Swansea a 2-0 win against Stoke

Goals from Scott Sinclair and club record signing Danny Graham gave Swansea a 2-0 win against Stoke and ensured their impressive home form continued.

Stoke began the game determined not to suffer another Europa League hangover but made a nightmare start when Ryan Shawcross scythed down Wayne Routledge in the area after just eight minutes.

Scott Sinclair planted the penalty beyond the reach of Asmir Begovic to give the Swans a dream opening.

Glenn Whelan went closest for the visitors as he hit the post with a low free-kick, while Jon Walters had a volley athletically tipped onto the bar by Michel Vorm

But they were made to rue those missed opportunities when Danny Graham robbed Jonathan Woodgate and slotted past Begovic for his first Swans goal five minutes from time.

Much had been made of the clash of styles between the sides and there were eight bookings in total, with Stoke's five meaning they are set for an FA fine.

Andy Wilkinson was one of those to see yellow but was fortunate not to have been dismissed for a horrible, waist-high tackle on Nathan Dyer.

Swansea were without Leon Britton after the midfielder failed to overcome a back complaint, and Graham was preferred to Leroy Lita in attack while Stoke were without Matthew Etherington, who failed a fitness test on a dead leg.
Penalty

The home side got off to the ideal start when Shawcross' foul on Routledge gifted Swansea the opener in the eight minute.

The Potters skipper felled the midfielder as he raced into the box and referee Mike Jones had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, with Sinclair slotting his penalty low to Asmir Begovic's left.

Graham then came within inches of doubling the lead as he just failed to reach a Routledge cross.

Vorm had little to do in the early stages but he was alert when called upon as he made a stunning save to deny Walters, tipping the striker's improvised volley onto the bar and over.

The visitors were finding it easy to bring Peter Crouch into the game, with diminutive Swansea midfielder Joe Allen struggling to compete with the giant striker in the air.

And some sloppy play by Swansea saw them begin to enjoy long spells in the opposition half, although two trademark long throws from Rory Delap represented their only threat.

Angel Rangel headed over at the other end after meeting Mark Gower's corner before Wilkinson was guilty of an awful tackle on Dyer five minutes before the break.

Yellow card

The defender's challenge was waist high and left the winger on the floor in a heap, but referee Jones somehow deemed it only worthy of a yellow card.

Pulis brought former Cardiff striker Cameron Jerome on for Delap, and the forward ought to have done better than firing weakly wide after being found by a Walters header.

Whelan exchanged shoves with Ashley Williams and then hit the woodwork with a low free-kick as the feisty nature of the contest continued.

Routledge than became the latest player to see yellow after he scythed down Jermaine Pennant.

Swansea remained a threat on the break and it took an outstanding save from Begovic to deny Sinclair his second after he had cut in from the left and got away a curling right-footed effort.

The Potters were caught out again when Allen freed Sinclair, with Pennant earning a booking for a cynical foul as the Swansea man closed in on the box.

Graham then sealed the hosts' second win of the season as the striker got a lucky ricochet off Woodgate to go on and fire beyond Begovic.class="main-content">

Goals from Scott Sinclair and club record signing Danny Graham gave Swansea a 2-0 win against Stoke and ensured their impressive home form continued.

Stoke began the game determined not to suffer another Europa League hangover but made a nightmare start when Ryan Shawcross scythed down Wayne Routledge in the area after just eight minutes.

Scott Sinclair planted the penalty beyond the reach of Asmir Begovic to give the Swans a dream opening.

Glenn Whelan went closest for the visitors as he hit the post with a low free-kick, while Jon Walters had a volley athletically tipped onto the bar by Michel Vorm

But they were made to rue those missed opportunities when Danny Graham robbed Jonathan Woodgate and slotted past Begovic for his first Swans goal five minutes from time.

Much had been made of the clash of styles between the sides and there were eight bookings in total, with Stoke's five meaning they are set for an FA fine.

Andy Wilkinson was one of those to see yellow but was fortunate not to have been dismissed for a horrible, waist-high tackle on Nathan Dyer.

Swansea were without Leon Britton after the midfielder failed to overcome a back complaint, and Graham was preferred to Leroy Lita in attack while Stoke were without Matthew Etherington, who failed a fitness test on a dead leg.

Penalty

The home side got off to the ideal start when Shawcross' foul on Routledge gifted Swansea the opener in the eight minute.

The Potters skipper felled the midfielder as he raced into the box and referee Mike Jones had no hesitation in pointing to the spot, with Sinclair slotting his penalty low to Asmir Begovic's left.

Graham then came within inches of doubling the lead as he just failed to reach a Routledge cross.

Vorm had little to do in the early stages but he was alert when called upon as he made a stunning save to deny Walters, tipping the striker's improvised volley onto the bar and over.

The visitors were finding it easy to bring Peter Crouch into the game, with diminutive Swansea midfielder Joe Allen struggling to compete with the giant striker in the air.

And some sloppy play by Swansea saw them begin to enjoy long spells in the opposition half, although two trademark long throws from Rory Delap represented their only threat.

Angel Rangel headed over at the other end after meeting Mark Gower's corner before Wilkinson was guilty of an awful tackle on Dyer five minutes before the break.

Yellow card

The defender's challenge was waist high and left the winger on the floor in a heap, but referee Jones somehow deemed it only worthy of a yellow card.

Pulis brought former Cardiff striker Cameron Jerome on for Delap, and the forward ought to have done better than firing weakly wide after being found by a Walters header.

Whelan exchanged shoves with Ashley Williams and then hit the woodwork with a low free-kick as the feisty nature of the contest continued.

Routledge than became the latest player to see yellow after he scythed down Jermaine Pennant.

Swansea remained a threat on the break and it took an outstanding save from Begovic to deny Sinclair his second after he had cut in from the left and got away a curling right-footed effort.

The Potters were caught out again when Allen freed Sinclair, with Pennant earning a booking for a cynical foul as the Swansea man closed in on the box.

Graham then sealed the hosts' second win of the season as the striker got a lucky ricochet off Woodgate to go on and fire beyond Begovic.

Source:www.skysports.com

Chelsea thrash Bolton 5-1

A Frank Lampard hat-trick helped Chelsea thrash Bolton 5-1 at The Reebok Stadium.

The match was all over as a contest by half-time with Andre Villas-Boas' men 4-0 to the good.

Brace's from Frank Lampard and Daniel Sturridge put Chelsea in control, although two glaring errors from stand-in Bolton keeper Adam Bogdan did not help their cause.

Dedryck Boyata pulled one back for Bolton just after the break but Lampard completed a deserved treble - the fifth of his Chelsea career - on the hour to seal an emphatic win.

It means the West London side go back up to third in the table and are once again three points away from joint-leaders Manchester United and Manchester City.

Bolton, meanwhile, stay rock bottom, with their losing streak in the league extending to six games.

While Bogdan - in the Trotters team for the injured Jussi Jaaskelainen - endured a nightmare, it was a dream performance from Lampard, who followed up his midweek goal in the Champions League draw at Valencia in style and made it clear that after a recent spell on the bench, he still has plenty to offer.

Bolton were looking for a positive result to lift them out of the relegation zone, but having been defeated the last eight times they had hosted Chelsea, the omens were not good and within two minutes, they were behind.
Early lead

Jose Bosingwa's cross was intercepted by Boyata to earn the Blues a corner and when Juan Mata swung it in, Sturridge rose unmarked to convert, the forward abruptly halting his celebration against his former club.

Moments later Sturridge fired narrowly wide as the visitors threatened to run riot.

At the other end, David Ngog skewed an effort high and wide, catching John Terry with his boot in the process, and Martin Petrov hit a free-kick into the wall after Raul Meireles had brought down Darren Pratley.

It was not long before Chelsea were back on the attack, though, and on the quarter-hour mark it was 2-0 as Sturridge squared in the box for Lampard, who had the space to slot the ball past Bogdan.

Almost immediately, Bogdan was called upon to stop Lampard scoring another and Mata then skied his attempt from Sturridge's cross.

Bolton needed a response but were unable to make much of a couple of corners before two howlers in two minutes by Bogdan saw the game effectively end as a contest.

First the young Hungarian let Sturridge's shot from the edge of the box loop in off him in the 25th minute when he should have saved.

He then parried David Luiz's strike straight at the feet of Lampard, who tucked it away gleefully.

The shell-shocked hosts managed to wrestle back some possession, but were unable to produce much going forward.

Davies saw a shot deflect wide and the resulting corner came to nothing.

The Wanderers captain and Cahill then got in each other's way while jumping to meet a free-kick, and after Bogdan's save from Mata had been greeted by ironic cheers, referee Peter Walton blew for half-time with boos ringing out around the stadium.

Change

Bolton manager Owen Coyle replaced Gretar Steinsson with Zat Knight at the interval and having started the second half positively, Wanderers pulled a goal back a minute in when Boyata nodded in Petrov's free-kick.

The hosts did their utmost to sustain the pressure, but it took a great tackle by Knight to halt Drogba's progress and Ramires then shot over after Bogdan had made another mistake, flapping at a corner.

Drogba flashed an effort across the face of goal and was the provider when Chelsea added to their lead soon after, laying the ball across the area for Lampard to sweep in.

Bolton refused to give up and thought they had scored again when Davies prodded in Petrov's cross.

But although replays appeared to show the ball had crossed the line before substitute Branislav Ivanovic's clearance, Walton ruled it was no goal.

Sturridge then dragged a chance to complete his own treble wide before Wanderers substitute Chris Eagles saw his effort come back off the post.

Source:www.skysports.com

Watch Valencia vs Chelsea Live 28th September 2011

Mata returns to former club as Blues look to stay on top
Chelsea will be focused on retaining pole position in Group E when they travel to Valencia in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening.

After beating Bayer Leverkusen last time out, Andre Villas-Boas' men sit top of their group and two points clear heading into the second-round Mestalla clash.

The return of summer signing Juan Mata to his former club just weeks after arriving at Stamford Bridge is expected to bring added spice to the encounter.

But there will be no room for sentiment, with Valencia coach Unai Emery determined to secure a home victory.

He said: "We know all about Chelsea but also know that we are a very strong side, even more so here at Mestalla.

"We are only focused on ourselves and want to produce a great game and a victory for our fans. Tomorrow every player wearing blue [including Mata] will be our enemy."

Villas-Boas added of Mata's chances of facing his old employers: "Different players react differently when coming back home or to an emotional place.

"You just have to wait and see if [Mata] is going to be involved."

The Blues recovered from their defeat to Manchester United last weekend when they thrashed promoted Swansea 4-1, while Valencia were seen off 1-0 at Sevilla - their first defeat of the season.
Team news

Blues boss Villas-Boas must decide whether to recall Frank Lampard to his line-up for the Spanish trip.

Lampard has started the last two matches on the bench and it seems unthinkable he will not be in the XI at the Mestalla.

Daniel Sturridge is expected to be fit after a knee injury, Ramires is available after missing the Blues' opener against Leverkusen through suspension, but Romelu Lukaku is ineligible and Alex, Paulo Ferreira and Josh McEachran did not travel to Spain.

Valencia midfielder David Albelda bruised his back against Barcelona and did not face Sevilla at the weekend, while Mehmet Topal tore a shoulder muscle in the goalless draw with Genk last time out.

Source:www.skysports.com

Barca, Arsenal, AC Milan bid to ignite Euro flame

Champions Barcelona will be bidding to get their Champions League title defence back on track Wednesday as Arsenal and AC Milan also look to keep the dream alive in the second round of elite European matches.

Chelsea's Spanish forwards Juan Mata (R) and Fernando Torres play with the ball during a training session at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia on the eve of the UEFA Champions League football match between Valencia and Chelsea.

But English giants Chelsea, who have already got their campaign off to a winning start, are set for possibly their toughest group assignment when they meet Spanish side Valencia at the Mestalla.

Barcelona were held 2-2 by 2010 champions AC Milan at the Nou Camp in their Group H opener, but despite riding high after a 5-0 hammering of Atletico Madrid in La Liga in which Lionel Messi scored a hattrick, coach Pep Guardiola warned against complacency as the Catalans travel to Minsk to take on Belarus champions FC Bate Borisov.

Both sides are level in Group H on one point after Bate drew 1-1 at Czech champions FC Viktoria Plzen.

"We are not unbeatable - any team can beat us. But if we do things right, the fans who come to watch us will have a good time, which is the most important thing," insisted Guardiola.

"We played very well (against Atletico), it was a lesson in concentration, but ... we have to do it again. Let's see if we’re able maintain this level. It's this year's challenge."

Bate have lost their previous two ties against visiting Spanish sides Villarreal and Real Madrid, but Barcelona's David Villa, who has found the net five times this season, echoed his coach: "Barca play a very high level of football, but each day is different and no team is unbeatable.

"But we sense that the fans are excited. They know how much potential we’ve got and what we can do, but we are aware that is only just starting."

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas' side will be looking to take a big step towards the last-16 when they travel to Spain with striker Juan Mata just one month after he left Valencia for Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea sit top of Group E after a 2-0 home win against Bayer Leverkusen with Valencia drawing at Belgium side Genk, who travel to the German club.

Chelsea, who defeated Swansea 4-1 at the weekend, are unbeaten in their last six visits to Spain going back to 2005 and have won both previous trips to Valencia 2-1.

But Villas-Boas knows they face a tough task at Valencia despite the Spaniards' goalless draw at Genk and a La Liga loss at the weekend to Sevilla.

"The result at Genk was unexpected," said Villas-Boas.

"Genk is a difficult place to go and it's a very tight stadium with a good environment. But I was expecting Valencia to take the win.

"So I would say that this is a game where Valencia will try to get three points.

"A win at Valencia would put us in a very, very good position."

Fellow Londoners Arsenal are second behind French club Marseille in Group F after a late goal gave German champions Borussia Dormund a share of the points.

Arsene Wenger is keen his side claim maximum points from the three home fixtures against Olympiakos, Dortmund and Marseille to help them reach the 11-point target he has set to ensure qualification to the knock-out stages.

The Gunners have a major doubt over whether winger Theo Walcott will be fit as they host Greek club Olympiakos after he suffered a knee injury in his side's 3-0 victory over Bolton, just their second of the Premier League this season.

Marseille host Borussia Dortmund in the second Group F tie.

In Group G, UEFA champions FC Porto travel to Zenit St Petersburg.

FC Porto have won all four of their previous visits to Russia but Zenit were unbeaten at home in Europe last season. Porto won their opener against Shakthar Donetsk 2-1 as Zenit fell to Apoel Nicosia in Cyprus by the same scoreline.

Apoel travel to FC Shakhtar Donetsk in the Ukraine.

AC Milan host FC Viktoria Plzen in the second Group H tie.

Milan, got their first win of the season in Serie A at the weekend, albeit against tailenders Cesena but have been boosted by the return from injury of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and captain Massimo Ambrosini.

Source: www1.dtinews.vn

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