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Chelsea completely outclassed Middlesbrough to keep their place at the top of the Premier League table.

Salomon Kalou began the rout, stroking in after Juliano Belletti’s shot had been blocked and Belletti made it 2-0 with a stunning 30-yard shot. Kalou got his second when his low strike deflected off David Wheater before Frank Lampard’s diving header rounded off a superb Chelsea breakaway. Florent Malouda tapped in the fifth after Nicolas Anelka had hit the post. Chelsea’s intent was clear from the start - move the ball quickly, play with fluency and control and retain possession.

And while Boro failed to put pressure on the ball, Kalou, Malouda and full-backs Jose Bosingwa and Wayne Bridge in particular, exploited the space. It was through Bridge that Chelsea fashioned their opener as the left-back’s cross fell to Belletti, whose shot ricocheted off two Boro defenders allowing Kalou to stroke the ball in.

More Chelsea goals seemed inevitable as they totally dominated a Boro side short on confidence after only one win in five games. Only a last-ditch block from Jonathan Grounds prevented Lampard’s shot providing the finishing touch to Malouda’s low cross from the right.

Soon after the interval, Malouda raced clear after Grounds misjudged the bounce of the ball, but the winger shot wide when he should have scored. But there was no such profligacy from Belletti when he took aim from 30 yards and arrowed a superb shot into the top corner to finally give Chelsea the second goal they deserved. The sensational strike had the effect of deflating Boro even further - and Chelsea went on the rampage.

Malouda’s exquisite cut-back found Kalou and, with everything going Chelsea’s way, the striker’s low shot diverted off Wheater to leave keeper Ross Turnbull no chance. But if Chelsea’s third goal was fortunate, their fourth was pure class. Kalou and Anelka exchanged passes as the Blues came storming forward, before Kalou dinked a perfect cross for Lampard to send a diving header into the corner.

Worse was to come for Boro as four minutes later Anelka broke and sent in a low shot that Turnbull could only spill on to the post and Malouda tucked away the rebound. Turnbull did much better shortly after when he got down well to save Anelka’s shot but by then Boro had been embarrassed and outplayed by a Chelsea team missing seven first-team players. The Blues remain unbeaten in 2008 and are in sparkling form under Luiz Felipe Scolari.

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Middlesbrough boss Gareth Southgate:
“We had a horrendous day and pretty much everything that could have wrong did.

“Their class exposed us and we have got to learn lessons from it. We were poor and there are no excuses.

“If any of our players thought they had arrived in the game this is the harshest of lessons for them.

“Hopefully in the long run it will do as some good as it will show us what we need to do at our place.”

Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari:
“Congratulations to the players because they have won one important game.

“After 10 days away with their national teams we changed many players but those that were on the pitch played better than those that were not on the field.

“They played with style and I do not want to change that. I want the players to play with the ball and to be changing their positions.

“They understand what I want and they work very hard in training.”

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Middlesbrough: Turnbull, Grounds (John Johnson 54), Wheater, Riggott, Taylor, Aliadiere, Shawky (Digard 65), O’Neil, Adam Johnson (Alves 65), Downing, Mido.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Emnes, Bennett, Walker.

Booked: O’Neil, Alves.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Bosingwa, Terry, Alex, Bridge (Ferreira 65), Belletti, Lampard (Deco 73), Mikel, Kalou, Anelka (Sinclair 78), Malouda.
Subs Not Used: Hilario, Ivanovic, Mancienne, Stoch.

Goals: Kalou 14, Belletti 51, Kalou 53, Lampard 63, Malouda 67.

Att: 29,221

Ref: Phil Dowd (Staffordshire).

News from www.bbc.co.uk/football

Jose Mourinho admits his first act as manager of Internazionale could be to stage a transfer raid on former club Chelsea.

Mourinho was named as Roberto Mancini’s successor at the Giuseppe Meazza on Monday and the Portuguese has since confessed he is considering ‘two or three’ new signings.

Chelsea quartet Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien and Ricardo Carvalho have all been rumoured to be targets of Mourinho as he looks to build a side capable of wining the UEFA Champions League next season.

And Mourinho, who left Chelsea in September 2007, has admitted he would be keen to join forces with players from his Stamford Bridge past.

“I think it is normal as a consequence of the relationship with my players,” said Mourinho when asked about speculation linking him with moves for Chelsea players.

“Almost all of them want to work with me again in the future and the same goes for me.

“I have a great relationship with almost all of my players and it is normal that these rumours spread.

“But it depends on whether Chelsea want to sell - there has got to be a relation between what one club wants and what another club wants to do.

“The president (Massimo Moratti) knows what I would like, but I am not discussing names with the press. I am not ready to do that.”

News from www.skysports.com

Chelsea boss Avram Grant believes his side are still in contention for the Premier League title after their 1-0 victory over Everton at Goodison Park.

Chelsea go two points behind Manchester United and he said: “It was a good win. “We were behind Manchester United from the beginning of the season so it never was in our hands. It is in our hands to do our job and that is what we did.” Afterwards, Grant held a bizarre press conference with the written media where he gave mainly yes-no answers. Grant has come under severe pressure from the press after Chelsea were held 1-1 at home by Wigan on Monday, a result that dented their title aspirations. His press conference lasted just five minutes but Grant was reluctant to give anything in the way of expanded responses.

When asked if the win put Chelsea back in the hunt, he answered: “Maybe not”, and a question on what pleased him most was greeted with a simple “I don’t know”. In the last few minutes it is important to make sure you win the points. But he told BBC Radio 5 Live that his side learned from the Wigan result and that it showed as they held on to the three points at Everton.

“On Monday after the game we spoke about how we conceded the late goal,” added Grant. “Even towards the end we were attacking with six or seven players and they scored the equaliser on the counter-attack, but I like it because we want to change the style of the team. “We controlled the game. We had chances to make it 2-0 or 3-0 but our last pass was a bit sloppy. We scored a fantastic goal though.

“Tonight we wanted to score again to wrap it up, but in the last few minutes it is important to make sure you win the points. “Despite all the speculation, it’s not hard to focus. It’s just part of life. “I have been in life for many years now and pressure is part of it. Journalists who say we are having a bad season are trying to do their job, but maybe sometimes not in the right way.”

Grant also revealed that striker Didier Drogba and midfielder Michael Ballack are unlikely to be fit for the Champions League semi-final first leg against Liverpool on Tuesday. “I am not sure they will play because they did not train,” said Grant. “Drogba is doing his best to be well and I hope it will be OK, if not for the first game then for the second. Ballack is the same so we will have to wait and see.”

Everton boss David Moyes admitted his side had not done enough to win the game. “It was not a good night for us and we didn’t play well enough to win the game,” said the Scot. “We hung in there to get something out of the game and a point would have been a good result. “We have been in a good position for a long time now so it would be disappointing if we don’t get fifth place, so we must focus and make sure we get that now. “We’ve been on a really good run but we have found it difficult recently and we could have done with picking up a few more points.”

News from www.bbc.co.uk/football

Mourinho eager to ‘kill’ Chelsea

Mourinho is hoping to be back in management before next season. Jose Mourinho has revealed plans to “kill” Chelsea when he returns to football management. The former Blues boss is eager to meet the club in European competition next season and knock them out.

“If I play them in the Champions League, I want to go there and kill them - that’s my message,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 45-year-old denied he had signed a pre-contract agreement with Barcelona but said he was ready to return to management.

Despite expressing his desire to beat Chelsea in Europe next season, he admitted he still felt a close connection with the club. “I still feel Chelsea is a part of me, I’ll have Chelsea in my heart forever,” added the Portuguese.

“I left and for five months you couldn’t get a bad word from me in relation to the club and you cannot do it in the future too.”

And Mourinho said his relationship with the club’s owner Roman Abramovich was good after reports at the time of his departure in September 2007 suggested he left Stamford Bridge because of a rift between himself and the Russian billionaire.

“I think it was last week that I spoke with people from the club,” he said. “I was speaking with Mr Abramovich and chief executive Peter Kenyon because we keep in touch.

“I was telling them I wish them always good, I wish them always to succeed, I wish them always to win.”

News from www.bbc.co.uk

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has had his red card from the 4-0 Premier League victory at West Ham rescinded.

Lampard tangled with Luis Boa Morte and then pushed the winger after appearing to get caught by a kick.

Referee Peter Walton consulted his assistant before brandishing his red card and then booked Michael Ballack for his part in the melee that ensued.

Lampard is now free of suspension and can play in Saturday’s FA Cup quarter-final against Barnsley.

The decision to overturn Lampard’s sending-off was reached at a Football Association regulatory commission hearing.

“A claim for wrongful dismissal from Chelsea’s Frank Lampard was upheld,” said a statement on the FA’s website.

“As a result, Lampard’s three-match suspension has been withdrawn.”

The news was welcomed by Chelsea manager Avram Grant.

“I think the decision is the right decision because even the referees sometimes make mistakes, especially the assistant referees,” said the Chelsea boss.

“It is not the first time. I think for the FA it is important to show when the referee makes a mistake that the game is fair for everybody.”

News from www.bbc.co.uk

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‘She will be so devastated. They have some serious talking to do..’
By Allison Martin 25/01/2008

Chelsea star Ashley Cole cheated on his wife Cheryl after a boozy night clubbing, it was claimed last night.

Blonde Aimee Walton says Ashley, 27, had sex with her at a friend’s flat - then begged her: “Please don’t tell anyone or I’ll get in trouble.”

Aimee, 22, said: “It was a big mistake and I regret it.

“I had drunk too much and went along with what he wanted.

“I feel so sorry for Cheryl but she should know what he’s like.”

A friend of the 24-year-old Girls Aloud singer said: “Cheryl will be devastated, she loves him so much. They have some serious talking to do.”

Aimee, a mum of one, said she went back to the flat with England defender Ashley after meeting him in a West End club where he had been drinking vodka cocktails.

She said he was sick in the car on the way to the flat - and then again once they began having sex.

Aimee, from Morden, South London, added: “We started having sex then he just rolled over and vomited on the floor all over the cream carpet, it was disgusting.”

But Cole was not willing to let that stop him. Aimee said: “He had some mouthwash then jumped back into bed. We started having sex again but his mates piled into the room.

“After they left we finally managed to get going again and tried several positions. Eventually he finished and collapsed. He was panting and clearly had a good time.”

Aimee said that Cole had assured her that Cheryl “knows what I do” - but still pleaded with her not to tell anyone what had happened.

The flat where Aimee says the romp took place is in an apartment block in Frien Barnet, North London.

Both he and Cheryl were living there when they met back in 2004. Nine months later he proposed on holiday in Dubai.

They had a lavish marriage at a stately home in July 2006. Cheryl’s bandmates Nadine Coyle, Nicola Roberts, Sarah Harding and Kimberley Walsh were bridesmaids.

Feisty Cheryl once told a magazine: “If anyone cheated on me they’d be dead!

“I’ve been cheated on in the past. And when I was, I gave the blokes a few rights and lefts.”

News from www.mirror.co.uk

England will begin their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign under new coach Fabio Capello away to international minnows Andorra on 6 September.
The Italian’s team then face a tough trip to take on their Euro 2008 nemesis Croatia in Zagreb four days later.

England end their campaign at home to Belarus on 14 October 2009, four days after playing Ukraine in Kiev.

“September is a good month for English footballers, so to play them (Croatia) then is ideal,” said Capello.

Capello achieved his aim of securing two September clashes with Croatia - England will host Slaven Bilic’s men at Wembley on 9 September 2009.

The Croatians, currently ranked 10th in the world, will undoubtedly be England’s toughest opponents.

Beckham is important for England and can still give a lot, but all the players are equally important to me and start from the same position

England coach Fabio Capello

England will be keen to avenge their two defeats to Croatia during Euro 2008 qualifying which ended their hopes of reaching this summer’s finals, and ultimately cost manager Steve McLaren his job.

“He (Capello) wanted Croatia twice in September - he was really relaxed about whether we were home or away,” said Sir Trevor Brooking, the Football Association’s director of football development.

“It has worked out quite nicely that we have a free Saturday before the home game. He also wanted to start with Andorra.”

Ukraine, whom England play at Wembley on 1 April next year and then away on 10 October, could be the group’s dark horses.

They finished fourth behind Italy, France and Scotland as they failed to qualify for Euro 2008 but lost only one game in Kiev - to Italy - in the process.

Belarus, who feature Arsenal playmaker Alexander Hleb, could potentially prove troublesome but Kazakhstan, ranked 110 in the world, and Andorra should present no problems.

Brooking added that the FA would seek an evening kick-off for their 6 June clash away to Kazakhstan next year to negate the effects of the sweltering heat and eight-hour flight.

“We have to make sure we get an evening kick-off for the Kazakhstan game but if you are going to have to play two matches in June, they are the ones you would have chosen,” he said.

Capello’s first match in charge is against Switzerland at Wembley on 6 February, when David Beckham could win his 100th cap - if selected.

“All managers have sentiment - but they also need to take decisions,” said Capello.

“Beckham is important for England and can still give a lot, but all the players are equally important to me and start from the same position, including David Beckham.”

Link to qualifying fixtures - click here

News from www.bbc.co.uk