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Full-Time: BLACKBURN 0-2 CHELSEA.
Lampard flicks the ball on but a team-mate can't reach the ball and Blackburn escape further embarrassment.
Chelsea make a late change here, Deco coming off to be replaced by Renato Paulo Ferreira.
There will be a minimum of THREE minutes added on at the end of this match.
The Chelsea fans are in good voice here and they know they're heading back to the top of the Premier League tonight!
Anelka should have grabbed his hattrick! A great ball played into his path but the Frenchman sends his shot wide of goal, he was clean through!
The Blackburn fans are beginning to leave now, presumably to get home to a cup of hot cocoa after sitting through this awful weather!
Malouda picks up the second yellow of the afternoon following a foul on Simpson.
The corner is sent in and the ball lands to Terry, he must score, hes only a few yards out but he puts it wide!
Lampard lines up the free kick and fires in a rasping shot which cannons off the crossbar!
Malouda is brought down by Simpson and the loanee is given the first yellow of this match.
Veteran Robbie Fowler replaces Roberts.
The Chelsea fans are now cheering every Blackburn pass, such is the confidence that their side are heading for three points here.
Time is running out for Blackburn and it doesnt seem as though they will be getting anything out of this match.
Roberts is brought off to be replaced by the veteran striker Robbie Fowler.
Mokoena finds himself free inside the Chelsea box but his volley is sent well wide, that was a half chance for Blackburn!
Bridge brings down Roberts and Blackburn have a free kick 25 yards out.
BLACKBURN 0-2 CHELSEA. Lampard plays in a great ball to ANELKA who finishes brilliantly, lofting a sublime shot over Robinson. Chelsea are home and dry now!
Chelsea are yet to concede in the second half this season but Blackburn are pushing hard here.
The game has gone a little stale recently and this will suit the visitors who were beginning to hold.
Warnock is the first player to go into the referee's notebook.
Kalou comes off to be replaced by Juliano Belletti as Scolari tries to sure up his Chelsea side.
Roberts is giving Terry the run around here, finding Villanueva who tries a curling left footed shot which sails just wide.
Villanueva tries to find Roberts with a through ball once more but he can't quite sqeeze him in as the ball holds up in the water.
Kalou is now back on the pitch, fortunately the clash with the adverts was not as bad as it first looked.
Blackburn are playing the better football at the start of this second half, you have to feel a second goal with be really telling in this match.
Kalou goes hurtling over the advertising hoardings and stays down, the Ivorian winger looks to be really hurt.
Roberts turns Terry and Alex who are nearly left red-faced as Cech gets them out of trouble with a magnificent save with his feet.
Villanueva tries to find Roberts with a through ball but the pass is overhit and Chelsea.
John Terry gets away with a dangerous back-pass which runs past Cech but holds up inside the six yard box, thanks to the water! That could easily have gone in if it was dry!
The second half has started at a slower pace than the first but at least it has stopped raining!
Bridge comes hobbling to the touchline after a strong tackle from Mokoena - unsuprisingly! - and Luiz Felipe Scolari is very angry with the South African.
The match is restarted and Blackburn look to get back into this match!
Half-Time: BLACKBURN 0-1 CHELSEA.
The fourth official indicates that there will be a minimum ONE minute to be added on at the end of this half.
Villanueva comes off and is replaced Aaron Mokoena, expect some strong challenges from 'The Axe' folks!
Pedersen goes down inside the box and is adamant that he should have a penalty but nothing is given and Paul Ince is furious!
Alex steps up to take a free kick, he smashes it but straight at the wall.
Lampard strikes one and Robinson saves once more but it comes back to the midfielder who lofts up a ball into the box and it's headed away.
Blackburn are trying to halt Chelsea's quick tempo and at the moment they're doing well but as the rain slows perhaps the visitors can revert back to their usual slick passing style of football.
BLACKBURN 0-1 CHELSEA. Bosingwa strikes one from long range and the ball hits ANELKA before flying past Robinson to give Chelsea a deserved lead.
Kalou gets into the box and finds Anelka with a lovely ball, the striker rolls the ball onto his left foot and drives his shot at goal but Robinson pulls off another great save!
Lampard lines up a shot from the set piece but he doesn't connect well with the ball flies high over the bar.
Mikel comes forward and is brought down harshly, Chelsea have a chance with a free kick 30 yards out.
The corner is played in but it's a poor one and Chelsea can clear.
Awkward spell here for Alex who tries to clear the ball in the wet and he concedes a corner.
Chelsea are really on top in this match but they can't find a way past Robinson as of yet.
There is so much rain pooring down at Ewood Park and there is some concern as to whether this game can continue!
Another long ball from Blackburn and the ball rolls straight through into the hands of Cech.
Stephen Warnock sends a ball across the box and it lands at the feet of Morten Gamst Pedersen who fires one goalwards and Cech has to make a brilliant save!
Frank Lampard runs forward and unleashes a shot on goal and Robinson flies through the air to tip wide!
Malouda turns onto his right foot, then his left and gets off a shot at goal and Robinson has to pull off a great save!
Bridge plays a ball into the box and after a ricochet falls to Florent Malouda who fires in a shot but he sends it wide!
Blackburn are managing to control the tempo at the minute but there has been a few flashes of quality from Chelsea!
Mikel heads a ball back across the face of goal with Anelka ready to pounce but Robinson flings a foot out to divert the ball away from the Frenchman.
Deco takes a short corner which John Terry gets up to head towards goal but his effort sails onto the top of the Blackburn goal!
Jose da Silva Bosingwa curls in a great ball from the right hand side and Anelka is unmarked at the back post, he should score but no, he's put it wide!
Wayne Bridge tries to find Salomon Kalou out wide but Danny Simpson cuts out the pass and the attack breaks down.
Carlos Villanueva swings in a great corner but Alex gets up and heads the ball clear.
Long ball played forward and Roberts looks to get on the end of it but Petr Cech comes rushing out and collects the ball.
The replays show that the call for a penalty was a good one, perhaps that will be a massive talking point at the end of this game?
The corner comes to nothing and Blackburn bring the ball forward.
Anelka gets up well and flicks a header goalwards, Paul Robinson has to tip the ball over the bar!
Nicolas Anelka rounds the goalkeeper and goes down, he appeals for a penalty but the referee says no!
Jason Roberts tangles with John Obi Mikel on the right hand side and the ball rolls out for a goal kick.
Deco is brought down by the youngster Keith Andrews just inside the Chelsea half and the Blues have a free kick.
Blackburn come forward straight from kick off but the Chelsea defence deal with it well.
After a minutes silence impeccably observed by both sets of fans, the game gets underway.
Chelsea will be hoping to go back to the top of the Premier League with a victory today and three points would go a long way to healing the wounds from the Blues' dismal night in Rome.
Blackburn are looking to improve on a patchy home record this season but the Lancashire side have not won in six league games.
Today's referee will be Chris Foy, the official has handed out 28 yellow cards in 7 games this season but is yet to dish out a red this term.
Chelsea XI: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Bridge, Lampard, Mikel, Deco, Kalou, Anelka, Malouda.
Blackburn XI: Robinson, Simpson, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Olsson, Grella, Warnock, Villanueva, Andrews, Pedersen, Roberts.
Blackburn Rovers have a major task on their hands to avoid slipping to a sixth Premier League game without victory on Sunday. Paul Ince's side host a wounded Chelsea at Ewood Park on the back of a disappointing run of results which have seen them drop into the bottom half of the Premier League table. Rovers are without a league win since a 2-1 success at Newcastle United on September 27 and Ince's fury after Benni McCarthy was sent off for two yellow cards in last weekend's 2-2 draw with West Bromwich Albion underlined his frustration at their current run of form. "It is not a game for women," he fumed. "The referee couldn't wait to get the card out of his pocket. It was harsh and ruined the game." Ince's mood has been lifted by the news that star striker Roque Santa Cruz could return from injury to help ease the impact of McCarthy's ban. The Paraguayan missed last weekend's stalemate with a calf strain that was expected to keep him out of action for up to three weeks. Netherlands defender Andre Ooijer could also return after scans showed a problem with a swollen knee was not serious. However, David Dunn (calf), Brett Emerton (hamstring) and Steven Reid (knee) are all unavailable. Chelsea have plenty to prove as they return to domestic action having being humbled 3-1 at the hands of AS Roma in the Champions League. Luiz Felipe Scolari's side were comprehensively outplayed after suffering an off-day in Italy on Tuesday and have now lost two of their last four games following last month's league defeat at the hands of title rivals Liverpool - a result which also ended their 86-game unbeaten home league run. The surprise defeat in Rome has left Scolari questioning the desire of his players, saying: "When you give away three goals you do worry. You need to think why was this and what we can do in our next game." But despite their recent blip, it's not all doom and gloom around Stamford Bridge as the Blues remain joint top of the Premier League table having won eight of their 11 games to date. Scolari though does have injury problems to contend with this weekend as Ashley Cole (calf) and Ricardo Carvalho (thigh) are absent from his defence, while midfielders Michael Ballack (calf) and Michael Essien (knee) remain absent.
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Nicolas Anelka scored twice as Chelsea returned to the top of the table with a comfortable 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers at a rain-soaked Ewood Park. Having already missed a hatful of chances, Anelka diverted Jose Bosingwa's long-range effort past the impressive Paul Robinson six minutes before half-time, before taking his top-flight goal tally into double figures for the season with a deft finish after the break. Rovers boss Paul Ince made three changes to the side that drew 2-2 at West Brom last weekend, with Zurab Khizanishvili a surprise inclusion at the expense of Christopher Samba. Morten Gamst Pedersen came in for the injured Brett Emerton, while Carlos Villanueva replaced the suspended Benni McCarthy. Chelsea made just the one change following their 3-1 defeat at AS Roma in midweek, with Salomon Kalou returning to the starting line-up in place of Joe Cole, who remained in London along with Didier Drogba. In torrential rain, Rovers made a bright start straight from the kick-off, with Keith Andrews firing high and wide after just 25 seconds. The Irishman, who scored a last-minute equaliser in the game at The Hawthorns eight days ago, almost went from hero to zero moments later, when his back-pass to Paul Robinson was under-hit. Anelka intercepted the ball, rounded Robinson and went down under the keeper's sliding challenge, but the strong appeals for a penalty from the Chelsea supporters behind the goal were waved away. Anelka's flick forced Robinson to tip the ball over the bar a minute later, before the Rovers shot-stopper denied the Frenchman's downward header with his feet. Robinson then made an almost identical save from John Obi Mikel shortly afterwards. Florent Malouda was next to try his luck, firing well wide on 19 minutes, before seeing his shot deflect narrowly over seconds later. Frank Lampard's long-range strike was then palmed wide as Chelsea continued to dominate, before Rovers almost snatched an unlikely lead. A brilliant break by the home side saw Andrews pick out Stephen Warnock, who centred for Villanueva and the Chilean's curler forced a stunning save from Petr Cech. Chelsea launched a quick counter-attack of their own just past the half-hour mark, with Kalou playing in Anelka, but the former Bolton forward's left-foot strike was sensationally saved by Robinson. The Premier League's leading scorer did eventually break the deadlock, although he didn't know much about it. On 40 minutes, Bosingwa's speculative strike deflected off Anelka's knee and wrong-footed Robinson in the Rovers goal. Bosingwa almost gave away a penalty as a frenetic first half drew to a close, but his challenge on Pedersen went unpunished. Chelsea have put so many teams to the sword already this season, but Rovers refused to simply roll over and the home side had an excellent opportunity to equalise nine minutes after the break. Pedersen clipped the ball up to Jason Roberts, who spun past John Terry superbly, but his snap-shot was well blocked by Cech. And the miss proved costly, as Chelsea doubled their advantage with their next attack. Malouda broke from the left, Lampard slid the ball through and Anelka lifted a left-foot shot over the advancing Robinson for his tenth goal of the season. The second goal proved decisive, as the visitors saw out the remainder of the game with ease. As the clock counted down, Lampard rattled Robinson's crossbar with a fine free-kick, before Anelka was denied his hat-trick by another smart stop by the former Leeds and Tottenham keeper.
Corners
Fouls
Goal attempts
Shots off target
Offsides
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