FA Cup

Birmingham 0 Chelsea 2

AVB who? Roberto the Cup legend leads Blues revival

Roberto Di Matteo may not be a candidate to replace Andre Villas-Boas on a permanent basis but he has reinforced his status as Chelsea's FA Cup legend. 

Di Matteo, for all his self-confidence, is unlikely to become too comfortable in the role despite two goals in six second-half minutes from Juan Mata and Raul Meireles to beat a depleted Birmingham team and advance into the last eight. 

The three-year Villas-Boas project lasted less than nine months, so the interim manager will take it one step at a time. Next up are Stoke, on Saturday, then Napoli in the Champions League before the quarter-final at home to Leicester.

Juan-nil: Spain midfielder Mata celebrates after putting Chelsea ahead at St Andrew's

Beat Leicester and it is back to Wembley for the man who scored historic FA Cup final goals for Chelsea as they won the trophy in 1997 and 2000. 

The omens are good. When Guus Hiddink took control from Luiz Felipe Scolari, three years ago, his first game was an FA Cup tie at Watford and he went on to win the competition at Wembley. 

Scolari banked his pay-off, watched from a distance and still seems bitter about it. If Villas-Boas was looking on, he will have detected slight signs of improvement from the same players who resisted his changes and rebelled against him. 

There were few signs of mourning, apart from Meireles, who refused to celebrate his brilliant goal and Di Matteo, his former assistant, who dedicated the win to the manager who departed on Sunday. 

'Roman Abramovich, he sacks who he wants,' sang Chelsea  supporters with more than a hint of glee. This was their first chance to offer an opinion on the managerial change and the game had barely kicked off when they chanted the name of Jose Mourinho. More than 3,000 fans had travelled and they also made their feelings known that they did not want Rafa Benitez.

Di Matteo made changes. First he changed his tracksuit for a skinny tie and posh overcoat and gave the squad a little shake as he selected his first team since he was sacked by West Bromwich 13 months ago.
There were five changes to the Chelsea team beaten at the Hawthorns on Saturday in what would prove the last game of the Villas-Boas era. On the bench were Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, although they were apparently assured that this was a decision made with the next two fixtures, and the rest of the season, in mind.

On the touchline: Chelsea caretaker boss Roberto Di Matteo (right) gives his orders

Ashley Cole was injured but John Terry was among the substitutes less than a fortnight after a knee operation which was expected to keep him out for up to eight weeks.
Perhaps more significantly, Di Matteo made a tweak to the usual Chelsea shape. The 4-3-3 became a 4-2-3-1 formation with Meireles and John Mikel Obi deployed as deep midfielders and Mata playing up front, just behind Fernando Torres.

No spring in his step: Chelsea's misfiring striker Fernando Torres did not score yet again

The inability to make Torres function effectively played a part in the downfall of Villas-Boas, who irritated Abramovich by comparing his poor form and fragile confidence to other expensive misfits Andriy Shevchenko and Mateja Kezman. 

On his 50th Chelsea appearance, Torres continued to look timid and hesitant at the times when instinct ought to kick in. When a clear chance dropped on his left foot in first-half stoppage time, he screwed it badly wide and after he was tripped for a penalty in the second half and Mata stepped forward to take it, the home crowd chanted: 'We want Torres.'

They need not have worried. Birmingham goalkeeper Colin Doyle saved Mata's penalty, just as he had in the 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge but, by then, Chelsea were two up and on the way to ending a run of three successive away defeats.
Chris Hughton's side, playing their 47th game of the season, had resisted well in the first half. Chelsea were vulnerable when defending against counter-attacks and set-pieces and Petr Cech was forced to scramble and turn a header from Nikola Zigic over, five minutes before the interval.

Packs a punch: Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech stretches to repel a Birmingham cross

Zigic had stitches in a cut above his left eye after taking a boot in the face from David Luiz but his effort from Jordon Mutch's cross nearly embarrassed the expensive central defensive partnership. 

Late on, a dreadful clearance from Gary Cahill gave a chance to Marlon King but Cech saved and Mutch tore clean through only to blaze over.

Problems remain for Chelsea despite the departure of Villas-Boas but they were good enough to seize control after the break and it was Mata who found the breakthrough, nine minutes into the second half. 

Ramires stole the ball from Mutch on the right and Salomon Kalou, bright on his first start since October, fought down his cross in the goalmouth. It spilled to Mata who adjusted his feet and poked a shot inside the far post. The tension eased away.

Back on the bench: John Terry was in Chelsea's squad despite his recent knee surgery

Mata headed wide from a Branislav Ivanovic cross and, on the hour, Meireles pounced to score a wonderful second. Again it came from a move down the right and Ramires nursed a short pass into his path and the Portuguese midfielder fired a right-footer into the top corner. 

He refused to celebrate, pushing his team-mates away angrily but the overwhelming vibe from Chelsea as they tossed shirts to the fans at the end was one of relief. They are back on the Wembley trail and free from the stifling attention to detail of AVB.

In focus

John Terry 

Chelsea fans would have been surprised and delighted to see their captain sitting on the bench so soon after his knee injury.

Fernando Torres

The 50th appearance in a Chelsea shirt for the £50m man. In that time he has averaged just 2.5 goals per manager.

Rafael Benitez

The 3,000 travelling supporters made it clear in explicit terms that they do not want the Spaniard at Chelsea.

Source: mailonline

Chelsea 3 - 3 Manchester United

Wayne Rooney & Chicharito lead astonishing comeback as visitors recover from three goals down

The Red Devils come from 3-0 down to rescue a point at the Bridge after an Evans own goal, Juan Mata and David Luiz gave AVB's men the lead in a thrilling Premier League clash

Two penalties from Wayne Rooney brought Manchester United back from the dead to draw 3-3 with Chelsea in a pulsating game at Stamford Bridge.

The hosts were riding high on a three-goal lead shortly before the hour mark, with an own goals from Jonny Evans and a David Luiz header either side of a Juan Mata stunner giving the Blues the advantage.

But United unleashed a second-half onslaught to rescue a point at the Bridge, with Rooney and Javier Hernandez the heroes for the Red Devils.

United went into the game having failed to win in their last nine visits to Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, and looked to the returning duo of Wayne Rooney and Ashley Young to spearhead the attack along with Danny Welbeck.

Chelsea, meanwhile, handed a first start to new signing Gary Cahill, with skipper John Terry ruled out through injury.

The game had the feel of a usual heavyweight bout in the opening twenty minutes, with each side attempting to edge their way in to the game without leaving themselves exposed to the counter attack.

United had the lions’ share of possession in the opening exchanges, and looked the more likely to break the deadlock as Rooney and Welbeck began to combine well up top. 

The visitors were left to feel aggrieved with referee Howard Webb as they had two strong penalty appeals turned down within the space of ten minutes: first Young went over under a nudge from Jose Bosingwa, then Welbeck was felled by Cahill as he ran through on goal, but neither decision went the way of the Red Devils.

The game remained fairly balanced towards the end of the half, but then out of the blue, the Blues struck the first blow.

Juan Mata and Fernando Torres worked the space to the left of United’s penalty area, and Daniel Sturridge wove his way in behind Patrice Evra before running at the near post. His cut-back took a nick of David De Gea’s outstretched leg before striking Jonny Evans in the chest at nestling in the back of the net.

The goal brought the game to life, as Sturridge then tested De Gea from distance before a United onslaught closed out the first half, with Petr Cech denying Rooney on two occasions and Welbeck from close range.

David Luiz thought he'd won it for Chelsea before United's stunning comeback

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side looked the most likely to grab the next goal, but just forty seconds after the restart, Chelsea doubled their lead in emphatic style.

Torres got the ball in space on the right flank, and picked out Mata with a pin-point cross before the former Valencia man rifled home a sumptuous volley from inside the area.

And just five minutes later, Villas-Boas’ side had a third, after Mata’s free-kick was flicked on by David Luiz and turned home by Rio Ferdinand’s shoulder.

It was further insult to the England international, as he suffered a torrent of abuse from the home fans throughout due to the on-going race row between his brother Anton and John Terry.

Desperate for a way back in to the game, Ferguson threw on Javier Hernandez to bolster the attack, and shortly before the hour mark, United grabbed a lifeline.

Sturridge brought down Evra inside the Chelsea box, and it was third time lucky for the visitors as referee Webb pointed to the spot. Rooney crashed home the ensuing penalty in to the top right-hand corner to keep his side in the game.

With such an open game, chances were coming thick and fast. De Gea had to get down low to save from Malouda, whilst Cech denied Rooney from the edge of the area after good link-up play between the England man and Hernandez.

But it was the Champions who struck next, again from a Rooney penalty, after Welbeck was caught by the outstretched leg of Ivanovic following good work from Hernandez.

The Bridge had gone from rocking to rocky, and it almost got worse for the hosts when substitute Oriol Romeu gave the ball away in his own half, but Hernandez could only fire wide across goal after being played in by Giggs.

Torres was then gifted a golden opportunity as a simple ball bounced over Evans’ head, but the Spaniard dallied on the ball after driving goalwards and was eventually robbed by Valencia.

And with less than ten minutes to go, Torres – and Chelsea – were left to rue that miss, as United's famous comeback was completed.

Valencia and Welbeck combined well down the right. The former’s cross was gathered in by Rooney, whose shot was parried by Cech to Giggs before the Welsh veteran picked out Hernandez with a cross to and the Mexican headed home the equaliser.

Chelsea could have stolen the three points at the death when Mata's free-kick seemed destined for the top corner, but De Gea did brilliantly to turn the ball behind.

In the end, the sides had to settle for a point apiece from a match which will rightly go down in the annals of Premier League classics.

Source: goal.com

Torres still No. 1 in England

Fernando Torres has struggled for goalscoring form in 2011

England forward Darren Bent believes Fernando Torres remains "the best striker in the Premier League when fit", despite the Spain marksman netting just six goals since January.

Torres, 27, became English football's most expensive player when he moved to Chelsea from Liverpool in a £50 million deal but he has struggled to replicate the form that made him one of the world's most feared strikers during his time at Anfield.

The former Atletico Madrid frontman has scored just four goals for the Blues so far this season and has been lambasted for a number of high-profile misses, including a gilt-edged chance that went begging against Blackburn last weekend.

But Bent, who has enjoyed significantly more success since his own January move - claiming 17 goals in 31 games for Aston Villa and England - feels Torres is still the cream of the Premier League crop.

"Torres is the best striker in the Premier League when fit, he's that good," Bent said. "I've followed him from Atletico Madrid right through to Chelsea.

"Even though he missed a chance at Blackburn, he's still the best. He's quick, powerful, has a good touch, can shoot with either foot and use his head."

Source: ESPN