Chelsea went 4 points clear at the top of the English Premier League log when Nicolas Anelka’s goal saw them beat Bolton 1 – 0 on Tuesday.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side were well below their best as they laboured to break down stubborn Bolton at Stamford Bridge, but Anelka’s header late in the first half was enough to ensure the Blues extended their lead over second placed Manchester United.
After United’s draw at Blackburn on Sunday, it was essential for Chelsea to press home their advantage and, with just four matches to play, the west London club are now firmly in position to win the league for the first time since 2006.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s claim that Bolton would be an “easy” game for Chelsea had drawn an amused response from Ancelotti, who was quick to dismiss the United manager’s mind games, and Wanderers made the leaders sweat right until the final whistle.
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Carlo Ancelotti and Sir Alex Ferguson both installed Chelsea as favourites to win the Premiership title after a 2-1 win at Manchester United sent the Londoners two points clear with five games left to play.
“Chelsea are definitely favourites now, there is no question about that,” United boss Ferguson acknowledged. “Two points clear with five games left, it’s a great position for them to be in.”
Ancelotti echoed the United manager’s comments. “Now we are the favourites, yes. That’s normal when we are back at the top of the league.
“But nothing is decided. We have to stay composed, quiet and maintain focus in our game.”
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Chelsea got their title aspirations back on track with a thumping 5 – 0 victory over Portsmouth on Wednesday night.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side were leading through the first of Didier Drogba’s two goals at Fratton Park when Malouda was let off with a caution after elbowing Portsmouth defender Ricardo Rocha, leaving the Portuguese international with a suspected fractured cheekbone.
Malouda took full advantage of his reprieve by netting two goals in the space of ten second half minutes as Chelsea reduced Manchester United’s lead at the top of the table to a single point.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had demanded a response from his team after last week’s Champions League exit at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan and subsequent 1-1 draw at Blackburn.
Despite making a lethargic start Chelsea, boosted by goalkeeper Peter Cech’s return, never looked in any danger of succumbing to a side 11 points adrift at the bottom of the table.
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Carlo Ancelotti says he will still be Chelsea manager next season even if he fails to win a title with the club this year.
Chelsea is still in contention for the Premier League and FA Cup but has been eliminated from the Champions League and has slipped to third in the English standings after taking just four points from three games.
Ancelotti acknowledged after last week’s 1-0 loss to Inter Milan that he was under pressure but told Italian newspaper La Stampa that the Blues will do well in the remainder of the season.
Even so, Ancelotti says his “future will definitely be at Chelsea next year independent of results.”
Source: supersport.co.za
A late goal from Inter Milan’s Samuel Eto’o sealed a 1-0 win over Chelsea in the last 16 second leg at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday for a 3-1 aggregate victory, giving Jose Mourinho his revenge.
Mourinho was back at Chelsea for the first time since being sacked in September 2007 following a power struggle with Blues owner Roman Abramovich, and he showed the Russian what he had let go by devising the perfect gameplan to eliminate his former team.
The Portuguese coach once criticised Tottenham for “parking the bus” after Chelsea were shut out by their defensive London rivals, but Mourinho borrowed a trick or two from that scheme to keep Carlo Ancelotti’s side at bay before Eto’o's strike secured victory.
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John Terry, Chelsea captain believes the support he received from English teammates and fans since losing the armband shows unity.
The 29-year-old, stripped of the armband following allegations involving Wayne Bridge’s ex-girlfriend that led to his former Chelsea team-mate turning his back on England, was subjected to jeers from a pocket of fans at Wembley when his name was read out before kick-off.
The boos from a minority of supporters continued in the first half but were forgotten by half-time, with England then coming back from a goal behind at the interval to record a victory in the friendly against Africa’s champions.
Terry is hoping a line is now drawn under the saga and Fabio Capello’s men can put the finishing touches to their preparations for the World Cup this summer with the backing of the fans.
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Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge will face John Terry for the first time time this Saturday at Stamford Bridge since the fall-out from Terry’s alleged affair with his ex-girlfriend. He has also stated that he does not wish to be chosen for the England World Cup squad.
Bridge released a statement through his lawyers on Thursday, confirming that he does not wish to be selected for Fabio Capello’s squad for this year’s World Cup in South Africa because his presence would be potentially “divisive”.
The former Chelsea left-back has been considering his international future since reports of Terry’s affair with his former partner Vanessa Perroncel, a French underwear model with whom he has a four-year-old child, first came to light.
Terry was stripped of the England captaincy by Capello as a result of the scandal and the Italian had thought Bridge would continue to play for his country.
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Chelsea’s lead at the top of the Premier League was cut to one point on Wednesday when they lost 2-1 at Everton with Louis Saha continuing his scoring jinx over them.
Second-placed Manchester United drew 1-1 at Aston Villa while Arsenal stayed in the hunt after beating Liverpool 1-0.
Saha, who scored against Chelsea in the FA Cup final last season and in the 3-3 draw against them in December, cancelled out Florent Malouda’s 17th minute opener for Chelsea with a header in the 33rd.
He then had a penalty saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech on the stroke of halftime before scoring the winner after 75 minutes when he chested the ball down, turned and fired home.
That sent Chelsea to their first defeat in 11 matches and gave Everton manager David Moyes his first victory over the London side on the night he celebrated his 300th Premier League game.
Chelsea remain top with 58 points, but are just one point ahead of Manchester United, who drew at Villa despite playing for more than an hour with 10 men after Nani was sent off for a ragged two-footed challenge on Stilian Petrov.
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Chelsea are back at the top of the table and Arsenal are now nine points adrift from the top, thanks to Didier Drogba‘s two goals last night in Chelsea’s 2 – 0 win over the Gunners.
The Ivory Coast forward scored both goals inside 23 minutes, and Chelsea then successfully contained Arsenal at Stamford Bridge despite the Gunners enjoying the majority of possession in the second half.
“Didier is in a good moment, he’s come back from the African Cup with fantastic motivation,” Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said.
“The game was not easy because Arsenal played fantastic attacking football. We deserved to win because you can’t speak about a match only about the possession. Maybe they did have more possession than us, but football is about attack—and defense.”
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Didier Drogba celebrated his return from the African Cup of Nations by scoring his 20th goal for Chelsea against Hull City last night, saving at least a point from the match.
Hull centre-back Steven Mouyokolo headed the Barclays Premier League strugglers in front, but Drogba, in his first Blues match for a month, snared a point for the table-toppers when he drilled home a contested free-kick just before the interval.
Hull started confidently, winning corners on the left and right inside two minutes.
Chelsea repelled them safely but Stephen Hunt’s delivery looked dangerous and the home side were assured in the opening minutes.
In the ninth minute Frank Lampard had the first chance of the match, capping a nice passing move with a swerving shot at goal. Boaz Myhill could only parry it to Nicolas Anelka 10 yards out but the Frenchman fluffed his finish.
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