Chelsea went back to the top of the Premier League table with a 7-0 demolition of Stoke City. They sent a defiant title message to fellow title competitors, Manchester United, who went to the top of the table briefly with a 3-1 over Tottenham. Chelsea were able to achieve this result even without their suspended captain, John Terry. Ivorian Coast striker Salomon Kalou scored his first ever Premier League hat-trick, a brace from Frank Lampard, which included a penalty and goals from substitue Daniel Sturrudge and Florent Malouda completed the rout.
Chelsea dominated the match right from the start. Injuries from Thomas Sorenson, who had a suspected fractured elbow, and Stoke's captain, Abdoulaye Faye, who was struggling with a thigh problem, did not help with their embarrassing defeat.
Chelsea could have opened the scoring in the 12th minute when a shot from Frank Lampard was palmed into the path of Ashley Cole, who only managed to sent the ball straight at Sorenson. Didier Drogba forced a terrific save from Thomas Sorenson with a header from a cross supplied by full-back Paulo Ferreira. He almost put Chelsea in the lead in the 22nd minute, only for his shot to soar over the crossbar, straight into the crowds.
However, he created Chelsea's first goal in the 24th minute. Controlling a pass from Malouda, he whipped in a cross for Kalou to head the ball into the net for Chelsea's first goal. Frank Lampard nearly made it two nil three minutes later when his shot was saved by Thomas Sorenson.
The second goal came in the 31st minute. Nicholas Anelka's pass was smartly directed into the path of Lampard by Drogba. Lampard sent a first-time shot which Sorenson managed to save. However, Kalou was the first to react to the rebound and slid in to make it 2-0 in favour of Chelsea. Sorenson was injured while trying to prevent Kalou from scoring and he seemed to have fractured his elbow. He was carried off the pitch by a stretcher after undergoing a lengthy treatment on the pitch. He was replaced by Asmir Begovic.
Two minutes before half-time, Chelsea made it 3-0. Rubert Huth brought down Kalou inside the box and Lampard managed to convert from the spot.
In the second-half, Kalou almost completed his hat-trick 7 minuted into the second-half. His shot was just wide of the goal. However, he managed to complete his hat-trick in the 68th minute, making it 4-0 in favour of Chelsea. Cutting in from the right, he had his first effort saved but managed to slammed the rebound into the net.
In the 81st minute, substitue Sam Hutchinson whipped in a cross for Lampard, who cleverly clipped it over Asmir Begovic. The score now read 5-0.
Daniel Sturridge rounded Asmir Begovic to make it 6-0 in the 87th minute, with Drogba providing the pass yet again. Malouda completed the scoring two minutes later, after failing to convert a cross right in front of the goal in the 78th minute.
Chelsea secured all three points with ease and only Liverpool and Wigan stand in their way of clinching their third Premier League title.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Barclays Premier League - Wigan Athletic Versus Arsenal FC
Arsenal's title hopes seemed to be over as Wigan pulled off a magnificent comeback to beat Arsenal 3-2. Arsenal seemed to have all three points secured after Mikael Silvestre scored Arsenal's second in the 48th minute, after a goal from Theo Walcott in the 41st minute. Chelsea had earlier lost to Tottenham and with this win, they could have been within touching distance of league leaders Chelsea. However, Wigan scored three goals courtesy of Ben Watson, Titus Bramble and Charles N'Zogbia in the just 11 minutes. With this remarkable win, they had beaten three of the "Big Four" this season-Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. Most importantly, they are now seven points clear of the bottom three.
Arsenal dominated the first half of the game but could not find the net for the first 40 minutes. Then, in the 41st minute, Arsenal finally broke the dead lock. Nicklas Bendtnar's through ball found Theo Walcott and dodging a tackle from Titus Bramble, he managed to guide the ball under Chris Kirkland and into the net after breaking away from Figueroa. This was his seventh goal of the season. He should have scored two goal after he missed a one-on-one opportunity to score earlier on in the match, only to have the ball cleared after squaring the ball back for Nicklas Bendtnar. He should have added to his tally after his shot just brushed the top of the cross bar.
In the second half, Arsenal found their second goal courtesy of Michael Silvestre. Nasri whipped in a cross from a corner after a shot from Abou Diaby was blocked by Chris Kirkland. Wigan's defence were motionless as Silvestre headed in Arsenal's second.
Wigan had a few good chances later on but could not convert those chances into goals. Wigan finally pulled one back in the 80th minute after a pass from Victor Moses from the bye-line. Wigan equalised in the 89th minute. A corner from N'Zogbia and a mistake from Luis Fabianski allowed Titus Bramble a free header and the ball managed to cross the line even though Arsenal's Gaël Clichy tried to clear the ball before it cross the line. In the 91st minute, N'Zogbia scored Wigan's third and also the match winner. He produced a curling shot which eluded Luis Fabianski. The match ended 3-2 and Wigan supporters had something to cheer about after their side drew with Portsmouth, who were already relegated.
Arsenal dominated the first half of the game but could not find the net for the first 40 minutes. Then, in the 41st minute, Arsenal finally broke the dead lock. Nicklas Bendtnar's through ball found Theo Walcott and dodging a tackle from Titus Bramble, he managed to guide the ball under Chris Kirkland and into the net after breaking away from Figueroa. This was his seventh goal of the season. He should have scored two goal after he missed a one-on-one opportunity to score earlier on in the match, only to have the ball cleared after squaring the ball back for Nicklas Bendtnar. He should have added to his tally after his shot just brushed the top of the cross bar.
In the second half, Arsenal found their second goal courtesy of Michael Silvestre. Nasri whipped in a cross from a corner after a shot from Abou Diaby was blocked by Chris Kirkland. Wigan's defence were motionless as Silvestre headed in Arsenal's second.
Wigan had a few good chances later on but could not convert those chances into goals. Wigan finally pulled one back in the 80th minute after a pass from Victor Moses from the bye-line. Wigan equalised in the 89th minute. A corner from N'Zogbia and a mistake from Luis Fabianski allowed Titus Bramble a free header and the ball managed to cross the line even though Arsenal's Gaël Clichy tried to clear the ball before it cross the line. In the 91st minute, N'Zogbia scored Wigan's third and also the match winner. He produced a curling shot which eluded Luis Fabianski. The match ended 3-2 and Wigan supporters had something to cheer about after their side drew with Portsmouth, who were already relegated.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Barclays Premier League - Tottenham Versus Chelsea
Goals from Jermain Defoe and Gareth Bale dealt a massive blow to Chelsea's chase for the title. It blew the title race open, with Manchester United, who had beaten their rival Manchester City with a last-gasp winner, now within one point of Chelsea. Moreover, Chelsea's captain John Terry was also sent off in this miserable evening for both fans and players of Chelsea. Even though Frank Lampard manage to score a goal for Chelsea, it was too late as Tottenham went on to win the match.
In the first-half, most of the pressure came from Tottenham. A 30 yards shot from Florent Malouda was parried by Heurelho Gomes but it was only the few chances Chelsea were able to create.
In the 15th minute, Tottenham opened the scoring. After two penalty appeals, Tottenham finally got what they wanted in the third appeal. Roman Pavlyuchenko stepped over a cross from Gareth Bale and Terry leant in with his arm, resulting in the referee awarding a penalty. Defoe was able to convert from the spot and the score read 1-0 in favour of Tottenham.
Pavlyuchenko almost doubled Tottenham's lead with a curling shot which Cech was able to tip it over for a corner. A volley from David Bently was also deflected off target after a skillful run by midfielder Luka Modric. It got worse for league leaders Chelsea when John Obi Mikel picked up an injury and was replaced by Michael Ballack in the 34th minute.
When Chelsea finally found the net, it was flagged offside and they were still trailing by one goal to none. Just before the break, Tottenham doubled their league through a goal from Gareth Bale. Cutting inside Paulo Ferreira, he used his unfavoured right foot to slot the ball into the net. Immediately after the goal, Chelsea almost pulled one back when Lampard's volley was saved by a fully-stretched Gomes.
Five minutes after the break, Defoe almost made it three nil when Pavlyuchenko played him through on goal, only for Cech to save the one-on-one opportunity. The feisty atmosphere went up a notch when Lampard and Huddlestone were involved in a tackle, leading to the Tottenham player getting a yellow card and Deco was also cautioned for his role in the aftermath. Terry, who received a yellow card by bringing down Pavlyuchenko midway through the half, was given a red card in the 67th minute when he fouled Bale. However, he told his teammates that he did not foul both of them as he came in contact with the ball when going down the tunnel after his dismissal.
It almost became worse for Chelsea when Bently produced a chip that almost when into the net, only for Cech to tip it over the goal. Tottenham hung on to secure all three points even though Frank Lampard pulled one back for Chelsea in the dying minutes. The game ended 2-1, in favour of Tottenham.
In the first-half, most of the pressure came from Tottenham. A 30 yards shot from Florent Malouda was parried by Heurelho Gomes but it was only the few chances Chelsea were able to create.
In the 15th minute, Tottenham opened the scoring. After two penalty appeals, Tottenham finally got what they wanted in the third appeal. Roman Pavlyuchenko stepped over a cross from Gareth Bale and Terry leant in with his arm, resulting in the referee awarding a penalty. Defoe was able to convert from the spot and the score read 1-0 in favour of Tottenham.
Pavlyuchenko almost doubled Tottenham's lead with a curling shot which Cech was able to tip it over for a corner. A volley from David Bently was also deflected off target after a skillful run by midfielder Luka Modric. It got worse for league leaders Chelsea when John Obi Mikel picked up an injury and was replaced by Michael Ballack in the 34th minute.
When Chelsea finally found the net, it was flagged offside and they were still trailing by one goal to none. Just before the break, Tottenham doubled their league through a goal from Gareth Bale. Cutting inside Paulo Ferreira, he used his unfavoured right foot to slot the ball into the net. Immediately after the goal, Chelsea almost pulled one back when Lampard's volley was saved by a fully-stretched Gomes.
Five minutes after the break, Defoe almost made it three nil when Pavlyuchenko played him through on goal, only for Cech to save the one-on-one opportunity. The feisty atmosphere went up a notch when Lampard and Huddlestone were involved in a tackle, leading to the Tottenham player getting a yellow card and Deco was also cautioned for his role in the aftermath. Terry, who received a yellow card by bringing down Pavlyuchenko midway through the half, was given a red card in the 67th minute when he fouled Bale. However, he told his teammates that he did not foul both of them as he came in contact with the ball when going down the tunnel after his dismissal.
It almost became worse for Chelsea when Bently produced a chip that almost when into the net, only for Cech to tip it over the goal. Tottenham hung on to secure all three points even though Frank Lampard pulled one back for Chelsea in the dying minutes. The game ended 2-1, in favour of Tottenham.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Barclays Premier League - Chelsea Vs Bolton
A jittery Chelsea was lucky to secure three points from this match. This was thanks to a strike from Anelka in the first-half. However, the performance by Chelsea showed that nerves were clearly showing as they try to pursue their third league title. The Blues had to wait 43 minutes before taking the lead. Furthermore, Bolton almost stole a point late in the game. Judging by the anxiousness the players are showing, the title race would be a thrilling one to watch, with Manchester United right on their heels.
It did not seem Chelsea would have a hard time overcoming Bolton as Yuri Zhirkov created an opportunity for his team in the fifth minute. He whipped in a cross only for Didier Drogba to send the ball soaring above the crossbar.
Following that chance, the Blues had lost their momentum. Bolton created many chances. on one occasion, Chelsea's goalkeeper failed to collect a cross from Lee Chung-yong. Matthew Taylor almost scored for Bolton, only for Cech to recover the ball in time.
Chelsea also almost took the lead in the 25th minute. Jussi Jaaskelainen punched a free-kick from Drogba straight at Kalou, only to hit his head and the ball went out of play.
Chelsea finally went in front in the 43rd minute. Anelka headed a cross whipped in by Drogba. Bolton defence was motionless as Anelka was able to get a free header inside the 6-yard box. Chelsea 1-0.
However, that goal did not step up the tempo of the game and Chelsea continued to look subdued. Even though Bolton enjoyed much of the possession of the ball, they could not find a equaliser. Kalou almost put the game beyond Bolton's reach in the 54th minute when he latched onto a through ball by Drogbe. However, he was unable to convert the chance, shooting the ball straight at Jaaskelainen. There were quite a few more chances that could have made out the game out of Bolton's reach, including a 20-yard shot from Frank Lampard which struck the inside of the pole.
Bolton almost found the net six minutes from time. Matthew Taylor provided a cross but substitue Johan Elmander headed the cross just inches wide of the goal.
Chelsea were able to hang on and manage to secure the three pointss, moving closer to their third league title.
It did not seem Chelsea would have a hard time overcoming Bolton as Yuri Zhirkov created an opportunity for his team in the fifth minute. He whipped in a cross only for Didier Drogba to send the ball soaring above the crossbar.
Following that chance, the Blues had lost their momentum. Bolton created many chances. on one occasion, Chelsea's goalkeeper failed to collect a cross from Lee Chung-yong. Matthew Taylor almost scored for Bolton, only for Cech to recover the ball in time.
Chelsea also almost took the lead in the 25th minute. Jussi Jaaskelainen punched a free-kick from Drogba straight at Kalou, only to hit his head and the ball went out of play.
Chelsea finally went in front in the 43rd minute. Anelka headed a cross whipped in by Drogba. Bolton defence was motionless as Anelka was able to get a free header inside the 6-yard box. Chelsea 1-0.
However, that goal did not step up the tempo of the game and Chelsea continued to look subdued. Even though Bolton enjoyed much of the possession of the ball, they could not find a equaliser. Kalou almost put the game beyond Bolton's reach in the 54th minute when he latched onto a through ball by Drogbe. However, he was unable to convert the chance, shooting the ball straight at Jaaskelainen. There were quite a few more chances that could have made out the game out of Bolton's reach, including a 20-yard shot from Frank Lampard which struck the inside of the pole.
Bolton almost found the net six minutes from time. Matthew Taylor provided a cross but substitue Johan Elmander headed the cross just inches wide of the goal.
Chelsea were able to hang on and manage to secure the three pointss, moving closer to their third league title.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Barclays Premier League - Blackburn Rovers Versus Manchester United
Manchester United's hopes of catching up with league leaders Chelsea suffered a huge blow as they ended a goaless draw with Blackburn Rovers. Paul Robinson had little to da after a magnificent save denied Antonio Valencia a goal. Furthermore, Dimitar Berbatov was a disappointment in front of goal and Rio Ferdinand appeared to be injured near the end of the game.
In the first half, two chances were created by Manchester Untied and both of those were given to Antonio Valencia. However, on both occasion, Valencia could not convert even with a clear-cut chance. The first one was created by Federico Macheda, who was starting for Manchester United in the Premier League for the first time. Valencia latched onto Macheda's neat pass and his shot was destined for the bottom corner of the goal, only for Paul Robinson to produce a fine save to deny Manchester United a goal. The second chance was created by Berbatov, who was given the duty to provide for Manchester United in the absence of Wayne Rooney. The Bulgarian set Valencia through on goal but yet again, Paul Robinson denied Valencia's shot from close range.
The first half ended goaless and the second half was not much of a difference. Alex Ferguson substituted Giggs, who was unnoticeable for most parts of the game, for Darron Gibson, who proved that he had the ability to shoot. Even though his shot in this game was off target, he still tried as Manchester United's title hopes slowly fades away.
In the first half, two chances were created by Manchester Untied and both of those were given to Antonio Valencia. However, on both occasion, Valencia could not convert even with a clear-cut chance. The first one was created by Federico Macheda, who was starting for Manchester United in the Premier League for the first time. Valencia latched onto Macheda's neat pass and his shot was destined for the bottom corner of the goal, only for Paul Robinson to produce a fine save to deny Manchester United a goal. The second chance was created by Berbatov, who was given the duty to provide for Manchester United in the absence of Wayne Rooney. The Bulgarian set Valencia through on goal but yet again, Paul Robinson denied Valencia's shot from close range.
The first half ended goaless and the second half was not much of a difference. Alex Ferguson substituted Giggs, who was unnoticeable for most parts of the game, for Darron Gibson, who proved that he had the ability to shoot. Even though his shot in this game was off target, he still tried as Manchester United's title hopes slowly fades away.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Barclays Premier League- Manchester United Versus Chelsea
Chelsea went back to the top of the table after a 2-1 win over fellow title contenders Manchester United. However, the match winner from Didier Drogba was controversial as he seemed to be offside when latching on to a pass from Salomon Kalou. The magnitude of the error from the referees was further emphasized after a 81st minute goal from Federico Macheda shortly after that goal. If that goal was disallowed, Manchester United could have drawn the match and still be at the top of the table. However, Chelsea dominated for most parts of the match and they should have a larger lead over the home side. Wayne Rooney was largely missed by Manchester United as they lack the attacking flair they usually had. Chelsea had better possession of the ball but they could not convert those possession into chances. Even though they had shots blocked by Edwin van der Sar, none of those chances were clear-cut.
In the 20th minute, Chelsea took the lead through a goal from Joe Cole. The opportunity that led to the goal was also not totally clear-cut though. Holding off Darren Fletcher, Florent Malouda pulled the ball back to the near post. Joe Cole managed to beat Patrice Evra to the ball and slid the ball into the net with a back flick.
Midway through the second half, Drogba was brought into the game as a substitute. He certainly made a difference in the game after he struck the ball pass Edwin van der Sar following a pass from Kalou, giving Chelsea a two-goal cushion in the 79th minute. However, he was clearly offside and the goal should have been disallowed.
Manchester United responded instantly when Federico Macheda pulled one back for the home side. Nani whipped in a cross from the side and Macheda managed to find the net. It was an anxious last 10 minuted for supporters of both Chelsea and Manchester United but Chelsea managed to hold on and win the game 2-1.
In the 20th minute, Chelsea took the lead through a goal from Joe Cole. The opportunity that led to the goal was also not totally clear-cut though. Holding off Darren Fletcher, Florent Malouda pulled the ball back to the near post. Joe Cole managed to beat Patrice Evra to the ball and slid the ball into the net with a back flick.
Midway through the second half, Drogba was brought into the game as a substitute. He certainly made a difference in the game after he struck the ball pass Edwin van der Sar following a pass from Kalou, giving Chelsea a two-goal cushion in the 79th minute. However, he was clearly offside and the goal should have been disallowed.
Manchester United responded instantly when Federico Macheda pulled one back for the home side. Nani whipped in a cross from the side and Macheda managed to find the net. It was an anxious last 10 minuted for supporters of both Chelsea and Manchester United but Chelsea managed to hold on and win the game 2-1.
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