Match Report: Chelsea vs. Bolton Wanderers
A second-half http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Florent-Malouda-c13838 strike was good enough for Chelsea to win against high-flying Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night. It was Chelsea’s first win in last six matches and since early November.
The Barclays Premier League champions entered the match being on the fifth place and were aiming to avoid being leapfrogged by Bolton Wanderers, who could have done so with victory.
It took http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 just four minutes to have an attempt on goal but Frank Lampard's long-range shot sailed high over Bolton’s goal.
Groans went up from Chelsea fans in the starting minutes as a misplaced pass in the midfield gifted possession to the opposition and provided them with the opportunity to open the scoring. However, the Trotters failed to capitalise on the opportunity and Kevin
Davies long range was way wide of the goal.
Ivanovic had to be alive to hook clear a loose ball right in the 10th minute with Johan waiting to pounce in the penalty box as the Wanderers’ confidence grew. Few minutes later, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Gary-Cahill-c14439 header from a close range.
If top teams are greater than the sum of their parts, then it was an equation that was failing for Chelsea in the opening stages, as a disjointed home side played with a serious lack of confidence and communication.
It was Owen Coyle’s men who came closest to opening the scoring when Paul Robinson’s high cross fell to the feet of http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Nicolas-Anelka-c27786 error, but Holden’s right-foot low drive went a couple of feet wide.
Holden was inches away from giving his team the lead 10 minutes later when he collected Mathew Taylor’s pass and spun, unleashing a curling effort goal wards that went just over the crossbar.
Half time approached. It was all level at that time and stats showed not a single shot on target in first 45 minutes.
In the starting minutes of the second half, Frank Lampard played an exceptional through pass to Didier Drogba whose close range effort beat the opposition keeper but unfortunately bounced off the far post. The Stamford Bridge faithful were buoyed; it was the
Blues’ first decent move of the fixture.
Chelsea then grew in confidence. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Frank-Lampard-c14097 who could not get much purchase behind a weak left-foot effort, but just a minute later Chelsea had a perhaps undeserved breakthrough.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Didier-Drogba-c11044 anticipated an Essien pass, broke down on the right side of the penalty box and played a superb cross to Malouda to tap in from close range.
The game burst into life after the first goal, and http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Paul-c29347 Robinson should have brought the visitors level but after picking up Taylor’s pass he blazed over from outside of the box.
The chances came thick and fast as the game moved into its final stages. http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Ramires-c30523 flashed a shot wide of the post. Chelsea thought they had scored minutes later but John Terry could not head
on target when it seemed easier to score than putting it over.
With the win, Chelsea have bounced back into the top four of the Barclays Premier League. The Blues have managed to earn 34 League points so far in this season out of 19 league games. On the other side, Bolton Wanderers, who are performing extremely well in
this season, are currently placed sixth in the league standings. The Trotters have 29 points to their credit out of 20 league games.
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