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.”

Carlo Ancelotti: Didier Drogba Must Keep Scoring For Chelsea

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the performances of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard in last night's 5-0 destruction of Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Florent Malouda, like Drogba, bagged a brace in the victory, whilst Lampard put the seal on the game with the final goal in injury time.

Whilst Ancleotti was pleased with the performance of his stars, he also wants them to maintain their standards as the Blues head into the last seven Premier League games still very much in the hunt for the title.

"Lampard had a good performance, like the other players," the manager told his club's official website.

"He was happy because he scored the last goal, and he worked for the team.

"It is a very important season for Drogba, a fantastic striker, but I am looking at what he can do the next nine games [seven in the League and a possible two in the FA Cup]. I hope he hasn't finished scoring."

Meanhwile, Ancelotti was able to confirm that the injury to Didier Drogba that saw him hobbling at the end of the game was "nothing special" and that Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou's being named on the bench was about keeping players fresh rather than anything tactical.

Ricardo Carvalho did leave the game in the first half, though, and the seriousness of the problem was yet to be determined.

The Italian explained: "Carvalho has turned his ankle, we don't know now if it is a big problem or not."

Essien: Putting In The Hours

After a frustrating period, Michael Essien is in positive mood as he works his way back towards fitness.

The Ghanaian midfielder has not appeared for Chelsea since December when he tore a hamstring against APOEL in the Champions League, before damaging his knee while on international duty at the African Cup of Nations.

Having suffered some complications in his rehabilitation, the 27-year-old believes he is now on the right track.

'I was hoping to be back available for the home game against Inter but the healing has taken a bit longer than expected because my knee kept swelling up,' he explained on his personal website.

'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.

'I'm in at 9.30 every morning and I don't leave until five and that's seven days a week. I'm spending lots of time in the pool as that's a good way to help the healing.

'On a positive note I'm feeling mentally strong and I try to stay philosophical about injuries. There are worse injuries than mine and there are people in the world suffering with far more serious problems than this.'

Hilario Shows Sporting Support

Hilario was joined at Cobham on Wednesday by international athletes from four other sports and more than 50 youngsters as he helped launch Chelsea's Premier League 4 Sport initiative.

The goalkeeper, currently recovering from injury, was on hand with representatives from judo, table tennis, badminton and volleyball, as well as the club's youth team, to launch the scheme which uses the power of football to boost sporting participation in local schools and clubs.

Premier League 4 Sport is a £3.8m partnership with the Government and sees all 20 top flight clubs linking up with community sports clubs to help attract young people in their area to take up minor sports. It is designed to help with the Government's commitment to offer young people five hours of sport a week, as part of its 2012 legacy plans.

During the visit, Hilario tried his hand at each of the four sports, with his competitive side shining through on both the judo mat and in the table tennis, while the youth lads immersed themselves in the badminton and volleyball, teaming up with the youngsters to test their expertise.

'I think it's very important to introduce kids to other sports, it's not only about football,' Hilario said afterwards. 'It's great that a big team like Chelsea can help kids to find different sports because there are more sports than football - as we saw there is table tennis, badminton, judo and volleyball in there. It also helps kids to meet more people and stay healthy.

'When I was young I lived next to a beach and I played beach volleyball and also used to play a bit of table tennis. I thought I was okay at table tennis until today, but the lady in there was much stronger than me, she was very good.'

The lady in question was coach Alison Broe, who competed for Great Britain at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, and easily outclassed the 34-year-old stopper.

'He has a bit of potential and he did say before that I had no chance, so I was a little bit worried about him,' she admitted. 'He was alright, but I played professionally and in the Olympics, Commonwealth and European games, so I was okay.

'This is a fantastic event; things like this are brilliant and bring more publicity for us as a sport. We're getting out into the schools and linking with a club like Chelsea is fantastic.'

Working with the grassroots sport delivery bodies, the Youth Sport Trust and Sport England, the aim is to get 25,000 young people from across the country, aged between 11 and 16, to join local sport clubs in the four Olympic sports during the two and a half-year scheme.

Olympic hopefuls including judo's Colin Oats, table tennis player Natalie Green and volleyballer Jodie Gooding joined the Portuguese international along with representatives from the Premier League, Sport England and the Youth Sports Trust to celebrate the initiative, while football freestyler Jeremy Lynch (above) gave a skills masterclass.

Andrew Morgan, Chelsea Football in the Community's Essex development manager oversaw the event, and is delighted the club is able to use its appeal to help a large number of kids.

'We are using the name of Chelsea to increase participation levels within the four sports leading up to the Olympics,' he told the club website. 'It's a great programme for us and shows that we're not just doing football initiatives, we're doing a lot of work around communities and reducing crime and anti-social behaviour.

'It's great to bring kids from Essex out of their home county across to Cobham, this place being so fantastic.'

Match Report: Portsmouth 0 - 5 Chelsea

Chelsea cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the Premier League to one point with an impressive 5-0 hammering of crisis club Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

A David James howler allowed Didier Drogba to tap into an empty net for Chelsea's opener before Florent Malouda grabbed two second-half goals in 10 minutes.

Drogba's neat finish and Lampard's late goal sealed the win against a Portsmouth side now one step closer to almost certain relegation.

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti handed Daniel Sturridge a surprise start as the Blues looked to close the gap on United and atone for their Champions League exit to Inter Milan last week.

Sturridge replaced Nicolas Anelka in Ancelotti's starting XI, which also included Petr Cech and Ricardo Carvalho, who have both been out through injury for a month. Deco was handed his first start since February 2 while Yury Zhirkov came in for the injured Branislav Ivanovic.

Portsmouth manager Avram Grant replaced Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Nadir Belhadj with Steve Finnan and Richard Hughes, while there was no place for Aruna Dindane due to a clause in his loan agreement which would require Pompey to pay £4million to Lens if he played another game for the club.

Ancelotti described the match as a "must win" against Grant, who spent eight months at the helm at Stamford Bridge in the 2007-08 season.

Financially-stricken Portsmouth, who learned before kick off they would be allowed to sell players outside the transfer window, lined up in a defensive 4-3-2-1 formation at a rain-soaked Fratton Park.

Chelsea were the most dominant team in the early exchanges and Deco combined well with Drogba before the Ivory Coast striker fired a weak shot wide.

Drogba was in the thick of the action again soon after but he wasted a good chance by volleying well over the bar from inside the box.

Lampard thought he had put Chelsea ahead in the 10th minute but James scrambled across his line to tip the midfielder's 30-yard strike around the post.

James was once again on hand to save another Lampard shot moments later from a similar distance.

Pompey started to get a foothold on the game as the pitch cut up under the rain but found themselves 1-0 down thanks to a James howler in the 32nd minute.

The England 'keeper raced out of his box to make a routine clearance after Deco tried to play through Drogba but James completely missed the ball, leaving the Ivory Coast man to tap into an empty net.

James was left with his hands on his hips as the Chelsea fans ridiculed the stopper for his mistake.

Ancelotti was forced into a change soon after when he brought on Alex for Carvalho, who went off clutching his ankle.

The game came close to boiling point soon after when Pompey full back Ricardo Rocha had to be carried off after colliding with Malouda.

Malouda then squared up to Hermann Hreidarsson, who claimed the Frenchman had used his elbow in the challenge, before being booked by referee Lee Mason.

Rocha, meanwhile, was carried off on a stretcher after a four-minute stoppage while wearing an oxygen mask.

Pompey's troubles worsened when Tommy Smith hobbled off after the half-time whistle.

Smith failed to emerge after half time and was replaced by Quincy, whose clever ball into the box failed to find a team-mate soon after the break.

After his booking, Malouda was booed every time he touched the ball and he soon plunged the Pompey fans into further misery when he picked up Lampard's pass and beat James from a tight angle to make it 2-0.

Joe Cole, who had voiced his frustration at his lack of first-team action earlier this week, replaced the ineffective Sturridge in the 53rd minute.

The midfielder made an immediate impact, drawing a good save from James after a clever through ball from Lampard.

Malouda then scored his second of the night when he reacted first to James' save from Lampard's shot to coolly slot the ball home to make it 3-0.

James then pulled off a flying save to deny Lampard from 20 yards as Chelsea looked to turn the screw.

Kanu replaced Mokoena with 15 minutes left in a desperate attempt to inject some life into the Pompey attack, who were being well marshalled by John Terry and Alex.

Drogba was then played in by John Obi Mikel and the striker held his nerve to slot past James from inside the box to make it 4-0.

Portsmouth then had a golden chance to pull one back but Hughes somehow put a free header from five yards out wide.

Frederic Piquionne then beat two Chelsea defenders down the right but Kanu blazed over from eight yards out.

Second half substitute Patrick Van Aanholt then squared the ball to Drogba but he just missed out on his third by firing over.

Lampard completed Pompey's misery when he finished from Drogba's knock down in the dying minutes to make it 5-0.

Asenjo Attracting Interest

Sergio Asenjo will decide his future at the end of the season but his agent concedes he is honoured to be linked with the likes of Chelsea and AC Milan.

Asenjo, who is rated as one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe, was snapped up by Atletico Madrid from Real Valladolid last summer.

The 20-year-old has impressed hugely for the Rojiblancos and now both Chelsea and Milan are said to be keen on landing him.

"The interest of top clubs like AC Milan and Chelsea is an honour," his agent Zoran Vekic told Calciomercato.

"In football anything is possible, but until the end of the season we will not take any decision.

"Atletico Madrid has made a major investment in him and together at the end of the season we'll evaluate the situation."

Vekic revealed that both Manchester United and Barcelona were tracking his charge before he moved to Atletico.

"We know that the Rossoneri have followed him but last year there were also Barcelona and Manchester United and there was also a deal with Fiorentina," he said.

Ancelotti: Closing The Door

Carlo Ancelotti admits he is experiencing his toughest days since joining Chelsea and he is ordering rearguard action to bring the good times back.

The 50-year-old certainly doesn't lack for experience at the top level of the game and knowledge gained over many seasons tells him the road to recovery begins with improving matters at the back.

He identifies the home defeat by Manchester City last month as the starting point for the downturn and as he takes his team to Portsmouth on Wednesday with just two wins in the last eight away league games, says:

'This is the most difficult moment of the season, but we don't have to be afraid to say this and we are working to close this moment immediately with a victory.

'During this period we had a lot of injuries and didn't have to possibility to rotate using our squad but this is not an excuse.

'Every team has a difficult moment in the season. In the past I had every year a problem with the team and every year the right way forward was to stay focused defensively.

'We have to have more discipline on the pitch and have stay focused on the defensive positions and I spoke to the players about this. It is very important not to concede a goal.

'The statistics say we were winning a lot of games and the other teams then equalise,' he highlights.

'Our behaviour is to attack every time and also when we are winning. Maybe we need different behaviour and to stay more focused on defending when we are winning.'

Giving the ups-and-downs of a long season, it is only at the end of the fixtures that Ancelotti believes an accurate assessment of Chelsea this campaign can be made, but whatever the final trophy haul he expects to lead the Blues into the next campaign.

'I have a very good relationship with the club and with Roman [Abramovich] and my position is not in discussion. I have two years of contract left and I have no problem to confirm this.'

Ribery Rules Out Chances Of Summer Move To Chelsea

Franck Ribery has ruled out the possibility of joining Chelsea this summer, saying it will be a straight choice between Barcelona and Real Madrid if he leaves Bayern Munich.

Ribery is out of contract at the end of next season and, if he fails to agree an extension, it looks certain he will be sold this summer rather than being allowed to leave on a free transfer.

Chelsea are thought to have an interest in Ribery, but the France star has now said the weather would prohibit a move to England.

"If I decide not to accept Bayern's offer of an extension then I'll certainly be going to Spain," he told Sport Bild.

"I can assure you there has been no decision yet. I myself am brooding about this the most. Money is not the only issue. The difference between the clubs is no longer so big. The decision will therefore not be made with my bank account, but in my head.

"I would be lying if I said I wasn't leaning in one direction, but I have to take a lot of factors into consideration - not only what is good for me but also for my wife and children.

"My wife is from the south. She needs sun. There are many things to keep in mind. I think about my family. Here, it rains and it snows. [My wife] is often alone when I am not there. She doesn't have many friends, but that doesn't mean we don't feel happy in Munich."

It has long been speculated that Ribery has already agreed a move to Madrid, but he has suggested that Barca are currently the better side.

"Real and Barcelona are, perhaps alongside Manchester United and Chelsea, above all other clubs. I am also only human. If you have an offer from such a club you should be allowed to consider it. It's where the world's best players play," he said.

"Barcelona have built a team for the long-term. Everyone in the world knows how they play. Meanwhile, Real Madrid have invested in superstars, but something is missing.

"Right now, I am pondering what is the most attractive option. Madrid have prestige despite failing in the last-16 of the Champions League for the last six seasons."

Meanwhile, Bayern winger Arjen Robben has denied reports he advised Ribery to choose Barcelona over Madrid if he decides to leave.

Robben, who moved to Bayern from Madrid in the summer, told Radio Marca: "I never said that. He has the quality to play for both teams, but what I prefer is for him to stay at Munich. Hopefully he will continue with us. I love playing alongside him."

Paulo Ferreira Keen To Stay At Chelsea Until The End Of His Career

Veteran full-back Paulo Ferreira hopes to see out the remainder of his career at Chelsea.

The 31-year-old is under contract with the west London club until 2013, and hopes to honour that deal before retiring from the game.

"I have a deal with Chelsea that runs until 2013 and my idea is to see that out and to then leave football, but this sport is unpredictable," he told Maisfutebol.

"If I finish that deal I will be 34 and it is difficult to find another club then, so this has always been my intention since I signed the deal (in 2008)."

Ferreira, who joined the club from FC Porto in 2004, has been linked with a summer exit from the Blues, but he believes that will not be the case.

"Rumours about a possible exit were false as I have always considered Chelsea to be my home as I have always had great support here," he said.

"I am a player that has always given his all to his club, at Porto and here. I am a professional in all aspects. When I am able to look back on my career I will be content.

"I have been able to win many important titles and I am happy with what I have achieved."

Entering the twilight of his career, Ferreira also hopes he can taste success at international level, having gained 51 caps for Portugal but falling agonisingly short of any major honours.

"With Portugal I really want to win a title," he added.

"We were very close at the Euros in Portugal [where they were runners up to Greece] and did excellently at the 2002 World Cup [finishing fourth].

"My dream now is to make the final list for the national team and to play wherever I am required."