28 February 2006, by Tony Rosa

Second-gear Chelsea too strong for Portsmouth

Chelsea 2-0 Portsmouth - Stamford Bridge

With the midweek Champions League defeat to Barcelona still playing on their minds, a lot was expected by the Chelsea fans, but their players – although victorious – failed to produce the type of football the supporters expected to see.

With Carvalho not fully fit, his place in the line up went to German International Robert Huth. Paulo Ferreira kept his berth at right back.

For Portsmouth, manager Harry Redknapp used former Tottenham and Porto player Pedro Mendes in midfield and current on-loan signing from Benfica, Karadas.

In an uneventful first half, Chelsea failed to put their second-from-bottom of the Premiership visitors under any sort of pressure.

Masterful Mourinho

In the second half, some inspired Mourinho-esque substitutions in the 59th minute changed the game with Chelsea reverting to an attacking 3-3-4 formation. Five minutes later Chelsea broke the deadlock through Frank Lampard.

With the goal, Mourinho pulled Damien Duff back into a left-sided defensive position, reverting to 4-3-3. A second Chelsea goal in the 78th minute from Arjen Robben put the game to bed.

There was still enough time two minutes before the end for Paulo Ferreira, looking for his second Chelsea goal, to venture forward, but he drove his shot just beyond the Charlton post.

Chelsea Football Club have released the welcome news that after the heavy criticism concerning the state of their pitch, and as there is a two-week break without any football at Stamford Bridge, the pitch is currently being relaid in time for their next home fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on the 12th March.


Chelsea:
Cech, Ferreira, Huth, Terry (c), Del Horno (Duff 30), J Cole (Gudjohnsen 59), Essien, Lampard, Wright-Phillips (Makelele 59), Drogba, Robben

Portsmouth:
Kiely, Primus, O’Brien, Karadas, Taylor, O’Neil (c), Mendes, Hughes (Davis 72), Koroman (Routledge 67), Lua Lua, Benjani

Goals:
[1-0] Lampard, 64
[2-0] Robben, 78