Chelsea 2 Everton 1

Chelsea came from behind to beat Everton and win their fifth FA Cup and the first trophy for two years with goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard on a scorching afternoon at Wembley. It was a fitting send off for Guus Hiddink, in charge for just 107 days, who leaves Chelsea with his first English trophy and the latest in an illustrious career.

There was continuity in the Chelsea team selection as has come to be expected under Hiddink, with Lampard and Alex returning to the side after sitting out last week's win at Sunderland. The main talking point of the team selection was that Mikel was chosen ahead of Michael Ballack in the centre of midfield but given his performance in the Cup Final in 2007 there was little need to be concerned. Everton meanwhile were hoping for their first trophy since 1995 and brought a large and loud contingent of fans down from Merseyside to cheer on their team.

There was the usual pomp and ceremony of an FA Cup Final as both sets of supporters stood for "Abide with Me" and then the National Anthem and the teams shook hands with the guest of honour, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The national anthem had barely finished, and the fans were barely into their seats before the Chelsea end of Wembley was stunned by an opening goal which breaks the record held for 12 years by Roberto Di Matteo when he famously put Chelsea ahead against Middlesbrough.

This time it took just 25 seconds for the opening goal to come when Pienaar crossed into the Chelsea box and Fellaini's header wasn't properly cleared. The ball feel to Saha and the former Manchester United man spun and smashed it past Petr Cech to put his side in front and deliver a real shock to the Chelsea system.

Everton didn't manage to build on their early goal but they did a good job at frustrating Chelsea for the opening 20 minutes and managed to make Alex look rather nervy at times when put under pressure. Their style of play did come with a physical side and after 8 minutes referee Howard Webb made it clear that he wasn't going to take any nonsense, booking Hibbert for a foul on Malouda when the Everton man cynically clipped the winger's heels.

Chelsea were by no means out of the game and put increasing pressure on Everton, particularly down the left hand side where Florent Malouda caused real problems for the Everton defence. His powerful runs finally made a difference after 21 minutes when he found Drogba with a cross and put Chelsea back on level terms. Remarkably he was left unmarked on the left wing and Lampard found him with a superb ball through the air and then it was all left to the Frenchman, who played a brilliant ball into the box for Drogba, who rose and headed the ball powerfully into the corner of the net to make it 1-1.

It was game on again at Wembley and now the big challenge was for Everton to respond but they rarely looked like getting back in front and Chelsea began to totally boss proceedings, with Everton barely winning any possession, never mind threatening the Chelsea goal.

Chelsea continued to press forward for a second goal before the interval and came close three minutes before the break when Ashley Cole picked up on a deflected pass to the left hand side of the Everton penalty area and worked his way into a shooting position before scuffing the shot wide with the outside of his foot. It was a tight angle for the left-back and he can probably be excused for missing but it was a chance nonetheless and by failing to score the deadlock remained at half time.

Little was needed to improve the Chelsea performance in the second half and indeed they came out after the half time team talk looking confident, even if they did spend a while waiting for the Everton players to join them after an extended session with David Moyes. The Everton boss used the break to bring on Jacobsen for Hibbert in an attempt to change the game and allow Everton to get some kind of a grip on proceedings once more.

Chelsea however, continued to have the lion’s share of possession and just before the hour mark came within inches of going in front. Anelka got the ball on the edge of the area and seeing Everton keeper Howard off his line tried to chip him but his attempt went just wide of the keeper's left hand post.
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In the 61st minute, Ballack made entrance after being left out of the starting 11, coming on to replace Michael Essien, who had played superbly but seemed to be tiring slightly in the heat having picked up a knock earlier in the game. Mikel then received a booking three minutes later after apparently showing dissent towards the referee. Everton did then managed to get a rare attempt on goal when Cahill fired a massive shot from range at Cech but it was easy for the Chelsea keeper and he held on to the effort to keep the scores tied.

The game was wearing on and Everton were looking increasingly tired as Chelsea continued to push forward but again the Toffees had a chance and this time it was a really good opportunity to go in front. Baines swung a cross in after 66 minutes which was met by the head of Saha from close range but he was unable to hit the target and the ball sailed inches over the bar when he really should have done better.

Few teams miss big chances like that against Chelsea and get away with it and within fivr minutes he had been punished as Chelsea scored the goal which won the 2009 FA Cup in spectacular fashion. Didier Drogba may have scored in every domestic cup final he has played in for Chelsea but few deserve a cup final goal more than Frank Lampard and it was he who gave Chelsea victory.

Winning the ball on the edge of the area there was still much work to do and he fought past Phil Neville before tripping and falling over, picking himself up again and curling a powerful shot past Tim Howard and into the corner of the net as the Chelsea half of Wembley exploded. Lampard emulated his father's celebration when he scored in an FA Cup semi-final against Everton for West Ham in the 1970s by storming over to the corner flag and running around it before joining in the celebrations with his team mates.

From then on in it was all Chelsea. Moyes made changes to try and turn the game in Everton's favour, with Vaughan coming on for Saha and Gosling for Osman but Chelsea could, and should, have added to their lead. Malouda missed a good chance when through on goal before he blazed over but he then scored a cracking goal only to see it ruled out by the linesman. His effort was a powerful shot which cracked off the crossbar and down into the net but then bounced out again and the assistant referee appeared uncertain as to whether or not the ball crossed the line and didn't give the goal, much to Chelsea's frustration.

Five minutes before the 90 were up, Chelsea had a reasonable claim for a penalty after Lampard was felled as he made a run inside the Everton penalty area but the referee decided that there had been no infringement and the England midfielder was booked for simulation.

In the end though it didn't matter and Everton just couldn't find an equaliser. Chelsea played out the four minutes of injury time without trouble and kept the ball in the corner and then the final whistle blew to a roar from the Chelsea end as the Hiddink era ended in spectacular fashion with an FA Cup at Wembley. Everton fought hard but simply couldn't find the power up front and rarely threatened Chelsea, who by comparison could have won by more.

John Terry led his Chelsea time up the steps to the Royal Box in their striking yellow kit, interestingly the first time a Chelsea side has played in an FA Cup Final in anything other than Blue shirts. At the box the FA Cup awaited, handed over by Kofi Annan and lifted jointly by Terry and Lampard, captain and vice-captain of the great Chelsea football club. Finally it came to Guus Hiddink to lift the trophy he so desired in a stadium he described as "Mecca."

A marvellous win for Chelsea means a trophy at Stamford Bridge this season, a season rescued by the one and only Guus Hiddink. From everyone at cfcuk.net there is a big thank you to Guus for everything he has done. Chelsea Football Club- FA Cup winners 2009!

Young Ulster Blue

Sunderland 2 Chelsea 3

Chelsea enjoyed a victorious end to the season on Sunday with a victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light In a game which meant little to Chelsea but could potentially save Sunderland from the drop it was perhaps unsurprising that Chelsea scored three goals and conceded two in an open and exciting encounter.

With the FA Cup final coming up next weekend there had been some speculation that Guus Hiddink would not field his full team for fear of injuries to key players but, in the end, only Frank Lampard and Alex were left out, being replaced by Juliano Belletti and Branislav Ivanovic respectively and with Nicolas Anelka starting, he claimed the Premier League Golden Boot award with 19 goals.

The first half was a relatively quiet affair with no goals but there were plenty of chances for both sides to take the lead, with Chelsea generally producing more and dominating the game. Didier Drogba was the first man to put either goalkeeper under any pressure with his shot in the 11th minute but Fulop was able to stop the shot comfortably and prevent Chelsea from taking an early lead.

Sunderland could have gone 1-0 themselves within about 20 minutes but Jones just couldn't get his head to Leadbitter's cross and Petr Cech was left untroubled in the Chelsea goal. Chelsea then had to make a change through injury after Belletti picked up a knock after 25 minutes and was replaced by Michael Ballack, another contender to start at Wembley next Saturday. Ashley Cole picked up a 34th minute booking after the referee decided the England defender had tripped Richardson on the right.

As half time approached Chelsea were still looking more dangerous but then the dynamic of the game changed as news filtered through from Villa Park that Newcastle were losing 1-0. This, coupled with Hull losing against Manchester United meant that Sunderland were closer to safety and perhaps they dropped their guard slightly, with Drogba testing Fulop from range once again in first half injury time but again the keeper was equal to it.

The closest attempt of the half however came even later in first-half injury time, this time from Florent Malouda as he stormed away from the defenders and blazed an effort at goal, seeing it crack against the cross bar and bounce away as somehow the score stayed at 0-0.

The second half was to prove much more of a roller-coaster ride than the first and probably more than would have been expected. Sunderland seemed to be slightly complacent having heard the news of Newcastle's predicament and just two minutes after the re-start Chelsea took the lead through Anelka. He picked the ball up a long way from goal, ran forward and then curled a wonderful shot into the top corner from 25 yards to make it 1-0 to Chelsea and, with Ronaldo not playing at Hull, secure the Golden Boot award for the 2008/9 season.

The goal gave Sunderland a reality check, with the Black Cats aware that with 40 minutes still to play the games at the KC Stadium and Villa Park could still swing against them and send them down and they picked the tempo up a bit. It took five minutes for them to capitalise in complacency from Chelsea when they broke on the right wing and Leadbitter's cross was missed by Cech and fell to Richardson who fired in from close range to level the scores.

Regardless of the game meaning little to Chelsea in terms of league position a win was still the desired outcome and there was no indication that they would accept a draw. After the hour mark Anelka cracked another shot at goal from long range but it went just past the post. Chelsea then decided to make another change, with Salomon Kalou coming on in the 66th minute to replace Michael Essien, who put in yet another good shift for Chelsea in the centre of the park.

It was to be Kalou however who made the difference and put Chelsea back on track for victory with a goal ten minutes after coming on. The young Ivorian got the ball on the edge of the box in a similar position to Anelka half an hour earlier and from an extremely tight angle fired a shot low and hard past three defenders and Fulop into the Sunderland net.

That again made the Stadium of Light nervous with there still being time for Newcastle and Hull to stage late turnarounds but when Chelsea's third goal went in it was too late to really matter. With five minutes left to play it was Malouda who almost grabbed Chelsea's last league goal of the year with a break into the box and attempted dink over Fulop.

It didn't work, the ball instead bounced off him but it fell back to Ashley Cole and he fired it low into the goal for 3-1 and seemingly game over. It wasn't quite the last of the action however as Sunderland, now knowing that in reality they were safe in the Premier League, had nothing to lose by going for another.

In the last minute substitute Andy Reid crossed into the Chelsea box for Kenwyne Jones who was unmarked and headed in a consolation goal for his side. The win was a satisfying way to end the league season for Chelsea and probably for Guus Hiddink as well. It also provides good momentum for next Saturday and the FA Cup Final where the season will hopefully end with some silverware.

Young Ulster Blue

Chelsea 2 Blackburn Rovers 0

Sunday’s visit of Blackburn to Stamford Bridge was something of a dead rubber with Rovers safe from relegation and Chelsea secure in third place. It was however Guus Hiddink's last home game in charge and a chance to give him a good send off for all the work he has done for the club since arriving in February and he left on a positive note.

The Dutchman was pleased with his side’s performance although it really could have been more. Despite the fact that there was nothing riding on the game, Hiddink chose to field a full team with no youngsters getting a run out as he emphasised his desire to win every single match and it was a strategy which paid dividends within minutes of the start of the game.

Chelsea had made a positive start to the game with Frank Lampard having a 2nd minute shot saved in the 2nd minute and then took the lead in the 4th minute with a sublime piece of football starting with run through midfield by José Bosingwa, storming forward before playing the ball wide to the left finding Nicolas Anelka.

He in turn took the ball forward before whipping the ball into the box where Florent Malouda threw himself forward to beat the defender to head past Rover’s’ keeper R*binson in the Blackburn goal to make it 1-0 to Chelsea.

It might have been 2-0 in the 9th minute when Chelsea again cut open the Blackburn defence and Ashley Cole found Anelka inside the penalty area but he saw his shot saved by R*binson's feet when he really should have scored.

Chelsea continued to dominate things and look for a second as the half wore on and after 18 minutes Chelsea again came very close to doubling their lead. This time, Anelka's cross fell to Lampard on the edge of the box but his powerful strike hit the woodwork and bounced away from goal as Blackburn somehow managed to keep the score at 1-0. A minute later, José Bosingwa was booked after the referee decided that he had dived when challenged.

Rovers did manage to create a few chances of their own as well despite Chelsea's domination of the game and as the home side went forward looking for the second goal, Diouf managed to get a cross in for Samba but he somehow headed over from 6 yards out and let Chelsea off the hook.

After 28 minutes Chelsea had yet another chance to score in the end to end encounter when Drogba supplied Malouda and he flicked the ball over R*binson but he just couldn't get enough purchase on the shot and Nelsen managed to clear it away feet from the goal line.

The second half saw the tempo drop slightly but Chelsea were still determined to secure a win and didn't hesitate in going forward. Ashley Cole had a good claim for a penalty turned down when his shirt was almost pulled off his back by Andrews but the rules state that only Manchester United may win penalties in the Premier League and therefore the decision was given Blackburn's way.

The defender didn't let it affect him however and within minutes he became provider for Chelsea's second goal. In the 59th minute he found Anelka on the edge of the area and he rifled the ball low past R*binson into the bottom corner of the net to make it 2-0 at last and give him 18 goals for the campaign, level with Christiano Ronaldo with one game left to play.

Anelka came close to adding another to his tally and making it three nil after 73 minutes but his effort was different from his goal only in that it didn't hit the back of the net, this time going just wide of the post from a similar position. Lampard was then unlucky not to make it 3-0 when one on one with R*binson but his effort was well saved by the keeper.

Blackburn meanwhile didn't create any real chances of note, the best coming from a long distance shot from Tugay which tested Cech but he managed to deal with relatively comfortably. In the end it was a comfortable win for Chelsea who rarely came under any real pressure from Blackburn and gave Guus Hiddink a good send off and a fantastic end to an unbeaten reign at home as Chelsea manager.

Young Ulster Blue

Arsenal 1 Chelsea 4 (Easy, Easy!)

Sunday's game at the Emirates had little riding on it other than the guarantee of a clear passage to next season's Champions League group stages but few could have predicted the way in which Chelsea demolished Arsenal with a four goal display that left the Gunners reeling.

Goals from Alex, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda coupled with a Toure own goal guarantee Chelsea a third place finish and therefore they avoid the need for a potentially tricky qualifier for the Champions League under the new system introduced by UEFA.

The game was in some respects similar to the Chelsea v Arsenal FA Cup Semi-Fnal earlier in the season with Arsenal beginning the game in similar fashion, going for the attack and putting Chelsea under real pressure. Despite fielding the same side which played Barcelona in midweek Chelsea didn't look anywhere near as good and Arsenal created some early chances, the first coming from Walcott just seconds after kick-off but he fired over from deep inside the area despite cutting open the Blues’ defence.

After 7 minutes he came close again when he forced a great save from Petr Cech from a tight angle but Chelsea managed to keep the score at 0-0. Arsenal kept banging at the door though and really should have taken the lead after 11 minutes when a ball into the box from Arsenal found Diaby who side footed wide when he really should have hit the target and, with Fabregas rushing in behind him, really should have left it to his team mate.

Finally, after 20 minutes, Chelsea did manage to get an effort away at goal but Malouda's shot was easily saved by Fabianski and Arsenal managed to respond within minutes when Song had a go for Arsenal but dragged his shot wide.

The game was still going largely Arsenal's way when Chelsea won a free-kick on the right hand side of the field after 27 minutes which completely changed the dynamic of the game. The free-kick came from a van Persie foul on Didier Drogba and the Ivorian striker took it, whipping a ball into the box which Alex rose and headed onto the underside of the Arsenal crossbar before bouncing into the net to make it 1-0.

The goal was no doubt a shock for Arsenal who had dominated play but failed to make a breakthrough for the first 25 minutes. Over the next ten minutes or so they failed to return to the sort of tempo that they'd had in the first quarter of the game and Chelsea began to play on a more equal footing before making it 2-0 after 38 minutes.

This time it was a breakaway of sorts which provided the goal with Mikel setting up Anelka who charged forward from midfield and then smashed a curling shot past Fabianski from 25 yards to leave the Emirates stunned as Chelsea doubled their lead courtesy of a striker who had hitherto hardly been in the game.

It could have been three before half time as well had Anelka been more clinical in front of goal but despite being one on one with Fabianski he couldn't hit the back of the net with the Arsenal keeper saving well.

More of the same was required from Chelsea in the second half and more of the same was delivered as they went 3-0 with just 3 minutes of the second half played. Ashley Cole broke down the left, accompanied by a chorus of boos, and played the ball across the mouth of goal with pace. With Drogba waiting to pounce, Toure decided to try and sort things out but he only managed to slide in and poke the ball past his own keeper to further extend Chelsea's lead.

With a three goal margin secure it didn't look likely that Chelsea would encounter any further problems and Arsenal didn't mount any more serious challenges. To their credit they did keep going and Walcott had a go after 57 minutes which, like all of his efforts, sailed harmlessly wide. Finally however there was a breakthrough and although it was little more than a consolation it did briefly spark an Arsenal resurgence of sorts.

With 20 minutes left Sagna had the ball on the right side of the field and tried to find a team mate with a ball into the box. Bendtner, who had come on to the pitch to replace Diaby ten minutes earlier, rose to head it past Cech and cap off a superb move from Arsenal. Guus Hiddink made his first change with 13 minutes remaining when he replaced José Bosingwa with Branislav Ivanovic The goal restored some confidence to Arsenal but Chelsea always looked dangerous, especially on the break and despite some pressure from the Gunners they wrapped things up with 4 minutes left with a rather messy goal.

Malouda was the man who broke away from midfield but Fabianski saved his weak shot which rebounded to Anelka but the Frenchman couldn't find the target, hitting the post instead. Finally the ball rebounded to Malouda who couldn't miss and he slammed it home for 4-1 before he was replaced with two minutes remaining by Michael Ballack.

There were no more goals and, as the full time whistle blew, Chelsea knew that they had secured third place in the table with only their second Premier League away win over Arsenal and can now allow themselves a period of rest before the FA Cup Final on the 27th May.

Young Ulster Blue

Chelsea 3 Fulham 1

Chelsea took on Fulham at Stamford Bridge with Guus Hiddink still encouraging his players to give their all in every league match despite the hope of winning the Premier League getting slimmer with every win accrued by leaders Manchester Utd. Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson’s side were still looking for a finish that would give them a place in Europe.

Chelsea took a first minute lead when some great build-up play involving some sleek one-touch passing culminated when Didier Drogba slipped the ball through to Nicolas Anelka who had the easiest of tasks in poking the ball into the net past Schwarzer the Fulham keeper from inside the area.

Chelsea’s lead only lasted three minutes and the Fulham equaliser caused the Chelsea manager some concern. A long through ball was played through from midfield by Murphy direct to Nevland who was level with Alex, the last Chelsea defender and shot past Petr Cech’s and hit the back of the right-hand corner of The Blues’ goal.

Chelsea regained the lead in the 10th minute when a low cross from the left hit in by Anelka was left by Drogba for Florent Malouda who swept the ball into the net from inside the area, the Frenchman blasting the ball into the right-hand side of the Fulham goal.

A 14th minute effort from Nevland was inches too high while a header from Z*mora in the 16th minute went wide as Fulham went forward in search of a second equaliser. A 23rd minute cross from Nevland was cleared away by Alex with the resulting corner hit in by Murphy was collected by Cech.

Chelsea came back with Malouda’s 26th minute cross being cut out by Konchesky and then, minute later, a ball put into the box by Drogba was cleared by Hangeland but only as far as Michael Essien but his cross was blocked by Pantsil.

A 31st minute foul on Drogba resulted in a free-kick for Chelsea but Frank Lampard couldn’t find the target while a 37th minute long ball pumped forward by John Terry after a foul on Mikel was cleared by the Fulham defence.

The Chelsea and England Captain was in the right place as Gera took a 39th minute shot, the defender blocking the shot and putting it behind to safety with Konchesky’s corner coming to nothing.

José Bosingwa put a 41st minute cross over from the right but it was intercepted and cleared by Hangeland but the Portuguese had another attempt a minute later and this time, won a corner but the subsequent ball into the area from Lampard was comfortably dealt with Hughes.

A shot from Lampard was blocked by Gera and put behind with the England midfielder taking the corner himself only to see it cleared by Pantsil before Essien hit a shot that flew narrowly wide. As half-time approached, crosses from Malouda and Ashley Cole were cleared and then, just before the referee blew for the break, Malouda’s free-kick was cleared by Dempsey.

During half-time, Guus Hiddink replaced Alex with Branislav Ivanovic and Essien with Michael Ballack and, with the manager having patently given his players short-thrift for not giving 100% concentration in the first period, Chelsea came out for the second period looking like they meant business and, in the 53rd minute, it paid off.

Anelka made a good run forward from midfield and played the ball past the Fulham defence and into the feet of Drogba who, taking a touch to take it away from Schwarzer before placing it under his body and into the net to make the score 3-1.

With Chelsea now in total command, they surged forward in search of a fourth. Hangeland’s foul on Malouda in the 57th minute gave Lampard the opportunity to hit a 25-yard free-kick direct at the Fulham goal but although his effort cleared the wall, it took the fingertips of Schwarzer to keep the ball out of the net, his save giving Chelsea a corner with Hughes managing to clear Lampard’s ball in.

A Pantsil cross was cleared in the 65th minute by Terry before Kamara saw his 66th minute shot flash wide of the post as Fulham pressed but a counter attack in the 69th minute nearly paid dividends for Chelsea when Anelka got down the right and played a low cross to the near post for Drogba but the Ivorian put his touch just the wrong side of the upright.

A 74th minute shot from Bosingwa went wide and then, in the 84th minute, a Malouda cross from the left was met by the head of Anelka but the French international directed the ball to the wrong side of the post.

A minute later, Drogba made way for Franco Di Santo but, with time rapidly running out, the Argentinean youngster was really given enough time to create an impression although it made no difference anyway, as the game was already won.

Chelsea remain in 3rd place in the Premier League with 74 points, six behind leaders Manchester Utd and three behind second placed Liverpool. Despite the spotlight being on the forthcoming match against Barcelona, a point next week against Arsenal will almost guarantee that Chelsea will finish the season no lower than third in the table.

The Reserve

West Ham Utd 0 Chelsea 1

Chelsea’s slim hopes of winning the Premier League were kept alive as they beat their East London rivals West Ham Utd at Upton Park in what was a typically tight derby match. For the first time since he became the Blues manager, temporary boss Guus Hiddink decided to rest several of his first choice players and gave Juliano Belletti and Mikel John

With the crucial first leg of the Champions League semi final against Barcelona coming up on Tuesday, Hiddink took the opportunity to give José Bosingwa his first game since coming back from injury but by the time the game ended, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole, although suspended for Nou Camp match, were all on the pitch.

A goal from Salomon Kalou in the 55th minute settled the match but the goal scorer very nearly became the villain when he gave away a 70th minute penalty after he pulled Ilunga’s shirt inside the area but his blushes were saved when keeper Petr Cech answered his recent criticism with a superb save after he dived the right way to push Noble’s spot kick around the left hand post.

Chelsea looked well up for the game, perhaps thinking they had something to prove after a disappointing performance against Everton in midweek and looking to build momentum ahead of their Champions League Semi-Ffinal. This resulted in them largely dominating play in the first half although chances were few and far between.

The best chance fell to Florent Malouda after 15 minutes after he had been played in by Frank Lampard who had as usual received a hostile reception at his old club, but the French midfielder couldn't hit the back of the net, his shot kept out by a great save from West Ham keeper Green.

Despite being on the back-foot, West Ham did manage to create two chances in the first half however, the first falling to Dyer who found space in the 20th minute had a shot but it was weak and easy for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech.

The Hammers came a lot closer just before half-time however, when Noble's corner was headed on to Tristan who got a shot away and forced Mikel to scramble the ball off the line and narrowly prevent Chelsea from going a goal down.

Chelsea were the better side going in at half time but needed something more in order to take three points away from Upton Park and it only took ten minutes of the second half before they found that extra something.

Lampard was the provider on the left as he got close to the penalty area and clipped a ball into the box which fell to Kalou, the Ivorian chesting it down and smashing it into the net to put Chelsea 1-0 up and put them on course for victory. Three minutes later, Ashley Cole was introduced as Guus Hiddink withdrew Bosingwa, the Dutchman probably having half a mind on the forthcoming tie against Barcelona.

The Blues continued to dominate the game as it passed the hour mark and, in the 65th minute, Nicolas Anelka had a great chance to make it 2-0 when he was played through on goal and was one-on-one with Green but the West Ham keeper managed to keep the ball as he spread himself to foil the Frenchman.

Just seconds later however, Green could do nothing and was saved by his woodwork when Ashley Cole drove a powerful shot at goal, beating the keeper but clipping the top of the crossbar. West Ham were living dangerously and Chelsea were looking good for the win but in football things can change very quickly and Chelsea got themselves in trouble.

A needless challenge from Kalou on Ilunga inside the Chelsea penalty area resulted in a 69th minute penalty for the home side, the Ivorian guilty of hauling him down despite him heading away from goal and with no threat to Cech.

The big Czech keeper has not been in the best form lately but there was no doubt about his shot-stopping ability when he faced up to Noble's powerful penalty and beat it away around his left-hand post to keep Chelsea 1-0 up.

In the 73rd minute, Kalou came off and was replaced by Michael Essien, the midfielder given a run-out to stretch his legs for the midweek fixture. From then on in, Chelsea always looked the most likely to take the points and were rarely troubled again by West Ham.

Lampard managed to test Green again after 82 minutes and keep the pressure on the home side and Noble's late effort in injury time was never in any danger of finding the net as it sailed over the cross bar. With seven minutes remaining, Michael Ballack became the third of Hiddink’s substitutions when he came on in place of Mancienne.

The win keeps Chelsea comfortably in third place and keeps the pressure on second placed Liverpool. It also keeps confidence levels high ahead of Tuesday's trip to the Nou Camp which is certain to be one of our most important games this season.

Young Ulster Blue

Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2

Trips to Wembley are effectively a yearly occurrence now for Chelsea supporters and a meeting with Arsenal at the showpiece stadium on Saturday was an opportunity to reach the FA Cup Final for the second time in three seasons. Despite going behind to a first half Walcott strike, Chelsea rallied and won through to the Final to be played on May 30th.

The Blues came back through a first-half equaliser scored by Florent Malouda and sealed a late win when Didier Drogba went past Fabianski and slotted home to make it 2-1 and ensure a return to Wembley.

Both sides seemed slightly hung-over from their Champions League exploits in midweek, especially given the high tempo manner of Chelsea's victory over Liverpool and there was plenty of space to be found in midfield.

Arsenal exploited this best at the start of the game and Chelsea started in a similar fashion to the way they did against Liverpool, allowing their opponents too much of the ball and letting them create far too much with the ball in their possession.

Gus Hiddink wasn't a happy man but there was little he could do and Chelsea had to fight to get into the game. Despite this Chelsea did manage to create a couple of chances inside the first fifteen minutes, with the first coming from Drogba and suggesting something about the frailty of Fabianski in the Arsenal goal as he rushed rashly out and lost out to the Ivorian who was unfortunate to see Gibbs scramble his header from 18-yards off the goal line.

Drogba also created the second chance after a great pass from Michael Ballack but Toure managed to force him to fire wide and the game remained goalless. However, Arsenal were never far away from causing trouble though and in the 18th minute they did so as Adebayor set Gibbs on a run and his cross found Walcott at the back post who volleyed the ball onto the hand of Ashley Cole and on into the net.

Whilst the strike was not particularly good, the deflection carried it past Petr Cech and gave Arsenal the lead but Chelsea could take heart from the fact that it was an early goal and the last time Walcott scored against them, they came back to win 2-1 in the 2007 League Cup Final.

Hiddink said after the game that he tweaked tactics after the Walcott strike and indeed Chelsea did appear to play much better after going a goal down. They began to get back into the game and create chances and became the better of the two teams for the first time.

They created a good chance when Ashley Cole played through Malouda but his shot went agonisingly wide of the far post as he smashed it across goal. The build up in pressure from Chelsea was increasingly looking like producing a goal and in the 33rd minute it came via Malouda.

Frank Lampard played the ball across to the far side for the French midfielder who brought it down well before advancing into the area and cracking a low shot past the Arsenal keeper, who perhaps should have done better.

Arsenal appeared rattled by the goal and struggled to respond. Chelsea created more chances before the half was out, with Anelka hitting the post in the 37th minute with a powerful effort after dispossessing Diaby but Wenger’s side managed to hold on until half time.

A minute later, Branislav Ivanovic was booked for what appeared to be a perfectly fair challenge on Van Persie before Ballack’s name was added a minute before the break for a similar incident involving Fabregas.

Things didn't improve much for them after halftime as Chelsea continued to dominate and bossed the game. The closest Arsenal came to goal was when Walcott's cross just evaded Van Persie at the far post but they failed to really trouble Chelsea who were creating a number of openings down the left wing.

They could have had a penalty when Diaby appeared to handle inside the box when challenging Drogba for a header but the referee waved play on. With 8 minutes remaining, Hiddink withdrew Anelka and replaced him with Salomon Kalou and two minutes later, Chelsea took the lead.

A long ball over the top by Lampard was chased by Drogba who shrugged off the challenge of Silvestre and with the sweetest of touches took the ball around the Arsenal keeper Fabianski outside the area before slotting home into an empty net from 12-yards, the downside being a yellow card for the scorer’s celebrations in which he removed his shirt. 

Arsenal huffed and puffed for the remaining seven minutes but couldn't produce anything and at the final whistle it was a victory for the best team on the day with Gus Hiddink now set to bow out with the spectacle of the Cup Final at Wembley.

Young Ulster Blue

Chelsea 4 Bolton Wanderers 3

Chelsea, cruising at 4-0 with 20 minutes remaining, played out a frantic last eleven minutes to hang-on to beat gallant Bolton Wanderers 4-3 after conceding three times in a nine-minute spell. Chelsea opened thanks to Michael Ballack and looked to have an unassailable lead after Didier Drogba had scored twice either side of a Frank Lampard penalty.

However, goals from O'Brien in the 70th minute, Basham in the 74th and Taylor in the 78th saw the Chelsea defence forced to play out a desperate rear-guard action and were lucky to finish the match with three points after the visitors came close to grabbing a last-minute equaliser.

There was a welcome return to the side for Ricardo Carvalho, especially in view of John Terry’s forthcoming suspension which he will serve next Tuesday evening, while Michael Essien was rested with Mikel drafted in to take his place.

It was the visitors who made the first foray into the goal area with Petr Cech forced to make a 2nd minute save after Drogba was adjudged to have fouled Gardner, the Chelsea stopper denying Taylor who shot direct at goal from the left-hand side.

Chelsea’s first chance of the match came when Drogba tried to chip Jaaskelainen in the 9th minute, the Bolton keeper performing well to keep the Ivorian at bay. Three minutes later, the Chelsea striker tried his luck with a shot from 20-yards but his effort was way off target.

A 16th minute shot from Florent Malouda went wide before Lampard saw his 19th minute drive held by Jaaskelainen before Bolton responded with Taylor giving Davies the chance to head towards goal but fortunately for Chelsea, his put it just over the bar.

In the 24th minute, Ballack was fouled by Bolton’s McCann winning a free-kick within striking distance of the Bolton goal. Lampard hit the ball towards the target and although he beat the wall, Jaaskelainen got his body behind the ball to save, the keeper putting it behind for a corner.

In the 29th minute, Drogba came close with a header after connecting with a cross from Ashley Cole and them, two minutes later, both Drogba and Kalou managed to get in each others way as they both collided after attempting to win the same ball played in by Malouda.

In the 37th minute, a rasping shot from 25-yards hit by Ballack only just cleared the bar but then, five minutes before the break, Chelsea made the breakthrough when the German played a neat pass out to the right to Kalou and was in the right place to collect the return eight yards from goal and place the ball into the net.

Following the break and two minutes into the second period, Chelsea went 2-0 up after a foul on Kalou by Samuel, Lampard hit a low ball across the area from the Chelsea right. After Ballack stepped over the ball, it came to Drogba on the edge of the six-yard box who slotted home to make the score 2-0.

The 51st minute saw a shot from Kalou, hit from inside the Bolton penalty box but it rose too quickly and cleared the bar. Moments later, Mikel tried his luck with a long-range effort but he too could only clear the crossbar.

On the hour and as Chelsea attacked, they earned a penalty after Steinsson handled the ball inside the area after a cross from the left was diverted by his outstretched arm, the referee having no hesitation in pointing towards the spot. Lampard stepped up and coolly sent the keeper the wrong way, placing the ball to the left to make the score 3-0.

Three minutes later, Chelsea looked to have wrapped things up when a corner from the right hit by Malouda was met by midweek hero Branislav Ivanovic whose header fell for Drogba who touched the ball over the line from a yard out to make the score 4-0.

With the game looking like it was all but over and with Tuesday’s impending Champions League battle against Liverpool in mind, Guus Hiddink withdrew Lampard and Drogba and replaced them with Deco and Nicolas Anelka with 66 minutes played.

The substitutions seemed to send a signal to the Chelsea side that the game was as good as won but, within four minutes of the change, Bolton got a goal back when the home defence failed to clear a corner and, as the ball came back in, it fell to O’Brien who poked it past Cech from a yard out after the keeper had failed to hold the ball.

In the 74th minute, Bolton scored again when indecision between Cech and Terry allowed a cross from Steinsson to find Davies who had the time to loop his header back across the goal to Basham who poked the ball home.

With the defence and midfield seemingly at sixes and sevens, the last thing the home crowd needed was for Bolton to score a third but they did in the 79th minute when a long punt from Jaaskelainen was headed on by Davies and bounced up for Taylor to nod the ball past a stunned Cech.

The Chelsea keeper then regained his own and restored his team-mates’ confidence by coming out to command his area and pluck two balls from the heads of expectant Bolton forwards before Gardner caused a scare when he his shot but their was relief when he couldn’t find the target.

As Bolton came forward in search of an equaliser, a clearance from Carvalho found Kalou on the right and, although he lost the ball, he forced Samuel and then O’Brien into making a back-pass which was seized upon by Anelka but although he managed to loop it over Jaaskelainen, Steinsson was able to scramble the ball off the line.

With Bolton pumping the ball forward at every opportunity, they won a corner which saw all 22 players in the Chelsea area leaving Cech unable to reach the ball through the crowd but he managed to palm it away but only as far as Cahill who turned inside the penalty area to shoot but his effort hit his own player and was deflected away for a goal-kick.

In the end, Chelsea hung on to claim the win, the three points giving them 67 keeping them in touch with leaders Manchester Utd who have 71 points and second placed Liverpool who trail them by a point.

The Reserve

Newcastle Utd 0 Chelsea 2

Chelsea gate-crashed the Alan Shearer ‘home-coming’ party at St James’ Park on Saturday after goals from Frank Lampard and Florent Malouda gave Guus Hiddink’s side a comfortable 2-0 wing against Newcastle Utd. The win keeps them in contention in the Title race but with both Man Utd and Liverpool also winning, it seems the chance is slipping away.

Chelsea had the first chance of the game when they won a corner that was taken by Lampard and met by Branislav Ivanovic but the Serbian defender could only put his headed effort wide of the target.

The 14th minute saw Petr Cech come to clear a corner hit into the Chelsea area by Newcastle’s Taylor and then, in the 16th minute, good work from Michael Essien ensured that he blocked a shot hit by Owen.

A 19th minute cross sent over by Ashley Cole was met by Salomon Kalou who shot only to see Utd keeper Harper push the ball away for a corner. Harper again denied Chelsea by saving Lampard’s effort before a shot from Essien went wide.

A minute later, Newcastle came close when a ball from Enrique found Martins but he mishit his effort with Cech looking alert but none too concerned.

A 27th minute cross from Lovenkrands was cleared behind by Ashley Cole and the subsequent corner cleared away by Ivanovic and then, two minutes later, Lampard did well to block a cross from Taylor before Cech was forced to cut out a cross from Gutierrez who’d picked up the loose ball.

In the 31st minute, a ball played through by Lampard found Nicolas Anelka but his shot was saved by Harper. Seven minutes later, Lampard was shown a yellow card after the referee decided that he had dived when challenged in midfield.

In the 44th minute, Newcastle United’s Lovenkrands was injured and came off and was replaced by former Chelsea hero Damien Duff who received a rapturous reception from the Chelsea supporters who stood to salute one of their ex-favourites. In first-half stoppage-time, Mikel received a booking when the referee adjudged that he had challenged Gutierrez unfairly.

Following the break, Chelsea created the first chance of the half when a cross from Kalou was sent behind for a corner by Taylor. Malouda’s ball in was not cleared away properly and fell for Essien who fired a shot towards the goal but it flew over the bar.

Two minutes later, it was Essien who supplied a pass for Malouda but the Frenchman’s shot was saved by Harper. With Chelsea looking by far the stronger of the two sides, Anelka then had a header saved by Harper in the 53rd minute but then, in the 56th, the Frenchman helped open the scoring.

Making his way into the Newcastle penalty area from the right, he hit a shot that was blocked by Harper but hit the bar and rebounded back into the penalty area straight to Lampard with the midfielder having the easiest of tasks to head the ball into an unguarded net with Harper helpless.

Following the goal and in the 57th minute, Essien was replaced by Michael Ballack before an effort from Newcastle’s Jonas in the 63rd minute was held by Cech.

Opting to kick the ball, the Chelsea keeper drop-kicked a long ball which was met by Anelka’s head halfway inside the Newcastle half. His ball found Lampard who slipped the ball through to Malouda who had cut into the box from the left, the Frenchman hitting his shot under Harper to make the score 2-0 to Chelsea.

In the 67th minute, a shot from Lampard was pushed away for a corner before Franco Di Santo was sent on to replace Anelka who was given an early finish in order to preserve his strength for Wednesday’s battle against Liverpool.

In the 72nd minute, Newcastle should have been awarded a goal after Own had beaten Cech on his left but Ashley Cole managed to hook the ball away leaving the officials a difficult job deciding whether it had crossed the line, the referee favouring The Blues.

With four minutes remaining, Lampard played the ball through to Ballack who turned and shot but his effort lacked the power to beat Harper and then, moments later, Di Santo had an effort saved. Kalou might have made it three in injury time but for a brilliant save from Harper but, as it is, Chelsea will settle for the 2-0 victory.

Chelsea trail second placed Liverpool with 64 points who are themselves two behind leaders Manchester Utd who lead with 68 points.

The Reserve

Spurs 1 Chelsea 0

Chelsea's title bid was dealt a major blow on Saturday with defeat at White Hart Lane courtesy of a Modric strike after 50 minutes. Chelsea were therefore unable to capitalise on Man Utd’s defeat at Fulham and Guus Hiddink suffered his first defeat as the man at the helm at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea started the match in a 4-3-3 formation with Nicolas Anelka on the left and Juliano Belletti on the right but that left Didier Drogba effectively alone up front and created some problems for him as he tried to find space to get through the Spurs defence.

The first chance of the game however came from Chelsea after 8 minutes when Michael Essien played a one-two with Anelka and took a left footed shot at goal from the right side but Gomes was equal to it in the Spurs goal.

It didn't take the home team long to respond however and Keane soon put the pressure on Chelsea with a couple of good efforts at goal. The first was after 18 minutes from the edge of the penalty area but Cech didn't have too much trouble dealing with it, pushing it away from danger. After 25 minutes Keane had a similar attempt at goal but again Cech kept it out.

Chelsea weren't lying down though and they created a chance of their own after 33 minutes when Anelka cracked a shot at goal from 18 yards, forcing Gomes to tip it around the post but Drogba headed the resulting corner over the bar as the Spurs defence continued to frustrate him. With seconds to go in the first period, Belletti was booked after colliding with Bent.

Spurs however had had probably been the better side in the first half and there was some cause for concern amongst the Chelsea ranks at half time, with a desire to see the visitors come out and finish off their North London rivals in the second half.

That wasn't to be however. Chelsea would have been looking to come out and get an early goal in the second half but of course Spurs also had the same aim and they were the ones who got that early goal, just 5 minutes into the second half. It came from Lennon, who made a good run down the right and managed to beat Ashley Cole before pulling the ball back to Modric, who fired the ball past Cech from 18 yards out to give Spurs a 1-0.

Chelsea knew that they had to respond, with a long way still to go in the game and therefore plenty of time to find at least an equaliser. Modric however had another good chance from a similar position and King put Chelsea under pressure from a corner but he headed wide to let them off the hook. Hiddink decided that Chelsea needed a change and brought on Ricardo Quaresma for Belletti, who had been largely disappointing, after an hour.

The change almost had an immediate effect as Quaresma crossed for Frank Lampard who headed at goal but Corluka managed to clear the ball away. In the 67th minute Drogba then had his only real chance of the game when he fired at goal from 12 yards but again Gomes managed to turn the ball away and frustrate Chelsea. Quaresma also had a go at goal but Gomes managed to keep out his long range effort.

Spurs were second best at this stage but they still had the potential to cause The Blues problems and Keane fired just wide from 20 yards after 71 minutes as his side reminded Chelsea that they were living dangerously in attempting to find an equaliser.

Chelsea were banging at the door however and created two chances in quick succession. First of all Drogba fired wide from 12 yards and then Lampard crossed into the box from a free kick for John Terry and but his header from the centre of the penalty area was saved by Gomes. Michael Ballack also had a shot saved but then, a minute later in the 84th, he was booked for allegedly bringing down Modric.

Chelsea didn't give up however and were seeking an equaliser right up to the end and they almost did get that goal in injury time when Lampard's corner found Alex in the centre of the area but his header hit the bar and Spurs escaped and took 3 points away from the game as Chelsea left the Lane frustrated.

Ultimately it was another disappointing result for Chelsea against Spurs, who they have now failed to beat in their last 5 meetings. It also means that a great chance to close the gap on Man Utd is gone and Hiddink has said as much, but the prospect of two trophies remains firmly on the horizon.

Young Ulster Blue