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  • Anelka (9), Deco (21)
  • Date:2008-12-06
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:Reebok Stadium
  • Attendance:22023
  • Referee:Webb, H

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME. BOLTON 0-2 CHELSEA. The Blues remain hard on the heels of Liverpool at the summit after a professional display at the Reebok

90mins

Three minutes of time added on and nothing is going to change in this game. Chelsea are well worth the win and have been the better side today.

88mins

Bosingwa is replaced by Branislav Ivanovic for Chelsea.

87mins

Bolton win two corners but Lampard clears for Chelsea.

86mins

Bosingwa wastes a glorious opportunity to make it three nil, he's one on one with Jaaskelainen but he completely messes up his shot and it goes wide.

85mins

Bolton corner, Taylor takes but Cech punches clear.

83mins

Ferreira replaces Kalou for Chelsea, it looks like Scolari is just going to keep what he's got now.

82mins

Ballack booked for a foul on Steinsson.

80mins

Samule replaced by Smolarek for Bolton, It's a change of formation from Gary Megson and it looks like Smolarek will play on the right wing.

80mins

Bolton on the break but Samuel has been fouled by Ballack and Bolton win a free kick, McCann takes but Cech punches clear.

77mins

Matt Taylor launches a free kick to the edge of the Chelsea six yard box but it eventually comes back to him and he has a crack from 35 yards, high and wide and a very poor attempt.

74mins

Bolton win a free kick about 5 yards outside the box, McCann takes and Taylor gets the flick but Cech gathers easily.

73mins

Chelsea on the break after some brilliant skill from Deco but Jaaskelainen bravely claims the ball with Kalou closing in.

71mins

Steinsson does well to challenge Deco and clear the ball, a bit scrappy now Chelsea just shading the possesion.

69mins

This time Taylor takes and Anelka clears for a throw, Steinssons long throw is headed goalwards by Cahill but Cech manages to save with his legs, great save.

69mins

Another Bolton corner, McCann takes and Bolton win another.

68mins

I think Bolton wanted a penalty for a Terry handball but it hit his arm as he fell over and that was never a penalty.

68mins

Davies gets two chances but Terry clears for a corner, Bolton want a penalty, I'm not sure what for. O'Brien gets a head on the corner but it goes harmlessly for a goal kick.

67mins

Chelsea free kick from about 30 yards, Lampard touches it to Alex who smashes it straight at Jaaskelainen, he doesn't save well but gathers at the second attempt.

65mins

Andy O'Brien booked for a foul on Bosingwa.

65mins

Bolton not really getting the rub of the green here, that really should have been a penalty but still Chelsea lead 2-0.

63mins

Matt Taylor takes a shot but it's too ambitious and goes way over the bar.

60mins

Bolton should have had a penalty, Elmander shot from 8 yards and it was going in but Terry blocked with his arm, referee Howard Webb didn't give it and the play continues, very poor decision.

57mins

Chelsea, in particular Anelka, carve Bolton apart twice in succession, First Jaaskelainen saves from Lampard at point blank range then Anelka is caught offside. There's more goals in this.

55mins

Chelsea on the break with a 3 against 2 advantage but Jaaskelainen does well to put Deco off and he shoots wide, should have been 3-0.

53mins

Nearly 10 minutes gone and Bolton have started well, you'd think they need to score quickly to get back into this but so far Chelsea have defended well.

51mins

Taylor's free kick evades Cech but Ballack comes to his rescue, he hasn't looked that great today Cech - definetly not on top of his game.

50mins

Nolan shoots high and wide from a central position about 18 yards out, still hasn't scored yet this season Nolan and he's not going to get on the scoresheet with shots like that.

49mins

Davies gets a chance to shoot but Alex manages to make a challenge and wins the ball, the home crowd call for a penalty but it looked fine to me.

48mins

Elmander cuts inside Bosingwa and gets a decent shot away but it's just wide, showing some good intent now Bolton and they obviously feel they are still in this.

47mins

Ballack sends a hopeful ball towards Kalou but Andy O'Brien defends well for Bolton.

46mins

Bolton look to have gone 4-4-2 now, Elmander wins a throw in deep in Chelsea's half, Samuel throws but MIkel clears for Chelsea.

45mins

Bolton get the second half underway and they get on the attack straight away but Chelsea win a free kick, I don't actually know what for though I didn't see anything wrong there.

45mins

Fabrice Muamba replaced by Ricardo Gardner for Bolton at half-time.

45mins

HALF-TIME: BOLTON 0-2 CHELSEA. Chelsea lead and have looked really good today, Bolton have had their chances though and could still get back in this.

44mins

John Terry looks to be struggling a bit, he was down on all fours inside his own area and he seems to be having some back pain, he's up now but he doesn't look happy.

44mins

Bolton pushing a bit more now in these closing stages, Davies finds Muamba who takes a shot from 25 yards but it's well wide.

42mins

Bolton free kick in their own half as we approach half time, Jaaskelainen takes it long and Davies has a chance from 8 yards but Ballack gets a vital block.

40mins

Bolton win a throw in and there's a bit of handbags between Ballack and Taylor, there is a bit of an atmosphere at the Reebok now and I wouldn't be suprises if there were more cards.

39mins

Steinsson fires in a cross but Cech gathers easily, Chelsea look so solid in defence now and I can't see Bolton getting back into this, I'd love it if they proved me wrong though!

37mins

Bolton win their second throw in a row, McCann takes and Elmander flicks it in to the box but Bosingwa clears.

35mins

Bolton win a free kick on the edge of the Chelsea area after Terry fouls Davies. Taylor takes and he curls it in but Alex gets a foot to clear for Chelsea.

33mins

Steinsson wins a throw for Bolton level with the edge of the Chelsea area, he's been Bolton's best attacking player which is not a great thing considering he's their right-back.

32mins

Andy O'Brien takes a long free kick for Bolton but Cech gathers easily for Chelsea.

31mins

Chelsea retaining possesion really well here, as I've said that Kalou's just given it away to McCann but Chelsea are really dominating at the moment.

28mins

Bosingwa goes down a bit too easily under Samuel's challenge, again he's rolling around like he's dieing but then he takes the free kick, not nice to see from the Chelsea full back.

27mins

Bolton corner, Taylor takes but Deco clears easily for Chelsea, Bolton need to make more of these situations if they're to get anything back today.

25mins

Bolton free kick, Andy O'Brien takes it from range and launches it into the Chelsea box but Cech then Bosingwa clear for Chelsea.

23mins

McCann takes out Bosingwa with a late challenge, the portugese player looks like he's been shot but he gets up for the free kick, Lampard takes and it falls to Anelka but he shoots wide.

22mins

Bolton guilty of some very poor defending for both of those goals, Anelka has just sliced Bolton apart again and manages to force a corner but Steinsson clears.

21mins

BOLTON 0-2 CHELSEA: Kalou Forces a great save out of Jaaskelainen but the ball comes back into the Bolton box from Ballack and DECO hits a fabulous overhead kick into the Bolton goal.

19mins

Samuel sends a cross into the Chelsea area but it goes straight through to Cech, Bolton having the better of the game since Chelsea scored to be fair amd they've had a few half chances.

16mins

Kevin Davies booked for a late challenge on Ashley Cole.

15mins

A poor pass from Cech falls to Nolan and he's got a chance to take a decent shot from 25 yards but his effort is hurried and goes harmlessly wide.

14mins

Matty Taylor takes a shot from all of 40 yards and it's not too bad with Cech out his goal but the shot goes over.

13mins

Taylor tries to play in Elmander but there's a break down in communication and Chelsea win it back deep in their own half.

11mins

Elmander got a snap shot on goal but it goes well wide, good move from Bolton though and Davies and Taylor combined well to set up Elmander.

10mins

Bolton reacted well to that goal from Anelka, they've got forward again and were unlucky not to be awarded a free kick after Taylor went down under Terry's challenge.

8mins

BOLTON 0-1 CHELSEA. Chelsea free kick half way inside the Bolton half, Lampard takes quickly to Deco who plays it to Bosingwa, ANELKA meets his cross and puts Chelsea ahead.

8mins

McCann's corner comes to Davies who heads over the bar, good attempt from Bolton and set pieces may be there best chance to get a goal today.

8mins

Bolton win a corner after some good work from Steinsson and Taylor down the right, Taylor takes but Cech punches clear for Chelsea. Bolton win another corner.

7mins

Kalou gets the first shot of the game for Chelsea, it's from outside the box and it goes over but it is an early sign of danger from the London side.

6mins

Chelsea corner after Taylor clears, Lampard takes but McCann clears for Bolton.

5mins

Chelsea having a lot of the ball but not getting forward or penetrating really, Bolton struggling to get a foot on it so far.

3mins

No attempts on goal in these very early stages, Chelsea went forward but the move was broken down then Bolton did the same.

0mins

Chelsea get it underway at the Reebok Stadium.

0mins

Chelsea's only change from the side that lost to Arsenal is that Scolari has brought in Alex for Ivanovic. I think they miss Cravalho a lot and I'm not sure about Alex, that could keep things interesting.

0mins

Interesting fact for you, Bolton have only lost once in their last 5 visit's to Stamford Bridge but have lost the last five times Chelsea have visited the Reebok.

0mins

Bolton have named the same side that destroyed Sunderland last week, no surprise really but they won't get such an easy ride today. Still 20 minutes to kick off at the Reebok.

0mins

Big game for Chelsea today, they can break Spurs record of 10 away wins in a row by getting an 11th at the Reebok today, that record's from the 60's I think. They've won the last five times they've played at the Reebok aswell.

0mins

CHELSEA: Cech, Bosingwa, Terry, Alex, A Cole, Mikel, Kalou, Lampard, Ballack, Deco, Anelka. Subs: Cudicini, Ivanovic, Sinclair, Ferreira, Stoch, Woods

0mins

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Steinsson, Cahill, A O'Brien, Samuel, Davies, McCann, Nolan, Muamba, Taylor, Elmander. Subs: Al Habsi, Smolarek, Gardner, Riga, Shittu, Obadeyi

Match Preview

Bolton Wanderers host Chelsea boosted by superb away victories at Middlesbrough and Sunderland in their last two outings.

The Totters had been among the relegation candidates before their excellent double, but Gary Megson's side now have reason to be optimistic for the rest of the campaign.

In fact they have won four of their last five Premier League games, with their only reverse a 2-0 home defeat by league leaders Liverpool.

Bolton's upturn in form has coincided with record signing Johan Elmander finally finding his feet, with the Swede having scored three times in his last two appearances.

That return has given Megson's side a much-needed cutting edge, with the Bolton boss feeling that his side's performances have not improved greatly overall.

He said: "There's no secret and the only thing we're doing differently that we weren't doing beforehand is scoring goals.

"Our performances are not much different except in terms of confidence. When we score goals, all the other aspects of our game come to the fore and people start to realise what we've got."

Chelsea may welcome another away fixture following a 2-1 home loss to Arsenal last time out and the Blues have a superb record on their travels so far this season.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's side have won all seven of their away games in the Premier League, scoring 19 goals and conceding just one in the process.

However, unexpected problems at Stamford Bridge had prompted some doubts over Scolari's long-term future at the club.

Chief executive Peter Kenyon responded to such rumours by saying: "I don't think anyone would deny we've had some disappointing results, but it's not yet Christmas.

"It's a long season. He's made a huge impact on the way and style that we play, that's been pretty immediate."

Scolari's plans are currently being hampered by injuries to a number of key players, with Joe Cole (ankle), Juliano Belletti (ankle), Michael Essien (knee) and Ricardo Carvalho (knee) all sidelined.

Striker Didier Drogba misses out as he completes a three-match domestic suspension.


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Match Report

Goals from Nicolas Anelka and Deco helped Chelsea march into the Premier League record books with an 11th successive away victory at in-form Bolton.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's side beat Tottenham's 48-year-old record in the top division and took three more valuable points on the road.

After three games without a win in all competitions, including last weekend's home defeat against Arsenal, the Blues were desperate to return to winning ways.

And that was never in doubt as the visitors struck twice in the opening 21 minutes at the Reebok, despite Wanderers battling efforts after the break.

Bolton old boy Anelka, playing for the first time against his former club since his £15million move in January, handed his new employers the perfect start on nine minutes when the striker met Jose Bosingwa's inviting cross with a diving header for his 15th goal of an increasingly prolific season.

Chelsea all but guaranteed their place in the history books 12 minutes later in the most spectacular of fashions. Salomon Kalou saw his shot well saved by Jussi Jaskelainen but, when Michael Ballack headed the rebound into Portuguese midfielder Deco's direction, he met it with a superb scissor-kick to volley the visitors further in front.

Bolton, the league's form side with four wins out of their last five games, looked anything but against the irrepressible Blues and were fortunate not to find themselves further behind moments later, when Anelka could only find the side-netting after Jaaskelainen's weak punch dropped to the Frenchman six yards out.

Not that Chelsea's dominance would have come as any surprise to Wanderers supporters, who have seen the Londoners win on each of their last five visits to the Reebok Stadium.

It might have all been different had Kevin Davies accepted his early chance but, showing none of Anelka's composure in front of goal, he headed Gavin McCann's seventh-minute corner wastefully over.

Deco and Lampard wasted glorious opportunities to increase Chelsea's lead at the start of the second half.

Deco, in particular, should have wrapped up the points when he was sent clean through by Kalou, but the former Barcelona midfielder fluffed his chance by chipping wide.

Bolton players were screaming for a penalty when John Terry appeared to handle Johan Elmander's volley, but referee Howard Webb waved away the protests on the hour mark.

Gary Megson's side were again appealing for a spot-kick when the Chelsea skipper twice looked like he might have handled it, before Petr Cech made a vital block from Gary Cahill's header as Wanderers tried valiantly, though ultimately in vain, to salvage anything from the contest.

Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea

Corners

102

Fouls

1416

Goal attempts

2011

Shots off target

104

Offsides

26

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