Phil "Look At Me" Dowd : Wigan 3 Chelsea 1

Wigan sent shockwaves through the Barclay's Premier League with a shock 3-1 win over 10(or 9)-man Chelsea, reports skysports.com.
Petr Cech saw red in an explosive start to the second-half which saw Chelsea equalise before immediately conceding a penalty, which Hugo Rodallega won and dispatched.
Chelsea had won each of their six games so far this season and only this week were being labelled as almost unbeatable, a tag which manager Carlos Ancelotti rebuffed.
Titus Bramble opened the scoring on 16 minutes when he headed home unmarked from around 8 yards when Charles N'Zogbia delivered after a short corner.
The Latics held on until half-time and perhaps should have taken advantage of some suspect Chelsea defending as Emmerson Boyce shot straight at Cech from inside the six yard box.
Chelsea began the second-half in great urgency and were level on 47 minutes as Didier Drogba steered home Florent Malouda cross past Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal, who was guilty of failing to hold the Ivorian's tame effort.
Wigan were back in front soon after when Cech brought down Rodallega inside the after the Columbian raced through on goal.
Florent Malouda was sacrificed as Henrique Hilario came in to replace Cech in the Chelsea goal but he was sent the wrong way by Rodallega, who picked himself up to drill home the penalty.
Chelsea were unable to regain control of the game as play resumed and after using all three subs, they were reduced to nine men after Ashley Cole was unable to continue in injury time.
The away side were massively exposed as they desperately searched an equaliser and Paul Scharner capitalised when he poked home from a yard out after great wing play by Maynor Figueroa a minute into added time.

So, another disgraceful display of refereeing. When are prats like Phil Dowd going to realise that the fans come to see eleven men against eleven, not the likes of him.
Make no mistake, if Cech had been wearing a Man. Utd., Liverpool or Arsenal shirt in the same situation he would have stayed on the pitch.
Still, we'll win the league despite the officials, not because of them. We always have before.

Joe Just Happy To Be Playing

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole was delighted with his return from injury in the Carling Cup third-round victory over QPR at Stamford Bridge.
Cole has been sidelined with a cruciate knee problem for eight months but came back and set up Salomon Kalou's winner just after the interval.
"I'm back now and it's blinding," Cole said. "But I'm not going to get ahead of myself. There is going to be a lot of ups and downs. All I can do is keep working hard in training. If you see the size of the squad we have, a lot don't play week-in week-out so it's vital for them to get airtime," said assistant boss Ray Wilkins.
"It's entirely up to the young men to push themselves forward and the two that played have been doing so in the reserves and training. We want to win everything we enter. Every side that takes to the field in a Chelsea shirt wants to win the game and the tournament they are playing in. If we can blood a few on the way, all well and good."
"It's not a bad substitution to make," Wilkins said. "It's a testament to QPR that we had to use Frank, Ashley and John. QPR equipped themselves very well and gave us a very tough evening. It was nice to see Joe and Paulo (Ferreira) come through the 90minutes, Yury (Zhirkov) got a good hour and the two youngsters did very well too."
QPR boss Jim Magilton was pleased with his side's application. "We have to use it as a springboard," said Magilton. We have a chance of promotion, like 14 other clubs. We had a lack of belief in the final third but I was immensely proud of the overall performance."
Magilton, who started with two strikers, added: "I'm not naive but that is the way I thought we could get after Chelsea. We were encouraged against Cardiff in our last game and some players may not get back to Stamford Bridge so I couldn't deny them that by resting them."
Magilton refused to answer questions on owner Flavio Briatore, whose position has been questioned following his role in Formula One's "crashgate" scandal. "I've never met him," Magilton joked.

Hoops Held At Bay : Chelsea 1 QPR 0

Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole returned from his long-term knee injury to help defeat QPR 1-0 and send the Premier League leaders into the fourth round of the Carling Cup, reports espn.go.com.
The 27-year-old, named by manager Carlo Ancelotti as skipper for the evening, was playing in his first match since January and set up Salomon Kalou's winner at Stamford Bridge.
Ahead of the tie, the future of Flavio Briatore as QPR's owner has been uncertain following his role in Formula One's "crashgate'' scandal - but Jim Magilton's men could not give him something to smile about despite putting the hosts under pressure at times.
It was Cole's evening after eight months out with ruptured cruciate knee ligaments, a problem he aggravated in July's pre-season tour of the United States.
The clock is ticking for Cole - he has to get back into Fabio Capello's England squad before the World Cup after watching competition increase while out injured.
Cole was playing in the hole and showing no signs of his injury affecting his approach. He matched Wayne Routledge for pace in the early stages and went shoulder to shoulder. Later in the first half he danced around Routledge and Akos Buzsaky before Martin Rowlands brought him down.
When Paulo Ferreira, also returning from a long-term knee problem, crossed from the right 10 minutes before the break, Cole was on the end of it but stabbed wide of Tom Heaton's goal.
That was a rare bright moment in a dull opening 45 minutes although Juliano Belletti, just before the whistle, smashed a 30-yard free-kick and Heaton tipped over the crossbar.
The other clear-cut chance of the first half dropped to Fabio Borini, one of Frank Arnesen's youngsters who was making his first start for the club.
With FIFA having imposed a transfer ban on Chelsea for two windows, this was meant to be the clash to show what youngsters sporting director Arnesen had unearthed for Ancelotti to utilise.
Instead, there was plenty of experience in the starting XI, with the only Arnesen player to feature being Borini, as centre-back Sam Hutchinson has been at the club since he was a child.
Borini headed over in the 10th minute from Yury Zhirkov's cross and goalkeeper Heaton, on loan from Manchester United, was forced to save powerful efforts from Florent Malouda and Kalou in the early stages.
The visitors had their moments as well, with Jay Simpson volleying over wildly and Buzsaky curling wide after an exciting run by Routledge.
They were holding their own, although boss Magilton was ranting and raving on the touchline, chucking his chewing gum onto the pitch at one point.
His mood did not get better at the break when Ancelotti brought on Frank Lampard for Malouda. The Frenchman was the only survivor from Sunday's win over Tottenham but there was still the likes of John Obi Mikel and Branislav Ivanovic in the side.
After the interval, Rowan Vine's ball over the top almost embarrassed the hosts, with Henrique Hilario forced into a rushed clearance as Routledge chased him down.
But the visitors were ahead in the 52nd minute after Cole spun on the ball and slipped it through to Kalou. The Ivory Coast forward cut inside Mikele Leigertwood from the left and his crisp finish went in off the post.
Borini could have added a second goal when Lampard sent him through but the Italian youngster was forced slightly wide and Heaton saved his finish.
QPR were still in the tie and Buzsaky forced Hilario into a save when his awkward shot from 30 yards bounced just in front of the veteran goalkeeper.

Spurs Smashed : Chelsea 3 Tottenham H 0

Chelsea extended their 100 percent record under Carlo Ancelotti as goals from Ashley Cole, Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba gave them a comfortable 3-0 victory over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.
The win was enough to lift them back above Manchester United to the summit of the Barclays Premier League, three points ahead of their rivals, who had briefly gone top with a 4-3 win over Manchester City earlier in the day.
Tottenham were second best but left having lost more than three points as defenders Ledley King and Sebastien Bassong both suffered serious-looking injuries.
Chelsea goalscorer Cole said: "This is the best squad, team and spirit since I've been here. John Terry won the title here so it's probably not as good as that year but we all stick together and fight. Hopefully that can help us win the title."
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp bemoaned referee Howard Webb's decision not to give a penalty for Ricardo Carvalho's challenge on Robbie Keane at 1-0.
"Robbie tried to stay on his feet, if he went down it might have been different," Redknapp said.
"If he (Webb) felt he (Keane) dived he should have given a yellow card."
Chelsea almost opened the scoring in the eighth minute when right-back Jose Bosingwa latched on to Ballack's header and fired in a shot from the edge of the area.
Tottenham goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, the ex-Chelsea man, was relieved to see the ball rebound back into play off the top of his near post.
Jermain Defoe should have given Tottenham the lead three minutes later though when he was played through by Wilson Palacios's fine ball.
The England marksman already has five Premier League goals to his name this season but was denied by the boot of Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper.
Cech was needed again to deflect away Tom Huddlestone's long-ranger, which caught him by surprise, and Jermaine Jenas fired wide by the most slender of margins from the next attack.
Chelsea's reply was a header from Frank Lampard that wasn't far away either and an effort from Nicolas Anelka that fizzed into the side-netting.
The home side's appeals for a penalty when Vedran Corluka and Ballack collided in the box were ignored by Webb but the reprieve was short-lived for the Croatia defender as Chelsea scored seconds later.
Drogba fired in a cross from the right that was met by Cole's diving header, with the left-back having stolen in ahead of Corluka.
The second half began with Lampard scuffing a good chance wide but there was trouble for Tottenham when centre-back King's already-damaged knee failed him and he was replaced by Alan Hutton.
Webb had another decision to make when Carvalho challenged Keane in the Chelsea box.
Again he ruled no penalty should be awarded although the defender appeared to clip Keane.
Chelsea doubled their lead through Ballack straight afterwards. Anelka's cross was chested down by Drogba and Cudicini could not hold on to the low shot that followed.
Lampard was first to the loose ball and set up the German for a tap-in.
Further disaster for Corluka and Cudicini followed when Cole's long ball over the top sent Drogba clear of the Croatian, who had switched to centre-back in King's absence.
Out came Cudicini only for Corluka to divert the ball past him and Drogba collect it for another tap-in.
Cudicini almost cost Tottenham another when he let slip a shot from John Obi Mikel, who had come on for Ballack, but the Italian just managed to claw it away before it trundled over the line.
There was yet further misery for Spurs when Bassong fell heavily and had to be stretchered off, a fate that then befell Drogba five minutes before the end.

Porto Prised Apart : Chelsea 1 Porto 0

A well-taken second-half goal by Nicolas Anelka gave Chelsea a 1-0 win over Porto in their opening Champions League Group D clash at a rain-sodden Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman struck three minutes into the second half but Chelsea had some nervous moments in the closing stages as Porto pushed hard for an equaliser before having Fernando sent off in injury time for a second caution. The last time Chelsea were in European action here, their hearts were broken by Barcelona's last-gasp equaliser in the second leg of last season's semi-final.
Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa were suspended on Tuesday following their rants about the referee in that encounter.
The hosts seemed to miss Drogba in the first half as strike duo Anelka and Salomon Kalou flitted in and around the box without really establishing a presence.
Florent Malouda fired one effort over the bar while Helton saved an early Frank Lampard header as Chelsea struggled to turn their midfield passing into attacking openings.
Porto looked the more dangerous side in the first half, breaking quickly and keeping John Terry and his defence on their toes in conditions made awkward by torrential rain.
Fredy Guarin headed over the bar and, in injury time, Raul Meireles popped a tame header straight at keeper Petr Cech when presented with the best chance of the first half.
Things changed within three minutes of the restart as a Kalou flick sent Anelka through on goal. His initial shot was parried by Helton but the Frenchman reacted smartly to force in the rebound from a tight angle.
The diving Helton did well to save a Kalou header after an hour while Branislav Ivanovic thundered a header inches over from the resulting corner.
Chelsea could not find the second goal, however, and memories of Andres Iniesta's injury-time strike for Barcelona began to emerge as some sloppy play offered the visitors too many sights of goal.
The Chelsea defence, though, stood firm to get off to a sound start in a group that also includes Atletico Madrid and Apoel Nicosia.
Having reached the semi-finals five times in the last six campaigns, new Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti hopes this will be the season the Blues finally get over the line to win the trophy that owner Roman Abramovich so desperately wants.

Potters Punished : Stoke City 1 Chelsea 2

Carlo Ancelotti saw his Chelsea side stretch their 100 percent record to five matches at the Britannia Stadium thanks to a 2-1 winner in stoppage time from Florent Malouda.
Manager Ancelotti must have been living on his nerves as Stoke threw themselves into every challenge and looked like taking a point.
However Chelsea kept plugging away and got their rewards when Malouda finished well following a knock back from Nicolas Anelka.
Stoke manager Tony Pulis has assembled a team that battles and scratches for every 50-50 ball.

They almost did the trick again and Chelsea were rattled, especially in the first half, and it is doubtful if they have had many tougher physical tests.
Stoke lost two players in the first half with James Beattie and then Thomas Sorensen going off injured but refused to cave in.
Chelsea got a taste of what was to come after two minutes when Ashley Cole lost possession when he was harried by Dave Kitson.
The striker raced on but his cross was poor and Jose Bosingwa was able to clear with ease.
Chelsea responded and Didier Drogba tested Sorensen from distance after the ball had been played back to him by Salomon Kalou.
Beattie should have put Stoke ahead in the ninth minute but scuffed a shot wide when clear on goal.
In the process he suffered an ankle injury and was carried off in considerable discomfort. He was replaced by Ricardo Fuller in the 11th minute.
Chelsea carved out another chance in the 23 minute when Bosingwa surged forward but Dean Whitehead made a good block.
Stoke made the breakthrough in the 32nd minute after Glenn Whelan swung in a cross from the right.
Skipper Abdoulaye Faye was the first to react inside the area and powered a header beyond a stranded Petr Cech.
It was a test of character now for Ancelotti's men and the atmosphere was electric.

Stoke lost their second player of the half with Sorensen coming off in the 41st minute after appearing to pull a muscle and was replaced by Steve Simonsen.
Mainly because of Beattie's injury eight minutes of added time were awarded and Drogba pulled Chelsea level with a shot into the corner after getting away from Faye following a superb through ball from Frank Lampard.
Chelsea almost took the lead a minute into the second half but Drogba hit his effort high over the bar after Michael Ballack had nodded the ball on.
The visitors were beginning to spray their passes about and asking questions of the home side.
Stoke are traditionally dangerous from set-pieces and there was a moment of danger for Chelsea when Whelan delivered a free-kick into the area after 57 minutes but his side failed to take advantage.
A minute later Kitson peeled away from his marker after Whelan delivered the corner but his header went straight into Cech's arms.
Robert Huth almost scored against his old club in the 63rd minute but sent his effort from inside the six-yard area over the top following another good corner from Whelan.
Ancelotti then brought on Anelka for Kalou a minute later in a bid to try and get the victory, not just one point.
Stoke was forced to back pedal in the 68th minute when Bosingwa raced to the edge of the area, only to drag his effort wide.
Chelsea stepped up the pace and Drogba thumped in a shot from an acute angle after
76 minutes but Faye made a brave block.
Drogba then whipped in a free-kick from 25 yards, only for Simonsen to react well and turn his effort around the post.
It was all hands to the pump now for Stoke as the visitors went in search of fifth successive victory and they seemed to be holding out only for Malouda to have the last word.

Chelsea Banned From Signing Players Till January 2011

CHELSEA have been banned from registering any new players for the next two transfer windows in a shock move by FIFA after being found guilty of inducing a French teenager to breach his contract with another club, reports thenorthernecho.co.uk.
Gael Kakuta, 18, joined Chelsea from Lens two years ago after which the French club lodged a complaint with FIFA.
Now FIFA's dispute resolution chamber (DRC) has ruled that Kakuta breached his contract with Lens and that Chelsea induced him to do so.
FIFA said in a statement: "The French club had lodged a claim with FIFA seeking compensation for breach of contract from the player and requesting also sporting sanctions to be imposed on the player and the English club for breach of contract and inducement to breach of contract respectively.
"The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club. Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such breach.
"As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of EUR 780,000, for which the club, Chelsea, is jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par. 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.
"A restriction of four months on his eligibility to play in official matches is imposed on the player Gael Kakuta while the club Chelsea is banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision.
"Furthermore, Chelsea, has to pay RC Lens training compensation in the amount of EUR 130,000."

Clarets Conquered : Chelsea 3 Burnley 0

Chelsea moved to the top of the Premier League with a fluid 3-0 destruction of new boys Burnley at Stamford Bridge, reports Sportal.com.
Burnley, the victors over Manchester United and Everton in their last two games, were no match for an exciting Chelsea side.
Goals from Nicolas Anelka, Michael Ballack and Ashley Cole ensured Chelsea retained their 100 % record.
But for an inspired performance by Burnley goalkeeper Brian Jensen, the margin of victory would have been much greater.
It was a performance that captured Chelsea at their best under Carlo Ancelotti's attacking system.
Burnley clearly could not cope with them and at times Chelsea's play was fluid, fast, and exciting. It was, at last, the brand of football that owner Roman Abramovich had been yearning for since he took charge.
Chelsea announced their intentions within three minutes when Anelka tested Jensen with a 20-yard shot.
Moments later a mazy run by Ballack saw him fire a shot across the face of the goal as Burnley struggled to contain the Blues.
In the sixth minute, Chelsea wasted a great chance to take the lead when Anelka robbed Andre Bikey on the half-way line and sprinted towards goal.
But the France international's touch let him down and Jensen grabbed the ball at his feet as the Chelsea striker looked to go around him.
However, Chelsea escaped in the ninth minute when Tyrone Mears robbed Frank Lampard and sped into the penalty area.
Instead of shooting, the Burnley defender squared the ball to the unmarked Martin Paterson who looked certain to put the visitors ahead.
However, Paterson shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
It was a real let-off for Chelsea but they responded immediately with Lampard putting Anelka clean through on goal. However, Jensen was alert to the danger and claimed the ball at the Frenchman's feet.
In the 20th minute Ballack was foiled by a fine save from Jensen after Deco's pass had given the German a clear opportunity to put the home side ahead.
Jensen then saved from captain John Terry and Drogba, with three goals to his name already this season, curled a 20-yard effort around the post as the Blues increased the pressure.
Jensen pulled off another reflex save on the half-hour when Jose Bosingwa's cross was headed back to Lampard by Terry.
The England midfielder's volley was punched clear by an inspired Jensen.
Michael Essien, handed the holding role in front of the defence instead of John Mikel Obi, was beginning to move forward with increasing regularity as the half wore on.
But the Ghanaian international is not renowned for his shooting and he did not show any signs of improvement when he tried his luck from 30 yards.
Essien had a clear sight of the target but his shot only troubled the fans in the second tier of the Shed end.
A superb run by Drogba down the left ended with Lampard just failing to control the ball enough to fire past Jensen, who collected the ball comfortably at his near post.
But Chelsea finally broke the deadlock when Drogba broke down the right and crossed for Anelka to score from point-blank range.
Chelsea made it two in the 48th minute with a well-worked goal. Anelka supplied the overlapping Lampard, whose cross found Ballack who finished with a diving header.
Chelsea's third goal of the game arrived in the 52nd minute courtesy of defender Ashley Cole.
In a move of elegant simplicity, Chelsea ripped open Burnley's defence when Lampard and Cole exchanged passes.
The accuracy of Lampard's return ball allowed Cole the chance to send an angled volley beyond Jensen.
In the 54th minute Anelka could have made it four but although he rounded Jensen, his shot crashed off the top of the crossbar from just two yards out.
Chelsea continued to flow forward effortlessly and Essien almost made it four in the 66th minute but Jensen dived low to his left to tip the ball around the post.
Jensen denied Essien again in the 76th minute when he punched away a rising drive from the Chelsea midfielder.
Three minutes from time substitute Salomon Kalou was denied a goal when Mears cleared his goalbound effort off the goal-line.
But it had been an electric performance from the Blues who enjoyed a rapturous ovation at the final whistle.