Wily Wanderers : Chelsea 1 Bolton 0

A first-half strike from Nicolas Anelka gave jittery Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Bolton and sent them four points clear at the top of the English Premier League.
But it was evident from the laboured performance by Carlo Ancelotti's side that the title nerves are beginning to take hold.
The Blues had to wait until the 43rd minute to break down a stubborn Bolton side that almost snatched a draw in the closing stages.
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson insists the title is Chelsea's to throw away and, judging by the anxiety on show at Stamford Bridge, the run-in promises to be a thrilling affair.
There was little evidence that Chelsea would struggle to overcome Owen Coyle's side when left-back Yury Zhirkov created a chance for the home side in the fifth minute.
The Russian pulled the ball back for Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba who sent his curling shot over the crossbar.
Bolton's defence was almost caught out again moments later but Drogba was given offside as he tried to beat Jussi Jaaskelainen.
In the seventh minute, Chelsea had a scare when captain John Terry required lengthy treatment on his ankle following a collision with Matthew Taylor.
But the England defender was able to continue without any ill effects.
The Blues had lost their early impetus, though, and Bolton caused problems for the home side when Petr Cech failed to collect a cross from Chung-yong Lee.
Taylor almost profited from Cech's hesitation but the Czech Republic international quickly regained control of the ball before the Bolton midfielder could strike.
Zhirkov was in the wars in the 18th minute when he went down following a collision with Bolton striker Kevin Davies.
The left-back required a hefty bandage on his head to stem the flow of blood before being allowed to continue.
Chelsea almost went in front in the 25th minute when Jaaskelainen punched Drogba's free-kick straight at Salomon Kalou. But, luckily for Bolton, it bounced off his head and wide.
The hosts were becoming more and more frustrated by Bolton's battling rearguard and that increased in the 37th minute when Drogba sent another free-kick wide of the target from 20 yards.
Zhirkov was asked to leave the pitch in the 39th minute by referee Lee Probert because he was still losing blood from his head wound.
It was clear the Russian defender's injury required stitches and Chelsea continued with 10 men - Frank Lampard taking over Zhirkov's position until he re-appeared in the 41st minute.
The breakthrough came in the 43rd minute when Drogba's cross was headed home from inside the six-yard box by Anelka.
It was the France international's first goal in 14 games for the Blues in a barren spell lasting just over two months.
Moments later Kalou tried to increase Chelsea's lead but his 20-yard shot was well wide of the target.
Chelsea's opening goal failed to liven up their performance as the second half began.
Bolton enjoyed much of the possession and the home side looked decidedly subdued.
Chelsea had even resorted to lumping high balls in the general direction of Drogba but it was a fruitless tactic.
Kalou wasted a great chance to put the game beyond Bolton in the 54th minute when Drogba put his Ivory Coast team-mate through on goal.
Kalou only had Jaaskelainen to beat but his shot was saved by the Bolton goalkeeper.
But it was a rare chance for the home side, who then survived a penalty appeal when Terry appeared to use his arm to divert a cross from Lee into Cech's hands.
Zhirkov forced Jaaskelainen into another fine save when he collected a return ball from Lampard and thumped a volley straight at the Bolton keeper.
Anelka was replaced by Florent Malouda midway through the second half.
A superb 40-yard pass from Alex in the 75th minute allowed Kalou to get free of the Bolton defence yet again but his angled drive was well saved by Jaaskelainen.
Three minutes later Lampard almost sealed victory when his 20-yard drive cannoned back off the inside of the post.
Six minutes from time Bolton substitute Johan Elmander was inches away from equalising when he headed a cross from Taylor just wide.
It was, though, the last nervy moment for the hosts, who hung on to move a step closer to achieving the league and FA Cup double.
(sportal.co.nz)

Semi Sewn Up : Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 3

Chelsea kept themselves on course for a League and FA Cup double with a 3-0 semi-final victory against Aston Villa at Wembley.
Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba pounced in the 67th minute to put Chelsea in front and late goals from Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard ensured they remain in the hunt to become only the seventh English team to win both competitions in the same season.
It was Drogba's 32nd goal of the season but until he struck with typically clinical efficiency, the FA Cup holders had laboured against a side they hammered 7-1 in the league at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago.
Carlo Ancelotti's side looked lethargic and out of sorts in a largely forgettable opening half.
The state of the Wembley pitch was the biggest factor as the semi-final got underway, with players from both sides failing to keep their feet.
Villa, still smarting from that heavy drubbing, settled much quicker than Chelsea.
But Chelsea had their isolated moments. Joe Cole, attempting to persuade watching England boss Fabio Capello that he is worth a place in his squad for the World Cup finals, sent an angled drive just wide from 20 yards in the 11th minute.
But Villa had more intensity about their game and, although the players continued to be hampered by the greasy surface, they possessed more menace.
James Milner almost put them in front in the 14th minute when his 25-yard drive flashed inches wide of Petr Cech's right-hand post.
But the biggest talking point of the opening half, even eclipsing the state of the pitch, was a Villa penalty appeal that was firmly rejected by Howard Webb.
Gabriel Agbonlahor looked to have pulled the shirt of John Obi Mikel before the Villa striker went down under his challenge.
Referee Webb dismissed their appeals, much to the chagrin of coach Martin O'Neill in the Villa technical area.
Villa's high-tempo game was causing Chelsea all kinds of problems and the league leaders needed a last-gasp header from captain John Terry to prevent John Carew from finishing off a fine cross by Stewart Downing.
But in the 34th minute, Villa were thankful for a superb block by Stephen Warnock as Florent Malouda's cross provided Drogba with an opening.
Chelsea countered through the lively Cole who forced Villa goalkeeper Brad Friedel into a fine save at his near post when Warnock's poor header fell to the Chelsea winger.
Villa striker John Carew, who had been marshalled superbly by Terry for much of the game, was just wide from a corner by Downing in the 46th minute.
But Villa's game fell away, just as it had done in the league game a fortnight ago, and Chelsea, buoyed by a half-time pep-talk from Ancelotti, set about their opponents for the first time in the game.
Deco sent a half-volley wide of the target in the 50th minute and moments later Cole just failed to get on the end of a Drogba cross at the near post.
Cole made way for Salomon Kalou in the 64th minute and two minutes later the substitute played a part in Chelsea's opener.
Kalou found the rampaging Drogba with a clever through-ball but he was foiled by a challenge from Richard Dunne.
But Chelsea made Villa pay from Malouda's corner. Dunne could only head the ball straight to Terry and his mis-hit shot fell to the unmarked Drogba, who steered it home from six yards.
It was his fifth goal in competitive matches at Wembley and broke Villa's resistance completely.
O'Neill's side, faced with lifting themselves in the final 20 minutes, huffed and puffed without troubling Cech in the Chelsea goal.
It was Chelsea who finished the stronger and they booked a place in their third FA Cup final in four years through Malouda in the 89th minute.
Frank Lampard fed substitute Michael Ballack on the right wing and the German crossed superbly for Malouda to sweep the ball home at the far post.
Lampard scored a third from close range in added time but by then it was all academic, with Chelsea's double dream still very much alive.
(soccernet.espn.go.com)

United Usurped : Manchester United 1 Chelsea 2

Didier Drogba's controversial winner allowed Chelsea to shrug Manchester United aside 2-1 and put themselves back in pole position in the Premier League title race.
Sir Alex Ferguson and his team will feel hard done by as Drogba was clearly offside as he collected Salomon Kalou's pass and drove home 12 minutes from time.
The significance of the error only became clear once Federico Macheda had pulled a goal back, with his arm, for the hosts to set up a pulsating finish.
But Ferguson would be aware that the first hour had been completely one-sided in Chelsea's favour and that the visitors should have had a greater advantage than the one goal Joe Cole provided in the first half.
Without Wayne Rooney, there was no real bite in United's attack. And although the 34-goal striker is only out for a fortnight, by the time he returns his side's dreams of glory might be over, considering Chelsea now have a two-point advantage and a superior goal difference.
Since his recovery from a long-term knee injury, Cole has struggled to get back into the swing of things.
Fabio Capello claimed he was not the same player when he left the midfielder out of his England squad to face Egypt last month, raising extreme doubt over Cole's chances of making the World Cup.
Cole's admission that contract talks had broken down was a statement in itself, given it is hard to imagine Carlo Ancelotti allowing a pivotal player to find himself in such a position so close to him being allowed to leave on a free transfer.
Old Trafford has been mentioned as a potential destination should Cole leave Stamford Bridge this summer, so it was an opportunity to impress Sir Alex Ferguson, not that the United chief would have found the 18th-minute opener even vaguely admirable.
Having put his side's obvious failings in possession down to a one-off in Munich last week, Ferguson must have been worried to see the same fault reappearing quite so often, quite so soon.
There is no doubt the ankle injury Rooney suffered in Germany had a negative effect on United.
But the fault lay much deeper, their play too ponderous to have any impact.
All across the midfield, United were wasteful in possession. And with Florent Malouda giving Gary Neville a right old runaround, Chelsea took complete command.
The disappointment for Ancelotti must have been that his team did not make the most of their possession.
Edwin van der Sar denied Cole on one occasion and Nicolas Anelka had a couple of shots blocked but clear-cut chances were rare.
Even Chelsea's opening goal was not a golden opportunity in that sense.
Malouda was invited to run into the home box and although Darren Fletcher eventually reacted, the Chelsea midfielder had the strength to hold him off and cut the ball back to the near post, where Cole got in front of Patrice Evra and found the net with a neat back flick.
It took United a long time to respond. And when the rally eventually came, it took the form of a couple of debatable penalty appeals and referee Mike Dean was not impressed either when Yury Zhirkov chopped down Park Ji-sung and Dimitar Berbatov tried to con him after Frank Lampard's perfectly legal challenge.

The Blues also had a valid penalty claim when the clumsy Gary Neville barged Nicolas Anelka off the ball in the area with no attempt to win the ball.
Had Paulo Ferreira shown more conviction when he raced to meet Cole's excellent through-ball at the start of the second half, the contest would have been over.
Instead, the full-back failed to find either the far corner, or Anelka, and United, who at least sped up a little, remained alive.
The escape certainly seemed to galvanise the hosts, who for the first time made Chelsea's defence creak.
Berbatov, the man of whom so much was expected in Rooney's absence, was just off target with a couple of headers and, off balance, Park was unable to keep his shot on target after a forceful Fletcher run had carved Chelsea open.
The introduction of Drogba midway through the second half emphasised the Blues' strength in depth compared to their hosts, who were forced to rely on the talents of teenager Macheda when Ferguson needed to reinvigorate his side.
Predictably, Drogba had an immediate impact, even if he was offside as he collected Kalou's pass before drilling his shot past Van der Sar.
Down, and almost out, United responded instantly as Cech pushed Nani's cross onto the on-rushing Macheda, which he pushed into the net with his arm, thereby negating any complaints they could have about Drogba's goal, thereby setting up a dramatic ending.
But the Blues were worthy winners in the end.

Villa Vanquished : Chelsea 7 Aston Villa 1

Frank Lampard grabbed four as Chelsea demolished Aston Villa 7-1 to soar back to the top of the Premier League table for a couple of hours.
Lampard's quartet made him third-highest scorer in the club's history, eclipsing legends Roy Bentley and Peter Osgood, with 151 goals.
Lampard was assisted by a double from Florent Malouda and another from substitute Salomon Kalou as Carlo Ancelotti's side smashed in 12 goals in four days.
The Blues have now scored 82 goals so far this season and apart from John Carew's first-half equaliser, were in cruise control for long periods.
Chelsea, who left 30-goal top scorer Didier Drogba on the bench, started brightly enough with Deco finding Nicolas Anelka inside the Villa penalty area in the third minute.
But the France international, given the task of leading the attack in place of Drogba, shot into the arms of Brad Friedel at his near post.
Drogba, who scored twice in the 5-0 midweek demolition of Portsmouth, was rested according to Ray Wilkins.
Lampard tried to surprise Friedel in the 14th minute with a low drive from 30 yards but the American goalkeeper was untroubled by the bounce.
But Chelsea went ahead a minute later when Malouda's low cross was turned home at the far post by Lampard.
It was the England midfielder's 18th goal of the season in all competitions.
Villa's Stephen Warnock required treatment to a head injury after a collision with Joe Cole in the 23rd minute.
Controversy erupted in the 27th minute when John Mikel Obi appeared to elbow James Milner.
But referee Peter Walton booked Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov for protesting about Mikel's challenge and took no action against the Chelsea midfielder.
However, Villa were jubilant in the 29th minute when they equalised through Carew.
He converted a superb curling cross from Ashley Young at the far post to score his ninth goal in eight games.
Moments later Yuri Zhirkov, who was clearly at fault for allowing Carew to ghost into space at the far post for Villa's goal, was booked for a foul Gabriel Agbonlahor.
Deco followed his Chelsea team-mate in the book moments later for a foul on Milner in the 40th minute.
But Chelsea restored their lead in the 44th minute through a Lampard penalty.
Referee Walton adjudged Zhirkov had been fouled by Villa defender James Collins as he burst into the penalty area and Lampard converted the spot-kick with ease.
Chelsea went 3-1 up in the 57th minute when Malouda finished off a sweeping move by the hosts.
Deco's clever ball inside the full-back found Zhirkov in space and his cross was met perfectly by Malouda for the France international to score his 12th of the season.
Chelsea gave away a dangerous free-kick on the edge of the penalty area seconds later when Paulo Ferreira fouled Agbonlahor.
But Milner's effort was straight into the defensive wall much to the dismay of the Villa fans.
Chelsea made Villa pay in the 62nd minute when Lampard grabbed his hat-trick, and his 20th of the season, with his second penalty of the game.
Zhirkov was again fouled, this time by Richard Dunne, and Lampard beat Friedel to become the joint third-highest scorer in the club's history.
It was a game of landmarks for the Blues with John Terry becoming the club's all-time record captain. His 325th appearance eclipsed former great Ron Harris and it was also Terry's 450th outing for the club.
In the 68th minute, rampant Chelsea made it 5-1 when Ferreira and Lampard combined to set-up Malouda for his second of the game and his 13th of the season.
In the 82nd minute substitute Kalou sent a curling shot around Friedel's right-hand post but he found the target a minute later when he drilled the ball past Friedel from 18 yards after an unselfish pass from Anelka.
Lampard then made it 7-1 with his fourth of the game in added time as Villa's 10-match unbeaten run came to a crashing halt.
It also made the midfielder the third-highest scorer in the club's history with 151 goals - only Kerry Dixon and Bobby Tambling are now ahead of him.

(sportal.co.nz)

Pompey Pacified : Portsmouth 0 Chelsea 5

The Blues cut Manchester United's lead at the top of the Premier League to one point with an impressive 5-0 hammering of crisis club Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
A David James howler allowed Didier Drogba to tap into an empty net for Chelsea's opener before Florent Malouda grabbed two second-half goals in 10 minutes.
Drogba's neat finish and Lampard's late goal sealed the win against a Portsmouth side now one step closer to almost certain relegation.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti handed Daniel Sturridge a surprise start as the Blues looked to close the gap on United and atone for their Champions League exit to Inter Milan last week.
Sturridge replaced Nicolas Anelka in Ancelotti's starting XI, which also included Petr Cech and Ricardo Carvalho, who have both been out through injury for a month. Deco was handed his first start since February 2 while Yury Zhirkov came in for the injured Branislav Ivanovic.
Portsmouth manager Avram Grant replaced Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Nadir Belhadj with Steve Finnan and Richard Hughes, while there was no place for Aruna Dindane due to a clause in his loan agreement which would require Pompey to pay 4million pounds to Lens if he played another game for the club.
Ancelotti described the match as a ‘must win’ against Grant, who spent eight months at the helm at Stamford Bridge in the 2007-08 season.
Financially-stricken Portsmouth, who learned before kickoff they would be allowed to sell players outside the transfer window, lined up in a defensive 4-3-2-1 formation at a rain-soaked Fratton Park.
Chelsea were the most dominant team in the early exchanges and Deco combined well with Drogba before the Ivory Coast striker fired a weak shot wide.
Drogba was in the thick of the action again soon after but he wasted a good chance by volleying well over the bar from inside the box.
Lampard thought he had put Chelsea ahead in the 10th minute but James scrambled across his line to tip the midfielder's 30-yard strike around the post.
James was once again on hand to save another Lampard shot moments later from a similar distance.
Pompey started to get a foothold on the game as the pitch cut up under the rain but found themselves 1-0 down thanks to a James howler in the 32nd minute.
The England keeper raced out of his box to make a routine clearance after Deco tried to play Drogba through but James completely missed the ball, leaving the Ivory Coast man to tap into an empty net.
James was left with his hands on his hips as the Chelsea fans ridiculed the stopper for his mistake.
Ancelotti was forced into a change soon after when he brought on Alex for Carvalho, who went off clutching his ankle.
The game came close to boiling point soon after when Pompey full back Ricardo Rocha had to be carried off after colliding with Malouda.
Malouda then squared up to Hermann Hreidarsson, who claimed the Frenchman had used his elbow in the challenge, before being booked by referee Lee Mason.
Rocha, meanwhile, was carried off on a stretcher after a four-minute stoppage while wearing an oxygen mask.
Pompey's troubles worsened when Tommy Smith hobbled off after the half-time whistle.
Smith failed to emerge after half time and was replaced by Quincy, whose clever ball into the box failed to find a team-mate soon after the break.
After his booking, Malouda was booed every time he touched the ball but he soon plunged the Pompey fans into further misery when he picked up Lampard's pass and beat James from a tight angle to make it 2-0.
Joe Cole, who had voiced his frustration at his lack of first-team action earlier this week, replaced the ineffective Sturridge in the 53rd minute.
The midfielder made an immediate impact, drawing a good save from James after a clever through ball from Lampard.
Malouda then scored his second of the night when he reacted first to James' save from Lampard's shot to coolly slot the ball home to make it 3-0.
James then pulled off a flying save to deny Lampard from 20 yards as Chelsea looked to turn the screw.
Kanu replaced Mokoena with 15 minutes left in a desperate attempt to inject some life into the Pompey attack, who were being well marshalled by John Terry and Alex.
Drogba was then played in by John Obi Mikel and the striker held his nerve to slot past James from inside the box to make it 4-0.
Portsmouth then had a golden chance to pull one back but Hughes somehow put a free header from five yards out wide.
Frederic Piquionne then beat two Chelsea defenders down the right but Kanu blazed over from eight yards out.
Second half substitute Patrick Van Aanholt then squared the ball to Drogba but he just missed out on his third by firing over.
Lampard completed Pompey's misery when he finished from Drogba's knock down in the third minute of injury time to make it 5-0. (sportal.co.nz)