Blackburn 1-2 Chelsea: Sunday Mirror match report
Published 21:15 30/10/10 By Anthony Clavane
Blackburn fans must be getting sick of the sight of Nicolas Anelka.
The Frenchman didn’t have one of his best games yesterday – but he still managed to display the ruthlessness and nous which had his former manager Sam Allardyce drooling about him even before a ball had been kicked.
The hosts dominated the first half and deservedly led when Benjani bundled home El-Hadji Diouf’s cross.
But Anelka’s superb leveller and Branislav Ivanovic’s late header settled it – and kept the Blues on course to retaining the title.
Ivanovic headed the winner six minutes from time moments after Jason Roberts had spurned a clear chance for the home side.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “Blackburn could have scored before our goal and we were a little bit lucky.
“To win here was important because they were better. We were not great again. Blackburn put us under some pressure and we were not able to play our football.
“We knew it would be difficult because Blackburn are a very good team with a lot of strength and physical ability.
“We are in good condition now and I hope we improve on this victory.”
Anelka has now hit 11 goals past Rovers in 16 top flight games – more than any other club he has faced.
Before the game, Allardyce waxed lyrical about Anelka (below), rating him as the best striker he has managed. And what he would give now for a striker with such ability.
Just before the much-travelled star started the move that led to the winner, Roberts had the easiest of opportunities to give the home side the lead – and possibly the three points.
But Roberts, after skipping past Ashley Cole, somehow contrived to shoot wide when he only had Petr Cech to beat.
A few minutes later, Anelka found Yury Zhirkov and the Russian’s brilliant cross to the back post picked out Ivanovic, whose downward header beat Paul Robinson to make it 2-1.
Benjani, making his first league start for the Lancashire side, led an early charge against a strangely lacklustre Blues side. First he tried to chip Cech, but the keeper recovered to palm the ball away. Then he left John Terry for dead but hit the ball feebly straight at Cech.
A goal was coming and, sure enough, it fell to Benjani. El-Hadji Diouf’s perfectly judged cross from the left found the Zimbabwean striker, who rose above Terry and Cole to bundle the ball home.
With six minutes remaining of the first half, however, Anelka showed Ewood Park why his ex-boss had chosen to big him up.
He had been an anonymous figure up until then, but he suddenly exploded into life. Cech’s clearance found Florent Malouda, whose long first-time cross picked out Didier Drogba.
The Ivorian rose above two Blackburn defenders to set up Anelka – who slid the ball past Robinson from close range.
When Benjani went off with a hamstring injury – replaced by Roberts – the home side lost their fizz.
The defending champions should have taken the lead 10 minutes after the restart.
Malouda set up Cole for a great chance, but the left-back, who Ancelotti compared to both Paolo Maldini and Sebastian Coe earlier in the week, scuffed his shot.
With a quarter of the season gone, the title is looking Chelsea’s to lose.
Allardyce said: “They look like potential winners of the Premier League. We outplayed them but they hung on in there. They showed the ruthlessness that we lack in front of goal.
“Chelsea don’t have to be playing better than the opposition to win games.
“This defeat was rough on us – we deserved a point. Roberts had a golden chance. It was a great first touch, coming inside the defender and sending Cech the wrong way.
“But it went six inches the wrong side. That’s what happens at this level. You get punished for missing those chances.
“That’s the big difference between teams like Blackburn and teams like Chelsea.”
