[lfc-news] Chelsea report - PA

PA Sport, 1 Jan 2005
Liverpool 0 Chelsea 1

Chelsea celebrated in front of their fans at Anfield as if they had already won the championship. It may be a few months away yet but after their fourth straight league victory they will take some stopping now.

Joe Cole, who came on to score a crucial goal in the victory at Portsmouth on Tuesday, did so again today with a blistering drive from the edge of the box with 10 minutes left.

Liverpool gave everything, none more so than the tireless Steven Gerrard, and they could have had two first-half penalties when Tiago handled and Claude Makelele fouled Florent Sinama-Pongolle.

Their woes got even worse with the news that Xabi Alonso had broken an ankle following a foul by Frank Lampard that cost the Chelsea man a yellow card.

But the difference was that threadbare Liverpool, hampered by injuries, had nothing on the bench to change the game while Chelsea were able to bring on a trio of internationals to turn the game their way.

Liverpool, without Milan Baros and Harry Kewell, opted to leave the youngsters on the bench and play the senior men against the Barclays Premiership leaders.

Out went Stephen Warnock and Neil Mellor to allow Dietmar Hamann and Djimi Traore back into the side, with just Florent Sinama-Pongolle up front and Steven Gerrard playing an advanced role.

Chelsea, having spent £200million plus in two seasons, found little sympathy around Anfield following boss Jose Mourinho's complaints that he only has 17 fit players for this showdown. The former Porto chief was still able to replace Didier Drogba with Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Sinama-Pongolle's pace troubled William Gallas while Gerrard found Claude Makelele detailed to police him. And it was very much cat and mouse early on with Chelsea defending with composure and strength.

But Liverpool should have gone ahead when Traore exchanged first time passes with Sinama-Pongolle, the Frenchman arriving in the box to drill a low shot from 12 yards that Petr Cech had to block with his legs.

Chelsea response was high quality. Tiago's ball into space allowed Arjen Robben to spring the offside trap and drive into the box before shifting the ball to his left foot and giving Jerzy Dudek the opportunity to turn away the effort for a corner.

Chelsea showed they could dish out the tough stuff and Glen Johnson got away with a warning from referee Mike Riley for a foul on John Arne Riise early on but when Frank Lampard clattered into Alonso, he was cautioned.

The after effects of Lampard's challenge on Alonso meant that the Spanish midfielder was forced to hobble off on 27 minutes with what was soon diagnosed as a broken ankle.

Antonio Nunez took over but that caused a Liverpool reshuffle with Gerrard dropping back into midfield and Luis Garcia moving forward to support Sinama-Pongolle.

Chelsea had also swapped their wingers, with Robben on the left flank and Damien Duff on the right. The cause of Alonso's departure was not lost on the Kop and they roundly abused Lampard from then on.

On 38 minutes, Liverpool were convinced they were denied a penalty. It looked as if Tiago's hand had knocked away a Gerrard cross but referee Riley ignored immediate appeals and then had to calm collective Liverpool fury at the next stoppage of play.

Sinama-Pongolle went down under a challenge from Makelele amid more appeals for a penalty. Referee Riley actually awarded a free-kick to Chelsea although TV replays later showed it should have been a Liverpool penalty.

Luis Garcia was booked two minutes into the second period for a foul on Makelele, and two minutes later Duff got away from Carragher on the left before firing over a low cross that Gudjohnsen just failed to connect with in front of an open goal.

But the loss of Alonso had taken the creative spark from Liverpool and Chelsea were slowly taking over with some neat inter-passing as the second period wore on.

But Gerrard was still leading by example and he caught Johnson in possession and cut into the box to set up Luis Garcia but the little midfielder drove over from 16 yards.

Drogba took over from Gudjohnsen on 61 minutes and was flattened by Gerrard within seconds, referee Riley having to calm a mass of jostling players in the wake of the incident.

Joe Cole replaced Duff on 76 minutes and Chelsea were getting far greater possession as Liverpool tired and started to give the ball away too often for comfort.

When Robben fired over an 80th minute corner, Johnson nodded it back and Cole - unmarked on the edge of the box - fired in a low drive that looked to clip Carragher before flashing into the net.

On 83 minutes, Robben was replaced by Mateja Kezman, the third top-class substitute Chelsea had been able to introduce in the second period - the obvious difference between the sides.

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Traore, Luis Garcia,
Gerrard, Hamann, Alonso (Nunez 27), Riise, Sinama Pongolle (Mellor 86)
Subs not used: Harrison, Warnock, Diao
Booked: Luis Garcia, Hamann

Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Terry, Gallas, Johnson, Tiago, Lampard,
Makalele, Duff (Cole 76), Robben (Kezman 83), Gudjohnsen (Drogba 61)
Subs not used: Cudicini, Geremi
Booked: Johnson, Lampard
Goals: Cole 80

Att: 43,886
Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire)

MOURINHO SALUTES MEAN BLUES DEFENCE

Jose Mourinho claimed his Chelsea had "the luck of champions" as his Barclays Premiership leaders escaped from Anfield with a 1-0 victory the Stamford Bridge chief accepted they did not deserve.

And the former Porto manager entered 2005 taunting Arsenal and Manchester United that they will have to "play very, very well to catch us now".

But, while Chelsea had every piece of luck going, Liverpool had none. They were denied two decent penalty appeals and then their woe was compounded by a broken right ankle for Xabi Alonso which will rule him out for six weeks.

With Djibril Cisse out for the season, Milan Baros now unlikely to play at Norwich on Monday and Harry Kewell sidelined for a month, Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez was right when he bemoaned the club's luck.

He claimed: "We are losing an important player now seemingly every week. Maybe we need 30 players in our squad to cope."

Chelsea had been forced back in the first half and Liverpool should have scored when Djimi Traore was played clear in the box by Florent Sinama-Pongolle.

But the loss of playmaker Xabi Alonso to what looked a nasty challenge that earned Frank Lampard a deserved booking, was the turning point.

Alonso's departure destroyed Liverpool's system, forced Steven Gerrard - who outplayed Lampard all game - back deep into midfield and left the Anfield side with a weakened front line.

It got worse though for Benitez's team. Somehow referee Mike Riley missed a clear handball by Tiago in the box and also failed to punish a push on Sinama-Pongolle by Claude Makelele.

Liverpool were furious and once the second period started they had lost their momentum.

Their anger continued into the tunnel at half-time when Jamie Carragher confronted the official, clearly heard on a TV microphone.

Liverpool still threatened after the break, through Gerrard and twice from Luis Garcia but Chelsea, superbly marshalled by John Terry, weathered the storm.

The Blues were able to introduce top internationals from the bench and then scamper to victory thanks to a 20-yard deflected drive from Joe Cole which broke Liverpool's collective will.

Mourinho was honest at the end to say: "We were very fortunate, my players had to fight to earn the luck we had.

"There were fantastic individual defensive performances.

"But Liverpool were as good, they had the same spirit and fight as us and they did not have any of the luck we had.

"If I was Rafael Benitez I would be very disappointed not to have got a draw from the game, that would have been a fair result.

"For a period in the first half we were forced back and we lost the emotional control with such a fantastic crowd behind them.

"I feel sorry for Liverpool and their players - we have not had a harder match than this in the league this season.

"But sometimes you have the luck of champions, and that is what we had in this game.

"What we have shown is that Arsenal and Manchester United will have to fight very well and play well to catch us now, it will be difficult for them."

Benitez fumed at the end: "The result was unfair - we played very well in the first half and controlled the game.

"Two things changed the game, first the injury to Xabi Alonso and then the decision not to award us a penalty for the handball by Tiago.

"I have not talked to the referee, I do not like to do that. But after seeing the TV replays there is no doubt in my mind.

"Losing Alonso meant we had to change several players' positions, from then on their goalkeeper was the best player. Only near the end did they have clear opportunities.

"We have lost Xabi for five or six weeks. It seems that we lose an important player every week, it is very difficult.

"I have not seen the tackle yet, I will want to see it on video.

"But you all know better than me how you play in England, you need to understand and to learn from it."

Benitez was clearly unwilling to point the finger at Lampard, but the Kop had no reservations and abused him for the rest of the game.

Liverpool are now 18 points behind Chelsea and intent on grabbing a top-four spot as their only possible spoils from the season.

It means he will have to shop well in the transfer window and any chances of Igor Biscan being allowed to leave this month have evaporated now with Xabi Alonso out.