Chelsea 4-3 Bolton Wanderers
After their superb victory at Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek, Chelsea returned to domestic action with the visit of Bolton Wanderers.
Guus Hiddink made two changes from the side that returned triumphant from Anfield with Ricardo Carvalho and Jon Mikel Obi replacing Alex and Michael Essien against an unchanged Bolton side.
Yet the Trotters began the game well although it took until mid-way through the first half before either team could carve out a decent goalscoring opportunity.
It was the visitors who were to go closest, Ricardo Gardner played in Kevin Davies out wide and his cross was headed just over the bar by Matt Taylor.
Chelsea responded almost immediately with a Frank Lampard free-kick bouncing awkwardly for Jussi Jaaskelainen but the Bolton stopper did well to parry the ball wide.
Hiddink’s men slowly grew into the game and might have had a penalty just after the half hour mark after Ashley Cole appeared to be tripped but referee Peter Walton waved the claims away.
Moments later and Lampard and Ballack combined well with the German hitting a fierce strike just over Jaaskelainen’s bar.
With Bolton defending solidly it looked as though Chelsea may go in at the break still on level terms yet with five minutes to go the Blues finally made the breakthrough.
Ballack freed Kalou down the right before picking up a superb return ball from the Ivorian and smashing it home from close range for the opener.
Yet Bolton responded well and might have grabbed a goal back before the break.
A free-kick from the left was flicked on by Davies for Elmander but the striker couldn’t keep his effort on target before Davies himself had a chance after connecting with a long throw, but again his shot flew wide.
It took the Blues only three second-half minutes to extend their lead and again Lampard and Ballack were involved.
The England midfielder’s free-kick was stepped over by Ballack allowing an onrushing Drogba to thunder the ball home from close range.
With their lead doubled, Chelsea continued to press forwards and with an hour gone were offered the chance to extend their lead further after Steinsson was, rather harshly, adjudged to have handled Lampard’s cross.
The Chelsea midfielder stepped up and promptly dispatched the kick, sending Jasskelainen the wrong way, to all but end the game as a contest.
Yet there was to be more misery for Bolton only minutes later as the home side hit their fourth of the afternoon.
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A Florent Malouda corner into the Bolton box was flicked on by Branislav Ivanovic to Drogba who forced the ball in from close range for his second of the afternoon.
With the game all but over Hiddink sent on Deco and Nicolas Anelka for Lampard and Drogba but minutes later Bolton grabbed a goal back.
A mix-up in the Chelsea area saw Petr Cech fail to deal with a Ricardo Gardner header allowing Andy O’Brien to poke the ball home.
The goal gave the visitors hope and it took them only four minutes to add a second.
A deep cross was headed back across goal by Davies for substitute Chris Basham to tap-in from close range.
Chelsea had been warned but they failed to respond and incredibly Bolton scored again to set up a very nervy finish at Stamford Bridge.
A long ball by Jaaskelainen was flicked on by Davies allowing Taylor to head past Cech and hand Bolton real hope of a result.
The visitors continued to press against a suddenly edgy Chelsea but they couldn’t grab that vital fourth goal and the Blues survived.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Ballack, Mikel, Lampard (Deco, 66), Kalou, Drogba (Anelka, 66), Malouda.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Shittu (O’Brien, 46), Samuel, Muamba, McCann (Cohen, 83), Gardner, Kevin Davies, Elmander (Basham, 66), Taylor.
GOALS
4-3 Bolton Wanderers (Taylor, 78)
4-2 Bolton Wanderers (Basham, 74)
4-1 Bolton Wanderers (O’Brien, 70)
4-0 Chelsea (Drogba, 63)
3-0 Chelsea (Lampard, pen 60)
2-0 Chelsea (Drogba, 48)
1-0 Chelsea (Ballack, 40)
After their superb victory at Liverpool in the Champions League in midweek, Chelsea returned to domestic action with the visit of Bolton Wanderers.
Guus Hiddink made two changes from the side that returned triumphant from Anfield with Ricardo Carvalho and Jon Mikel Obi replacing Alex and Michael Essien against an unchanged Bolton side.
Yet the Trotters began the game well although it took until mid-way through the first half before either team could carve out a decent goalscoring opportunity.
It was the visitors who were to go closest, Ricardo Gardner played in Kevin Davies out wide and his cross was headed just over the bar by Matt Taylor.
Chelsea responded almost immediately with a Frank Lampard free-kick bouncing awkwardly for Jussi Jaaskelainen but the Bolton stopper did well to parry the ball wide.
Hiddink’s men slowly grew into the game and might have had a penalty just after the half hour mark after Ashley Cole appeared to be tripped but referee Peter Walton waved the claims away.
Moments later and Lampard and Ballack combined well with the German hitting a fierce strike just over Jaaskelainen’s bar.
With Bolton defending solidly it looked as though Chelsea may go in at the break still on level terms yet with five minutes to go the Blues finally made the breakthrough.
Ballack freed Kalou down the right before picking up a superb return ball from the Ivorian and smashing it home from close range for the opener.
Yet Bolton responded well and might have grabbed a goal back before the break.
A free-kick from the left was flicked on by Davies for Elmander but the striker couldn’t keep his effort on target before Davies himself had a chance after connecting with a long throw, but again his shot flew wide.
It took the Blues only three second-half minutes to extend their lead and again Lampard and Ballack were involved.
The England midfielder’s free-kick was stepped over by Ballack allowing an onrushing Drogba to thunder the ball home from close range.
With their lead doubled, Chelsea continued to press forwards and with an hour gone were offered the chance to extend their lead further after Steinsson was, rather harshly, adjudged to have handled Lampard’s cross.
The Chelsea midfielder stepped up and promptly dispatched the kick, sending Jasskelainen the wrong way, to all but end the game as a contest.
Yet there was to be more misery for Bolton only minutes later as the home side hit their fourth of the afternoon.
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A Florent Malouda corner into the Bolton box was flicked on by Branislav Ivanovic to Drogba who forced the ball in from close range for his second of the afternoon.
With the game all but over Hiddink sent on Deco and Nicolas Anelka for Lampard and Drogba but minutes later Bolton grabbed a goal back.
A mix-up in the Chelsea area saw Petr Cech fail to deal with a Ricardo Gardner header allowing Andy O’Brien to poke the ball home.
The goal gave the visitors hope and it took them only four minutes to add a second.
A deep cross was headed back across goal by Davies for substitute Chris Basham to tap-in from close range.
Chelsea had been warned but they failed to respond and incredibly Bolton scored again to set up a very nervy finish at Stamford Bridge.
A long ball by Jaaskelainen was flicked on by Davies allowing Taylor to head past Cech and hand Bolton real hope of a result.
The visitors continued to press against a suddenly edgy Chelsea but they couldn’t grab that vital fourth goal and the Blues survived.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Ballack, Mikel, Lampard (Deco, 66), Kalou, Drogba (Anelka, 66), Malouda.
Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, Shittu (O’Brien, 46), Samuel, Muamba, McCann (Cohen, 83), Gardner, Kevin Davies, Elmander (Basham, 66), Taylor.
GOALS
4-3 Bolton Wanderers (Taylor, 78)
4-2 Bolton Wanderers (Basham, 74)
4-1 Bolton Wanderers (O’Brien, 70)
4-0 Chelsea (Drogba, 63)
3-0 Chelsea (Lampard, pen 60)
2-0 Chelsea (Drogba, 48)
1-0 Chelsea (Ballack, 40)
( Gill Clark / Goal )
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