Stoke 1 Chelsea 2: Drogba wonder strike puts the Blues behind Ancelotti

13 September 2009 11:19
Triumph in adversity: it is the mark of champions. A stoppage-time winner from Florent Malouda was a deserved on-pitch reward for a team whose fortunes are being buffeted off the field. How much the Chelsea players will have registered confirmation from FIFA that they will not be able to mitigate their transfer ban by recalling season-long loan players like Michael Mancienne is debatable. But sides of lesser character and quality would have folded when Abdoulaye Faye took advantage of defensive uncertainty to head Stoke in front after 31 minutes of a first half in which nothing went Chelsea’s way. Stoke's Abdoulaye Faye powers a header beyond Petr Cech City slicker: Stoke's Abdoulaye Faye powers a header beyond Petr Cech Instead, Didier Drogba’s fabulous goal in added time in the first half drew them level, and sheer willpower ensured they maintained a second-half siege right into the 100th minute of playing time, when Malouda struck. Until Drogba’s equaliser, Chelsea could have been forgiven for thinking that the whole world was against them. Didier Drogba Wonder strike: Didier Drogba celebrates his goal It took the typically vociferous home crowd less than five minutes to come up with the chant of the season — ‘You’re not signing any more’ — and little went right for the visitors thereafter. Stoke suffered an early blow when James Beattie was carried off after fluffing a ninth-minute chance laid on for him by Branislav Ivanovic, but the home team’s physical approach was already getting under Chelsea skins. Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti had clearly devised a plan for dealing with Rory Delap’s long throws, but it failed at the first attempt, comically so. Salomon Kalou stood close to the touchline and timed his leap to perfection, heading the ball away firmly, but was booked for encroachment. Stoke played to type, putting bodies on the line and Chelsea off their stride, their 3-5-2 formation making the visitors’ formation look woefully narrow. Worse was to come in the shape of the opening goal, a defensive calamity for Chelsea. Petr Cech gave more ammunition to those who feel he is far from the goalkeeper he was by starting to come for a Glenn Whelan cross but then retreating. Skipper Faye, who had stayed up after a corner, was unmarked as he headed home. Drogba pulled Chelsea level with a shot into the corner Didn't he do well: Didier Drogba pulled Chelsea level with a shot into the corner To add insult to injury, Jose Bosingwa was penalised for a foul throw as tetchy Chelsea were reduced to long-range shots and bickering with the officials. But the Beattie injury and the long delay while Stoke keeper Thomas Sorensen was treated before also going off meant there were eight minutes of first-half stoppage-time. In the third of them, Chelsea produced the first moment of quality. Frank Lampard’s first-time reverse pass was impressive enough, but Drogba’s finish was absolutely brilliant, the Ivory Coast striker lashing the ball home across Steve Simonsen. Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti Looking up: Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti The second half was embarrassingly one-sided, with Chelsea encamped in the Stoke half and the home side threatening only when former Chelsea man Robert Huth headed over the bar. A winning goal for the visitors seemed inevitable and though they forced Simonsen into one good save, from a Drogba free-kick, all the other Chelsea shots went high, wide or were blocked by a defiant defence, with Faye, in particular, proving an unyielding obstacle. In the end, however, it was the immovable object which yielded. Juliano Belletti’s throw was cleared only as far as Michael Essien. His pass was touched back by Nicolas Anelka into the path of Malouda, whose shot was too powerful for Simonsen. The question now is whether Chelsea’s squad will prove strong enough to ride out the off-field storm. STOKE (3-5-2): Sorensen (Simonsen 41min); Shawcross, Abdoulaye Faye, Huth; Wilkinson, Whitehead, Whelan, Delap, Collins; Beattie (Fuller 12), Kitson (Tuncay 66). Subs (not used): Higginbotham, Lawrence, Pugh, Etherington. Booked: Shawcross, Delap, Wilkinson. CHELSEA (4-1-2-1-2): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, A Cole; Mikel (Belletti 83); Ballack (Essien 66), Malouda; Lampard; Kalou (Anelka 64), Drogba. Subs (not used): Hilario, Carvalho, Sturridge, Hutchinson. Booked: Kalou, Terry, A Cole. Referee: M Dean (Wirral).

Source: Daily_Mail