Bolton Wanderers 0 - 1 Chelsea

Home » Match Reports » Bolton Wanderers / Chelsea

| England News

Sunday Oct 07 2007 03:00

Chelsea may well have won their first Premier League match in five against Bolton Wanderers, but the three points will have done nothing to ease the worried expression on owner Roman Abramovich's face.

Their scrappy 1-0 success against the basement battling Wanderers also earned Avram Grant his first league win since taking over the reins from Jose Mourinho last month.

But they certainly had to work for the points, awarded to them by Salomon Kalou's 41st minute strike, as Bolton played the game in confident mood.

Home manager Sammy Lee is trying his best to play more football in the midst of his stuttering Reebok revolution.

But this had all the hallmarks of a performance of which old boss Sam Allardyce would have been proud.

Captain for the day Kevin Davies was instrumental in upsetting Chelsea's backline with challenges, runs and the odd shot.

He rattled Ashley Cole's cage early on with a robust challenge on the touchline that had the England full-back complaining to referee Alan Wiley.

Davies was wearing the Bolton armband in the absence of regular captain Kevin Nolan, who was dropped from the 16 along with vice-captain Gary Speed.

It was a brave decision from Lee and one that ultimately didn't pay off for him as Kalou took the points back to Stamford Bridge after one lapse in concentration.

Kalou pounced in the closing stages of the first half when Bolton defender Andy O'Brien got the final touch on a long ball from goalkeeper Petr Cech.

The Ivorian striker then lobbed an oncoming Jussi Jaaskelainen before latching back onto the ball just outside the right edge of the six-yard box.

He still had Abdoulaye Meite for company, but held him off to drive home into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

Again Bolton pressed in the second half as Chelsea were content to defend their slender lead.

Davies continued to act as the focal point, attacking well down the right side.

On-loan Liverpool midfielder Danny Guthrie also impressed with a lung bursting performance from the heart of midfield.

But Bolton couldn't break through, despite a late Stelios Giannakopoulos header that went just over.

Their unbeaten five-game run came to an end and Chelsea just held on for an unconvincing success.

Live Commentary

90
Full time at the Reebok Stadium and Chelsea take all three points

90
Anelka beat Petr Cech with a header but it just scraped the top of the cross bar and went out for a goal kick for Bolton

90
The fourth official indicates three minutes of added time

88
Frank Lampard with a typical audacious strike from long range that went high and wide of the goal

86
Joe Cole is replaced by Paulo Ferreira

85
Frank Lampard has been non exsistant in midfield today and will be lucky to be recalled to the England starting line-up this week

83
If Bolton lose this game, one positive Sammy Lee can take from it is the superb performance from on-loan midfielder Danny Guthrie who has had a tremendous game today

81
Chelsea are still making it difficult for Bolton as they are keeping their men behind the ball and preventing them from advancing up the pitch

78
Sammy Lee is out in his technical area shouting instructions on the pitch and trying to push his side forward to get the equaliser that they deserve

76
The resulting free kick ended up with the ball in the stands after Campo smashed the ball over the bar for Bolton

75
Bolton awarded a free kick right on the edge of the area after Alan Wiley blew for a handball by Sidwell

73
Florent Malouda is replaced by Andrei Shevchenko

72
Kevin Davies is booked for taking his frustrations out on Ricardo Carvalho

70
Bolton are starting to get a little bit stretched and have hole's gapeing in the defence as they continue to push forward and look for an equaliser

69
Ricardo Carvalho booked for using his elbow on Davies

68
Ashley Cole and Joe Cole combined well down the left hand side and Joe whipped a curling cross into the penalty area but Pizarro's header went over the bar for Chelsea

66
Christian Wilhelmsson replaces the injured El-Hadji Diouf

64
Steve Sidwell with a typical Sidwell-like tackle on Anelka as he tracked back twenty yards to dive in and win the ball from the Frenchman

61
Bolton are enjoying the majority of the possession but are lacking in creativity and dont look like making any clear opportunities to score

59
A simple save for Jaaskelainen after confusion on the ball between Pizarro and Joe Cole who couldn't make their minds up with what they wanted to do on the edge of the area

57
Chelsea tried to hit Bolton on the counter attack after McCann's shot was blocked, but Andy O'Brien did well to intercept and break down the attack

54
Diouf looks to be in pain as he fell awkwardly and knocked his hip on the way down and is rolling around on the floor while the game is paused momentarily

52
Gavin McCann is booked for a needless foul

50
Bolton are firmly on top of the game early in the second half and you wouldn't bet against them to get back in the game

48
Somehow Ashley Cole gets away with a blatent handball despite Alan Wiley standing directly infront of him

48
Early chance in the second half for El-Hadji Diouf who headed the ball straight at Cech who caught the ball comfortably

46
Chelsea get the game back underway here at the Reebok Stadium

45
Half time substitution see's Salomon Kalou replaced by Claudio Pizzaro

45
Half time here at the Reebok and Chelsea go in infront

45
The fourth official indicates two minutes of added time

45
Ivan Campo is lucky to still be on the pitch after a very late challenge on Frank Lampard and will have to watch his step from now on

43
Bolton will feel harsh done by to be behind after some school boy defending cost them a goal

41
BOLTON 0 - 1 CHELSEA (KALOU) Salomon Kalou puts Chelsea ahead just before half time after he capitalised on a mix up between Jussi Jaaskelainen and Abdoulaye Meite

40
Frank Lampard is jeered by the Bolton crowd after an audacious thirty five yard strike on goal flew way over the bar

37
Danny Guthrie has been one of the best players on the pitch so far this half, and he almost supplied another chance for Davies with a superb ball through the Chelsea defence

35
Brilliant play from Nicolas Anelka who was fed in on goal by Guthrie, the Frenchman pulled the trigger but Petr Cech did well to spread himself, made himself big and did brilliantly to turn the ball away for a corner

33
John Terry is warned about his future conduct by Alan Wiley after he clattered into Kevin Davies and argued with Wiley about the decision

30
Bolton are holding their own here against the former champions and have their fair share of chances to go ahead at the Reebok Stadium

28
Petr Cech this time making a great save from Ivan Campo who fired the ball hard and low to the bottom corner, but Cech palmed the shot around the post for a corner

26
A great save from Jaaskelainen once again as Malouda connected sweetly with the ball and it flew to the to corner, but the Bolton 'Keeper just did enough to tip it around the post

24
El-Hadji Diouf is booked for a nasty tackle on Malouda

23
Nice run from Nicolas Anelka who crossed to the back post for Ricardo Gardner who couldn't connect cleanly and passed possession to Chelsea who tried to hit Bolton on the counter attack

21
What a miss from Florent Malouda who was clear through on goal and he tried to smash it into the top corner but the Frenchman skied the ball over the bar

19
Bolton are doing well to keep Chelsea in their own half as much as possible and are pressing the Blues all over the pitch

18
Ivan Campo is booked for a foul on Joe Cole

17
Joe Cole is causing Bolton some problems with him floating all over place and creating chances out of nothing for Chelsea

15
Excellent play by Joe Cole once again as he drove forward dancing around Joey O'Brien and moving in on goal but Abdoulaye Meite made a timely tackle and dispossed Cole of the ball

13
Kevin Davies did well to track back and make an excellent tackle on Steve Sidwell as the midfielder was about to unleash a shot on goal

11
Andy O'Brien made a clean and well timed tackle on Joe Cole down the right hand side to prevent the Englishman from getting a cross into the box

9
Frank Lampard is being followed all over the pitch by Gavin McCann who seems to have been given a man marking job in the middle of the park for Bolton

7
Bolton have a made very bright start and look dangerous going forward

5
Kevin Davies again in the thick of the action as he left Ashley Cole for dead and fired a powerful shot at goal but Petr Cech parried the ball and Chelsea did well to clear the danger

3
Brilliant play from Bolton as they moved down the left hand side, Ricardo Gardner made a superb cross into the box for Kevin Davies who made a brilliant header at goal and somehow Cech just tipped it over the bar

1
An early chance for Chelsea as Steve Sidwell floated a cross into the penalty area for Salomon Kalou to head at goal but Jussi Jaaskelainen did well to save

1
Bolton get the game underway here at the Reebok Stadium

0
Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire)

0
Avram Grant thankfully welcomes back Frank Lampard to the Chelsea midfield, but is without the suspended Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel and the injured Michael Essien and Shaun Wright-Phillips.

0
Sammy Lee recieves a boost to his Bolton side with the return of Nicolas Anelka, El-Hadji Diouf, Ivan Campo and Ricardo Gardner, but is without Spaniard Mikel Alonso who suffered a blow to the head during the Uefa Cup win in midweek.

0
Chelsea Line-up: Cech, Belletti, Terry, Carvalho, Ashley Cole, Makelele, Lampard, Sidwell, Malouda, Kalou, Joe Cole

0
Bolton Line-up: Jaaskelainen, Joey O'Brien, Andrew O'Brien, Meite, Gardner, Campo, Davies, Guthrie, McCann, Diouf, Anelka

Statistics

Bolton Wanderers

Shots on target	7
Shots off target	6
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	17
Offsides	1
Corners	5

Chelsea

Shots on target	8
Shots off target	7
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	8
Offsides	6
Corners	5

See Live Commentary