MATCH REPORTS

COMMENT

TEAM

CHELSEA LOST THE CHANCE OF GOING TOP OF THE PREMIERSHIP IN A GAME THEY SHOULD OF COMFORTABLY ONE. JODY MORRIS WAS IN INSPIRATIONAL FORM PROVIDING FLO WITH A SIBLIME THROUGH BALL TO SCORE . IN THE DYING MINUTES DERBY MADE THREE SUBSTITUTION AND NICKED A EQUALISER THAT THEY DID NOT DESERVE, ON THE UP SIDE CHELSEA UNBEATEN IN 15 PREMIERSHIP GAME, NEXT STOP OLD TRAFFORD

DERBY COUNTY V CHELSEA DE GOEY, LAMBOURDE, LEBOUEF, DUBERRY, GOLDBAEK, POYET, WISE, MORRIS, LE SAUX, ZOLA FLO SUBS USED PETRESCU, BABAYARO, NICHOLLS SCORERS POYET, FLO

AFTER PERIODS OF COMPLETE DOMINANCE DURING THE GAME ALEX FERGUSON KNEW THAT CHELSEA WERE TRUE TITLE CONTENDERS. CHELSEA WERE LEFT PONDERING THE QUESTIONS IF ONLY LAMBOURDE COULD OF SCORED WHEN LEFT WITH SCMEICHAL TO BEAT AND IF BABAYAROS THUNDERBOLT THAT HIT THE BAR WOULD OF GONE IN, IT WAS LEFT TO THE LITTLE MAN HIMSELF TO SCORE A WONDERFULL INDIVIDUAL GOAL TO SALVAGE A POINT WHICH WE DESERVED, A POINT TO BE MADE WAS THAT THE VISITING CHELSEA FANS WERE MAGNIFICENT AND NEVER STOPPED SINGING FOR THE WHOLE OF THE 90 MINUTES

MANCHESTER UNITED V CHELSEA DE GOEY, FERRER, DUBERRY, LAMBOURDE, LE SAUX, PETRESCU, DI MATTEO, WISE, BABAYARO, ZOLA, FLO SUBS USED POYET SCORERS ZOLA

ON A BITTERLY COLD DAY, CHELSEA TRAVELLED UP TO THE WASTELANDS OF DEEPEST LANCASHIRE IN THIS 3RD ROUND FA CUP TIE.THE PAPERS SUGGESTED THAT THE FOREIGNERS WERE NOT GOING TO BE UP FOR A GAME LIKE THIS, HOW WRONG THEY WERE, PLAYER MANAGER VIALLI NETTING TWO GOALS TAKING HIS TALLY TO EIGHT GOALS IN FOUR CUP GAMES. THERE WAS ONLY GOING TO BE ONE TEAM IN THIS GAME, AND IN TRUTH OLDHAM WER OUTCLASSED, I WONDER WHAT WORLD CUP WINNER MARCEL DESAILLY THOUGHT OF OLDHAM?

OLDHAM ATHLETIC V CHELSEA DE GOEY, TERRY, DUBERRY, DESAILLY, LE SAUX, GOLDBAEK, WISE, MORRIS, BABAYARO, ZOLA, VIALLI SUBS USED FLO, NICHOLLS, DI MATTEO SCORERS VIALLI 2

IN A MATCH HYPED UP ABOUT VIALLI V GULLIT BY THE PRESS THIS WAS A MUST WIN GAME FOR US, WE WERE NOT LET DOWN. THE FIRST HALF WE WERE COMPLETLY OVERWELMED BY THE GEORDIES ARIEL BOMBARDMENT, SHEARER GOING VERY CLOSE A FEW TIMES IN THE FIRST HALF, ON THE 39TH MINUTE HOWEVER WE GOT THE BREAKTHROUGH WITH A GREAT GOAL BY SUER DAN PETRESCU. IN THE 2ND HALF WE KEPT OUR SHAPE, AND PLAYED A CLEVER COUNTER ATTACKING SYSTEM, NEWCASTLE WERE LEFT BACK PEDDLING, AND WE COULD AND SHOULD OF SCORED MORE GOALS TO KILL THEM OFF, WELL WORTH THE 6 HOURS THERE AND BACK ON THE COACH

NEWCASTLE UNITED V CHELSEA DE GOEY, FERRER, DUBERRY, LEBOEUF, LE SAUX, PETRESCU, DESAILLY, DI MATTEO, WISE, ZOLA, VIALLI SUBS USED NICHOLLS SCORERS PETRESCU

A DIRE MATCH, CHELSEA UNABLE TO STRING THREE PASSES TOGETHER ALL AFTERNOON, APART FROM MR RELIABLE ALBERT FERRER ALL THE REST OF THE TEAM WERE NOTICABLY OFF COLOUR. TWO GOALS IN INJURY TIME IN EITHER HALF SEALED THE POINTS FOR US, NICE TO SEE ROBBIE GETTING ON THE SCORESHEET, HOWEVER THE RESULT SHOT US TO THE DIZZY HEIGHTS OF PREMIERSHIP LEADERS, IF YOU CAN PLAY BAD AND STILL WIN, YOU HAVE TRUE CHAMPIONSHIP CREDENTIALS, JUST ASK MAN U

CHELSEA V COVENTRY CITY DE GOEY, FERRER, LAMBOURDE, LEBOEUF, LE SAUX, PETRESCU, WISE, DI MATTEO, BABAYARO, ZOLA, VIALLI SUBS USED GOLDBAEK SCORERS LEBOEUF, DI MATTEO

A TRIP TO THE MANOR GROUND AND A CHANCE FOR LITTLE OXFORD TO GIANT KILL CHELSEA OUT OF THIS 4TH ROUND FA CUP GAME. I DONT THINK CHELSEA KNEW WHAT HIT THEM, TOO MANY PLAYERS TOO COMPLACENT ALLOWE D OXFORD TO FORCE THEIR GAME ON US THE FUNNIEST THING ALL NIGHT WAS THE OXFORD STRIKER KEVIN FRANCIS, HE HAS TO BE THE WORSE FOOTBALLER I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THE PROFFESIONAL GAME AND A GIANT OF OVER 6.5.THANKGOD HE WAS INVOLVED WITH OUR EQUALISER IN INJURY TIME CHOPPING DOWN VIALLI IN THE BOX WITH HIS GANGLY LEGS, TO BE HONEST A VERY QUESTIONABLE PENALTY, ANOTHER GREAT PENALTY BY LEBOEUF SEALED A REPLAY AT THE BRIDGE, IN A GAME WE DID NOT DESERVE TO WIN, LET ALONE DRAW IN

OXFORD UNITED V CHELSEA DE GOEY, TERRY, DUBERRY, LEBOEUF, LE SAUX, PETRESCU, DESAILLY, DI MATTEO, WISE, ZOLA, VIALLI SUBS USED GOLDBAEK, BABAYARO, NICHOLLS SCORERS LEBOEUF (PEN)

OFF TO HIGHBURY FOR A LONDON DERBY MATCH AGAINST OUR ADVERSARY'S FROM NORTH LONDON. THE GAME WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE VERY PHYSICAL AND SO IT PROVED, NOT MUCH TIME WAS ALLOWED ON THE BALL CONSEQUENTLY IT BECAME VERY SCRAPPY, WE HAD OUR CHANCES BUT SADLY IT WAS NOT TO BE, HOWEVER IT WAS GOOD TO SEE YOUNG FINNISH STRIKER FORSSELL MAKE HIS DEBUT AS A SUB, MAN U WENT BACK TO THE TOP OF THE TABLE

ARSENAL V CHELSEA DE GOEY, PETRESCU, DUBERRY, LEBOEUF, LE SAUX, WISE, DESAILLY, DI MATTEO, BABAYARO, ZOLA, VIALLI SUBS USED GOLDBAEK, FORSSELL SCORERS

THE FA CUP 4TH ROUND REPLAY AT THE BRIDGE WAS PLAYED IN GREAT SPIRIT, WITH A GOOD FOLLOWING FROM THE TRAVELLING OXFORD SUPPORTERS, BUT THE NIGHT WAS ONLY ABOUT 1 PLAYER, MIKAEL FORSSELL THE FINNISH WONDERKID, HIS TWO GOALS WERE FROM THE HIGHEST ORDER, CLASS FINISHING, BACKED UP BY GOALS BY ZOLA, WISE, KILLED OF ANY MORE CUP INVOLVEMENT FOR OXFORD, GOOD TO MAKE FUN AT FRANCIS AGAIN THOUGH, LAUGH, IM ALMOST CRIED, HE WENT THROUGH A GREAT REPETOIRE OF SONGS

CHELSEA V OXFORD UNITED DE GOEY, PETRESCU, DESAILLY, LEBOEUF, LE SAUX, WISE, MORRIS, DI MATTEO, BABAYARO, ZOLA, FORSSELL SUBS USED TERRY, NICHOLLS, GOLDBAEK SCORERS WISE, ZOLA, FORSSELL 2

GREAT TO SEE CHELSEA LEDGEND MARK HUGHES BACK AT THE BRIDGE, SADLY CARRIED OFF FOR A ACIDENTAL COLLISION WITH DESAILLY. AS A GAME THOUGH IT WAS NOT MUCH OF A SPECTACLE, THE GAME BEING VERY MESSY IN MIDFIELD, HOWEVER THE SHINING LIGHT WAS THE LITTLE MAN HIMSELF, LA LA LA ZOLA WITH ANOTHER WONDERFULL FREE KICK LEAVING THE GOALKEPER WITH NO CHANCE, THE GUY IS A DIFFERENT CLASS

CHELSEA V SOUTHAMPTON DE GOEY, PETRESCU, DESAILLY, LEBOEUF, LE SAUX, WISE, MORRIS, DI MATTEO, BABAYARO, ZOLA, FORSSELL SUBS USED NICHOLLS, GOLDBAEK SCORERS ZOLA

A GAME BILLED AS THE BATTLE OF THE IMPISH ITALIANS, BENITO CARBONE AND GIANFRANCO ZOLA DID NOT REALLY MATERILISE. WE DOMINATED FOR LARGE PERIODS OF THE MATCH BUT COULD NOT FINISH OFF IN THE BOX. ENTER BLEACHED HAIRED ROBBIE DI MATTEO WHO WAS THE TALKING POINT OF THE WHOLE OF THE GROUND, HE CERTAINLY HAD THE FINAL WORDHAVING TO ENDURE WOLF WHISTLES FROM THE WEDNESDAY CROWD WITH A UNCHARATERISTIC HEADER WHICH WAS ENOUGH TO SEAL THIS 5TH ROUND FA CUP MATCH, ONTO THE QUARTER FINAL

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY V CHELSEA DE GOEY, FERRER, DESAILLY, LEBOEUF, LE SAUX, PETRESCU, WISE, MORRIS, BABAYARO, ZOLA, VIALLI SUBS USED DI MATTEO, GOLDBAEK SCORERS DI MATTEO

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