Football United

Sunday, Oct 03, 2004

For the second time this season Joe Cole rose from the substitutes’ bench to fire Chelsea to a single goal victory, his breakthrough overcoming the early loss of Didier Drogba through injury.

It means even the removal of Chelsea’s principal goalscorer is not enough to prevent the increasingly well-oiled machine José Mourinho is creating from rolling on with another difficult fixture returning three points.

Again there will be plenty for Chelsea’s perennial critics to carp on about – another single goal-only victory, another set-piece decider and a lack of many genuine efforts on goal.

But for those looking for something to admire about this confident start to the season, this was yet another game of impressive control all over the pitch, again built on the foundation of a rock-solid defence. Chelsea started unchanged for a third game running and after two previous wins, the continuity and confidence showed.

For entertainment there was Damien Duff, continuing his excellent form since returning to the starting line-up, and a spot of Duff brilliance as early as the second minute opened Liverpool up for the first time. He pushed the ball one side of Hyypia, ran around the other side but on this occasion Carragher was in place to block.

Chelsea continued to penetrate down the left in the early stages through Drogba and Duff. One such move on 13 minutes resulted in a shooting chance for Lampard but as he spun to face the target, he dragged his effort wide.

Liverpool came with huge doubts cast on their defending methods at corners but this afternoon they coped okay. When one corner went long to Carvalho outside the area, Traore was well placed to charge the shot down.

While Drogba was proving a handful early on, there had been precious little sighting of Liverpool’s newest striker Djibril Cisse, going alone up front with support from Luis Garcia on the right and Harry Kewell in behind.

That was until 27 minutes when first Cisse headed Kewell’s cross a couple of yards wide and then let fly from some 35 yards. That shot was charged down and Drogba retaliated quickly.

Lampard won a tackle strongly, Gudjohnsen helped the ball forward and our swift-footed striker attacked on an angled run, Kirkland blocking before the shot came in.

The next shooting chance fell to Lampard on 33 minutes, Duff, Terry and Gudjohnsen working an opening but once again his range-finder was not functioning fully and the ball rolled well wide.

By now however Chelsea were presented with a problem not of Liverpool’s making. Drogba was struggling with a groin strain that was clearly worsening. Before he could be replaced, Cisse went close for the visitors, drifting in from the left and seeing his shot deflect narrowly wide off Ferreira who had shadowed him all the way.

On 37 minutes the switch was made. Kezman had been ruled out of the game with a slight groin strain of his own so with no direct forward replacement, Cole came on for Drogba with Gudjohnsen moving to the more central striking role. It didn’t stop Chelsea’s attack centring in on Lampard.

On 40 minutes Ferreira crossed and the ever-present midfielder this time headed wide on the dive. Then on the stroke of half-time Lampard was frustrated once again – Duff’s low ball across goal just six inches from the toe of his outstretched boot.

Cisse had looked an occasional danger for the visitors but as the two sides took stock at the interval, it was Chelsea who had maintained continual pressure. Without the weapon of Drogba to cut through the Liverpool defence however, would anyone be able to make it count?

The raw statistics showed not a single shot on target from either side in the first 45 minutes. Cole came close, but not close enough to changing that fact five minutes after the restart when finding the side-netting after a clever pass from Ferreira, who put in another impressive display.

Cole then had the second clear effort of the half too – showing good technique to keep down a shot from a cleared corner. The ball was travelling fast, keeper Kirkland’s hand took some of the pace off but it needed Kewell, back on the line, to keep it out the net.

If the first-half was almost all Lampard in front of goal, Cole was fast taking over and on 63 minutes came success at last. Smertin was fouled 30 yards out and with no Drogba to try directly for goal it was left to Lampard to set something up.

Nothing if not smart, he produced a variation on the subtle delivery that had won the game at Middlesbrough. With most expecting a high ball to the far-post, it instead came in low to the near-post area where Cole, with a deft touch, side-footed inside the near-post.

Liverpool’s enterprise had been limited but now they had to attack. Baros came on for Josemi to make it two up front and Hamann would later follow for Diao with Finnan replacing Luis Garcia at the same time.

Chelsea made our second change with eight minutes remaining, Duff coming off to huge applause with Gérémi his replacement. Instantly the Cameroon international almost had an impact, heading down Gallas’ cross to Gudjohnsen but a tackle came in before he could shoot.

Tiago was another late sub for Smertin, again clapped all the way to the touchline.

Three minutes from time, Gallas, who had enjoyed an excellent game attacking down the left raced forward once more. Lampard carried the ball on and pulled it back, Gudjohnsen took control and sidestepped into space but wasted the chance to finish the game by firing over.

Cole blew another good opening with a poor first touch to Gudjohnsen's flighted pass and then by ignoring a well-placed Gérémi when shooting but quite frankly, it never felt like a second goal would be necessary.

That was almost disproved on 90 minutes when Liverpool did finally make Cech dirty his gloves, Finnan unleashing an angle drive which was punched away.

The visitors’ final chance was a free-kick from 25 yards which Xabi Alonso curled harmlessly into The Shed. The Spaniard’s delivery of a deadball all afternoon had bordered on the criminally negligent.

Liverpool won their first ever Premiership game here in January. Today normal service against them at Stamford Bridge was resumed.

source: chelseafc.com.