Match Preview: Portsmouth vs. Chelsea

A mere three or four games ago who have ever dared to suggest that an ex-colleague of ours, Avram Grant, had, at his finger tips, the potential to permanently derail our Premier League title aspirations?

A home defeat to Manchester City followed by a lackluster 1-1 draw up at Ewood Park have left serious questions being asked about the current validity of our title challenge. Despite our fate being in our own hands with it being common knowledge that if we win all our reaming Premier League games we’ll be crowned champions, there’s an uneasiness in the air that’s enough to give some of us kittens.

With a recent blip in form being the main discussion point we can but only take each game as it comes but with Portsmouth condemned to relegation, courtesy of the financial mess they’re in, but still very much up for the fight, I can think of several other Premier League grounds I’d rather us be visiting.

Nevertheless, if the malaise of the past two Premier League performances is to be shaken off and the players are to knuckle down and produce the sort of performance we all know is needed, I’d suggest a very vociferous Fratton Park is just the place to re-stamp our credentials as title contenders.

Portsmouth Team News:
Avram Grant goes into this game knowing that there’s nothing but pride left to play for after administration made survival in the top flight nigh near impossible.

As for his squad, he’s not able to use his forward Aruna Dindane as one more appearance will invoke a further fee which Pompey do not have.

Elsewhere, Vanden Borre is out with a hamstring problem whilst Boateng, Utaka and Yebda are all rated as doubtful.

Player to watch: Jamie O`Hara
On loan from Spurs O’Hara has become a firm favourite of the Pompey faithful. He’s in the strange situation of having helped them to a FA Cup semi-final, at Wembley, but it looks like he’ll be unable to play against his parent club unless Fulham can spring a surprise win at White Hart Lane. O’Hara emphasized his danger from set pieces at the weekend with a cracker against Hull City as Iain 'Davros` Dowie watched his Hull side lose 3-2 after being 2-1 up with less than five minutes to go.

Chelsea Team News:
Carlo takes his squad to the south-coast with his injury list lengthened even more. Branislav Ivanovic joined the list of casualties that currently includes, Michael Essien, Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa after he picked up a knee injury at Ewood Park, on Sunday.

However, we are led to believe that both Petr Cech and Henrique Hilario are both fit enough for consideration although it should be pointed out that in their absence Ross Turnbull hasn’t put a foot wrong.

Following on from the two points dropped at Ewood Park, it’ll be interesting to see if Carlo Ancelotti is tempted to shuffle his pack to try and inject the flair that has been missing in recent games. Whether this means a start for Deco or Joe Cole remains to be seen, perhaps Carlo may opt to bring back Michael Ballack, all questions only his team sheet can answer.

In defence Carlo could be tempted to recall Ricardo Carvalho, will John Terry be rested or will it be Alex who finds himself unfortunate enough to be warming the bench again?

But, with Ivanovic injured we’re fairly certain that Paulo Ferreira will drop in at right back and Yuri Zhirkov will occupy the left back slot.

Something of a shot in the dark, our anticipated starting eleven - Cech, Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Zhirkov, Mikel, Lampard, Malouda, Deco, Drogba, Anelka

Player to watch: Nicolas Anelka
Apart from the assist for the Didier Drogba goal up at Ewood Park, Anelka’s contributions since Drogba`s return from the Africa Cup of Nations have been diminishing. It could be argued that stuck out wide, by Ancelotti, isn`t doing the Frenchman any favours or possibly even his ongoing contract situation might be affecting the situation. Nevertheless, Anelka needs a good ninety minutes and hopefully ninety minutes whereby he can score, let’s hope that place is Fratton Park on Wednesday evening!

Match Facts & Stats
Chelsea have not been beaten by Portsmouth in their last 17 fixtures at this level, a period that spans an incredible 52 years!

In their last 8 visits to Fratton Park, in top flight football, Chelsea have emerged victorious!

Ancelotti: New Targets

Carlo Ancelotti, a self-confessed fan of statistics, believes a points tally of 86 would be enough for Chelsea to take the league title.

With our current total on 65, that means Chelsea can afford to drop only three points in the remaining eight games to reach the manager's target. He is also clear those three points cannot be let slip in the game against Manchester United.

'I like statistics and I think that in the past with 86 points every team has won the title. I think that we need to get 86 points to win,' he says.

Ancelotti is naturally demanding the full three points collected from the visit to bottom club Portsmouth on Wednesday and for that challenge he welcomes Petr Cech back in goal after five games out with a calf injury.

The goalkeeper injury picture is improving fast with groin strain victim Hilario expected to be fit for Saturday's visit by Aston Villa. Ancelotti also has an update on Ashley Cole's ankle fracture.

'Ashley's recovery is going very well,' he says.

'He started to train in the sand today and I think that he will start to train on the normal ground in 15 days, so he will be ready to play before the last game of the season.'

There was not so good news on another full back however. Ancelotti confirms Branislav Ivanovic suffered a tear in a collateral medial knee ligament during the Blackburn game.

'Ivanovic is an important player for us. He is out for one month but we hope to recover him before this period. We have fortunately recovered Yury Zhirkov so we can put Paulo Ferreira at right back and Zhirkov at left back.

'The mood was not good after the Blackburn game because when we don't win we are disappointed,' the manager continues.

'But we have a possibility to come back on Wednesday. We know our results have not been good enough because we have the possibility to win every game and we haven't done this, but I am happy with the players' attitude and everyone has kept the right behaviour, players and club.'

The Italian insists that with hindsight he remains happy with the preparations for the Inter and Blackburn games and is not dropping his attention to detail ahead of Portsmouth.

'I know Portsmouth have a lot of difficulties but I also know Portsmouth won their last game against Hull when they were 2-1 down and in two minutes they won the game. We have to pay attention because they have the possibility to play without pressure so they can do a good job against us.'

Petr Cech To Return For Chelsea Against Portsmouth On Wednesday

Petr Cech will return to action for Chelsea against Portsmouth on Wednesday, manager Carlo Ancelotti has revealed.

The goalkeeper has been out injured since landing awkwardly in the Blues' Champions League game against Inter Milan in Italy last month, with Henrique Hilario and then Ross Turnbull asked to deputise as the side were knocked out of the Champions League and stuttered domestically.

But Ancelotti will welcome back his No. 1 at Fratton Park, and hopes his presence will see a revival in his side's form.

"Carlo Ancelotti has announced that Petr Cech will return for the game at Portsmouth on Wednesday," the club's website confirmed.

"Hilario is also close to full fitness as the goalkeeping injury picture improves. He is expected to be ready for Saturday's visit by Aston Villa."

Ancelotti Has Five Games To Save His Job

Carlo Ancelotti is facing a fight for Chelsea survival as the Blues' season stands on the brink of implosion.

Sunday's 1-1 draw at Blackburn left Chelsea, already out of the Champions League after being humiliated by Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan, third in the table and four points behind Manchester United with a game in hand.

But as Ancelotti was rocked by the news that Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic is set to miss the next month with a knee ligament injury sustained at Ewood Park, the pressure on the Italian was mounting as he prepared for the three week spell that will define his reign.

Senior figures close to Roman Abramovich were last night pointing fingers at Ancelotti, rather than his players, for the run of just five wins in their last 11 games in all competitions and 10 points dropped out of the past 21.

It means Ancelotti's future is on the line unless he can conjure a winning run over the next five games, starting at Portsmouth on Wednesday and including the Easter Saturday visit to Old Trafford and the FA Cup semi-final clash with Aston Villa.

Members of the Stamford Bridge hierarchy are concerned that the series of lackluster and limited displays of recent weeks has now become a trend rather than isolated events.

And unless the former AC Milan coach can turn around the confidence and form of his players to ensure Chelsea take their fight for the title all the way to May 9, he could become the sixth manager to leave the club since 2004 this summer.

Abramovich is understood to be concerned that Ancelotti and his players are failing to respond to the gravity of the situation, with the tame and tepid second half performance at Blackburn indicative of a lack of drive and desire.

Unlike last term, when Luis Felipe Scolari was dismissed amid fears that Chelsea were poised to fall out of the top four, there is no question of Ancelotti being removed before the end of the season.

But the Italian, who cut a stressed and crestfallen figure at Blackburn, is under huge pressure to prove he is the right man for the job, starting at Fratton Park on Wednesday.

David Villa Is On The Market

Chelsea are on red alert after debt-riddled Valencia agreed to sell striker David Villa.

His team-mate David Silva is also available and Manchester United are sure to fancy the attacking midfielder, who may fetch up to £20million.

The Spanish team want to raise £50m by selling both players but Villa could cost £40m alone if a bidding war erupts between Chelsea and Manchester City.

Insiders say Villa, who has fired 121 goals in 223 outings for Valencia and 37 in 55 internationals, will also be wanted by Barcelona and Real Madrid.

But he is thought to prefer a move to the Premier League, with Chelsea his first choice.

Nicolas Anelka is stalling over an extended one-year deal at Chelsea and Blues fans would view Villa, 28, as an eye-popping replacement.

Villa said: "For now my head is in Valencia and the World Cup.

"After South Africa I will decide what's best. My final decision won't be based solely on money."

Chelsea Suffer Branislav Ivanovic Injury Blow

Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic will be out for a month after injuring his knee in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers.

The 26-year-old has torn his medial knee ligament and was replaced by Yuri Zhirkov during the game at Ewood Park.

The injury to the Serb will be a blow to Carlo Ancelotti's Premier League title contenders, who are four points behind leaders Manchester United.

Ivanovic will now miss the crucial game against United on 3 April.

Chelsea have one game in hand on the Premier League champions, which comes against Portsmouth on Wednesday evening.

But Ivanovic's injury adds further worry to a defence that is already without long-term absentee Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole, who is battling to be fit before the end of the season.

The Blues have only eight Premier League games left and Ivanovic is now likely to miss five of them in addition to the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa on 10 April.

Ancelotti will be desperate to win some silverware in his first season at Stamford Bridge after crashing out of the Champions League to Inter Milan last week.

Yet with only Paulo Ferreira, Juliano Belletti and Zhirkov left as recognised full-backs, Chelsea's defensive cover is now looking thin.

Ashley Cole Returns To Chelsea Training And Expected To Be Back By End Of Season

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, who suffered the injury against Everton at the beginning of February, was given a stringent non-contact workout at the club's Cobham training ground.

The England left-back also did some heading and turning exercises to test out the joint before undergoing more physio work inside the complex.

And manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is preparing his side for a crucial Premier League game against Portsmouth on Wednesday night, said he expects Cole to join his team-mates in full training in two weeks' time.

'Ashley's recovery is going very well,' he said.

'He started to train in the sand today and I think he will start to train on the ground maybe in 15 days, so he will be ready to play the last game of the season.'

It had been feared Cole's ankle injury may keep him out of the World Cup - giving England boss Fabio Capello a selection headache for the tournament with second-choice Wayne Bridge having made himself unavailable.

But Cole looks in a positive frame of mind and has targeted the game against Wigan at Stamford Bridge on 9th May - the final day of the Premier League season - for his return.

It could mean the 29-year-old has at least two competitive fixtures before England's squad meet for their World Cup warm-up program.

Chelsea have the opportunity to reach the FA Cup final, which will be on 15th May, if they beat Aston Villa at Wembley in the last-four next month.

Contract Talks Between Chelsea And Midfielder Joe Cole Have Stalled

Contract negotiations between Chelsea and Joe Cole appear to have hit an impasse and Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham could all be in on the England international in the summer transfer window.

With the midfielder’s current deal running out this summer, stalling discussions could mean that Cole will leave Stamford Bridge after seven seasons with Chelsea.

Cole does not wish to leave Chelsea, and is keen to re-open contract talks so that an agreement can be reached.

"I've never spoken publicly about contracts before,” Cole told The Sun.

"I don't think contracts should really be discussed mid-season. I have always signed mine in the summer in the past.

"But this time it's different. We can't seem to find common ground and it's distracting. At the moment there is no offer on the table, so I know where I stand. I still hope to talk in the summer."

Cole has made 272 appearances for the Blues since joining from West Ham United in 2003 for £6.6million.

Ancelotti: Cole Going Nowhere

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti believes Joe Cole will remain at the club beyond the end of the season, despite mounting speculation regarding the player's future.

Cole's contract expires in the summer and the 28-year-old was reported as saying he has not been offered a new deal by the Stamford Bridge outfit.

It means the England winger could leave Ancelotti's side on a free during the close-season, with some of Chelsea's title rivals believed to be keen on capturing his signature should he depart the London club.

Cole has said he hopes to extend his stay at the Blues, and Ancelotti - who also dismissed claims he would be leaving Chelsea - reiterated his belief that the midfielder would remain with his team for the new campaign.

He told Sky Sports News: "I said the player will be here next season because the player wants to be here and the club wants to keep him in the squad.

"That's all - there is no news about this. I think that there is a time to speak about his contract but this is not my issue.

"I gave my technical opinion about this player and nothing else. I think that he is showing a pleasure to stay here, to play for this club."

Cole has failed to hold down a regular spot in the Chelsea team this season following a lengthy injury lay off with a cruciate ligament problem.

Ancelotti has used the former West Ham youngster sparingly during his bid to bring the Premier League title to the club, with Cole having to settle for a place on the subs bench.

The player has admitted he needs to play regular first team football in a bid to force his way into Fabio Capello's England squad for the World Cup finals in South Africa.

And Capello is another manager who has been unconvinced by Cole since his returned from injury, with comments from the Italian following the friendly win over Egypt in March suggesting the player's place in the 23-man party for June's show piece event may not be guaranteed.

But Ancelotti praised the Paddington-born star for his conduct around the Chelsea camp - although he too stressed it was important he played frequently on the domestic front.

He added: "He's doing a very good job, he's very professional and he has very good relationship with his other team mates.

"It's a very important moment for him and the other players to show his quality to stay in the squad for the World Cup with England.

"He wants to play, I know that, and he's doing everything he can in training to show me his quality. Sometimes he's played and sometimes he's stayed out, but that's what happens at the big teams."

Ancelotti: "The Game Against Portsmouth Is Very, Very Important"

A despondent Carlo Ancelotti targeted Chelsea’s next game at Portsmouth on Wednesday night following a disappointing draw at Blackburn on Sunday.

Following Chelsea’s 1-1 draw Ancelotti said: "It’s difficult to explain why this has happened. We have less probability of winning the title, but we want to fight. We need to work together, stay compact and the game against Portsmouth is very, very important. We can stay close to Manchester United."

Ancelotti continued: "I don’t know how many points we need to win the title. We need to win on Wednesday. We have to win, that’s the only solution to go forward. We needed to win this game and didn’t so it’s more difficult for us. It’s been a hard week, but every week is hard. We have chances to arrive in first place."

Chelsea’s Italian boss denied the result at Ewood Park was a hangover from the Champions League exit at the hands of Inter Milan and Jose Mourinho.

Ancelotti: "I don’t know about a hangover. We prepared very well for this game and tried to win to cancel out [the defeat] against Inter. It’s not an easy moment for us and it will be difficult to recover. We have to leave this moment as quickly as possible. It was a difficult game. There was a lot of fight on the pitch. We tried to play football, but we lost confidence. They put pressure on us. Afterwards we had chances, but it was too late."

Branislav Ivanovic picked up an injury at Blackburn and is an injury doubt for the trip to Fratton Park but Petr Cech is expected to return for Chelsea.

John Obi Mikel Calls On Chelsea Team-Mates To Turn Season Around

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has called upon his team-mates to pick themselves up after a week of disappointment domestically and in Europe, and begin to turn their season around.

After losing to Inter in the Champions League and subsequently drawing against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League, the Blues find their European and league dreams in tatters, but Mikel hasn't given up yet.

"I think the belief, mentality and everything is still there," Mikel told the Press Association.

"In football sometimes you have a bad spell and we are having ours right now. We made the mistakes so we have to repair it."

The 22-year-old remains confident that the Blues can still lift the Premier League title, despite letting a five-point lead slip over the past few months.

"We have to fight as a team, not as individuals," Mikel said.

"We played a very good game in the first half yesterday [at Blackburn] but in the second we didn't fight well enough.

"The owner [Abramovich] just came to show support. We still have the double [league and FA Cup] to win and that's what he came to assure us.

"He's a football fan and understands but at the same time he wants us to put things right.

"Everyone was shattered after losing to Inter, which is why he came over - to tell us to keep going. All we can do now is look forward to Wednesday [against Portsmouth] and, hopefully, put things right."

Lampard Proves To Be A Class Act Yet Again

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard set the bar high for his peers yet again in terms of demonstrating fair play. Many other football players around the world would have thought twice before getting back on their feet after going to the ground in the final moments of a game. Sunday afternoon’s game against Blackburn, in particular, was one such game where circumstances could have forced any player to resort to desperate tacticts.

With the Blues struggling to take the lead in a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Ewood Park, Lampard was obviously one of the key players who the visitors were relying on. During one quick play, his teammates even managed to get the ball to him in his favored territory at the top of the box, and as Lamps broke inside the box, he lost his balance. As a result, the visiting supporters – as well as several Chelsea players – appealed hard for a penalty as soon as Lampard hit the turf.

The referee, not ideally positioned to make an immediate call, paused for a second before insisting that the play go on. One of the reasons the head official Steve Bennett was able to deliver the right verdict was the sportsmanship shown by Lampard in getting back to his feet right away. Lampard knew that despite all the desperation in the world that his club faces at the moment, he had to do the right thing to lead by example.

Not only did Lampard’s actions prove that he is one of the greatest professionals for young fans to look up to, but in maintaining his integrity, he also sent a message to those who believe that diving is an inseparable part of the modern game. To reiterate, Chelsea’s form has lately been so poor that anyone in Lampard’s shoes could have been tempted to stay down and pressurize the referee to award a penalty.

Frank Lampard, though, continues to stand out as he continues to build his reputation as one of England’s finest football players of all time.

Cole First Out As Abramovich Sees Error Of His Ways

Fifteen minutes after the final whistle blew on Chelsea’s latest unsuccessful tilt at the Champions League, Roman Abramovich, flanked by minders, took a long, lonely trudge across the pitch at Stamford Bridge.

His face, as ever, was inscrutable, but enough noises have come out of Stamford Bridge to tell us what he was thinking. Disappointment with Carlo Ancelotti? Yes, a little. Anger with his players for failing to deliver the performances in proportion with their pay-packets? Yes, plenty. Regret at losing sight of the big picture over the past year or two? Intriguingly, yes.

Abramovich, according to someone close to him, is facing up to having made mistakes. To an outsider, the obvious one was falling out with José Mourinho, but the Chelsea owner is more concerned by the way he has allowed his squad to grow older — and, very significantly, richer — while seeing Manchester United re-establish themselves as the dominant force in English football.

One example cited was that of the John Terry contract saga last summer, when he was wanted by Manchester City. Abramovich, apparently, was "spooked" by the possibility that his captain had been attracted to City’s riches, so Terry was offered — and duly signed — a new deal worth £151,000 a week. Six months later, Abramovich recognises that, while it would have been unwise to sell Terry, a five-year £40 million contract for a defender approaching his 29th birthday was not good business.

It goes on. Aware of the need to rejuvenate an ageing squad but committed to his ambition to make the club self-sufficient, Abramovich planned to raise funds for reinforcements this summer by selling a key player or two. But who is there to sell? The time to cash in on Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Frank Lampard, Deco, Didier Drogba or Nicolas Anelka has gone, with their market value — and in certain cases their performance level — now in decline.

Considering it was always Abramovich’s aim for Chelsea to break even by 2010, the lack of forward planning is staggering. Although the precise figure has not yet been released, Chelsea’s wage bill for the last financial year was more than £150 million. United’s was a not inconsiderable £123 million, but the champions’ turnover was £72 million higher than Chelsea’s. In terms of wages as a percentage of turnover, Chelsea spent at least 70 per cent. The equivalent figures at United and Arsenal are 44 per cent and 33 per cent respectively.

Abramovich accepts that to rejuvenate the squad he will have to spend, but he is loath to throw good money after bad. Joe Cole, out of contract this summer, seems destined to be the first victim of a purge of the older players, but he might not be the only one.

Robinho Warns Brazilian Wonderkid Neymar To Avoid Joining Chelsea

Brazilian wonderkid Neymar is ready to take Robinho's advice and snub a move to Chelsea.

The 18-year-old, who has been backed by Pele to go to the World Cup finals this summer, is reluctant to leave his homeland at such a young age after being told to stay put by the City loan star and his own father.

Chelsea have tracked the forward for more than two years and are weighing up a £20m move, but Santos recently tied Neymar to a contract till 2014 and insist he will not be sold for less than his £31.5m release clause.

Third-party investors Grupo DIS secured 40 per cent of Neymar's economic rights when the new contract was agreed with Santos in February.

DIS deny reports that they met Chelsea officials earlier this month and say they agreed with Santos that their star player should stay in Brazil for at least another year.

Wilkins Confirms Roman Talks

Ray Wilkins has confirmed club owner Roman Abramovich held talks with the Chelsea squad in the wake of their UEFA Champions League defeat to Inter Milan.

The wealthy Russian businessman has made no secret of his desire to see the Blues crowned champions of Europe, with coach Carlo Ancelotti admitting that was his target when appointed in the summer.

A succession of managers have all been unable to deliver the greatest prize in European club football, with Claudio Ranieri, Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink all failing before Ancelotti's appointment.

Reports claimed that Abramovich issued an ultimatum to the squad after they crashed out of the competition at the last-16 stage to former boss Mourinho and threatened wholesale changes in the summer.

But assistant boss Wilkins has played down those suggestions and insists the playing staff are always happy to hear what the owner has to say.

Wilkins said: "It was a very positive meeting that the players have had with Roman so from that aspect he just added his support to the situation.

"We were delighted to see him, he's always extremely involved in the club.

"He owns the club and wants to have a big input into what happens. So whenever he is down it is a positive as far as we're concerned.

"He's very close to the players, he knows the way they work so therefore he wanted to have a little input with them during the week. It was nothing dramatic, it was all pretty low-key stuff so we just get on with the business now."

Wilkins accepted changes in playing personnel were likely this summer, but said that was a normal occurrence at any big club.

"Seasons pass on, people are brought in and people leave the club and that's the way football is," he said.

"We're no different to any other football club. We want to improve, we want to go forward and if it means a few players go along the way and a few come in that is just the way football is run.

"Whenever a top-quality player becomes available, a top club like ours will always be involved in the process."

Hansen: Chelsea Do Not Have The Desire To Win The Premier League

Liverpool FC legend Alan Hansen believes Chelsea FC lack the desire to win the Premier League title this season, and believes Manchester United and Arsenal FC will be the main contenders for the remainder of the season.

Chelsea FC’s 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers at the weekend has handed the initiative to Manchester United and Arsenal FC, and Liverpool FC hero Hansen suggests age maybe catching up with Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

Hansen, who won eight league titles with Liverpool FC during his illustrious Anfield playing career, believes Chelsea FC should have had the tile wrapped up by now, but recent stuttering form has enabled Manchester United and Arsenal FC to fight their way back in. Hansen suggests the likes of Jon Obi-Mikel and Michael Ballack amongst others appear to be passengers at Stamford Bridge.

The Liverpool FC legend told the Telegraph: “Chelsea's failure to win at Blackburn on Sunday, when they should have won by five or six, proved that they simply do not have the desire to win the Premier League.”

“The title run-in is well underway, but Manchester United and Arsenal are the only teams who have that genuine desire to win it.”

“There has never been a season when the title has been there for the taking as it has been this year and Chelsea should have won it by a country mile.”

“United have struggled for a long time and produced more bad performances than I can ever remember.”

“Arsenal, having lost heavily to both United and Chelsea, should have been out of the race a long time ago. Chelsea should be home and hosed by now but, for whatever reason, they have not shown the desire required to win the league.”

“Why has that happened? It could be down to a host of reasons, but biggest question is do they really want it? If you look at Arsenal and United in recent weeks, their performances tell you categorically that they desperately want to win the league.”

“That’s why I believe that the title race is now between those two. Chelsea are not out of it, but they don’t appear to want it enough.”

“Sunday was a real marker for them. Having seen United beat Liverpool following Arsenal’s win against West Ham on Saturday, Chelsea could and should have beaten Blackburn inside 25 minutes, but it didn’t happen.”

“Maybe age is catching up with Chelsea and they certainly lack pace in key areas.”

“If they don’t win the league, they will need fresh blood in the summer with four or five new signings, but what happens next all depends on Roman Abramovich and whether he has the desire to start again.”

“Chelsea might point to the injury that has cost them the services of Michael Essien because he has been a huge loss. But that excuse doesn’t wash because Arsenal have been without Robin van Persie for months and United have had to deal with both Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic being injured for long periods.”

“Chelsea have too many players whose contribution comes into question. What does John Obi Mikel do? Michael Ballack doesn’t do enough, yet he looks like getting a new contract. Salomon Kalou is in and out and Nicolas Anelka, who looked brilliant earlier in the season, has now gone off the boil.”

“There are no young players coming through who look like replacing the ageing superstars.”

Carlo Ancelotti Concedes Chelsea Have Lost Composure

Carlo Ancelotti conceded tonight that his Chelsea team had lost confidence and composure after their second demoralising result in a week. Six days after going out of the Champions League they could only draw 1-1 at Blackburn Rovers and their manager admitted they were no longer favourites for the Premier League title.

Didier Drogba gave Chelsea a sixth‑minute lead with his 28th goal of the season but they threw away a winning position when El Hadji Diouf equalised in the second half. Ancelotti later accepted that Manchester United were now "strongly placed" for what would be their fourth championship in a row. "For us it is less of a probability," he said.

In all competitions Chelsea have won five and lost four of their last 11 games and Ancelotti believes the rot set in when they were beaten 4-2 at home by Manchester City on 27 February. "That result was unbelievable and since that day we have been in difficulty," he said. "The confidence is not there at the moment and winning is the only solution, starting at Portsmouth on Wednesday. It is vital that we win that one.

"It is more difficult for us to win the title now. It is not impossible but to do it we need to play better. Collectively we need to work together to go forward. I don't know how many points we need but it is possible that we will have to win every game."
Chelsea and their manager were encouraged by the fact that United still had to play at Ewood Park, on 11 April. Ancelotti said: "It will be difficult here for them, too. Blackburn at home are very strong. They have lost here only twice and you have to fight them for everything. Every team finds it difficult here."

After Portsmouth on Wednesday Chelsea play Aston Villa at home and Manchester United away in what the midfielder Frank Lampard described tonight as "make or break" fixtures.

Ancelotti was asked if his team had been suffering a hangover after elimination from the Champions League by Internazionale. "I'm not sure about that but I don't think so," he said. "In the first half we played well, scored a good goal and had other chances, which we should have taken. In the second half it was more difficult for us to play on the floor because Blackburn won a lot of the second balls and when that happened we lost our composure.

"By the time we got it back it was too late. Manchester United are now top of the league and we have to run more and do better and leave this behind us as soon as possible."

Sam Allardyce, the Blackburn manager, believes Chelsea could still pull off a league and FA Cup double. "We've put a dent in their chances but they are still capable of doing it," he said.

Match Report: Blackburn Rovers 1 - 1 Chelsea

Chelsea suffered a stumble in the title race that could yet prove fatal to their chances of taking the Barclays Premier League crown to round off a week of bitter disappointment for Carlo Ancelotti's side.

A match that seemed there for the taking after Didier Drogba's early goal somehow drifted out of Chelsea's grasp.

El Hadji Diouf headed a superb equaliser as Blackburn put in such a powerful second-half performance that keeper Jason Brown was barely tested.

For Chelsea, whose record in their past nine matches is now four wins, four defeats and one draw, this was hardly a display of title-winning credentials and they are now four points behind Manchester United and two behind Arsenal, though with a game in hand.

This was underlined by the fact that the clear man of the match was none other than Rovers' 18-year-old central defender Phil Jones, making his league debut and up against Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

Blackburn boss Sam Allardyce had gambled on him in the absence of Ryan Nelsen and Gael Givet.

That gamble may have seen rash as Drogba carved out an early chance for himself, dinking a neat curling shot just wide of the post despite being surrounded by a posse of defenders.

That was just a foretaste of what was to come as the Ivory Coast striker opened the scoring in the sixth minute with an almost effortless simplicity.

Anelka burst down the right, cut inside Jones and laid the ball back for Drogba to wrong-foot the entire Rovers defence and keeper Jason Brown with a neat left-footed finish back into the opposite corner.

Kalou threatened to further emphasise Chelsea's early dominance with a header from a corner that flew over the crossbar but from then on it was downhill for the visitors.

David Dunn won a free-kick in Morten Gamst Pedersen range after being halted by an agricultural challenge by Alex, but although the Norwegian was on target Chelsea keeper Ross Turnbull turned his effort behind.

Pedersen had another sight of goal but was wildly off-target with his volley, while Jones drew the loudest cheers from the Rovers fans so far with a series of crunching - but legal - challenges as Blackburn did their best to out-power the visitors.

Florent Malouda let fly from 20 yards out with a stinging drive but Brown managed to parry the shot, if somewhat unconvincingly.

Ancelotti was then forced to make a change just before the break with Branislav Ivanovic, who appeared to have been stood on unintentionally by El-Hadji Diouf, limped off to be replaced by Zhirkov.

Blackburn, as if scenting that Chelsea may have missed a trick by scoring just a single goal in the first half, upped the tempo in the second.

Zhirkov's first involvement for Chelsea, right at the start of the second half was to head off the line after Chris Samba had beaten the flapping Turnbull to Pedersen's long throw.

Pedersen was then left cursing again when given space to shoot from 25 yards out but missing the target by some margin.

Frank Lampard, who had been having a quiet game by his standards, was much closer with a rising effort from the same range that was a whisker away from the top right-hand corner.

The suspicion that Chelsea had seemed over-confident in settling for a 1-0 win had been growing the longer the second half went on, and in the 70th minute Diouf made them pay.

The Senegal international hung in the air above Ferreira to meet Michel Salgado's cross with a superb header down into the corner.

Chelsea, stung in action, became more direct themselves and Alex struck a piledriver from a 30-yard free-kick over the bar.

With time running down, Drogba was denied a fine winner by a good block, then Jones crowned a magnificent debut with an intercepting header to keep out John Terry.

Rovers celebrated as though they had won the Premier League. Chelsea looked as though they had just lost it.

Chelsea Owner Roman Abramovich Hands Out Ultimatum To Players And Staff - Report

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has handed an ultimatum to his players and staff to either prove their mettle - by winning a trophy, or fall prey to the axe at the season's end, the News of the World has reported.

The wrath of the Russian billionaire is believed to have been irked by the manner of the defeat to Inter, and in particular former boss Jose Mourinho, who masterminded a famous victory over the Blues at Stamford Bridge amid taunting chants from travelling fans aimed at the west London club's owner.

Following the heavy handed defeat, which sent the Premier League title chasers out of the Champions League earlier than initially expected, Abramovich is believed to have arrived unannounced at Cobham on Wednesday, and called a meeting to discuss the direction in which the club is currently heading.

The owner was reportedly unhappy with the state of affairs on as well as off the pitch, and it is claimed that some players as well as coaching staff are on the verge of being shown the door if silverware does not roll into the Bridge at the end of this term.

An unnamed source who attended the meeting is quoted as saying: "Roman didn't actually say that much but it was clear from what he did say and his body language that he was absolutely furious.

"Nobody knew he was coming to Cobham on Wednesday and certainly nobody expected the three most powerful men at the club to call a meeting.

"It was Tenenbaum who did most of the talking. Well, actually, there was as much shouting as talking. He made the points that Roman obviously wanted to get across.

"The meeting lasted almost two hours and it wasn't a debate, it was the boss getting a message across and everybody was pretty clear about what it meant. If there wasn't a dramatic change, then there would be new faces coming in the summer.

"It wasn't just the players he was talking about, it was the coaches and the medical people as well. Nobody felt safe coming out of the meeting."

Chelsea Pip City To Neymar Capture

Chelsea are set to beat Manchester City to the £30million summer signing of Brazilian wonderkid Neymar.

The Santos striker, 18, was thought to be on his way to Eastlands as part of the deal that saw Robinho loaned back to his first club in January.

But Chelsea are ready to exploit a potential breakdown in the agreement.

City secured first option when Robinho joined Santos on a six-month loan deal.

But problems in meeting his wages mean if Santos cannot finalise sponsorship deals worth £375,000-a-month, the whole loan deal could collapse, with Robinho returning to Eastlands.

Real Madrid claim to have signed a pre-contract agreement with Neymar but Santos say they were not party to that. The club own 60 per cent of Neymar's economic rights with the rest belonging to South American management group Sonda.

Neymar starred for Brazil in last year's World Under-17 Championship but is not expected to be named in Carlos Dunga's World Cup squad.