Chelsea romps to Premier League title

To the victors go the spoils...John Terry and Frank
Lampard hoist the Premier League trophy high.
(Getty Images: Shaun Botterill)

Chelsea has been crowned English champion after thrashing Wigan 8-0 in an emphatic finale to a season in which it pipped Manchester United by a single point and banged in a Premier League record 103 goals.

As well as denying United what would have been an unprecedented fourth consecutive title, Chelsea's biggest ever top flight victory ensured Carlo Ancelotti's first season in charge ends with the league trophy back in west London for the first time since Jose Mourinho masterminded back-to-back triumphs in 2004-05 and 2005-06.

"It's fantastic, we did our best and I did my best for this club," the delighted Italian said after delivering the title that had proved elusive for his predecessors Avram Grant, Luiz Felipe Scolari and Guus Hiddink.

"It's been a great Premier League season and I think in the end we deserved to come out on top."

United did its job by beating Stoke 4-0 at Old Trafford but there was never any prospect of Chelsea falling at the final hurdle.

Ancelotti's men will now seek to complete a domestic double in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth on Saturday and the Italian believes his current squad can remain top dogs in English football for years to come.

"I think that this club will have a future because these players are not so old and we have a very good squad, for next year and the years after," he said.

"We had a fantastic season, not only by winning the Premier League but because we showed a good style on the pitch," Ancelotti said.
"After the first year, I hope to stay here a long time and win a lot of titles."
Against injury-depleted opponents, it took Nicolas Anelka only five minutes to calm the Chelsea supporters' nerves with the opener and any doubt over the destiny of the trophy disappeared just after the half hour mark when Gary Caldwell wrestled Frank Lampard to the ground inside the box.
The Scotland defender was given his marching orders and Lampard got up to fire in a textbook penalty for his 22nd league goal of the season.
"When we heard Wigan were down to 10 men all our hopes evaporated," acknowledged Ferguson, who felt United, with a little more luck, could easily have claimed a fourth consecutive title.
"I am not going to agonise about where it went wrong.
"Sometimes you get the breaks, on other occasions you don't.
"But we applaud Chelsea winning the title and I applaud Carlo Ancelotti. We know how hard it is to win the league."
Didier Drogba got involved in an unseemly spat with Lampard over who was taking that penalty but still finished the afternoon with a hat-trick, which ensures he takes the EPL's golden boot with a total of 29 league goals, three more than Wayne Rooney managed for United.
Arsenal clinched third place with a 4-0 win over Fulham, ensuring another money-spinning season of Champions League football at the Emirates.
The Gunners enter directly at the group stage while Tottenham's fourth place means they must come through a final qualifier to fully benefit from their elevation to a place among Europe's elite.
Andrey Arshavin, Robin van Persie and Carlos Vela were on target for Arsenal, which also benefited from an own goal by Chris Baird against an opponent which clearly had one eye on Wednesday's Europa League final against Atletico Madrid.
A memorable season for Spurs ended in weary fashion and with manager Harry Redknapp fuming at his side for conceding a two-goal lead to lose 4-2 at Burnley.
"We've had a great season, I've been delighted with the performances during the year, but you always want to win," Redknapp said.
"I didn't come here just to have a jolly up."
A deeply frustrating season for Liverpool ended with a goalless draw at Hull that ensured Rafael Benitez's side could finish no better than seventh in the table.
Above them, in fifth place, is Manchester City, which was held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham, and Aston Villa, which held on to sixth place despite a late Richard Dunne own goal resulting in a 1-0 defeat at home to Blackburn.
Those results mean Liverpool will have to come through a final qualifier as well as the play-off round to get into the group stages of next season's Europa League.
- AFP

Chelsea go four points clear

Nicolas Anelka scored his tenth league goal of the season |

Chelsea moved four points clear at the top of the Premier League with four games remaining following a 1-0 victory over Bolton. Nicolas Anelka scored the only goal of the game against his former side, who felt they deserved a penalty in the second half.

Premier League: Chelsea dent United, Gunners late show

Chelsea surged to the summit of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Manchester United that severely dented the capability of the defending champions to win their fourth successive title.

Chelsea celebrate a key win at Old Trafford that takes them two points clear at the top
Joe Cole's neat flick gave Chelsea an early lead that was doubled after substitute Didier Drogba scored a breakaway goal from a clear offside position in the 79th minute. When another sub in Kiko Macheda scored two minutes later with a possible handball, a grandstand finish was expected from United but never materialised.

To say United missed Wayne Rooney would seem obvious but this was an underpar performance from Sir Alex Ferguson's side and Chelsea continued the professionalism they have shown since their Champions League exit to Inter Milan.

Arsenal meanwhile, were made to wait for three points to keep them in the title race when Nicklas Bendtner scored a header in the 95th minute from a Bacary Sagna cross to claim a 1-0 victory against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Wolves will bemoan a Karl Henry sending-off that looked harsh but Arsenal had dominated possession despite being shorn of Cesc Fabregas, William Gallas and Andrey Arshavin and kept pushing to the very last whistle.

Tottenham Hotspur's challenge for the much-coveted fourth place and qualification for the Champions League may have been dashed on the rocks of a troubling 3-1 defeat to Sunderland. Darren Bent scored the expected goal against his old club and then doubled Sunderland's advantage from the penalty spot.

However, he was twice granted the chance to again score from the spot but Heurelho Gomes twice saved his attempts. Bent was to have another goal chalked off in a further denial of his chances of getting a hat-trick. Peter Crouch scored with 18 minutes to play but a Bolo Zenden 86th strike took the game beyond Tottenham's reach.

Aston Villa belied the midweek rumour-mongering about the future of Martin O'Neill with a 1-0 win at Bolton Wanderers. Ashley Young scored a rare goal for the Villans as they were able to take advantage of Spurs' slip. A bad-tempered affair but a win for O'Neill's men will have gone some way to soothe the pain of last week's 7-1 loss at Chelsea.

In the end, Manchester City were the team able to seize the initiative with a 6-1 thumping of sorry Burnley. City were four goals up after twenty minutes after strikes from Emmanuel Adebayor, Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez and Patrick Vieira. Adebayor made it a 5-0 lead at half-time - a Premier League record.

Though many Clarets fans had departed the scene, a sizeable majority sang throughout and, after a Vincent Kompany header made it 6-0 the consolation strike from Steven Fletcher received a rapturous response. Burnley remain as deep in relegation trouble as the puddles of water that at one point seemed likely to lead to abandonment of the pitch.

Hull City will need all Iain Dowie's famed "bouncebackability" after a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City that handed West Ham a lifeline in the battle to stay in the division. The Hammers play Everton on Sunday but will be lifted by goals from Ricardo Fuller and Liam Lawrence that kept Hull in the relegation zone.

That result at the Brittania Stadium means that Portsmouth are staying up - for now. Their 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers was achieved despite the sending off of Anthony Vanden Borre for two bookable offences.

Photo: GettyImages

Ancelotti sets points target for Chelsea

Chelsea coach Carlo Ancelotti feels 21 points from their final eight games will bring the Premier League title to Stamford Bridge this season.

Chelsea currently lie in third place with 65 points, but victory over Portsmouth at Fratton Park on Wednesday would leave them just a point behind leaders Manchester United with seven games remaining.

Ancelotti is not daunted and he now wants them to bounce back from their draw at Blackburn.

"I like statistics and I think that, in the past, with 86 points every team has won the title," Ancelotti said. "I think that we need to get 86 points to win.

"We have less opportunity to win after last week because we lost two points at Blackburn, but we can have a chance again to win this title and we will do everything we can to do so. It's very important for us.

"Now I want to believe we can win the championship and I want to stay focused on my job and give my players knowledge to win their next games.

"I always said that I want to give respect to my players and I want to have respect. I think this is the right behaviour and I think that, this season, everything is right with the players. I am happy with my players' attitude.

"We are disappointed about the last matches. We are out of the Champions League and lost our position at the top of the table, but everyone has kept putting in the right behaviour. The players, the club, we want to stay together at this difficult moment. This is the best thing to do at this particular moment.

"We had possibilities to win more and we didn't, so for this we are disappointed, but we put more intensity into our jobs.

"We have to have more discipline on the pitch. We have to stay more focused on our defensive positions.

"When we don't win, we are disappointed, and above all the game against Blackburn because it was a very important game, but we have a possibility to come back and win tomorrow.

"We need to win to close this moment. I'm sure that, with a victory, this moment will be behind us."

Chelsea held at Blackburn

Didier Drogba

Chelsea failed to make their first half dominance count as Blackburn Rovers deservedly came from behind at Ewood Park to earn a 1-1 draw.

The Blues title aspirations took a blow as they allowed Blackburn to gain a point after the visitor's had taken an early first half lead through Didier Drogba but failed to capitalise and then allowed El-Hadji Diouf to level with twenty minutes remaining.

Drogba scored his 28th goal of the campaign after only six minutes as Chelsea went on to control the first forty five minutes without adding to their scoreline.

Rovers looked a different team after the break and deservedly levelled in the 70th minute to ease their Down relegation fears.

With Chelsea forced on the defensive, Michel Salgado burst down the right to cross for Diouf to rise above Paulo Ferreira and head home at the near post past Ross Turnbull.

The Blues came back into the game but chances remained at a premium, as Drogba's scorching low volley was brilliantly saved by Jason Brown to ensure the initiative remains with Manchester United and Arsenal at the summit.

Chelsea demand £25M for Real Madrid target Cole

Real Madrid are chasing Chelsea left-back Ashley Cole.

The Daily Mail says the Spanish club are looking for a world-class recruit to replace the disappointing Alvaro Arbeloa this summer and believe Cole's personal problems could tempt him to quit the Barclays Premier League.

Chelsea's high demands are a barrier to the deal - with the Blues thought to be seeking at least £25million for the 29-year-old - but the Bernabeu giants will persist in their pursuit if given encouragement by the player's camp.

They could even tempt him with a 50 per cent increase on his current £100,000 a week Stamford Bridge deal, which still has another three full seasons to run.

There are suggestions that Cole could seek a move abroad to escape headlines revealing alleged affairs, revelations that led to a separation with wife Cheryl.