England Premier League - 2009 -2010 Season

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ON A HIGH ... John Terry and Frank Lampard lift the Community Shield at Wembley

CARLO ANCELOTTI grabbed his first piece of English silverware yesterday - and now the nation is hoping the season will end with another Italian leading the country to glory.
The season kicked off with Ancelotti's Chelsea proving they can win a penalty shootout - even against Manchester United. And on Wednesday Fabio Capello begins serious preparations for England's assault on the World Cup with a friendly against Holland. What odds an Italian double with both former AC Milan managers writing their names large in the history of the English game? Ancelotti could not have got a better start to his reign as Blues boss at Wembley with a spot-kick victory over the Premier League kings. Wayne Rooney's injury-time equaliser forced the Community Shield to penalties but Chelsea held their nerve having failed to win a shootout for 11 years. In fact, four Chelsea managers have lost the club's last six spot-kick crunchers - including the 2008 Champions League Final against United in Moscow - so Ancelotti did not have history on his side.

When you are Italian, however, penalties are as much a part of the culture as pizza and Pavarotti. United boss Alex Ferguson will remember Ancelotti's Milan side winning a shootout at Old Trafford to beat Juventus in the 2003 Champions League final. Ancelotti has had his players practising from 12 yards in training over the past two weeks and it clearly paid off. Ben Foster, the hero for United in their Carling Cup shootout victory against Spurs last season, looked supremely confident as he stood to face Frank Lampard. With Capello watching from the Royal Box, Foster clearly fancied a repeat of that afternoon but was soon made to look the court jester.

First Lamps, then Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba all beat him easily to the keeper's right. Petr Cech fared much better, saving with his feet from Ryan Giggs before Patrice Evra completed his clown-like performance with a comedy kick which rolled into the keeper's arms. Salomon Kalou struck the winning kick and Ancelotti raised his arms to salute his first silverware in his new job. Not that winning the shield, which marks the opening of the season, will be enough to see him succeed where two of his last three predecessors failed. Ancelotti is no fool and knows only lifting the Premier League title and/or the Champions League this season will see him stay for a second.

This win though, was more significant for Chelsea than just breaking their penalty hoodoo. For five weeks the new boss has been preaching on his preferred diamond formation but for 30 minutes against United, it looked less than polished. Fergie played four across the middle with Evra and John O'Shea overlapping from full-back. And in a torrid period for Chelsea, they were almost swept away as tide after tide of red shirts broke their defensive barrier. Wayne Rooney, Darren Fletcher and even the limp Dimitar Berbatov peppered Cech's goal. But it was Portuguese winger Nani who broke the deadlock after just 10 minutes. He scooped up a perfect crossfield pass from Fletcher before selling Branislav Ivanovic a clever dummy.

Michael Essien was slow to close the space and Nani bent a shot which flew between Cech and John Terry. Ancelotti clenched his fists in frustration. Fergie just sat back in his seat and smiled. And if United's possession had been converted into goals in the first 45 minutes then this contest would have been over at half time. Chelsea, though, have yet to lose under their new Italian coach and have shown a stubborn tenacity on the pitch matched by Ancelotti's shrewd tactical brain. He removed the hapless Ivanovic and asked Lampard to drop deeper and take responsibility on the ball.The England star set up Ricardo Carvalho's equaliser after 52 minutes which Foster placed on his head with an unconvincing clearance.

Lamps then fired the Blues ahead with 19 minutes left after a great set-up from Drogba. Showing classic Italian caution, Ancelotti pulled Drogba and Lampard back to help defend the flanks in the closing minutes. With nine men behind the ball and only Kalou up front, Chelsea had the perfect system to foil Fergie's men. But it was a case of almost but not quite as Giggs nudged a perfect ball past Jose Bosingwa for Rooney to run on and beat Cech with just a minute of added time left. In recent years, Chelsea hearts have burst and heads dropped at the prospect of winning a shootout. That does not appear the case under Ancelotti. He selected his list of penalty takers and gave them specific instructions on what to do.

Ferguson was already stewing over Ballack's body check on Evra in the build-up to Chelsea's second goal. So the comedy of errors in the shootout must have left him fuming at the start of a season where United are chasing an record fourth consecutive League title. The omens for Ancelotti are much better. Jose Mourinho was the last Chelsea boss to win the Community Shield which he followed with a second Premier League win. If Ancelotti's side can sustain this level of performance, it could yet be a vintage year for England's Italians.

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Manure ... ..... ..... and counting the cost

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The gloves are off and Chelsea will start their campaign lunch time kick off at home against Hull. United at home (Old Trafford) against Birmingham while Arsenal are away to Everton and Liverpool away to Tottenham. All the results to follow later as they come in ... ...

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Fresh from the community shield victory over Manchester United Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea welcome Hull to Stamford Bridge for the curtain-raiser of the Premier League 2009/10 season



Didier Drogba fires wide from Michael Essien's cross in the openning minutes



Stephen Hurt's colission with Petr Chech in 2006 resulted in the keeper sustainning a fractured skull, and the Chelsea fans boo his every touch of the ball. Hunt's opener on 30 minutes does little to improve relations.


Chelsiki has found a tough nut to crack in Hull and Roman was not amused at the stand 1 - 1 ful time almost and we have six minutes extra time.

91st minute and Chelsea scores 2 -1

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Drogba hull damage ....

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Home Team Score Away Team


Aston Villa 0 - 2 Wigan

Blackburn 0 - 2 Man City

Bolton 0 - 1 Sunderland

Chelsea 2 - 1 Hull

Everton v Arsenal 17:30 Live at Arsenal thread.

Portsmouth 0 - 1 Fulham

Stoke 2 - 0 Burnley

Wolverhampton 0 - 2 West Ham

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Blue day Didier Drogba's cross-shot evades Hull goalkeeper
Boaz Myhill to hand Chelsea all three points.



Didier celebrates his winner

DIDIER DROGBA'S double spared Chelsea's blushes against gutsy Hull.
The Ivory Coast striker scored a stoppage time winner to shatter the Tigers' hearts. But the Blues were made to work for their opening day victory. Debutant Stephen Hunt put the visitors ahead in the 27th minute after George Boateng's deflected effort fell invitingly for him. The midfielder tucked the ball home into an empty net to stun the Stamford Bridge faithful. Carlo Ancelotti's side had been upset at the free-kick award by referee Alan Riley when he adjudged that Jose Bosingwa had tugged the shirt of Hunt.

And it got worse for the Blues when Andy Dawson sent the free-kick towards the Chelsea penalty area. It was only half-cleared to Boateng on the edge of the box and his shot cannoned off both Ashley Cole and John Obi Mikel before falling to Hunt to apply an easy finish. It marked a dream debut for the Irishman, who had been booed all afternoon by the Chelsea fans. The home supporters still have not forgiven the ex-Reading player for the challenge which left Petr Cech with a fractured skull and still wearing protective headgear as a result. Chelsea responded immediately but a 25-yard drive by Drogba was well held by Boaz Myhill. But the Blues drew level ten minutes later thanks to a superb free-kick strike from the former Marseille ace.

Seyi Olofinjana was penalised by Wiley for holding off Mikel some 25 yards out and Drogba punished them severely when he sent a dipping shot over the defensive wall and into the corner. Myhill then had to dive low to his left to prevent Michael Essien from giving Chelsea the lead five minutes before the interval. The home side replaced Mikel with Germany captain Michael Ballack at half-time. He moved to the right of the diamond formation with Essien switching to the holding role. Ancelotti's side should have gone in front within seconds of the re-start. Drogba set-up partner Nicolas Anelka perfectly but the France international failed to beat Myhill from six-yards. Lampard, enjoying his new forward role at the head of the diamond, then hit the side-netting with a rasping 20 yard drive from the edge of the penalty area.

In the 56th minute Myhill twice denied Drogba with stunning saves as the frontman looked for his second of the game. Chelsea had now taken full control of the contest and Malouda was inches away from giving them the lead when his curling effort just fell the wrong side of the post. But their approach play was far too intricate and Hull snuffed out their repeated advances with ease. In the 68th minute Hull replaced Hunt with new signing Ghilas to a chorus of boos from the Chelsea fans and the Blues substituted Malouda for Deco. The game looked to be heading for a draw until Drogba received the ball on the edge of the area in the 91st minute. He cut towards the byline and his cross-shot evaded Myhill to hand boss Ancelotti a winning start to Chelsea's Premier League campaign.

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First Ade ... ... city new boy Emmanuel Adebayor enjoys
his opening goal of the term with Robinho

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Slaughter at Goodson park



Denilson 26

Vermaelen 37

Gallas 41

Fabregas 48

Fabregas 69

Eduardo 89


Saha got a consolation goal at the 90 + 1 minute.

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Tim Howard is beaten by Denilson?s opener





Thomas Vermaelen heads past Tim Howard for No2

Arsenal produce a scintillating opening-day display to hammer a woefully out-of-sorts Everton 6-1.

ARSENE WENGER'S Gunners stuck two fingers up to their critics with a six-goal demolition of Everton. Arsenal boss Wenger has taken stick for offloading Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure, while restricting his summer spending to only Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen. Many experts believe the Londoners will be the club to lose their spot in the Big Four. But there may have to be a rethink in some quarters after a devastating display tore apart David Moyes' supposedly solid side. New boy Thomas Vermaelen doubled Denilson's opener before William Gallas made it three before the break. Cesc Fabregas netted a second-half double before Eduardo scored a sixth two minutes from time.

Louis Saha grabbed an injury-time consolation for the home side but there were hardly any Blue shirts left in the ground to see it. Everton's wantaway defender Joleon Lescott was given a surprisingly warm reception by the home fans. But Lescott and his defensive partners were soon rocking as Arsenal quickly got into their stride. Nicklas Bendtner shot just over and Robin van Persie had an effort deflected by Lescott. And the breakthrough came after 26 minutes thanks to a flowing Gunners move. Bendtner showed superb control to chest down a long ball and wriggle away from two defenders before finding Cesc Fabregas.

The Barcelona target quickly shifted the ball on and Denilson was on hand to swerve the ball past Tim Howard from 25 yards. Denilson quickly made his mark at the other end as well as he cleared off the line from Marouane Fellaini. And the visitors killed off the home side with two goals in four minutes just before the break. First, Thomas Vermaelen found himself unmarked to head home Van Persie's free-kick. And William Gallas also made the most of slack marking to glance in Fabregas' set-piece. Everton were grateful for the half-time whistle to compose themselves and give David Moyes time to come up with Plan B, or C for that matter.

But any hope the Toffees had of clawing their way back into the game were shattered three minutes into the second half when the home side lost possession. Van Persie sent Fabregas through and he stroked home to make it four. More desperate Everton defending then allowed Fabregas to collect Manuel Almunia's throw out from goal. The Spaniard turned with no one within 20 yards of him and ran towards the Everton goal. Still there was no pressure on the ball and Fabregas simply moved himself across the 18-yard box before drilling past Howard into the far corner.

Eduardo found the net from close range on 88 minutes before Saha replied in injury-time.

Everton: Howard, Hibbert (Gosling 58), Yobo, Lescott, Baines, Osman (Saha 58), Neville, Cahill, Pienaar, Fellaini, Jo (Rodwell 58). Subs not used: Nash, Vaughan, Duffy, Baxter. Goals: Saha 90.

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Clichy, Fabregas (Ramsey 72), Song Billong, Denilson, Bendtner (Eboue 63), van Persie (Eduardo 72), Arshavin. Subs not used: Mannone, Silvestre, Gibbs, Merida. Goals: Denilson 26, Vermaelen 37, Gallas 41, Fabregas 48, 69, Eduardo 88.