Hull apply the brakes to Chelsea title charge

February 3, 2010

Didier Drogba celebrated his return to Premier League duty with a first half equaliser at the KC Stadium to cancel out Stephen Mouyokolo’s earlier effort on a frustrating night for Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea.

Drogba struck his 20th goal of the season on 43 minutes to haul the Premier League leaders level after Hull defender Mouyokolo had headed Phil Brown’s Hull City side into a surprise lead with his first ever goal for the top flight strugglers.

But despite Drogba coming to the rescue it wasn’t enough to help Chelsea secure the win they so badly needed to restore their four point advantage over Manchester United at the top of the table.

The London club now have a lead of just two points and United manager Sir Alex Ferguson will be thankful to Hull for holding his great rivals to a draw to blow the title race wide open.

Ancelotti had the luxury of recalling Drogba for the first time since he departed for the African Cup of Nations over four weeks ago, while England internationals Joe Cole and Ashley Cole had to be content with a place on the bench.

John Terry also maintained his place in the side despite the on-going pressure on him to resign as England captain following his off-field problems while Deco was recalled to the starting line-up.

Brown, meanwhile, made just one change to the side which was held to a disappointing draw with Wolves last weekend, recalling Craig Fagan on the right wing in place of Bernard Mendy. The Hull manager resisted the temptation to hand a full debut to new loan signing Amr Zaki.

Hull had gone nine games without a victory and found themselves entrenched in the relegation zone. Considering Manchester City were the next visitors to the KC Stadium then the immediate future looked bleak.

But Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm from the start and seemed to make Hull’s evening easier than expected.

Frank Lampard worried Boaz Myhill with a swerving drive inside nine minutes which the Hull goalkeeper could only palm straight to Nicolas Anelka but the French striker stubbed his shot badly wide with the goal at his mercy.

It wasn’t until the 24th minute that Chelsea threatened again when Branislav Ivanovic sent over an inch-perfect cross for the waiting Michael Ballack but all the German midfielder could do was power his diving header straight at Myhill from close range.

The longer the game went on the more Hull seemed to grow in confidence but it still came a surprise when they took the lead with their first real attack of the game.

Terry was nowhere to be seen as Stephen Hunt swung over a corner and Mouyokolo rose the highest to head past the helpless Petr Cech.

But Hull’s lead always looked fragile and it lasted just 13 minutes before Drogba levelled the scores with a powerful free kick into the bottom corner of Myhill’s goal.

Hull could have restored their lead on the stroke of half time when Tom Cairney’s free kick found the head of the unmarked Anthony Gardner, but the defender could only direct his effort over the crossbar.

Yet Chelsea always carried a threat and Myhill had to be at his best to keep the scores level with a fine double save just before the hour mark.

First he got down sharply to tip wide a skidding drive from Florent Malouda before producing an even better stop to keep out Drogba’s downward header from Malouda’s cross as Brown’s men hung on for a point that is of much more use to them than Chelsea.

HULL, England (AFP)

Tags: african cup of nations, alex ferguson, Anthony Gardner, ashley cole, bernard mendy, Boaz Myhill, Brown, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, Cole, Craig Fagan, didier drogba, England, england internationals, frank lampard, frustrating night, HULL, hull city, Joe Cole, john terry, kc stadium, london, london club, Manchester, manchester city, Michael Ballack, Nicolas Anelka, Petr Cech, phil brown, point advantage, premier league, relegation zone, sir alex ferguson, Stephen Hunt, Stephen Mouyokolo, Terry, Tom Cairney, Zaki

Chelsea seek to avoid curse of Turf Moor

January 30, 2010

If Chelsea are to open up a lead at the summit of the Premier League this weekend, they must achieve a result that has proved beyond title rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti takes his side to Turf Moor to face Burnley, who have beaten Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions and held Arsene Wenger’s Gunners already this season.

Following on from an impressive 3-0 mid-week success against Birmingham, who had not lost for 15 matches ahead of their trip to Stamford Bridge, optimism will be high within Chelsea ranks that they can collect another three points.

However, this fixture will provide a test of character for the side and experienced players at the club will realise it requires as much concentration and focus as any encounter against one of the country’s bigger clubs.

The Blues have suffered two away defeats this term, at the hands of Manchester City and Aston Villa, and this latest game on the road is an opportunity to open the gap at the top of the league.

United and Arsenal face each other on Sunday, meaning a win at Burnley would leave Chelsea four points clear of Ferguson’s side, and five ahead of Wenger’s men.

“If we open up that gap again it’ll be great,” said midfielder Frank Lampard, who was an integral part of Chelsea’s two Premier League title successes (2004-05 and 2005-06) under Jose Mourinho.

“Those little mental things are great during the season.

“It’s a great to be back on top. We knew we had games in hand but we didn’t like to see ourselves down in third place. Arsenal were on a good run but it’s a marathon not a sprint.”

Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou are both available following their return from the African Nations Cup but the Ivory Coast duo have been given the weekend off to recover from their long trip back to London.

Chelsea’s ability to cope without Drogba’s goals was questioned before he flew off to Angola, but since then the London outfit have won all four fixtures they have played — scoring 17 goals along the way.

“We didn’t say we’d struggle this month, everyone else did,” Lampard added. “We have a lot of belief. I just think the loss of Didier was talked about too much. We’ve got the players who can come in. Maybe some needed to step up and everyone has done.

“We have gone up another gear this month. We had a bad run in December, dropped some points and we’ve worked hard to get that back.”

The last time these sides met was in August, and Chelsea ran out 3-0 winners courtesy of goals from Nicolas Anelka, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole.

Since then Burnley have changed managers though, and Brian Laws has failed to pick up a win since taking over from Owen Coyle earlier in the month. In fact, Burnley have not even scored a goal since he arrived.

The former Sheffield Wednesday chief has lost all three matches so far, leaving the Clarets inside the bottom three. And they have injury problems to contend with too.

Versatile anchorman Graham Alexander and midfielder Chris McCann are almost certainly ruled out of the game, although Cameroon international Andre Bikey returns from international duty.

Defender Leon Cort and goalkeeper Nicky Weaver have been brought in this week in an attempt to add strength in depth to the squad.

Cort, a 1.5-million-pound (1.7-million-euro) signing from Stoke, is set for his debut against Chelsea, while former Manchester City keeper Weaver, who joined as a free agent, has made it clear he is ready to challenge Brian Jensen for the number one spot.

He said: “The chance to come back into the Premier League was something I couldn?t turn down and hopefully it?s longer than just for a few months.

“There are 16 games left and a lot of points to play for and all the players will pull in the right direction to keep the club in the Premiership.”

BURNLEY, England (AFP)

Tags: african nations cup, alex ferguson, aston villa, burnley, carlo ancelotti, didier drogba, four points, frank lampard, gunners, Ivory Coast, jose mourinho, london chelsea, long trip, manchester city, Salomon Kalou, stamford bridge, turf moor, Wenger

Chelsea told to put foot down as Drogba returns

January 30, 2010

Chelsea will welcome Didier Drogba back from African Nations Cup duty this weekend and club captain John Terry believes the Londoners are ready to put their foot down in the Premier League title race.

Recent weeks have seen Carlo Ancelotti’s squad regain the momentum that deserted them as they stumbled their way through December.

An ominously efficient 3-0 win over Birmingham in midweek lifted Chelsea back to the the top of the Premier League table and Terry sees this weekend as an opportunity to apply an additional bit of pressure on rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.

With Arsenal hosting champions United at The Emirates on Sunday it is inevitable that one or both clubs will drop points, making it imperative that Chelsea emerge unscathed from Saturday’s trip to Burnley, who slipped into the relegation zone after losing to Bolton in midweek.

“Manchester United lost at Burnley there and Arsenal could only draw, so we have to win there,” Terry said.

“When we play Arsenal at home in February wins against Burnley and Hull (next Wednesday), if we can achieve them, would have opened a healthy gap for us. But to achieve that, it’s got to be champion form.”

Chelsea’s status as favourites to deny United an unprecedented fourth consecutive title has been bolstered by the way in which they have thrived in the absence of their African stars for the last month, and England midfielder Frank Lampard believes that underlines the strength of their squad.

“We didn’t say we’d struggle this month, everyone else did,” Lampard said. “We have a lot of belief. I just think the loss of Didier was talked about too much.

“Didier is a big loss but the way Nicolas Anelka plays, he’s one of the best out there as well. We’ve got the players who can come in. Maybe some needed to step up and everyone has done.

“We have gone up another gear this month. We had a bad run in December, dropped some points and we’ve worked hard to get that back.”

Arsenal will also be boosted by the return of their African stars with Alex Song and Emmanuel Eboue both available for the United clash, although Belgium centreback Thomas Vermaelen is doubtful with a leg injury.

United will be without the suspended Rio Ferdinand but the loss of the England centreback is offset by the return to fitness of Nemanja Vidic, who will partner Jonny Evans in a match manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits could be crucial to the club’s chances of retaining their title.

“That is a big game for us,” the Scot said. “We need to win.”

The title tussle now looks set to remain a three-club affair with Tottenham, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa involved in the fight for fourth place and the final Champions League qualifying place.

Tottenham currently occupy the coveted slot but City, who entertain bottom side Portsmouth on Sunday, are arguably better-placed courtesy of their two games in hand over Spurs and Liverpool.

Spurs are hoping to have tied up Eidur Gudjohnsen’s loan signing from Monaco in time for their Saturday’s trip to Birmingham, who had gone 15 games unbeaten prior to their defeat at Chelsea on Wednesday.

Liverpool entertain Bolton with captain Steven Gerrard insisting that the club is close to turning the corner after a disastrous first half of the season.

“Confidence is slowly coming back and once confidence is back, results will follow,” said Gerrard, who returned from injury in the goalless draw at Wolves in midweek.

Villa travel to Fulham on Saturday, which also sees Hull entertain Wolves, in an important encounter for both clubs’ survival prospects, and West Ham take on Blackburn.

Saturday

Birmingham v Tottenham, Burnley v Chelsea (1730 GMT), Fulham v Aston Villa, Hull v Wolves, Liverpool v Bolton, West Ham v Blackburn, Wigan v Everton

Sunday

Manchester City v Portsmouth (1330 GMT), Arsenal v Manchester Utd (1600 GMT)

Monday

Sunderland v Stoke (2000 GMT)

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: african nations cup, captain john, carlo ancelotti, club captain, consecutive title, Drogba, favourites, frank lampard, gap, john terry, londoners, manchester united, midfielder, midweek, momentum, Nicolas Anelka, premier league, relegation zone, rivals

Anelka fires Chelsea into 5th round

January 24, 2010

France striker Nicolas Anelka took the plaudits after his goal inspired a 2-0 win at Preston keeping Chelsea on course to land the FA Cup for the third time in four seasons.

Anelka set the platform for the Premier League club’s fourth round success at Deepdale on Saturday with his fifth goal in four games.

Young strike partner Daniel Sturridge doubled the holders’ lead in the second half as Carlo Ancelotti’s team saw off Darren Ferguson’s Championship outfit.

But it was Anelka’s performance which caught the eye of Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins and he was keen to salute the former Arsenal and Real Madrid star.

“He’s playing some outstanding football at the minute,” Wilkins said. “He’s clearly enjoying his football and training.

“He’s an outstanding player and hopefully he will carry in this rich vein of scoring form.”

Wilkins insisted Chelsea’s professional performance against Preston is proof that the west London club are determined to retain the FA Cup they won last May after beating Everton 2-1 in the final.

“I thought our lads were extremely professional,” he added. “This is not an easy place to come and the Preston fans really got behind their team.

“But we are the holders and we want to retain it. This is not an easy place to come and the fact that Carlo picked a strong team shows how seriously we are treating the competition.”

Wilkins refused to blame referee Mike Dean for disallowing a goal by substitute Florent Malouda when the tie was goalless.

Malouda found the net soon after coming on in the first half for the injured Juliano Belletti. With the scores locked at 0-0, the goal was ruled out as the referee had blown for a foul committed on Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

“In our eyes it was the wrong decision,” added Wilkins. “But I’m not going to have a go at the referee. We got a free kick out of it and didn’t make the most out of it.”

Lampard was substituted in the second half after suffering a calf problem, but Wilkins is hopeful he will be available for Wednesday’s home game with Birmingham City.

The tie might have had a different ending had Preston midfielder Darren Carter not missed from three yards towards the end of the first half, when the score was 1-0.

Ferguson, son of Manchester United manager Sir Alex, refused to criticise Carter for his astonishing blunder, which came after Portuguese keeper Hilario had failed to hold a header by Chris Brown.

“At half time I said to him to keep getting stuck in,” said Ferguson, taking charge of his first home game since replacing Alan Irvine as Preston manager earlier this month.

“I didn’t want him hiding in the second half. The lad needed a bit of a lift, but that’s football.

“A few minutes before half time we miss a great chance and two minutes in the second half we concede a goal.

“But I can’t have any complaints about my players. We played some great football.”

Ferguson revealed Celtic had made an inquiry for Republic of Ireland international defender Sean St Ledger, but said: “Celtic have no chance of getting him on what they are offering.”

PRESTON, England (AFP)

Tags: Alan Irvine, birmingham city, Carlo, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, chris brown, Daniel Sturridge, Darren Carter, Darren Ferguson, deepdale, England, FA Cup, fifth goal, florent malouda, four games, France, frank lampard, free kick, juliano belletti, london club, MADRID, Manchester, Mike Dean, Nicolas Anelka, plaudits, premier league, Preston, professional performance, ray wilkins, real madrid, republic of ireland, rich vein, Sean St, Sir Alex, west london, wrong decision

Chelsea stroll past Preston in FA Cup

January 23, 2010

Chelsea remain on course for their third FA Cup triumph in four seasons after a 2-0 victory at Preston on Saturday secured their place in the last 16 of the competition.

Nicolas Anelka’s 11th goal of the season set Carlo Ancelotti’s team on their way before Daniel Sturridge added the second, the 20-year-old’s third goal in his last two games.

It was the perfect response after Carlo Ancelotti’s side had lost their place at the top of the Premier League table in midweek.

Yet the outcome might have been different had Preston midfielder Darren Carter not spurned a glorious chance from three-yards when the score was 1-0.

Chelsea are looking to become the first team to defend the FA Cup since Arsenal mounted a successful defence of the competition in 2003.

Ancelotti took the unusual step of revealing his starting line-up on the eve of the tie, the Italian opting to make six changes to the side which hammered Sunderland 7-2 last Saturday.

Portuguese keeper Hilario and Sturridge were among those handed a rare start although key players Frank Lampard, John Terry and Nicolas Anelka were also on duty against the Championship club.

Preston are languishing in the bottom half of the second tier after losing their last three league games.

Yet the hosts gave as good as they got in the opening exchanges, Chris Brown causing panic inside the Chelsea defence after getting on the end of Chris Sedgwick’s eighth minute cross.

Chelsea, who thrashed Preston’s league rivals Watford 5-0 in the previous round, took a while to get into their stride.

Keeper Andy Lonergan did well to deny Russian midfielder Yury Zhirkov in the 16th minute before Chelsea had a goal disallowed in controversial circumstances.

Moments after Lampard had been fouled on the edge of the area, substitute Florent Malouda had the ball in the back of the net only for referee Mike Dean to rule it out and award Chelsea a free kick for the illegal challenge on their midfielder.

Chelsea were beginning to build some momentum, Lonergan beating away a fiercely struck free-kick by Alex before Anelka found the vital breakthrough in the 36th minute.

The former Manchester City and Arsenal forward made it five goals in four games following an excellent low finish from an angle after getting the better of Youl Mawene, defender Sean St Ledger blocking the view of his keeper and deflecting the ball into the net.

Yet despair doubled four minutes later when they spurned a glorious chance to equalise, Carter slicing the loose ball over the bar after Hilario parried Brown’s strong header.

It was a stunning miss and one that ultimately proved Preston’s downfall as Chelsea doubled their advantage within three minutes of the restart.

A corner by Malouda was met by Terry whose header was kept out by Lonergan. However, the rebound fell to Sturridge who made no mistake from close range.

To their credit, Preston continued to battle but Chelsea should have won by a more handsome margin.

Michael Ballack was denied by a fine Lonergan save while Lampard also went close before the England midfielder was replaced by Joe Cole.

Deco, who has appeared on an infrequent basis under Ancelotti, bossed the midfield well as Chelsea produced a professional performance.

Sturridge was unfortunate not to add his second goal when his fierce 20-yard effort whistled narrowly wide in the 72nd minute.

PRESTON, England (AFP)

Tags: alex, Andy Lonergan, arsenal, back of the net, carlo ancelotti, Carter, chris brown, Chris Sedgwick, controversial circumstances, cup triumph, Daniel Sturridge, Darren Carter, England, FA Cup, frank lampard, free kick, hilario, john terry, league games, league rivals, lonergan, manchester city, Michael Ballack, midfielder, Mike Dean, Nicolas Anelka, Preston, preston england, Sean St, starting line, Sunderland, Yury Zhirkov

Magnificent seven boosts Chelsea title push

January 17, 2010

Chelsea reasserted their credentials as Premier League title favourites on Saturday with a 7-2 demolition of Sunderland that manager Carlo Ancelotti hailed as their best performance of the season.

Manchester United, who have played a game more than the leaders, remained one point off the pace after a 3-0 win over Burnley at Old Trafford.

But it was another frustrating day for Liverpool, who conceded a last-minute equaliser at Stoke and wasted an opportunity to close the gap on Manchester City and Tottenham in the battle for top-four places.

With City going down to a 2-0 defeat at Everton, their first loss since Roberto Mancini took over as manager last month, Spurs were able to edge them out of the Champions League qualifying places thanks to a goalless draw at home to Hull.

Chelsea were irresistible at Stamford Bridge, where Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard both scored twice on an afternoon when they might easily have reached doube figures.

Florent Malouda, Ashley Cole and Michael Ballack also found the net with Boudewijn Zenden and Darren Bent providing consolation efforts for Steve Bruce’s outclassed side.

Ancelotti was delighted to see his side prove they could thrive in the absence of Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, John Mikel Obi and Salomon Kalou, all of whom are away at the African Cup of Nations.

“I’ve always said we have a fantastic squad and today we have done a good job,” the Italian said.

There were no such fireworks at Old Trafford, where the Manchester United faithful had to wait until the 56th minute before Dimitar Berbatov broke Burnley’s resistance.

Wayne Rooney’s 16th goal of the season and substitute Mame Biram Diouf’s first for the club made sure that Brian Laws’s first match in charge of Burnley ended in defeat.

Ferguson praised Senegalese striker Diouf, who joined from Norwegian club FC Molde.

“He’s got great spring, he’s quick and he looks to run behind the defenders all the time and he’s very good in the air,” said the United boss.

A second-half goal from Sotirios Kyrgiakos had looked like it would be enough to ease the pressure on Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez following the club’s FA Cup exit to Championship side Reading earlier in the week.

But the defensive frailty that has hampered Liverpool throughout the campaign was exposed again in the 90th minute when Robert Huth scrambled in an equaliser after the visitors had failed to clear a corner.

Having been denied what appeared to be a clear penalty in the first half, Liverpool suffered further frustration when Dirk Kuyt headed against the post in the fifth minute of injury time.

“It feels like a defeat,” admitted Kuyt. “We aren’t playing the best football at the moment, but I thought we fought really hard for this result, and to concede in the last minute and even miss a great chance in the last minute is unbelievable.”

The draw left Liverpool languishing in seventh place, although the failure of Tottenham and Manchester City to win limited the damage for Benitez’s men.

City had begun life under Mancini with four straight wins but they flunked their first serious test at Goodison Park.

A Steven Pienaar free-kick and a Louis Saha penalty earned Everton a thoroughly deserved victory and lifted David Moyes’s side into the top half of the table for the first time this season.

Wigan pulled away from the relegation zone with a 2-0 win at fellow strugglers Wolves in a match both teams ended with ten men.

Wolves defender Richard Stearman received a second yellow card when he conceded a first-half penalty. Marcus Hahnemann saved Hugo Rodallega’s spot-kick but Wigan made their numerical advantage count though James McCarthy on the hour.

The numbers were evened up when Wigan midfielder Hendry Thomas was ordered off shortly afterwards but Charles N’Zogbia made sure of the points for the visitors.

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: african cup of nations, ashley cole, berbatov, biram, didier drogba, Diouf, frank lampard, great spring, john mikel obi, manchester united, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Nicolas Anelka, norwegian club, old trafford, roberto mancini, Salomon Kalou, stamford bridge, wayne rooney

Chelsea coach upbeat after 1-1 draw with West Ham

December 21, 2009

Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against West Ham will prove the springboard for a successful run over Christmas.

Ancelotti’s side moved four points clear of second placed Manchester United ahead of the busy festive schedule thanks to Frank Lampard’s controversial penalty at Upton Park on Sunday.

Once again the Blues were below their best and they trailed to Alessandro Diamanti’s first half penalty, but former Hammers midfielder Lampard equalised when referee Mike Dean and one of his assistants ruled that Matthew Upson’s clean challenge on Daniel Sturridge was worthy of a spot-kick.

It took Lampard three attempts to finally score the penalty after Dean chalked off his previous two successfully converted efforts for encroachment, but the England star held his nerve and Chelsea emerged unscathed from a stirring London derby.

While Ancelotti conceded Chelsea had wasted a chance to take advantage of United’s shock defeat at Fulham, the Italian – whose side have now won just once in six matches – is convinced they will move further ahead at the top in the next fortnight.

“This period is not easy, every three days we have to play well with a lot of pressure on the games. It is not easy to prepare well. Now we have one week to prepare I think we will improve,” he said.

“It is not our best moment but it is not so bad. With this draw we have one more point, we are four ahead of second place. This is good.

“We have four points more than Manchester United and we can have a good Christmas.”

Ancelotti’s optimism was at odds with Chelsea’s erractic display.

They started brightly enough, then lost their momentum as Scott Parker and Mark Noble won the midfield battle with tireless harrying of Lampard and Michael Ballack.

Only Dean’s decision to accept a linesman’s advice that Upson should be penalised for his tackle on Sturridge prevented Chelsea suffering an embarrassing defeat.

Even then they were lucky to escape after Ricardo Carvalho clearly shoved Guillermo Franco at a corner in the closing stages, while Petr Cech made a fine save to deny Herita Ilunga.

“We didn’t play a good match. The first half was not good although the second half was better,” Ancelotti said.

“We met a strong team, who put a lot of pressure on midfield. It was a tough game.”

Ancelotti’s praise for West Ham will have pleased Hammers boss Gianfranco Zola, who was sold by the Italian to Chelsea when they worked together at Parma.

But Zola was more concerned with berating the officials for the penalty decision that denied his side the chance to climb out of the relegation zone.

“The referee got it right in the first place, then the linesman put his flag up and the referee changed his mind,” Zola said.

“His first impression was the right one. Pity he did not stay with that. The players were disappointed. The linesman put the flag up and that’s why he gave it.

“The referee was better positioned than the linesman. He was closer to the action.”

Zola had no complaints with his players as they produced the kind of committed, intelligent performance that made a mockery of their lowly position.

Three successive defeats had pushed the Hammers into 19th place but Zola believes his side will get out of trouble if they can reproduce this kind of display on a regular basis.

He is less certain about his old club’s title hopes however.

“I don’t think Chelsea is in the best moment right now,” Zola added. “They have got what it takes to win the title, but it will depend on the form of the top teams.

“It is very much an open championship at the top and the bottom, that makes it interesting.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: Alessandro Diamanti, carlo ancelotti, CHELSEA, controversial penalty, Daniel Sturridge, diamanti, encroachment, England, england star, four points, frank lampard, fulham, Guillermo Franco, linesman, london, Mark Noble, matthew upson, Michael Ballack, midfield battle, Mike Dean, Petr Cech, ricardo carvalho, scott parker, shock defeat, springboard, upton park, west ham, Zola

Ancelotti expects festive cheer for gritty Chelsea

December 21, 2009

Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea’s hard-fought 1-1 draw against West Ham will prove the springboard for a successful run over Christmas.