Chelsea Lifting The Premier League Cup

Tottenham 2 - 1 Chelsea

Tottenham stunned Chelsea to blow the Premier League title race wide open with a second derby win in four days.
Manchester United's earlier victory at rivals City had pulled them to within a point of leaders Chelsea - but the Blues succumbed to an inspired Spurs.
Jermain Defoe opened the scoring from the spot after John Terry's handball and Gareth Bale slammed in a second.
Terry saw red for two bookings before Frank Lampard's late reply, but Spurs held on to move above City into fourth.
It means with three games to go, including a tricky trip to Liverpool on 2 May, Chelsea remain top of the table but with United breathing closely down their neck and Arsenal six points behind with a game in hand.
Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti will also be without captain Terry for their next game - against Stoke City - through suspension following a red card few can argue with after two poor tackles.
As for Tottenham, they now have a two-point cushion over fifth-place Manchester City following a couple of wins that not only give their push for a Champions League spot a huge fillip but also delighted a buzzing White Hart Lane crowd.
Manchester United, chasing an historic fourth successive Premier League crown, got the favour from Spurs they had hoped for, having beaten City in the lunchtime kick-off before Harry Redknapp's men took three points from Chelsea.
But even the most optimistic of United fans will have failed to have foreseen a Spurs performance that confounded those who thought the north Londoners would run out of steam on the back of a jam-packed week.
This was an outstanding display. Bale was superb on the left, Luka Modric controlling in the middle, and Michael Dawson a rock at the back.
And, just as he did in the derby win over Arsenal on Wednesday, goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes once again came up with the goods on the odd occasion he was called upon.
Not that that was very often as the home side came up against an out-of-sorts Chelsea side.
Florent Malouda forced a smart save from Gomes just seven minutes in with a 25-yard stinger, but otherwise it was the hosts who enjoyed the better of the chances.
Roman Pavlyuchenko and Bale had already had snap-shots either saved or cleared when the latter went down in the box under a forceful challenge from Jon Obi Mikel.
Referee Phil Dowd ruled the Chelsea man had got the ball, but the decision went in Tottenham's favour just a minute later when Terry handled Bentley's cross.
Defoe, who had missed six of his last 10 penalties, made no such error this time, drilling an unstoppable spot-kick into the corner with Petr Cech diving the wrong way.
The visitors responded briefly when Didier Drogba's half-chance was easily saved, but at the other end Pavlyuchenko forced Cech to tip over the bar from range before David Bentley was denied a second from six yards out by Terry's outstretched leg.
The west Londoners thought they had levelled when Malouda slid home from Yuri Zhikov's pass, but the Frenchman was correctly ruled offside.
And then, six minutes later, Tottenham doubled their lead, Bale cutting inside full-back Paulo Ferreira and slamming in at the near post with his weaker right foot.
Redknapp's men then had their keeper to thank for the fact they went in at the break two goals to the good, after Gomes spectacularly beat away Lampard's fierce volley from 16 yards out.

Title still in our hands - Ancelotti

Ancelotti responded by making a double half-time substitution - Nicolas Anelka and Branislav Ivanovic coming on for Joe Cole and the tormented Ferreira - to add to his earlier replacement of the injured Mikel with Michael Ballack.
However, at the restart Drogba appeared to double up with pain in his groin, prompting the Blues to appeal to change their substitution. Dowd refused, though, and the game continued with the Ivorian looking far from fully fit.
Immediately, it could - and arguably should - have been three, Defoe sent through on goal by Pavlyuchenko's pass but Cech, standing tall, producing a fine stop to tip the England man's shot wide.
Still, Chelsea's frustrations were only heightened when Terry saw red for two bookings in three minutes, the second a clear trip on Bale that the visiting captain can have few complaints about.
From then on in, Tottenham could have scored a hatful. Cech tipped a brilliant Bentley lob over, saved at his near post from Bale, before watching the hosts waste a succession of chances on the break as Chelsea pressed late on - Pavlyuchenko and Bale, again, guilty of firing wide when well placed.
In reply, Chelsea enjoyed some possession but few chances - only really looking a threat after Lampard had slid Ballack's cross home in injury time.
It was far too little, too late, though, and Tottenham deservedly held on for a precious win that will be as gratefully received in Manchester as on both sides of north London.

Chelsea 1 - 0 Bolton

Chelsea moved four points clear of Manchester United at the top of the Premier League after beating Bolton.
The hosts were never at their free-flowing best but took the lead just before half-time when Nicolas Anelka headed home a Didier Drogba cross.
Bolton struggled to create chances but could have had two penalties when John Terry and Drogba appeared to handle.
Frank Lampard hit the post and Terry fired wide, while Johan Elmander should have levelled but wasted a header.
The victory was not as simple as predicted by some observers - United boss Sir Alex Ferguson the most notable - but at this stage of the season, style is hardly a top priority.
Chelsea's victory was their fifth in succession since their exit from the Champions League and with only four games remaining this season, they are now on the brink of winning the title.

Ferguson's suggestion that the game at Stamford Bridge represented an "easy" three points for Carlo Ancelotti's side proved inaccurate.
Bolton huffed and puffed admirably, particularly in the first half, and could easily have been awarded two spot-kicks on another night.
But the grim reality for Owen Coyle's side is they have now suffered four consecutive league defeats and will continue to look nervously over their shoulders as the relegation battle comes to a head.
Coyle can take many positives away from west London, however. Bolton were anything but pushovers in the opening stages, harassing their more esteemed opponents at every opportunity.
Kevin Davies again made his presence felt up front, none more so than in an accidental clash of heads with Yuri Zhirkov that left the Russian with blood pouring from his scalp.
The best Chelsea could manage early on was a Drogba free-kick that stung the gloves of Jussi Jaaskelainen and bounced behind off Salomon Kalou, with Bolton more than equal to their hosts for long periods.
Drogba had a second chance with another free-kick shortly after but dragged his shot wide, prompting frustration to surface in the stands.
Those concerns were not helped when Bolton had strong appeals for a penalty turned down despite the ball appearing to strike Drogba's arm.
But three minutes from half-time, Drogba picked up the ball on the left and delivered a teasing cross that was easily converted by an unmarked Anelka to put Chelsea ahead.
It was harsh on Coyle's side after an industrious display. Anelka's muted celebration - a possible show of respect against his old club - would not have eased the disappointment.
Drogba took his time to warm up in the first half but wasted little time in making an impact after the break, setting up Kalou with a neat pass only for his Ivorian team-mate to shoot straight at Jaaskelainen.

Zhirkov, back in full swing after a brief spell with his head bandaged, then surged down the left and forced a shot that was well kept out by Jaaskelainen.
Bolton struggled to create many chances at the other end but were unfortunate not to win a penalty when a cross from Chung-Yong Lee deflected off Terry's upper arm.
Coyle and the Bolton coaching staff were furious on the sidelines and TV replays showed they may have had a case.
Chelsea survived though and pushed forward looking for a goal to make the game safe.
Lampard hit the post with a trademark long-range drive and Terry fired just wide with a well-struck shot off the outside of his right foot.
But Bolton never gave up hope and really should have equalised in the dying minutes when Elmander headed limply wide before Ivan Klasnic shot across the face of goal.

Chelsea conquered Old Trafford and claim the top of the Table

         Chelsea overpowered Manchester United in the much awaited "Clash of the Titans " to claim the first spot in Premier League table once again. If the things go smoothly from here onwards , The Blues may bring the Cup back to Stamford.

Drogba only emerged as a late substitute after being left on the bench in favour of Nicolas Anelka, but his priceless strike was a moment of triumph for coach Carlo Ancelotti and perfect reward for his bold tactical move.
Joe Cole's clever flick gave Chelsea a well-merited lead after 20 minutes as Sir Alex Ferguson's champions struggled for creativity with injured inspiration Wayne Rooney watching in frustration from the sidelines.
Drogba's goal looked to have sealed Chelsea's win, but Federico Macheda's scrambled effort - which also had a hint of handball - set up a grandstand finish in which Rooney's replacement Dimitar Berbatov wasted a glorious chance to equalise.
Chelsea, who had the game's outstanding performer in Florent Malouda, have produced the perfect response to their Champions League exit against Inter Milan and a tame draw at Blackburn. Twelve goals against Portsmouth and Aston Villa provided the platform and confidence for what could prove to be a pivotal victory.
United looked jaded after their midweek exertions in the Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich and they will rightly be furious at the manner of Drogba's debatable goal, but Chelsea were the more impressive team for long periods and have been swiftly reinstalled as title favourites.
Ancelotti created a stir with his starting line-up by keeping Drogba on the bench and retaining the team that thrashed Aston Villa 7-1. He saw his faith reap rich dividends as Chelsea dominated the first 45 minutes.
Chelsea were the sharper team in the early exchanges and it was no surprise when they took the lead with a goal that typified their approach.
Malouda, a player transformed from the struggles at the start of his Chelsea career, drove deep into United's penalty area and his low cross was cleverly flicked past Edwin van der Sar by Cole.
United, with Berbatov isolated, were left frustrated and this was illustrated by Paul Scholes, who was lucky to still be on the pitch after escaping with a late tackle from behind on Deco before being booked for a foul on Malouda.
Referee Mike Dean, at the centre of controversy after wrongly awarding Blackburn a penalty at Burnley last Sunday, was in the spotlight again as he waved away spot-kick appeals from both sides.
United felt Ji-Sung Park had been fouled by Yuri Zhirkov, while Chelsea believed Anelka had been bundled over by Gary Neville. Dean ignored the appeals, and, in his defence, both incidents were inconclusive.
Chelsea were inches away from a second goal shortly after the interval when Cole's perfectly weighted pass played in Paulo Ferreira, but the defender was indecisive in an attacking position and his half-hit effort rolled inches wide.
United finally managed to build momentum as the hour approached, and Berbatov stretched to direct Ryan Giggs' cross just off target.

Ancelotti responded by shuffling his resources in attack with 20 minutes left, replacing Anelka with Drogba, who was being watched from the stands by new Ivory Coast coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.
And he demonstrated what he is all about within 10 minutes of entering the action, albeit in controversial circumstances. He raced on to Salomon Kalou's pass and buried a finish past Van der Sar, but he was at least a yard offside when he received the pass.

If Chelsea thought this would pave the way to a comfortable conclusion, they were thinking again inside two minutes as Macheda pulled a goal back for United. He bundled a finish over the line after Petr Cech half-cleared from Nani, although there was a suggestion of handball from the Italian.
In a predictably hectic finale, Berbatov should have levelled for United, only to volley Neville's cross straight at Cech.
It was the final act of the drama - and the Chelsea celebrations illustrated the significance of these three points.

Where has Chelsea gone Wrong?

                          Chelsea began the season with the appoinment of the new manager Ancelotti stating they wanted to win Champion League for their owner "Abramovich" . But even Ancelotti failed to bid the Champions League trophy which remains as a jinx at Stamford. The crashing out of league at an earlier stage with out even making into the final eight is something that Abramovich don't expect from his new manager.And the thing is Abramovich has released and Ultimatum for his staff and players to face serious actions if they didn't prove them selves in EPL.
 The Problem Statement
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                    Chelsea were desperate to put their hands on the Champions trophy this season , but injuries caused them to go into the league with a poor line up which lacked creativity and penetrating power.Among  the numerous  injury vows , it was Essien that made a large impact on Chelsea line up. He used to be a powerful face in the Chelsea midfield who created chances as well as brought fluidity into their game. Missing out Bosingwa for the whole season was also a severe blow that Ancelotti faced though he tried to recover his miss using Ivanovic. Then came Ashley Cole , who was the master mind of all the attacks along left wing during the first half of the season. As he was sidelined for rest of the season , Ancelotti missed out another big gun from his armory.
                                                       Chelsea didn't do any major signings this season , the one being Zirkov and Sturridge , both of them didn't made ab impact on the team also.All expected a major signing in the form of a world class striker or attacking midfielder to assist Drogba up in the front. As neither of the signings didn't happen , it left Chelsea as team whom you can beat if you tied Drogba down.

                                                                    Then came scandals.That too about Mr. Chelsea captain John Terry. He was hit by the scandal linking Wein Bridge's former girl friend.  That caused Terry to lose England's captaincy also. After that event , Terry was been just a shadow of his old himself. That left the famous Chelsea defense an easily penetrable one.
                                                                      Now that they are out of Champions League , Chelsea have to concentrate on winning EPL , where they still hold the first place in the table. But with matches pending against Manchester United and Liverpool , The Blues will have to win all the games from now on to bring the EPL trophy back to Stamford once again.
                                                                           What ever may be the turn out at the end of this season , Chelsea will have to cash in next transfer season and bring in some class players to build a strong line up to claim all the trophies.

Turnbull is going to make his Premier League Debut for Chelsea

Stand-in Chelsea FC goalkeeper Henrique Hilário has been ruled out of Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham United FC – meaning 25-year-old Ross Turnbull will make his debut and may also be between the posts for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League first knockout round decider against FC Internazionale Milano.

With first-choice keeper Petr Čech recovering from a torn thigh muscle, coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed that Hilário was out of contention for West Ham's visit with an unspecified injury along with defender Ricardo Carvalho. Ancelotti said: "Hilário is not able to play tomorrow, so in goal will play Turnbull. We don't know if Hilário or Petr will be able to play Tuesday, but Carvalho I think will have no problem."

Turnbull came to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2009, joining as a free agent after leaving his first club, Middlesbrough FC. His only competitive appearances for Chelsea so far have been as a substitute in a 4-0 English League Cup win against Bolton Wanderers FC and all 90 minutes of the 2-2 draw with APOEL FC in the UEFA Champions League group stage. Chelsea trail Inter 2-1 from the first leg in Milan.

Chelsea 2 - 4 Man City

Manchester City inflicted Chelsea's first home Premier League defeat this season in a game which began with Wayne Bridge refusing John Terry's handshake.
Frank Lampard's low strike put Chelsea ahead but Carlos Tevez equalised after a long ball was not dealt with, before Craig Bellamy shot beyond Hilario.
Tevez scored a penalty after Juliano Belletti saw red for a trip on Gareth Barry before a Bellamy tap-in.
Michael Ballack also saw red and Lampard scored a consolation penalty.
City had failed to score in their previous seven visits to Stamford Bridge, while Chelsea had only conceded eight at home in the Premier League all season.
But those statistics were rendered meaningless on an afternoon of triumph for City coach and former Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini, who pitted his wits in the Premier League for the first time against ex-AC Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti.
City saw their hopes of silverware this season ended by their FA Cup defeat at Stoke in midweek but they boosted their prospects of a top-four finish by completing the double over Chelsea for the first time since 1957.
With Manchester United not in league action this weekend, victory would have taken Chelsea four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
But it was a disastrous afternoon for Ancelotti, whose side had only dropped points in one previous home game this season, a 3-3 draw with Everton.
What's more, his team lacked discipline after the break and were vulnerable in defence, with Hilario looking particularly suspect.
All eyes before kick-off were focused on Terry and Bridge, who came face-to-face for the first time since allegations about the former's relationship with the latter's ex-partner.
As it turned out, Bridge - who this week ruled out playing for England at the World Cup - shunned Terry's outstretched hand.
There was an anti-climatic feel to the start of the game, which was low on excitement but, on a heavy Stamford Bridge surface, high in mis-placed passes and stodgy midfield play.
Both sides set up with three across midfield operating behind three more attack-orientated players but Chelsea were the superior team and enjoyed the better of precious few early openings.
Florent Malouda drilled a thunderous long-range strike narrowly over the crossbar, Shay Given palmed clear from Joe Cole, Didier Drogba headed over and Vincent Kompany almost sliced an attempted clearance into his own net.
City seemed content to surrender territory and invite pressure - and Chelsea gradually forced some clear chances.
Drogba shot disappointingly over with a shot on the turn but Lampard made no mistake after running into space and collecting a precise pass from Cole before drilling the ball low across goal from 16 yards.
All City had mustered was a tame Adam Johnson free-kick but Tevez, on his return to the side after compassionate leave in Argentina, equalised with a smash and grab effort on the stroke of half-time that epitomised all the Argentine's tenacious qualities.
Chelsea were partial architects of their own downfall as Jon Obi Mikel headed a long Bridge clearance towards his own goal but Tevez then repeatedly managed to hold off both Terry and Ricardo Carvalho before shooting limply beyond the outstretched but ultimately futile dive of Hilario.
City might even have led at the break after a Bellamy free-kick deep in injury time was met by an unmarked Joleon Lescott but the defender headed wide.
Bellamy, anonymous in the opening half, stunned the home crowd with his goal minutes after the restart.
A Chelsea attack broke down and Mikel found himself isolated against Bellamy marauding down the left flank.
It was an unfair contest and Bellamy burst into the box before shooting into the bottom corner from a very tight angle for another goal that was, at least in part, goalkeeping error.
There was little sign of an equaliser for the home side and it took a last-gasp clearance from Branislav Ivanovic to prevent Bellamy extending City's lead.
Ancelotti's desperation was reflected in the fact that Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Daniel Sturridge and Salomon Kalou were all on the field for the final 20 minutes.
But Tevez made it 3-1 for City with a powerful penalty into the corner after Barry had got the wrong side of Belletti, who tripped his opponent.
Ballack was dismissed after picking up a second yellow for a lunge on Tevez before Bellamy tapped home unmarked at the far post after 87 minutes following a low pass across goal from Shaun Wright-Phillips.
There was still more drama as Given saved from Anelka, who was later brought down in the box by Barry. That allowed Lampard to end the game with a consolation penalty.

Chelsea 2-0 Wolverhampton

Chelsea beat Wolverhampton 2-0 to go 4 points clear off their title rivals Manchester United. The Chelsea hitman Drogba was at his best and he fired twice to grab the game for his team and made his tally 25 goals in this season. The Ivory Coast frontman made the most of two rare chances in an unconvincing away display, sliding home his first from Yuri Zhirkov's pinpoint cross.
Drogba then latched on to Petr Cech's long kick for his second to wrap it up.
But Wolves will feel hard done by, with Cech twice denying Adlene Guedioura to render a brave home display fruitless.
And while the hosts should certainly take heart from a performance that once again proves they can live with the best sides at the Molineux on their day, another defeat means they remain perilously close to the drop zone.For Chelsea, though, victory will be just what boss Carlo Ancelotti will have wanted after another week of front-page allegations and controversy surrounding the Stamford Bridge outfit.
Not that many observers will look back on this match as a particularly convincing Chelsea victory by any stretch of the imagination.
Anyone who witnessed Wolves' displays in their draws with Liverpool and Aston Villa, or their win over Tottenham, at the Molineux this season will have been less than surprised by their approach.
Packed across midfield and deep in defence, Wolves hassled and harried, suffocating Chelsea's creative players and denying the front-runners space and time to manoeuvre in attack.
And for much of the first half, the hosts' game plan worked to perfection. With Chelsea looking increasingly bereft of ideas, it was Mick McCarthy's men looking the more threatening on the odd occasion they sprung a counter-attack.
Kevin Doyle, in particular, was a threat and he twice stung the palms of Blues keeper Cech, once with a low effort after a decent run across the box and then again with a snap-shot that the Czech Republic international did well to turn around his near post.
The impressive Zhirkov was the creator, exchanging a neat one-two with Michael Ballack on the edge of the box before crossing low for Drogba to complete the simplest of tap-ins at the far post in the 40th minute.
It was a rare moment of cohesion going forward for Chelsea, who have certainly lost an element of sparkle in recent weeks with only one win away from home in six league matches.
However, the opening goal failed to fire the visitors to greater heights at the start of the second half and only the commanding presence of Cech kept them ahead.
First a cross from Matt Jarvis floated to the onrushing and unmarked Guedioura at the back post, only for the midfielder's crashing volley to be beaten away by Cech.

And then Kevin Foley brought an even better stop from the Blues keeper when he latched on to an error from John Terry to fire goalwards, his shot smothered bravely by Cech, Guedioura seeing his follow-up cleared.
Chelsea skipper Terry, of course, has been at the heart of the stories splashed across the tabloids in recent weeks.
But while Ashley Cole was spared the ignominy of the Molineux taunts by injury, there was no such respite for Terry - and it was another less than convincing performance from the former England captain.
As with in the first half, though, Chelsea proved their most dangerous when on the back foot.
However, if the first goal was all about 'total' football, the second was far more direct - and how that, in itself, underlines the Blues' all-round threat this season.
Drogba was again the dagger in the Wolves defenders' hearts, latching on to Cech's booming goal kick, nodding round home keeper Marcus Hahnemann with his first touch and tapping in with his second.
The hosts continued to battle valiantly thereafter but, in truth, their spirit had been broken.
Doyle curled harmlessly wide and Terry cleared Greg Halford's long throw off the line - though, as it was direct from the throw, it would not have counted anyway - but the remaining 20 minutes were comfortable for Chelsea.
And so the Londoners made it four Premier League wins over Wolves in four matches to make the most of Manchester United's earlier slip-up and ensure they remain in pole position in the title race.
Wolves manager Mick McCarthy:
"I've just had a right chew at the lads in the dressing-room because we've lost a game that we shouldn't have.
We've let Chelsea off the hook today and that's what has annoyed me. We had them in that second half, we had them. We created chances, didn't take them, and then conceded a sloppy second goal that has killed us.
"Chelsea are the champions-elect and we've matched them in all departments today except putting the ball in the back of the net."

Everton ends Chelsea's victory Streak ( Chelsea 1-2 Everton )

A spirited performance by the Everton side saw Ancelotti's men losing 2-1 away from home. Everton came from behind with the two goals scored by former Manchester United man Luis Saha. Chelsea side looked very sloppy , especially the defense. Skipper Terry has been under lot of speculations over the sex scandal and received booes from Everton fans.
It was Chelsea who went ahead first with a Malouda strike finding the net. But Saha leveled to 1-1 , when he cleverly run past Terry who was only a shadow of his normal form. Peter Cech saved Everton's chance to go in front as he saved a penalty given as result of Carvalho fouling Donovan. But once again it was Saha who escaped from Terry's marking and put the ball past Cech. Chelsea had a late chance but couldn't capitalize it as Drogba headed onto the wood works.

Everton manager David Moyes on his first win over Chelsea:

"It has been a long time coming.After the weekend defeat to Liverpool I thought that we showed great character. And we did it without two of our important players.
"I thought that we deserved our victory, which was against one of the top teams in the country."

Chelsea assistant boss Ray Wilkins:
"If you look at the game as a whole you could say that Everton just about deserved to win it.
"It is disappointing but all good things must come to an end. We have got to be disappointed with the goals that we gave away.
"We have been on a good run but now we have to go on another one."