COVENTRY 0, CHELSEA 2
Didier Drogba is cooking for Guus
WHO let the Drog out? Guus Hiddink of course - and Chelsea are now reaping the richest of rewards.
It's five wins in row for the Dutch boss and three goals in four for the infuriating Ivorian. Drogba has been reborn under Chelsea's 'interim coach'. The sulky, brooding, malcontent has become a silky, barn-storming, marauder.
He's scored as many goals in the last fortnight as he had all season under the axed Big Phil Scolari. A cynic would say he's playing to get away - and Drogba's certainly hinted at it often enough in recent times.
Click here for more pictures from Coventry 0, Chelsea 2
But it might just be that a bit of love and comfort from Hiddink has done far more than the hardline approach of the Brazilian, who famously banished the Blues striker to train with the youth team after a 3-0 thrashing at Manchester United.
At the Ricoh arena the 'old' Drogba turned up and there's no doubting that, at his brilliant best, Drogba is a massive asset for Chelsea, a tormentor of even the best of defences. Which is why he had so much fun here in the Midlands.
Because, on this performance, Coventry skipper Scott Dann and poor old Ben Turner could never be described as top-drawer defenders.
There they were with one man to mark between them and still City's centre-backs couldn't cope. Turner was in turmoil as early as the second minute when Drogba taunted and teased him to escape in the area before dragging his shot disappointingly wide. But Drogba was not so wasteful with 15 minutes gone.
Again he terrorised Turner before committing keeper Kieren Westwood with a clever feint followed by a fearsome left-foot shot to convert an early goal and dampen the excitement and expectation of the first full house at the Ricoh for a football match.
There were 31,407 packed into the ground, including 5,500 travelling Chelsea fans, who noisily contributed to the atmosphere.That attendance has been topped only by a concert here by American rockers Bon Jovi last summer.
Drogba was delighted with his second goal in a week and he ran down the touchline to the Chelsea bench to share the moment with fit-again team-mate Michael Essien.
The Ghana international, who has played just two games for the Blues this season, was back in the squad for the first time since rupturing knee ligaments playing for his country way back in early September.
It was a demonstration of team togetherness and unity, something Chelsea have been accused of lacking this term. But the Blues now look back in business for the business end of the season.
Not that Coventry rolled over and lay down. Boss Chris Coleman would not allow that. In fact, masked raider Leon Best embarrassed Alex and Chelsea captain John Terry with a searing 24th-minute run into the box but then ruined it all by blazing wildly over.
Frank Lampard's free-kick 10 minutes later was a better lesson in accuracy. The England star's drive was arrowing for the top corner when highly-rated City goalkeeper Westwood threw himself full-length to his left to touch it past the angle with his fingertips.
That let-off sparked an instant reaction from City - with Freddie Eastwood smashing a fierce shot. It was Coventry's first on target but it flew straight into the arms of Petr Cech. Mind you, Chelsea were labouring to add to their early lead, with Drogba and Salomon Kalou both off target just before the break.
After the interval City began to hope they could rescue the game. They began to get a territorial foothold in the Chelsea half and the long throws of Aron Gunnarsson were the biggest danger to a Chelsea defence that's had trouble this term dealing with high balls into the middle. It raised the noise to unprecedented levels that even Bon Jovi would have struggled to match but it was from one such long throw that Chelsea actually killed the game.
Both sides were unhappy with events in the lead-up to the Londoners' crucial second goal.
Chelsea's Alex and Drogba clashed heads trying to clear an aerial assault and crashed to the turf. It looked serious enough for both Chelsea and Coventry's physios to race on to the pitch to offer first aid to the stricken pair. But once they were recovered, referee Steve Bennett ordered them off the pitch. That left Chelsea to defend a Gunnarsson special with only nine men - and they were not happy about it.
But it was soon City's turn to moan as Chelsea had the last laugh. Michael Ballack won a towering header to clear the throw and impressive sub Ricardo Quaresma scampered away down the right to lead a telling counter-attack.
The on-loan winger then clipped over a superb ball into the middle where, of all people, Alex was on hand to finish off.
He and Drogba had raced back on to the pitch as soon as Gunnarsson had launched his latest missile and moments later the Brazilian centre-back was charging forward to seal an April trip to Wembley for Chelsea's third FA Cup semi-final in four years. And with Essien and Ricardo Carvalho back again they could just be coming good at the right time.
Both could feature against Juventus in Turin on Tuesday as Hiddink hunts down silverware on a second front.
Smug
But Chris Coleman accused ref Bennett of being too "friendly" with Chelsea's stars and complained: "I was disappointed with Bennett. He was too smug. My senior players said he was very friendly with the Chelsea boys.
"I know people respect great players and sometimes they can be in awe of them."
Coleman was angry over the build-up to Chelsea's second goal. Drogba and Alex clashed heads and Bennett ordered the pair off the pitch while City's Gunnarsson launched a long throw-in.
But as soon as the ball had left Gunnarsson's hands they stormed back on to the pitch as the visitors broke away to score.
Coleman moaned: "I was not happy with the way Alex and Drogba re-entered the field after treatment. Then who scores Chelsea's second goal? Alex!"
Chelsea boss Guus Hiddink was also unhappy. He said: "We had two of our best headers of the ball off the field when we had to defend a dangerous situation."
This article has 6 comments
Kerry, players have to leave the pitch after recieving treatment, maybe it is a stupid rule but its a rule all the same. players cannot come back on to the pitch until play is resumed and play couldnt be resumed until we had taken the throw in, so u might say we had an advantage. coleman has every right to complain about the way ur players were allowed back on, so stop calling him a numpty
By Psychun. Posted March 8 2009 at 8:01 PM.
scolari! scolari! i think you don`t like dog! yes you like cat! but at chelsea we like drog! aurevoir scolari!
By kyff. Posted March 8 2009 at 5:25 PM.
I THINK CHELSEA WILL WIN NOTHING PLAYING LIKE THAT, COVENTRY PLAYED A FULL STRENTH CHELSEA SIDE AN GAVE THEM A GOOD GO, MAN UTD WILL WIN THE LOT ,,
By THOMASCOV. Posted March 8 2009 at 4:08 PM.
Chelsea's two playes had received treatment on the pitch, for which the game was stopped. Players receiving treatment have to leave the field of play, a ridiculous rule but a rule all the same. and hence not a disgrace The key here is when and where they should have been allowed back on. I don't know the answer, but Chelsea seemed to gain an advantage. would Alex otherwise have been in that position: I think not!!
By malc. Posted March 8 2009 at 3:39 PM.
What planet does Coleman live on? he has always shot his mouth off without thinking. The disgrace was our two players off the field, sent there because they were injured!!!! and Coventry allowed to then take the throw in with only nine opposition players on the pitch! And the Numpty thinks Coventry were hard done by. What a moron
By kerry. Posted March 8 2009 at 11:02 AM.
welcome back droggy
By pete dormer. Posted March 8 2009 at 10:13 AM.