The Hindu : Sport / Football : Carvalho scores as Chelsea pips Middlesbrough

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 31, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Sport

Sport - Football

Carvalho scores as Chelsea pips Middlesbrough

— Photo: AFP

CELEBRATION TIME: Ricardo Carvalho (second from left) of Chelsea celebrates his goal with teammates in the game against Middlesbrough.

LONDON: Ricardo Carvalho kept Chelsea hot on Manchester United’s heels as his first goal of the season clinched a 1-0 win over Middlesbrough on Sunday.

Avram Grant’s side closed the gap on Premier League leader United to five points as it moved back above Arsenal into second place thanks to Carvalho’s first half header at Stamford Bridge.

Grant was without Frank Lampard as the England midfielder recovered from an illness, which had kept him out of the friendly against France.

But beating Arsenal last weekend has given Chelsea renewed belief that it can catch United and that confidence was apparent at the start.

Didier Drogba set the tone as he tested Mark Schwarzer with a long-range effort that the Australian fumbled nervously.

Perfect header

Grant’s side took the lead in the sixth minute. Wayne Bridge curled over a free-kick from wide on the left and Portugal defender Carvalho rose to power a perfectly-placed header into the far corner.

Chelsea threatened again when Drogba headed wide from Salomon Kalou’s corner.

Kalou could have increased the lead after Michael Essien, bulldozing in from the right, picked him out with a low cross. Instead Kalou took one touch too many and allowed Luke Young to block his shot.

The killer touch eluded Drogba as well when Joe Cole’s cross gave the striker a free header six yards out and he flicked his effort tamely over.

It was the second week in a row Grant had to deal with dissent from the Chelsea faithful. His changes had inspired the win over Arsenal though and Wright-Phillips should have made an immediate impact.

The England winger dragged a shot wide with his first touch and blazed wastefully over moments later.

Those misses increased Chelsea’s nerves and Middlesbrough striker Afonso Alves, on as a substitute, should have punished them.

The Brazilian found space to reach Stewart Downing’s cross, only to glance his header wide.

Alves was guilty of a worse miss in the 73rd minute. Chelsea keeper Carlo Cudicini gifted the chance when he missed his clearance after sprinting out of his area.

Alves had an open goal to aim at but his shot hit the post and rebounded back to Cudicini.

Rooney scores twice

Wayne Rooney scored twice and Manchester United outplayed Aston Villa 4-0 on Saturday to move six points clear in the English Premier League title race, while Arsenal rallied from two goals and a man down to win 3-2 at Bolton.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 35th goal of the season in all competitions to put the Red Devils on the road to an easy victory at Old Trafford and Carlos Tevez added a second in the 33rd minute.

Rooney’s brace (53rd and 70th min.) means that Alex Ferguson’s team has a huge goals differential of 53, having scored 68 and conceded only 15.

William Gallas replied in the 62nd minute, Robin van Persie equalised with a 68th-minute penalty after Gary Cahill had brought down Alexander Hleb, and an own-goal by defender J. Lloyd Samuel in the final minute gave Arsenal the three points.

With 70 points from 32 games, the Gunners regain second spot from Chelsea, which has 68 from 31.

Last-place Derby County was guaranteed relegation after a 2-2 draw at home to next-to-last Fulham. In Saturday’s other matches, Birmingham, Portsmouth, Reading, Blackburn and Sunderland posted wins.

The results: Chelsea 1 bt Middlesbrough 0; Birmingham 3 bt Manchester City 1, Bolton 2 lost to Arsenal 3, Derby 2 drew with Fulham 2, Portsmouth 2 bt Wigan 0, Reading 0 drew with Blackburn 0, Sunderland 2 bt West Ham 1, Manchester United 4 bt Aston Villa 0. — Agencies

Corrections and clarifications

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport