Napoli have signed Salomon Kalou from Chelsea, the club have confirmed. The Ivory Coast forward had been courted by a number of Serie A and La Liga clubs but has opted for the Naples club for an undisclosed fee which is stated to be around ?10m.
Kalou has signed a three-and-a-half-year contract at the San Paolo after passing a medical at the club over the weekend. He scored 36 goals in 114 appearances for Chelsea, who were wanted to sell the player after the signings of Eden Hazrad and Simon Kjaer.
Gianfranco Zola, the Chelsea manager, has repeatedly said Kalou has what it takes to play regularly in the starting eleven, and Real Madrid were reportedly interested in signing the player. Kalou joined Chelsea from Feyenoord for an undisclossed fee in 2006 and has been a regular for his national team since making his debut in 2007.
"To play in the Serie A is a good challenge for me and I want to thank Napoli for giving me the chance to do that," said Kalou. "I'm sad to leave Chelsea because they're a great club and gave me my chance in football to show my talent to the world and I want to say thanks to everyone there. But I need to prove myself now at Napoli and I'm going to focus on getting in the team and doing well for my new club."
If reports in England are to believed then Gianfranco Zola is looking to make the young Blackburn Rovers versatile defender Phil Jones his fifth and final summer signing at Chelsea since succeeding Carlo Ancelotti at the start of the season.
Phil Jones is subject to interest from Chelsea and United,
Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Blackburn's highly rated defender Phil Jones. The 18-year-old had also been the subject of interest from Arsenal and Manchester United but he will now join Gianfranco Zola's side.
The England Under-19 international, who has made just six first-team appearances for the Rovers, is thought to be valued at ?8m. The switch to Stamford Bridge will complete a rapid rise to prominence for Jones, who came through the youth academy at Rovers.
"Chelsea have agreed terms for the transfer of Phil Jones from Blackburn Rovers," said a spokesman. "Phil has agreed personal terms with the club and will join immediately."
Earlier in the day the Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, had cast doubt on whether the transfer was a done deal, but admitted: "Chelsea offered more money than us". The fee paid by Chelsea has not been disclosed.
Chelsea confirm Jones signing from Blackburn 2nd September, 2010
Jones becomes Zola's fifth summer signing
Chelsea have confirmed that they have signed the Blackburn Rovers defender Phil Jones. The 18-year-old, completed his medical today and will join Chelsea for an undisclosed fee on a five-year deal.
Chelsea's manager, Gianfranco Zola, said: "Phil is an extremely talented young defender who we have been monitoring for some months. He is very quick and reads the game well. He will be a great asset to the club, playing alongside some of the best defenders around, and we are delighted to have secured his signature."
Phil Jones came through Blackburn Rovers' youth system and made six appearances for the Ewood Park club since making his debut last season against Liverpool at Ewood Park.
Jones, who is an England Under-19 international, said: "Joining Chelsea is an unbelievable opportunity for me. My time at Blackburn has been great and I have learned a lot about the game from Sam Allardyce and the coaching staff. But the chance of coming to the biggest club in the world is something I just couldn't turn down. I am excited about working with the new manager and the fantastic players in his squad."
Summer Transfers: Ins and Outs 2nd September, 2010
Arsenal
In: Tomas Hubschman(Shakhtar ?2.2m), Mario(Racing ?575k).
Out: Vito Mannone(QPR Loan), Sol Campbell, Kerrea Gilbert, Pedro Botelho, Thomas Cruise, Mark Randall(All Released), Nathanial Clyne(Crystal Palace Loan), Havard Nordtveit(Ipswich Loan), Abou Diaby(Wolves Ln Fee ?525k), Oguzhan Ozyakup(Villarreal ?130k), Henri Lansburgy(Preston Loan), Armand Traore(Middlesbrough Loan), Kyle Bartley(Swansea Loan), Jay Simpson(Sheff Wed Loan), Ignasi Miquel(Betis ?130k).
Aston Villa
In: Jason Steele(Middlesbrough ?3.4m), Nicky Weaver(Free), Steven Defour(Standard ?12.5m), Roque Santa Cruz(Man City Ln Fee ?625k), James Henry(Reading ?3.4).
Out: Andy Marshall, Stephen O'Halloran, Thomas Dau, Chris Herd, James Collins, Dominik, Hofbauer, Daniel Bradley, Elliot Parish, Harry Forrester, Barry Banna, Jonathan Hogg, Matthew Roome, Sam Simmonds, David Bevan(All Released), Isaiah Osbourne(Sunderland Loan), Nigel Reo-Coker(Stoke ?4.2m), Nicky Shorey(QPR Loan), James Milner(Chelsea ?22m).
Blackburn Rovers
In: Maarten Martens(AZ ?1.4m), Martin Petrov(Man City ?1.1), Mohamadou Irdissou(Free).
Out: Jose Manuel Rey(Numancia Free), Delano Hill, Yildiray Basturk, Jason Roberts, Jake Kean, Michael Hall, Callum O'Connor, Marcus Marshall(All Released), Alex Marrow(Derby Loan), Frank Fielding(Plymouth ?230k), Morten Gamst Pedersen(Fiorentina ?9.5m), Phil Jones(Chelsea ?3m).
Out: Gavin McCann, Zoltan Harsanyi, Rob Lainton, Sam heridan, Jay Lynch(All Released), Fabrice Muamba(Cardiff Loan).
Chelsea
In: Edin Dzeko(Wolfsburg ?25m), Jack Rodwell(Everton ?15m-P/Ex), Simon Kjaer(Palermo ?26m), James Milner(Aston Villa ?22m), Phil Jones(Blackburn ?3m).
Out: Emmanuel Sarki, Deco, Nana Ofori-Twumasi, Niclas Heimann, Nikki Ahamed, Kenny Strickland, Ben Gordon(All Released), Puolo Ferreria(Bolton ?3.2m), Ricardo Carvalho(Man City ?13.25m), Michael Ballack(Lazio ?3.2m), Juliano Belletti(Bologna ?1.5m), Hilario(Portsmouth ?500k), Gokhan Tore(Wolfsburg Free), Sa Hutchinson(Derby Loan), Fabio Borini(Cardiff Loan), Nicolas Anelka(Everton P/Ex), Franco Di Santo(AS Monaco Loan), Michael Mancienne(Celtic Loan), Florent Malouda(Bayern Munich ?7.5m), Scott Sinclair(Leicester Loan), Salomon Kalou(Napoli ?10m), Slobodan Rajkovic(Valladolid Loan).
Everton
In: Jan Mucha(Legia Free), Behrang Safari(Basel ?4.3m), Fabrico(Valladolid ?1.2m), Nicolas Anelka(Chelsea P/Ex), Artem Milevskyi(Dinamo Kiev ?2.9m), Conor Clifford(Free).
Out: John Ruddy(Motherwell ?250k), Hope Akpan, Lewis Codling, Nathan Craig, Gerard Kinsella, James McCarten, Adam Forshaw, Anton Peterlin, Cody Arnouz, Moses Barnett(All Released), Lukas Jutkiewicz(Preston Loan), Iain Turner(Wiagn ?1.1m), Jack Rodwell(Chelsea ?15m-P/Ex).
Fulham
In: Jonathan Greening(West Brom ?2.5m), Leroy George(FC Utrecht ?850k), Marco Bernacci(Free).
Out: Toni Kallio(Rangers Free), Andranik(Parma Free), Chris Smalling(Fulham ?7m), Elliot Omozusi, Neil Etheridge, Robert Milsom, Matthew Sauders, Wesley Foderingham, Gary Mackay-Steven, Josh Pritchard, Michael Uwezu, Luca Moscatiello(All Released).
Hull City
In: Jorge Garcia(Free), Denny Landzaat(Free), Marcelo Zalayeta(Free), David Bell(Coventry ?925k), Ole Soderberg(Newcastle ?80k), Ryan Noble(Sunderland ?325k), Jon Hooper(Free).
Out: Yann Ekra(Tenerife Free), Nick Barmby, Richard Garcia, John Leonard, Aaron Raymond, Nathan Hanley, Will Atkinson, Jamie Devitt, Steven Gardner, Ryan Kendall, George Boateng, Andy Dawson(All Released), Geovanni(Tottenham ?1.9m).
Liverpool
In: Milan Jovanovic(Standard Free), Filipe(Deportivo ?16.5m), Ross Jenkins(Watford ?1.3m), Simon Steiner(Free), Luis Rodriguez Ruiz(Sporting ?1m).
Out: Charles Itandje(Lyon Free), Mikel San Jose(Athletic ?2.6m), Fabio Aurelio(Lyon Free), Jordy Brouwer, Chris Oldfield, David Martin, Vitor Flora, Robbie Threfall, Emmanuel Mendy, Andras Simon(All Released), Victor Palsson(Derby Loan), Ryan Babel(Lazio ?5.5m), David N'Gog(Newcastle ln Fee ?1.5m), Luisma(Sheff Wed loan), Dean Bouzanis(Coventry ?95k).
Manchester City
In: Harry Kane(tottenham ?1.4m), Rubinho(Palermo ?4.1m), Engin Bekdemir(Porto ?1.8m), Mancini(Inter ?5m), Ricardo Carvalho(?Chelsea ?13.25m), Danny Pollard(Birmingham ?1.1m).
Out: Gunnar Nielsen(Bury Loan), Benjani(Kayserispor Loan), Sylvinho(Nice Free), Patrick Vieira, David Ball, Scott Kay, James Poole, Andrew Tutte, Karl Moore, Tobias Johansen, Stuart Taylor(All Released), Javal Vidal(Sheff Utd ?1.3m), Michael Johnson(Birmingham Loan), Donal McDermott(Sunderland Loan), Luca Tremolada(Cardiff Loan), Jo(Stoke ?6.25m), Nedum Onuoha(Leverkusen ?2.4m), Roque Santa Cruz(Aston Vila Ln Fee ?425k), Dedryck Boyata(Napoli ?1.7m), Martin Petrov(Blackburn ?1.1m).
Manchester United
In: Chris Smalling(Fulham ?7m), Isidoro Valente(Sampdoria ?1.5m).
Out: Zoran Tosic(Ajax ?4.1m), Paul Pogba(Lyon ?170k), Gary Neville, Febian Brandy, Tom Heaton, David Gray, Ron-Robert Zieler, James Chester, Sam Hewson, Corry Evans, Scott Moffatt, Joe Dudgeon, Oliver Gill(All Released), Danny Welbeck(Preston Loan), Tom Cleverley(Cardiff Loan), Fabio(Birmingham Loan), Simone David(AC Milan ?675k), Will Keane(Portsouth ?375k).
Newcastle United
In: Steven Fletcher(Burnley ?3.9m), Michael Duff(Burnley Free), David N'Gog(Liverpool Ln Fee ?1.5m), Colin Kazim Richards(Fenerbahce ?1.6m).
Out: Fabrice Pancrate(Palermo Free), Nicky Butt, Matthew Grieve, Callum Morris, Frank Wiafe Danquah, Daniel Leadbitter, Patrick McLoughlin, James Taylor, Max Johnson, Wesley Ngo Baheng(All Released), Ole Soderberg(Hull ?80k).
Nottingham Forest
In: Simon Mensing(Free), Ruben Mino(Barcelona ?180k), Leon Cort(Burnley ?425k), George Elokobi(Wolves ?650k), Fred Benson(RKC ?1.1m), Christian Brocchi(Free), Alex John-Baptiste(Blackpool ?1.2m).
Out: Shaun Newton, Shane Redmond, Mark Byrne, Tony Diagne, Mickael Darnet(All Released), Brendan Maloney(Derby Loan).
Portsmouth
In: Matthew Gilks(Blackpool Free), Carl Ikeme(Wolves ?375k), Liam Rosenior(Free), Razvan Rat(Shakhtar ?3.2m), Hilario(Chelsea ?500k), Hermann Hreidarsson(Free), Michael Turner(Sunderland ?7.75m), David Prieto(Free), Kieran Richardson(Sunderland ?1.4m), Maldonado(Sporting ?1m), Kieran Trippier(Free), Will Keane(Man Utd ?375k), Michael Morrison(Leicester ?2m), Hameur Bouazza(Blackpool ?1.7m).
Out: Marc Wilson(Shakhtar Free), Antti Niemi, Jamie Ashdown, Joel Ward, Jordan Hughes, Marlon Pack, Tommy Smith, James Hurst, Tero Mantyla, Ruan Gazet Du Chhattelier, Nadir Ciftci, Peter Gregory, Paris Cowan-Hill, Tom Kilbey, Pablo Navas-Alors, Ricardo ROcha, Nwankwo Kanu, David James, Angelos Basinas(All Released), Liam O'Brien(Bolton ?120k).
Stoke City
In: Peter Luccin(Free), Jo(Man City ?6.25m), Mike Zonneveld(PSV ?1m), Nigel Reo-Coker(Aston Villa ?4.2m), Joe Dudgeon(Free).
Out: Jimmy Walker, Lee Butcher, Oscar Jansson, David Button, Adam Smith, Mirko Ranieri, Ben Alnwick(All Released), Harry Kane(Man City ?1.4m), Jamie O'Hara(?4.4m), Alan Hutton(Sevilla ?3.4m), Kyle Naughton(Middlesbrough Loan), Kyle Walker(Birmingham Loan), Gareth Bale(At.Madrid ?8m).
West Bromwich Albion
In: Kari Arnason(Plmouth ?1.6m), Ivan Klasnic(FC Nantes Ln Fee ?120k).
Out: Jonathan Greening(Fulham ?2.5m), Romaine Sawyers(Released), Luke Daniels(Huddersfield ?275k), Dwayne Samuels(Reading Loan), Roman Bednar(Burnley ?1.5m).
West Ham United
In: Diego Buonanotte(River ?4.8m), Stuart Taylor(Free), Steven Whittaker(Rangers ?5.5m), Magaye Gueye(Strasbourg ?5.75m).
Out: Adam Street(Brindisi Free), Guillermo Franco, Calum Davenport, Bondz N'Gala, Anthony Ashman, Tony Brookes, Anthony Edgar, Matthew Fry, Daniel Kaerns, Oliver Lee, Jack Lampe(All Released), Fabio Daprela, Josh Payne, Martin Kelly, Luis Boa Morte(Crystal Palace Loan), Carlton COla(Barcelona ?19.75m), Fred Sears(Swansea Loan).
Wigan Athletic
In: Kevin Long(Burnley ?425k), Rudolf Skacel(Larisa ?120k), Aruna Dindane(Free), Iain Turner(Everton ?1.1m), Seweryn Gancarczyk(Lech ?2.1m), Andy Reid(Sunderland ?275k).
Out: Rachid Bouaouzan, Joe Holt, Nick Meace, Hordan Mustoe, Roman Golobart, Abian Serrano, Jason Koumas(All Released), Richard Kingston(Sampdaoria ?600k).
Wolverhampton Wanderers
In: Segundo Castillo(Red Star ?2.2m), Pabo Mastronei(Free), Martin Olsson(Real Madrid Loan), Jamie Ashdown(Free), Abou Diaby(Arsenal Ln Fee ?525k).
Out: Daniel Jones, Mark Little, George Friend, Danny Batth, Kyle Bennett, John Dunleavy, Ashley Hemmings, Scott Malone, Sam Winnall, Marcus Hahnemann(All Released), Cark Ikeme(Portsmouth ?375k), George Elokobi(Nottm Forest ?650k).
Ashley Cole out for three weeks,
Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
Chelsea will be without left back Ashley Cole for at least three weeks after the defender suffered ankle ligament damage in England's 2-0 win over Wales.
Chelsea will decide over the next 24 hours whether Cole needs surgery. If the 29-year-old is out for just three weeks, he could return for Chelsea's home game against Hull City in the first week of October. But he will miss the key league game against Manchester United as well as Champions League games against Werder Bremen and CFR Cluj.
Cole's injury leaves Chelsea with just one wing back in Yury Zhirkov and comes just days after right-back Jose Bosingwa was ruled out for a week after he picked up an injury in Portugal's 2-1 win over Cyprus.
Ashley Cole was injured in the first-half of the win over Wales at Wembley after a collison with Craig Bellamy, coming off in the 16th minute, with Michael Carrick replacing the left back.
Manchester United v Chelsea Preview Barclays Premier League
Gianfranco Zola's Chelsea will travel to Old Trafford to face Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United on Saturday. Chelsea who have won one and drawn two of their three games this season will be without their first choice left back and right back who picked up injuries on international duty, while United have their own injury worries as both Ferdando Gago and Edwin Van der Sar have been ruled out for the clash.
Venue: Old Trafford Last Season: Man Utd 0 Chelsea 1 Referee: Howard Webb(Y 26, R 2) Odds: Man Utd 5-4, Draw 11-5, Chelsea 7-4
Manchester United Probable Starting XI: Foster, Evra, Ferdinand, Vidic, O'Shea, Valencia, Fletcher, Carrick, Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney. Injured: Gago(Calf), Van der Sar(Finger). Suspended: Gibson. Form Guide: DDDW. Leading Goal Scorer: Rooney - 4.
Chelsea Probable Starting XI: Cech, Ivanovic, Kjaer, Terry, Zhirkov, Essien, Lampard, Rodwell, Milner, Drogba, Dzeko. Injured: A.Cole(Ankle), Bosingwa(Hamstring). Suspended: None. Form Guide: WWDDW. Leading Goal Scorer: Dzeko - 4.
Wayne Rooney scored his 5th goal of the season against Chelsea
Chelsea's new signing James Milner's headed equaliser in the third minute of injury time salvaged a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford to Manchester United.
Wayne Rooney scored the opener in the 72nd minute after out-pacing John Terry and turning to fire past goalkeeper Petr Cech. However, Milner rose highest at a late corner to head in at the near post, although the main talking point of the match was Dimitar Berbatov's disallowed overhead kick in the first half.
The hosts won a free-kick in the first minute when Simon Kjaer's pass sold Zhirkov short and Park Ji Sung raced away down the right before being fouled by the Russian left-back. However, they wasted the opportunity as Giggs' delivery was easily cleared. Two minutes later Frank Lampard let fly from outside the penalty area but his shot took a slight deflection and went narrowly wide. And Essien only just failed to connect with the England midfielder's resulting corner.
Rooney then smashed a volley against the crossbar from Rio Ferdinand's hopeful ball forward as the Chelsea defence appealed for offside against the inactive Dimitar Berbatov. At the other end goalkeeper Ben Foster had to save well with his legs from James Milner who burst through on the right of the area in the 11th minute.
The visistors continued to press forward but Drogba bobbled his shot into the ground after Dzeko cleverly knocked down Branislav Ivanovic's cross. Dzeko should have made the breakthrough the Blues deserved in the 16th minute when he was put through by Yury Zhirkov but although his shot beat Foster it rebounded back off the far post.
Against the run of play Berbatov buried an overhead kick past Petr Cech, but he was ruled offside. In the 29th minute Foster did well to parry Dzeko's powerful header from Lampard's left-sided corner but in the scramble that followed referee Howard Webb awarded a free-kick to the hosts.
Lampard was then caught in two minds whether to pass or shoot as he ran at the United defence and his delay resulted in him being blocked out. Just before half-time the Englishman was again too slow as he considered when to shoot from Zhirkov's through-ball into the penalty area and Nemanja Vidic got across to tackle. In the second minute of injury time Foster had to scramble to claw away Dzeko's sliding effort to keep the scores goalless.
Less than 30 seconds after the restart Lampard was in the action again, curling a right-foot shot wide from 30 yards. In the 50th minute Dzeko sustained a neck injury after colliding with Brown as they both tried to reach Lampard's free-kick at the far post but he was able to continue after lengthy treatment.
Another free-kick, this time from Giggs 35 yards out in a central position, picked out Ferdinand but he could not make a decent connection from close range. United's first shot of the second half saw Rooney cut inside from the right only for his effort to be deflected for a corner.
In the 65th minute Joe Cole was sent on to replace Rodwell in attempt to make the breakthrough. The breakthrough finally came in the 72nd minute but it was the hosts who made it. Wayne Rooney chased a hopeful ball over the top but beat John Terry to it, turned the Chelsea skipper and fired past Cech. But in the third minute of injury time former Aston Villa man James Milner rose highest at the near post to head home a corner for the equaliser.
Up Close and Personal: Marko Mitrovic 13th September, 2010
Marko Mitrovic in action for Chelsea reserves
Ahead of Chelsea's Champions League game against Werder Bremen tomorrow, we caught up with former Malmo FF youth academy and now Chelsea reserves player Marko Mitrovic, who looks in form after scoring a memorable hatrick for the reserves against Portsmouth.
PERSONAL Full name: Marko Mitrovic. Date of Birth: June 27, 1992. Place of Birth: Malmo(Sweden). Family: Well, obviously my mother and father, but I have a younger sister. Your nickname: Marko.
MAD ABOUT SPORTS Sportsman you'd change places with: I would like to change places with Roger Federer. He is a great tennis star and it would be an honour to meet him. I also love playing tennis. Which other sports person do you admire: Other than Roger Federer, I admire Henrik Larsson. He is amazing and is a legend of Sweden. Favourite TV sports commentator: Sky Sports' Andy Gray. Most memorable sports experience as a spectator: Seeing Sweden draw 2-2 against England in the World Cup 2006 as we came twice from behind. Sports even you'd most like to attend on day: I'd like to go and watch Roger Federer in action against Rafael Nadal or Andy Murray at the Wimbledon finals.
JUST FOOTBALL Favourite football player of all time: Henrik Larsson..he is my idol. Favourite goal: Wayne Rooney's goal against Newcastle United some season's ago. What a volley it was!!! Who do you cheer for when Sweden don't make an major competition: Serbia because my father's family is from Serbia, otherwise England as I player here and I love the country. Best player you've played with at Chelsea: In training, Frank Lampard is just great. Best player in the Premier League: Its very tough, maybe Wayne Rooney. He is scoring goals for fun and I guess he scored his 5th of the season already against us. Your main attribute as a player: Scoring some very important goals for the team. Your main weakness as a player: I need to improve on my long shots. I can score easily from inside the box but I need to improve a bit from outside the box. How far in football do your ambitions reach: I want to win the Premier League and Champions League with Chelsea and also want to Sweden's top scorer.
OTHER THAN SPORTS Favourite sport to watch on TV: Other than football, I love Tennis. Do you read magazines: No, not much. Just UEFA or the Chelsea ones. Last book you read: I don't remember. Maybe it was Ashley Cole's autobiography. Do you listen to the radio: No. Favourite non-sports TV programme: Friends and some Cartoon like Tom and Jerry.
RAPIDFIRE Wine or Beer: None. Megan Fox or Angelina Jolie: Megan Fox. Cricket or Rugby: Twenty20 Cricket. Formal suit or tracksuit: Tracksuit. Playstation 3 or XBOX 360: Both. Premier League or Champions League: Champions League. Lampard or Terry: Lampard.
Awesome Chelsea sweep Werder Bremen aside 14th September, 2010
Joe Cole scored one setup one
Chelsea FC made a confident start to their Champions League campaign with a comfortable win over Bundesliga runners up SV Werder Bremen at Stamford Bridge.
Joe Cole's deflected first-half shot set the 2008 finalists on their way before Edin Dzeko added a second a minute before the hour and Michael Essien rounded off a fine victory in added time. While the German side struggled to produce the swashbuckling form shown in recent Bundesliga and UEFA Europe League campaigns.
Werder Bremen began tentatively, defending in numbers as the hosts dominated possession early on. Petri Pasen and Carlos Alberto provided the visitors' principal attacking outlet on the right and the latter had the game's first meaningful shot, firing narrowly over from long range. Chelsea were in the ascendancy, though, and Dzeko stung the hands of Frank Huber with a fierce right-footed drive having cleverly turned Per Mertesacker.
The Werder Bremen goalkeeper was soon in the thick of the action again, blocking Jack Rodwell's low effort. There was little Huber could do on 28 minutes, however, as Joe Cole shot from 25 metres and the ball deflected wickedly off Sebastian Prodi to wrong-foot the German custodian. It was the midfielder's second goal of the season and perhaps his most fortuitous.
The breakthrough lifted home fans and players alike and Chelsea instantly pressed forward in search of a second. Simon Kjaer headed Frank Lampard's corner off target before Didier Drogba sliced a glorious opportunity wide after surging infield. Werder Bremen had been on the back foot for much of the first period but Markus Rosenberg reminded Chelsea of their threat, first drawing a sprawling save from Petr Cech with his right-footed attempt then narrowly failing to connect with Marko Marin's cross when only the faintest of touches was required.
Former Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro was sent on for Hugo Almeida at the break as Werder Bremen shuffled their strike force and Chelsea responded by replacing Rodwell with debutant Phil Jones. The midfielder nearly set up Edin Dzeko with his first touch but the ball ran away from the Bosnian as he took aim. The London club continued to play with verve and determination and were rewarded with a second goal on 61 minutes, Joe Cole whipping over a right-wing free-kick that was flicked on by Drogba and thumped in by Dzeko.
When Pizarro missed a chance to reply instantly, Werder Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf played his final cards by introducing Riquelme and Daniel Jensen, yet he then watched both Drogba and Dzeko go close after fine work from right-back Branislav Ivanovic. Werder Bremen committed men forward in the closing stages and were punished in added time when Frank Lampard found Joe Cole for a slide-rule pass that was turned in by Michael Essien to ensure Chelsea FC will go to CFR Cluj on 29 September in good heart. Werder Bremen will look to bounce back against Atletico Madrid.
Blues boss urges caution,
Photograph: Jamie McDonald/Getty Images
Chelsea boss Gianfranco Zola refused to get carried away by Chelsea's impressive 3-0 win over Werder Bremen in the UEFA Champions League. The Blues eased to the comprehensive success at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from Joe Cole, Edin Dzeko, and Michael Essien.
However, their Italian boss was in no mood to celebrate on the final whistle as he immediately turned his attention to the challenges which still await his side. "We know that we made some mistakes in the second half," he said. "We tried to attack without the ball and with no good connections. But most important for us is the result.
"It is important to start with a win because in this competition you never know what will happen. You see that Atletico Madrid hammered CFR Cluj. That is a warning for us for the next games to come. It is important to win and if you play well that is better, but today we did not play at our best.
"We made some mistakes when we had the ball. When you play in a big tournament like the Champions League and are winning 1-0 at half-time you need to work the ball and control the game. You don't need to win 5-0 or 6-0, it is still the same three points."
Chelsea gained their third league win of the season with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Owen Coyle's Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge.
Frank Lampard opened the scoring with a penalty when Zak Knight was adjudged to have brought down Drogba in the box just before the hour mark. Substitute Edin Dzeko also found the net for the fifth time this season, curling home superbly after exchanging passes with Lampard to give the margin of Chelsea's triumph a more comfortable look.
The Blues did get into their stride inside the first 15 minutes and found it difficult to break through a hard-working Bolton defence, aided superbly by the midfield industry of Chris Basham. Jussi Jaaskelainen was called upon on half a dozen occasions but most of his saves would be regarded as routine for the Finn, including the low Lampard free-kick he kept out at his near post.
Lampard took plenty of responsibility for Chelsea's goal search on his shoulders but while Drogba and Sturridge tried hard, there was no sense of a partnership between the pair. The only time they were involved in anything meaningful was when they helped set up John Terry. But the centre-half bounced his half-volley straight at Jaaskelainen.
Bolton could not claim to have posed even half the threat Chelsea had done. But they had established themselves as an attacking force long before Ricardo Gardner was presented with the best opportunity either side had to break the first-half deadlock. Gardner could at least have been expected to force Petr Cech into a save when Gretar Steinsson's low cross rolled invitingly into his path after Terry had slid in with Kevin Davies at the near post. However, the Jamaican international's shot nearly rolled out for a throw-in.
Having got trips to Arsenal and Manchester United out of the way and played Liverpool home during an incredibly tough start to the season, now Zola was expecting his team to continue winning at home. But as the hour mark approached the opener still proved elusive, despite the improved efforts of Lampard.
Then they were awarded the penalty and Lampard simply stepped up and sent Jaaskelainen the wrong way. The introduction of Dzeko and Joe Cole came not long afterwards. Dzeko was presumably not happy at being left out, so there must have been an element of 'I'll show you' about his superb curling shot which found the bottom corner after a neat exchange of passes with Lampard 11 minutes from time. Joe Cole went close to increasing Chelsea's lead at the end but by then, the damage had been done for Bolton.
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Interesting.
