Chelsea Have Premier League History On Side

Chelsea can go into the final four games of the season in the knowledge that, in the history of the Premier League, no team with such a lead at this stage has failed to win the title.

On eight previous occasions teams who have enjoyed an advantage of four or more points have stayed top.

At this stage two years ago Manchester United led by five points with four games left and the title went to the last day of the campaign.

The top two went into the final day level on 84 points, but United won 2-0 at Wigan while Bolton Wanderers held Chelsea 1-1 at Stamford Bridge.

Not A Caviar Display But Roman Abramovich Can Celebrate His Landmark

Roman Abramovich's 200th Stamford Bridge fixture was not one for the scrapbook of reasons why he bought into the Premier League menagerie. An "easy game" for Chelsea, Sir Alex Ferguson had predicted, but this was true to the tradition of prospective champions having to fight for every yard of ground.

Bolton Wanderers were not built as doormats. Big, fit, combative and adept at late bombardments, they were in no mood to regard Nicolas Anelka's first-half headed goal as the first flake in an avalanche. Chelsea had high-stepped it to the top of the Premier League but here the fun ran out. This gruelling 1-0 win forced us to factor in the determination of lesser clubs not to be trampled on and the stress that gnaws away even at star players when the expectation is that they will dance away with a trophy.

This way it is more compelling. This way the rich and powerful suffer on the road to fulfilment. Spurs, Stoke, Liverpool and Wigan will be no more deferential than Bolton as Chelsea aim to reclaim the title they last held four years ago. "The Premier League is in our hands, we have to stay calm," Carlo Ancelotti, the Chelsea coach, said on a night when John Terry played through a first-half injury and Yuri Zhirkov shed a milk urn of blood in a collision with Bolton's Kevin Davies.

Some will think Manchester United should take encouragement from the desperation in Chelsea's countenance as Bolton subjected them to a late aerial assault. More likely is that Ancelotti's men now know they can survive the muck and nettles of English folklore. Goal-scoring records have been smashed but now the 1-0 win will do. United and Arsenal will cling to the belief that both Spurs and Liverpool remain capable of inflicting misery on the leaders at White Hart Lane and Anfield. On this evidence they had better be well-armed.

According to reliable sources the scolding Abramovich gave his players after the Champions League defeat by Internazionale left egos bruised and eyebrows singed. Chelsea's owner is no closer to winning Europe's shiniest prize but at least one demand had been met. This has been a caviar campaign for goals.

With the 3-0 FA Cup semi-final win against Aston Villa at the weekend Chelsea broke their all-time record in all competitions. The 122 struck in 50 games prior to this tussle with Bolton surpassed the 121 scored in 56 fixtures in 1964-65. With 85 in the Premier League, Carlo Ancelotti's men have demolished their previous best of 72 in that competition. The Chelsea coach seems bemused by this deluge, as if it came, like snow, one night, while he was sleeping.

Italian managers are not bred to chase goals. They are taught to seek control, to throw a rug over the opposition and emerge with the kind of narrow win Chelsea took to the bank last night. To that end Ancelotti relied on Didier Drogba and Anelka to grapple with Bolton's aggressive defence. By the end the pair had raised to 45 their combined catch in this campaign.

Abramovich has grown a white beard waiting for his team to regain domestic power and win him a Champions League title. He looks more like Ken Bates every day. Frequently accused of interfering in team affairs with his sackings and appointments, the oligarch can claim vindication for last month's lecture to the troops. More fun has been an Abramovich edict since the José Mourinho years. Fine manager though he is, Avram Grant was never likely to deliver thigh-slapping football and Luiz Felipe Scolari misjudged the defensive requirements of the set-piece league and failed to adapt to the gruelling nature of the schedule. Guus Hiddink returned to Mourinho's core strengths and added a small attacking twist. Ancelotti's challenge was to draw more from the under-achievers, Florent Malouda, John Obi Mikel and Salomon Kalou, and find a way to make Drogba and Anelka mesh.

Abramovich has observed a 71% win ratio at the Bridge and only nine defeats, so he can be satisfied with the returns, up there on his plinth. Some of those years he has sabotaged with his cliques and his impatience. This time he turned his fire on the players instead of the unfortunates who have carried the can for their failure to win the English championship since 2006. To reassert their domestic primacy Chelsea had to capitulate in Europe to the coach, Mourinho, who turned them from nearly men to champions and wait for United to stumble. To speed that process they had a free week to prepare for their 2-1 win at Old Trafford four days after Sir Alex Ferguson's men had fallen to Bayern Munich. The entertaining part is over now. Grace gives way to graft.

Ancelotti: The Premier League Is In Our Hands

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has responded to the Blues 1-0 win over Bolton on Tuesday night by pronouncing his team is favourites to win the Premier League title.

A close range header from former Bolton striker Nicolas Anelka was the difference and now Chelsea lead the table by four points.

Ancelotti said: "Now the Premier League is in our hands and we have to stay focused and calm. We have to play game by game, and we are not interested in the results of the other teams. There was pressure on us to get this result because we needed to improve our position, but I think the players now have very good motivation to finish the season well."

The Italian continued: "It was not an easy game. We knew it wouldn't be, because Bolton came to Stamford Bridge to play their game. They put pressure for all the 90 minutes, a lot of long balls. It was a tough game for us, but I think that Chelsea did a good job and won, which was the most important thing. We were unlucky not to improve the scoreline at the start of the second half, but we needed the three points. We had 21 shots, so we deserved to win. There's no debate about this. It was difficult because, when you're 1-0 up, you have to be careful right to the end. For me, it was a very good performance."

The Chelsea boss also rejected suggestions from Owen Coyle that Bolton should have had two penalties: "I don't have a reaction to the penalties. I maintain the same opinion: it's not my job to judge the work of the referees. I never did, even if we were unlucky at their decisions. I didn't see the incidents. I trust in the referee."

Petr Cech: Pressure Is On Manchester United And Arsenal To Keep Up With The Blues

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has warned rivals Manchester United and Arsenal that one more slip-up will end their Premier League challenge.

Cech was between the sticks as the Blues extended their lead atop the table to four points on Tuesday after a 1-0 win against Bolton Wanderers, and with Arsenal in action against arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night, the Blues stopper believes another defeat will cost the Gunners dear.

"Arsenal have a big game tonight against Spurs because they're the furthest away and if they don't win, the gap will open," Cech told the Evening Standard.

"They know they're under pressure. Then at the weekend there is the Manchester derby and we play a London derby at Tottenham. It can be a decisive week.

"It can change the position in the Premier League a lot if we manage to win our game and the others lose theirs. It could also go the other way and change everything for the last three games.

"But beating Bolton was a massive step forward. We can play good football and score goals but when a game isn't going our way and we have to fight and dig deep, we can do that. We showed it against Bolton."

With Carlo Ancelotti's side visiting White Hart Lane at the weekend, Cech is targeting a change in fortunes at a ground the club have had difficulties in recent times.

"I have been at Chelsea for six years and just kept my first clean sheet at home against Bolton, so now it's time for our record at White Hart Lane to change too," he said.

"Last season everything went wrong. There was a bomb alert, the game was delayed, we were kept waiting and then we started slow and lost 1-0.

"Even though we had chances, it was not our day. This time it's going to be different for us."

Terry: We Stuck To Our Tasks

John Terry has admitted that the role reversal that led to the winning goal against Bolton caught him a little bit by surprise on a night when he was happy with the team's application.

In a change from recent fixtures, Carlo Ancelotti fielded both Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka in the starting line-up with Anelka asked to play wide. Yet it was Drogba on the left who hit an undefendable cross for his colleague to head in for his first goal in 14 games.

'Didier pulled off to the left and I was screaming at him to get into the box,' Terry admitted after the game, 'but thankfully he put the ball in and found Nico and it was a great header against his old club. It was his first goal in a while and it was very important for us. It was a great ball from Didier.'

The single strike was enough to extend our lead at the top to four points and Terry gave credit to Bolton for making it tough.

'It certainly wasn't easy with Kevin Davies up front and young Jack Wilshere playing off behind him. It caused us problems all night but we stuck in there and we ground it out.

'We were probably a bit slow in the tempo of our play and were taking too many touches. We weren't at our best but fair play to Bolton, they came to win the game. They were pressing and staying man-to-man which made it difficult for us at times.'

The captain admitted the tension involved in securing three vital points may have contributed in Bolton threatening towards the end.

'Nerves with us not winning the Premier League for three years took their toll late on but we managed to hold on.

'I don't know what it looked like on TV but it certainly felt like it came off my chest,' he added on the incident that led to Bolton penalty claims for handball. There had been a similar incident involving Didier Drogba earlier on.

'Over 40 odd games you are going get some penalties and you are not going to get others. Late on it hit Zat Knight's hand as well so we could have had one and maybe they could have had one as well, but over the course of the season you get your rewards.'

Man of the Match was Yury Zhirkov, a decision Terry did not contest.

'Yury has come into the side since Ash has been out and been brilliant for us, the same with Paulo Ferreira the other side and that is what our squad is all about.

'We are getting closer week by week but it is just important that we keep winning. Man United, Arsenal and us have all got tough away games this weekend. Arsenal could throw a spanner in the works Wednesday evening if they go to Tottenham and win, but we have a better goal difference.

'We are just concentrating on ourselves and we have a little cushion now.'

Ancelotti Happy To See Anelka End Scoring Drought

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti was happy to see Nicolas Anelka break his scoring drought against Bolton Wanderers.

Anelka nodded home the game's only goal shortly before half-time, stepping up to the mark after 14 games without a goal since January, Didier Drogba providing a superb assist with his accurate cross.

"They work very well, very hard and changed position," Ancelotti noted. "The ball was fantastic, it was very good movement from Didier on the side and Nicolas was ready to score, it was the time for him to score - they did a fantastic job."

Chelsea And AC Milan The Only Contenders For Dzeko

German publication Sport Bild claims that Chelsea and AC Milan are the only clubs left in the chase for Wolfsburg striker Edin Dzeko.

Dzeko has scored 24 goals in 42 appearances for Wolfsburg so far this season. Last season, he was a major factor in Wolfsburg lifting the Bundesliga title. The 24 year-old is considered to be one of Europe's top strikers.

This morning, Italian media reports indicated that Juventus had also entered the race for Dzeko. In addition, a host of other top clubs have also been linked to the Bosnian striker, including Arsenal and Manchester United.

However, Sport Bild claims that Premier League leaders Chelsea and Italian giants AC Milan are the only two clubs willing to pay Dzeko a requested 5 million Euros salary per season. It is understood that AC Milan had a bid for Dzeko rejected last summer and it is known that the player himself is an AC Milan supporter. However, in an apparent invitation to the likes of Chelsea, Dzeko earlier this month said, “I never said that I absolutely want Italy.”

Dzeko’s contract at Wolfsburg runs until 2013 and the one sticking point in any deal, according to Sport Bild is the 40 million Euros that Wolfsburg are demanding for their prized asset. They appear unwilling to lower their asking price for Chelsea, AC Milan or any other club.

Wolfsburg general manager Dieter Hoeness told Sport Bild, “We will not let him go for a smaller sum.”

Franck Ribery To Choose Between Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Real Madrid And Barcelona In Next 'Five To Ten Days'

Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has revealed that he hopes to have decided where hill be playing next season within the next ten days.

The French international has long been linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena, with Real Madrid and Chelsea considered the favourites for his signature. With his contract running out in 2011, if he doesn't sign an extension this summer Bayern are likely to sell their star, rather than risk him walking away for free in 12 months time.

Ribery has not made any firm decision about his future yet, but revealed that he hopes to have made up his mind within the next ten days.

"There is at this time no club who say that I will come or to whom I am going," Ribery told German television station Sport1.

"Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea are still interested in me and they want me to play for them.

"We have still some games to play and little recovery time. Therefore I believe that I will determine in the very near future what I will do next year."

Pushed to announce a clearer timescale regarding his decision, Ribery said: "I hope in the next week or in the next 10 days."

Ribery is in negotiations with his current club over a new deal, despite being quoted recently as saying he and his family hope to move to the sunnier climate of Spain.

"I will have talks with the club leadership and with my agent," he said.

"And as I already said, in a week or 10 days, when the talks have been held, I will know what the situation is."

While keen to extend Ribery's stay with the club, Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed they would not look to offload the player if it was going to harm their chances of excelling in domestic and European competition.

"We will hold talks. Our clear aim is still to extend the contract," Rummenigge said told Bild newspaper.

"But if we do not achieve that, it doesn't automatically mean that we will sell Franck this summer.

"We want to have a team next season who achieve their goals domestically and internationally take another step forward.

"We have the goal in the future not to travel humbly to Barcelona, but rather with a chance of being at the same level. Franck is necessary to do that."

Agent Confirms Interest In Inler

Udinese defensive midfielder Gokhan Inler could swap Serie A for the Premier League this summer after his agent Dino Lamberti revealed that several English clubs were keeping tabs on the Swiss international. Formally linked with Arsenal it is understood that Manchester City and Chelsea are amongst possible suitors.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini and Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti are both long-term admirers of the 25-year-old having both previously tried to sign the former FC Zurich man for Inter and AC Milan respectively following his impressive showing on home turf at Euro 2008. Having been a stalwart for Udinese over the last three years it is believed that Inler is now ready to test himself in England despite previously playing down contact with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

It is thought that Inler retains a value upwards of £15 million; a figure which would fall into the Arsenal price bracket, but could be inflated should the financial muscle of both Manchester City and Chelsea become involved in a bidding war.

Speaking about the speculation surrounding his client, representative Dino Lamberti exclusively revealed to sport.co.uk:

“It is too early to say [if Inler will leave].

“Plenty of big Premier League clubs are interested in him, especially as his contract at Udinese expires this summer.”

Inler will travel with Switzerland to South Africa this summer hoping that he can replicate the form which consolidated his reputation as one of Europe’s most dependable midfielders.