9) Chelsea Fc 2 - 1 Portsmouth

Chelsea new boys came good as Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack scored secondhalf goals to secure a thoroughly deserved win in a scintillating game of football. The final scoreline suggests a narrow win, the reality on the pitch was anything but as only some wasteful finishing and Portsmouth keeper David James enjoying a good day at the office preventing a much wider margin. After the Barcelona win, Chelsea's form is clicking nicely into gear as a heavy programme of fixtures begins. There was some freshening up of the team by Jose Mourinho with Ferreira taking over from Boulahrouz at right-back, Makelele rested and Arjen Robben joining a front three attack. The Dutchman's inclusion would be crucial with Chelsea opening up Pompey's right-side as easily a packet of crisps all game long. Both goals would originate from down that wing. Portsmouth started the game in a more forceful mood than their hosts. Kanu won a header above Carvalho in the first five minutes but was well off-target. With the first genuine Chelsea attack, Robben destroyed Pamarot with pace down the left but Drogba volleyed over. It was a difficult chance, but on current form, not an impossible request. We had waited eight minutes for that spark and it took Chelsea a while to pick up the precision and speed of passing that had so troubled Barcelona. Three minutes later, it was Taylor's turn to suffer against Robben as the Chelsea winger turned him and flew away. Taylor's challenge on Robben was crude and late, and of the type that has in the past put Robben out of the game for weeks. Referee Mark Clattenburg gave little protection, opting only to talk to the offender. Jose Mourinho believed there should have been more. There was a brief scare when Benjani picked up a clearance, turned inside Carvalho but blasted over. That was on 18 minutes and a minute later it took the best of David James to prevent Chelsea taking the lead. Lampard's superb first-time pass curled around the defence, Robben raced clear away from Pamarot but his chip flicked off the top of the keeper and behind.

The corner was meet well by Shevchenko above Primus but the header was blocked by James, the ball hitting his arm rather than the other way around. Now Chelsea were truly beginning to play, Essien a magnetic-booted fulcrum for the moves forward and Lampard continuing to look back to his best after his midweek dominance. On 26 minutes, Chelsea had the ball in the net. Corners to the Blues had been racking up and when Terry headed a fifth one goalwards, James missed with his punch. Drogba, however, had stuck his arm across the former England keeper's throat and the foul was given. Worryingly, James was beginning to look in the mood that had frustrated Chelsea when Man City hung on for a 0-0 draw here two seasons ago. Shevchenko wheeled towards goal and struck a ferocious curler towards the top corner that somehow the keeper reached and palmed behind. Then Robben raced towards goal from the left and, perhaps a little greedily, tried to find a near post gap, instead hitting James's feet. It was chance-a-minute stuff. Ballack rolling a first time shot just wide and then Robben blasting straight at the keeper when his team-mates quick passing had sucked the Pompey defence completely out of shape. Former Spurs defender Pamarot was looking like a park player against Chelsea's pace and when Shevchenko rather than Robben took him on, the foul that followed received the game's first booking. Chelsea had the ball in the net for a second time without scoring as half-time approached. James's throw-out was miss-controlled by Primus but the ball through found Shevchenko offside before he hit the target. Harry Redknapp's plan to stem the rip tide of Chelsea attacks was to take off Kanu at half-time, go one upfront and increase bodies in midfield with Sean Davis. Initially it made zero difference as within a minute after the restart, James was again stretching to save from a Shevchenko diving header. An offside flag had been raised anyway.# Then on 48 minutes, Ashley Cole, as he had done so many times for Arsenal, overlapped down the flank onto Robben's ball and crossed.

Lampard headed a glaring chance agonisingly wide. Mendes became the second booking for a foul on Essien. Then came the moment. Lampard with yet another perfectly-weighted ball allowed Robben to leave Pamarot for the umpteenth (It is no wonder Pompey like Glen Johnson so much!). His lay-back towards the penalty spot was perfectly into the path of Shevchenko. After a wait of six home games, his first Stamford Bridge goal was awaiting. Sheva sidefooted home with a thump with 56 minutes on the clock. It could be argued if the ball had not clipped Campbell's outstretched boot on the way through then James may have saved, but the Ukrainian surely deserved any good fortune that came his way. He all but disappeared under blue-shirted bodies as he tried to hug the whole of the Matthew Harding Lower in celebration. Killjoy referee Clattenburg brandished a yellow card. Within two minutes, Ballack had broken a duck of his own, heading in for his first Premiership goal. It was a finish from ten yards out after Drogba had headed back across when Taylor had dealt poorly with a Robben cross. Again curmudgeonly Clattenburg booked the scorer for celebrating with the fans. Portsmouth immediately flung on Andy Cole for Fernandes. Within seconds, Chelsea thought they had added a third. Lampard shot from 20 yards, the stinging drive escaping James for Drogba to pounce with relish. However, he had been a yard offside at the moment of the Lampard strike. Hilario was called into action for the first real save soon after, keeping out a header from Benjani. On 66 minutes, Joe Cole was brought on for Robben. Two minutes later came the surprise goal pulled back. Benjani prodded in after a mess in the penalty area that had seen both Carvalho and Ferreira go to ground and Hilario pulled out of position. On 75 minutes, James proved an enduring obstacle, saving very well down low from Ballack's sweetly struck shot from a Shevchenko cross.

That was Shevchenko's last contribution. Makelele was introduced to tighten a game that had been giving the visitors encouragement ever since Robben's removal. With five minutes to go, Lampard fired from distance, the save comfortable for James, which could not be said a minute later. Drogba unleashed a missile on the run that was screaming high into the net until the keeper somehow tipped over. O'Neil then cleared Terry's header off the line from the corner that followed as Chelsea still couldn't seal the game. Joe Cole became a third trivial Chelsea booking for playing on after the whistle but when Terry was in the right place at the right moment to block Pompey's final shot, a return to winning ways in the league at Stamford Bridge had been ensured. For Portsmouth, their misery at Stamford Bridge continues ? 51 years since a win here. Chelsea (4-3-3) Hilario; Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry (c), A Cole; Ballack (Boulahrouz 89), Essien, Lampard; Shevchenko (Makelele 76), Drogba, Robben (J Cole 66). Scorers Shevchenko 54, Ballack 56. Booked Shevchenko 55, Ballack 56, J Cole 90+2. Portsmouth (4-1-2-1-2) James; Pamarot, Primus, Campbell, Taylor; Mendes (Thompson 83); O'Neil (c), Kranjcar; Fernandes (Cole 56); Benjani, Kanu (Davis h-t). Scorer Benjani 68 Booked Pamarot 42, Mendes 50.