Lampard penalty ends Man City's unbeaten run!

Lampard penalty ends Man City's unbeaten run

Frank Lampard came off the bench to convert a late penalty as Chelsea beat Manchester City 2-1 on Monday to inflict the Premier League leaders' first defeat of the season. City, reduced to 10 men for the last half hour, had wasted no time getting off the mark when Mario Balotelli netted in the second minute after a delightful through-ball from Sergio Aguero.

Chelsea then weathered a literal and metaphorical storm as City dominated the opening period at a rainy Stamford Bridge and were lucky not to concede a penalty before levelling through a Raul Meireles volley in the 34th minute. That goal and the 58th-minute sending off of City left back Gael Clichy raised the home side's spirits and when Joleon Lescott handled Daniel Sturridge's shot, substitute Lampard fired home from the penalty spot on 83 minutes.

City's first defeat in 15 matches opened up the title race. They have 38 points, two ahead of champions Manchester United and seven clear of third-placed Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur. "We needed to win really to stay in the race," Lampard told Sky Sports. "I was very relieved when it (the penalty) hit the back of the net."

City had sought to give a quick answer to questions over what effect last week's Champions League exit might have on their domestic campaign as they raced into an early lead. Aguero saw the space in the Chelsea defence to send a pin-point pass from the outside of his right foot to Balotelli, who rounded keeper Petr Cech and calmly slotted the ball in.

The Italian striker greeted his goal with something much closer to a celebration than his usual nonchalance, half raising his arms as a flicker of a smile crossed his lips. The visitors proceeded to dominate with Aguero shooting just wide before City had a good shout for a penalty when David Silva was caught on the knee by Jose Bosingwa's shin in the area in an action-packed opening spell.

Chelsea could only watch on as City patiently put together a series of fluid passing moves but somehow managed to contain their visitors and stay in the game. They had to wait until midway through the first half for their first chance which came when Didier Drogba forced City keeper Joe Hart to make a low save.

The Londoners drew level when former City forward Daniel Sturridge cut the ball back from a tight angle for a charging Meireles to smash home. Chelsea looked sharper after the break with Juan Mata making some dangerous moves and were further boosted with their man advantage.

Clichy, shown his first yellow card just after the break for a challenge on Sturridge, was given his marching orders after a badly timed lunge on Ramires. That forced City into sacrificing one of their main attacking options by taking off Aguero to bring on defender Kolo Toure and Chelsea capitalised.

Lampard had been patiently watching from the bench before manager Andre Villas-Boas sent him on in the 73rd minute. Ten minutes later the 33-year-old midfielder was celebrating after stepping up to smash home from the penalty spot and his team mates mobbed him at the final whistle with Chelsea firmly back in the title race.

AVB claims media persecution!

AVB claims media persecution

Drogba 1st goal
Ramires 1st goal
Drogba 2nd goal

In the wake of progressing to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Andre Villas-Boas launched a scathing attack on the media for what he perceives as an 'out of this world' persecution of Chelsea.

In his post-match press conference following Tuesday's win over Valencia, the Stamford Bridge manager claimed his side are the subject of 'continuous aggressiveness' from reporters. Chelsea booked a place in the knockout stages with a 3-0 victory which also ensured they won Group E and Villas-Boas had already described the result as a 'slap in the face' to critics.

But the 34-year-old, whose position as boss has been questioned, continued to rant in the wake of the match and claimed Premier League leaders Manchester City have an easy ride in comparison to Chelsea. "This is continuous persecution of Chelsea. Continuous aggressiveness towards one club. We have become your target, we accept that."

Villas-Boas' team could have been knocked out of the Champions League had results not gone their way on Tuesday night and the Portuguese thinks City have been let off lightly given the fact they too are facing elimination going into their final group match. "I hope they qualify, sincerely," said Villas-Boas, who is now preparing to host Premier League leaders City at Stamford Bridge next Monday and had previously accused the media of a premeditated agenda in Saturday's win at Newcastle.

"But the approach to Manchester City is basically, 'if they qualify, they qualify. If they don't qualify, they don't qualify'. We don't get that margin, basically, from you guys (the media). "I will never criticise your editorial choices, but it is a reality. People take a perspective that is out of this world.

."We see a Manchester United defender (Gary Neville) today say in the preparations for the game and says things like, 'I don't want to be one of the Chelsea players today', 'I couldn't play this game' and 'It is a difficult game for them'. "This is out of this world, for me. I don't believe this.

"This is continuous persecution of Chelsea. Continuous aggressiveness towards one club. We have become your target, we accept that. "But you have to accept that today was a brilliant win. And tomorrow, it is unfortunate for you guys, because you have to report on a brilliant win for Chelsea and qualifying first. "It is difficult for everybody and tomorrow is difficult for you guys."

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew baffled by yellow card for David Luiz foul!

Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew baffled by yellow card for David Luiz foul

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is to examine the rule book after admitting he was baffled as to why Chelsea's David Luiz was not sent off today. In the fourth minute and with the score 0-0, the Brazilian brought down Demba Ba with only goalkeeper Petr Cech standing between him and the opening goal. But referee Mike Dean decided only to show a yellow card.

Pardew told Sky Sports that Dean had told him Ba did not have "control of the ball" so it was not a red-card offence. "I am going to have to look at the rule book," said Pardew. "It's a sending-off, it's as simple as that. It changed the game." Goals from Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou and Daniel Sturridge ensured Chelsea return to Stamford Bridge with three points.

Pardew continued: "He's in on goal and he brings him down. I do not understand the logic of referees when that happens. I genuinely believe that the referee got that wrong." Chelsea manager André Villa-Boas said the 3-0 victory was a "massive result". But he admitted the Blues were lucky to keep 11 men on the field.

"We have been treated unfairly for quite some time as well and maybe today the decision fell our way," Villas-Boas said. "I'm sure Alan will not be happy." Drogba admitted it was important to go into next week's must-win Champions League clash against Valencia with a victory. He said: "Even if we had a bad result we still have to win the game in the Champions League. "It's good to approach the game with three points."

Newcastle 0 - Chelsea 3 highlights

Chelsea need an anxiety cure, admits Villas-Boas!

Chelsea need an anxiety cure, admits Villas-Boas

CHELSEA 0 vs LIVERPOOL 2

UNDER-FIRE Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas admits there’s no quick remedy to his side’s alarming slump which gathered unwanted momentum following last night’s Carling Cup defeat against Liverpool

Second half goals from Maxi Rodriguez and Martin Kelly inflicted on Chelsea a third defeat in their last four games at Stamford Bridge, a result which prompted their Portuguese manager to concede “I’m not a wizard”.

Already 12 points off the pace set by Premier League leaders Manchester City, Chelsea will crash out of the Champions League should they lose against Valencia next Tuesday.

“This standard won’t be enough – we need to up the tempo and play that game with the ultimate desire,” said Villas-Boas. “At the moment, at home we’ve just not been good enough. I think we need to get our fans behind us at home and we need to get the emotions right.

“I know, and you can feel, Stamford Bridge has become anxious about Chelsea playing at home, but we need their full support. That’s the only way you can build the atmosphere to take us through this period.”

Andy Carroll missed the best chance of the first half when his penalty was blocked by Ross Turnbull, but Liverpool took a deserved lead in the 58th minute when Maxi Rodriguez finished off a slick passing move. And the visitors moved to within 180 minutes of their first trip to Wembley since 1996 when Martin Kelly headed home Craig Bellamy’s free-kick five minutes later.

KEY MOMENT

Phil Dowd’s failure to spot the most blatant of trips by Sebastian Coates on David Luiz inside the penalty area was an astonishing error. Had Chelsea gone ahead from the penalty they should have received, it may have all been different.

DUGOUT VIEW

Unfortunately, Lucas has damaged his knee, we don’t know what the problem is. We’ll get it looked at and take it from there.

Liverpool manager, Kenny Dalglish

TALKING POINT

Defeat in the Carling Cup is unlikely to represent the straw that broke the camel’s back, but upcoming matches against Valencia, Manchester City and Spurs could be make or break for Andre Villas-Boas.

Alex penalty saved by Turnball

Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas knows victory over Valencia is more crucial than beating Wolves!

Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas knows victory over Valencia is more crucial than beating Wolves

“Wait and see.” It is unlikely André Villas-Boas will utter three wiser words this season than those he used after Chelsea had dispatched a woeful Wolves with ease. Sure, the victory ended an embarrassing sequence of defeats for the Londoners. Yes, it closed the gap on others higher up the Premier League who engaged in stalemate at Old Trafford. Indeed, the game may have given intriguing glimpse of the shape and personnel he wishes to develop at the club. But there was no triumphalism from the manager, no noisy berating of those who claimed he was losing grip of the dressing room. Just a curt reminder that greater challenges lie ahead.

“It was not a game of life-or-death,” he said. “That game will come against Valencia in the Champions League when the team who wins will qualify. We were expected to get three points.” The word “expected” qualifies as the understatement of the season. If ever there were a set of guests to welcome in the midst of a crisis it was this Wolverhampton Wanderers side. Missing four regulars to injury and suspension, Wolves were generous to a fault. Within the first five minutes, Ashley Cole was left isolated in so much space on the left wing he was in danger of succumbing to agoraphobia. Meanwhile John Terry and David Luiz, a centre-back pairing that has shown all the solidity of a half-set blancmange, were gifted an untroubled afternoon.

It was a perfect opportunity for Villas-Boas to give a Premier League debut to Oriel Romeu. The young Spaniard responded with a faultless performance in the holding midfield position, doing several things – tackling, maintaining the line, passing the ball to a team mate – which have recently seemed beyond the usual incumbent, John Obi Mikel. With Ramires and Raul Meireles joining Romeu in the greedy seizure of possession, allowing Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge to run the visiting defence ragged, this had the shape and look of a Villas-Boas side. “Wait and see” what this lot might do in the future was the manager’s implied message.

Still, as a sense of superiority was restored to the Bridge, what would have made the crowd’s day was for Fernando Torres to be promoted from the bench, sensing opponents this supine offered the perfect opportunity for the £50 million misfit to restore his scoring mojo. But Villas-Boas, however, was not one to be swayed. “I heard them,” said his manager of the crowd’s insistence. “But I make the decisions here.” And he decided to give Torres no more than a 15-minute cameo which proved entirely fruitless. For this manager, the collective is all. Unlike certain of his predecessors, even the man in charge is but a cog in the machine.

“It’s not about me personally,” he insisted, when asked if the result eased the pressure on him. “It’s about this club, and at the moment this club is fifth in the table. We just have to continue our work,” he said. “We trust these players to take us to four trophies and I believe in them.” Belief, he said, “will be the last thing to die at this club.” That and an open invitation to Wolves. If only Chelsea could play them every week, then Villas-Boas’s job would be a doddle.

John Terry goal

Sturridge goal

Mata goal

match highlights

'Everything seems to be happening to us' - Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas rues late defeat to Bayer Leverkusen!

'Everything seems to be happening to us' - Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas rues late defeat to Bayer Leverkusen

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has rued his side's misfortune after a last-minute goal saw the Blues defeated 2-1 by Bayer Leverkusen. The Londoners now face an uphill battle to qualify for the Champions League knockout stages, needing to at least avoid defeat against Valencia - a side who hit seven to beat Genk - in their final Group E match.

"Everything seems to be happening to us," Villas-Boas told ITV after the loss in Germany. "We scored first and were compact through the whole game and we had a big chance to go 2-0 up with Florent Malouda through on goal. "It is tough for the English clubs at the moment in the Champions League, but we have to put a brave face on and get back to winning ways.

"We have been conceding a lot of goals, but conceding from a corner is something we have not done for quite some time. We were compact and disciplined from set plays until the very last moment. "One small detail makes a big difference and in this competition you pay heavily."

The Portuguese coach went on to dismiss the importance of a Didier Drogba penalty claim just minutes before Leverkusen scored their winner from a corner. "It is pointless to focus on it now," he continued. "Our focus must be on Valencia - we are still in front of Valencia, it will be a good battle and a decisive one because we expect Leverkusen to do their job in Belgium against Genk."

The former Porto boss also insisted his side must improve their concentration even further if they are to turn their current poor run of form around. He added: "Today we were concentrated and focused but there are no perfect organisations. "If that is the case we need to get the focus and concentration up again because at the moment everything is happening to us. "No excuses, if we need to go one more step up, that is what we have to do."

When asked if the result had affected his resolve to turn around Chelsea's stuttering form, Villas Boas later told Sky Sports: "No, because it is nothing to do with what we do. "We believe in the talent of these players a lot. That is why we decided to take all the competitions with these players. "We believe in them and their talent. It is their talent that is going to take us through this qualification phase."

Villas-Boas also expressed his confidence that his side could defeat Valencia in a winner-takes-all clash to reach the knockout stages. "A draw is sufficient but we are looking for a win against Valencia," he said. "We expect Bayer Leverkusen to do their job against Genk, but we must do everything in our power to win that game. We need Stamford Bridge to be behind us."

Bayer Lverkusen 2 Chelsea 1 highlights

AVB: The owner did not spend millions bringing me here, just to pay another fortune to get me out... WANT TO BET?

AVB: The owner did not spend millions bringing me here, just to pay another fortune to get me out... WANT TO BET?



Under pressure: But Villas-Boas is confident he won't be axed

Andre Villas-Boas reacted defiantly to another Chelsea defeat and insisted he is not about to become the next victim of Roman Abramovich's trigger finger. Liverpool won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday after a brilliant late goal by Glen Johnson which condemned his former club to their third defeat in four Barclays Premier League games.

Chelsea are 12 points adrift of Manchester City and manager Villas-Boas conceded it was a 'bad blow'. But he vowed to fight and refused to accept that his job might be under threat if the slide goes on.

'It is not a question of the owner having patience,' he said. 'We have set out to build something new. The owner didn't pay €15million to get me here form Porto only to pay another fortune to get me out. Our commitment is towards the club and what we are doing in the future. We have enough talent to compete in all competitions, and that's the perspective we take at the moment.

'The situation in the Premier League is not good for us. It's not impossible to turn it around but it's not the brightest of starts for Chelsea in the Premier League in the last 10 years. 'With the dimension of our club, you cannot forget that your fans expect you to win titles. Our responsibility is to win trophies. We're in four still, and we still have the possibility to win them.

'The number of goals we are conceding is something that worries me but we trust our defensive organisation. We believe in their talent to solve these situations. 'It doesn't look good being 12 points behind strong leaders but the December fixtures give us hope if we're able to make the most of them. 'There is no running away from responsibilities. There is no calling this a transitional period. We're not calling for time to work.'

Villas-Boas was unimpressed by remarks made by former Manchester United captain Gary Neville in his new role as an analyst for Sky Sports. Neville said Chelsea's Brazilian defender David Luiz seemed like he was being controlled by a 10-year-old playing on his PlayStation. The Chelsea manager said: 'It's a stupid approach to an opinion but if that's the way he wants to take the game, that's ridiculous.'

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish said any pressure on Villas-Boas was premature, saying: 'Nobody in the football profession will be questioning him. 'I don't know the lad, but he had a fantastic c.v. at Porto. 'There's huge respect for him in the football profession.' But Ladbrokes slashed their odds on Villas-Boas becoming the first Premier League manager to be sacked this season from 33-1 before kick-off to 10-1 after the game.

Sturridge goal

Chelsea 1 - Liverpool 2 : match highlights

'Ugly win' suits Frank Lampard in Chelsea's fight to stay with leaders!

Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 1

André Villas-Boas greeted the final whistle with almost as much delight as Roberto Mancini celebrating a late winner against Villarreal. The relief was almost tangible. Not only had Chelsea avoided falling to three successive league defeats for the first time under the Abramovich regime and its money moved in, the three points courtesy of Frank Lampard's stooping header allowed them to stay in the top four within sight of the leaders.

"We have to keep our challenge right on track," the Chelsea manager said. "We have two games at home now and then we have all December with just Premier League fixtures where we have to go and get the most amount of points as possible. It might be a decisive month."

Villas-Boas is no stranger to English football, having worked at Chelsea under José Mourinho, but he feels the Premier League is more competitive than ever. Not just compared with the Portuguese league, which Porto were able to win by 21 points last season, but compared with what has gone before in England.

"At the moment I think there are five teams with enough talent to win the title," he said. "The two Manchester clubs, Arsenal, Liverpool and us. But then Tottenham are on a fantastic run with a game in hand. Newcastle are on a fantastic run and in the top three. I have always said this is the most competitive league in the world but I've never seen it so competitive as this year. Winning every game is almost impossible and it puts more of a price on the fact that [Arsenal's] Arsène Wenger once won this league undefeated."

The Chelsea goalscorer can second that. "The competition at the top is so fierce you can't afford to lose too many points," Lampard said. "We knew after two defeats that this was a must-win game in terms of keeping up with the leading gang, so it was big. It wasn't pretty but wins like this mean as much as the four- or five-nils when we play beautiful football. We don't mind winning ugly. Last season we climbed back into contention after being 15 points behind but you have to look at how well other teams are doing, particularly City. Experience tells us there's still a long way to go but we don't want to give ourselves too much of a mountain to climb."

Blackburn's marking was at fault when Branislav Ivanovic's cross reached Lampard at the start of the second half, though they had been unlucky to lose Chris Samba with a hamstring pull just before the interval and ended up playing with two makeshift centre-backs in Gaël Givet and Grant Hanley. "I'm not renowned for my heading but I was committed and when the ball dipped I ended up heading it almost off the floor," Lampard said.

Given that the inexperienced Hanley went on to miss the best chance of the game at the other end and Ivanovic headed against his own bar in the closing minutes Blackburn were unlucky all round, although Yakubu Ayegbeni might have been expected to finish more expertly from at least one of his two chances.

It was another strange day at Ewood, with Blackburn fans flouting the terrace ban on anti-Steve Kean slogans by hiring a light aircraft to buzz the ground trailing a streamer calling for his removal. The majority inside the stadium showed deserved appreciation for a gutsy performance before a couple of hundred stayed behind to mount the usual demonstration against owners and manager. How this unhappy relationship will end is anyone's guess, though Kean is right about one thing: Blackburn are not playing badly.

"We minimised Chelsea's chances and made quite a few of our own," the Rovers manager said. "That's against one of the most expensively assembled sides around and we had seven lads under the age of 23. All we can do is accept that protests are likely to be part of matchdays but the players are probably becoming disappointed with them and they don't deserve that. If we weren't playing well or working hard, then OK. But we are, and the players are not enjoying the negativity."

Chelsea's defensive sloppiness exposed by resurgent Genk

 Rameris and Luiz celebration dance

 

Chelsea's recent stutter has spread over into Europe. André Villas-Boas was always likely to contest that a draw secured away from home in this competition should ever constitute the extension of a blip, but his side suffered the same lapses of concentration and outbreaks of sloppiness in Belgium that have afflicted them domestically. After what the manager had described as "a disastrous week", there was to be no real respite in Genk.

The visitors could be thankful that the home side proved considerably less ruthless than Arsenal had on Saturday but there will be realisation, too, that better sides than the Belgians would have prospered when confronted with this performance. Chelsea's are familiar problems: they can be open defensively, while too many chances are being fluffed at the other end. David Luiz missed a penalty, maintaining the trend set last week by Nicolas Anelka at Everton. Yet, even from the top of Group E, this whole occasion felt like an opportunity missed.

Genk were more organised here than they had been in succumbing 5-0 at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago, with Daniel Tozser restored to defensive midfield and more resolve instilled across their back line. But they still should have been comfortably beaten. Chelsea's lax start had been salvaged by a fine Ramires goal, the Brazilian exchanging passes with Fernando Torres before shooting through Laszlo Koteles's grasp from a tight angle, and they should have built an unassailable lead thereafter. Yet conviction waned as chances were spurned and, after the interval, the hosts made their own impression.

This defence, with John Terry an unused substitute, felt exposed too often. Kevin de Bruyne, a long-standing Chelsea target, revelled in the space behind José Bosingwa while Fabien Camus, more than once, bulldozed through the gap between Branislav Ivanovic and David Luiz. Kennedy Nwanganga might have restored parity only for Cech to block his close-range attempt with his legs. Jelle Vossen duly did, converting Camus's pull-back through a cluttered six-yard box.

That was Genk's first goal in this group, and reward for their refusal to be left demoralised by their chastening experience in London last month. "We played even better than Chelsea in that second half," said their coach, Mario Been. "I know how people spoke about us in England after that first game. Maybe we'll buy the papers tomorrow and see that people talk about us a little bit better."

The side who sit sixth in the Belgian league might still have been finished off in the frantic last half-hour, with Chelsea's cavalry – Frank Lampard, Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge – summoned from the bench, but the Londoners continue to flounder where they would expect to flourish. This team are capable of running up cricket scores but they are contriving to choke in front of goal.

David Luiz's penalty attempt had rather summed that up. The Brazil defender had taken the responsibility after Thomas Buffel's handball, with Anelka accepting the decision following his own miss at Goodison Park last Wedneday, only for Koteles to dive to his right and paw the ball away. That miss felt wasteful but not critical at the time, yet the flurry of late opportunities that also went begging reflected greater anxiety. Lampard from a yard out could not contort his body to convert Sturridge's centre, while Raul Meireles – who had earlier struck the angle of post and bar from distance – planted a header straight at Koteles.

When Anele Ngongca comically battered a clearance from the goalline into Nadson, the ball dribbling just wide of the post, Chelsea knew this would not be their night. "We created enough opportunities to win the game, but it's just not happening for us in terms of efficiency," said Villas-Boas. "We hit the post, missed a penalty, had chances in front of the posts. It seems we need to focus in terms of that efficiency. It's not a bad result away from home, but it's a game we expected to win."

This group feels trickier as a result, with Valencia sensing a reprieve and Chelsea facing an awkward trip to Bayer Leverkusen in a fortnight. Even so, four points in their last two games would be enough to win the section. "It gets a little bit tighter, but our responsibilities do not change," added the Portuguese. "Our job is to qualify first and that's what we'd like to do. When you get a bad run of results you have to get a win straight away to take you out of that run, but we're playing difficult games. At the moment, we're still trying to chase that win."

Their pursuit will be carried to Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday with improvement clearly still required. At the moment, there is angst and anxiety where Chelsea would hope to be cruising.

Andre Villas-Boas has no case for his Chelsea defence!

Andre Villas-Boas has no case for his Chelsea defence

If it goes on like this, he'll be known as AVB4 — A Vulnerable Back Four. Andre Villas-Boas was bought in to brighten the place up and get Chelsea playing the attacking football Roman Abramovich craves. Sadly, the stable door is not so much ajar as wide open with a galeforce wind whipping up off the Thames and blowing right through it.

There were always going to be unfavourable comparisons with Jose Mourinho if things went wrong for his Portuguese protege at Stamford Bridge. And after the shambolic 5-3 defeat by Arsenal, the stats are growing increasingly grim. In 10 league games this term, Chelsea have conceded 15 goals — as many as Mourinho's team let in winning the title in the ENTIRE 2004-2005 campaign.

In fact, the five shipped against Arsenal was just one less than the six surrendered in all 19 home league games that season. In terms of league defeats — three in the first 10 games — it's the worst start by ANY Blues boss under Abramovich. It took Claudio Ranieri 18 games before he lost three. It took Mourinho an extraordinary 64. Yes, SIXTY-FOUR. Avram Grant was beaten in just two of his first 32 — including his first at Old Trafford — and still vacated his post.
Phil Scolari lost three of 21, four of 25 and was fired. And, finally, Carlo Ancelotti. He lost three of the opening 15 — and six in all — but still won the Double. Even in his second season, there was only one defeat in the first 10 though this would rise to four in 14 and six in 21. And we all know what happened there.

Under Villas-Boas, Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet in nine league games, their worst run for a decade.
OK, we know statistics don't tell the whole story but there is some damning evidence here. We also know a young manager should be given time. Even Abramovich, with his notoriously itchy trigger-finger, must appreciate this. Yet Chelsea fans trooping disconsolately away from Stamford Bridge on Saturday must be seriously concerned.

Incredibly, their own defence was as poor after the break as Arsenal's had been before it. And this is taking into account the lumbering, out of position Per Mertesacker — at fault for both of Chelsea's opening two goals — and Andre Santos, who for 45 minutes gave one of the poorest full-back displays seen this season. And yet after half-time Chelsea turned into a carbon copy of their north London rivals.

Sure, Arsene Wenger's side are quick on the break and have Robin van Persie in the form of his life. But it was still a shock to see how easily unhinged the Chelsea back four became, as slow on the turn as waxworks, a veritable defensive chamber of horrors. Then, again, this has been creeping up on them. Jose Bosingwa is as good going forward as Santos appeared after the break. But he is as equally a liability when it comes to positional play — totally exposed by Arsenal's Brazilian full-back for the Gunners' second equaliser.

And then we come to the heart of the problem — central defence. Under Mourinho, John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho formed a near impenetrable barrier. Carvalho allowed Terry to play, covered for him and the England skipper did the same.
Terry, of course, is now five years older. But he is not helped by a lack of a regular partner. Alex isn't rated by Villas- Boas and could well be sold in January while David Luiz, despite a great touch and easy, languid movement going forward, is another with defensive weak link. To discover this after forking out £21million is a high price to pay.

Which leaves Branislav Ivanovic. Athletic, powerful, he is the best of the three though too similar to Terry and, like his captain, susceptible to a quick-turning player as we saw when both were left for dead by Theo Walcott for Arsenal's third.
Only now are people realising just what an accomplished defender Carvalho was. And, finally, Petr Cech. To be beaten three times at your near post is a worrying sign of increasing vulnerability.

As was Chelsea's lack of midfield bite and another anonymous showing from the allegedly revitalised Fernando Torres. That this was also, supposedly, Chelsea's best side leaves AVB4 with much work to do.