a left-foot shot past goalkeeper Tim Howard from 15 yards.
Chelsea marginally deserved their lead, but Everton responded positively and the visitors began to lose the midfield battle.
Arteta and Leon Osman dominated the central areas, while Landon Donovan and Bilyaletdinov stretched the game and Chelsea’s back four. Both Chelsea full-backs, Branislav Ivanovic and Ashley Cole, quickly had the white chalk of the touchline on their boots.
Bilyaletdinov almost created an equaliser on 28 minutes when his cross from the left resulted in Leighton Baines volleying straight at Cech from 12 yards.
But the Everton leveller came five minutes later when Donovan’s corner was emphatically headed in by Saha.
Terry, spared the booing by opposing fans that has accompanied him in recent outings, was caught out by Saha, who lost him at the near post to win the header without the England centre-half in sight. Saha had hauled Everton level, but he proceeded to waste two golden chances to put Moyes’s team ahead before the interval.
Having aimed a volley from Donovan’s cross straight at Cech, Saha then saw Cech save his 44th minute penalty, which had been awarded by referee Alan Wiley as a result of Ricardo Carvalho’s foul on Donovan.
Saha, who last week committed his future to Everton for another two years, remained a constant irritant for Terry. This was the Saha that United paid £12m for in 2004, an unplayable bully whose pace and touch tied Terry in knots.
All that was missing was the finishing touch and, just as in the closing stages of the first-half, Saha’s radar was off-beam when he escaped Terry again before volleying wide on 50 minutes.
Chelsea regained their composure after that miss, but they were rocked back again when Cole limped out of the game following a robust challenge by Donovan, who had spent almost an hour tormenting the England full-back. Terry had no such escape route to the dressing-room, however, and Saha continued to expose him.
And the killer blow came on 75 minutes when, after beating Terry to Sylvain Distin’s long clearance, he lashed an unstoppable volley past Cech. Terry had been caught out once more. It is becoming a theme.

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arsenal 2-0

The Times

Didier Drogba steals the show again for Chelsea
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0
Oliver Kay, Stamford Bridge

This felt like watching an old movie for the umpteenth time. It was a bit of a mish-mash, unsure at times whether it wanted to be art house or blockbuster, but, to the surprise of nobody except Arsène Wenger, it ended up as an action film, starring the irrepressible Didier Drogba.
Wenger seemed dismayed that Chelsea had emerged triumphant against his Arsenal team yet again, leaving them nine points adrift in the Barclays Premier League title race, but, to just about everyone else inside Stamford Bridge yesterday, this was the movie they had been expecting: Arsenal pretty, Chelsea ruthlessly efficient, Drogba at his belligerent best.
An interesting picture, compelling at times, but all so very predictable — Arsenal’s eighth defeat in nine matches against Chelsea or Manchester United since November 2008.
Sitting in the media suite afterwards, Wenger found it within him to congratulate Chelsea, but only in a manner of speaking. “Efficient”, “very strong defensively”, “a lot of the tricks of an experienced team” — coming from most managers, these would sound like compliments, but, from Wenger, who has made clear his disregard for such virtues, this was faint praise, as he made clear by pointing out that “we didn’t get a demonstration of football” from Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
What we did get from Chelsea, though, was spirit, endeavour, aggression, knowhow and power, above all from Drogba. It was always going to take something significant to overshadow John Terry after the week he has had and, even if the eye was drawn to the Chelsea captain at the final whistle as he applauded all four sides of the ground before throwing his shirt into the crowd, after a typically robust performance at the heart of the defence, it was Drogba who proved the difference between these teams.
Drogba, according to Wenger, “didn’t do a lot in the game” when he scored twice in Chelsea’s 3-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium in November. Well, he did plenty yesterday, giving Chelsea an eighth-minute lead by volleying home Terry’s flick-on from a corner by Florent Malouda and doubling their advantage midway through the first half with a quite brilliant goal as Arsenal were caught on the counter-attack, taking his record against Arsenal to 12 goals in his past 12 outings against them.
He also rattled the crossbar with a free kick and, as for his all-round contribution, it would be interesting to hear the appraisal of William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen when they get their breath back.
Put it this way: if Drogba had swapped places with Andrey Arshavin yesterday, leading the line for Arsenal while the tiny Russian went up front for Chelsea, it is very easy to imagine that there would have been a different outcome.
Arsenal played very well at times, but, for all that Wenger said they had “mountains” of possession, they did not do enough to hurt Chelsea. They were unfortunate to find their opponents at their most resilient, with Terry and his colleagues intent on the kind of defensive fortitude that was sorely lacking away to Hull City four days earlier, but Arsenal did not have enough up front. While the presence of the injured Robin van Persie would have helped, Wenger should resist clutching at straws.
When informed of Wenger’s assertion about Chelsea’s lack of “football”, Ancelotti came up with a response that, even in broken English, was withering. “Maybe they had possession, but this isn’t football,” he said. “You can’t speak about a match only for the possession. You have to attack, defence, counter-attack, keep the result. That is football.”
Ancelotti is right. Arsenal excel in one facet of the game — the one that Wenger holds more important than any other — but they are flawed.
Their lack of defensive nous was illustrated as early as the first minute, when Bacary Sagna found himself left one-on-one against Drogba at the back. Arsenal got away with it that time, but when Malouda took a corner from the left wing, Terry got away from Vermaelen and Abou Diaby to attack the ball at the near post and send a header across the six-yard box for the unmarked Drogba to score.
Wenger looked bemused. His team had been camped deep inside the Chelsea half — and stayed there for much of the first period — but there always seemed to be a blue shirt blocking their way. Even when Fàbregas picked out Arshavin in the seventeenth minute, the forward’s volley went straight at Petr Cech.
Six minutes after that Arshavin lost the ball on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area and Lampard led a counter-attack that culminated in Drogba cutting inside Gaël Clichy and lashing a left-foot shot past Manuel Almunia. Game over.
Losing goals on the counter-attack has become one of the great sins of modern football, but it just keeps happening to Arsenal. Drogba’s second goal brought echoes of Wayne Rooney’s goal at the Emirates Stadium seven days earlier, itself a reminder of Cristiano Ronaldo’s effort in the Champions League semi-final, second leg last season. Arsenal can look irresistible when they have the ball, but the second they lose it, they are alarmingly vulnerable.
By certain definitions, Arsenal were the better side in the second half, forcing the home team farther and farther back, but, even when Samir Nasri and Nicklas Bendtner briefly caught sight of goal, there was always a blue shirt in the way. At times it was Michael Ballack or Lampard, but usually it was Branislav Ivanovic, Ricardo Carvalho, Ashley Cole or, most probably, an unfaltering Terry.
Again Wenger found himself talking about what might have been, but it is the same old soundtrack. The same old failings are exposed every time Arsenal face a top-class team. It is not bad luck. They are a very good team, but if the Premier League title is to be wrestled back to London this year, its only destination can be Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): P Cech 7 B Ivanovic 7 R Carvalho 7 J Terry 7 A Cole 7 J O Mikel 6 M Ballack 6 F Lampard 6 F Malouda 7 N Anelka 6 D Drogba 9. Substitutes: Y Zhirkov (for Ballack, 82min), J Cole (for Anelka, 87), S Kalou (for Drogba, 90). Not used: Hilário, P Ferreira, Alex, Deco. Next: Everton (a).

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): M Almunia 5 B Sagna 4 W Gallas 6 T Vermaelen 5 G Clichy 4 A Song 6 A Diaby 5 T Walcott 4 F Fàbregas 6 S Nasri 4 A Arshavin 5. Substitutes: N Bendtner 5 (for Walcott, 64min), E Eboué (for Sagna, 74), T Rosicky (for Diaby, 74). Not used: L Fabianski, S Campbell, Denilson, A Ramsey. Next: Liverpool (h).
Referee: M Dean. Attendance: 41,794.

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Telegraph:
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0:
By Jeremy Wilson at Stamford Bridge

Sir Alex Ferguson had expressed the hope that Arsenal would “absolutely batter” Chelsea this afternoon, but it was Arsène Wenger’s team who were on the end of yet another sound beating against what are fast becoming the Premier League’s ‘big two’.
Between them, Chelsea and Manchester United have won the past five league titles and have also now each beaten Arsenal four times in 10 months. This 2-0 win extends Chelsea’s lead over Arsenal to nine points and, with only 13 games remaining, reinforces the expectation of another two-horse title race.
Sport on television It was another major occasion when Wenger’s huge confidence in his young team was not realised while his previous assessment of Didier Drogba as a player who “doesn’t do much” was also further undermined. Drogba had scored twice in Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat of Arsenal at the Emirates and duly put the league leaders two goals clear today after just 22 minutes.
It also took Drogba’s tally for the season to 22 – and his personal haul against Arsenal to 12.
Poor defending contributed to both goals. The first arrived on eight minutes when Florent Malouda delivered a corner onto the head of an unmarked John Terry, who simply guided the ball across goal for Didier Drogba to volley beyond Manuel Almunia. Wenger was complaining vigorously to the fourth official, presumably in reference to a foul that had been awarded against Gael Clichy in the build-up to the goal.
Arsenal almost immediately had the chance to equalise but Andrei Arshavin volleyed into the legs of Petr Cech when he had the goal at his mercy following a wonderful Cesc Fabregas pass.
It was a miss that was quickly punished, although the source of Drogba’s second will have infuriated Wenger. Having called his team “naïve” after Manchester United scored twice from Arsenal corners last Sunday, his players again showed their vulnerability when they were attacking.
Following an Arsenal corner, Frank Lampard burst forward and simply fed the ball to Drogba wide on the right. Clichy, in particular, offered only negligible protection as Drogba cut inside and then smashed his shot beyond Almunia.
Arsenal improved during the second-half, particularly when Nicklas Bendtner was introduced and provided a different sort of threat with his more physical presence.
He won a free kick from which Fabregas forced a decent save but, generally, Arsenal continue to lack a natural focal point in attack without Robin van Persie. With Drogba again deadly – he also rocked the crossbar with an 83rd minute free kick – the same cannot be said of Chelsea.

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Independent:

Drogba dumps meek Arsenal out of title race
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0
By Glenn Moore

It was fun while it lasted, but the Premier League table now tells the same old tale: Chelsea and Manchester United in a duel for the title, Arsenal and Liverpool scrapping for the final automatic Champions League place.
This defeat ends Arsenal's championship challenge. They were top on 20 January, but one point from successive matches against Aston Villa, Manchester United and Chelsea have left them nine points behind the latter who are back at the summit. Although Arsène Wenger insisted his team would not give up, Wednesday's visit of Liverpool is now about the minor placings.
The executioner was their old nemesis, Didier Drogba. Goals after eight and 23 minutes took his personal tally to 12 in 10 matches against Arsenal. Not bad for a player who, said Wenger after Drogba's brace at the Emirates in November, "does not do very much".
Neatly though the Ivorian took his goals a critical factor was, as in last week's defeat to United, the poverty of Arsenal's defending, with both goals easily preventable. Just as telling was the inadequacy of their attack. In retrospect Arsenal's challenge really ended when Giorgio Chiellini's tackle damaged Robin van Persie's ankle ligaments on international duty three months ago. Without the Dutchman they lack a finisher and a presence.
In his absence Wenger has played Andrei Arshavin at centre-forward (a telling indication of his real opinion of Nicklas Bendtner). That worked when the Russian was in form but after one goal in 10 games his confidence is low and, as against United last week, he finished poorly.
The comparison with Drogba, leading Chelsea's line, was irresistible but it was not the only position in which Arsenal were lightweight. Wenger dropped Denilson and Tomas Rosicky, both ineffective against United, and replaced them with the muscle of Abou Diaby and pace of Theo Walcott. Both were anonymous and withdrawn. Cesc Fabregas unconsciously illustrated one difference between the teams when he demonstrated the disparity in height between himself and Drogba after being penalised for a push. The referee, Mike Dean, did not appreciate the gesture and booked him. The irony is that it was Wenger, a decade ago, who pioneered the move towards footballers like Drogba.
Physique, however, has no effect on concentration, the lack of which on Arsenal's part caused both goals. At Chelsea's first corner too many switched off. Thomas Vermaelen failed to run with John Terry, Alex Song did not mark Drogba, and Gaël Clichy came off the back post as Florent Malouda prepared to take the kick. Terry, unchallenged, headed the ball on and Drogba tapped in at the far post.
The indefatigable Fabregas, outstanding in a lost cause, led Arsenal's response. Given a free role, he eluded Chelsea's attentions and created chances for Samir Nasri and Arshavin with sublime passes. Petr Cech, who looked back to his best, not least when dealing with crosses, denied them both. Then Arshavin again lost possession in attack, the ball was moved swiftly to Frank Lampard, and he drove forward. With Clichy positionally bewildered and Arsenal backing off, Lampard released Drogba who cut inside Clichy and Vermaelen to score.
Chelsea now had Arsenal just where they wanted them: chasing the game. Arsenal passed, passed and passed, but Lampard, Michael Ballack and John Obi Mikel threw up a protective shield they just could not penetrate. And, given the height differential, the aerial route was suicide, especially with Terry delivering an extraordinarily assured performance following his week of turmoil.
Arsenal upped their game physically in the second period – Wenger seemed infuriated by the way they were bundled off the ball in the first – but still lacked the wit and power to pierce Chelsea's defence. Bendtner, then Rosicky, were added and the former precipitated Arsenal's best effort when he won a 68th-minute free-kick, from which Fabregas drew a full-length save from Cech. Even then Chelsea came closer, Drogba thrashing a thunderous free-kick against the bar with seven minutes left.
A third goal would have been cruel on Arsenal but they have some hard realities to face. Afterwards Wenger pointed to Arsenal's dominance of possession and moaned that Chelsea "were efficient but had not provided a demonstration of football". The Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, countered that "possession is not football. Football is about attack and defence." Arsenal's defence, despite the presence of the experienced William Gallas, lacks concentration and is insufficiently protected by midfield. The attack has been left one-dimensional by Emmanuel Adebayor's departure.
There is also the issue of the goalkeeper, and their collective experience. "They are [aged 29], we are 23," said Wenger (below) in a rare admission that his team's youth is a weakness. He also seems finally to have realised Manuel Almunia lacks title-winning calibre but can now do nothing about it until the summer.
Arsenal remain a fine side but two wins in 16 matches against Chelsea is telling. It may be the team is better suited to European competition, where their energies will now be focused, but even there Chelsea and Manchester United bar the way. So it seemed symbolic that when a Continental-style flare was lit in the away end it shone brightly for a while, but was then doused by the boys in blue.

Chelsea (4-1-2-3): Cech; Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, A Cole; Mikel; Lampard, Ballack (Zhirkov, 81); Anelka (J Cole, 86), Drogba (Kalou, 90), Malouda. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Ferreira, Deco, Alex.

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Almunia; Sagna (Eboué, 73), Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy; Song, Diaby (Rosicky, 73); Walcott (Bendtner, 63), Fabregas, Nasri; Arshavin. Substitutes not used: Fabianski (gk), Denilson, Ramsey, Campbell.

Referee: M Dean (Staffordshire).
Booked: Chelsea Zhirkov. Arsenal Song, Fabregas.
Man of the match: Drogba.
Attendance: 41,794.

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Guardian:

Chelsea's Didier Drogba devastates brittle Arsenal at the Bridge
Chelsea 2 Drogba 8, Drogba 23 Arsenal 0
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge

Arsenal are being strangled by stereotype. Their familiar troubles against Chelsea and Manchester United were on display once more. The immediate impact of this match is to put the victors two points clear of the Old Trafford side but the impact on the visitors is more profound. They are nine points adrift and, barring unlikely triumph in the Champions League, this will be a fifth consecutive campaign without a trophy since Arsène Wenger's team landed the 2005 FA Cup.
The Premier League is the poorer for that decline. No Arsenal supporter, of course, would dwell on that topic. Anger and exasperation with today's match would not have left much space for broader reflection. Their team dominated possession for much of the time but Chelsea were content for the opposition to have as much of the ball when so little use was made of it.
Carlo Ancelotti's team were as devastating as they needed to be, with Didier Drogba preying on these opponents as usual. The Ivorian was close to a hat-trick with a free-kick that cracked against the crossbar but his impact had already been sufficient. If anything, John Terry might have been slightly frustrated by the anodyne attacks. The centre-half would have relished more opportunities in which to prove that he is undiminished by disappointment after being stripped of the England captaincy.
Arsenal's opportunities were sporadic and this loss was of a piece with the 3-1 defeat by United at the Emirates the previous weekend. Wenger's team did suggest fleetingly that they would set this game on a different course. With Arsenal a goal down, Andrey Arshavin was set up by a Cesc Fábregas pass but the volley was not aimed well enough and it rebounded from the foot of Petr Cech.
The Russian is not cut out to be a centre-forward and had the job because of the ankle problem that has sidelined Robin van Persie since 7 November. Resources are slim in that area and Wenger is gravely affected by the lack of a convincing contender. No manager could be blamed for snatching the £25m that Manchester City offered for Emmanuel Adebayor but the price of failing to find a replacement is now looking steep.
by Guardian Chalkboards Arsenal attempted over 500 passes at Stamford Bridge with a success rate of over 80%. Chelsea on the other hand made nearly 200 fewer passes but scored twice. For all Arsenal's possession, a reluctance to shoot meant they managed to test Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal just twice in 90 minutes. Wenger was trying to maintain morale when he spoke of Arsenal's domination. In essence Chelsea were happy to allow that possession, knowing they could deal with the consequences and cause havoc on the break. Ancelotti has a range of alternatives, too, that his opposite number does not enjoy.
Here, for instance, Deco was on the bench and his recent duties as a holding midfield player were assumed by the more authentically defensive Mikel John Obi. Fábregas was not entirely nullified buthis threat was at its keenest from a late free-kick that was pushed away by Cech. The substitute Nicklas Bendtner's appeal for a penalty in the aftermath was dismissed.
The visitors' players had been denied a day off following the defeat by United but no matter how hard the squad laboured on the training ground they have not entirely mended their ways. After seven minutes Florent Malouda's corner from the left was headed on by a virtually unmarked Terry and Drogba waited to fire the ball home easily past the static goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.
A spell of pressure by the visitors was interrupted as Chelsea extended their lead. Arsenal's fallibility often stems, as United had shown, from a lack of resilience in midfield. It was ludicrously easy, in the 23rd minute, for Frank Lampard to break forward and work the ball to Drogba on the right. The Ivorian had room to tear into the penalty area and race across the hapless Gaël Clichy, as well as Thomas Vermaelen, before scoring with a low shot.
The best that can be said of Arsenal is that they had not come to Stamford Bridge in the expectation of being watertight. Abou Diaby was back to add physical presence in midfield but Wenger had also decided to pick Theo Walcott on the right wing in a strategy that thereby invited Fábregas to pose a threat just behind Arshavin.
The plan had no effect. Wenger, in his present anguish, probably cannot spare a moment to agonise about England's chances in the summer. He will be keenly conscious, all the same, of Walcott's decline. The attacker is unrecognisable as the man who scored that hat-trick in Zagreb. This outing was his first start in the Premier League since mid-December. That arch-empiricist Fabio Capello would surely find it impossible to identify evidence to justify taking Walcott to the World Cup finals.
Chelsea, of course, have few youngsters who are central to their scheme. That may be a problem for them as a rather gnarled squad ages further but Ancelotti's men are not in their dotage yet. They had a great reserve of know-how to draw upon and produced the clean sheet that has not been quite so common as it once was. That might signal a deepening level of concentration as the key moments approach in the bid to wrest the title from United.

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Mail:

Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0:
Deadly Didier Drogba rifles Blues to the summit as John Terry stands tall to wreck Gunners' title bid
Martin Samuel

Here comes another one, just like the other one. Cast your minds back to November when Chelsea went to Arsenal. Yes? Well, it was like this. Didier Drogba unstoppable, Chelsea irresistible, Arsene Wenger certifiable.
Arsenal had 70 per cent of possession, he claimed. They were always on the front foot and in the game, apparently. It was not an exhibition of football from Chelsea. Not in the purest sense, maybe.Not in terms of beauty for its sake, but from the seventh minute, when Chelsea scored, there was only going to be one winner and Wenger is in denial if he cannot see that. Arsenal had more of the ball - 58 per cent, actually - but Chelsea had the game, and their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, had the more incisive analysis.
Football, he said, is not only about possession, it is about attack, defence, possession when you need it and, most of all, results. QED.
There have been two meetings between Chelsea and Arsenal this season, ending in six points for Chelsea and none for Arsenal.
The aggregate score is 5-0. Wenger can dress it up as he likes, but he is dealing in theory. In every aspect of the match that counts towards the League table - goals scored, goals conceded and points won - Chelsea have been superior this season.
Wenger is reduced to citing peripheral issues. It is like measuring the success of a stable not on races won or placed finishes but on getting the rosette for best turned out in the paddock.
Chelsea were superb on Sunday because the forwards had the game won after 22 minutes and the defence kept it under wraps from there.
Drogba was the inspirational match-winner - as he was at the Emirates Stadium - and as anyone who knows him would have expected, John Terry was outstanding in Chelsea's back line.
The home crowd helped. Terry will have opprobrium to contend with at Goodison on Wednesday, but here he was among friends.
He was serenaded with a supportive cry of 'one England captain' - and that is not a song his successor Rio Ferdinand, of Manchester United, will ever get to hear because they do not care about England captains at Old Trafford - encouraged throughout and, at the end, responded by walking to all sides of the ground, before taking his shirt off and handing it to a gathering behind one goal.
His banner stood proudly defiant. 'JT: captain, leader, legend'. He may not enjoy such exalted status with his country any more, but at his club he still ticks each box.
He should have departed injured after a second-half collision with his goalkeeper Petr Cech, but soldiered on, as he always does.Ancelotti, ever sensitive to the moods of his key team members, indulged him.
It is telling, though, that Terry was impressive here more due to his personal circumstances than any challenge presented by Arsenal.
When Cesc Fabregas attempted to match him in an aerial tussle, he came off second best, with Terry almost bemused by the assault.

It was like one of the moments when a small, yappy dog goes for a Doberman in the high street. It takes the bigger animal a little while to work out he is under attack.Terry helped up the fallen Fabregas in kindly fashion.
Throughout the trauma of recent weeks, Terry has channelled his abilities into decisive performances for Chelsea, and this was just one more.
He did not score the important goal - as he did at Burnley last week - but he played a crucial part and Arsenal never recovered.To lose Terry at a corner is misfortune. To lose Drogba is carelessness. To lose Terry and Drogba is flaming suicidal. Arsenal took option three.
Much is made of the corporeal difference between these teams but it was the big men who let Arsenal down here. Thomas Vermaelen mislaid Terry, getting trapped behind Abou Diaby when the Chelsea captain made his run, and Alex Song lost Drogba.
Florent Malouda whipped the ball in, Terry won the first header and Drogba converted. There are all sorts of ways of quantifying the decisive factor between the teams, but one is to look at the improvement in a player such as Malouda.
In his first season at Chelsea he was, in the vernacular, a fanny merchant. He had little impact in the big matches and, most weeks, he appeared lightweight and ineffectual.
This season, he is a different player and yesterday, in comparison to Arsenal's creatives, he was a powerhouse. Now imagine him at Arsenal. Would he still have evolved into that player or would he be like Samir Nasri is now: a fanny merchant, largely anonymous in this game?
Better than Theo Walcott, though. How worried must Fabio Capello be about him?
Arsenal had their best chance after 16 minutes when Fabregas chipped the ball through to Andrey Arshavin, who was eight yards out with only Cech to beat.
The Russian's finish disappointed, though, straight at the goalkeeper who blocked with his feet.
With brutal timing, Drogba showed what Wenger's team was missing with his second goal from the next attack. It was devastating on more than one level, a text book counter attack that saw Frank Lampard break up the field and Gael Clichy, the Arsenal left back, completely lose his position, allowing Drogba to receive a pass and maraud inside from wide.
He passed two players and then unleashed a shot that left goalkeeper Manuel Almunia helpless. Had he got in the way it would have left a hole in his midriff like a cannon-ball in a Tom and Jerry cartoon.
A wise man, Almunia steered clear of Drogba's shots after that and did not even move when his 82nd-minute free-kick ricocheted explosively off the crossbar.
Had it gone in, the symmetry of the matches with Chelsea would have been unbearable for Wenger; or as painfully unpalatable as the reality of Arsenal's fading title challenge.

-----------------------------------------------

Sun:
Chelsea 2 Arsenal 0
ROB BEASLEY

THERE'S only one Didier Drogba, one England captain, one team in London... and there's only one team top of the league, having a laugh. Celebrating Chelsea fans belted out that message loud and clear at Stamford Bridge last night. But the buoyant Blues crowd missed one out.
There's also only one team that can stop them taking the title - the usual suspects Manchester United.
Arsenal are out of it.
Deadly Drogba's first-half double saw to that as he continued to wage his amazing one-man war against Arsene Wenger's men.
The in-form striker's brilliant brace means he has now hit 12 goals in 12 games against the Gunners.
If you really want to rub it in, then it's 12 goals in 10 starts!
And the scourge of North London wasted little time getting down to business here at the Bridge.
He was first to react in the area after just eight minutes as he nipped in at the far post to convert captain John Terry's header to give Chelsea a valuable early lead.
And 15 minutes later, as the Blues counter-attacked decisively, he collected Frank Lampard's pass wide on the right and cut inside ready to wreak yet more havoc.
His powerful surge into the area saw him weave beyond Arsenal defenders Gael Clichy and Thomas Vermaelen before firing a sweet left-footed shot into the back of the net for his 22nd goal of the season.
The Ivory Coast powerhouse was only denied a hat-trick when his late free-kick bounced back off the crossbar at the Matthew Harding end with six minutes to go.
The damage was already done, though.
Arsenal's latest title tilt is dead and buried for another year no matter how Wenger tries to argue that the better team lost!
Yes, his team did have the bulk of possession. But the footballing truth is that it's not how long you have the ball, it's what you do with it.
And Arsenal did precious little.
On the two occasions they did carve out openings they found Chelsea keeper Petr Cech in unbeatable form.
The Czech star's stunning 17th-minute save to keep out Andrey Arshavin's point-blank shot was a pivotal moment.
And his flying 70th-minute stop from Cesc Fabregas' free-kick spared Chelsea a nervy last 20 minutes.
Cech's heroics also under-scored boss Carlo Ancelotti's key point address afterwards.
The Italian reacted to Wenger's whingeing with a stinging retort.
He said dryly: "Maybe they had more possession - but this is not football.
"It is about attack and defence and we did fantastic attack and fantastic defensive work. We deserved to win."
He was absolutely right.
But just when are Arsenal Gunner learn this simple fact.
For this match was almost a carbon copy of the 3-1 defeat they suffered at the hands of Manchester United at the Emirates the previous weekend. Arsenal made a lot of the running against United, did a lot of the passing but they were cut to pieces by the rampant Reds on the break.
After that humiliation you would have thought they would have been more careful.
Don't they say that once is unfortunate but twice is unforgivable?
And that's the trouble with Arsenal this season: There are more questions than answers about them.
And the biggest question right now is: What the hell are they going to do against Liverpool on Wednesday night?
Surely not the same kamikaze tactics as this.
It's just incredible how the Gunners have crashed and burned in awful fashion in such a short space of time.
They went into a four-match spell over a period of 15 days that many believed would determine their season. The acid test they called it.
Well, a draw at Aston Villa and back-to-back defeats against title rivals United and Chelsea have left them horrifically scarred.
So, Wenger had better come up with a new gameplan to salvage Arsenal's season. And quick.
Defeat against Liverpool will suddenly have the men from the Emirates anxiously looking over their shoulders.
And yet just a week or so ago they were looking upwards.
In contrast, Chelsea can scent only victory after five wins out of their last six in the Premier League.
Even the all-consuming John Terry affair has failed to halt their charge towards the title.
Wenger called them "efficient" and "experienced".
Everyone else was just saying "excellent."
And that man Drogba was undoubtedly the star of the show, rightly receiving a standing ovation when he was substituted late on.
The Drogba fan club included Hollywood hunk Matt Damon who was up on his feet applauding Chelsea's leading man along with the rest.
The Bourne Identity star is in the capital promoting his new film Invictus about South Africa's rugby union World Cup triumph.
As a Chelsea fan, he could soon be scripting another sporting epic.

hull city 1-1

The Times

Stephen Hunt inspires another unexpected twist in title race

Hull City 1 Chelsea 1

Oliver Kay, Football Correspondent

When Sir Alex Ferguson urged Arsenal to dust themselves down and “batter” Chelsea on Manchester United’s behalf on Sunday, it seemed that even he, a man who surveys his rivals’ fixture list for anything resembling a potential pitfall, did not hold out much hope of an upset at the KC Stadium last night.
This, though, remains a deeply unpredictable campaign and, as Chelsea laboured to a draw against a valiant Hull City, the title race took another unexpected twist — one that will give John Terry something else to worry about, as if the state of his marriage, his fragile grip on the England captaincy and the latest revelations about his personal life were not enough.
Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, tried to put on a brave face, calling it “a difficult game and a good result”, but this was one of those occasions this season, like that arduous afternoon away to Wigan Athletic in September, when the Barclays Premier League has lived up to its billing as a competition in which nothing can be taken for granted. More than that, it was a night when it seemed that the word is out among Chelsea’s opponents that Ancelotti’s team are hugely vulnerable at dead-ball situations.
Chelsea scored from a set-piece of their own, Didier Drogba announcing his return from Africa Cup of Nations duty with a splendidly placed free kick just before the interval, but that merely cancelled out the goal scored by Steven Mouyokolo, the first of the French defender’s career.
It came from a corner taken by the excellent Stephen Hunt, more of whom later, and, as Phil Brown, the Hull manager, noted afterwards, it meant that 15 of the 20 goals Chelsea have conceded in the Premier League this season have come from set-pieces. And if Ancelotti will not thank Brown for pointing that out, Ferguson almost certainly will.
Mouyokolo’s goal will have infuriated Ancelotti — and, indeed, Terry — as much as any they have conceded this season. As the net bulged, with Mouyokolo having been left by Michael Ballack to score with a header, Terry gestured that Petr Cech, the goalkeeper, should have taken charge of the situation. He might well have had a point.
Chelsea showed quality at times, Frank Lampard and Nicolas Anelka in particular, but they looked ruffled throughout and, in particular, struggled to handle the threat of Hunt.
The Hull winger will never be the most popular player with the Chelsea squad after his infamous clash with Cech when he was playing for Reading in October 2006, but the way in which he tormented them, whether running at Branislav Ivanovic or whipping in crosses, was something to behold for those home supporters who had feared he would join Wolverhampton Wanderers before the transfer window closed on Monday.
It was all going rather well for Hull, with Hunt on song on the left and Tom Cairney a model of composure in midfield on only his third appearance at senior level, but Boaz Myhill, the goalkeeper, was being called into action a little too frequently for Brown’s liking, diving to his left to keep out shots from Lampard and Anelka. Hull’s defenders had handled the threat of Drogba well, but when Mark Clattenburg awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area three minutes before half-time, for George Boateng’s challenge on Anelka, the forward dispatched a low, curling shot that surprised Myhill as it beat him at the far post.
Drogba’s goal seemed to be the cue for Chelsea to take control in the second half, but that was not how it transpired. Within a minute of the restart Terry was shown a yellow card for a cynical tug on Jozy Altidore after the muscular United States forward beat him to a bouncing ball. From the resulting free kick, again whipped in at pace by Hunt, Altidore could feasibly have scored with a header.
The statistics, at least when it comes to passing the ball and creating chances, will show that Chelsea were the better team, but the expected gulf in class was not there. Brown was delighted with Hull’s performance — far more than he had been after they drew their previous home game 2-2 against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday — but there were, inevitably, times when they lived dangerously, with Myhill making important saves from Lampard, Anelka, Drogba and Florent Malouda while still managing at times to spread panic among his defence.
Chelsea could still have won it in stoppage time, with Joe Cole setting up Daniel Sturridge, his fellow substitute, for an ambitious left-foot shot that Myhill beat away, but, unlike at Turf Moor on Saturday, there was to be no late winning goal for Ancelotti’s team — not even from Terry, who found Hull’s defence rather less accommodating than Burnley’s on his regular forays forward.
As Ancelotti said, a team cannot win every time they play, but Chelsea looked flat — certainly in contrast to United’s effervescent performance in beating Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Ancelotti will hope for a big improvement when Arsène Wenger’s team visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday, by which time United will expect to have reclaimed top spot, given that they face Portsmouth at Old Trafford the day before.
A footnote: at the end, Terry swapped shirts with Hunt, no doubt sparking talk about whether he had shown disregard for another team-mate, this time Cech, in doing so. It is more tempting to say that it was a reward for Hunt for a performance that epitomised Hull’s effort: tigerish, persistent and, for Chelsea and their captain, bloody irritating.

Hull City (4-4-2): B Myhill — P McShane (sub: K Zayatte, 90min), S Mouyokolo, A Gardner, A Dawson — C Fagan, G Boateng, T Cairney, S Hunt — J Vennegoor of Hesselink (sub: A Zaki, 66), J Altidore (sub: K Kilbane, 85). Substitutes not used: M Duke, B Mendy, N Barmby, Geovanni. Booked: McShane.

Chelsea (4-3-2-1): P Cech — B Ivanovic, R Carvalho, J Terry, Y Zhirkov (sub: A Cole, 81) — Deco, M Ballack (sub: J Cole, 71), F Lampard — N Anelka (sub: D Sturridge, 89), F Malouda — D Drogba. Substitutes not used: R Turnbull, P Ferreira, Alex, S Kalou. Booked: Ivanovic, Terry, Drogba.
Referee: M Clattenburg.

----------------------------------------------------

Telegraph:

Hull City 1 Chelsea 1

By Henry Winter

If John Terry needed any evidence of the depth of contempt for his behaviour he found it here. From first whistle to last, the England captain endured unbelievable haranguing from Hull City fans. As Chelsea dropped two points, Terry’s personal standing around the country plummeted even further and next week’s trip to Goodison Park could be even more brutal.
Although Chelsea could do with this distracting storm passing quickly, this draw cannot be blamed on all the commotion surrounding Terry’s off-field travails. A longer-standing problem saw them fall behind to Steven Mouyokolo’s header at a corner: of the 20 Premier League goals Chelsea have conceded, 15 have now come from set-pieces.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side equalised through Didier Drogba’s free-kick but they never looked a cohesive, consistently threatening unit and could be in second place by the time they play again. Manchester United, currently two points behind, entertain Portsmouth on Saturday before Chelsea host Arsenal 24 hours later. Leadership issues cling to Terry and his team.
"We are in a good position,’’ retorted Ancelotti. "We are top. We know very well that Manchester United are a fantastic opponent. It will be a long race to the end of the season.’’
At the top and bottom. Hull, fighting to stay up and feeding on their fans’ noise, were well worth their point. Stephen Hunt, who has troubled Chelsea and particularly Petr Cech in the past, excelled down the left flank, constantly worrying Branislav Ivanovic. Chelsea’s back-line never looked particularly certain, although Terry was pick of the defensive bunch.
His one mistake came when he was caught out by a Jozy Altidore run, pulling the American down and going into Mark Clattenburg’s book.
Hull’s manager, Phil Brown, voiced some support for the Chelsea centre-half. "John Terry is a great captain,’’ said Brown. "He did well in very adverse circumstances. When you see the coach coming in followed by photographers you realise the immensity of the situation.’’
Ancelotti maintained his sanguine air. Chelsea’s manager refused to confirm whether he had talked to his captain about the controversy but the understanding is that he has. "Nothing can disturb our concentration,’’
Ancelotti stressed. "Chelsea are focused every game. John played a very good game.’’
After Sunday’s match with Arsenal, Terry faces the Gwladys Street glee club on Feb 10 although he is likely to miss the Feb 13 FA Cup fifth-round tie against Cardiff City because he wants to visit his wife and children in Dubai. "If he needs to go on holiday, we will let him,’’ said Ancelotti.
"If he wants to play, he will play.’’
Still the main story in sports-town, Terry had not shown a flicker of emotion as he strode from the Chelsea bus towards the tunnel, his every step attracting a flurry of boos. Inside the KC Stadium, the derision proved far worse. It was not simply every touch of Terry’s that drew catcalls, it was the frequent chants, suggesting all manner of indignities.
This is the problem that the Football Association is allowing to fester: any remaining vestiges of Terry’s authority as an England captain are being shredded around the country. When he was booked early in the second half, the KC Stadium dissolved in delight.
Whatever his lack of self-awareness, Terry has never been short of self-belief and he rarely flinched, his equanimity troubled mainly when Hull took a first-half lead through Mouyokolo. The nerves in the blue ranks had been more evident out wide where Chelsea’s full-backs, Ivanovic and Yuri Zhirkov, were tested by Hunt and Craig Fagan.
Chelsea briefly appeared to settle, Michael Ballack almost scoring with a header from Ivanovic’s excellent cross, but Hull’s confidence was soon reflected in the scoreline. When Hunt bent in a corner from the right, Chelsea’s defence froze. Ballack got underneath the ball, Terry was blocked off by Anthony Gardner and Mouyokolo headed powerfully home. As Hull celebrated, Terry complained that he had been baulked, an argument he was to continue with Clattenburg at half-time.
Chelsea looked vulnerable, lacking their usual organisation. Slowly, they found a semblance of their stride. Florent Malouda was always lively, taking the game to Hull. Nicolas Anelka followed suit, racing at the hosts’ defence. When Anelka was fouled by George Boateng a yard outside the area, Clattenburg played advantage as the ball broke to Lampard, who was promptlybrought down inside the box by Gardner. "Penalty’’ came the scream from the 3,000 Chelsea fans. "Free-kick’’ ruled Clattenburg, strangely taking play back to the offence on Anelka.
No matter. Drogba punished them from 20 yards, exploiting a gap in Hull’s wall to find the back of the net. Hull went apoplectic, claiming that Ricardo Carvalho had sneakily created the hole in the wall. He hadn’t, merely stepping out of the way and Hull’s players failing to respond.
As Drogba raced off to celebrate, Terry sprinted to the Chelsea fans to thank them for their support before running back to his half, throwing a stony stare at his Hull tormentors en route. Throughout the second half, Chelsea pushed for the winner but found Boaz Myhill in defiant form, the keeper denying Drogba, Terry and Daniel Sturridge.

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Guardian:
Gutsy Hull hold John Terry and Chelsea to a 1-1 draw
Hull City 1 Mouyokolo 30 Chelsea 1 Drogba 42
Kevin McCarra at the KC Stadium

Chelsea lead the Premier League by two points, but they no longer look in command of it. The side had won all five of their matches when Didier Drogba was absent at the Africa Cup of Nations, but his return did not extend the sequence. That was no fault of the Ivorian, who provided the equaliser at the KC Stadium, but the visitors never had a pugnacious Hull under complete control.
Sunday's encounter with Arsenal at Stamford Bridge will be all the more intriguing as they strain to keep Manchester United at bay. This was a sporadic display. There was none of the relentless authority that distinguishes them when they are at their most co-ordinated.
Hull take huge credit for that, since they did much more than resist. This was the 11th consecutive game without a win in all competitions for Phil Brown's side, but it felt more like a fresh start. Composed and content as Carlo Ancelotti attempted to appear afterwards, his discomfort was revealed in the decisions he took during the match.
The Italian even took off a muted Nicolas Anelka, who could be considered Chelsea's best player this season, in the hope that the inexperienced Daniel Sturridge might make a difference. The latter did demand a good save from the impressive Boaz Myhill in stoppage time. But for all the goalkeeper's sharp work, Hull had a sense of adventure that was never entirely extinguished.
Their resilience had also to be demonstrated, but the most important show of resistance this week was the rejection of Wolves' £5m bid for Stephen Hunt in the transfer window. The Irishman was composed and dangerous in his work on the flanks. He was involved when Hull took the lead after half an hour.
Hunt's corner from the right was headed in forcefully by Steven Mouyokolo who was aided in scoring his first goal for the club by the lax marking of Michael Ballack. Chelsea's vulnerability at set pieces is turning into a chronic condition. The unease is now reflected in selection and it is no longer clear whether Ricardo Carvalho or Alex is the preferred partner for John Terry in the middle of the defence.
Chelsea, having conceded the opener, were provoked into vigour, but their leveller came in odd circumstances. They appealed for a penalty as Frank Lampard seemed to be brought down, but the referee, Mark Clattenburg, had already blown for a foul on Anelka just outside the 18-yard box. The issue became an irrelevance when Drogba levelled by curling the free-kick round the wall and into the net three minutes before the interval. Hull were adamant that the free-kick ought to have been indirect.
Chelsea were scarcely in disarray when Drogba was busy representing his country in Angola, but the range of his gifts is great and it mattered here when his team at least extracted a point from the fixture. The Ivorian had last appeared for the club on December 28. He could not quite polish off Hull here and the competitiveness was pronounced despite these clubs having so little in common.
In games of this sort the contrast in attitude is as great as that in the fame or affluence of the respective sets of players. For Hull, this type of evening is a major part of the prize for achieving promotion. For the visitors, it was another task to be completed on a long, ambitious programme, even if they did fall short of victory.
Chelsea's perspective was broad enough for Ashley Cole to be named merely among the substitutes. There was not the slightest suggestion that Terry might lose his way in the flurry of headlines over his private life, even if the centre-back was booked at the start of the second half.
The home support had, naturally, remembered to boo each time he took possession, but with little hope of his confidence crumbling. Chelsea, for a while, seemed to have scant doubt about the outcome. There were signs that supported such faith, but Ballack carelessly headed a Branislav Ivanovic cross straight Myhill in the 25th minute.
Hull are not readily deterred. The risk of falling back into the Championship is glaring, but they were galvanised by this occasion. Ancelotti's side experienced enough consternation for Terry to get that yellow card after pulling back the forward Jozy Altidore.
Hull kept the tempo high and Chelsea were not able to dictate terms from midfield for a while. An hour had passed before they gave evidence of the measured style that must have looked ominous to their opponents. The conviction of Hull continued to be remarkable despite the inferiority recorded in their respective League positions. No matter how poor their form has been, Hull have all the morale essential for the battle against relegation.

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Independent :

Drogba to the rescue as Chelsea struggle
Hull City 1 Chelsea 1
By Tim Rich

John Terry always operated on the basis that he was the virtual embodiment of Chelsea Football Club but since the exposure of his affair with the mother of Wayne Bridge's son it has come a step closer. To some this was not Hull versus Chelsea but the second instalment of Terry against the world, which until the issue of the England captaincy is resolved is how it is likely to be.
This game was, however, very much more than that. It was about a side suffering a loss of momentum at the worst time – just after Manchester United had produced a compelling, virtuoso display at the Emirates Stadium and just before Chelsea face Arsenal. A two-point lead with more than three months of the season remaining is not much of an advantage.
It also exploded one of the myths that envelop Stamford Bridge every couple of years – that Chelsea will suffer during the Africa Cup of Nations. For the record, the last time they dropped points while the tournament was in progress was January 2006 when they were held at home by Charlton. Here, no sooner did their reinforcements arrive from Angola than they became the slightly uncertain team away from home that they had been before Didier Drogba and the rest departed.
But for Drogba, who scored his 20th goal of the season, this might have been a fourth away Premier League defeat of the season. Nevertheless, Carlo Ancelotti stated that this was a "good result," and added: "We don't have to be disappointed, Hull put us under a lot of pressure." The Chelsea manager confirmed that if Terry wished to miss the FA Cup tie with Cardiff on Valentine's weekend to be with his wife, who is now sheltering from the media storm in Dubai, that would not be a problem. "If he needs a holiday, I will give him one," Ancelotti said. "If not, he will play."
For a sportsman such as Terry, a football pitch is the one place where his thoughts could be entirely focused on the game. There was no dramatic intervention from him as there had been with his winner at Burnley on Saturday and, generally, the booing and baiting were not as pronounced.
Without the scandal, nobody would have thought it remarkable that at Turf Moor the final song played before kick-off was Bryan Ferry's "Let's Stick Together", with its opening line of "The marriage vow is very sacred". Here, it was the Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love with Someone You Shouldn't Have Fallen in Love With?"
Perhaps the story should not be the public disintegration of Mr Chelsea but the fact that when Steven Mouyokolo slipped clear of his marker Michael Ballack, it was the 15th time out of 20 League goals conceded that the defence he leads has succumbed to a set-piece – this one was a Stephen Hunt corner. It was a statistic Phil Brown, the Hull manager, was perfectly aware of. In first-half stoppage time, it might have been 16 had Anthony Gardner not aimed his header from Tom Cairney's free-kick fractionally too high.
This was a similar task for Ancelotti's men to the one they faced at Burnley; to break down a struggling team who have a good home record. Apart from one defeat by Manchester United, Hull had not lost at the KC Stadium since September.
The Premier League leaders set about it with a grim, if seldom fluid, determination which Hull resisted with a display Brown thought their best of the season, although they were indebted to some fine goalkeeping from Boaz Myhill, who saved a header from Terry among others.
They had led for 12 minutes when referee Mark Clattenburg allowed play on when Nicolas Anelka was fouled on the edge of the area. Frank Lampard was then chopped down inside the box and the referee awarded a free-kick for the first foul on the Frenchman. Drogba stepped up to take it. George Boateng, under the impression the free-kick was indirect, turned his back in the Hull wall with fatal results and suddenly Chelsea seemed more than a team that revolved around their captain's sex life.

Hull City (4-4-2): Myhill; McShane (Zayatte, 90), Mouyokolo, Gardner, Dawson; Fagan, Boateng, Cairney, Hunt; Altidore (Kilbane, 85), Vennegoor of Hesselink (Zaki, 66). Substitutes not used: Duke (gk), Barmby, Geovanni, Mendy.

Chelsea (4-3-1-2): Cech; Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Zhirkov (A Cole, 81); Ballack (J Cole, 71), Deco, Lampard; Malouda; Anelka (Sturridge, 81), Drogba. Substitutes not used: Turnbull (gk), Ferreira, Kalou, Alex.

Referee: M Clattenburg (County Durham).
Booked: Hull City McShane; Chelsea Ivanovic, Terry, Drogba.
Man of the match: Cairney.
Attendance: 24,957.