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.

Cottagers Tamed: Fulham 0 Chelsea 2

Chelsea maintained their perfect start to life under Carlo Ancelotti with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Fulham on Sunday, reports nationalpost.com.
Ancelotti cut a contented figure at Craven Cottage after his side cruised home against their west London rivals rivals thanks to goals in either half from Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.
The triumph put Chelsea into second place in the English Premier League table behind Tottenham, but of more significance to Ancelotti will have been the nonchalant manner of the performance.
Chelsea were almost completely untroubled by Roy Hodgson's team, who badly missed the injured Andy Johnson, and this display - characterised by doughty defending and lethal finishing - sent an ominous message to their title rivals.
Ancelotti's satisfaction will have been compounded by the fact that Fulham are a side that traditionally revel in bloodying the noses of the top flight's elite, and Chelsea have suffered more than most.
The Blues had won just three of their previous seven encounters with their near neighbours: hardly a catastrophic record, but not exactly glittering, so the visitors would have been forgiven a little wariness.
That showed in the opening stages, when neither side took the game by the throat.
Fulham, who handed a debut to Republic of Ireland winger Damien Duff, were predictably high-octane, snappy in the tackle and eager to harry their glitzy opponents at every opportunity, and while they delivered precious little as an attacking force, Chelsea were largely neutered.
Instead, they were restricted to half-chances. Michael Ballack propelled a free-kick harmlessly over the crossbar from an inviting position five yards just outside the penalty area - much to the disgust of Frank Lampard, who had appeared the more likely taker - while moments later John Obi Mikel skimmed a 20-yarder two yards wide of the post.
But patience has been a feature of the early Ancelotti era and, just as in their previous league outings this season, their wait was rewarded again when they finally cracked Fulham's resolve with a neatly worked goal in the 39th minute.
The architect was Anelka, the striker splitting the hosts' central defensive pairing of Aaron Hughes and Brede Hangeland with a beautifully weighted pass.
Drogba, having curved his run to perfection, took the ball in his stride and clipped his shot into the corner.
Fulham were angry at the referee's assistant for failing to intervene then but they were grateful moments later, when Drogba was set clear by a delicious pass from Lampard, only for the flag to be raised. Replays suggested the 31-year-old had once again timed his run to the split-second.
Hodgson hardly had the manpower to instigate sweeping changes, so Chelsea remained largely unruffled after the interval.
Drogba might have had a second goal when his angled snap-shot on the turn was smartly saved by Mark Schwarzer, while Lampard dragged wide from a similar position moments later.
That might have briefly reinvigorated Fulham's hopes of an unlikely point but they were snuffed out in the 76th minute.
A slide-rule pass from Drogba picked a path through Fulham's back-line and Anelka rounded Schwarzer and rolled in his first goal of the season.