Blackburn 1v2 Chelsea

Scorer: Mwaruwari (21) Scorer: Anelka (39)
Scorer: Ivanovic (83)
Attendance: 25,836 FT (16:54)


Match Reports


Chelsea maintained a five-point gap at the top of the league with a battling if unspectacular victory at Ewood Park.

Goals in either half from Nicolas Anelka and Branislav Ivanovic were enough to overturn a deficit brought about by Benjani's early header, providing a win that for long stages had looked in doubt.

Blackburn had started the brighter and deservedly went in front midway through the first half with the Blues struggling to find any rhythm, but Carlo Ancelotti's men know how to scrap, and return unbeaten from Ewood Park for the fifth league game in a row.

Chelsea arrived in the north-west unbeaten, and un-breached, in five Premier League games with a five-point lead to match, but without a goal to show in either of our previous two Premier League outings on the road.

The major team news was the return of Alex to central defence after a four-week absence, the Brazilian replacing Jose Bosingwa who was rested for this tricky trip. Ivanovic moved out to right-back.

As has become customary for a Chelsea trip to Blackburn, the heavens opened around 15 minutes before kick-off and continued into the game, though it would put no dampener on what would become a bright Blue away day.



Blackburn are known for their battling abilities though and it was they who registered the first effort of the game, Morten Gamst Pedersen's sweetly struck half-volley stinging John Terry's thigh as the defender blocked the shot.

The captain had to be quick off the mark shortly afterwards to deflect Mame Biram Diouf's effort behind as Rovers forced the first corner.

Diouf then sent an innocuous chip straight at Petr Cech, but the goalkeeper slipped at a critical moment, and had to quickly recover his footing to tip it behind, then preventing Benjani's low toe-poke with his legs.



The home side were clearly on top, some would argue dominant, and they deservedly took the lead after 21 minutes, when El-Hadji Diouf was afforded space on the left to cross, and picked out Benjani, making his first league start for Rovers, to head home from six yards.

Chelsea responded well, forcing a corner, but then allowed Blackburn to break, and El-Hadji Diouf's cross looked like it would provide a second goal in a matter of four minutes only for Cech to tip it away to safety.



At the other end Yury Zhirkov had a shot blocked by a flying Christopher Samba, and Michael Essien bent one just the wrong side of the post, but the away side still did not look so threatening.

Time to revert to Plan B then, rather than trying to pass it through a rigid Rovers defence, Florent Malouda opted for the more direct route, slinging over a cross from deep on the left towards Drogba, who nodded down into Nicolas Anelka's path for the Frenchman to level the scores.



It was his ninth of the season and set Chelsea up for an improved second period.

At half-time Blackburn manager Sam Alllardyce replaced his goalscorer with Jason Roberts, who would provide a more physical presence.

Ten minutes in, Ashley Cole passed up a great chance to give Chelsea the lead, slicing wide after Malouda had crossed from the right, where he had taken up residence since the break.

On the hour, Zhirkov was the beneficiary of a deflection which threw the ball into his path inside the Blackburn area, but his shot was tame enough for Paul Robinson to parry, and then Samba's gangly frame was just too short to slide Rovers back in front after the ball had bounced around the Chelsea area towards the far post.

Eight minutes later there were more Chelsea chances, first Anelka and then Drogba firing at home defenders.

Carlo Ancelotti was by now thinking about changes, and Daniel Sturridge replaced Malouda for the final 19 minutes.

It took the 21-year-old just two minutes to make an impact, beating two men before firing hard and high into the side netting from distance. Much of the travelling support thought it had gone in.

Ivanovic was booked for a tug on Phil Jones after surrendering possession inside the Blackburn half, and then Ryan Nelsen joined him for the same crime on Drogba, in almost exactly the same position on the pitch - that it was only a yellow for the Kiwi might be seen as fortuitous.

Either side of this Rovers had two golden opportunities, first Mame Biram Diouf, now the only Diouf left on the field, headed straight at Cech, and then Roberts slotted past the keeper but wide of the post after beating Cole.

Just as you were beginning to think the win might prove elusive, the winner arrived, and from an unlikely source.



Ivanovic only seems to score against sides from this part of the world, Liverpool, Bolton, and now Blackburn, popping up at the far post to nod home, unmarked, after some patient build-up had resulted in Zhirkov chipping across the box from a tight angle.

What timing from the Serbian, just how important these three points prove to be remains to be seen, but Blackburn is no easy place to come, and this will be one of our harder fought wins of the season.