own(Gael Givet) (20 mins)
Frank Lampard (48 mins)
Michael Essien (52 mins)
Frank Lampard (59 mins)
Didier Drogba (64 mins)
Barclays Premier League
, Oct 24, 2009
Ground: Stamford Bridge
, Kickoff: 17:30 , Att 40,836
Team news
Chelsea preview
Carlo Ancelotti is hoping to be back in the dugout on Saturday after rushing home to Italy to be with his seriously ill father.
The Italian coach learned that his father Giuseppe, 86, had been taken sick after Chelsea's 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night.
His father was in a stable condition on Thursday night and the club's assistant boss Ray Wilkins is confident that Ancelotti will be back in time for the 5.30pm home game with Blackburn in the Premier League.
"I am sincerely hoping that Carlo will be back," said Wilkins.
"His father is not in the best of condition. I spoke to Carlo last night and his father was stable, so we are keeping our fingers crossed that he will be back. Carlo will decide who plays." Wilkins will take charge of the side against Rovers if Ancelotti remains in Italy as the Blues look to get back to winning ways in the domestic league.
Last week's defeat at Aston Villa came courtesy of two defensive lapses from corners.
Although Chelsea bounced back against Atletico in midweek, they conceded the leadership of the Premier League to Manchester United.
With United playing Liverpool on Sunday, Chelsea have the chance to return to the summit against Sam Allardyce's team.
Much of the build-up to the Rovers game has concerned Chelsea's bid to get FIFA's transfer ban suspended via the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Chelsea are currently banned from signing any new players for the next two transfer windows after being found guilty of inducing teenager Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens two years ago.
A suspension would allow Chelsea to strengthen their squad in January during a period when they will lose Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Michael Essien and John Mikel Obi to the African Nations Cup.
However, Wilkins said: "We have got a massive game against Blackburn tomorrow and as far as the transfer situation is concerned I am not overly concerned about that.
"It would be very pleasant to be able to bring people in because we lose some influential players in Kalou, Drogba, Essien and Mikel, but we have a squad here that is more than capable of coping with that situation.
"If we are able to bring people in then all well and good and if we are not, we'll just crack on with what we have got." Kalou, who scored twice in the demolition of Madrid in midweek is pushing for a place in the starting line-up but may have to settle for another stint on the bench.
Wilkins also insisted that centre-half Ricardo Carvalho, left out of the side against Madrid, was rested and not dropped following their defeat at Villa.
Blackburn preview
Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce has angrily demanded an apology from Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni after labelling the Italian's comments about Steven Reid "disgusting".
Reid, 28, has made just two Carling Cup appearances in nearly a year after sustaining a serious knee injury and saw his first-team comeback hindered recently with a niggling Achilles tendon complaint.
When asked about the player, Trapattoni cast doubt on whether he would ever be able to return to his best, saying a full recovery would be "very, very difficult", something which Reid himself declared his surprise at.
Allardyce, though, pulled no punches with his response on the matter, demanding action from both the Football Association of Ireland and Trapattoni himself.
"It's disgraceful, completely out of order," said the Rovers boss, whose side face Chelsea in Saturday's late kick-off.
"He's not talking correctly in terms of Steven's injury. What he's saying is completely untrue and something he should apologise for.
"He's undermined us as a football club, undermined Steven as a player and he has really been very, very naughty in what he has said.
"He should make a public apology and hopefully that will be the end of it.
"Steven's had a long haul and he's trying to resurrect his career and secure a new contract. He also wants to go and play for his country as he has done many, many times and given his all on every occasion.
"There's no player more honest than Steven and to be dealt that sort of a blow at this stage, when he's not feeling the best, trying to come back from a big injury and picking up another little niggle, is very disrespectful to say the least. It's disgusting." Back on the pitch, Rovers will be looking to collect a first away point of the season in one of the hardest possible venues.
They will have to do so with Italian forward Franco Di Santo, ineligible to face his parent club, as well as Vince Grella and, possibly, full-back Pascal Chimbonda.
Chelsea vs Blackburn
Last modified 10:01 25/10/09
Sunday Mirror match report by Steve Stammers
Chelsea moved back to the top of the Premier League with an awesome performance of power, pace and sheer dynamism at Stamford Bridge.
Make no mistake - Chelsea showed the pedigree of champions as they dismantled a Blackburn outfit which bore none of the traditional hallmarks of resilience associated with a Sam Allardyce team.
Part of the reason for that was the swine flu that laid low David Dunn and Christopher Samba.
And Chelsea had just the players to capitalise on Blackburn’s shortcomings.
They also had, for the first time in 10 months, Joe Cole to weave his individual magic.
Fabio Capello is an Italian manager who will this morning be as delighted as his compatriot Carlo Ancelotti that Cole is back in the groove.
“He is a genius,” said Chelsea boss Ancelotti, who will return to Italy today to be with his father Giuseppe, who was taken ill last week.
“He has fantastic quality in midfield. He has worked hard and he is a great professional. I am happy for him and I am happy for us.”
Frank Lampard was so impressed that he wanted to give his Man of the Match award to Cole. “You deserve that, geezer,” said Lampard. And so the praise kept coming.
True, Cole made a significant impact in what was his first Premier League start for 10 months. But this was no one-man show - and the contribution of Michael Ballack can not be under-estimated.
He ruled the central midfield. The German will never collapse through exhaustion with his strolling style but his passing was immaculate and, just as important, his selection of pass was flawless.
He was the man Blackburn failed to nail and they paid a heavy price.
“We were pathetic in the second half,” said Allardyce of his Blackburn outfit. “We were not tough enough, mentally and physically and we have to make sure we improve our away performances.”
He has a point. The quintet conceded yesterday came in the wake of the half-dozen they let in at Arsenal in their last away game.
Meanwhile, Ancelotti was beaming. He reputedly likes the occasional cigarette - last night he could have been forgiven for lighting up a Havana cigar.
After the setback at Aston Villa eight days ago, question marks were raised against Chelsea’s title credentials. Those doubts have been erased inside four days with the 4-0 hammering of Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and the destruction of Blackburn.
It could and should have been over at half-time. Only Paul Robinson in the Blackburn goal stood between Chelsea and a substantial lead.
He made stunning saves - twice from Didier Drogba and once from John Terry. Indeed, it took an own goal to beat him when Gael Givet deflected a Nicolas Anelka cross past a stranded Robinson.
But Blackburn capitulated within two minutes of the restart. “I don’t know why but we threw a game plan that was working out of the window,” said Allardyce.
“The second goal was always going to be important,” said Lampard afterwards. And he duly scored it after Drogba rolled the ball low into the area.
Then Micahel Essien decided to join in as Blackburn looked more and more vulnerable and demoralised. His 25-yard thunderbolt wrong-footed Robinson and the game was over as a contest. But the scoring was not.
The fourth came just before the hour when Drogba drew a rash challenge from Ryan Nelsen and Lampard converted the penalty for his third goal in a week. Drought over for him, it can be assumed.
The fifth involved the hugely-influential Ballack when his corner was headed home at the near post by Drogba.
It was a goal that summed up Blackburn’s defensive malaise. The Ivory Coast striker had an opponent in front of him and behind him but was still able to head home.
Crisis well and truly over - for Chelsea at least. Blackburn’s has only just started.
| Player rating out of ten | Player name | Substitution | Did they score? | Player's disciplinary record | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Petr Cech | ||||
| 2 | Branislav Ivanovic | ||||
| 6 | Ricardo Carvalho(sub 66) |
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| 26 | John Terry | ||||
| 35 | Juliano Belletti(sub 60) |
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| 5 | Michael Essien |
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| 13 | Michael Ballack | ||||
| 8 | Frank Lampard |
|
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| 10 | Joe Cole(sub 76) |
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| 39 | Nicolas Anelka | ||||
| 11 | Didier Drogba |
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| Substitutes | |||||
| 40 | Henrique Hilario | ||||
| 15 | Florent Malouda | ||||
| 19 | Paulo Ferreira(sub 60) |
|
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| 20 | Deco | ||||
| 21 | Salomon Kalou | ||||
| 23 | Daniel Sturridge(sub 76) |
|
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| 43 | Jeffrey Bruma(sub 66) |
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| Player rating out of ten | Player name | Did they score? | Player's disciplinary record | Substitution | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Robinson | ||||
| 2 | Lars Jacobsen(sub 59) |
|
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| 21 | Martin Olsson | ||||
| 6 | Ryan Nelsen | ||||
| 5 | Gael Givet |
|
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| 17 | Keith Andrews | ||||
| 15 | Steven Nzonzi | ||||
| 12 | Morten Gamst Pedersen(sub 68) |
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| 7 | Brett Emerton | ||||
| 18 | El-Hadji Diouf | ||||
| 9 | Jason Roberts(sub 52) |
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| Substitutes | |||||
| 32 | Jason Brown | ||||
| 10 | Benedict McCarthy | ||||
| 16 | Steven Reid | ||||
| 22 | Nicola Kalinic(sub 52) |
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| 23 | David Hoilett(sub 68) |
|
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| 27 | Michel Salgado(sub 59) |
|
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| 28 | Phil Jones | ||||
| Team | Chelsea | Blackburn |
|---|
