Chelsea 3-1 Birmingham - Good win see's us second above Arsenal.
It's been a great couple of nights for Chelsea with United and Arsenal both dropping points with us winning tonight. The three points se...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2011/04/chelsea-3-1-birmingham-good-win-sees-us.html
It's been a great couple of nights for Chelsea with United and Arsenal both dropping points with us winning tonight. The three points sees Chelsea move into second in the Premier League on goal difference from Arsenal, both of us six points behind the leaders. I called for a good performance and to make the game in hand count and Chelsea did exactly that.
Carlo made just the one change from the side that defeated West Brom at the weekend and that was Paulo Ferreira making his 200th appearance for Chelsea, replacing Ivanovic. Carlo continued with our tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation and Chelsea picked up from where they left off.
It took four minutes before Ben Foster had to pick up the ball out of the net. John Terry with a sweeping ball from left to right found Ferreira in plenty of space. His cross was flicked on at the near post by Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda forced his way in front of his marker to volley the ball high into the roof of the net at the back post to make it 1-0.
Chelsea were in full flow and Didier Drogba forced a save from Foster before Frank Lampard shot high over the bar. Up the other end Barry Ferguson played a long ball over the top to Cameron Jerome who, with pace to burn, was first to the ball and forced a great save from Petr Cech at his near post to push the ball into the side netting.
Didier Drogba then gave Foster something to think about as he was first to react to a loose ball and fired a looping shot at goal from fully 30 yards. Foster breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the ball fly over the bar.
Halfway through the first half, Salomon Kalou scored Chelsea second with a fine finish. Didier Drogba picked the ball up after dropping off his marker and fed the ball to Kalou with his back to goal 30 yards out. Kalou, brought the ball under control, and dribbled his way across the edge of the box to the right hand side of the D out side the box and curled a right foot effort passed the helpless Foster from 20 yards, in off the post and into the corner to make it 2-0. A great goal from Kalou.
By then you felt as though it was well and truly game over. Birmingham pushed forward but couldn't really muster anything to concern Petr Cech as Chelsea continued to knock at the door with Didier Drogba pulling the strings. First Drogba forced Foster into a save at full stretch, then a Drogba cross nearly found Kalou and Malouda before another Ferreira cross was headed over the bar by Kalou. Half time Chelsea 2-0 up and looking more than comfortable.
Chelsea started the second half similar to the first but David Luiz headed a Drogba corner wide. With ten minutes of the second half played, Ryan Betrand made his full Chelsea debut in the place of Ashley Cole and within six minutes had made a telling impact. With possession down our left hand side, Betrand passed to Drogba and with his back to goal at the left hand edge of the box he flicked the ball back to Betrand. He brought the ball under control, set himself and swung in a fantastic left footed cross straight onto the head of the unmarked Malouda to head home from close range to make it 3-0 Chelsea and the second for Malouda.
What was nice to see was the players reaction to the part in the goal played by Betrand and celebrated with him as if he had scored. A great cross and a great left foot by the way!. Now surely the game was over.
Just after the hour mark, Malouda and Kalou's work for the night was done and Torres and Anelka came on for a run out. They never really made much of an impact though from then on as it was yet another lapse of concentration or a rush of blood to the head by David Luiz that led to Birmingham's penalty. As Matt Derbyshire (a second half sub) ran into the box, Luiz gambled on flicking the ball away from him and stuck his foot into his path. Derbyshire was first to the ball and nicked it passed Luiz so his foot caught him and he went down and the penalty was given. No arguments from me on that one and after an argument between Gardner and Larsson, Larsson stepped up and struck a well taken penalty into the roof of the net giving Cech no chance. 3-1 Chelsea.
One final moment for each side saw Derbyshire shoot wide after Anelka lost the ball when he maybe could have done better and Didier Drogba fire a free kick inside the Birmingham box well over the bar from 8 yards.
All in all, a good win, three points and second place. We're on the up!
KTBFFH
Follow me and my blog on Twitter @chelseadaft
Carlo made just the one change from the side that defeated West Brom at the weekend and that was Paulo Ferreira making his 200th appearance for Chelsea, replacing Ivanovic. Carlo continued with our tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation and Chelsea picked up from where they left off.
It took four minutes before Ben Foster had to pick up the ball out of the net. John Terry with a sweeping ball from left to right found Ferreira in plenty of space. His cross was flicked on at the near post by Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda forced his way in front of his marker to volley the ball high into the roof of the net at the back post to make it 1-0.
Chelsea were in full flow and Didier Drogba forced a save from Foster before Frank Lampard shot high over the bar. Up the other end Barry Ferguson played a long ball over the top to Cameron Jerome who, with pace to burn, was first to the ball and forced a great save from Petr Cech at his near post to push the ball into the side netting.
Didier Drogba then gave Foster something to think about as he was first to react to a loose ball and fired a looping shot at goal from fully 30 yards. Foster breathed a sigh of relief as he saw the ball fly over the bar.
Halfway through the first half, Salomon Kalou scored Chelsea second with a fine finish. Didier Drogba picked the ball up after dropping off his marker and fed the ball to Kalou with his back to goal 30 yards out. Kalou, brought the ball under control, and dribbled his way across the edge of the box to the right hand side of the D out side the box and curled a right foot effort passed the helpless Foster from 20 yards, in off the post and into the corner to make it 2-0. A great goal from Kalou.
By then you felt as though it was well and truly game over. Birmingham pushed forward but couldn't really muster anything to concern Petr Cech as Chelsea continued to knock at the door with Didier Drogba pulling the strings. First Drogba forced Foster into a save at full stretch, then a Drogba cross nearly found Kalou and Malouda before another Ferreira cross was headed over the bar by Kalou. Half time Chelsea 2-0 up and looking more than comfortable.
Chelsea started the second half similar to the first but David Luiz headed a Drogba corner wide. With ten minutes of the second half played, Ryan Betrand made his full Chelsea debut in the place of Ashley Cole and within six minutes had made a telling impact. With possession down our left hand side, Betrand passed to Drogba and with his back to goal at the left hand edge of the box he flicked the ball back to Betrand. He brought the ball under control, set himself and swung in a fantastic left footed cross straight onto the head of the unmarked Malouda to head home from close range to make it 3-0 Chelsea and the second for Malouda.
What was nice to see was the players reaction to the part in the goal played by Betrand and celebrated with him as if he had scored. A great cross and a great left foot by the way!. Now surely the game was over.
Just after the hour mark, Malouda and Kalou's work for the night was done and Torres and Anelka came on for a run out. They never really made much of an impact though from then on as it was yet another lapse of concentration or a rush of blood to the head by David Luiz that led to Birmingham's penalty. As Matt Derbyshire (a second half sub) ran into the box, Luiz gambled on flicking the ball away from him and stuck his foot into his path. Derbyshire was first to the ball and nicked it passed Luiz so his foot caught him and he went down and the penalty was given. No arguments from me on that one and after an argument between Gardner and Larsson, Larsson stepped up and struck a well taken penalty into the roof of the net giving Cech no chance. 3-1 Chelsea.
One final moment for each side saw Derbyshire shoot wide after Anelka lost the ball when he maybe could have done better and Didier Drogba fire a free kick inside the Birmingham box well over the bar from 8 yards.
All in all, a good win, three points and second place. We're on the up!
KTBFFH
Follow me and my blog on Twitter @chelseadaft
