Blues Claw Their Way Back Against Black Cats Sunderland 1 Chelsea 3

Chelsea hit back with three goals in 18 minutes from Michael Ballack, a Frank Lampard penalty and a great goal from Deco to beat Sunderland 3-1 at the Stadium of Light after the Black Cats had taken a half-time lead through Darren Bent.
The Blues' Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti had maintained his controversial midfield diamond, albeit with a different balance of players, but it was the hosts who sparkled the more in the opening exchanges. The nearest Chelsea came was when Germany captain Ballack had a shot cleared off the goal-line.
Bent put Sunderland ahead after Kenwyne Jones had a shot blocked and the ball luckily broke to him in an almost identical situation as the disliked Steven Hunt's opener against us on Saturday. It was the England striker's second goal in two games since his arrival from Tottenham but after hios goal Chelsea totally dominated the game till the final whistle, with fullbacks Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole making dangerous inroads up the wings.
Ballack levelled seven minutes into the second half after a corner then Lampard converted a penalty after George McCartney had tripped Didier Drogba. Deco, playing a more positive attacking role, wrapped up Chelsea's second win in two games with a sweet angled drive in the 70th minute.

Bremen Sign Pizarro Permanently

Claudio Pizarro has rejoined Werder Bremen on a permanent basis.
The Peru international spent last season on loan at Bremen but on his return to Stamford Bridge was told by new Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti that his services were not required.
Having already played for Bremen from 1999 to 2001, Pizarro looks set for another return and the Peru star has plenty of Bundesliga experience having also spent six seasons at Bayern Munich.
Pizarro scored 17 league goals for Bremen while on loan last season, impressing Bremen director of sport Klaus Allofs, who is reported to have contacted Chelsea on Sunday to express an interest in signing the 30-year-old.
Pizarro, who was left out of Chelsea’s 2-1 victory over Hull City at the weekend, managed just two goals during his only season at Stamford Bridge.

Matic On Board

Chelsea have signed midfielder Nemanja Matic from MFK Kosice, according to the Slovakian club.
The 20-year-old, who has played youth football for Serbia, completed a switch to Stamford Bridge for £1.5m on Monday, a statement said on the club's official website.
MSK president Blazej Podolak said: "At around five o'clock in the evening we signed the contract on the transfer. Matic goes for 1.75 million euros.
"The success was down to the the fact that the money does not come in instalments, but immediately.''

£50m Bid For Aguero In The Offing?

Chelsea have been given 24 hours to meet the £50million get-out clause for Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero, reports tribalfootball.com.
The Spanish club are preparing for a Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos on Wednesday and if no deal is done, Aguero will play meaning he will be ineligible to play for the Blues in Europe, suggesting a deal would be extremely unlikely.
Atletico will be loathe to lose the Argentine striker but Carlo Ancelotti would hate to miss out on another potential target.

CHelsea 2 Hull City 1

Didier Drogba's double strike gave new Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti a winning start to his Premier League career in a 2-1 result over Hull.
The Ivory Coast international grabbed the winner in added time to shatter battling Hull's hopes of a point.
Chelsea had trailed to a 27th-minute goal from Hull's debut boy Stephen Hunt, but Drogba levelled the scores in the 37th minute with a dipping 25-yard free-kick and then grabbed the winner late in the game to secure maximum reward for the home side.
But prior to Drogba's face-saving strike there were worrying echoes of the Luiz Felipe Scolari era.
Chelsea resorted to far too much intricate approach play on the edge of Hull's penalty area and when that failed it opted to punt long balls into the danger zone from either flank.
They were tactics reminiscent of Scolari's ill-fated reign and, just as Chelsea did so often under their former coach, they saved themselves with a late winner.
The home side should have taken the lead as early as the second minute but Drogba fired wide from six yards after Michael Essien's superb cross fell directly at the feet of the unmarked striker.
Hull gave Chelsea a warning in the ninth minute when captain George Boateng shot just wide of Petr Cech's right-hand upright from 20 yards.
Four minutes later a cross from Hunt was headed over by Dean Marney. The Hull midfielder was allowed to ghost into the penalty unmarked and should have done better with his finish.
Cech then had to be alert to save another shot from Boateng as the Tigers began to find some success in the attacking third.
Hull had weathered the early Chelsea storm and had been far from second best.
Chelsea looked impressive going forward in their diamond formation but the same could not be said for the defensive element of the system.
The home side's failure to clear a free-kick in the 27th minute cost them dearly.
Chelsea had been upset at the free-kick awarded by Alan Wiley when the official insisted that Jose Bosingwa had tugged the shirt of Hunt.
It got worse for the Blues when Andy Dawson sent the free-kick towards the Chelsea penalty area.
It was only half-cleared to Boateng on the edge of the area and his shot cannoned off both Ashley Cole and Mikel before falling to Hunt to apply an easy finish into an unguarded net.
That made it a terrific start to his Hull career for Hunt who was booed all afternoon by the Chelsea fans.
They still have not forgiven the former Reading player for the challenge in an October 2006 match which left Cech with a fractured skull. Cech is still required to wear protective head gear.
The Blues were level in the 37th minute thanks to a superb free-kick strike by Drogba.
Seyi Olofinjana was penalised by Wiley for holding off Mikel 25 yards out and Drogba punished Hull severely when he sent a dipping shot over the defensive wall and into the right corner.
Boaz Myhill then had to dive low to his left to prevent Michael Essien from giving Chelsea the lead five minutes before the interval.
Ancelotti's side should have gone in front within seconds of the re-start.
Drogba set up strike partner Nicolas Anelka perfectly but the France international failed to beat Myhill from six yards.
In the 56th minute Myhill twice denied Drogba with stunning saves as the Ivory Coast international looked for his second goal of the game.
In the 68th minute Hull replaced Hunt with new signing Kamel Ghilas to a chorus of boos from the Chelsea fans and the Blues substituted Malouda, bringing on Deco.
Essien almost gave Chelsea the lead in the 74th minute but his 20-yard volley was narrowly wide of the target.
Bosingwa then brought a fine diving save from Myhill as his effort looked to creep in.
Substitute Salomon Kalou, on for Anelka, then headed over from Deco's cross as Chelsea chased a winner.
But Drogba scored a vital winner two minutes into added time when he somehow chipped the ball over Myhill and into the far corner from an acute angle.