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Match
Preview |
 |
 |
| Result |
Chelsea |
1 - 0 |
West Bromwich Albion |
| Scorers |
Didier Drogba (26) |
None |
| Attendance |
41,713 |
| Teams |
4-4-2
1 - Petr Cech (GK)
13 - William Gallas
29 - Robert Huth
20 - Renato Paulo Ferreira
26 - John Terry
10 - Joe Cole
11 - Damien Duff
8 - Frank Lampard
4 - Claude Makelele
15 - Didier Drogba
22 - Eidur Gudjohnsen |
4-3-3
(GK) Russell Hoult - 1
Martin Albrechtsen - 14
Neil Clement - 19
Thomas Gaardsoe - 4
Paul Robinson - 3
Ronnie Wallwork - 24
Kieran Richardson - 15
Kevin Campbell - 21
Zoltan Gera - 11
Geoff Horsfield - 9
Nwankwo Kanu - 25 |
| Substitutes |
23 - Carlo Cudicini (GK)
6 - Alberto Ricardo Carvalho
27 - Jiri Jarosik
5 - Alexei Smertin
9 - Mateja Kezman |
(GK) Tomasz Kuszczak
- 29
Darren Moore - 5
Riccardo Scimeca - 2
Jonathan Greening - 8
Robert Earnshaw - 34 |
| Substitutions |
J Jarosik for E Gudjohnsen
(74)
M Kezman for J Cole (86)
A Smertin for D Duff (90) |
R Earnshaw for G Horsfield
(83)
J Greening for K Richardson (86) |
| Yellow Cards |
None |
Neil Clement (16) |
| Red Cards |
None |
None |
| Referee |
N Barry (Lincolnshire) |
The Ides of March may
not have proven as fatal for Chelsea as they did for Julius Caesar,
but thanks to a determined performance from Albion and a succession
of misses by Didier Drogba, they were nervously looking over their
shoulders for men with knives right up until the final whistle.
It may ultimately have been a defeat for Albion, and it could have
easily been much heavier, but losing by the only goal at Stamford
Bridge this season is nothing to be ashamed of.
Robson surprised everyone by naming three forwards in his starting
line up with Campbell, Kanu and Horsfield all picked to play. There
was no way that Mourinho would be able to accuse Albion of parking
the bus in front of the goal. Greening was the man to lose out,
dropping to the bench. With Robson opting to put a 'keeper on the
bench, it was Richard Chaplow that was left out of the sixteen altogether.
The decision to go 4-3-3 meant that it was to be an open game, and
it was an entertaining spectacle for neutrals and partisans alike.
From a Baggies viewpoint, the first half was a little too open as
Joe Cole and Damien Duff in particular started to open the Albion
defence up with slick passing and intelligent movement. Gudjohnsen
and Lampard both had good chances early on, but it wasn't all Chelsea
and Albion had the ball in the net in the fifth minute, but Horsfield's
effort was ruled out for a clear offside.
The first of Drogba's misses came from a mistake from Clement. He
was caught on the ball by Joe Cole, and the England midfielder's
cross was just behind Drogba and he could only swivel and provide
a weak shot that Hoult gathered easily. Shortly afterwards, the
former Marseille striker fired over from a Lampard free-kick.
While Chelsea were getting the clearer chances, it was an end to
end game and Albion were playing some neat football. The front three
were doing a good job of holding the ball up in the Chelsea half,
allowing the time for Richardson and Gera to join up. If anything,
Albion were a little too stretched leaving them susceptible to the
inevitable Chelsea breaks.
But on 15 minutes, Horsfield had the ball in the net once again
when a neat move culminated in Gera putting the former Wigan man
through. The flag went up once again but this time it was a marginal
decision. He was about as offside as Lua Lua was when he scored
the winner against Albion at Fratton Park back in December - go
figure!
Drogba was the main threat and after failing to connect to Duff's
low cross shot, and then losing out to a smart save from Hoult when
he was through one on one, he finally did find the net. Duff completely
sold Albrechtsen down the river and got in behind latching onto
a great ball from Lampard. He squared the ball to Drogba and even
he couldn't miss from three yards, although he did tease Hoult by
putting it only just out of his reach.
It was a lead Chelsea deserved but the expected onslaught never
materialised. Indeed, the visitors seemed to pick the pace up and
should have equalised five minutes later. A great cross from Wallwork
found Campbell with a free header at the back post, but the veteran
striker mistimed his jump and completely fluffed the attempt. It
was to prove to be Albion's best chance of the game.
Albrechtsen partially redeemed himself for his mistake that led
to the goal when he made a great last ditch challenge to deny Drogba
once again. Just before the break, Cech was forced into his first
save of the game to keep out Kanu's drive.
There were no changes to personnel at the break and the game remained
an open entertaining spectacle. Duff started the second half as
he had done the first and forced Hoult into two smart saves, but
then Albion started to pass the ball about much better. The team
was much more compact in the second half with the front three sitting
a little deeper and able to combine more readily with the midfield.
Gera was the main orchestrator for the visitors and he produced
their first attempt of the second half as he did well to work some
space for a shot that flew just wide of the far post. He then set
up Kanu for a clear header fifteen yards out, but the former Arsenal
star, who had famously scored a hat-trick at the Bridge for them,
could produce the required finish.
Drogba then had the first of his clear cut chances to double the
lead when Makelele won the ball in midfield and fed Lampard. The
England midfielder found Drogba on the edge of the box, and he turned
Gaardsoe to create space but then placed his shot a yard wide.
Albion looked much more comfortable in the second half and continued
to probe the Chelsea defence, but they never really looked like
breaking through. It was Chelsea who always looked dangerous and
Drogba had another gilt-edged chance when he headed Cole's cross
wide. Kanu's fierce volley was headed over by Huth at the other
end before Duff manufactured another chance for Drogba to miss.
Mourinho gave Albion some respect by bringing on Jarosik for Gudjohnsen
with sixteen minutes left to tighten up the midfield, and it worked
as Albion had little joy for the rest of the game
Earnshaw came on for Horsfield with seven minutes left but had no
more than one or two touches, and Greening replace Richardson with
four minutes left when Richardson took a knock. He battled hard
but when Albion were awarded a corner in the last minute, he once
again failed to beat the first defender and the ball was cleared.
It was a proud determined performance from the Baggies and, while
they certainly rode their luck at times, they can take heart from
the good football they played and that they conceded three goals
less that Barcelona did! The game in hand has gone with no further
points added, as was always expected, but they can go to Charlton
knowing that if they perform in the same manner, three points are
eminently achievable.
Marks
Russell Hoult - 6 - Made some important saves but his kicking remains
inconsistent.
Martin Albrechtsen - 6 - Looked lost against Duff in the first half
but did much better in the second.
Neil Clement - 7 - Was caught in possession a couple of times before
the break but was excellent in the second period.
Thomas Gaardsoe - 8 - Good all round solid performance against an
excellent attack.
Paul Robinson - 7 - Can only remember once when he was beaten all
ends up and he recovered to clear then; even managed to get forward
well in the second half.
Ronnie Wallwork - 7 - Neat and tidy as we have come to expect from
Ronnie.
Kieran Richardson - 7 - Lack of experience showed on occasion, but
he remained one of Albion's best creative influences.
Kevin Campbell - 7 - Missed the best chance, but worked very hard
all game.
Zoltan Gera - 8 - MOM. Superb second half display after a competent
first forty-five. At the centre of everything good for the Baggies.
Geoff Horsfield - 7 - Solid hard working display; unlucky with the
offside goal.
Nwankwo Kanu - 8 - One of his best games for a while; held the ball
well and used it intelligently.
Robert Earnshaw - 6 - Didn't make much of an impact.
Jonathan Greening - 5 - Needs to practise corners!
Bryan Robson - 7 - Brave choice of formation which really came into
its own in the second half. Just think what that game would've been
like had Megson been in charge!
Jon Want, 16th March 2005.
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