watford 5-0

The Times

Chelsea coast through into round four

Chelsea 5 Watford 0
Nick Szczepanik

Manchester United may have slipped up yesterday, but Chelsea made no mistake. The holders fielded a below-strength side but still opened their defence of the trophy with an effortless stroll into the fourth round.
The gap between the Barclays Premier League leaders and Watford, of the Coca-Cola Championship, was 32 league places but it might as well have been 92 for all the chance of an upset after Chelsea had taken an early lead, which was stretched to 3-0 after 21 minutes.
“It was important to start the new year well,” Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, said. “It was an important game and if you don’t take this game in the right way it could be difficult. Manchester United losing was a surprise, but if you don’t stay focused every game can be difficult. We stayed in focus at the start of the match and afterwards it was easy to win this game, but if you don’t stay in focus it was [possible] to lose.”
It was only Chelsea’s third victory in nine matches, but hardly surprising in view of their recent FA Cup record. They have reached the fifth round of the competition in each of the past 11 seasons and have not been knocked out in the third round since 1998.
“My players know very well how important the FA Cup is for this club and this country and we want to get to the final,” Ancelotti said. “We won last season and we want to do the same. We want to do our best in every competition. To win is not easy. To do your best is easier and I’m sure we’ll do that.”
Even with four players absent at the African Cup of Nations and Nicolas Anelka out with a hamstring injury, Ancelotti still felt that he could afford to rest Petr Cech, Ricardo Carvalho and Michael Ballack, making seven changes to the side who beat Fulham 2-1.
In contrast to the empty seats at some grounds over the weekend, Stamford Bridge was almost full thanks to a sensible reduction in prices, and most of the 40,912 in the ground were cheering as Chelsea went ahead after five minutes. Alex nodded down Frank Lampard’s corner and John Terry’s half-volley, which was going wide, was turned in from close range by Daniel Sturridge. It was his first goal for the club on only his third start since his move from Manchester City last summer.
Florent Malouda, who had complained in a Sunday newspaper that his first-team chances were unfairly limited, fluffed a chance to improve his case for more playing time when Scott Loach parried a shot to his feet and he miscued his attempted shot in embarrassing fashion.
But the France winger was involved as Chelsea doubled their lead in the fourteenth minute. His cross from the left was met on the volley by Joe Cole and, although the England midfield player’s shot went wide of the far post, the ball hit Adrian Mariappa, the Watford defender, and ricocheted back across goal, going in off Lampard’s backside, Loach’s gloves and John Eustace.
Chelsea put the game even farther out of Watford’s reach seven minutes later, Malouda claiming the last touch as Yuri Zhirkov’s shot was deflected past Loach.
Watford struggled to get into the game. Tom Cleverley and Henri Lansbury, the promising young players on loan from Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, had few chances to make an impression before the interval. There was a brief glimmer of an opening for the visiting team early in the second half when Lansbury’s shot was deflected for a corner kick, from which Jay DeMerit, the Watford captain, put a free header into the arms of Hilário, but instead of reducing the arrears, Watford soon found themselves even farther behind.
Lampard made it 4-0 after 64 minutes with a shot from 25 yards that dipped late in its trajectory and Sturridge netted his second four minutes later, deftly controlling Ashley Cole’s deflected cross and rolling the ball calmly past Loach.
There was nearly an emotional consolation goal in injury time when Jon Harley, the former Chelsea defender, clipped a shot past Hilário only for the ball to hit the post. “To lose a goal from a corner after only five minutes gives you an uphill battle,” Malky Mackay, the Watford manager, said. “We were playing against top-level European players but there were certain situations where we could have done better. And the deflections were hard to take as well.”

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Hilário — B Ivanovic, Alex, J Terry, A Cole (sub: G Kakuta, 74min) — J Belletti (sub: N Matic, 64) — J Cole, F Lampard, Y Zhirkov — D Sturridge (sub: F Borini 70), F Malouda. Substitutes not used: R Turnbull, R Carvalho, M Ballack, P Ferreira. Booked: Belletti, J Cole, Matic.

Watford (4-2-3-1): S Loach — L Hodson, A Mariappa, J DeMerit, L Doyley — S Severin (sub: R Jenkins, 46), J Eustace — D Cowie (sub: J Harley, 80), H Lansbury, T Cleverley — D Graham (sub: L Henderson, 80). Substitutes not used: R Lee, D Bennett, W Hoskins, R Kiernan.

Booked: Lansbury, Eustace, Cleverley.
Referee: K Friend. Attendance: 40,912.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 5 Watford 0

Jeremy Wilson at Stamford Bridge

With Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou all absent from the starting line-up, even the most optimistic Chelsea supporter would have felt a surge of trepidation. The remedy to any pre-match nerves, though, was staring out from the front cover of the programme.
Daniel Sturridge might be one of the least recognisable faces in the Chelsea squad but, when he was substituted against Watford yesterday after 70 minutes and two goals, the whole of Stamford Bridge stood and applauded as one.
Chelsea's Frank Lampard waits on FA's verdict on red card against LiverpoolIt had been a performance to suggest that Chelsea do have the strength in depth to cope without their talisman Drogba. Manager Carlo Ancelotti is hardly prone to outpourings of emotion but there was a warm hug for Sturridge and, in the post-match press conference, a real glow of satisfaction.
Sturridge’s emergence is well-timed, although this was also a display that may just inflate a transfer fee that will be decided by tribunal this month after last summer’s move from Manchester City.
With Anelka due to return for Saturday’s trip to Hull, Ancelotti now has the comfort of several options.
“Anelka and Sturridge can play together,” he said. “Sturridge played very well. Without Drogba, it was important to have him in good condition. I think that we can do a good January without the African players. I had good answers about other players.”
One of those was Florent Malouda who, having begun the weekend with an outspoken interview in which he outlined his frustrations at a lack of first-team football, scored and provided a consistent threat. Actions speak rather louder than words in football and Ancelotti said that he had already cleared the air with his winger. “I have talked with Malouda and explained to him my position and he explained his position,” he said. “It’s normal that a player wants to play every game.”
Ancelotti begun yesterday with a slight surprise by switching from the diamond formation that has generally served him so well this season, meaning Juliano Belletti played the holding position in front of the defence while Malouda and Joe Cole were the most advanced midfielders in support of Sturridge. The team adapted instantly as Sturridge took just five minutes to score his first Chelsea goal.
Frank Lampard floated a corner towards Alex, whose header was diverted by John Terry into the path of Sturridge. It looked like a straightforward chance, but the ball was travelling at a considerable speed and Sturridge’s finish was both instinctive and clinical. Even at such an early stage in the game, the goal seemed to deflate Watford and, for the rest of the match, Henrique Hilário was a spectator in the Chelsea goal.
The second goal had a hint of farce but was just reward for Chelsea’s dominance. Joe Cole had volleyed Malouda’s cross into the Watford penalty area and triggered an extraordinary game of pinball. The ball cannoned between Adrian Mariappa, Frank Lampard and Scott Loach before finally bouncing off John Eustace for an own-goal.
There was also a slice of luck about Chelsea’s third goal when Yuri Zhirkov’s shot deflected off Malouda and beyond Loach. But then Lampard scored a cracker from outside the penalty area and Sturridge calmly converted Ashley Cole’s cross for his second to seal an emphatic win.
With Alex, Belletti and Terry missing further chances, the full-time whistle was nothing less than an act of mercy for Watford.


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Guardian:
Chelsea saunter into the fourth round despite being out of Africans
Chelsea 5 Sturridge 5, Eustace (og) 15, Malouda 22, Lampard 64, Sturridge 68 Watford 0

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

If only life without Didier Drogba could always prove this comfortable. Chelsea's first fixture since their African contingent departed for Angola was little more than a stroll through the third round, with Championship opponents hopelessly outclassed and the contest reduced early into a training exercise serving to pep the Londoners' confidence.
There was no early discomfort for the holders to weather here as Watford froze when confronted by blanket home possession. The home side conjured 10 corners in the opening half-hour, and three goals within the first 22 minutes. Watford were spikier thereafter, but, by then, they could play with the freedom of a condemned side. Their defending hardly improved at any point.
Carlo Ancelotti will have drawn encouragement from the displays of Daniel Sturridge and Florent Malouda, players who have been reduced to bit-part roles to date this season but will presumably become more integral with Drogba, Michael Essien, John Mikel Obi and Salomon Kalou absent. Malouda had hinted at his frustration at his non-involvement in "big games" in an interview with L'Equipe. He tormented the visitors here, deflecting in the home side's third from Yuri Zhirkov's optimistic drive, though all of the hosts' attackers revelled with Watford so porous defensively.
Sturridge needed a goal to confirm he belongs in this company, and it was his close-range finish to John Terry's wayward shot that deflated the visitors early on. The game went with it. By the time he prodded in Ashley Cole's deflected cross after 68 minutes, Watford had disintegrated. The 20-year-old's transfer fee from Manchester City is due to be settled at some stage this month by a tribunal; City might expect a higher fee for his services on the basis of this performance.
This was all too easy, with Watford never recovering from their fifth minute concession. Malouda's centre duly prompted panic just before the quarter-hour mark with the ball ricocheting from Joe Cole, Adrian Mariappa and Frank Lampard before dribbling in off John Eustace. Lampard found his own reward with a trademark dipping shot over Scott Loach just after the hour to ease the home side four goals ahead.
Tougher tests than this lie ahead. Chelsea will play Hull City, Sunderland, Birmingham and Burnley in their Africans' absence – hardly the most imposing of fixture lists, but considerably trickier than this. For now, Ancelotti can take heart that, where Manchester United have already stumbled, the holders stride on.

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Independent:

Sturridge plugs gap at Chelsea
Chelsea 5 Watford 0
By Mark Fleming

Chelsea's transfer policy bore fruit yesterday, six months down the line. Speculation is rife about who they might sign during the January transfer window, but it was two players recruited last summer who were behind this thrashing of Watford.
One arrived at Chelsea with a big reputation; the other came with a big price tag. Daniel Sturridge was tipped as one of the most promising young English players around when he joined from Manchester City on 3 July, for a transfer fee due to be settled by tribunal later this month.
Three days later Yuri Zhirkov joined from CSKA Moscow for a fee of £18m. Both players have taken their time to find their feet; Sturridge suffering from a loss of confidence while Zhirkov has been troubled with a persistent knee injury. The visit of Watford provided both players with an opportunity to showcase their talents, an opportunity that both seized with understandable relief. Sturridge, 20, caught the eye with two well-taken goals, his first for the club in his eighth appearance, five of which have come from the bench.
Sturridge opened the Watford gap with a perfunctory finish at the far post after John Terry had hit a low shot across goal. His second, Chelsea's fifth, was a better finish, a tidy touch and shot after an exquisite pass from Zhirkov had released Ashley Cole to cross from the left.
He should have had a hat-trick but for a fine one-handed save from Watford keeper Scott Loach, after Zhirkov had put him in the clear. It could prove to be a key moment for the England under-21 international who has been promised a run in the team by manager Carlo Ancelotti while Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are away on African Nations Cup duty. Playing in the centre of a three-pronged strike-force with Florent Malouda on the left and Joe Cole on the right, Sturridge led the line with energy and skill.
Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, was impressed with Sturridge's contribution. "This performance for him was very important," Ancelotti said. "It'll improve his confidence, his possibilities. He has a lot of potential and great quality, and he can show that now. He scored two goals and that's important for a striker, to score. He played very well for the whole match."
Ancelotti gave Sturridge treatment normally reserved for key players such as Drogba when he replaced him with 20 minutes to go. The manager showed his appreciation with a handshake, a hug and a pat on the back.
Zhirkov also provided evidence to suggest his fee might not be yet another case of Chelsea paying over the odds. He was bright and inventive, tidy on the ball but with the ability to provide a moment of unexpected subtlety. Competition for places is fierce on the left side for Chelsea, but Zhirkov did enough to demonstrate he will be pushing for a start now he has finally regained full fitness.
The game was over almost as soon as it had begun. Sturridge put Chelsea ahead in the fifth minute, and the FA Cup holders doubled their advantage after 14 minutes. Joe Cole's volley from Malouda's cross provoked chaotic scenes among the Watford defence. The ball struck Adrian Mariappa and then hit Frank Lampard's backside before John Eustace's attempt to clear ricocheted into his own head and into the Watford goal. Chelsea's third was scrappy too, coming when Zhirkov's shot was deflected past Loach thanks to a heavy deflection off Malouda who claimed the goal. A swerving shot by Frank Lampard from 25 yards that wobbled and dipped its way into the Watford goal brought Chelsea's fourth. Remarkably it was only his second goal from open play this season.
Watford made little impact, and forced just one save from Henrique Hilario in the Chelsea goal, a header by Jay Demerit from a corner, to cheer the 6,000 visiting fans sitting in the Shed End. All in all a perfect day for Ancelotti, who brushed aside a newspaper interview given by Malouda moaning about his lack of first-team chances. "There's no problem. It's normal that a player wants to play every game," he said. Chelsea were drawn to play Preston away in the fourth round.

Chelsea (4-3-3): Hilario; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, A Cole (Kakuta 74); Lampard, Belletti (Matic 64), Zhirkov; J Cole, Sturridge (Borini 70), Malouda. Substitutes not used: Turnbull (gk), Carvalho, Ballack, Ferreira.

Watford (4-5-1): Loach; Hodson, Mariappa, Demerit, Doyley; Cowie (Harley 80), Severin (Jenkins h-t), Eustace, Lansbury, Cleverley; Graham (Henderson 80) Substitues not used: Lee (gk), Bennett, Hoskins, Kiernan.

Referee: K Friend (Leics)
Booked: Chelsea: Booked: Belletti, J Cole, Matic. Watford: Hodson, Eustace, Lansbury, Cleverley.
Man of the Match: Zhirkov
Attendance: 40,912


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Mail:
Chelsea 5 Watford 0:

Daniel Sturridge off the mark as FA Cup holders sail into Fourth Round

How nice of Watford to be so accommodating, allowing Chelsea to begin life without their quartet of African players in such comfortable fashion.Tougher tasks than this glorified training match lie around the corner for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. But an FA Cup third round tie against mediocre lower league opposition provided the ideal opportunity for Ancelotti to test the water following the departure of Didier Drogba and company.Watford did not even have the injured Nicolas Anelka to contend with. But 20-year-old Daniel Sturridge stepped up to the plate admirably, the former Manchester City striker opening his Chelsea account in his third start with two well-taken goals.
‘It’s important for us to have him in good condition without Drogba,’ admitted Ancelotti.
‘He scored two goals and that’s important for a striker. But he deserved it and it will improve his confidence. He has a lot of potential and great quality and he can show that in January.’Injuries, rests and the Africa Cup of Nations saw Ancelotti make seven changes from the side that struggled to victory over Fulham last time out.And while such a one-sided affair made it difficult to judge how they will cope this month, Sturridge and Yuri Zhirkov turned in performances which suggest Chelsea can remain on top of the pile.
The same was true of Florent Malouda, whose rant in the French press about a lack of first team starts and preferential treatment for Frank Lampard was overlooked by Ancelotti.‘I spoke with Malouda before the game against Birmingham and explained to him my position and he explained his,’ said the Chelsea manager.
‘For me, it was finished then and there. After that, he spoke in the French press. But there’s no problem, Malouda is doing professional work.’The word professional typified Chelsea’s performance. And the writing was on the wall for Wwatford with less than five minutes gone when Sturridge had the presence of mind to stab John Terry’s wayward shot past Scott Loach.The England Under 21 keeper could have done little with the four more that were to come, but neither did he do much to inspire confidence amongst his defence.Chelsea, by contrast, were brimming with the stuff — a fact demonstrated by Terry indulging in dummies, back heels and forward runs at every opportunity.
Alex and Lampard had further opportunities to extend Chelsea’s lead before their second arrived in the 13th minute courtesy of a John Eustace own goal, the Wwatford midfielder booting the ball into his own face when trying to clear off the line.Any semblance of cup magic was dispelled in the 21st minute when Malouda’s knee deflected Zhirkov’s strike from distance past a wrong-footed Loach.Chelsea were clearly in the mood for more and Lampard’s dipping 25-yard effort in the 64th minute was the pick of the bunch.Sturridge, whose transfer fee will be decided by tribunal later this month, may have increased the amount Manchester City can hope for by wrapping things up with neat control and an even neater finish four minutes later.
Despite the comprehensive nature of the win, Manchester United’s shock defeat at the hands of Leeds United illustrated that FA Cup ties can never be treated as formalities.And Ancelotti was pleased at the serious nature with which his team went about their work.
‘It (Manchester United’s defeat) was a surprise but this means that in every game if you don’t stay focused, every game can be difficult,’ he said.‘We stayed focused at the start of the match and afterwards it was easy to win this game. If we had not stayed focused, it would have been easy to lose.’Watford’s two on-loan talents, Tom Cleverley from Manchester United, and Henri Lansbury from Arsenal, may have caught the eye in the second tier.But neither youngster was able to make any impression on Chelsea’s defence.
Jay DeMerit did force a save from Hilario, in for the rested Petr Cech, early in the second half with a near-post header but that was the best the visitors could conjure up for their 6,000 fans.‘We go back and watch the DVD and we’ll look at it and be honest with ourselves,’ said Watford manager Malky Mackay.‘They’re world-class players — they’re two levels above us, they’re top European players — but there were situations where we could have done better.‘That’s where we have to improve. If we learn from it, it’ll benefit us in the long run.’

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Sun:

Chelsea 5 Watford 0
MARK IRWIN at Stamford Bridge

MANCHESTER UNITED and Liverpool please take note. This is how it is supposed to be.
Big team draws little team in the FA Cup, batters them senseless and strolls into the next round.
Any romantics looking for a spot of Cup magic were wasting their time at Stamford Bridge as poor Watford were overwhelmed by the Premier League leaders.
After a month of uncertainty and upset, this was as straightforward a victory as Carlo Ancelotti could have wished for.
Two goals from Daniel Sturridge, his first for the club, John Eustace's own goal and further efforts from Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard were more than enough to book a fourth-round date at Preston.
Yet even a five-goal margin flattered the Championship visitors who were unable to take any inspiration from Leeds' heroics at Old Trafford just hours earlier or Reading's draw with Liverpool on Saturday.
Ancelotti could not have asked for more accommodating opponents for his first match without his absent African quartet.
For Didier Drogba and chums were not even missed as Chelsea kicked off the New Year in impressive style.
Three goals up within 21 minutes, this tie was over long before the final whistle and won with the minimum of fuss.
Ancelotti had been told in no uncertain terms that he must treat the FA Cup with utmost respect after the club had worked so hard to win the competition last year.
And the Italian did not disappoint as he sent out an impressively strong line-up to take care of business.
It took them just five minutes to shatter Watford's illusions when Sturridge turned in John Terry's wayward shot at the back post.
Sturridge, signed from Manchester City in the summer, had been waiting a long time for his breakthrough goal.
It was little more than an hour later that his second arrived, despatched in impressive style from Ashley Cole's deflected cross.
But Chelsea had scored three times in between those Sturridge goals as they equalled their biggest margin of victory under Ancelotti.
Watford were embarrassingly out of their depth and did not exactly help their cause with their haphazard approach to defending.
And nothing exposed their limitations more than Chelsea's second goal in the 14th minute.
Joe Cole's volley was pushed out by keeper Scott Loach and deflected straight back into the danger area by Adrian Mariappa.
Lampard bundled the rebound towards goal and Eustace, attempting to hook clear, booted the ball against his face and into his own goal.
It was a farce of a goal which needed about four TV replays to establish exactly what had happened.
And there was an element of uncertainty about Chelsea's third, a low shot from the impressive Yuri Zhirkov which deflected past Loach off Malouda's heel.
Malouda had started the day with a whinge about his lack of starting opportunities in midfield.
But it will take more than one decent performance against such limited opposition to convince his boss.
At least he had the bit between his teeth here, flashing another shot just wide and sending over a corner for Terry's header to be cleared off the line by Lloyd Doyley.
Sturridge squandered a decent opportunity to extend Chelsea's lead and Terry, clearly auditioning as Drogba's stand-in, had another effort deflected behind by Eustace.
Watford were now facing the mother of all beatings and if there was any crumb of comfort to be taken by manager Malky Mackay it came from the knowledge that his players did not chuck in the towel.
They even had the temerity to threaten the Chelsea goal in the 53rd minute but Jay DeMerit headed straight at Henrique Hilario.
That was as good as it got for Mackay's men and any idea of holding Chelsea at bay for the rest of the match evaporated with Lampard's 64th-minute strike.
Branislav Ivanovic rolled the ball into the path of the England midfielder and Lampard drilled an unstoppable 25-yard shot beyond the reach of keeper Loach.
It was the pick of the bunch from a Chelsea team who will use this result as the launchpad for their New Year ambitions.
They had exited December plagued by doubts after a worrying run of results had seen their Premier League lead whittled down to two points.
But they will take heart from this convincing victory and a welcome clean sheet.
With only one game a week throughout January, Ancelotti is convinced he has more than enough resources to cope.
Nicholas Anelka will return from his hamstring injury for Saturday's League visit to Hull and Petr Cech and Michael Ballack are also rested and recovered after their day off.
Job done for Chelsea. But there are much sterner tests ahead.

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Mirror:

Chelsea 5-0 Watford:
Martin Lipton

Vulnerable without their African aces? Not the same when Didier Drogba is missing?
Pity nobody told Carlo Ancelotti, Daniel Sturridge and Chelsea that they are supposed to start falling apart now.
The only time Watford were safe at Stamford Bridge was when the final whistle was sounded, sparing them from any further punishment as they were battered black and blue.
And while there will be far more testing times for Ancelotti's side before Drogba and Co return from Angola, this was the opening to January that the Italian had promised when he declared the blip was over.
"I am a good magician, no?" pondered Ancelotti, after pulling the Sturridge rabbit out of the hat and watching the England under-21 striker flower with the perfect way to kick-start his Blues career.
Maybe not yet, Carlo, but if Chelsea were struggling for form before their great escape against Fulham last week, they emphatically put the bleak midwinter wobbles behind them as they eased through to round four.
Chelsea will finally discover how much they must pay Manchester City for Sturridge when the FA tribunal to assess the fee meets later this month.
That price may have gone up after the impressive close-range finishes which topped and tailed Ancelotti's easiest win as Chelsea boss, a comprehensive dismissal of a Watford side whose on-loan stars, Henri Lansbury and Tom Cleverley, made no impact at all.
It could have been more, too, and even if all three first half goals were scrappy, Watford were lucky to be only that far behind as poor Scott Loach was horribly exposed.
Watford contributed to their own downfall with shocking defending, failing to deal with Frank Lampard's left-wing corner which Sturridge eventually turned home for the first.
Then Joe Cole's strike across the face of goal from Florent Malouda's cross sparked a bout of pin-ball in front of Scott Loach's goal, completed as John Eustace farcically turned into his own net.
And when Malouda - embarrassed over pre-match suggestions, fiercely denied, that he had complained at Lampard's untouchable status within the club - diverted Yuri Zhirkov's strike past the stranded Loach, the contest was already over.
Ancelotti suggested the news from Old Trafford had helped his preparations. "What happened to United was a surprise, for sure," added the Italian.
"This showed that if you don't stay focused every game can be difficult.
"We put in a good performance, we stayed focused at the start and after that it was easy to win.
"I think that we can do a good January and have good performances without the African players."
At least Watford had a go at the start of the second half, skipper Jay DeMerit forcing Hilario into his first save of the game with a near-post header.
Watford shouldn't have bothered, with the chance stinging Chelsea into an effortless response that turned a thumping into a rout.
Lampard had not scored in open play since October 24 but there was nothing Loach could do as the England ace took aim from 25 yards out and launched a strike that bent like Jimmy Anderson's new ball deliveries as it found the top corner.
Three minutes later and it was five, Ashley Coke receiving from Zhirkov, with the alert Sturridge reading the deflected cross with a superb first touch, followed by an instinctive poke home with the outside of his left foot.
Sturridge was denied the chance of a hat-trick as Ancelotti sent on Fabio Borini in his place but by now it was nothing more than a damage limitation exercise for the hapless Hornets.
Thankfully for Mackay's men, there were no more, although Malouda was a fraction away from crowning the afternoon with a stunning sixth as Chelsea did the job with the minimum of fuss.
As New Year starts go, however, this was more than satisfactory for Ancelotti. He will expect it to be a springboard for more.


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fulham 2-1

Independent:
Drogba's parting shot saves Chelsea
Chelsea 2 Fulham 1
By Mark Fleming

In the past month Chelsea have turned into football's equivalent of Gordon Brown – still leading the country but Lord only knows how. Ever since their emphatic 3-0 victory at Arsenal, Chelsea have turned into a one-man team.
Without Didier Drogba's timely intervention, which provided the spark for their second win in six league games, Chelsea looked to be heading to what would have been a crushing defeat. Instead, they head into the New Year five points clear.
Drogba, like Chelsea, was awful for the first hour of the game. The striker was at his melodramatic worst, rolling around in agony at the slightest touch. But he and Chelsea woke from their slumbers in time to win an entertaining London derby and secure three vital points. Jose Mourinho certainly picked his moment to return to Stamford Bridge for the first time since his dismissal more than two years ago. Mourinho's Internazionale side play Chelsea in the Champions League on 24 February, so the Special One took the opportunity to see his former club play before they lose Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel to the African Nations Cup. He will not have been impressed.
Sitting in the seat up in the West Stand, opposite the dugout he used to occupy with such a flourish, Mourinho watched as his former club continued their recent habit of looking like a team that rarely plays together. Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea manager, made six changes from the side that drew 0-0 at Birmingham on Boxing Day, and it showed. Passes went astray and runs went unspotted as Chelsea floundered against their local rivals. It is customary to invite the neighbours round during the festive period, but Chelsea took their hospitality duties a little too seriously.
They were booed off the pitch at half-time after a dire opening 45 minutes. Fulham took the lead after four minutes when Chelsea failed to deal with Paul Konchesky's cross from the left. Ricardo Carvalho missed his attempted header and John Terry failed to stop Bobby Zamora steering the ball towards Zoltan Gera, who flicked the ball up before scoring with a bicycle kick.
Petr Cech tipped over a curling shot from Clint Dempsey as Fulham scented Chelsea were there for the taking. The Chelsea jitters were in full flow, and their goalkeeper also saved well from Zamora after a terrible back header from Carvalho.
Gradually in the second half Chelsea began to find greater width, particularly once Branislav Ivanovic replaced the ineffectual Paulo Ferreira. Drogba hauled Chelsea level with his 19th goal of what is becoming a prolific season. Ivanovic burst down the right flank and arrowed a cross to the far post where stand-in right-back Chris Baird was guilty of ball-watching and Drogba ghosted in at the far post to head the ball into the Fulham net. Baird had been forced into defence after the excellent John Pantsil came off with a twisted knee.
Victory for Chelsea came in the most fortunate of circumstances. Fulham had coped admirably without their towering defender Brede Hangeland, who twisted his knee ligaments in the Boxing Day draw with Spurs. Chris Smalling, who 18 months ago was playing for Maidstone in the Isthmian League, was thrown in for his first league start, and the 20-year-old coped superbly.
However, Smalling's day was ruined when Daniel Sturridge's shot was parried by Fulham keeper Mark Schwarzer and the England Under-21 defender could do nothing as the rebound struck him on the knee and rolled back into his own goal.
With their tails up, Chelsea were transformed and in the final moments their Ivorian front pair of Drogba and Kalou both went close.
Drogba dragged a shot wide, and Kalou struck the bar with a shot from the edge of the penalty area. At the final whistle, Drogba theatrically organised the Chelsea players into a huddle on the pitch and delivered a farewell speech to his team-mates, presumably something along the lines of, "you can do it without me". He then followed it by throwing his shirt to the crowd. The Ivorian flies off today for a month of African Nations Cup action, and Chelsea have to hope their title aspirations do not depart with him.

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech; Ferreira (Ivanovic, 65), Carvalho, Terry, Zhirkov (A Cole, 84); Mikel (Sturridge, 70); Lampard, Ballack; J Cole; Kalou, Drogba. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Alex, Belletti, Kakuta.

Fulham (4-3-2-1): Schwarzer; Pantsil (Etuhu 66), Hughes, Smalling, Konchesky; Duff (Riise 85), Murphy, Baird; Gera (A Johnson, 71), Dempsey; Zamora. Substitutes not used: Zuberbuhler (gk), Nevland, Greening, Kallio. Referee: A Marriner (West Midlands).

Booked: Chelsea Drogba; Fulham Baird.
Man of the match: Smalling.
Attendance: 41,805.

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Guardian:
Didier Drogba sparks Chelsea fightback against Fulham
Chelsea 2 Drogba 73, Smalling (og) 75 Fulham 1 Gera 4
Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge

There was no sophistication to a Chelsea victory in which the uncontainable individualism of Didier Drogba brought an equaliser and the winner arrived through an own-goal from Chris Smalling. This type of win will not have been what Roman Abramovich had in mind when he hired Carlo Ancelotti as manager but it was still a heartening recovery.
A discordant Chelsea line-up who were booed from the pitch at half-time were not really brought into tune by tactical tweaks. Whatever took place, the seemingly composed Ancelotti contrived to bring an irresistible fury out of men who had seemed harmless. The reward is a five-point lead, although Manchester United, in second place, have a game in hand.
There will be no surprise that Drogba epitomised the mercurial nature of the Chelsea display. The Ivorian put his moodiness on show at first but subsequently collected himself to become a one-man onslaught.
Fulham could not afford the little piece of ill-fortune that afflicted them. The right-back John Paintsil had to be taken off with a knee injury and even more harm was done in the reshuffle. Chris Baird took over his duties and so went from telling midfield presence to uneasy defender. There were gaps at last and Drogba was full of intent. The substitute Branislav Ivanovic crossed deep and Drogba, for once unmarked, headed vigorously past Mark Schwarzer in the 73rd minute. It was virtually inevitable that Chelsea would go on to claim their second league win in six games.
Delusions of mastery seemed to dog the club when plans were being laid for this fixture. Only five members of the line-up who had drawn at Birmingham City on Boxing Day started here. Such a sweeping reconstruction suggested that Chelsea had the means to take such grand decisions with complete confidence. In practice regulars such as Ivanovic and, later, Ashley Cole could not be left to conserve their energies on the bench. Ultimately a piece of luck was as important to Ancelotti as the adjustments he made.
Two minutes after the equaliser Chelsea went ahead through an own-goal. Salomon Kalou crossed and the substitute Daniel Sturridge's effort was beaten out by Schwarzer, only for the ball to bounce off Smalling and into the net.
While that would have been poignant for anyone, the centre-back was even more seriously wronged because it was an incident for which he was blameless. This was his first league start, awarded because of a knee injury that left Brede Hangeland unavailable, and the 20-year-old had excelled.
Chelsea were entitled to claim that, in the second half, their insistent pressure had altered the nature of the game. The ball was certainly in the vicinity of the Fulham goalmouth more often, with Schwarzer having to parry after Drogba struck a shot on the turn in the 59th minute.
The Ivorian will be gravely missedwhile he is at the African Cup of Nations next month. Chelsea will hope Nicolas Anelka's return to fitness and form can be rapid but Drogba is like no other footballer on the Stamford Bridge books. The attacker's gift to the club is that five-point lead. Chelsea's programme is not all that severe, on the face of it, although the degree of difficulty will be connected to the side's capacity to maintain form. They have not looked intimidating since their 3-0 win at the Emirates on 29 November.
Chelsea have lacked zest and onoccasion they have looked like an ensemble in which too many members are feeling their age or sensing the lingering damage of all the battles of the past. They cannot count any longer on fortitude in defence. The goalless draw at Birmingham is their sole clean sheet in eight matches in all competitions since that trouncing of Arsenal.
Today's visitors had the lead after four minutes. Clint Dempsey found Paul Konchesky and his delivery was laid off by Bobby Zamora to Zoltan Gera. The Hungarian flicked the ball up to hook a finish beyond Petr Cech on the turn. If any criticism is to be made of Chelsea it was that they did not generate enough attacks thereafter to keep the opposition off balance.
Should anything have disturbed the watching José Mourinho, then it can only have been the unsettling lack of initial impact by his old team. The Internazionale coach would have found it impossible to believe that Chelsea can be so bland again when the two clubs meet in the last 16 of the Champions League. He would not have been surprised when his adversaries revealed their true character as the afternoon developed.
Man of the match Didier Drogba (Chelsea)


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The Times
Lacklustre leaders grateful to Chris Smalling’s ill luck
Chelsea 2 Fulham 1
Matt Hughes, Deputy Football Correspondent

To borrow a phrase from the political lexicon, which may even apply to the Prime Minister at the moment, Chelsea are in government but not in power. Carlo Ancelotti’s side are five points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League, although it is difficult to see precisely why, and no one can say with any certainty how long their lead will last. Their authority of old is missing.
This was another wretched performance by Chelsea’s high standards, although by the end of the season their goals in the space of two second-half minutes may come to be regarded as the defining moments of the entire campaign. A defeat would have enabled Manchester United to return to the top by beating Wigan Athletic tomorrow, an unpalatable scenario that their misfiring players were unwilling to countenance.
The fighting spirit first instilled by José Mourinho, who returned to Stamford Bridge yesterday for the first time since his sacking in September 2007, remains as strong as ever, as Ancelotti acknowledged. “This reaction means the squad has a very good spirit,” the Chelsea manager said. “They wanted to win this game.”
Chelsea’s team spirit was epitomised by a post-match huddle in the centre circle led by Didier Drogba, whose loss during the African Cup of Nations in Angola, for which he departs today, will be incalculable. As if to prove the point, the Ivory Coast striker brought Chelsea back into the game with his nineteenth goal of the season, although it was another African who provided the turning point. Fulham had repelled Chelsea’s growing pressure with assurance while John Paintsil was on the pitch, but after the Ghana defender hobbled off with a knee injury in the 67th minute, the visiting team folded. The 28-year-old right back will have a scan this morning on a twisted knee that is likely to prevent him reporting for international duty in Africa.
Paintsil had combined well with Chris Smalling to subdue Drogba for much of the match, but Chris Baird, who was switched into Paintsil’s position, was found wanting. The Northern Ireland player was caught out of position by a right-wing cross by Branislav Ivanovic, a substitute, in the 73rd minute, leaving Drogba free to finish with a powerful header. Two minutes later, Chelsea struck again down Fulham’s right, with another substitute, Daniel Sturridge, eluding Baird to reach the byline. Sturridge’s cross was saved by Mark Schwarzer, but the ball struck Smalling on the knee two yards from goal and he could only look on as it crept across the goalline.
Roy Hodgson, the Fulham manager, could have gone farther than a mild claim that his side were hard done by, but he was more concerned with attempting to restore the confidence of Smalling, 20, who impressed on his Premier League debut in place of Brede Hangeland, who has a knee injury.
“For me there are own goals that are not own goals,” Hodgson said. “For me an own goal is where somebody commits some terrible error and puts it into his own net when he should have done something quite different with the ball. That one was just one of those things.
“Chris’s performance was excellent. I don’t think the fact that his name is down for an own goal tarnishes his performance today.” For much of the afternoon, Smalling’s physical presence had made it look as if Drogba would have preferred to be anywhere else, although he was not alone as the majority of Chelsea’s players seemed to be suffering from a Christmas hangover.
The goal they conceded in the fourth minute had Mourinho jumping in outrage out of his seat — or rather Roman Abramovich’s, as the former manager was accommodated in the Russian owner’s private box. Paul Konchesky’s cross from the left eluded Ricardo Carvalho and John Terry, with Zoltan Gera given huge amounts of space to chip the bouncing ball up to himself and finish with a neat bicycle kick.
Chelsea’s defending has been somewhat haphazard for much of the season, but the paucity of their attacking play in recent weeks is a graver concern, particularly as Drogba will be away for the next month.
Joe Cole was anonymous, Frank Lampard looked in need of a rest and Michael Ballack was one-paced and ponderous, with the Germany captain’s corner-taking in the first half nothing less than an embarrassment as he twice failed to beat Fulham’s first defender. Despite dominating possession, Chelsea’s threat was so sporadic that Schwarzer was not called upon to make a save until the 59th minute.
Ancelotti has stuck with his preferred diamond system all season, but may make a change in the coming weeks, particularly if the performances of key personnel do not improve. Deco and Cole have both failed to deliver on a consistent basis at the tip of the diamond, leaving Chelsea woefully short of creativity in a formation that is inevitably bereft of width.
“In some matches we can change the system,” Ancelotti said. “We’ve played the diamond with every match, but we can use our wingers in some matches if there’s no space in midfield. [Florent] Malouda or Sturridge can play. It depends on the match. It wasn’t a good December for us, but it’s finished. We have to look forward to January. We can do better and maintain our position at the top of the table.”
The curse of Christmas has done for several Chelsea managers in recent years, with Mourinho and Luiz Felipe Scolari fatally undermined by poor results over the festive period, but Ancelotti has survived without facing a challenge to his leadership.

Chelsea ratings
4-1-3-2 P Cech 6 P Ferreira 5 R Carvalho 6 J Terry 5 Y Zhirkov 5 J Obi Mikel 6 M Ballack 5 J Cole 4 F Lampard 6 D Drogba 6 S Kalou 5 Substitutes B Ivanovic 6 (for Ferreira, 65min), D Sturridge (for Mikel, 70), A Cole (for Zhirkov, 84).Not used Hilário, Alex, J Belletti, G Kakuta.

Fulham ratings
4-4-2 M Schwarzer 6 J Paintsil 6 A Hughes 6 C Smalling 6 P Konchesky 5 D Duff 6 D Murphy 7 C Baird 5 C Dempsey 6 R Zamora 6 Z Gera 6 Substitutes D Etuhu 5 (for Paintsil, 67min), A Johnson (for Gera, 71), B H Riise (for Duff, 85).Not used P Zuberbühler, E Nevland, J Greening, T Kallio.

Referee: A MarrinerAttendance: 41,805
Star man
Danny Murphy The former England man did not deserve to lose as he controlled the midfield for long spells. Strong in the tackle and comfortable in possession, the 32-year-old is the league’s in-form midfield player.

Window watch
Chelsea’s need for new blood becomes more obvious with every match, although Carlo Ancelott is still a man in denial. While Chelsea continue to concede sloppy goals, their lack of cutting edge up front is more worrying. Fulham could do with greater strength if their excellent run is to be maintained, but Roy Hodgson will have to wheel and deal.

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Telegraph:
Chelsea 2 Fulham 1
By Jason Burt at Stamford Bridge

Jose Mourinho was back at the Bridge but it was a former Inter Milan manager, not the present one, who gave Chelsea greater cause for concern. In the end, it was only the cruellest of own-goals by a 20 year-old, making his full Premier League debut, and who was playing non-League football for Maidstone United just 18 months ago, that allowed Carlo Ancelotti the victory over Fulham that relieves the pressure which was inexorably beginning to mount around him.
Afterwards he spoke hopefully of how this could be a turning point, ridiculous perhaps when five points clear, but it has been some stuttering sequence of results.
“It is a victory that arrives at not agood moment for us,” he said, admitting he was glad to see the back of December and claiming this was one of the most important wins of the season.
Roy Hodgson, once of the San Siro, awarded Chris Smalling his first league start - in the absence of the sorely missed Brede Hangeland, who is nursing a knee injury - and he was rewarded with a towering performance and the cruellest slice of misfortune. Smalling could not prevent the ball from trickling in after Mark Schwarzer had palmed Daniel Sturridge’s cross-shot only for it to strike the horrified centre-half.
At the end, Didier Drogba, whose header had clawed Chelsea back into the contest, called his team-mates into a huddle. He will now depart, along with Salomon Kalou and John Obi Mikel, to the African Cup of Nations and how he will be missed. His importance is pivotal, his influence absolute. He even personifies the team - in the first half he rolled around, ineffective and frustrated, in the second he was driven and drove them on.
Ancelotti’s tie was at half-mast throughout this match but - having pledged to streak nude if Chelsea buy in the January transfer window - he can certainly expect to de-robe fully if common sense prevails.
This team desperately need reinforcing if they are to fulfil their owner’s ambitions and sporting director Frank Arnesen will be urging Roman Abramovich to acquire either Sergio Agüero or Franck Ribéry.
Mourinho, who sat in the box usually reserved for Abramovich, had his own battles with the Russian billionaire over money - it was a spat this time three years ago that helped eventually to force him out - and this was his first visit since his departure.
Ostensibly a scouting mission - Inter face Chelsea in the Champions League in February - it was also a high-profile home-coming judging by how he was mobbed outside the stadium although, tellingly perhaps, there were no songs for him inside.
There were jeers. Chelsea were booed off at the interval while Mikel was cat-called after slicing wide from the edge of the area. His substitution was cheered. Such were the frustrations of the home supporters who saw their side enjoy a ridiculous amount of possession but come up against a Fulham side so resolutely organised and committed, and intelligently marshalled, that they rarely looked like conceding.
In Schwarzer they had the better goalkeeper, in Paul Konchesky the best full-back, in Aaron Hughes the most assured defender and in Danny Murphy the most composed midfielder.
And yet they lost. In the pale sun, Chelsea were, at times, a pale shadow of the team that started the season so strongly. And yet they won. No one can doubt their commitment, desire, attempts to play attacking football, but, too often, Chelsea pass the ball in front of their opponents and lack the wit and guile to penetrate, even if Hodgson termed them “rampant”.
They certainly were not that at the start. Ancelotti had over-hauled his defence - only John Terry remained and it was he who was at fault as Fulham went ahead.
Bobby Zamora swept the ball out to Konchesky and with Paulo Ferreira out of position, the left-back charged forward and delivered a cross which Terry headed weakly. It struck Zamora and fell to Zoltan Gera, who took a touch and hooked the ball beyond Petr Cech. Hodgson sat impassive - there was a long time to go - but Chelsea were stunned.
Three times Drogba was denied - either by shooting weakly or having efforts blocked - while the striker got himself involved in a running dispute with John Pantsil.
Chelsea were equally lacking inconcentration and it was Fulham who went closest as Cech palmed over Clint Dempsey’s rising, side-footed shot before the goalkeeper reacted quickly to block from Zamora after he latched on to Ricardo Carvalho’s weak header.
By now, Chelsea were riled but Fulham remained resolute. After one passage of play three of their players lay prone on the ground, hurt, after throwing themselves into tackles, blocking shots, straining every sinew. It was an awesome effort and Ancelotti was becoming frantic.
Drogba twisted and turned and sent in a curler, but Schwarzer pushed it away before, finally, Chelsea had their first slice of fortune. With Panstil limping off with a twisted knee, Chris Baird was pushed to right-back but lost the flight of Branislav Ivanovic’s deep cross - Hodgson said he was dazzled by the floodlights - and Drogba stole in to thump home his header. Cue chaos.
Chelsea poured forward again and Kalou crossed low, for the ball to fall to Sturridge whose first-time shot was blocked by Schwarzer... only to strike Smalling.
Fulham rallied, with Dickson Etuhu heading over, but it was Chelsea who came closest to adding to the scoring with Drogba shooting just wide and Kalou turning nimbly and striking a shot from the edge of the area which hit the bar.
“We pushed Chelsea to the limit and can consider ourselves very unlucky,” Hodgson said. He was right on both counts. But there is little comfort in that.

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Mail:
Chelsea 2 Fulham 1:
Ivory towers - Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou deliver late victory after Africa Cup reprieve
Simon Cass

Never mind the ghost of Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea came perilously close to coming unstuck against Fulham with The Special One looking down from Roman Abramovich's box. Chelsea's comeback never in any doubt? Not when Zoltan Gera's opener inside four minutes looked like earning Fulham their first win at Stamford Bridge for more than 30 years. That was until Ancelotti took a leaf out of the Mourinho handbook of inspired substitutions.
The former Chelsea manager is famous for his sweeping changes when things are not going to plan and having sparred with Mourinho in Milan, Ancelotti will have delighted in proving it is not only Inter's manager who can change the game from the bench. Ancelotti was not above jettisoning his diamond system in favour of Mourinho's preferred 4-3-3 to engineer the comeback that had more to do with hard graft than high class. Such tactical tweaks will have been noted by Mourinho on his first return to Stamford Bridge since being ousted by Abramovich in September 2007. Ancelotti's first roll of the dice was to bring on Branislav Ivanovic in the 65th minute, having strangely opted to start with Paulo Ferreira and Yuri Zhirkov as his full backs. Daniel Sturridge was next to be introduced in place of John Mikel Obi, who, on this evidence, will not be greatly missed when he departs for the Africa Cup of Nations. The changes worked a treat. By the 73rd minute Chelsea were back on terms when Ivanovic's deep cross cleared Chris Baird, allowing Didier Drogba to power a header past Mark Schwarzer.
Two minutes and 16 seconds later the turnaround was complete. Salomon Kalou, desperately ineffective as Drogba's foil for much of the game, wriggled into the box before driving a ball across goal for Sturridge. The former Manchester City player's strike was well saved by Mark Schwarzer but he could only parry the ball on to Chris Smalling's knee and the defender's attempt to prevent an own goal succeeded only in blasting the ball into the net.
It was desperately unlucky on Smalling, who turned in a magnificent display against Drogba as understudy for the injured Brede Hangeland on his first Barclays Premier League start. Much has been made of what will become of Chelsea during Drogba's absence with Ivory Coast. But Ancelotti, having joked he would run around the training ground naked if he went back on his promise not to sign anybody next month, may be hoping for an improvement in the weather. The ease with which Fulham nullified Chelsea's midfield diamond in the first-half necessitated the change after the break. It also demonstrated Chelsea's need for the marquee signing that eluded them in the summer, a player of Franck Ribery's guile and trickery to produce something out of the ordinary. A player in the Ribery mould would certainly have asked more questions of Fulham than Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack managed for large parts of this encounter.Having scored so early, when yet more uncertainly from Ricardo Carvalho, John Terry and Petr Cech allowed Gera time and space to turn and score from close range, Fulham were always going to face a tough task protecting their advantage.
Despite being on the back foot for most of the opening period, though, Roy Hodgson's disciplined troops never looked like caving in to Chelsea's constant if uncultured pressure. But with the half-time change in formation, the warning signs started to become more frequent for Fulham. Kalou's ball across goal which slid through Aaron Hughes's legs, with Lampard lurking, caused havoc until John Pantsil finally got the ball away. Drogba, poor but at least energetic before the break, forced Schwarzer to save at full stretch with a strike from the edge of the area. Fulham's defending became increasingly desperate as the sense of belief grew around Stamford Bridge. The quick-fire double from Drogba and Smalling thus had a sense of inevitability, although to their credit Fulham pushed forward as the full-time whistle approached in search of the point their performance probably merited. Kalou came close to adding a third in added time, his strike crashing off the top of the bar.
By then, Mourinho had left his seat, doubtless with plenty of information to digest about how best to unpick his former Chelsea charges when they travel to the San Siro to take on Inter in the Champions League on February 24. This performance is unlikely to have him quaking in his boots but he will have been impressed by Ancelotti's ability to instill a similar level of team spirit among his troops as he achieved during his time at the helm. As for the incumbent, the ghost of Mourinho was not exorcised by this display - not that Ancelotti seemed particularly concerned by that or the fact that a small group of Chelsea fans had chanted 'Come back Mourinho' outside the ground as their hero passed by before kick-off. With Chelsea's title challenge having faltered over the festive period in three of the past four seasons, of far more importance to the Italian was exorcising the ghost of Christmases past.

Chelsea (4-1-2-1-2): Cech 6; Ferreira 5 (Ivanovic 65min, 7), Carvalho 6, Terry 6, Zhirkov 6 (A Cole 84); Mikel 5 (Sturridge 70, 5); Ballack 5, Lampard 6; J Cole 6; Kalou 5, Drogba 7. Booked: Drogba.

Fulham (4-4-2): Schwarzer 7; Pantsil 8 (Etuhu 67, 6), Hughes 7, Smalling 7, Konchesky 7; Duff 6 (Riise 85), Murphy 6, Baird 6, Dempsey 6; Zamora 6, Gera 6 (Johnson 71, 6). Booked: Baird.

Referee: Andre Marriner.
Man of the match: John Pantsil

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Sun:
Chelsea 2 Fulham 1
MARK IRWIN at Stamford Bridge

THE Ghost of Christmas Past came back to haunt Stamford Bridge - and leave Carlo Ancelotti quaking in his boots.
The very sight of Jose Mourinho nestled in the seat of absent owner Roman Abramovich was enough to give Ancelotti the willies.
Mourinho was making his first visit to Chelsea since being sacked in September 2007.
The Inter coach was on a scouting mission for his team's Champions League clash with the Blues.
And his mere presence was enough to lift his former players from their festive slump to ensure they go into 2010 top of the table.
Chelsea went into this West London derby having won just one of their previous seven matches.
Failure to beat Fulham would have equalled their worst run during Abramovich's reign - way back in May 2004, a week before Claudio Ranieri was axed.
So Ancelotti was under no illusions about the possible fate awaiting him if his team tripped up again.
Luckily for the Italian, they were handed a get-out-of-jail-free card by Fulham rookie Chris Smalling. The former Maidstone defender, 20, had been enjoying an impressive Premier League debut in place of the injured Brede Hangeland.
But his big day took a dramatic turn when keeper Mark Schwarzer pushed Daniel Sturridge's 75th-minute shot against his leg and Smalling was unable to stop the ball rebounding into his own goal.
It was desperately tough luck on the centre-half, coming just two minutes after Didier Drogba's leveller.
The Ivory Coast striker rose unchallenged to power in Branislav Ivanovic's 73rd-minute cross for his 19th goal of the season.
But Chelsea still look anything but convincing.
They fell behind after just four minutes when shaky skipper John Terry failed to deal with Paul Konchesky's cross.
Zoltan Gera could hardly believe his time or luck as he was able to bring the ball under control inside the six-yard box before hooking a shot beyond the static Petr Cech.
Chelsea were booed off at half-time by their impatient fans and appeared on course for their first home defeat since November 2008.
John Pantsil had successfully shackled Drogba - but the Fulham defender's exit with a twisted knee proved the turning point.
Chris Baird, deputising at the back for Pantsil, lost the flight of Ivanovic's hanging cross in the floodlights and allowed Drogba a free header to spark the comeback.
Fulham boss Roy Hodgson said: "Perhaps Drogba might not have scored if Pantsil had still been on the pitch but maybe he would have lost that cross in the lights as well.
"Pantsil is going for a scan on his knee and then we will decide when he joins Ghana for the African Nations Cup.
"If he's out for more than a month, he won't be going at all."
Drogba definitely will be going - along with his Blues chums Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien. And Chelsea must prove they can maintain their title challenge without their talismanic top scorer.
But the Special One certainly won't be losing any sleep over anything he saw at the Bridge yesterday.

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Star:

DIDIER DROGBA'S LATE GOAL LEADS CHELSEA TO VICTORY
Chelsea 2 Fulham 1

Jose Murinho watched Didier Drogba prove there is still a Special One at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho was back at his old stomping ground for the first time since his shock sacking in September 2007. And he witnessed a Blues comeback of epic proportions as two goals in two second-half minutes sank unlucky Fulham.
Trailing to Zoltan Gera’s early opener and hopelessly out of sorts, Chelsea were in a right old mess.
But just like he did so many times for Mourinho, Drogba led the charge to fire the Blues level with his 14th league goal of the season.
Fulham defender Chris Smalling handed them victory soon afterwards with a desperately unlucky own goal.
Smalling – on his first Premier League start – had been the game’s outstanding player until that mishap and it was cruel on Fulham, who deserved more.
So Chelsea bounced back from their recent wobble to stretch their lead at the top to five points.
But Mourinho will have seen little for his Inter Milan team to fear when the two sides clash in the last 16 of the Champions League in February.
Chelsea’s Carlo Ancelotti admitted his side were lacking confidence after their dismal 0-0 weekend draw at Birmingham.
But no-one was expecting him to ring the changes quite like he did – with SIX new faces from the team which drew 0-0 at St Andrews.
Then again, drastic action was clearly needed with just one win in seven games going into the west London derby. This time last year Chelsea’s title charge faltered as they gave up top spot and never recovered.
Ancelotti was desperate to make sure that did not happen again – and he had a big stroke of good fortune before kick-off.
The Blues won their battle to delay Drogba, John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou’s departure for the African Nations Cup.
All three were in the starting line-up for their final match before jetting out to Angola.
But they barely had a kick of the ball before Fulham grabbed a shock lead in the fourth minute.
Paulo Ferreira was caught out down the left by Paul Konchesky, whose deep cross was headed back into the danger zone by Bobby Zamora.
Hungarian Gera was first to react, turning to fire home from eight yards out with Petr Cech hopelessly wrong-footed.
Three of the changes Ancelotti made had come in Chelsea’s back four – and he must have been regretting it because the Blues were a shambles.
The calamities kept coming when Yuri Zhirkov managed to accidentally kick team-mate John Terry in the face.
Terry was down for several minutes and when he finally got back up he was sporting a big cut under one eye.
Even though they were missing knee-injury victim Brede Hangeland, Fulham were comfortably on top at half-time.
And they were dreaming of a famous victory to go along with recent wins over Manchester United and Liverpool.
It could have been even better for them after the break when Ricardo Carvalho seriously undercooked a back pass and Zamora pounced.
But Cech was off his line like a shot and did enough to smother the Fulham striker’s close-range effort.
Mark Schwarzer then denied Drogba with a full-stretch stop.
But he couldn’t stop the Ivory Coast striker’s 73rd-minute header.
Substitute Branislav Ivanovic swung in a cross and Drogba buried it into the far corner.
Two minutes later poor Smalling forced the ball into his own net after Schwarzer palmed sub Daniel Sturridge’s shot on to the defender’s leg.
But even though Kalou hit the crossbar in the dying moments, Chelsea endured a tense finale with Fulham continuing to threaten.

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Express:

CHELSEA KEEPS WILL TO WIN AFTER MOURINHO
Chelsea has kept its will to win after Jose Mourinho
By Tony Banks
Chelsea 2 Fulham 1

JOSE Mourinho will not have been very impressed from his seat in the West Stand. But one thing he will have noticed has survived in this team from the time he was in charge – that will to win.
It wasn’t pretty, it wasn’t even remotely fluent at times. But Chelsea somehow got over the finishing line for only their second win in six league games.
For 48 hours at least they will be five points clear again at the top of the table in this crazy league. And what a crucial five points they might well be.
Didier Drogba signed off for his sojourn in Angola at the African Nations Cup with one crucial goal and a hand in the winner – cruelly going in for an own-goal off the otherwise excellent Chris Smalling 15 minutes from the end.
As the game finished Drogba, who leaves for Africa today, led the entire Chelsea team in a huddle in the middle of the pitch.
There he appeared to give them a pep talk, before throwing his shirt into the crowd and leaving the pitch last, waving farewell.
Infuriating the Ivory Coast star may be – he was off the pitch three times for treatment in the first half alone – but how his team will miss him next month.
Mourinho was watching Chelsea in preparation for his Inter Milan team’s Champions League clash in February. He will have seen a side that is still fundamentally the one he left in September 2007. It was his first visit since then, and what an eventful couple of years they have been. The fans who spotted him cheered his name, and he will have noted how this team have advanced little since he left.
But then the Special One would have seen the momentum building and would not have been surprised at Drogba’s late, late intervention, and the eventual Chelsea victory.
After all, wins like this were par for the course under Mourinho.
It might be premature to call this a potential turning point in Chelsea’s season, but it could well turn out to be.
After 50 minutes of dreadfully sluggish, often sloppy football, Carlo Ancelotti’s team finally turned on the power, Drogba started to play, and they won.
Once again, though, Chelsea made it hard for themselves. It is all nerves and bitten fingernails down at the Bridge these days.
The opening was typical. No sooner had John Terry issued his usual rallying cry in the programme than Fulham were ahead. They went into this game with only one defeat in their last 12 matches, and when Paul Konchesky bombed down the left and opened up the Chelsea defence there was a clue why.
Terry failed to clear the cross and it dropped invitingly for Zoltan Gera, and the Hungarian slotted it into the net. Here we go again were the groans.
Chelsea were fuddled and sluggish, their delivery into the area poor, while Fulham were superbly organised.
Ancelotti had made six changes from the side that drew at Birmingham, and it looked like his tinkering might be backfiring.
Chelsea knew that dropped points could even have seen them drop to third place by Wednesday night, when both Manchester United and Arsenal next play.
That might have been a deeply wounding blow, especially with Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien joining Drogba on the plane to Angola today.
But the indomitable machine that Mourinho built still functions, and gradually they ground Fulham down. Chances came and went as Terry missed from close in and Mark Schwarzer saved brilliantly from Drogba.
But eventually the Cottagers cracked. This time the cross into the area was accurate from substitute Branislav Ivanovic and finally Drogba shrugged off the valiant Smalling to head home.
Two minutes later Kalou crossed, Drogba cracked the ball back in at the far post and it bounced in agonisingly off Smalling as he tried to hack clear. It was the last thing the former Maidstone player, making his first league start, deserved.
Kalou almost added a third with a shot that clipped the bar. Jose would have been spitting at some of the sloppiness, but he would have admired the spirit.

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Mirror:

Chelse 2 Fulham 1
Martin Lipton

When a win takes a side five points clear, it is hard to get your head around the idea that it might have been a decisive turning point.
Yet for Carlo Ancelotti, a victory chiseled out of the rocks of a potentially crushing defeat, with arch-nemesis Jose Mourinho watching on, could prove to be precisely that.
With 17 minutes left and Chelsea still trailing to Zoltan Gera’s early opener, Ancelotti’s side were suddenly facing crisis point.
Not only would it have been one win in six and 12 points dropped from 18.
But at that point, they faced the prospect that the next time they kicked a ball in the Premier League - with Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien all out in Africa - they would have been third behind Manchester United and Arsenal.
Chelsea managers have been sacked for less, even ones recruited at Roman Abramovich’s insistence, and as James Bond fan Ancelotti decided diamonds were for 45 minutes rather than for ever, the Italian was genuinely under pressure.
His side, even with Kalou and Joe Cole playing as auxiliary wingers, were getting frustrated by Fulham’s stoic resistance, desperation efforts from distance hinting at their lack of conviction, too many moves petering out before getting a sight of Mark Schwarzer.
But out of nowhere, Ancelotti’s changes worked their magic to transform the mood of the afternoon, the confidence of the Chelsea dressing room - and perhaps the tide of the season.
First Branislav Ivanovic, thrown on and asked to bomb down the right, delivered Chelsea’s first decent cross of the afternoon, which found Drogba soaring behind Chris Baird to power home his 19th of the season.
Baird had moved there when John Pantsil was forced off with a potentially season-ending knee injury.
And then three minutes later, the pivotal moment, a heartbreaking one for Fulham’s rookie centre-half Chris Smalling as the Northern Ireland international was again caught out of position.
Smalling, drafted in for his Premier League bow to replace Brede Hangeland, had been outstanding and was in exactly the right position when Schwarzer parried unmarked substitute Daniel Sturridge’s cross-shot.
But it meant Smalling could do nothing as the ball rebounded goalwards off his knee, his desperate efforts to recover only succeeding in ensuring the ball ended up, cruelly, in the back of his own net.
Suddenly, an afternoon which could have begun the real problems for Ancelotti - bringing a smile to Champions League rival Mourinho’s face from his berth in the West Stand - was transformed, even though there were still moments of doubt in front of a hesitant Petr Cech.
Ancelotti knew it could have been very different and the jeers that had thundered round the Bridge at half-time may have been repeated and intensified had Bobby Zamora capitalised on Ricardo Carvalho’s woeful back-header two minutes after the interval.
At that stage, no question, Fulham were value for their advantage.
The goal could not have been more simple in construction, as Ancelotti’s decision to change half his outfield side, including three of the back line, left Chelsea disjointed and behind.
Ancelotti was still screaming at Paulo Ferreira for not blocking off Paul Konchesky’s run down the left when the full-back’s cross was headed against Zamora by John Terry.
But what followed was criminal, a complete lack of reaction from the Blues' defence, allowing Gera to run back, turn and hook past the laboured dive of Cech.
Chelsea looked to respond but it was all one-paced, with no penetration down the flanks and Drogba having one of those halves when he spent more time off the pitch requiring “treatment“ than actually looking to expose Hangeland’s novice stand-in Smalling.
Frank Lampard tested Schwarzer from distance, while Drogba - who became embroiled in a running spat with John Pantsil - fired at the keeper.
Those two moments apart, though, Chelsea did not look like breaking Fulham down and had Cech not flipped Clint Dempsey’s side-footer over the bar it might have been beyond salvation.
It surely would have been when Zamora wasted his opening and while Chelsea, now operating in a 4-3-3, dominated, they were running out of ideas when Drogba produced his going away present.
Kalou was the width of the bar away from claiming a third but despite a few edgy moments at the back, Chelsea clung on to put the ball firmly back in United and Arsenal’s court.
Unconvincing, but top and with clear Blue water between them and the pack.

birmingham 0-0

Times:

Brave Joe Hart thwarts 10-man Chelsea as they drop yet more points in title race
Birmingham 0 Chelsea 0

David Walsh Chief sports writer at St Andrew’s


THERE are times in scoreless games when you yearn for excitement. It was never like that at Birmingham as the contest seesawed from one penalty area to the other and both teams chased a win that neither would get. And if you were a neutral, that was just fine because this marvellous game didn’t deserve to have a loser.

You may consider it two points dropped by Chelsea but it wasn’t. They played well and but for an outstanding performance by Birmingham’s goalkeeper Joe Hart, they might have won. Even when Hart was beaten, the crossbar seemed to dip slightly and take Alex’s free-kick on the forehead. But this is just one side of the story.

Birmingham were denied a legitimate goal by an offside decision that showed again how human match officiating can be. You couldn’t blame the referee or his assistant because it was borderline but it may have cost Birmingham a precious victory. Nobody was complaining. Birmingham played with spirit and poured everything they had into the game. Alex McLeish has now steered them to an unbeaten run that stretches to 10 games.

They were the first team since Barcelona at the Nou Camp last April to stop Chelsea from scoring. For Chelsea, that was a 35-game scoring run brought to an end. “There’s a bunch of blokes in there really together,” said McLeish, “and that makes them powerful.” Nothing foretold the nature of the match as much as the very first minute when Barry Ferguson played a precise through ball for Cameron Jerome, who muscled his way past Alex but then fired over the bar.
Apart from that slack early moment, Chelsea started well. Their approach showed they appreciated the significance of Birmingham’s unbeaten run as they zipped the ball about with great accuracy. Birmingham found themselves in chase mode and so frantically did they run that for the first 25 minutes they forgot all about playing.

Chances had to fall to Chelsea and they did, first to Dean Sturridge, who struck a fine shot that looked bound for the bottom corner until Hart produced an outstanding save. Three minutes later Branislav Ivanovic hooked a ball through for Frank Lampard in what seemed an offside position but there was no flag, merely a moment’s incredulity from the Chelsea midfielder and then the volley which drew another outstanding save from Hart.

He would make another terrific save from Salomon Kalou midway through the second half. Whether Hart is ready to leap-frog Robert Green into England’s squad is another thing because there are question marks about every candidate, Hart included.

Those near misses in the first half changed the pattern as Chelsea lost momentum and Birmingham realised they had to start playing. The reward was almost instant. Petr Cech came for a free kick as if determined to prove something and as well as punching the ball clear, he also floored his own man, Didier Drogba. The clearance fell to Stephen Carr, whose cross was headed on by Scott Dann for Liam Ridgewell to pull a shot across goal which Chucho Benitez tapped into an unguarded net. The linesman flagged in error and the goal was disallowed. Birmingham weren’t complaining because Alex’s free kick almost shattered the crossbar and in the 45th minute, Drogba played a fine cross to Sturridge at the back post but the striker flashed his shot just wide.

Chelsea were the better side in the second half. Lampard played a neat pass for Ashley Cole but Johnson made a fine tackle to stop the full-back and Seb Larsson’s free kick drew a brilliant save from Cech. Thereafter the better chances fell to Chelsea but Hart was brilliant and when his own defender Carr headed a suicidal backpass, the goalkeeper reacted sharply to get there before Drogba. Florent Malouda was sent off late in the game for a second yellow card.
McLeish was asked about the goal that should have been given but refused to criticise any of the officials. Instead he spoke about his team’s luck last week against Everton when an incorrect decision helped his team.

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has been boosted by the availability of three of his African stars. The Chelsea boss revealed Ivory Coast strikers Drogba and Kalou and Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel will be available for tomorrow’s derby against Fulham after agreement was reached with their national teams ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Star man: Joe Hart (Birmingham)

Yellow cards: Birmingham: Bowyer Chelsea: Ivanovic Red card: Malouda
Referee: P Walton (Northants) Attendance: 28,958

BIRMINGHAM: Hart 9; Carr 7, R Johnson 8, Dann 7, Ridgewell 7; Larsson 7 (D Johnson 88), Ferguson 6, Bowyer 7, McFadden 5 (Fahey 77); Jerome 6, Benitez 7.

CHELSEA: Cech 7; Ivanovic 7, Terry 7, Alex 6, A Cole 6; Belletti 6, Mikel 6 (Ballack 85), Malouda 5, Lampard 5 (J Cole 79); Drogba 6, Sturridge 6 (Kalou 67).

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Telegraph:

Birmingham City 0 Chelsea 0

By Sandy Macaskill at St Andrews

The roar that met the final whistle at St Andrews spoke volumes. Birmingham City have come a long way since the start of the season, but holding Chelsea, the league-leaders, to a draw is some achievement. And if anything, they were the victims of human error, Christian Benitez incorrectly ruled offside when he turned in a shot from Liam Ridgewell from less than a yard.

The reality, though, was that Chelsea had pushed Alex McLeish’s side hard for much of the match, and Carlo Ancelotti will be frustrated that Manchester United could move within two points of the top. This was a slow burning, back-and-forth affair, the stand-out contributors being Joe Hart, who ended the game with his head swathed in bandages, and Roger Johnson and Scott Dann, Birmingham’s Grenadier Guards, who were once again excellent. Birmingham’s defence has been super this season; the problem has been at the other end. Cameron Jerome has plenty of pace, as he showed inside thirty seconds, latching onto a Barry Ferguson pass, but his final ball needs work, and his shot went high and wide.

It should have settled the nerves, but Chelsea had too much possession to get comfy. Branislav Ivanovic tickled a header just over the bar, Daniel Sturridge came close with a left footed shot which was turned around the post by Joe Hart, and Frank Lampard was through with only Hart to beat, but the ‘keeper stayed big and saved, leaving Lampard standing in the six-yard box scratching his head, wondering how he didn’t score.

Next up was Alex, sending a fearsome free-kick from 40 yards out crashing against crossbar, and then Sturridge put the ball wide from a perfect cross from Drogba in added time. In spite of all that, it was Birmingham who should have seized the lead. Ridgewell, unmarked at the far post, beat Cech when Steve Carr found him with a cross, and Benitez put it over the line. St Andrews exploded but the linesman ruled him off-side.
Television replays subsequently suggested that a prostrate Drogba was playing the Ecuadorian on.

The second half was more of the same, Seb Larsson coming close with a free-kick that had Petr Cech at full stretch, and Florent Malouda had an open goal in the second half, but he sent his side-footer wide of the target. It just wasn’t his day, and he was dismissed shortly before the finish for a rash challenge on Carr.

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Independent :

Linesman lets Chelsea off hook
Birmingham City 0 Chelsea 0
By Glenn Moore at St Andrew's

The good news for Chelsea is that Didier Drogba is staying to play Fulham tomorrow before heading off to the African Nations Cup. The bad news is that this match underlined how much they need him.
The club's top scorer was relatively quiet by his standards, the closest he came to his 19th of the season was a volley which fizzed just wide, but his team-mates wasted a series of chances, and not just because of Joe Hart's inspired performance in the Birmingham goal. Chelsea thus failed to score for the first time since playing Barcelona in the Nou Camp in April, 34 matches ago.
Fortunately for Carlo Ancelotti a linesman's errant flag, which ruled out what would have been Christian Benitez's first home goal, meant Birmingham also drew a blank. But though Chelsea avoided defeat they have now won only one match in seven. It is an untimely slump. Drogba, and Salomon Kalou, will still be heading to passport control this week, as are Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel. Chelsea will also be without the injured Nicolas Anelka tomorrow, and Florent Malouda, suspended after being dismissed late on at St Andrew's.
"We are disappointed, but we improved compared to our last game against West Ham," said Ancelotti. "I think we played well and had a lot of chances but Hart made fantastic saves. It is not our best moment but I do not see big problems. At the halfway point in the season we are top, this is good for us. We are now losing players with good qualities but we have a very good squad and will find other solutions."
What they will be is not immediately clear. Ancelotti made four changes from the XI which scrambled a draw at West Ham, among them the deployment of Malouda in the hole, and a first league start for Daniel Sturridge. Aside from a snap-shot superbly saved by Hart, the youngster – playing against the club at which his father, Michael, had been on the books without ever making an appearance – was quiet.
Malouda was no more effective, and after an hour he swapped positions with Frank Lampard. Then, after a shocking miss following some clever work by Kalou, he incurred a second yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Stephen Carr.
While Ancelotti shuffled his pack, Birmingham's manager, Alex McLeish, fielded the same XI for the seventh successive fixture, hardly surprising given the previous six brought five wins and a draw. After giving Chelsea a first-minute scare, Cameron Jerome shooting over, Birmingham got bodies behind the ball as Chelsea passed around them. Chances, inevitably, were created. After Branislav Ivanovic headed over and Drogba volleyed wide Hart went full length to deny Sturridge then blocked Lampard's point-blank shot after the England midfielder, to his surprise, beat the offside trap.
Three minutes later a flag was raised, but wrongly, as Benitez touched in Liam Ridgewell's low cross after Scott Dann headed on Carr's cross. The linesman's only excuse was that Drogba, playing Benitez onside, was lying prone. McLeish's response was sanguine, and admirable. "He's definitely onside, but we got a break last week against Everton [a Louis Saha goal wrongly chalked off] and it went against us today. I've no problem with the officials. They have the toughest job in the game."
Thereafter, though City sought to attack, it was Chelsea against Hart, assisted by the bar which Alex rattled with a 35-yard free-kick. Hart denied Juliano Belletti, Kalou and Lampard (excellent in the hole, before being replaced by Joe Cole), and withstood an accidental raking by Kalou. "Joe was brave and took charge of the situation, he'll have a sore head but be OK," said McLeish, adding: "His form's been terrific. I know the England staff think a lot of him." City are now 10 matches unbeaten. McLeish said: "Can I believe it? I can, but it is a fantastic run."

Attendance: 28,958
Referee: Peter Walton
Man of the match: Hart
Match rating: 7/10

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Observer:

Florent Malouda sees red as 10-man Chelsea are held by Birmingham City

Joe Lovejoy at St Andrew's

It was Chelsea who were left with the blues after the battle thereof, dropping two more priceless points in a dangerous mid-season hiatus: they have only one win in their past seven matches in all competitions. The league leaders, who failed to score for the first time in 34 games, are increasingly vulnerable to Manchester United, whose trip to Hull today has the look of a gimme.
Birmingham, in contrast, are on the up and up – the division's form team with 17 points from their past seven games. They are unbeaten in their past 10, and would have claimed another notable scalp yesterday but for an erroneous offside decision which robbed Christian "Chucho" Benítez of what should have been the winner.
In fairness, defeat would have been hard on Chelsea, who created the lion's share of the scoring chances and were ultimately denied by a man-of-the-match performance from Joe Hart, who looked every inch the England goalkeeper in waiting. Alex McLeish, the manager at St Andrew's, said afterwards that he would love to make Hart, who is on loan from Manchester City, his first signing in January.
Birmingham's new owner, Carson Yeung, is committed to making "substantial" funds available, and McLeish's record in the market to date should get him whatever he wants – within reason.
Joe Hart's distribution is normally directed to the left wing, but against Chelsea his kicks went to the right. Had Birmingham identified Ashley Cole as a weak link? Chelsea's well-documented problems, which Carlo Ancelotti admitted were mounting, are exacerbated by the loss of Florent Malouda, sent off for the second of two yellow cards, and therefore suspended for tomorrow's west London derby against Fulham. Nicolas Anelka and Michael Essien are also unavailable, injured, but Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou will now both play against another of the league's over-achieving teams before joining up with the Ivory Coast squad to prepare for the Africa Cup of Nations.
This was an absorbing, thoroughly entertaining scrap, regardless of the scoreline. There was a time, not too long ago, when it would have been an away banker but the road Birmingham have been keeping on these past decades has ceased to be a cul-de-sac, and they are making great strides under McLeish's shrewd direction. It will have escaped no time-served follower of this yo-yo club that they were running sixth in April 2004, in Steve Bruce's day, before collapsing and finishing 10th, and a more recent sobering example is provided by Hull, who, like Birmingham, came charging out of the Championship and were seventh this time last year, only to avoid relegation by a single point.
Enough negativity. The Scot has fashioned an impressively organised, combative unit, whose efficient defence should keep them out of trouble. This clean sheet was typical of their parsimony.
McLeish dipped into the Championship, which many Premier League managers regard as a barren wilderness, to sign Roger Johnson (Cardiff) and Scott Dann (Coventry) for £8.5m the pair. Some well-respected sages are already likening the two centre-backs to Steve Bruce and Gary Pallister in their early days at Manchester United, and both added to their burgeoning reputations by subduing Drogba and Daniel Sturridge, whose first Chelsea league start was unrewarding. The central defenders are quick to acknowledge the debt they owe to the vastly experienced Stephen Carr, reborn after his brief retirement, and to a couple of old heads, Barry Ferguson and Lee Bowyer, in midfield.
Brimming with confidence, City might have scored after 30 seconds, when Barry Ferguson sent Cameron Jerome away in the inside-right channel, past Alex, only for the striker's finishing to let him down. Chelsea hit back hard, with Sturridge and Frank Lampard bringing the best out of Hart before the arrival of the major talking point, in the 34th minute. Carr's cross from the right was transferred by Dann's head to Liam Ridgewell, whose shot was heading wide when it was diverted in at point-blank range by Benítez. The referee's assistant, distracted by Drogba's prostrate body, flagged for offside when the Ecuadorian striker was level with the last man.
Most managers would have berated those responsible loud and long, but McLeish is as impressive off the field as his charges are on it, and he said: "I've seen the replay and Chucho is onside, but we got a break against Everton last week [when Louis Saha had a legitimate goal disallowed] and it went the other way this time. I've no problem with the officials."
Chelsea cranked up the pressure and Birmingham's back five had to earn their corn. Alex smacked a free-kick against the crossbar, Sturridge and Malouda both spurned open goals, Hart denied Kalou and Johnson headed clear off his own line at the death. Birmingham's only chance in the second half saw Petr Cech claw out a free-kick from James McFadden and collide with his right-hand post, summoning horrible memories of his career-threatening injury against Reading. To universal relief, he was able to continue after treatment. It was his manager who was left with the headache. "It was not a good result for us and this is not our best moment," Ancelotti said – an example, if ever there was one, of stating the bleedin' obvious.

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Mail:

Birmingham 0 Chelsea 0:
Stalemate sees leaders frustrated by high-flying Blues

Ian Ridley

Carlo Ancelott says he will run around a freezing Chelsea training ground naked if the club sign players in the forthcoming January transfer window.
With resources stretched and confidence waning, it is his team who are looking a little bare and blue right now.
These are challenging days for the manager and his side as they chase the title. Wins elude them, draws mount up and they allow stuttering fellow contenders to stay in the race.
Who really wants to be champions? Yesterday's point at St Andrew's extended their patchy recent form to one win in seven games since destroying Arsenal last month and they have just six points from their last five Premier League games.
Although creating the better chances - finding Joe Hart in fine form in the home goal - they might even have lost, with Chucho Benitez's tap-in for Birmingham wrongly disallowed for offside.
It is a worrying position for Chelsea at a time when they might have expected to have pushed on.
After tomorrow's home derby against Fulham - for which they have at least negotiated the availability of the Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou plus Nigeria's John Obi Mikel - they lose key men to the Africa Cup of Nations.
This on top of the absence of Nicolas Anelka - though expected to be fit next week - to which they can add for a game Florent Malouda, shown a second yellow card yesterday in the game's dying embers.
Ancelotti sought to put a brave face on it. 'I am disappointed with the result but not the performance,' he said.
'We have not always played good football lately, but today we did.
'It's not our best moment. Birmingham and Fulham are both in good condition now. We may have some problems with players out but I don't see big problems. We are halfway through the season and top. This is good for us.'
By contrast, buoyant Birmingham extended to 10 their remarkable run of unbeaten games that has seen them gatecrash the top half of the table, and they have form that Chelsea would envy of 17 points from their last seven league games.
Their best crowd of the season let out a mighty cheer at the final whistle as illustration of their surprise and joy at where they find themselves.
'It's a fantastic run,' said City manager Alex McLeish.
'If you had said we would have gone 10 games unbeaten, I'd have bitten your hand off. I run out of superlatives for these guys.'
In hindsight, we might have expected a goalless draw, with the two best defences in the league now having accumulated 18 clean sheets between them.
What happened to those Boxing Days of yore with their freak, high-scoring results?
Managers probably stopped players enjoying Christmas Day. Not that this was a festive turkey, with plenty of goalmouth action.
Defending can also be enjoyed, and Birmingham certainly seem to.
'Joe Hart has come on a ton,' said McLeish of his goalkeeper, who is on a season's loan from Manchester City.
'He is a conscientious big guy and I know the England coaching staff think highly of him. I have guys who love defending, heading and making tackles. They are a real throwback.'
The denial of a City goal came on half-hour courtesy of a linesman's flag.
Stephen Carr's feed into the Chelsea penalty area was headed down by Scott Dann to Liam Ridgewell, who turned the ball goal for the lively Benitez to turn home.
The offside decision ignored a prostrate Drogba, having been bundled over by Petr Cech earlier in the move.
Benitez might have also had a goal in the first minute when Barry Ferguson's ball sent him racing past Alex - the Brazilian labouring in only his second game in a month - but the Ecuador striker shot wide.
Sebastian Larsson also tested Cech with a 25-yard free-kick in the second half that the goalkeeper turned round a post. Otherwise, Chelsea were the dominant force.
With City looking to get the ball forward early when they did have it, they ceded possession regularly to the London side, who promptly made openings.
In the first half alone, Branislav Ivanovic headed Malouda's corner inches over the bar. Drogba volleyed Juliano Belletti's cross just wide and Hart made a fine low save from Daniel Sturridge's shot.
Frank Lampard also beat the offside trap but shot too close to Hart, Alex hit the bar with a free-kick from 35 yards and Sturridge turned wide Drogba's cross just on the break.
The pattern continued after the interval, with Chelsea forcing the pace, being thwarted by some last-ditch defending or their own wayward finishing.
Belletti turned Lampard's corner wide and Malouda miskicked when presented with a sight of goal by substitute Kalou's low cross.
Kalou then had a go himself, Hart, who finished the game with two staple stiches in his head after diving bravely at Drogba's feet, saving well again one-handed.
It all begins to carry the eerie echoes of this time last season which Ancelotti may not want to hear.
After a promising start, Luiz Felipe Scolari stumbled similarly and was out of a job in the new year.
Guus Hiddink is again in the wings, this time his Russia team having no World Cup fixtures to prepare for. For Chelsea and their manager, a naked moment of truth is approaching.

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NOTW:

NAKED TRUTH IS CARLO HAS CAUGHT A COLD
Birmingham 0 Chelsea 0
By Aidan Magee

ON this evidence, getting naked in January is the least of Carlo Ancelotti's worries.
The Chelsea manager must have thought his side were cruising to a first Premier League title in four years when they won so convincingly at Arsenal less than a month ago.
The talk then was that they had finally restored the mentality and recovered the ruthlessness that won them so many trophies under Jose Mourinho.
Since then, they have won just once in the league in five games and dropped nine points.
You don't have to think too far back to a time when Chelsea used to breeze past teams like Birmingham.
In fact, they hadn't lost to the St Andrew's club since 1980.
Yet their failure to find a way past the outstanding Joe Hart has given even more hope to the less than convincing teams below them.
Ancelotti pledged to run naked around the club's training ground in the snow if he bought a player in January - despite being given £55million to spend by owner Roman Abramovich.
But he faces losing Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, Salomon Kalou and Jon Obi Mikel to the African Nations Cup after tomorrow's derby with Fulham.
Nicolas Anelka and Deco are injured, while Florent Malouda now faces a suspension after his red card late on yesterday.
Chelsea have known for months and months they would miss key players to international duty in January.
But Ancelotti was comfortable in the knowledge that the schedule of fixtures did not look as punishing as it could have been.
Yet suddenly, games against Hull and Bolton and the FA Cup tie with Watford look a lot tougher now the Blues have to rely on the inexperience of Daniel Sturridge and Fabio Borini up front.
Birmingham keeper Hart pulled off three excellent saves from Frank Lampard, substitute Kalou and former Manchester City team-mate Sturridge to deny Chelsea what would have have at least been a comfortable-looking victory.
It's not easy to stop the Blues scoring, either.
No team has managed that in 34 games in all competitions since Barcelona kept them out in the Champions League semi-final first leg at the Nou Camp last April.
England hopeful Hart was cast aside by Manchester City last summer and sent on loan to the Midlands club.
He ended the game with a nasty gash on his head which needed a bandage.
Hart could, however, end the season on the plane to South Africa if he keeps up his current form.
Birmingham have now gone 10 games unbeaten and taken 22 points in that time.
How Ancelotti could have done with that kind of record in recent weeks.
But even the form of the home side should not have mattered.
Harm
Edging past promoted sides in tight games should happen as a matter of course if you are going to win the league.
Beating your top-four rivals is not enough to guarantee becoming champions.
You only have to look at Liverpool last season to see that failing to overcome teams in the lower half of the division does you as much harm as beating the big sides does you good.
And you only need to ask Arsenal how your title challenge can come unstuck at St Andrew's.
They were looking good at the top of the table two seasons ago when a draw with Alex McLeish's team and an horrific injury to Croatian striker Eduardo set the tone for a disappointing end to the season.
Chelsea may have come up against an inspired goalkeeper at Birmingham but there was no escaping the fact Ancelotti's side were still pretty lucky.
Referee Peter Walton was let down by his assistant when Christian Benitez, or 'Chucho' to his mates, was wrongly adjudged to have been offside when he knocked the ball into the net 10 minutes before the break.
Initially, there was a suggestion that if Chucho had not touched Liam Ridgewell's goalbound effort while inside the six-yard box, the 'goal' would have stood.
The Ecuadorian striker copped a verbal volley from team-mate Roger Johnson for that reason.
A closer look at the TV replay showed that Benitez was standing behind the stricken Drogba when he touched the ball over the line.
Ancelotti may view it as his own piece of luck.
But he would do well to remember what happened to one of his predecessors - Luiz Felipe Scolari - less than a year ago when he had Chelsea riding high last Christmas.
The Blues blew it - and Manchester United eventually went on to win the Premier League title.
If Chelsea's rivals below fail to capitalise on their slip-up, then the point won't look as bad. But teams like United don't pass up gifts too many times in a season. Chucho should have put his side ahead in the opening few minutes when he brushed past defender Alex only to see his shot sent off course by the Brazilian's recovering tackle.
Sturridge then brought a first great save from Hart when his low strike from the edge of the box was well dealt with by the former Shrewsbury keeper.
Drogba got in front of the impressive Johnson for the only time soon after but his vicious volley on the run flew narrowly over.
Four minutes before half-time, Alex nearly shattered Hart's crossbar with a ferocious free-kick from 35 yards.
Hart needed to be inspired once again when Lampard, who everyone thought was yards offside, was correctly allowed to play on - only to see his fierce volley inside the area beaten away brilliantly by the on-loan keeper.
Chelsea upped the tempo after the break but they needed to rely on Petr Cech - who has been out of form recently - to keep out a superb 30-yard free-kick from Seb Larsson.
The Czech stopper collided with a post in the process.
Sweat
French winger Malouda found his way into the referee's notebook with a poor challenge on Benitez.
And Ancelotti decided to shake his side up by bringing on Kalou for Sturridge and Joe Cole for the disappointing Lampard.
It didn't make any difference to the outcome as his team continued to sweat without getting any reward.
Sturridge's final contribution was to put Drogba's centre wide of a post.
Hart pulled off another fantastic save from Kalou when the Ivorian was sent clear.
Even after Malouda was dismissed for a clumsy foul on Stephen Carr, the six minutes of stoppage time signalled by referee Walton was not enough for Chelsea to force a breakthrough.
Birmingham defended very well and it was not difficult to see why they have strung together such an impressive run of form recently.
Kalou left his mark on Hart in the shape of a cut to head.
But the naked truth is that Chelsea will need to improve drastically in the near future if they are to have any hope of regaining the title.

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