An astonishing, invigorating early Boxing Day kick-off saw three red cards and Chelsea recover from two goals down to then allow Villa back into the game twice.
Shevchenko with two goals, the second a brilliant strike, Alex and Ballack were the players on target for the Blues. Carvalho and Ashley Cole were our players dismissed and the injury curse continues with Lampard this time forced off.
It had been a day that had begun with a boost to morale on the injury front too - Cech named between the posts, the keeper having made a rapid recovery from the knock at Blackburn. However, he was not enjoy his finest afternoon.
The defence remained unchanged and Shevchenko was again asked to spearhead the attack.
It was the Villa forwards into action earlier however, Agbonlahor the first to unleash a shot, low to the near post in the first minute but wide. Cech then pushed wide a Carew effort soon after but no corner was given.
Pizarro, starting behind Shevchenko in a 4-2-3-1 shape, won Chelsea's first corner, defended well but Villa enjoyed the majority of the game in the first 10 minutes, Carew heading a Young cross over dangerously.
Kalou was beaten to a Shevchenko cross by Carson in the 11 minute but from an offside position.
On 13 minutes, Villa took the lead and no-one could say it hadn't been on the cards.
Agbonlahor won the ball off Kalou midway inside the Chelsea side and chipped up to the high-rise Carew. The head-down was guided into the path of Maloney who poked it past Cech with a first time shot.
On 18 minutes, Essien was booked for a foul on Agbonlahor; his fifth caution of the season so he will miss the FA Cup game against QPR. The same Villa player fired another shot to concern Chelsea soon after - his angled drive just clearing the bar.
A Shevchenko free-kick into the wall had been Chelsea's best sight of the target up to then but over on the touchline was a scene just as concerning as the lack of openings. Lampard was having treatment on his thigh.
Ballack began to warm-up in earnest and replaced the stand-in skipper on 25 minutes with Joe Cole taking the armband.
Ballack's first run with the ball was crudely ended by a Reo-Coker foul but the Villa midfielder was only spoken to by the ref. It was one of several early hard challenges on the new arrival.
On 34 minutes, Agbonlahor volleyed an Ashley Cole clearance back towards the target but Cech blocked then grabbed the ball.
Four minutes later Ballack spun a superb ball over the defence and into the path of Joe Cole who could only find the arms of Carson. It had been Chelsea's first shot on target.
Then on 43 minutes came disaster. Maloney escaped from Pizarro on the left and ran into the area before releasing a low shot. Cech dropped to his knee for a routine collection but somehow allowed the ball to slip his grasp and spin into the net in front of a stunned and silent Matthew Harding End.
Against one of the top flight's best away teams, the 71-game unbeaten record was hanging by a thread.
How timely then was Zat Knight's foul on Ballack just into stoppage time at the end of the half. Essien had mis-hit a shot but it trickled into the path of the German just ten yards out.
Referee Dowd pointed to the spot instantly as Knight clattered Ballack and then dismissed the defender. With the first penalty from that spot since Peter Osgood's ashes were buried under it and after a prolonged wait, Shevchenko calmly sent the keeper the wrong way and slotted low.
What a second-half lay in store!
Villa prepared for it by binging on Davies to restore the defensive numbers, Maloney, on a hat-trick, the unfortunate player withdrawn.
It was time for someone else to put themselves on the hat-trick chase and that someone else was Shevchenko. He had struck a tame effort at Carson just after the restart but on 49 minutes, collecting Kalou's pass 25 yards out, he took one touch and then let fly with one of the best shots seen at the Bridge in a long time - swerving beyond the helpless Carson and high into the net.
In just over 10 minutes play, the Blues had dug themselves out of a big hole.
Reo-Coker was booked for a foul on Essien before there was a lull in incident. Villa, with a man less were understandably favouring the long-ball counter attack while the Blues had lost a little fire since the equaliser.
Then on 65 minutes, the game burst into life again with a cracking Chelsea third, the move begun and ended by Alex!
Shevchenko, buzzing with confidence, played a big part, taking and turning Alex's pass back into the Brazilian's path. Alex beat Davies's challenge and then smashed the ball low past Carson for his fourth Chelsea goal.
'Are you Tottenham in disguise' taunted the Chelsea fans as Pizarro tried to join the party with shot on the run that was going just wide before the keeper saved. Then Shevchenko rolled a grasscutter five yards wide.
On 72 minutes, Villa scored their equaliser, the Chelsea defence switching off at a Young free-kick to allow Laursen space to volley in from six yards. Suddenly there was plenty of work still to do and the last thing needed was for the Blues to lose a man too.
On 79 minutes, the home side allowed the themselves to become outmanoeuvred on halfway leaving just Cech and Carvalho between Agbonlahor and the goal.
Carvalho attempted the block, went in two-footed and was red carded for the foul. Shevchenko was quickly taken off with Wright-Phillips brought on, followed a couple of minutes later with Mikel on for Pizarro as Grant tried to push for the win without committing football suicide.
With three minutes of normal time remaining a free-kick was awarded for foul on Joe Cole on the edge of the area and in a central position. Alex and Shevchenko lined-up behind it but it was Ballack who took it, brilliantly finding the foot of space between Carson's dive and his left-hand post.
In the words of the stadium announcer - Welcome Back Michael Ballack!
Surely that was it, the whole of Stamford Bridge thought - but they were wrong. One more Villa attack had Chelsea scrambling around our box and when Agbonlahor headed from close range - Ashley Cole on the line tried to clear with his head but nodded onto his arm.
After much arguing by all involved, the inevitable red card followed with Ballack and substitute Harewood cautioned in the aftermath.
Gareth Barry made no mistake with the penalty to complete an edge-of-the-seat game but what may ultimately prove a damaging result.
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ferreira, Alex, Carvalho, A Cole; Essien, Lampard (c) (Ballack 25); Kalou, Pizarro, J Cole; Shevchenko (Wright-Phillips 82).
Scorer Shevchenko (pen) 45+4, 49. Alex 65, Ballack 87.
Sent-off A Cole 90+2.
Booked Essien 18, Ballack 90+2
Villa (4-4-2) Carson; Mellberg, Knight, Laursen, Bouma (Harewood 89); Young, Reo-Coker, Barry (c), Agbonlahor; Maloney (Davies h-t); Carew (Moore 77).
Scorer Maloney 13, 43. Laursen 72, Barry (pen) 90+2.
Booked Reo-Coker 53, Harewood 90+2.
Sent-off Knight 45+2.
.jpg)
0 Comments:
Post a Comment