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  • Kick-off: 20:00
  • Venue: Reebok Stadium
  • Attendance: 23559
  • Referee: Bennett, S

Live Commentary

90mins

FULL TIME: BOLTON 0-1 CHELSEA: Chelsea hold on to collect all three points in another victory over Bolton in Lancashire. They just about deserved the win courtesy of Ballack's goal but Bolton improved after the break.

90mins

Diouf just manages to get a touch on a loose ball in the area and Cudicini has to turn it round the post for a corner which is hacked clear.

90mins

Drogba is replaced by Chelsea with John Mikel replacing him.

88mins

Nolan is booked for dissent as he felt his side should have had a corner when the ball looked to go out off Essien.

86mins

Bolton bombard the Chelsea area as Ashley Cole hacks one cross clear in front of his own goal.

85mins

Lampard plays in Drogba just wide of the goal and his effort is saved at the near post by Jaaskelainen.

83mins

Chelsea make a break up field and Drogba has an effort from 25 yards which just clears the Bolton bar.

82mins

The game is gradually being forced back towards the Chelsea goal as the final few minutes of this game continue to tick away with Bolton getting desperate to try and get something.

80mins

Chelsea appear to have settled for trying to hold on with a one-goal lead which could prove dangerous as we have just seen with Diouf's chance.

79mins

Terry can only help a cross on towards the back post where it lands at the feet of Diouf and his shot is well saved at full stretch by Cudicini.

78mins

Shevchenko goes off for Chelsea with Salomon Kalou the man replacing him in attack.

76mins

Davies is taken off for Bolton with the nippy youngster Ricardo Vaz Te replacing him.

75mins

Jaaskelainen is forced to improvise as he clears a Ballack cross towards Drogba outside his area with some neat control on his chest before kicking the ball down field.

73mins

A decent break from Chelsea ends with Drogba just being beaten by Jaaskelainen as tries to latch onto a through ball in the Bolton box.

72mins

Nolan lifts a ball into the Chelsea area but this time it is just too high for Anelka to get his head to.

70mins

Chelsea defend well to clear a free-kick into the area and Hunt's follow up cross as Bolton try to get back into the game.

68mins

Drogba is forced to leave the field for a moment as he looks to have picked up a knock and play continues as he quickly re-enters the action.

66mins

Geremi plays a great cross into the area as Jaaskelainen manages to punch the ball clear before Drogba can connect with his head.

65mins

Campo's long throw into the area is knocked as far as Davies who blasts his effort high and wide of the goal.

63mins

A long throw in into the Chelsea area bounces up off Drogba's arm but referee Steve Bennett waves away appeals for a penalty.A long throw in into the Chelsea area bounces up off Drogba's arm but referee Steve Bennett waves away appeals for a penalty.

62mins

Shevchenko tries his luck with a left foot shot but he fails to get a clean shot in and it drifts wide of the upright.

60mins

Diouf does well down the right to turn Ballack and put in a dangerous cross which Terry heads clear.

57mins

Hunt puts a great inswinging ball in from the right flank and Anelka cannot direct his header goalwards as it goes across the Chelsea area and behind.

56mins

This game looks like it could open up more this half as Bolton are getting forward more and may leave themselves open at the back for Chelsea to exploit.

53mins

Diouf wins and then takes a free kick which he plays into the heart of the Chelsea area. Anelka just can't get a touch and Cudicini is forced to parry it clear in Bolton's best chance so far.

52mins

Another great stop by Jaaskelainen as he dives to his left to tip a Lampard shot from distance round the post.

50mins

Drogba hits the ball towards goal from outside the area and it just dips in front of Jaaskelainen forcing the keeper to just stop it going in and luckily for him the loose ball did not fall to a Chelsea man.

48mins

Ben Haim works an opening for himself from 25 yards out and fires a shot which is just wide of Cudicini's far post.

47mins

Drogba tries to latch on to a throughball into the area but he shoves Nicky Hunt to the floor in doing so and afree kick is awarded.

46mins

Chelsea get the second half under way and will be looking for a repeat of the first half when they were on top and took a one-goal lead, while Sam Allardyce will want to see his side attack a lot more this half.

45mins

BOLTON 0-1 CHELSEA: The goal is the last piece of action of the first half as Chelsea go in with a deserved lead after enjoying the better of the opening period at the Reebok.

45mins

BOLTON WANDERERS 0-1 CHELSEA (BALLACK): MICHAEL BALLACK hands Chelsea a deserved lead in first half stoppage time as he heads a Lampard corner past Jaaskelainen from close range.

44mins

Faye goes into the book for dissent just before the break.

44mins

Shevchenko collects the ball in the middle of the field and advances before lashing a shot goalwards which is well saved.

44mins

After a lengthy delay while the wall was set up Ballack takes the kick which hits the wall and is cleared.

42mins

Faye clatters into Lampard on the edge of the Bolton area for another free kick to Chelsea.

41mins

The free kick by Diouf comes off the head of Faye and drops to Gary Speed who cannot knock it back across the face of goal.

40mins

Carvalho is booked for a lunging foul on Tal Ben Haim to give Bolton a free kick ina good position.

38mins

Ashley Cole plays a good ball into the Bolton area which bounces up off Ballack and into the hands of Jussi Jaaskelainen before he can react to it.

37mins

Diouf plays an inswinging corner into the area which Cudicini does well to push away as it threatened to swerve into his net.

36mins

Diouf worms his way past Terry and Carvalho but Claude Makelele does well to get the block in and concedes a corner.

35mins

The corner is eventually played in and cleared to Geremi who fires wide.

34mins

Campo goes into the book for remonstrating with Carvalho who seemed to go to ground too cheaply.

33mins

Chelsea win a corner on the left side of the field. Lampard whips it in and the ball goes out off a defender in a melee and another corner is given.

31mins

The crowd are screaming for a free kick as John Terry dispossesses Nicolas Anelka but nothing is given and correctly too.

29mins

Essien tries another effort from outside the area but this time the shot is poor and well wide.

27mins

Bolton enjoy a spell in attack as Chelsea struggle to clear a corner but they eventually do and launch another foray forwards.

24mins

Drogba curls in a shot from an angle which Jaaskelainen does well to dive and parry away.

23mins

It has been a good spell for Chelsea with two efforts saved by Jaaskelainen and one just over by Essien as they are turning up the heat on Bolton.

21mins

It's a scramble in the Bolton area as Ricardo Carvalho hits the pots before Michael Essien eventually shoots from just outside the area after a punch clear by Jussi Jaaskelainen which goes just over.

20mins

Another free kick for the Blues this time closer to goal but to the left of the area. Didier Drogba fires in a shot which Jussi Jaaskelainen again pushes clear.

19mins

Chelsea win a free kick about 35 yards from the Bolton goal. Frank Lampard takes it and is effort is good forcing Jussi Jaaskelainen to parry it away from goal.

17mins

El-Hadji Diouf goes on a surging run towards the Chelsea goal but Njitap Geremi does well to get a block in inside the box.

16mins

Chelsea are trying to play balls into the feet of Didier Drogba and Andriy Shevchenko around the edge of the Bolton area but the defence is holding firm.

14mins

Frank Lampard, who likes to score past Bolton, gets in behind Gary Speed and fires off a shot from 25 yards but Jussi Jaaskelainen gets down well to save.

12mins

Bolton win a free-kick just inside the Chelsea half which is played into the area but Kevin Nolan is flagged offside.

10mins

The first 10 minutes have passed as both sides have had about an equal amount of the ball but neither keeper has been really tested yet.

8mins

El-Hadji Diouf does well down the right and fires in a hard low cross which Carlo Cudicini gets down well to gather.

7mins

Michael Ballack chips a ball over the top towards Andriy Shevchenko but again Abdoulaye Faye is on and to clear the danger for Bolton in a good start by the home defence.

5mins

Abdoulaye Meite defends his area well as Andriy Shevchenko tries to muscle past him in the penalty area.

3mins

Nicky Hunt lofts a high ball into the area and Carlo Cudicini stumbles as he comes out to try and gather. The ball finds Kevin Davies but he heads wide from a tight angle.

2mins

It's been a bright opening from Chelsea with Abdoulaye Faye diving in to clear an incisive ball towards his goal area for Bolton.

0mins

The game is under way at the Reebok Stadium with Bolton looking to add another top club's scalp to their collection after the win against Arsenal on Saturday, while Chelsea will look to emulate their 2-0 victories on their previous three visits here.

0mins

Chelsea’s starting XI: Cudicini, Geremi, Carvalho, Terry, A, Cole, Essien, Makelele, Lampard, Ballack, Shevchenko, Drogba.

0mins

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho names an unchanged side after striker Didier Drogba and midfielder Michael Ballack were passed fit from respective ankle and calf strains picked up during Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United.

0mins

Bolton starting XI: Jaaskelainen, Hunt, Faye, Meite, Ben Haim, Nolan, Campo, Speed, Davies, Anelka, Diouf.

0mins

Defender Quinton Fortune picked up an Achilles injury against the Gunners and is replaced by Ivan Campo, with Tal Ben Haim switching to left-back and Abdoulaye Faye moving to centre-half.

0mins

Bolton boss Sam Allardyce makes one change to the side which defeated Arsenal 3-1 at the Reebok Stadium on Saturday as reigning champions Chelsea arrive.

Match Report

Michael Ballack was Chelsea's hero as the Premiership champions won at Bolton Wanderers to keep the pressure on leaders Manchester United.

The Germany captain grabbed his third goal of the season as second beat third at the Reebok Stadium.

Ballack's headed goal, which was scored late in first-half stoppage time, was the difference between the two sides.

But with United beating Everton at Old Trafford, Sir Alex Ferguson's side still sit pretty at the summit with a three-point advantage.

There was some debate over whether Ballack's goal was scored after time had passed in the first half. Abdoulaye Faye thought not and earned a yellow card for his complaints to referee Steve Bennett.

The goal stood, though, and the visitors gladly welcomed their half-time advantage.

But Bolton lacked a cutting thrust up front and Nicolas Anelka, playing as a lone striker, struggled to make his mark after a lack of supply.

Sam Allardyce's men, boosted by their 3-1 win over Arsenal at the weekend, started the brighter and had a chance to take the lead in only the third minute. Skipper Kevin Nolan headed over from a Nicky Hunt cross from the right as the home side looked to make the perfect start.

But then it was all Chelsea. Frank Lampard saw a 20-yard dipping drive parried by Bolton keeper Jussi Jasskelainen, before unleashing another fierce drive moments later. Jasskelainen parried again as Bolton felt the pressure.

In the 20th minute Didier Drogba saw his curling free-kick punched clear by Jasskelainen, before Lampard curled a corner in from the left and defender Ricardo Carvalho headed against the back post.

Michael Essien fired over as Chelsea pressed and then Geremi tried his luck with a long-range effort, but it was well wide of the target.

El-Hadji Diouf went close with a curling corner, which nearly caught Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini off-guard, but the Italian tipped the ball over the bar.

Andriy Shevchenko then showed a glimpse of his talent on an otherwise forgettable night. The Ukraine striker forced Jasskelainen to make a brilliant fingertip save from his 30-yard thunderbolt.

The pressure then told. Lampard's corner from the left found Ballack who, having lost marker Kevin Davies, glanced a powerful header past Jasskelainen at the near post.

Bolton rarely threatened in the second half, although their best chances fell to Tal Ben Haim. He fired agoninsingly wide three minutes after the resumption and then the impressive Diouf forced Cudicini to make a smart stop at point-blank range.

Bolton could have equalised in the third minute of stoppage time, but Cudicini saved well when Diouf got away a snap-shot from Jaaskelainen's hopeful long ball forward.

Bolton Wanderers

Chelsea

Corners

35

Fouls

1313

Goal attempts

916

Shots off target

65

Offsides

30

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