Match reports The Observer, Paul Wilson: “[A] masterful contribution from Nicolas Anelka, who scored one goal, made another and added some much needed finesse to Chelsea’s workmanlike win.” Sunday Telegraph, William Johnson: “Anelka, predatory in the North West while wearing the colours of Liverpool, Manchester City and Bolton, showed all of the sharpness he displayed as an [...]
Match reports Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: “After Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ayegbeni Yakubu had exchanged fine goals, this semi-final first leg appeared destined for a draw. But under pressure from the outstanding Wright-Phillips, Lescott headed into his own net and Chelsea, who had lost John Obi Mikel to a red card, celebrated as if they had won [...]
Match reports The Observer, Duncan Castles: “QPR, taken over in September by two Formula One money men and refinanced last month by an Indian billionaire, are on their way back to the top tier of English football. Their half-rebuilt team may still be one of Championship stalwarts and Premier League fringe players, their football not yet [...]
Match reports The Observer, Paul Wilson: “Inevitably this west-east London derby was a bad-tempered bearpit, and inevitably it was won for Chelsea by a goal from a former West Ham player.” Sunday Times, Joe Lovejoy: “Chelsea are now unbeaten in their last 70 league matches at Stamford Bridge, and Grant has not been on the losing side [...]
Match reports The Observer, Jamie Jackson: “Chelsea will take the three easy points from this outing against dire opposition, but will be cursing the straight arm that late substitute Michael Essien offered Kenny Miller in added time. The Ghana midfielder was sent off and Avram Grant faces the loss of a key player for three games. [...]
Match reports The Observer, Duncan Castles: “You pay off your manager, you make your choice. Grant appears a less intelligent selection by the match. Comprehensively outplayed by Manchester United six days previously, Chelsea contrived to draw with Fulham - a team who had triumphed just once in the Premier League this season and had not won [...]
Match reports The Guardian, Louise Taylor: “Jose who? Admittedly it was against a Championship side in the Carling Cup but a vibrant Chelsea performance suffused with goals and improvisational attacking suggested that there just might be a life for the Blues post Mr Mourinho after all.” The Times, Matt Hughes: “Avram Grant must have feared being fed [...]
As a contributor who always saw beauty in the so-called beast of last season’s Chelsea, I’m enjoying the beauty in the new so-called beautiful Chelsea. But I don’t think we’ve seen the last of our beastly nature, not if we are going to win the Champions League this year. Which the signs indicate is our [...]
Match reports The Independent, Conrad Leach: “It usually takes decades to build up an enmity on the scale that now exists between these two teams, but in their case it only took one match. That was last October, when Stephen Hunt accidentally collided with Petr Cech, his knee hitting the Chelsea goalkeeper in the head. It [...]
