Chelsea Stars On Average £3.5M Salary

Chelsea players are on an average salary of £3.5 million.

Figures published by a major US sports website shows Roman Abramovich has turned his squad into the fourth richest group of sportsmen in the world.

The Blues stand just below Real Madrid and Barcelona as the highest payers in world football.

But all three are dwarfed by New York Yankees' baseball team.

Their players pocket £4.6m a year each or almost £90,000 a week.

NBA basketball stars make up the rest of the top 10 list for 2008.

The figures, revealed by sportingintelligence.com, are for first-team players.

Site editor Nick Harris said: "The findings will come as a surprise to anyone who thinks the Premier League is the best paid division in world sport because it's far from it."

Terry: Goals Flowing Thanks To Formation Adjustment

The goals are flowing for Chelsea thanks to a formation adjustment, says skipper John Terry.

For the earlier Portsmouth match and again against Villa, Carlo Ancelotti opted for an altered formation that operated close to a 4-3-3 with Florent Malouda and either Joe Cole, Daniel Sturridge or Salomon Kalou pushing forward down the flanks. His captain recognised the benefit.

"The formation suits us probably a little bit better with the two widemen," Terry told Chelsea TV.

"Over the years we have had a lot of success with that. We stretch teams, especially at home, which is good because teams do come to the Bridge and sit tight.

"Even Villa did that in the first half [on Saturday]. They were playing with two wide men and with [John] Carew up the top on his own which restricted our full-backs going forward. It was always going to be difficult but we had seen Villa in recent weeks tiring in the later stages of games.

"They pressed us well but thankfully we scored through Lamps' penalty just before half time and the way we started both halves was key."

Lampard Highlights Deco Influence In Chelsea Scoring Spree

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard says the return of Deco has had a big say in their recent goal scoring form.

The Blues have struck 12 goals in the last two games.

"Deco has come back into the side and he played well at Portsmouth," Lampard told chelseafc.com.

"He offers some culture and some great passing, and Joe Cole was lively.

Of course Didier Drogba has been a great player this season by some distance, but we respect what Nicolas Anelka does as well and the manager's choice was proved right on Saturday."

Malouda Playing At His Best Since Chelsea Arrival

Florent Malouda admits he's delighted with his form for Chelsea this season.

Four goals in the 5-0 and 7-1 routs of Portsmouth and Aston Villa respectively has taken his total to 13 for the season, which is already his best-ever tally for the club. Perhaps more significantly is the 15 assists provided for his team-mates and now he is highly respected by the crowd.

He said: “I'm pleased but the season is not finished. I'm looking to score more goals because we have some big games coming up. We know that goal difference will be important.

“Every game now is a final. If you don't get the points from the game you have to play, you lose your position in the table. We are ready for this, we have worked very hard since the start of the season to be there.

“Of course we would prefer to be on top of the League but we are still in a good position because we have to play Manchester United.

“The win against Villa was the best performance since I have been here. When we had the ball we had a lot of movement and everybody enjoyed themselves. We're trying to make history. It's been a tough season for us but we must focus because we still have big games and we will see where we are at the end of the season.”

Chelsea Will Not Appeal Against Didier Drogba's Two-Match UEFA Ban

Chelsea will waive a potential appeal and accept the two-match ban imposed on Didier Drogba by Uefa following his dismissal in the Champions League knockout defeat to Internazionale at Stamford Bridge.

The Ivory Coast forward was sent off by Wolfgang Stark, the German referee, for stamping on Thiago Motta's ankle three minutes from full time as Chelsea slipped out of Europe, a violent conduct offence that carries a two-match suspension. He will miss the opening two group games in next season's competition, for which the team appear certain to qualify.

Chelsea can officially challenge the decision within three days of receiving Uefa's written reasoning, though they will instead accept the punishment as there had been fears that the offence would prompt a four-match suspension. Drogba had been warned as to his future conduct, banned for four games (later reduced to three) with a further two-match ban suspended after being found guilty of making "offensive comments" towards the referee Tom Henning Ovrebo following last season's semi-final elimination against Barcelona.

European football's governing body opted against activating that suspended punishment and, instead, extended Drogba's probationary period by two years to July 2013 as the offence against Motta was deemed to be very different from his outburst against Ovrebo. "The suspension applies to the next two Uefa club competition matches for which Drogba would be eligible," a Uefa spokesman said.

The player has drawn Uefa sanction after Chelsea's elimination in each of the past three seasons – he was sent off in the 2008 final in Moscow – but insisted his stamp on Motta had been accidental, with Chelsea frustrated by Inter's impressive display at Stamford Bridge as they prevailed 3-1 on aggregate in the last-16 tie.

"The referee was a bit hard on me for this red card," Drogba said at the time. "I stepped on his tendon but it was not intentional and I was more focused on the cross and the ball. I'm going to try to make it better. The last three years have all been unhappy endings, so I hope next season the Champions League will be mine."

Drogba Two-Match UEFA Ban

Didier Drogba has been given a two-match suspension from European competition as a result of being sent off in Chelsea's Champions League match versus Inter.

A Uefa statement reads:

Chelsea FC striker Didier Drogba has been suspended by UEFA's Control and Disciplinary Body for two European club competition matches after being sent off in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second leg against FC Internazionale Milano in London on 16 March.

The suspension applies to the next two club competition matches for which Drogba would be eligible. The player's existing period of probation, which began on 15 July 2009 and was originally intended to run for two years, has also been extended to 15 July 2013. An appeal may be lodged within three days of the sending of the reasoned decision.

Reserves Report: Chelsea 1 - 0 Portsmouth

Chelsea reserves returned to winning ways with a 1-0 league victory over Portsmouth at Cobham on Monday night.

Gael Kakuta scored the only goal of the game after 15 minutes, but Chelsea could and perhaps should have added more after dominating long periods of the game.

Without a number of his younger players due to the youth team's trip to Dallas, coach Steve Holland was still able to name a strong starting line-up, with seven of the 11 having played first team football for Chelsea.

The side included Carlo Ancelotti's latest debutant, Patrick van Aanholt, and the manager and his backroom staff were there to observe the second string start brightly, Kakuta and Fabio Borini both denied by instinctive defending and goalkeeping in the opening exchanges.

Also present was captain Sam Hutchinson, who had completed 45 minutes against Fulham a week earlier. He would play an hour tonight.

He also played a major part in the goal. Playing at centre-half, he threaded a ball through the Portsmouth defence for Kakuta, who kept his composure, controlled and volleyed beyond goalkeeper Jon Stewart.

Despite the driving wind and rain Chelsea were passing the ball well, using the greasy surface to their advantage as the visitors were reduced to chasing spritely shadows.

Nemanja Matic was fouled five yards outside the away area on 24 minutes, Jeffrey Bruma's curling free-kick bouncing just in front of the goalkeeper before he turned it around the post.

Daniel Sturridge, who had again been causing problems, was replaced just after the half-hour by first year scholar Philipp Prosenik, recently recovered from a long-term knee injury.

From right-back, Bruma was causing Portsmouth infinite problems with his attacking play, while Matic was having joy in a more advanced midfield role afforded him by the disciplined Liam Bridcutt in the anchor role.

In contrast Portsmouth were hardly able to venture into the Chelsea half, such was the Blues' total control of the game. Steve Holland's only grievance would have been his side's wastefulness in front of goal, Prosenik, Jacob Mellis and Van Aanholt all guilty of not working the keeper hard enough after smart build-up play.

Pompey's first threat came with two minutes remaining in the first half, Nadir Cifti heading a corner wide after Nana Ofori-Twumasi had headed behind.

Just before the break Mellis excellently danced through the defence before his shot was parried away, and then from the follow up Borini's cross cum shot flashed across goal.

On 53 minutes Kakuta was denied by some alert goalkeeping as Stewart dived at the playmaker's feet to prevent a second goal after more impressive work down the Chelsea right.

On the hour Hutchinson and Van Aanholt were replaced by Chris Jones and schoolboy Reece Loudon, as Bruma moved inside to centre-half and Jones took up right-back duties.

The name may sound familiar; Jones is actually one of the club's fitness coaches, covering the absence of the Academy for one night only. He has experience at Blue Square Premier level.

With 20 minutes remaining Cifti drove a low free-kick narrowly wide and then Matt Richie curled one on to the bar, Jan Sebek's dive enthusiastic but well beaten.

At the other end Kakuta's stepovers and pass put Borini in but the Italian's left-footed shot was a little tame.

There would be no more goals, and so Chelsea earned another three points and a clean sheet with a solid all-round display, one or two players no doubt impressing Ancelotti, who departed with around three-quarters of the game gone.

Didier Drogba Dubs Sven Goran-Eriksson's Appointment As Ivory Coast manager As 'A Wish Come True'

Didier Drogba is delighted at the news Sven-Goran Eriksson will lead the Ivory Coast to the World Cup in South Africa this summer.

The striker has been in prolific form for club and country this season, and is fully confident that the former England and Mexico manager has the pedigree to help the Elephants reach the latter stages of the summer tournament.

"There is no doubt Sven will succeed. This is someone who knows the game inside out," Drogba told Football365.co.za.

"I have every belief in his ability to take us far and even exceed the targets set for him by the Federation.

"With the little I saw of him while he was in England and what I have heard, read and watched about, I think Sven has come at the right time."

With the appointment coming just over a month after former manager Vahid Halilhodzic was dismissed, Drogba is pleased that someone, let alone a big name like Eriksson, has finally been appointed.

"This is like a wish come true for me and most of my colleagues," he said.

"For weeks and months we have been pondering over going to the World Cup without a coach but what we feared most has taken a different twist.

"Now I don't have to wake up every morning and think about the future of my team without a coach.

"Surely all things will work in line for us with Eriksson in charge.

"As a seasoned coach, he definitely knows how to pull in those surprises when least expected. We have a solid team and that alone solves half of his problem."

With the likes of Salomon Kalou, Emmanuel Eboue and the Toure brothers - Kolo and Yaya - to call upon, Drogba believes Eriksson's squad can become the first African winners of the World Cup and on Africa soil.

"The only problem he will face maybe will be the selection of a winning eleven out of a team full of talents," the Chelsea man said.

"We are going to South Africa to win big. This is not something I am saying alone. It is the general feeling when you talk to the other boys in our team."

Four years ago, the country failed to escape from the group stages after being hotly tipped to progress to at least the semi-finals. But Drogba believes that with Eriksson's expertise that will not happen again.

"Our performance in Germany was not up to what we set out to achieve," he said.

"We have to improve and play much better if we want the other teams to take us serious. This is not a tournament you can go and play just anyhow.

"It has to be better this time round and I hope Sven provides us with that spirit and direction."

Lampard: Credit Where It's Due

Frank Lampard continues his analysis of Saturday's biggest win of the season by discussing the goals scored and the football that led up to them.

Seven goals in one afternoon is good work by anyone's standards and the man who turned four of them into the net wants to pay tribute to the supporting cast.

'The build up was fantastic to all the goals, the penalties as well,' Lampard says. 'It was great football.

'We were more expansive on Saturday and the pitch has improved and we were able to be more confident in our one and two-touch passing.

'The first goal Florent Malouda scored was particularly outstanding. Malouda deserves credit not just on Saturday but for his performances all season. Yury Zhirkov got foward well and Deco played a great pass inside the full-back and that football is the way we want to play.

'Deco has come back into the side and he played well at Portsmouth,' the vice-captain continues.

'He offers some culture and some great passing, and Joe Cole was lively. Of course Didier Drogba has been a great player this season by some distance, but we respect what Nicolas Anelka does as well and the manager's choice was proved right on Saturday.'

It was quick passing and sharp movement that led to Zhirkov winning two penalties out of the Aston Villa central defenders. Then it was up to Lampard to stick the ball in the net from 12 yards out.

'I took some penalties on Friday in training as I always do, and I missed a couple of bad ones,' he reveals.

'Brad Friedel is a top keeper so you know if you don't hit it with enough power and he goes the right way then he can save it, so I just tried to put my foot through the first one.

'The second one is always easier when you have one under your belt already. You can relax a little and it was great to see that second one go in the corner.'

Chelsea Land Major Psychological Blow

That divot, the one that David James blamed for Chelsea’s first goal against Portsmouth last week, when his freakish air-shot allowed Didier Drogba to score, may have just played a pivotal part in how this season could end.

“It was a bit of a turning point,” Frank Lampard said after the 7-1 humiliation of Aston Villa which followed on from the 5-0 destruction at Fratton Park. “We have kicked on from there because having lost ground, and fallen behind in the running when we should have been clear, it’s great now to have a confident outlook on it, and take that to Manchester United.”

Time will tell but that divot will become a piece of hallowed turf for Chelsea supporters by the end of this campaign if, as Lampard claimed, it helped the players out of a “bit of a rut” which had threatened to derail their season and put the future of manager Carlo Ancelotti in doubt. For United fans, if Chelsea do win the title, it may be a new definition of sod’s law.

Certainly Chelsea struck a resounding psychological blow against Villa - watched by Roman Abramovich - which will reverberate even more than the arresting score-line. And that was deafening enough. Villa, whose hopes of finishing fourth have died, had previously conceded just 25 goals in 30 league matches - a rate of one goal per 108 minutes and here were seven in one encounter. It took them eight and a half matches, more than a fifth of the season, to concede as many as rained in on one rainy afternoon in west London.

Lampard accounted for four of those goals and while dealing in statistics it’s worth mentioning that he now has 151 in his Chelsea career — which means he stands third in the all-time scoring chart for the club, below only Kerry Dixon (193) and Bobby Tambling (202). For the past six seasons, Lampard has scored at least 20 times, a model of prolific consistency.

“I set the target to get there, and I’ve got there relatively early this season - it’s not bad for having an average or bad season - as some people say,” he added, pointedly. Although clearly pricked, Lampard’s form has been a concern. Matches have by-passed him of late but he benefited from a brave call by Ancelotti to re-configure his team.

It meant Lampard was central while Nicolas Anelka provided a more mobile point to the attack than Didier Drogba has. Drogba was rested — possibly for the first time ever in his Chelsea career for a league match - and although Anelka did not score he provided a definition to his team when they went forward along with Florent Malouda who is, despite Drogba’s 31 goals, threatening to be the player of the season.

The tactics were key. Villa manager Martin O’Neill got his wrong - John Carew as a lone striker initially, shrinking from the physical battle against John Terry - while he later accused his team of giving up once they had fallen two goals behind. “We have the same opposition in two weeks and if we play like that there’s no point in us turning up,” O’Neill said, referring to the FA Cup semi-final a week on Saturday. “I haven’t seen this kind of performance from them (his team) before. From all of them, including myself, it was unacceptable.

“We stopped doing everything that you’re supposed to do in this professional game - all in half an hour. I don’t want to take anything away from Chelsea who are a very, very fine side but we would have been beaten by a fourth division side on the last half hour’s performance.” Villa were that poor. Chelsea had gone ahead when Lampard slid in at the far post, to meet Malouda’s clever low cross but Villa had drawn level when Carew side-footed home from close-range. Just before half-time and Chelsea re-took the lead with Lampard dispatching a penalty after James Collins had tripped Yuri Zhirkov. After the interval, and with Villa switching to 4-4-2, Malouda scored the pick of the goals with a low shot from a sumptuous build-up orchestrated by Deco and then Lampard claimed his hat-trick, steering in another penalty, after another trip on the quicksilver Zhirkov.

The trauma for Villa continued with Malouda side-footing high into the net and then Anelka, twisting and turning teed up Salomon Kalou. In injury-time, Lampard completed the rout with a predatory strike. Now Chelsea face United.

“We know if we win we can go top, and that will give us a little moral victory,” Lampard said. They have certainly had a psychological boost.

Wolves Plan Mancienne Talks

Wolves will hold talks with Michael Mancienne about his future before the end of the season.

Mancienne is currently on loan at Wolves until the end of the season from Chelsea after being allowed to go out on loan to continue his development.

The England Under-21 international has previously indicated he would be happy to extend his stay at Molineux and McCarthy plans to make a decision on the defender's future in the next few weeks.

McCarthy told the Daily Mirror: "We won't just let the season end without speaking to Chelsea or Michael - whether we say 'Thanks and good luck' or if we'd like to do something else."

Matej Delac Looking Forward To Chelsea Move

Croatian goalkeeper Matej Delac, who will be joining Chelsea in the summer, has expressed his excitement at the move.

It was announced back in September that we had the option to sign the 17-year-old, who has emerged through the ranks at top flight side Inter Zapresic, and he will arrive at Stamford Bridge when he turns 18 in August.

'It's every player's dream to sign for such a big club and to play in the strongest league in the world, and I will be achieving that already at my age,' said the 6ft 3in youngster, who spent a fortnight training with the first team squad at Cobham in December.

'You watch those players on TV and the next thing you know you are with them on the pitch. It's a really huge thing to practice with such big stars,' he continued.

'I was mostly talking with the goalkeepers. Petr Cech complimented me on a few occasions. It was huge stuff for me. I tried to learn from him and I was copying his moves. Now I am following his regime and I hope I will be as good as him one day.'

Delac was the youngest ever debutant in Croatia's top division, saving a penalty on his debut as a 16-year-old last season, eventually making 15 league appearances before being instated as Zapresic's number one this season.

He has received a full call up to the Croatia squad 10 days after his 17th birthday, and has represented his country at Under 16, 17 and 19 levels.

When asked about Delac back in September, manager Carlo Ancelotti said: 'He is very young but he is having very good experience in his country and we think that he can be a very good goalkeeper in the future. Now he will stay in Croatia to play before he comes to play with us.'

Liverpool, Everton, Chelsea And Arsenal Set For Super League

A leading football finance expert has warned organisers of the English Football Association’s Women’s Super League that it may take decades for the league to be a commercial and playing success.

A year from now the FA Women’s Super League will begin with eight teams playing in the competition’s inaugural season. However, Professor Simon Chadwick of Coventry University is sceptical about the league’s short-term success due to England’s social history.

He says: “I think we live in a largely male dominated society and in social terms, women have only started to break down the barriers in the last 30-40 years so I wouldn’t say it is going to be a commercial or playing phenomenon overnight, it’s going to take decades to do it.

Following 16 bids from many existing women’s teams, only eight clubs made the cut for the new league after having to provide information on financial and business management, commercial and marketing, facilities, players and support staff. They are Arsenal Ladies, Birmingham City Ladies, Bristol Academy Women, Chelsea Ladies, Doncaster Rovers Belles, Everton, Lincoln Ladies and Liverpool Ladies.

Chadwick points to the lack of social and structural organisation currently in the women’s game as a problem the new competition will face.

He says: “I think in industrial terms men’s football has got first mover strategic advantage over the women’s game. The structures, culture, resources and organisation are there the organisation is there; women’s football doesn’t have that. It has to set up its own structures and organisation and it has to create an attractive commercial proposition. However, it’s not doing that in isolation, it’s doing it up against competition from the men’s game.

“I would love to see it prosper because I dislike many of the macho aspects of the game as we know it. There’s a strong need for there to be a greater female contribution for the development of sport in this country but I think sadly we are not going to get that any time soon. It will take decades rather than years.”

One reason why The FA developed the new league (under former chief executive Ian Watmore) was to compete with the USA in an attempt to get the best players playing in England. Chadwick believes that it is a completely different situation in the USA because the men’s game there doesn’t have the history that it does in England.

He says: “If you look at the development of women’s football in the USA it’s got completely different social cultural foundations. In Britain men play and women watch.

“Although that’s changed, that’s what it’s been historically. On Shrove Tuesday men always played and women watched. The gender DNA of football is based on that. We are trying to engage in genetic modification to change football from a men’s game to a family game but the cultural heritage is already set. In the USA they didn’t have that and that’s why women’s football in places like china Norway and the USA is taking off. Women in this country have had a subsidiary role in the last 150 years.”

According to The FA, 1.1million girls currently play football in England. Chadwick does see a positive future for the women’s game in and believes it could attract a good television deal and sponsors. However he thinks it will never run alongside the men’s Premier League.

He said: “I think what it will be is that it will become well established but it won’t be mass market it will be a very strong niche market. If you look at MotoGP and Nascar it’s incredibly strong commercially but its not strong in this country, it’s a niche sport. It’s not the NFL, it’s not the NBA - it appeals to a particular set of people.

“I think women’s football could become strong and vibrant and there could be some nice sponsors involved with good TV deals. The national team may prosper and win something like the World Cup but I don’t think it will become mass market like the Premier League has become.”

Britain’s Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe thinks the Super League will be a catalyst for more female participation in football.

He commented: “It’s fantastic that the Women’s Super League is a step closer to getting off the ground. Women’s football is one of the fastest growing sports in the country but there is still room for further growth. The Super League will shine the spotlight even brighter on the women’s game, encourage more young women to take up the sport and help develop stars that will represent the ever-improving women’s national team.”

Chelsea Among 14 Premier League Clubs Blacklisted By Credit Agency

UK credit agency Riskdisk has “suspended” credit ratings for 14 of the 20 English Premier League clubs, including title-chasing Chelsea, according to a report in London’s The Times newspaper.

Aston Villa, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Everton, Fulham, Hull City, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Stoke City, Wigan Athletic and Wolverhampton Wanderers are the other clubs with a suspended rating.

Companies trading with the blacklisted clubs are advised to withdraw credit terms - but the rating only takes into account clubs’ publicly listed financial results, and only concerns the clubs’ operating companies, not their holding companies. Rob McLaughlin, the director of Riskdisk, said: “The ratings do not predict what a wealthy backer may do. They are based on information available from sources such as Companies House and from the courts. There is no assumption made that a shareholder may put more money in.”

In January, another credit firm, Experian, blacklisted eight clubs and placed five on its “financial critical” list, though it also suggested that Manchester United, Arsenal and Blackburn Rovers represented “good risks” for potential lenders.

The news comes in the week that European soccer’s governing body Uefa revealed the outline of its new “financial fair play” policy, aimed at protecting the game from the potentially crippling long-term effects of debt and limiting the inflationary influence of hyper-wealthy backers. Under the new terms, clubs will be expected to return to break-even figures via a staggered transition period. Losses will be expected not to exceed €15 million up to 2014 (€5 million over three seasons if not underwritten by club owners) and €10 million up to 2017. Uefa will reserve the right to exclude those clubs which fail to bring their finances under control from European competition. According to their most recently available accounts, fifteen Premier League clubs are currently operating at a loss.

Uefa inspectors will also be called in to investigate clubs where wages exceed 70 per cent of turnover, or where debt is in excess of annual revenue, in order to ascertain that such imbalances are sustainable. Clubs will no longer be allowed to harness debt other than to invest in infrastructural projects or to develop youth systems. Debt is an enormous problem in European football, particularly in the “big five” leagues: England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France. According to figures released by Uefa as part of its European Footballing Landscape study, net debt across the continent - including so-called “soft loans” from benefactors - stands at around €7.7 billion.

Sport Media Scores For Chelsea Football Club

Chelsea Football Club has reached an agreement with Trinity Mirror's Sport Media to publish the club's official magazine and matchday program from next season.

Sport Media won the three-year contract after a competitive tender process. The deal, which kicks off in July, comes on the back of a partnership that is already underway to produce official books for the club.

Sport Media will manage a dedicated team of writers (based at Stamford Bridge and the club's Cobham training facility), graphic artists and advertising sales staff. The team will report to Emma Wilkinson, Chelsea Football Club's head of communications and community affairs, who says:

'We are excited to be working with Sport Media - their approach has been really professional and they have a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for taking Chelsea's publications forward next season.'

Chelsea publish 12 monthly magazines (each issue is sent to over 45,000 members and season ticket holders, as well as being sold in leading retailers) and around 25 matchday program each year.

Mark Dickinson, business development director of Sport Media says: 'The opportunity to work closely with a top team like Chelsea over the next three years is one we approach with relish, and we can't wait to get started. We have loads of great ideas.'

Sport Media is an award-winning set-up with a track record for producing outstanding football program and magazines. Their national publishing list extends from Davis Cup program and an exclusive magazine for this year's Ryder Cup to bookazines with the Daily Mirror.

The book deal, negotiated by Neil Blair of The Christopher Little Literary Agency on behalf of Chelsea, and James White of Sport Media, will see Sport Media publishing all the club's official books for the next two years.

Richard Milham, head of global merchandise at Chelsea FC, says: 'Chelsea is excited to be working with Sport Media as our publisher. They have an excellent track record publishing sporting titles and working with big sporting organisations. Our hope is that Chelsea fans will read some interesting and insightful books about the club.'

James White, business development manager at Sport Media says: 'We are delighted to be working with a club of Chelsea's stature and hope this will be the start of a long and successful partnership. Chelsea have a large and loyal fanbase, and we look forward to producing a series of fantastic books for them.'

Chelsea Launch Inside Right Initiative

The Chelsea first team squad was joined by two British war heroes at Stamford Bridge last week as they launched a new initiative for returning soldiers.

The Inside Right program will help veterans adjust to civilian life after returning from active service, using football as a tool through a program of social activity, and offering veterans access to coaching qualifications and the opportunity to undertake different volunteering roles.

We are joined by Everton, Portsmouth, Colchester United and Lincoln City on the scheme, which will be managed by the Football Foundation.

John Terry, who was at the event alongside Lance Corporal Johnson Beharry VC and Major Phil Packer, is pleased the club is able to help.

'I am really pleased that Chelsea and four other football clubs are playing their part in helping our servicemen and women return to civilian life,' he said. 'They have risked their lives serving our country and they are the real heroes in my opinion, and we are rightly proud of them.

'I am fully behind the Inside Right program and it is perhaps football's way of recognising all of our military personnel for the sacrifices that they make on our behalf.'

Lance Corporal Beharry VC was also delighted to see the initiative begin, and believes a sense of unity can help returning servicemen and women avoid the social problems that often arise when they are discharged.

'Inside Right is a great idea,' he said. 'It can be a big adjustment when you return home after serving abroad, so to be part of a team again will give our men and women a real boost just when they need it.'

Inside Right is supported through funding from the Royal British Legion, the Ministry of Defence, ABF The Soldiers' Charity, the RAF Benevolent Fund and Comic Relief. The Mental Health Foundation and Combat Stress are also key stakeholders in the program’s development.

Ancelotti Puts Faith In Attack

Carlo Ancelotti insists that Chelsea's brand of attacking football can sweep them to the Premier League title.

Chelsea goes to Manchester United next weekend brimming with confidence after destroying Aston Villa 7-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Four goals from Frank Lampard, two from Florent Malouda and another from substitute Salomon Kalou, gave Chelsea their second seven-goal haul of the season at Stamford Bridge.

Villa's in-form striker John Carew had briefly stunned the Blues with a 29th-minute equaliser but Chelsea were back in front before the interval and then slammed another five past stunned Villa in second-half.

It took their goal tally to 82 for the season and 12 in their past two outings since shaking off their Champions League exit to Inter Milan and a disappointing draw at Blackburn.

Chelsea face United at Old Trafford next week knowing victory will put them two points clear of their rivals at the top of the table.

The Blues briefly went back to the summit with victory over Villa but United's 4-0 win over Bolton restored their one-point advantage.

Now the Chelsea coach believes they have found the key that can land them the title in his first season at the club.

"When we play our best attacking football, we are able to overcome any defence," said Ancelotti.

"It is important that we play our best football until the end of the season in the Premier League and the FA Cup.

"We can make this a fantastic season if we finish in the right way."

Since Chelsea's defeat by Inter in Europe and their disappointing 1-1 draw at Blackburn last Sunday, the Blues have swept aside Portsmouth 5-0 at Fratton Park and Villa, their FA Cup semi-final opponents, 7-1.

Chelsea have switched back to a more familiar 4-3-3 formation and the change has given them renewed belief they can win the title with goals galore.

"We always want to play attacking football and this is how we started on Wednesday against Portsmouth, with an attacking team, which is why we are now the top scoring team in the Premier League," added the Italian.

"I think we have shown that we have the mentality to recover well and the players performed how I would have liked us to."

The architect of Villa's downfall was 31-year-old Lampard. He opened the scoring and went on to hit four - two of them from the penalty spot as he reached 151 goals since joining from West Ham in 2001.

The quartet made him the club's third highest goalscorer in its history - overtaking legends Roy Bentley and Peter Osgood - and the midfielder was understandably delighted with his achievement.

"I'm very proud," declared Lampard. "I've passed Peter Osgood, I took a few more games, but I'm very honoured to be among those sort of names."

The Chelsea midfielder now believes they have silenced the critics who were ready to write off their title challenge and he insists they will go to Old Trafford with no fear.

"People will write us off, it is very easy to write us off from the outside," added Lampard. "But all we can do is play football. We have put it right in the last two games but we know there are big games are to come, particularly next week.

"We will look at that game with confidence. We understand the importance of it and United will understand that as well. We have to prepare right for it. It is nice to go into the game with confidence and out of that little rut we've been in. Our passing and movement against Villa was fantastic - it was great football and that is when we are at our best."

Lampard Targets United Clash

Frank Lampard has set his sights on Chelsea's title showdown with Manchester United after the Blues demolished Aston Villa.

Lampard scored four times in the 7-1 romp at Stamford Bridge to set up an enthralling clash at Old Trafford on Easter Saturday.

The Red Devils still hold a one-point advantage over their rivals following their 4-0 win at Bolton, while Arsenal have slipped four points behind the leaders after being held 1-1 at Birmingham.

Chelsea enjoyed a 1-0 success over Sir Alex Ferguson's reigning champions on home turf back in November and Lampard feels that triumph, coupled with their victories this season over the Gunners and Liverpool, proves they can claim top spot.

Lampard told reporters: "We know the quality of the players we have, we've shown that over the course of the season.

"We've beaten Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal playing different formations.

"Now we have to focus on what we have to do - we look forward to going to Old Trafford."

Lampard felt obliged to make peace with the West London club's fans after their UEFA Champions League exit and the disappointments of the shock home defeat by Manchester City and recent draw at Blackburn.

The England midfielder, who has now hit at least 20 goals in six successive seasons and has moved up to third in Chelsea's all-time scorers list, believed the rout of top-four hopefuls Villa was one of their finest he has been involved in.

He added: "We've had a few poor performances recently and we have to apologise to the fans for that.

"But hopefully this makes up for those and now we can concentrate on what we know we have to do because if we win all our remaining matches, we will be champions.

"We have to forget the little rut we have had and concentrate on the target.

"It's up there with our best performances. There was a 6-0 against Manchester City and then a 2-0 against Villa last season, when it could have been six or seven.

"This is right up there because we were playing a very good team. They've got good players throughout their team so when you do that to them, well, you can't say enough about the performance."

Chelsea With Take On Manchester United With ‘Utmost Confidence’ - Ray Wilkins

Chelsea assistant manager Ray Wilkins has admitted the Blues will take on Premier League title rivals Manchester United full of confidence after thrashing Aston Villa 7-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Carlo Ancelotti’s men gave their title hopes, and their goal difference, a significant boost following Saturday’s demolition of Villa, however United’s 4-0 victory over Bolton Wanderers means the champions remain top of the table by a point.

Next weekend sees the Blues head to Old Trafford in a match which could go a long way to deciding the Premier League title and Wilkins admits the west Londoners are up for the challenge.

“We will go to Manchester United with the utmost confidence because we are playing good football, defending well and attacking with pace and power," Wilkins told Press Association Sport.

"We are looking a good side again.

"I am not sure what message it [beating Aston Villa 7-1] sends out, but as far as we are concerned in the camp, we are delighted with the way things are going.”

The 53-year-old also conceded he believed the title race could still be decided on the final day of the season and predicted more twists and turns to come.

"We are playing some very good football and the work ethic is absolutely top draw,” he added.

"We have a group of winners. The goal difference is in our favour but I still think there are many more twists and turns to come and I think it will go to the wire.

"The guys were first class. They played some lovely football and scored some very good goals and their work ethic was first class.

"The winning is the most important part but is always nice to score lots of goals."

Chelsea saw Frank Lampard hit four against their FA Cup semi-final opponents, while Florent Malouda scored twice and Salomon Kalou completed the rout.

Chelsea Striker Didier Drogba Rules Out Marseille Return

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has ruled out a return to Marseille despite constant speculation that he could again play for the club where he made his name.

The 32-year-old hitman spent a season at Marseille in 2003/2004 and scored 18 goals in 35 appearances for OM.

Drogba is widely quoted in France this morning following an interview with Orange Sport and the Ivorian striker says: "A return? Not likely... My name comes up often when it comes to boosting subscriptions. We must be realistic. I am not greedy financially, but I reached a certain level that I hope to keep."

He also backed Marseille to finish the season strongly after winning the French League Cup last night: "It could maybe start the latter part of their season and maybe they could go on and win the Championship."

In 2009/2010 Didier Drogba has scored 27 goals in 31 appearances for Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea side but he missed the 7-1 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday due to injury.

Fabulous Frank

Charlie Nicholas was full of praise for Frank Lampard after his four goals inspired Chelsea to a 7-1 rout of Aston Villa.

The England midfielder's quartet - two of which came from the penalty spot - will make the headlines but Nicholas, watching the game in the Soccer Saturday studio, insists Lampard's all-round display was excellent and helped Chelsea turn a potentially tricky match into a canter.

"Even at half-time when they (Chelsea) were 2-1 up, there was a lot of tension in the air. They didn't play brilliantly in the first half, Villa didn't do a lot wrong and if anything, I thought Villa were the slightly better team," Nicholas told Soccer Saturday.

"But Lampard dragged them out of the situation, and now that Ballack is not in there beside him you can see the freedom he's got.

"We spoke earlier about relieving the free space for people like Steven Gerrard, Lampard's the same type of intelligent footballer. He can see space, he works off people when they leave it for him and he's quick to pick it up.

"And I know he's got four goals today but his all-round performance, he was the guy that took them to the next level."

The Blues only led 2-1 at the interval and seemed set for a thorough test in the second period, but they ended up making light work of Villa and Nicholas says a large part of that was down to two-goal winger Florent Malouda.

"You did think that Chelsea might start to rock a little bit. The full-backs are still a problem, Peter Cech's back in goal but you can see he's needing a couple of games to get going.

"But when the second half started, Villa completely collapsed and Chelsea were ruthless.

"Malouda looks like a man refreshed. He's enjoying the system he works in, he's scoring a few goals but he's taking part in the game.

"He's not just staying rigid wide left, he's getting inside, he's scoring goals, he's looking the complete player again and he's bang in form.

"It's a big statement but of course next up is Manchester United away!" said Nicholas.

Europe-chasing Villa can get swift revenge over Chelsea in the sides' upcoming FA Cup semi-final, but Nicholas thinks that following the crushing defeat at Stamford Bridge, Martin O'Neill's men could embark upon a poor run.

"It just happens sometimes in football that over 45 minutes, things don't go right and the heads go down. And maybe there is that bit of mental fatigue where they just submit and accept it, but it was dismal and the toughest thing for Martin will be to pick them up."

"The Villa fans like a moan and a groan and I think they're away again next week so they can get it out of their system, but this will take a lot of coming back from," he added.

Chelsea And Spurs In Fight To Land African Starlet

Tottenham and Chelsea are competing for the new rising star of African football.

Nigerian striker Sani Emmanuel has had trials at Chelsea who were impressed by the 17 year-old.

But so were Tottenham, where the player voted the best player in tournament by FIFA in the world Under-17 championships in Nigeria earlier this season, was offered an extended stay.

Emmanuel plays for the My People football club in Nigeria and had a brief spell with Swedish club Bodens BK.

Tottenham appear to have the edge in the race to sign Emmanuel and rather than ask for a transfer fee, the My People club want a long-term relationship with the club Emmanuel joins.

It will mean trials for promising players and donations of kit and equipment.

Arizona Club Joins Chelsea U.S. Youth Soccer Network

Chelsea Football Club increases our partnerships with America's leading youth soccer clubs to seven with the announcement that Sereno Soccer Club of Phoenix joins our growing U.S. youth club network.

Chelsea FC chief executive Ron Gourlay said: 'Sereno Soccer Club has been developing soccer for more than 30 years in Arizona and this partnership will assist them in taking it to the next level and expanding their reach and impact on the game.

'Our youth club network is designed to create long-term growth and sustainability of soccer in America by supporting elite youth clubs that provide the best soccer instruction and experience for local players.'

Sereno director of coaching David Robertson expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: 'We see this as a very positive step forward for our players and coaching staff. Getting access to the Chelsea FC Youth Academy programming and coaches will help us to ensure that our training programs are world class. We're also excited to give kids from all over the Valley access to Chelsea FC coaching through Sereno-Chelsea sponsored events, camps and clinics right here in Phoenix.'

Sereno SC is one of the leading soccer education and training organizations in the U.S. They are perennially ranked the no. 1 youth soccer club in Arizona. Over the past 30 years, the club has produced 46 Arizona State champion boys teams, 80 Arizona State champion girls teams, nine regional champions, three national finalists and one national champion.

Chelsea's U.S. youth club network supports the development of soccer in America and Sereno Soccer Club will learn the Chelsea FC coaching philosophy and curriculum, host training sessions and camps with Chelsea coaches, benefit from Chelsea-sponsored tournaments and participate in player exchange programs.

Chelsea announced our first youth soccer club partnership with CASL of North Carolina in July 2008. Other Chelsea U.S. youth club partners include Match Fit Chelsea of New Jersey, LAFC Chelsea of Los Angeles, the Baltimore Bays, the Le Jardin Academy based in Hawaii and Solar Soccer Club of Dallas.

Chelsea Expands U.S. Youth Soccer Partnership To Dallas

Coinciding with the Chelsea Academy's visit to the United States to play in the Dallas Cup this week, Chelsea Football Club has announced a partnership with Solar Soccer Club of Dallas, one of America's leading youth soccer clubs.

As part of the Chelsea youth club network, Solar Soccer Club will learn the Chelsea FC coaching philosophy and curriculum, host training sessions and camps with Chelsea coaches, benefit from Chelsea-sponsored tournaments and participate in player exchange programs.

Chelsea FC chief executive Ron Gourlay said: 'Our youth club network is designed to create long-term growth and sustainability of soccer in America by supporting elite youth clubs that provide the best soccer instruction and experience for local players.

'Dallas is a great sports city in America and the growth of soccer there at both the youth and professional level is significant. Partnering with Solar allows us to continue to help the development of soccer in Texas by staying closely connected to the community through a top club. Solar's mission of Soccer Excellence Through Development is perfectly aligned with our youth club network goals.'

Solar director of coaching Kevin Smith expressed his excitement: 'This is a big deal for our club and for youth soccer in the Dallas area.Chelsea is very selective in clubs they ask to join their network so for us to be on board further proves that Solar is among the elite clubs in the country. Using Chelsea FC's training curriculum and having their coaches involved with our kids will take our club to the next level. It's an exciting time for us.'

With more than 30 years in developing top soccer players in the Dallas area, Solar SC is proven to be a benchmark of elite soccer programs in the U.S.Solar SC alumni include a number of current professional players such as Corben Bone (Chicago Fire), Drew Moor (Colorado Rapids), Kenny Cooper (Plymouth Argyle) and more.

Chelsea announced our first youth soccer club partnership with CASL of North Carolina in July 2008. Other Chelsea U.S. youth club partners include Match Fit Chelsea of New Jersey, LAFC Chelsea of Los Angeles, the Baltimore Bays, Le Jardin Academy based in Hawaii and Soreno Soccer Club of Phoenix.

Match Report: Chelsea 7 - 1 Aston Villa

A first-half brace from Frank Lampard gave Chelsea the advantage against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea went ahead in the 15th minute when Frank Lampard converted a low cross from Florent Malouda at the far post. But in-form John Carew grabbed his ninth goal in eight games when he finished off a curling cross from Ashley Young.

Lampard restored Chelsea's lead from the penalty spot in the 44th minute after Yury Zhirkov had been brought down by James Collins.

Chelsea started brightly enough with Deco finding Anelka inside the Villa penalty area in the third minute.

But the France international shot into the arms of Brad Friedel at his near post.

Drogba, who scored twice in the 5-0 midweek demolition of Portsmouth, was rested according to assistant coach Ray Wilkins.

Frank Lampard tried to surprise Friedel in the 14th minute with a low drive from fully 30 yards but the American goalkeeper was untroubled by the bounce.

But Chelsea went ahead a minute later when Florent Malouda's low cross was turned home at the far post by Lampard.

It was the England midfielder's 18th goal of the season in all competitions.

Villa's Stephen Warnock required treatment to a head injury after a collision with Joe Cole in the 23rd minute.

Controversy erupted in the 27th minute when John Obi Mikel appeared to elbow with James Milner.

But referee Peter Walton booked Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov for protesting about Mikel's elbow and took no action against the Chelsea midfielder.

However, Villa were jubilant in the 29th minute when they equalised through John Carew.

He converted a superb curling cross from Ashley Young at the far post to score his ninth goal in eight games.

Moments later Yury Zhirkov, who was clearly at fault for allowing Carew to ghost into space at the far post for Villa's goal, was booked for a foul on Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Deco followed his Chelsea team-mate in the book moments later for a foul on Milner in the 40th minute.

But Chelsea restored their lead in the 44th minute through a Lampard penalty.

Referee Walton adjudged Zhirkov had been fouled by Villa defender James Collins as he burst into the penalty area and Lampard converted the spot-kick with ease.

Chelsea went 3-1 up in the 57th minute when Malouda finished off a sweeping move by the hosts.

Deco's clever ball inside the full-back found Zhirkov in space and his cross was met perfectly by Malouda for the France international to score his 12th of the season.

Chelsea gave away a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the penalty area seconds later when Paulo Ferreira fouled Agbonlahor.

But Milner's effort was straight into the defensive wall to the dismay of the Villa fans.

Chelsea made Villa pay in the 62nd minute when Lampard grabbed his hat-trick, and his 20th of the season, with his second penalty of the game.

Zhirkov was again fouled, this time by Richard Dunne, and Lampard beat Friedel to become the joint third-highest scorer in the club's history.

His treble put Lampard level on 150 goals with club legends Roy Bentley and Peter Osgood.

It was a game of landmarks for the Blues with John Terry becoming the club's all-time record captain. His 325th appearance eclipsed former great Ron Harris.

In the 68th minute, rampant Chelsea made it 5-1 when Ferreira and Lampard combined to set-up Malouda for his second of the game.

In the 82nd minute Kalou sent a curling shot around Friedel's right-hand post but he found the target a minute later when he drilled the ball past Friedel from 18 yards.

Lampard then made it 7-1 with his fourth of the game in added time as Villa's 10-match unbeaten run came to a crashing halt.

Rocha Accuses Malouda

Portsmouth defender Ricardo Rocha has accused Florent Malouda of deliberately hitting him in the face and feels the Chelsea man should have been sent off for the offence.

Rocha was stretchered off during Wednesday's 5-0 defeat to Chelsea after appearing to be caught in the face by an elbow from Malouda.

Former Tottenham man Rocha was taken to hospital with a suspected fractured cheekbone, but it has been discovered he only suffered bad bruising in the incident.

"I think it was a bad one from Malouda," Rocha was quoted as saying in The Sun. "He just hit me and did not try to get the ball.

"The pain was so great I thought something was badly damaged. That is why I went to the hospital.

"These kind of actions are dangerous and it should have been a red card. But he just got a yellow."

Meanwhile, Malouda has protested his innocence and says Rocha had no problem with him after speaking to him at the end of the game.

"I went in their dressing room after the game and Rocha had just come back from the hospital," said Malouda.

"He has not broken anything and it is not as bad as it looked. He said no problem and it is OK.

"When I jumped I was only looking at the ball. I didn't mean to hurt him."

Carlo - Blues Deserve Title

Carlo Ancelotti believes his Chelsea players have no doubts about their ability to land the Premier League having topped the table for much of the campaign.

The Blues surrendered top spot to Manchester United after a recent run of two defeats and a draw in five league games and have just seven matches to reclaim pole position.

However, the Blues went some way to overcoming the lean spell, which coincided with their UEFA Champions League exit to Inter Milan, with a 5-0 thumping of Portsmouth on Wednesday.

With just one point separating Chelsea and United, Ancelotti insists the spell was merely a dip in confidence and is now vowing to lead the Blues to their first title since 2006.

"Maybe in the players' minds there were doubts, having come so close for the last few years," Ancelotti told the Daily Express.

"But we deserve to win this title. The players believe now, because we have been at the top for eight months.

"We want to get back there and stay there, to win this title. This is the time for Chelsea to win.

"We are through our bad spell now. I told the players we had to go back to basics, have confidence in our football, and do the simple things right."

The former Milan and Juventus boss has won just one league title in management, the 2004 Scudetto with the Rossoneri, but insists he is well equipped to cope with pressure at the top while predicting a typically tight finish.

"In this job there is always pressure," he added. "Every game. If you don't win, you have problems. It's the same here as in Milan.

"I lost the championship once in Italy with Juventus after being nine points clear with eight games to play in 2000.

"You think you're sure to win the title in a situation like that. The table says you'll win it - but you don't."

Game Over For Football’s Sugar Daddies

English football’s super-rich owners, including Roman Abramovich and Sheikh Mansour, face drastic curbs on their influence under Uefa proposals.

The extent of the crackdown on “financial doping”, championed by Michel Platini, the Uefa president, is laid bare in a 60-page document seen by The Times. In it, Uefa sets out its detailed plans to force clubs towards break-even, allowing them to spend only what they earn.

Owners would be allowed to inject cash to cover losses for a transitional period, but the amounts will be restricted and closely monitored.

Over the initial three-year period of regulation up to and including 2015, owners would be allowed to cover losses totalling $45 million (about £40 million). The “acceptable deviation” from break-even would then fall to £30 million over three years and then less, with the amount to be determined.

In other words, an owner such as Sheikh Mansour would eventually be permitted to put less than £10 million a year into Manchester City on average, unless the money is spent on infrastructure or the youth team, which have no limits on investment. That compares with City’s most recent loss of £89.69 million.

While Platini has talked for months about introducing “financial fair play”, the working draft has brought those proposals into sharp focus.

The European Club Association continues to haggle with Uefa for concessions. It is arguing for a five-year accounting period, rather than three, and for owners to be allowed to invest extra funds through equity rather than debt.

Platini is determined to bring in regulations that will mark a watershed in the English game.

While the proposals will be phased in over several years, many clubs will have to make significant changes — drastic in the cases of Chelsea and City — if they are not to fall foul of the new regulations and face a possible ban from European competition.

Ashley Cole To Return For Chelsea In April - Report

Chelsea have received a huge boost with the news that Ashley Cole should be available for selection in less than a month's time, The Mirror reports.

The left-back was expected to miss the remainder of the season after sustaining an ankle injury in the Blues' defeat to Everton in February and has spent time recovering at a retreat in France.

However, the former Arsenal star is progressing far better than expected, and it is claimed that Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti expects him to be ready to face Stoke City on April 25.

This would be a huge bonus for the Londoners in their pursuit of Premier League glory, but more than that it would put Cole back in the frame for the upcoming World Cup.

Speculation has been rife as to who could fill the void on the left side of England's defence in South Africa, with Leighton Baines and Stephen Warnock the frontrunners following Wayne Bridge's international retirement.

However, if Cole can prove his fitness and form before the end of the season, Three Lions boss Fabio Capello will only have to bother about who to take as his reserve left-back.

Chelsea Must Banish Thoughts Of Being Nearly Men, Says Carlo Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti says his Chelsea players must eradicate their self-doubts to have any chance of winning the title, having grown used to being nearly men in the last three seasons.

Chelsea began Saturday afternoon's game against Aston Villa a point behind Manchester United at the top of the table having finished as runners-up in successive years and third last term since last winning the championship in 2006. Ancelotti admitted yesterday that those near misses, and their on-going frustrations regarding securing the European Cup, could be unnerving with critical games to come.

"Maybe, in their minds, there could be this thought that they keep coming so close in the Premier League and the Champions League for the last few years," said Ancelotti. "But it's better to tell ourselves that we can win this title. Chelsea haven't won the title for a long time, so we need to win it this year. We have been at the top of the table for a long time and we want to get back there and stay there now. This is the time for Chelsea to win it.

"The players know they have been at the top for eight months. For this reason they should believe they can finish as winners. Up to now I think we have deserved to win it. After the game against Portsmouth on Wednesday [a match won 5-0 to hoist the team from their stodgy recent form] there was a different atmosphere in the squad: they were more excited, more confident. We need to show against Villa that our bad period is over so that we can look forward with optimism to the United game next weekend."

Chelsea have been stripped of defensive options for Saturday’s visit of Villa – the only team still to lose in the league this calendar year – with Ricardo Carvalho having joined Ashley Cole, Branislav Ivanovic and José Bosingwa on the sidelines. Ancelotti suggested Ivanovic could yet return from a knee injury ahead of schedule for the game at Old Trafford next Saturday and the club are hopeful that Cole will be fit enough to feature in the game against Stoke City on 25 April.

The Italian was in jovial mood despite the pressure he is under to claim silverware, joking that he had quit smoking "though only 30 minutes ago" and suggesting that, should Chelsea secure the title in May, he might consider giving up for good. "I said that once before, at Milan, when I promised myself I would give up if we won the Champions League in 2007, but I never said when [I'd quit]," he added. "I could do the same now but, again, I won't say when I'll stop. Though it's very difficult to smoke in England, no?

"I once lost a championship after being nine points clear with eight games to play when everyone thought we'd win the title. The table said we'd win it. That was with Juventus in 2000 and we ended up needing to win our last game against Perugia, but the rain was unbelievable. We waited an hour-and-a-half in between the first and second halves, and Lazio ended up winning it.

"But it's nothing to do with destiny. If you are better, you'll win the title. I am an optimist and our destiny is still in our own hands. I think that [Sir Alex] Ferguson and [Arsène] Wenger will be thinking the same thing. We'll see against Villa whether we have come out of that difficult period we've been in.

"But we've gone back to basics – playing football and defending well – and our focus is there. We have to have confidence in our play and do the basics right. Then we'll see."

Cech Has Eyes On The Title

Chelsea ace Petr Cech believes six Premier League wins out of seven could be enough to secure this season's league title.

The rare for the title is the tightest it has been in a number of years with Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all separated by just two points.

Chelsea sent out a message to their two rivals on Wednesday by putting lowly Portsmouth to the sword with a 5-0 victory at Fratton Park.

There is all to play for in the final straight and Cech admits his team-mates will have to do it the hard way with a trip to Man Utd on the horizon.

"There are seven matches yet to be played in the league and I think that six victories and one draw or, of course, seven wins, would secure the championship title," Cech told his personal website.

"Out of the title contenders we are having the toughest run in. Tottenham, Liverpool and Aston Villa are all sides chasing fourth spot and on top of that we play Manchester United at Old Trafford.

"Anyway, if we want to clinch the title, then we have to cope with it."

Cech made his first-team return in Chelsea's midweek romp and the Czech Republic ace felt no ill effects from his calf injury.

"It is fine, I did not even feel it on the soft and tough pitch," he concluded.

Chelsea Defender John Terry Believes Arsenal Can Win The Premier League

Chelsea defender John Terry has acknowledged that Arsenal cannot be discounted from the Premier League title race.

The Gunners have lost all four games they have played against the Blues and fellow title rivals Manchester United this season, but now find themselves only two points off the top spot and one point behind the Blues.

Terry admits that the resolve of Arsene Wenger's side has surprised him.

“When we beat them in November we were 11 points clear and I wrote them off," he told the London Evening Standard.

"But fair play to them, they have had a few players out with injury and have a fairly young side but they're difficult to play against when the lower teams go to the Emirates.

"It is such a big pitch and the way they play, it's difficult for the lower teams to deal with them. Against the big sides they can lose those games because there is not a big difference between the big teams at all.”

Chelsea currently sit a point behind Manchester United in the table, and after being five points clear at one point this season the England international admits that if they don't win the league Carlo Ancelotti's side will have only themselves to blame.

“We have done a bit better in the big games this season but have dropped points in games we should have won," he said.

“It's going to go right to the wire and we're looking to keep going right to the death. It is important as a group of players to focus on one game at a time.”

Match Preview: Chelsea vs. Aston Villa

Chelsea's title credentials will be tested this weekend when Aston Villa come to town.

The Blues, who were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Inter Milan earlier this month, saw their Premier League quest stutter last weekend as Blackburn claimed a 1-1 draw at Ewood Park.

Carlo Ancelotti's side returned to winning ways with a 5-0 thumping of Portsmouth on Wednesday and the Italian boss will be hoping his side have turned a corner after suffering a blip in recent times.

Villa meanwhile, squandered the chance to close in on the much coveted fourth-place as Wolves and Sunderland travelled to Villa Park and walked away with a share of the spoils.

Martin O'Neill's side remain unbeaten in the league in 2010, but seven draws in their last 10 games has seriously hurt the Villains' hopes of grabbing the last Champions League qualification spot.

Villa, though, boast a good top-flight record against Chelsea and have already beaten the Pensioners when they met earlier in the season.

But O'Neill's small squad are beginning to feel the effects of a gruelling season which has already seen them reach the Carling Cup final and with an FA Cup semi-final against Saturday's opponents looming, the Northern Irishman may decide not to risk some of his fatigued performers at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

Gabriel Agbonlahor has been absent since the win over Wigan with a groin problem and remains doubtful for the Chelsea encounter, while fellow striker Emile Heskey could also miss the London trip with an Achilles problem picked up in Wednesday's 1-1 stalemate against the Black Cats.

That leaves O'Neill with youngster Nathan Delfouneso as the only recognised forward to partner in-form John Carew up front so the Villa boss may return to the 4-5-1 formation which he deployed at the start of his tenure.

Steve Sidwell could be the benefactor of that team-selection to face his former club, although the former Chelsea man may start regardless as James Milner is Villa's second player to suffer with an Achilles problem.

The midfielder has been in scintillating form this season and looks a shoe-in to make England's World Cup squad fitness permitting, but the former Newcastle man was forced off the field midweek and could be given a well-earned rest

Richard Dunne, who looked out-of-sorts in midweek against Sunderland, is another player suffering with a sore Achilles but the defender managed to play 90 minutes last time out and should line-up in the division's joint meanest rearguard.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are enduring their own injury crisis with Ricardo Carvalho the latest player to face a spell on the sidelines.

The Portuguese defender damaged his ankle in the Fratton Park mauling midweek and will find out whether he will miss the rest of the season from Friday's scans.

Carvalho joins the likes of Ashley Cole (ankle), Branislav Ivanovic, Jose Bosingwa (both knee), Michael Ballack (Achilles), and Henrique Hilario (groin) on the treatment table

That means Ancelotti's only has two recognised centre-halves in the shape of John Terry and Alex, while Paulo Ferreira will continue at right-back and Petr Cech will retain his place in goal after making his comeback from injury last time out.

Michael Essien's return remains unknown after the midfielder admitted to set-backs on his rehabilitation on his injured knee.

Essien has been missing since January and it is unclear whether the Ghana international will be able to recover in time for Chelsea's run-in.


Possible starting XIs:
Chelsea: Cech, Zhirkov, Alex, Terry, Ferreira, Malouda, Lampard, Mikel, J Cole, Anelka, Drogba.

Villa: Friedel, Warnock, Collins, Dunne, Cuellar, Downing, Petrov, Milner, Sidwell, A Young, Carew.

Drogba Shrugs Off Knee Injury

Didier Drogba expects to be fit for Chelsea's game against Aston Villa on Saturday after suffering a knee injury in the 5-0 win over Portsmouth.

The Ivory Coast striker took his goals tally for the season to 30 with a brace against Pompey on Wednesday evening, but hurt his knee in the process.

However, the 32-year-old is determined not to let the injury impact heavily on what he believes is his best season on a personal front.

Drogba, though, admits his impressive goals tally this term will count for nothing if Chelsea fail to lift a piece of silverware.

"Knowing that I am not taking the penalties and missed a few games, it is maybe the best season I've ever had," said Drogba.

"But it would be a poor season if I finished top scorer and Chelsea didn't win anything. Winning individual prizes is just a bonus.

"The knee is painful, but I think it's going to be alright."

Chelsea's title hopes have been revitalised following their victory over Portsmouth and Drogba now wants his team-mates to focus on the visit of Villa, rather than look ahead to next weekend's trip to leaders Manchester United.

"Aston Villa is a big, big game for us," he acknowledged. "We have to forget about this one (Portsmouth) and start to think about Aston Villa. We have to recover quickly and make sure we're going to be ready for the game.

"It's just important for us to try to keep this distance (one-point gap) so we go to Old Trafford with a lot of confidence and expect something good from the squad there.

"We have to concentrate on this game on Saturday and then we'll think about Manchester United. Both games are related. Let's do everything to win the first one and then we will have time to think about United.

"People have given us a lot of criticism recently, but I think they're fair because we haven't played at our level in the last few weeks.

"It's difficult when the team is playing so many matches for all of us to be on top of our game, on top of our fitness and right now we have a lot of injured players."

Carvalho Blow Rocks Blues

Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho is facing at least four weeks on the sidelines and could require surgery on damaged ankle ligaments.

The Portugal international suffered the injury in the first half of Wednesday night's 5-0 victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Centre-back Carvalho limped off the field in the 37th minute following a challenge with Aaron Mokoena, with burly Brazilian Alex taking his place alongside John Terry.

The former Porto player will now miss several key fixtures for the Blues as they chase Premier League and FA Cup glory.

Carlo Ancelotti will be without the talented defender for the crucial Premier League meetings with Aston Villa and Manchester United on the next two Saturdays.

Carvalho will also be absent when the Stamford Bridge side travel to Wembley on 10th April to tackle Villa in the FA Cup semi-final.

And he could be forced to go under the knife in a bid to cure the problem, with the club waiting to discover if an operation is needed, which could put his World Cup hopes in jeopardy.

A statement on the club's official website read: "Chelsea can confirm that Ricardo Carvalho suffered ankle ligament damage in last night's game against Portsmouth.

"The club will be able to determine over the next 24 hours whether the injury requires corrective surgery, however we can confirm at this point that he'll be out for at least four weeks."

Chelsea moved back to within one point of leaders United with Wednesday's thumping victory, while London rivals Arsenal are just one point further back in third.

Injury Uncertainty For Essien

Michael Essien has revealed that he remains uncertain when he can return from the knee injury that is also threatening to rule him out of the World Cup.

The Ghana international has not played for Chelsea since December and only made a couple of appearances for his country at the Africa Cup of Nations in January before being ruled out indefinitely.

Essien revealed that he had suffered a couple of setbacks in recent weeks and he is now unsure when he will be able to return to action.

"I was hoping to be available for the home game against Inter, but the healing has taken a bit longer because my knee kept swelling," Essien told his official blog.

"In two weeks I ended up having four lots of surgery to try and get the fluid away from the area. Finally it seems to be okay and I am making progress. I know I just have to be patient and give it time to settle down and heal."

Essien has watched Chelsea crash out of the Champions League and lose ground in the Premier League title race, but he remains calm about his future.

He added: "On a positive note I am feeling mentally strong and I try to stay philosophical about injuries.

"There are worse injuries than mine and there are people suffering with far more serious problems than this."

Didier Drogba Ready To Trade Top Scorer Award With Wayne Rooney For Premier League Title

Didier Drogba insists he will not have a problem with Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney taking the Premier League's top scorer honours if it means that Chelsea can pip their rivals to winning the league title.

Rooney currently leads the goal scoring charts in the top-flight, with 26 goals to his name. The Ivorian is hot on the heels of the England international, with 24 strikes.

"You know what, if I don't finish top scorer I won't mind... as long as we win the league," Drogba said, according to The Sun.

"I won the Golden Boot in 2007 and it would give me great pleasure to do it again but what is really important for me is the Premier League title.

"Football is a team sport," he insisted.

"It is nice to have individual honours but much better when you share the medals with your friends and team-mates.

"This season has been a long and difficult one.

"It would be a poor season if I finished top scorer but Chelsea didn't win a trophy."

Chelsea take on Manchester United in a potential title decider at Old Trafford on April 3.

Chelsea's Abramovich To Consider Russian FA Role

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich would consider serving on the Russian FA's advisory board if he received a formal invitation, his spokesman said on Friday.

"We are aware of the proposal and when the formal invitation is extended Mr Abramovich will surely consider it," John Mann told Reuters.

New Russian FA (RFU) chief Sergei Fursenko recently met Abramovich in London to discuss, among other things, a more active role within the RFU.

Chelsea's billionaire owner has played a significant role in Russian soccer, mainly sponsoring a number of RFU's projects.

Until last year, the National Academy Fund, sponsored by Abramovich, was paying the 7-million euro ($9.33 million) salary of former Russia coach Guus Hiddink under an agreement with then RFU president Vitaly Mutko.

Several other Russian tycoons, including Spartak Moscow owner Leonid Fedun and Alisher Usmanov, who has a 26 percent stake in English Premier League club Arsenal, have also been mentioned as possible RFU's advisory board members.

Ancelotti - Euro Exit Could Help

Carlo Ancelotti believes Chelsea's UEFA Champions League exit could prove to be a blessing in disguise with regards the title race.

While Premier League leaders Manchester United and third placed Arsenal retain an interest in Europe's premier club competition, Chelsea failed to reach the last eight as they crashed out to Inter Milan.

The Italian is refusing to be downbeat though as he instead points to the fact the physical and mental energy expended by Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson's teams could work in his own side's favour.

United will face Bayern Munich on Tuesday and then welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford four days later, and Ancelotti is hoping to make the most of any United fatigue - either mental or physical.

"I agree with Arsene," said Ancelotti. "Mentally, it wasn't good for us to go out of the Champions League.

"But after the victory against Portsmouth, this moment is finished. We have to look at every game. We play Aston Villa on Saturday and then have a week to prepare for Manchester United.

"That could be an advantage for us. Before, we had midweek games. We are disappointed to be out of the Champions League, but it could be an advantage.

"The quarter-finals will take out a lot of energy, not only physically but mentally. We can take advantage of that if we prepare well our own games, and if we play with good tempo, a good high tempo.

"The pressure is the same for all the teams now. We are arriving towards the end of the season and every game is very important. The pressure is normal at this stage of the season."

Before they face United, Chelsea must overcome an Aston Villa side chasing a place in the top four, who beat the Blues 2-1 earlier in the season.

Ancelotti is determined not to let his players get too carried away with the battle looming at Old Trafford.

"United will be an important game, but it's for three points," said Ancelotti. "We have to think about the Villa game, not the United game.

"The last time we played Villa we lost, so we want to do different tomorrow. For me, now, the most important game is tomorrow. Not United.

"It's a very important test. We're playing a strong team, a team that won their last game against us.

"They have very good organisation, they are a very dynamic team with a lot of quick players and are good on the counter-attack and set-pieces.

"It's a very important game and a very important test for us. I want to know that our bad moment is finished.

"We had a very good reaction in the game at Portsmouth. A good indication for the game was that we played 90 minutes well, with the ball on the floor and determination in our game.

"We were a bit lucky, too, with the first goal, but that's a good thing. That means things are changing.

"At this moment in the season to have one more point or one less point is not so important. Every team - Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea - need to win their games. If you are in good condition, mental and physical, you can win.

"So it's not more important to have one more or one less point. It's important to stay fit and have optimism and confidence to win the game."

Agent: No Italian Job For Joe Cole

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole has yet to receive an approach from any Serie A club, according to the player's agent David Giesse.

The 28-year-old England international is out of contract at Stamford Bridge this summer and revealed on Tuesday that the club have yet to offer him a new deal.

Speculation has ensued, with Serie A giants AC Milan believed to be keen on his services along with Premier League trio Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham.

The former West Ham ace could leave the Blues for free in the summer, but Giesse revealed he is yet to be contacted by an Italian club regarding a move.

"It is true that the negotiations with Chelsea are at a standstill," Giesse admitted to Calciomercato.it.

"Now we are ready to listen to other offers from other teams, but for now no one has called me from Milan or Italy in general."

Trnmere Bring In Chelsea Defender

Tranmere manager Les Parry has continued his loan foray by securing the signature of Chelsea defender Ben Gordon on a one-month loan deal.

The 19-year old left-back is a third year professional at Chelsea having joined them from Leeds.

He has represented England at under-17 level and has been a regular in Chelsea's reserve side this season.

Parry said: "Ben is a talented defender who has a lot of potential.

"With Zoumana Bakayogo and Aaron Cresswell suspended for the game at Brighton on Saturday his signing means we don't have to play someone out of position.

"I'd like to thank Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti for allowing Ben to come on loan to us."

Van Aanholt Latest To Debut In Season Of Breakthrough

The floodgates aren’t open quite yet, but the water is beginning to flow. At Portsmouth last night, Patrick van Aanholt became the fifth recent Chelsea academy product to feature in the first team this season (John Terry aside), and the fourth to debut. Whilst there’s clearly still a lot more to come, Carlo Ancelotti has shown signs of being more like Mourinho than Grant, Scolari and Hiddink, and is willing to give youth its chance.

Van Aanholt, of course, follows Jeffrey Bruma, Fabio Borini and Gael Kakuta as debutants this season, along with Sam Hutchinson, who played for the first time in two and a half injury-riddled years. Now sure, it was away to a turgid Portsmouth team bereft of confidence and already a handful of goals down, but the Dutchman was given a healthy twenty minutes and looked at home alongside more illustrious names. He was only a poor Didier Drogba finish away from notching an assist, providing a sumptuous ball across the face of goal which the Ivorian hitman really should have converted.

With five club-produced players getting playing time already plus Rhys Taylor, Jan Sebek and Daniel Philliskirk serving as substitutes, out of circumstance or otherwise, it’s as positive a time for young players making the step up since the middle of Mourinho’s reign. Back then, Scott Sinclair, Ben Sahar, Nuno Morais, Lenny Pidgeley, Jimmy Smith, Robert Huth, Anthony Grant, Michael Woods and Lee Sawyer all had involvement in one way or another, yet the Portuguese manager was often labelled as someone not willing to give opportunity where it was warranted.

Naturally, one can only work with the tools available, and by looking back through that list, you would struggle to argue against them not having been good enough to make that next step. Whilst the same applies to the current bunch of burgeoning talents, they are the products of a refocused academy, of greater investment and developed under state of the art facilities. They are Arnesen products; a much maligned association, but one which may yet completely alter the perception of somebody who most pundits and indeed Chelsea fans have a dim view of.

So what next? Obviously, the first step is for every one of them to keep up their hard work and earn further opportunities. Injuries in defence have given Van Aanholt and especially Bruma the opportunity to be involved with the first team squad on a regular basis, as it did for Borini earlier in the season when the striking options were weakened. Youth Cup stars Josh McEachran and Jacopo Sala both have first team squad numbers and Gokhan Tore has been involved with the senior team as well, giving an indication into the next group to make their way through.

Don’t read this as an over-the-top reaction to a decent cameo debut against poor opposition – it’s not. However, it’s gratifying to see the first results of seeds laid four or five years ago, however early in bloom they may be. These boys may be the future of the club, they may not be – but they’re contributing at an early age, and those signs are very promising.

Chelsea Duo Florent Malouda & Daniel Sturridge Escape Punishment After Portsmouth Incidents

The Football Association have confirmed that Florent Malouda and Daniel Sturridge will not face any disciplinary action after incidents that left two Portsmouth players with serious facial injuries during Chelsea's 5-0 win on Wednesday.

Pompey centre-back Ricardo Rocha was stretchered off with a broken cheekbone after a collison with Malouda, while forward Tommy Smith had his nose broken after being caught by Sturridge's elbow.

The FA has confirmed that both incidents were not considered "off-the-ball" after a review, and as such the referee's decision at the time is taken as final. Malouda was booked by referee Lee Mason, but Sturridge avoided any punishment.

The outcome is similar to that in Steven Gerrard's recent case, where the Liverpool captain was not punished for an elbow that caught another Portsmouth player, Michael Brown, during their game on March 15.

Portsmouth Win Ends Chelsea’s 'Difficult Moment' – Carlo Ancelotti

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti insisted the Blues’ 5-0 crushing of Portsmouth at Fratton Park has signalled the end of their recent poor run.

Goals by Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard sent the Londoners back into second place in the Premier League, just a point behind leaders Manchester United and their manager was pleased with his side’s performance.

“I am satisfied, we played well, we played a good match,” he told Sky Sports after the game.

“They [Chelsea] fought for 90 minutes, it was important because I think this victory finished our difficult moment and so we have to look forward to the next game with more confidence and more optimism.

“Everything is important, the most important thing tonight was the behaviour of my players, they played very well, they concentrated, this is the most important thing

“I think we never lost our way we had a difficult moment, we lost some games, but our reaction was important and now we must maintain this and if possible to improve.”

The match was not without controversy with Ricardo Rocha stretchered off after a tangle with Florent Malouda and Daniel Sturridge also clashing with Tommy Smith who also had to be substituted.

However, Ancelotti refused to be drawn on the two challenges and insisted the Frenchman's challenge was accidental, explaining: “[Florent] Malouda was in front of me I think that he has gone with his head and [Ricardo] Rocha was unlucky. For the other one, [Daniel] Sturridge I didn’t see it was too far from me.”

Next up for the Blues is a visit from Aston Villa before they head to Manchester United and Ancelotti admitted that every game was now crucial.

“Every game is important for us, we have maybe eight or nine games until the end of the season,” he added.

“We are involved in the Premier League and the FA Cup and we want to do our best and now it is important to beat Aston Villa.

“They are a strong team, we aneed to win three points on Saturday and also to maintain this level of play.”