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CHELSEA LIVES ON!!

One of the most accomplished home league displays of the season saw Drogba and Lampard among the goals again. Kalou also netted but Ashley Cole was carried off.

Seeing our England left-back leave on a stretcher in the second-half with what appeared a bad knee injury was the one downside in an otherwise thoroughly entertaining evening.

Blackburn had their moments but in a game run for the most part by an outstanding Lampard, and containing a Lassana Diarra display that earned his first chants from the crowd, Chelsea merited their goals and their clean sheet.

There were no surprises in José Mourinho's team selection. Both Claude Makelele and Michael Ballack returned having missed the weekend FA Cup game and Cole came back in for Wayne Bridge at left-back.

Diarra, such an able deputy for Makelele against Forest, went to the right of the back four, the position he played two games ago against Wycombe.

Indeed the entire team, complete with diamond midfield, was the one that had faced Wycombe here eight days earlier.

Blackburn, who were matching Chelsea's formation, started brightly and when Pedersen wriggled free on the left, Cech was needed to tip a cross-cum-shot over his bar.

That was on two minutes and within a minute, it took two blocks from a well-positioned Carvalho to keep out first Nelsen's header from a corner and then the follow-up effort.

Enough of this messing around! It was time for Chelsea to spring to life.

The catalyst was Lampard, sending Drogba away down the inside left channel with a pass off the outside of his boot.

Henchoz was no match for our top scorer's power and neither was keeper Friedel when Drogba picked out the far-side of the net perfectly with his low, left-foot cross shot.

Precise finishing and Didier's goal no. 23 for the season with just five minutes gone.

Shevchenko had his own chance from a Lampard ball soon after but struck at the keeper.

Chelsea continued to drive towards the Shed End goal and on 16 minutes it took a brilliant Friedel save to keep out a much better struck Sheva volley after Ballack had crossed superbly. Mikel's follow-up effort was deflected wide off Henchoz.

On 23rd minutes, Ballack's cushioned header was right into Shevchenko's path but a strong touch off his knee took the ball away and Friedel fielded.

There looked to be more goals in this Chelsea performance.

However it was Blackburn to next show, Warnock taking Pedersen's back heel and embarking on a scintillating direct run.

Between Makelele and Carvalho and past Cole he surged but just as a goal looked inevitable, Essien dived in and salvaged the situation with a priceless precision tackle.

There was danger again almost immediately after - Derbyshire breaking onto a loose Essien header and touching the ball past the closing Cech. Carvalho pursued to the final yard and calmly cleared as he himself slid into the net.

The game was half-an-hour old and enjoyable. Drogba controlled a ball over his shoulder from Lampard and blasted at Friedel.

It wouldn't be a Chelsea v Blackburn game without the odd steely challenge and the first came from Bentley, flying in on Makelele. Poetic justice was the phrase that came to mind when Makelele fell, studs down, on his assailant's thigh with the inevitable pain that followed.

Then a bruising clash between Shevchenko and Pedersen inside the Chelsea half left the Blackburn midfielder in agony on the deck and Chelsea breaking.

It took a Warnock diving header to deny Ballack five yards out with Sheva's testing cross heading his way.

The prominent Shevchenko then met a Lampard free-kick in stoppage time before the interval but Friedel caught the header under his crossbar.

It took 90 seconds of the second-half for Friedel to resume his barricade duties, this time beating out Ballack's diving header after Diarra had crossed from deep. Henchoz just beat Drogba to the loose ball.

On 53 minutes the evening took its turn for the worse. Ashley Cole, all alone, chased down a Makelele pass to keep it in play. He caught it but stepped on the ball and lost balance. His left leg buckled as he planted it into the turf and his game was about to end on a stretcher.

Wayne Bridge was the tailor-made replacement in a defence that had been performing solidly - Essien once again looking born to his deeper role.

On the hour Shevchenko wasted a one-on-one against the keeper. So far reliable in these situations, he had a yard on his marker after taking Drogba's clever flick but aimed too close to Friedel.

Two minutes later it was his strike partner's turn to be profligate - somehow missing his header after great footwork and crossing by Diarra.

Were the Blues asking for trouble with such a low conversion rate? The answer was no!

Lampard in his own half set his side going via John Mikel Obi. Taking the return, he set himself and then thumped an unstoppable 25-yarder that flew over Friedel and then dipped into the net.

It was strike 16 for the stand-in captain. A landmark 20 goals for the season again looks a near formality.

There was an unpleasant assault on a grounded Makelele by Emerton but on the whole, it wasn't a fractious second-half.

On 74 minutes Friedel kept Sheva off the scoresheet again after Drogba's muscle had made shooting space.

Cech had enjoyed an easy half but he did very well to drop and hold McCarthy's close range header with eight minutes to go.


Blackburn substitute Samba became the game's only booking soon after for hauling down a penalty area bound Drogba.

The third goal that the performance had merited came late, a minute into stoppage time to be exact, but it was beautifully simple in its execution.

A Bridge ball from deep - headed on by Ballack - and substitute Kalou advanced and coolly slotted home, with a nice shuffle celebration to finish the evening too.



By: R