Sunday, September 12, 2010

Match Report: West Ham United 1 - 3 Chelsea


Chelsea's 100% start to the new season continued against rock-bottom West Ham at Upton Park as a brace from Michael Essien and another from Salomon Kalou kept them top of the Barclays Premier League.

West Ham midfielder Scott Parker became the first player to score against the Blues this season but his late effort was scant consolation for the home side.

Chelsea's victory over their London rivals piled more pressure on under-fire manager Avram Grant, whose side remained rooted to the foot of the table without a single point from their opening four games and having conceded 12 goals.

In contrast, Carlo Ancelotti's team have now scored 17 and conceded just once, and their domination of this game began as early as the second minute when debutant Ramires won a corner on the left flank.

Essien rose above two defenders to head home Didier Drogba's cross to silence the home fans.

West Ham almost equalized moments later when new signing Victor Obinna sent a close-range effort straight at Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech.

The visitors went 2-0 up in the 17th minute, though, when West Ham's England goalkeeper Robert Green spilled a 30-yard Drogba free-kick.

Defender Matthew Upson tried to clear the loose ball but it cannoned back off Chelsea's Ivory Coast striker Kalou and over the head of the stricken Green.

Kalou went close to grabbing his second in the 21st minute but his shot was deflected around the post, much to the relief of the grounded Green.

Another corner from Drogba caused panic in the home defence but this time John Terry's effort was collected easily by Green.

West Ham should have pulled one back in the 27th minute but the unmarked Obinna put his volley wide from eight yards.

The Hammers striker then sent a curling shot just wide of the target after cutting in from the left wing.

Chelsea almost extended their lead when another Drogba corner fell to Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel.

His rising drive from 20-yards slammed against the angle of Green's left upright and the crossbar.

Chelsea received a scare in the 35th minute when Terry went down under a challenge from Carlton Cole, but the England defender continued after lengthy treatment - much to the disappointment of the home fans.

Ashley Cole became the first name in Chris Foy's notebook in the 40th minute when he was shown the yellow card for a foul on Herita Ilunga.

In the 43rd minute, Cech had to punch away a cross-shot from Ilunga as West Ham looked in vain for a way back into the game.

They almost succeeded in stoppage time but Carlton Cole's effort was ruled offside.

Ramires should have troubled Green in the 50th minute but fired over from the edge of the penalty area as Chelsea continued to dominate proceedings.

West Ham tried hard to lift the tempo of the game and substitute Kieron Dyer, on at half-time for Luis Boa Morte, almost broke through with a clever run into the six-yard box.

Chelsea almost made it three on the hour when Kalou collected a fine pass from Drogba only to send his curling shot inches wide of Green's right-hand post.

The visitors had clearly settled for the three points as their was little urgency in their play.

When they did show some ambition, Drogba forced Green into a fine save with a 20-yard shot.

Branislav Ivanovic was booked in the 64th minute for bringing down Carlton Cole.

A cross from Obinna three minutes later then found only the hands of Cech, much to the growing frustration of the home fans.

Mark Noble then sent a long-range effort just wide of Cech's right-hand post but the home side still lacked the killer touch.

Chelsea made it 3-0 in the 83rd minute when Essien headed home Paulo Ferreira's cross but moments later they conceded their first goal of the season when Parker calmly lobbed Cech from 20 yards.

West Ham substitute Frederic Piquionne wasted a great chance to reduce the arrears still further when he headed against the bar from just two yards.

Cech Wary Of Slovaks


Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will not be underestimating MSK Zilina in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The Slovakian minnows travel to Stamford Bridge to take on the Premier League champions in the opening game of Group F.

The Blues have also been paired with Marseille and Spartak Moscow in a group which Carlo Ancelotti's side is odds-on favourites to top.

Czech Republic international Cech is well aware of the threat the Slovak champions will bring after eliminating Sparta Prague in the play-off round.

"Zilina had to go through qualification and the fact they have made it into the group stages shows their quality," said Cech.

"Underestimating any team in the Champions League can only damage you.

"Matches against Zilina will certainly have a special atmosphere.

"Then we have Marseille, who are a traditional participant in the European cups, with a number of achievements too. And then there is Spartak Moscow.

"I think all the teams are playable. We don't have to do any crazy travels so we may be satisfied."

Ancelotti: We're The Sexy Chelsea Abramovich Wanted


Carlo Ancelotti suggested his Chelsea side have finally given Roman Abramovich the football he has always craved.

Ancelotti’s Blues travel across London to Upton Park on Saturday looking to extend their goal glut at the expense of former boss Avram Grant’s basement dwellers.

Since Chelsea went on their seven-goal rampage against Stoke in April, they have scored 31 times without reply in six full games, with 14 in their opening three matches of the new campaign.

The attacking philosophy Ancelotti always claimed he wanted to introduce is in stark contrast with the win-at-all-costs mantra under Jose Mourinho that eventually did not prove enough to satisfy the Stamford Bridge owner.

While Ancelotti admitted he has been able to build on the foundations of the winning machine bequeathed by Mourinho and also immediate predecessor Guus Hiddink, the Italian believes his side is exactly what the Russian billionaire was always looking for.

Ancelotti said: “Chelsea showed their personality before I arrived here.

“They reached the semi-finals of the Champions League five times and that doesn’t happen unless a club has character.

“We have a clear identity to play with now. The identity to play in the way we want to do. We’ve shown that with possession, attacking football, maintaining balance during the game.

“This was our aim before the start of the season.

“Roman is not here a lot, although he came to Cobham to see us two weeks ago. I think he’s happy. He’s happy to see his team play good football.” Ancelotti’s style and personality is utterly different to that of Mourinho, even if the pair has not called a truce to their long-standing war of words.

Chelsea Eyeing Up The 'New Ronaldo'


Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti is keeping tabs on French forward Yohan Mollo.

Ancelotti has been tipped off about the Monaco starlet who has excelled on loan at Caen this season.

Winger Mollo, 21, has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo because of his pace and dribbling and Chelsea believe they may be able to take a gamble on him at around £5m.

Alves Rubbishes Blues Link


Dani Alves has squashed rumours of a January move to Chelsea or Manchester City and he instead insisted that he has a long term future at Barcelona.

According to the Daily Mail, the world’s most expensive right-back initially believed he would be heading for the exit at the Nou Camp after he failed to earn a new contract at the end of last season.

The change of President at the club, however, has made Alves confident that he can have a long career with the Catalans.

The £28m signing from Sevilla revealed: “The offer for renewal was not very serious.”

New president Sandro Rosell, however, has sanctioned fresh talks and Alves stated: “I've had the chance to talk to [new directors] Josep Maria Bartomeu and Andoni Zubizarreta, and found a great willingness to reach an agreement.”

John Terry Is Told He Must Play It Cool


He has played for club and country with broken noses, fractured cheekbones, concussion, dislocated elbows and busted feet.

He has swallowed his tongue, blacked out, gritted his teeth though a long-standing back problem and been punctured by more painkilling jabs than a pin cushion. But John Terry has been told that his gladiator days are over.

The player of whom it has been casually – and truthfully – said for so long that he would take the field even if there were bits hanging off him, has finally been ordered to slow down for the sake of his career.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti wants his skipper around for a long time, so there will be no more heroics. Terry, 29, returns for Premier League leaders Chelsea at West Ham today after taking a fortnight off to nurse a sore hamstring and missing two England games.

Ancelotti last night brushed aside any suggestions that Terry is cooling on his England career in the wake of a dismal World Cup and revealed he has ordered him to slow down.

Chelsea go into the game against struggling West Ham having scored a frightening 32 goals without reply in their last seven games stretching back to last April.

Cech: What A Difference A Day


For those who play football for their country this season, Wednesday is the new Thursday, Thursday is the new Friday, and Petr Cech is already a big fan of the change.

The days in question are the ones immediately following a typical double-header of international fixtures and with the scheduling of those matches now altered, the upshot is an extra day of recovery and preparation in the build up to today's game at West Ham.

Whereas for many years an international break meant a big program of games around the globe on the Saturday a week after the last league match, and then a second set of internationals on the following Wednesday, on the recommendation of top club managers the pattern is now Friday evening and Tuesday evening games.

'It is a really big improvement in terms of timing,' reckons Cech who returned from facing Lithuania for the Czech Republic this week.

'Before with the national team, the week was long when you had preparation from the Monday to the game on Saturday.

'To play the first game on Friday is better because you can then play on Tuesday. Before this change, some of the guys were flying for five hours back from somewhere, and you don't sleep after the game, you go straight to the airport, and then on Thursday you are completely dead.

'On Friday you could have a little training session and if you were playing an away game on Saturday it was not the best scenario because you kept travelling. It was tiring.

'So I think going to international matches on Friday and Tuesday is the best idea for a long time.'

It had long been a concern for top clubs with many star players that two-week international breaks had a detrimental effect on results. Last season, a last-minute goal prevented a Chelsea slip-up at Stoke after such an interval but when it came to playing away at Aston Villa with a Saturday lunchtime kick-off, Cech and his colleagues did suffer defeat.

Only time will tell if the new calendar shows any trends in results but our keeper does confirm this week felt more like a standard domestic one with a midweek game.

'You have your recovery day on Wednesday, the following day you feel the worst and then you have Friday to feel fresh and get ready for the game.

'Let's wait and see but it should improve everybody's state. Teams like us with many internationals, when everybody comes back from all over the world then you obviously have a disadvantage compared with other sides. One extra day can make a big difference.'

Ancelotti: Extending Eras


Old age catches up with all of us eventually, but Carlo Ancelotti believes that with the right management, its effects can be minimized on his squad.

Using captain John Terry as an example of a player approaching his 30th birthday, Ancelotti explained how players can prolong their careers in the way his legendary captain at Milan, Paolo Maldini did.

'I don't like players that want to play with injuries, when they are not 100 percent,' he said, discussing Terry's withdrawal from England duty last week. 'I don't like this. A player has to say to me I am not 100 percent and you have to decide.

'I think Terry with the national team took the right decision because he was not 100 percent and it could be a problem. He is a player with strong character, he loves to play for the shirt, but also you have to be realistic. When the player has a problem he has to say.

'When he said to me that he wanted to use this time to recover and resolve his problem, I agreed with him. I said to him to speak with the national team, he spoke with the national team and everything was okay.'

Ancelotti is hopeful that by sharing his advice with Terry, who has previously played with back, ankle, cheekbone and elbow injuries, the defender's career will be prolonged.

'I think so, he has not until now had big injuries,' the manager said. 'He is working very well in training and this is the key to play for a lot of time. It was the same, Maldini was able to work hard every day. It is the key to have a long career.

'Last season he didn't have a lot of problems and I think we can manage it, not just John Terry but all the players. But now in this moment when we have seven games in 20 days it is very important to control these things, we can lose players for a long time if we don't pay attention.'