Source: Team_Talk
Drogba sends Blues four clear at top
Drogba ensured the Blues took advantage of United's 3-1 lunchtime reversal against Everton at Goodison Park with a goal in each half.[LNB]It took his tally for the campaign to 25 in all competitions and earned Carlo Ancelotti's side only their second away win in their last seven league games.[LNB]Chelsea barely moved out of second gear for long periods ahead of Wednesday's Champions League clash with Inter Milan.[LNB]But the quality finishing of Drogba was the difference between the sides and means the Blues are now favourites to take the Premier League crown with only 11 games remaining.[LNB]Petr Cech was the busier of the two keepers and made two crucial saves early in the second half when Chelsea held only a single-goal advantage.[LNB]But Wolves' problem all season has been failure to take their chances, as demonstrated by their meagre goal tally of 21 - although Kevin Doyle again impressed as a lone striker.[LNB]Chelsea were quickly in the ascendancy and the first half-chance fell to Michael Ballack.[LNB]Yury Zhirkov sent over a threatening cross from the left flank and Ballack got up well in the danger area but directed his header wide.[LNB]Doyle produced the first save of the game out of Cech after 15 minutes.[LNB]The Republic of Ireland international made space for himself after a diagonal run and Cech had to go down to his right to save his 20-yard drive.[LNB]Doyle then flicked the ball into the path of the overlapping Kevin Foley but his shot from a narrow angle flew into the side netting.[LNB]Doyle was causing problems for Chelsea and he was alert to a quick throw from Foley and forced Cech to parry his shot around the post.[LNB]Ballack was only just too high with a rasping volley after a corner from Florent Malouda was only half-cleared.[LNB]Jones, who had scored the winner against Tottenham ten days ago, curled a free-kick just wide as Wolves started to grow in confidence.[LNB]But five minutes before the interval, Chelsea took the lead through Drogba.[LNB]Zhirkov played a one-two with Ballack before squaring a low ball across the six-yard box and Drogba had the easiest of tap-ins.[LNB]Cech produced a superb reflex save to protect Chelsea's lead after 55 minutes.[LNB]Adlene Guedioura timed his run perfectly to connect with a far-post cross from Jarvis but his fierce volley was somehow kept out by the Chelsea keeper.[LNB]Ancelotti made his first change a minute later with Zhirkov replaced by Jeffrey Bruma.[LNB]The home side tried to get a foothold in the game and Cech produced another splendid stop to deny Foley an equaliser.[LNB]Terry miskicked when attempting to clear and Foley found himself with only Cech to beat but he managed to block his fierce shot.[LNB]Ballack became the first player to be yellow-carded for dissent as the Blues looked rattled.[LNB]But then Drogba doubled Chelsea's lead in the 67th minute as Wolves were caught napping by a long clearance from Cech.[LNB]Drogba was the first to react and took the ball away from Christophe Berra before clipping the ball wide of Marcus Hahnemann.[LNB]McCarthy made a triple substitution with Jarvis, Foley and Jones making way for Geoffrey Mujangi Bia, Greg Halford and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake.[LNB]Doyle was only just off target for Wolves with a shot on the turn after some typical aggression.[LNB]But it needed a good tackle from Ronald Zubar to deny Anelka a third goal as he bore down on the Wolves goal.[LNB]Terry cleared the ball off the line in a late Wolves rally after Cech had failed to gather a long throw from Halford.[LNB][LNB][LNB]
