Ancelotti Denies Blues Are Cruising

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti insists they are top of the Barclays Premier League on merit even if they have yet to face any of their title rivals so far this season.

Chelsea have scored 17 goals in the league this season and conceded just once in victories over West Brom, Wigan, Stoke, and West Ham.

The Blues face newly-promoted Blackpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday with fans expecting another goal feast.

Chelsea's first real test will come away at Manchester City at the end of this month but Ancelotti maintains his team is ready for anyone.

"It's an important moment now," said Ancelotti. "We have a lot of games and we don't have time to train properly, but we are ready to play against a strong team.

"We have more knowledge and for that reason, we are doing well. There's no fear, now, which is good. The players are all involved in the team and there's a good atmosphere. If we can maintain this atmosphere, I think we can have success this year.

"To think about the game against City is too far away. Blackpool are a good team and have won two away games, at Newcastle and Wigan, and are showing good skills in the Premier League.

"We have to pay attention. They are no easy games. Our moment is nice. It's good now, but we want it to continue.

"We have fantastic ability up front. We have to put a kind of football on the pitch to showcase this quality. Balance is important in football.

"If you have players with skill and ability, you can show this balance. You have to find that balance and be able to attack and defend."

Chelsea will be without England midfielder Frank Lampard on Sunday as he is yet to fully recover from his hernia surgery.

Ancelotti also wants to rest some of his first-team players with midfielder Ramires, right-back Paulo Ferreira and striker Salomon Kalou likely to be handed a first-team start.

"Lampard will be out," he added. "I don't think he'll be able to play on Sunday, but he will be ready to play in the Carling Cup next week.

"He's training but we don't want to take a risk. He has to put more power in his adductor, so he'll have to train again."

Two-goal Nicolas Anelka is likely to spearhead the attack alongside the returning Didier Drogba with Daniel Sturridge standing down.

Anelka scored twice in the midweek win over MSK Zilina in the Champions League although his 'handcuff' goal celebration got more column inches than is well-taken double.

Anelka was banned for 18 games by the French Federation for his part in the country's World Cup mutiny and the player then announced his retirement from international football.

But Ancelotti says Anelka got a raw deal from the French authorities.

"I spoke with Nicolas for him to explain to me the celebration," said Ancelotti.

"He said it was against the France Federation. I agree with him. I think he's had a bad deal. I don't know if he's upset, but he's putting in fantastic performances. Maybe, for this reason, he has more motivation to play well.

"Obviously, if he stays here to train he can maintain a good physical condition, but for a player it's better to play for a national team."

But Sturridge will think himself unlucky not to continue in attack, especially after scoring against Zilina in the 4-1 win in midweek.

However, Ancelotti has already told the 21-year-old that, despite his efforts on Wednesday, he needs to improve still further.

"He played an important game on Wednesday and scored," conceded Ancelotti. "It's not important for me if he's playing in the Champions League or the Premier.

"He's a Chelsea player with good quality. He could do better. I expected more of him on Wednesday and he knows this.

"He has fantastic ability, and I'd like to see these skills and ability more in a game. He scored with fantastic movement, but we need to see more of that."

Ancelotti Weighs Up Options Without Lampard

Carlo Ancelotti is planning changes to his side for the visit of Blackpool, but hasn't settled on a starting 11 yet, although he knows he will again be without Frank Lampard.

The vice-captain is yet to recover fully from surgery on his groin and will continue to train individually over the weekend to strengthen muscle in that region.

Jose Bosingwa remains out although the right-back's return is imminent, but contrary to some media reports Yossi Benayoun is available for selection. Yom Kippur that keeps fellow Israelis Avram Grant and Tal Ben Haim from attending West Ham's game on Saturday will have ended before Sunday.

Benayoun is one of the players in the frame to take the place vacated by Lampard's absence, as he did in Zilina midweek, although no decision has yet been made.

'He [Benayoun] played very well first half, taking the right positions and he made two assists,' Ancelotti says.

'It is a new position for him but he can play that position because he is intelligent and we need to have intelligent players in midfield because then we can rotate places there.Yossi will take up the right positions.

'But Ramires played a good game against West Ham and he is fresh,' the manager adds, emphasising he has yet to choose the side.

'Lampard will be fit next week, for the Carling Cup I think. He is training but we don't want to take a risk.'

No-one will be surprised if Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole start versus Blackpool, both having remained at Cobham while the team was playing in Slovakia, and this rotation of the squad in the opening month is important to the team's prospects according to Ancelotti.

'I try to put my idea of football to the team but it is not my team because this club had a precise identity before I came here,' he claims.

'I have my idea of football, we changed something last year and now I think we have more confidence in our play, we have more knowledge, and for this reason we are doing well.

'We know every game could be difficult for us but the atmosphere is good now. The players are all involved in the team and I am happy for this, and if we can continue the atmosphere we can have success this year.'

People outside Chelsea have pointed to our early fixtures and claimed we will not have faced a true test before we travel to Manchester City next weekend, but Ancelotti is ignoring such talk.

'To think about the game against Man City is too far, we have to think game by game. Blackpool is a good team and they have won two games away, they are showing good spirit and so we have to pay attention, this is not an easy game.'

Finally the manager has also reacted to one of this week's hot topics - bad tackling in the Premier League, as raised by Arsene Wenger.

Firstly Ancelotti sent good wishes to Manchester United's Antonio Valencia who broke his ankle on Champions League duty.

'Valencia was unlucky because the defender didn't make a bad tackle. I want to wish him a quick recovery.

'The tempo of the game here is different from other countries but I don't think that here there are more bad tackles.

'There is fair play here and I have trust in the referees. If there is a bad tackle then the referee can judge.'

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool And Tottenham Tracking Werder Bremen Star Marko Marin

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham are all considering moves for Werder Bremen starlet Marko Marin, according to the Daily Mail.

Though a potential bidding war may significantly alter transfer fees, an estimated €18 million (£15m) bid is anticipated to be enough to land Marin, who remains under contract until 2013.

The 21-year-old has been touted as the "German Messi", having recently starred in Bremen's comeback against Tottenham in midweek.

However, after allowing Mesut Oezil join Real Madrid this summer, Bremen are unlikely to let their latest star player leave.

Daniel Sturridge Blasts 'Arrogant' Slurs Aimed At Him Following Manchester City Exit

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge has revealed the hurt he felt as he was labelled "arrogant" following his Manchester City exit.

Sturridge, 21, quit the Blues in July 2009 after coming through the Eastlands youth academy. Reports at the time stated the England youth striker's exorbitant wage demands due to an inflated ego had seen him move down south.

However, Sturridge has hit back at those claims and insists the slurs couldn't be further from the truth.

He said: "I had some negative things around me when I joined the club.

"It was very hard for me to handle because I did not have my family around me. It was a hard stage in my life, not only in my career, but in my life as well.

"Some people had the opinion that I was an arrogant guy and I didn't work for the team and that hurt me a lot.

"It hurt me because I didn't believe it. Never in my life have I been an arrogant guy and it was very hurtful to hear people say things like that about me because I know I am not that type of person.

"Obviously, you then go home sometimes and feel very, very upset and you don't know what to do. For me, when that type of stuff was going on, it was very hard for me to be alone. I just want to show everyone that I am not that type of guy.

"When people meet me they realize I am actually not that type of guy. I am just trying to get as far as I can in football. Hopefully, I can push those things aside and prove to people that I am not like that.

"It was hard me for because I am young. It was difficult moving from Manchester to London. I was away from my family for about four or five months when I first joined the club.

"I am used to having them around me. In the second half of the season, it was different because they were with me and raised my spirits.

"It was very difficult for me at the beginning to get used to life alone because I was not used to that. When I was here on my own, the players helped me a lot. They put their arms around me and told me to keep my mind on football and not worry about anything because my time would come.

"Now I feel I am a Chelsea player and part of everything. The team has been here has been together for a long time and it was very hard for me to become a part of things. The boys made me very welcome when I first joined the club, they showed me a lot of love.

"I was very happy they did that for me because sometimes it is hard when you join the club as a new player and you don't know anyone.

"But I believe I have become a better player and I hope I can play more often with these world class players.

"Carlo Ancelotti is the best manager I have worked with. He gives you huge confidence and has huge faith in me. Hopefully I will be able to repay him."

Nicolas Anelka Confident Goals Will Continue To Flow For Chelsea

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka sees no reason why the goals should dry up any time soon, after the Blues opened the new campaign with 21 strikes in five games in all competitions.

Anelka bagged a brace himself in the 4-1 Champions League win against MSK Zilina on Wednesday evening, but he thinks that the scoring success is down to the sheer number of players in the squad who have an eye for goal.

"Chelsea is a good team, we have a lot of big players and everybody can score, it is good for [us] and we just try to show it to everybody on the pitch," the 31-year-old told his club's official website.

"It is good for the confidence of the team because teams know everybody can score.

"We will try to do the same, even better. We start well and I hope it will continue in the same way."

Having so many good players available though does mean that some high-profile names have had to accept that they are not automatic starters for every game.

"We know a lot of players will sometimes be on the bench to rest," he added.

"We have so many games we know it is going to be tough this season and we have to rest, so everybody accepts it because we want to win.

"If you need a rest to be fresh to win games we will accept it."

Anelka agrees that one player who could make an impact this season is his young French compatriot Gael Kakuta, who has two substitute appearances in the Premier League to his name this season.

"I think so. He gets used to the first team now, he is playing every day with us, he is a good player and will show it," he asserted.

Ancelotti: Talking Tactics

Carlo Ancelotti has been discussing the team's cavalier style of football, and how it compares to sides he has coached in the past.

The goal-mad season of 2009/10 has continued into 2010/11 with 21 strikes already registered in just five games, and you have to go back to Boxing Day since we last failed to score in a domestic game.

For Ancelotti, this was not always the case, despite playing in and coaching memorable Milan sides.

Regarding his playing career, which saw him lift consecutive European Cups with the San Siro club, he said: 'That team didn't score a lot of goals because it was a team with a precise identity defensively, a lot of offside and a lot of pressure, but we didn't score a lot.'

Reminded they had once scored eight in one game, he claimed it may well have been down to his admission from the team at half-time.

'I remember we scored eight at Foggia, I remember very well because I played just the first half, and we were losing 2-1! Capello took me out and we won 8-2!' he laughed.

'The Italian team doesn't want to concede goals, it is a different mentality. When you score here you have more space to attack and counter-attack, the small team if they are losing want to come back in the match, so we can use more counter-attack, not because here there are weaknesses compared to Italy.

'The team in the bottom of the table here will play against a team at the bottom in Italy, and the English team wins.'

Since his arrival in England just over a year ago, he has turned the Blues into the great entertainers, and for once the neutrals are purring over our play.

'I changed the kind of play; we use more possession and attacking play,' he explained. 'In the past Chelsea played in a different way. I think the players enjoy this kind of football, they are all involved and for this reason can show their ability. It is the key.

'All the players, not just the strikers, can score. We have a lot of talent and for this reason we can score a lot of goals.'

After a dalliance with 4-4-2 last season, the Italian seems to have settled on 4-3-3 as his system of choice, but he had no pre-conceived ideas upon his appointment.

'I was not sure, I wanted to look at the skills of my players and put in the right shape for these players,' Ancelotti said. 'Before when I started to train I had a precise identity to put in my teams and didn't look to the characteristics of my players.
'I wanted to play 4-4-2 always for the first two years. At Juventus I changed, I had Zidane and didn't want to put him on the right or the left, he wanted to stay in the middle of the pitch and for this reason I changed my idea.

'From that time I wanted to look at my players and pick the right shape for them. There is not a winning shape, you can play 4-4-2, 4-3-1-2, there is not a winning one.'

Ancelotti expects this long-term injured right-back Jose Bosingwa to play in a training ground reserve match against Fulham next Wednesday.

Wilkins: Hard-Working Holloway

Blackpool may be new opposition in the Premier League but should they play in the image of their manager, Ray Wilkins knows very well what to expect on Sunday.

The Chelsea assistant shared five years with Ian Holloway when they were at Queens Park Rangers in the early 1990s, firstly as a team-mate in midfield and then with Wilkins as player/manager.

Holloway would later follow into the Rangers hot seat as well as managing Bristol Rovers, Plymouth, Leicester and now the Seasiders.

'When I had the pleasure of playing with Ian at Queens Park Rangers he had such a fantastic work ethic,' Wilkins recalls.

'That is something you see coming through in his teams and the way they play. First and foremost they work extremely hard and then the quality comes out afterwards.

'Because of how hard he is prepared to work it doesn't surprise me that he has had success, and I am very pleased for him.'

QPR fans must consider the era when Wilkins and Holloway graced Loftus Road as one of success. In the first season of the Premier League, 1992/93, their fifth-place finished was higher than any other London side.

'It was a good time, we had some good players,' Wilkins confirms. 'We did well for the resources that Queens Park Rangers had.

'Simon Barker or Holly would come into midfield with me and the other one would play wide. We always played 4-4-2 with Gerry Francis as manager. There were Trevor Sinclair and Andy Impey, before that was Andy Sinton, and up front was Les Ferdinand and then Roy Wegerle.'

Holloway's distinctive West Country accent was little heard among those other voices in the dressing room back then.

'When he first joined us he was quiet, so he has changed a touch!' points out Wilkins.

Chelsea's record against newly-promoted sides stands up to inspection, with our last defeat against a side fresh to the top-flight coming over nine years ago.

'Blackpool must be playing good football because they are creating chances and scoring goals,' notes Wilkins, 'and coupled with the work ethic that Holly will demand then you are going to get some results.

'But our record shows we approach these games in the right fashion so that is how we have to approach this one.

'It is up to us to work as hard as Blackpool and to play our football. We have been playing some very good football and everyone who has taken part in the team has contributed very well, so we have to think about our play, do what we want to do, and hope that our run will continue.

Chelsea On Alert As Neymar Goes Off The Rails With Santos

Chelsea may have to reconsider their pursuit of Brazilian wonderkid Neymar, who has been fined by Santos and ordered to work with a psychologist after a series of worrying episodes.

The 18-year-old opted to sign a new contract with Santos rather than move to England last month, but his advisers expected a new bid from the Barclays Premier League champions next summer.

However, Neymar has since been accused of petulant and reckless behaviour, culminating in a foul-mouthed outburst against his manager on Wednesday night.

The gifted forward also argued with captain Edu Dracena on the pitch after being told not to take a penalty kick and he is said to have then refused to pass the ball to any of his team-mates during the closing stages of 4-2 win against Atletico-GO.

Santos boss Dorival Junior was visibly shaken after the game and said: 'In seven years as a coach, I've never had such a problem with indiscipline.

'It is a difficult problem, grave, serious and will require effort from us all. At all times we feel that an act of indiscipline, whether from Neymar or a boy from academy, we will punish it.

'I love him, but there was a new event. We will have to act the same way (as always).'

Santos subsequently fined their starlet an undisclosed amount and in a statement warned: 'The club will demand deep changes in his behaviour on and off the field, with his colleagues and opponents and will support the player so this moment of difficulty can be overcome.'

Neymar's father admits that seeing a psychologist could help a player who has gone from happy-go-lucky teenager to a world star in a short space of time.

Dorival Junior added: 'I don't know what is happening to him. I'm trying everything I can to help. From the moment he is out of my reach, I don't know (what happens).

'The directors are finalizing details to hire that worker (a psychologist). I think that it will be interesting and beneficial.'

The coach has previously defended Neymar against criticism, but the player's crimesheet is growing at an alarming rate.

At the weekend he caused a mass on-pitch fracas by standing on the foot of a Ceara defender because he felt targeted.

In May he was left out of a match and ordered to do extra training for breaking a curfew by four hours when celebrating a team-mates' birthday.

Last month he escaped punishment from disciplinary chiefs after he accused a referee of being a thief in a post on Twitter. He argued his page was hacked, but his father has threatened a ban on his Twitter account.

Finally realizing the error of his ways, Neymar apologized after learning his punishment.

'I'm here to say more than sorry and (I expect) no pardon,' he said, almost in tears. 'I acted wrongly, I left even my father and mother shocked. I'm ashamed of what happened.

'I say sorry to Dorival, sorry to Edu, who is the team captain, and to my team mates. I apologize to kids who look up to Neymar. Forgive me for what I did.'

Atletico-GO boss Rene Simoes, who witnessed the outburst against Dorival Junior warned that Brazilian football was creating a monster, while team-mates and the Santos home crowd also rounded on him.

New Brazil boss Mano Menezes handed Neymar an international debut in August, but warns he must get his act together.

'He needs to know how to behave as a stand-out player in Brazilian football and later out there in world football,' said Menezes.

'If we allow these (things) to happen with such frequency in his club, in no time it will get transferred to the Brazil team.'

Malouda Hails Chelsea's Finishing

Florent Malouda has hailed Chelsea's goalscoring prowess as they focus on a return to Premier League action against new-boys Blackpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Chelsea took their goal tally for the season to 21 in five games with a 4-1 away victory against MSK Zilina in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Blues scored 142 goals in all competitions last season, including 103 in the Premier League, and Malouda says their ability to score throughout the team is one of the keys to their success.

"I think that's our strength, we play a system where everybody knows what he has to do and players come in and out and the result is still the same," said Malouda.

"Everybody can score and it is difficult for the opponents. We have to maintain that good atmosphere and keep our focus because we play every competition to win, obviously it will be difficult but we have to be really hungry.

"We're playing good football but every game is different and at the end we made scoring look easy but we just try to start each game playing well first and look for an opportunity. That's what we did."

Malouda also insists the Blues are destined to win the Champions League this season because the final is being played at their 'lucky' Wembley Stadium.

Chelsea have won three out of the last four FA Cup finals at the national stadium and the France international is confident the Blues will return to Wembley at the end of the campaign to lift the top prize in European club football.

"It is a sign for us that the Champions League final is being played at Wembley," declared Malouda.

"We have won there a lot in recent years and it's a big objective for the club. Our aim is to be there again in May and to win.

"We love playing there as we have shown by winning three FA Cups in the last four years. We have a good feeling every time we go there and maybe it is our destiny to be there in May.

"That's what I wish and every player in the squad is thinking about that in their minds. We have to be ready to get through the group phase now but we have to be ready for the knockout phase as well."

Chelsea's win over Zilina was a stroll for Carlo Ancelotti's side. A brace from Nicolas Anelka and another from Michael Essien put the Blues in command at the interval and Daniel Sturridge made it 4-0 three minutes after the break.

Zilina, to their credit, continued to fight on and Tomas Oravec scored a consolation goal when Petr Cech failed to hold a cross.

Ancelotti was clearly not happy with their second-half performance and Malouda agreed they were "sloppy".

"We controlled the game in the first half but we didn't play at our best level in the second and were a bit sloppy," he added.

"We have to be aware we can't afford to play like we did in the second half. We want to finish first in the group stage. It is really important for the draw."

Carlo Backs Euro Campaign

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti believes this season could be the year they finally win the elusive UEFA Champions League trophy.

The Blues have been virtual ever-presents in Europe's illustrious club competition without being able to get their hands on the silverware.

Once again the Champions League is high on the club's priority list and they have started in fine fashion with a 4-1 win over MSK Zilina.

Ancelotti believes Chelsea have matured and are now ready to not only reach the semi-finals of the competition but to be victorious in the final.

The Italian is also delighted to have a fully fit Michael Essien back in the ranks, labelling his availability as better than any summer signing.

"Chelsea has the maturity to win the Champions League in this season," Ancelotti told Sky Italia. "It is the cup that is lacking at this club.

"There's a particular attention towards this tournament as Chelsea has reached the semi-finals five times in the last seven years.

"The season's started well and fortunately we still have room for improvement.

"Chelsea's best purchase? I think Essien is better than a new player. We missed him last season because he is one of the world's best midfielders.

"We are pleased he immediately returned to his levels. He found his fitness and I hope that he retains it for the whole season."

Chelsea Game Was A Footballing Lesson - Zilina Coach Pavel Hapal

Slovakian side Zilina started their Champions League campaign with a home match against Chelsea, but they were unable to cause an upset. Head coach Pavel Hapal wasn't too disappointed with his side's 4-1 loss though and was quick to admit that Zilina were taught a footballing lesson.

"We have to remember that Chelsea are one of the best teams in the world and they played very well tonight. They made very quick moves and were very clinical," Hapal was quoted as saying by uefa.com.

"That was the main difference between the teams, because we matched them at times. You could see there is a huge difference between the teams, especially in terms of pace and passing. Everybody can see what quality they have.

"For us it was a footballing lesson; we saw the way the modern game is going. We lost, but I am not disappointed. We lost to a stronger team. It's a shame we didn't get a second goal, because we had a few chances to score again."

McEachran In The Record Books!

Carlo promised that this would be the season that youth would be given its chance and last night he didn’t let us down.

With Daniel Sturridge leading the attack, and scoring, we were later treated to cameo appearances from three of our most promising youngsters.

Gael Kakuta was the first of the three youngsters, from the bench to make an appearance, closely followed by Josh McEachran.

Neither of the duo looked out of place and with minutes to go Patrick van Aanholt joined the fray.

Now although there wasn’t perhaps sufficient time for any of the three to make a dramatic change to the game, especially with Chelsea in cruise mode having secured the three points, Josh can rest assured that his appearance has made the record books.

Apparently, young Josh is the first player to feature in the competition (Champions League) who was born after its inception in 1992.

Now that can’t be bad can it!

Reserves Report: Newcastle United 2 - 3 Chelsea

A double from Milan Lalkovic and a last-gasp Adam Phillip penalty earned Chelsea reserves an excellent win against Newcastle at St. James' Park.

The young Blues, missing several who had travelled to Zilina for the Champions League game on Wednesday, fell behind in the second minute but reacted well after a barrage of pressure to overturn the deficit, the nippy Lalkovic twice keeping his cool to slot home, only for a Newcastle equalizer to come in the second half.

It looked like it would finish level, and in truth it was probably Newcastle who had edged it, only for substitute Phillip, playing his first competitive reserve game in a year after injury, to race through and attract a foul by the sprawling Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul. The forward then despatched the penalty himself to secure three big points.

Newcastle went in front inside 90 seconds through Ryan Donaldson, whose won a challenge with Nathaniel Chalobah just outside the area and sent a dipping half-volley into Jan Sebek's bottom right-hand corner.

It was the worst imaginable start against a Newcastle side with former England defender Sol Campbell at the heart of its defence, the 36-year-old still working his way back to full fitness after a summer transfer from Arsenal.

Patrick McLaughlin tested Sebek with another low effort five minutes later but the goalkeeper saved well.

Chelsea were surrendering possession all too quickly in their own half, and when they did get the ball forward, Newcastle's high-lined defence caught the forward players offside. Part of the problem it seemed was Chelsea's own defence sitting too deep inside its own half, and coach Steve Holland could be heard encouraging his youngsters to step forward.

Nile Ranger had the ball in the net in the 15th minute but was flagged offside, and then the forward headed over from a corner as the home side continued to have the upper hand.

On 26 minutes Jacopo Sala had Chelsea's first effort on target, a curling free-kick that lacked any real venom and was easy for Magpies goalkeeper Krul to claim. It seemed to galvanize the Blues a little though, and a succession of corners followed.

The equalizer came from Milan Lalkovic, latching on to a through ball and calmly slotting low across Krul from the right-hand channel and into the bottom corner.

The sides would only be level for a few minutes before the Slovakian Lalkovic put Chelsea in front with another tidy finish, this time converting Aziz Deen-Conteh's pull-back after the left-back had overlapped and seared into the Newcastle area. Campbell, it seemed, was still a yard off the pace. No surprise given the breakneck speed at which Chelsea had moved the ball from one end to the other.

The turnaround was a major surprise for anyone who had seen the first 25 minutes, and it almost got better just before half-time when a loose ball fell to Sala just before the break, though the Italian could only fire high at the far post.

Less than two minutes into the second half Sala did hit the net, but his goal was chalked off for offside after Tore had picked him out.

At the other end Deen-Conteh showed his defensive capabilities with a superbly-timed tackle inside the area, a challenge that will have impressed the 3,700 inside St James' Park.

Newcastle began to press again though and Chelsea was forced to defend stoically, Joan Edmundsson curling just over after Rohan Ince had half-cleared with a header.

The home side wouldn't have to wait long for an equaliser though, after Ranger managed to keep possession under pressure from Billy Clifford and square for Haris Vuckic, his fellow striker, to slot home.

Sebek had to make another important save to maintain parity with 15 minutes remaining, when sub Phil Airey shot low and hard, and it looked as though this game may have a winner.

In a bid to make sure it was Chelsea, Holland introduced Kaby for Daniel Pappoe, Chalobah dropping into centre-half, and then Adam Phillip made a return from the bench with eight minutes remaining after a lengthy period out through injury - it was his first competitive reserve outing in a year.

Vuckic volleyed inches wide from distance and then Sebek had to make a fine double save, first from the Slovenian and then from Airey who had followed up his initial parry to keep his side in it.

Then, with seconds of injury time remaining, Phillip raced through and was brought down by Krul to ensure a penalty for Chelsea.

The sub took the ball himself and confidently strode up and stroked hit shot hard into the bottom left-hand corner to win what had been an entertaining encounter, making the long trip home all the more pleasant.

Coming To Terms With Mixed Zone

So the game is over, three points have been earned and thoughts turn to a swift exit from the stadium to catch the flight back to England. Only one responsibility now awaits the players after a Champions League game - the post-match mixed zone.

That is a Uefa-designated requirement for Champions League and Europa League football, the playing staff of each side must pass through an area between the tunnel and the team coach where members of the press and media wait to answer questions that will feature in the next day's reports of the action.

It is not an event that takes place in domestic football, other than at Wembley where the procedure applies in much the same way.

Players are not obligated to stop and talk, and following a bad result you may find that, understandably, numbers who do donate a few minutes of their time to share their thoughts drop.

The manager too has his requirements. Following the game, Carlo Ancelotti must do a 'flash' interview - that is, straight after the final whistle - with the national TV broadcaster, in England's case that is either ITV or Sky, before entering a press conference shortly afterwards. These tend to last between five and 10 minutes, but can take longer depending on the amount of translation required for foreign media.

For example, the coach of an English side who speaks little English may need questions, and his own words, translated into his native tongue, then into English and finally into the language of the opposition side and its local media - it is a time-consuming process, although some coaches have been known to translate themselves.

The man of the match, or players that contributed largely to victory, may also be requested by the TV crews as they come off the pitch - at Zilina, it was Daniel Sturridge who spoke to Sky's Guy Havord, while Petr Cech spoke to the Slovakian broadcasters in his native Czech.

The mixed zone (which at Stamford Bridge runs across the East Stand touchline, between the tunnel and the corner flag) is split into four sections, one for TV rights holders and club channels (Chelsea TV), one for other TV channels, one for audio media (radio) and a final one for written press and internet. Even here there is further seperation with, for example, the Sunday paper journalists requiring different words from those to be used the next day.

These are where most quotes you will read from the players over the subsequent days after a game will have come from, an area where hundreds of journalists have been known to compete for the prime locations. At the Bridge, we are fortunate to have plenty of space though at other grounds there has been the sight of Didier Drogba conducting interviews in a car park on the way to the coach. Last night at Zilina, it was a small, classroom-sized room behind the changing rooms, with media men and women crammed in behind a barrier and the players streaming past.

The day before a game, there is also a press conference, usually at the stadium but sometimes at a training ground (last year Jose Mourinho opted to conduct his at Inter's training ground, an hour's drive from the San Siro), involving the manager and one player - on Tuesday Cech joined Carlo Ancelotti in fielding questions, with clubs required to use Champions League-themed backdrops incorporating the competition's sponsors' logos.

It all makes for a busy time, for players, managers and media, but it simply has to be to satisfy the worldwide interest in football's elite club competition.

Match Report: MSK Zilina 1 - 4 Chelsea

Chelsea cruised through their opening Champions League game with a demolition of Slovakian side MSK Zilina in Group F.

The damage was done in the opening half with two goals from Nicolas Anelka and another from Michael Essien.

Daniel Sturridge added a fourth early in the second-half before Tomas Oravec scored a consolation for the home side.

Zilina began impressively with Momodou Ceesay firing high over the bar in the fourth minute.

The small ground was at its capacity of 11,000 and the home side were giving their fans something to shout about in the early stages.

Chelsea won their first corner in the ninth minute but Yossi Benayoun sent his shot into the arms of Martin Dubravka.

The English champions then wasted a free-kick on the left edge of the penalty area when Sturridge fired high over the bar from 20 yards.

But the Blues went in front in the 13th minute with a simple goal. Essien put Anelka clear on the left wing and when the cross arrived, Florent Malouda stepped over it for Essien to fire home from eight yards. It was the Ghanaian's third goal in two games.

Zilina almost levelled in the 15th minute when a free-kick from Robert Jez was fumbled by Petr Cech but the Chelsea goalkeeper managed to stop the ball going into the net.

Zilina's Bello Babatounde then headed straight at Cech in the 23rd minute after a fine cross from Ceesay.

But Chelsea went 2-0 up in the 24th minute when Malouda put Anelka clear and the former France international slipped the ball under Dubravka.

Sturridge almost made it 3-0 in the 27th minute but his 25-yard drive was tipped around the post.

But the Blues punished the home side from the corner which followed when John Terry's header hit the bar and Anelka pounced to score his second from point-blank range.

Malouda should have made it 4-0 in the 37th minute but his shot was blocked by Mario Pecalka after Yury Zhirkov had pulled the ball back to him from the touchline.

Cech was forced to make a fine save four minutes from the break when he dived to push a shot from Admir Vladavic to safety.

Zilina then squandered a real chance when Babatounde headed wide from an unmarked position on the edge of the six-yard box.

However, Chelsea increased their lead in the 48th minute when Benayoun played a superb ball through for Sturridge who rounded the Zilina goalkeeper and slipped the ball home.

Zilina responded immediately and Cech was forced into a fine save to deny Vladavic.

The home side finally reduced Chelsea's advantage in the 55th minute when Cech spilled a cross and the ball rebounded off Branislav Ivanovic before Oravec bundled home.

Zilina then went close to getting a second when Vladavic sent a rising drive just wide and substitute Tomas Majtan was inches away from hitting the target with an angled drive in the 65th minute.

Chelsea was living dangerously, but with a three-goal cushion they could afford to.

Ancelotti was distinctly unhappy on the touchline as the home side attacked in numbers.

The Slovakians had to be admired for their endeavour although Chelsea were hardly in top gear in the second half.

With 10 minutes left, Chelsea opted to hand a full debut to 17-year-old midfielder Josh McEachran. He replaced Benayoun who was applauded off for his fine performance.

Essien forced a fine save from Dubravka in the 82nd minute as the Ghanaian midfielder looked for another goal but it was the last real action of the game as Chelsea ran out easy winners.

Anelka Explains Goal Gesture

Nicolas Anelka fired two first-half goals to put Chelsea on the way to a comfortable 4-1 victory over MSK Zilina and then revealed the meaning of his 'handcuff' goal celebration.

Anelka set up Michael Essien's 13th-minute opener before scoring twice himself after 24 and 28 minutes as Chelsea cruised to victory in Slovakia.

Daniel Sturridge scored his first Champions League goal three minutes after the interval before Zilina's Tomas Oravec netted a consolation for the home side.

Anelka, banned by the French Football Federation for 18 games because of his part in the World Cup mutiny, was hailed as the "key" to Chelsea's victory by coach Carlo Ancelotti.

The 31-year-old has since insisted he will never play for his country again but admitted his gesture was aimed at the French authorities and he knows other France players will understand.

"It was just something for the French Federation about what happened at the World Cup," said Anelka.

"What happened in summer is in the past, now I'm 100% focused for Chelsea."

When asked if he would ever consider playing for France again, he replied: "No, never. It was just a joke about what happened. I'm not angry."

Anelka's movement in attack in the absence of the suspended Didier Drogba was pivotal, according to a satisfied Ancelotti.

"The key was Anelka, he played a fantastic game," said the Italian. "He created space, he had opportunities, he was the key for this game.

"He can play the position in front, sometimes we use him more wide, sometimes he plays in the middle but he shows the same skills if he plays wide."

Malouda: London Calling

Florent Malouda admits even with just one group game completed, Wembley is on the players' minds as we pursue European glory.

This season's Champions League Final will be held at the national stadium in north-west London, an arena that has been both kind and familiar to Chelsea in recent years, with 10 appearances there since its reopening in May 2007.

After our 4-1 win at Zilina, in front of 11,000 spectators in a damp Slovakia, Malouda admitted the glamour of the Final seemed a long way off, but by no means unimaginable.

'We have it in mind because it is Wembley, it is like our home, and we try every year,' said the Frenchman. 'Of course we are at the beginning and trying to finish first in the group, and we have to play game after game. We will see in May if we can be at Wembley.'

On a soggy night without key players Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, the goals continued to flow - four in Zilina make it 21 for the season in five games - and Malouda believes other teams need to beware of our potency in front of goal.

'I think that's our strength, we play a system where everybody knows what he has to do and players come in and out and the result is still the same,' he explained. 'Everybody can score and it is difficult for the opponent teams.

'We have to maintain that good atmosphere and keep our focus because we play every competition to win, obviously it will be difficult but we have to be really hungry.

'We're playing good football but every game is different and at the end we made scoring look easy but we just try to start each game playing well first and look for an opportunity. That's what we did.'

Michael Essien's strike after 12 minutes was his third in two games, and his team-mate is delighted the Ghanaian is back and firing after seven months out at the end of last season.

'He is a machine, a train, and I am really happy to see Michael get his fitness,' said the 30-year-old. 'He is playing full of confidence, he is top and he is scoring goals. I think he will give more to the team and the best is still to come.'

Nothing could be more ominous for opponents Blackpool this weekend, though with Lampard hopeful of a return, it may be that he takes a more defensive role than the one he has fulfilled in the England man's absence.

Daniel Sturridge Hoping For More First-Team Opportunities After Scoring Against MSK Zilina

Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge is hoping that he will get more first team opportunities after he scored during the 4-1 win over MSK Zilina on Wednesday evening.

The 21-year-old sealed the win with Chelsea’s fourth of the night and he was pleased to get off the mark for the season, stressing that he wanted to feature more for the first-team.

"It was great to get off the mark this season. Hopefully I will be playing a lot more with these players. Hopefully I will show my abilities," Sturridge told Sky Sports.

The former Manchester City striker also praised the way the team set about what could have been a difficult away trip.

"We wanted to play the ball, work it, make sharp movements and defend well - it paid off for us in the end," he added.

As well as getting off the mark for the season, Sturridge’s goal was also his first in the Champions League, and he is keen for it to be the first of many.

"Scoring in the Champions League - I have been dreaming of this since I way a young boy, hopefully there is many more to come," he continued.

"I was delighted be a part of this and hopefully I’ll be playing with these world class players to make my grade."

The only minor blemish in Chelsea’s display was their failure to keep a clean sheet, but Sturridge still believed that the team defended well on the whole.

"I think the boys played some great football at the back today, Zilina had the fans behind them and the defence played pretty well today all in all - the defence played quality tonight," he added.

"We came out here to win and were delighted to do that. The Champions League is a knockout competition and it’s fantastic for the team."

Ancelotti Hails Nicolas Anelka's Performance In Champions League Win Over MSK Zilina

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has hailed the performance of Nicolas Anelka after the striker scored two goals and provided another as his side ran out 4-1 victors over Slovak side MSK Zilina on Wednesday.

Anelka first cut the ball back for an on-rushing Michael Essien to slot home after 13 minutes, before adding two goals of his own in the space of four minutes to put Chelsea 3-0 ahead inside the opening half an hour, with Daniel Sturridge adding a fourth just after the break to complete the rout.

"[Nicolas] Anelka was fantastic. A fantastic performance," Ancelotti told Sky Sports.

"We are very happy. When you are 3-0 up, it is important to maintain control of the game, [and] we did. We knew our positions. We used the counter-attack because we knew they liked to bring players forward.

"I was very happy with the way we started the game, we knew the opposition would attack so we used the speed of our strikers on the counter-attack. It was a very important win for us. We are doing very well at the moment - we have started well in the Premier League and the Champions League."

After years of disappointment in the Champions League, Ancelotti was coy over his side’s chances in this year’s competition but recognized the fantastic start to domestic and European competition that his side has made this season.

The Italian continued: "[Chelsea] are definitely moving forward. There was a good atmosphere. We [have] started the Premier League well and, now, the Champions League well."

Frank Lampard missed Wednesday's game due to a hernia operation, but his manager confirmed his "hope" that the England international would feature against Blackpool on Sunday.

Chelsea Tracking Spanish Teen Strike Sensation

Chelsea are scouting Malaga starlet Juanmi after the teenager's emergence as one of Spain's hottest properties.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are also keeping tabs on the 17-year-old forward, who scored twice against Real Zaragoza on Sunday.

Juanmi became the youngest ever player to score a brace in the Primera Liga and that has attracted the interest of Spain's super-clubs, but Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti also been alerted.

The player has only just signed a new five-year contract at Malaga, but the deal includes an £8m buy-out clause.

Malaga boss Jesualdo Ferreira said: "He could go very far."

Junami's agent Javier Dieguez added: "This is not a surprise for us but for now he is focused on doing well for Malaga."