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Joe Hart - 8 - Made a number of fantastic saves,
including one from former Manchester City team-mate Daniel
Sturridge, and combined well with his defense to frustrate the
Chelsea attack. A solid afternoon's work.
Stephen Carr - 6.5 - Was exposed only once by
Ashley Cole, not a bad return after 90 minutes' pressure. No frills
at the back — apart from one slack header back to his keeper — the
captain led by example as he repelled any threat that came his
way.
Roger Johnson - 8.5 - Most defenders fear facing
Drogba, Johnson seemed to relish the occasion. Gave the big Ivorian
as good as he got, never showing weakness and hardly giving him a
sniff. Very impressive performance.
Scott Dann - 7 - Alongside Johnson was a resilient
presence, holding off the opposition with remarkable composure. You
wouldn't think this is his first season in the Premiership.
Liam Ridgewell - 7 - Rounded out the defense with
another strong performance, the former Aston Villa man was not
happy with the defending from set-pieces but never refused to put
his body in where it hurts for the team.
Barry Ferguson - 7 - Made life harder for the
Chelsea attackers as he sat in front of his determined central
defenders. The Scot won the ball well and distributed it precisely,
springing a number of counter-attacks for his side.
Sebastian Larsson - 7.5 - Diligent worker down the
right, frustrating Ashley Cole on numerous occasions and shielding
his defenders from pressure. Set-piece delivery also posed many
problems for the away side.
James McFadden - 6 - Decent shift from the
Scotland international, who posed a few threats with his delivery
and trickery. Lack of a right foot was exposed, however, and
subsequently he was substituted late on.
Lee Bowyer - 6.5 - His runs in behind the defense
can make the difference against lesser teams, but against Chelsea
the former Leeds United midfielder struggled to make much of an
attacking impact.
Cameron Jerome - 6.5 - Physical presence up front
didn't help much against Alex and Terry, and defensively fingers
were pointed at him as his side lost many headers. But other than
that the former Cardiff striker put in a good shift for the
team.
Christian Benitez - 6.5 - Incorrectly flagged for
offside after tapping home what looked like an early opener for his
side. Was lively and dangerous throughout, but sometimes lacked a
bit of awareness and intelligence.
Substitutes
Keith Fahey - 6 - Replaced McFadden, but didn't
really get into the game.
Damien Johnson - 6.5 - Replaced Larsson late on,
his fresh legs helped preserve his side's clean sheet.
CHELSEA
Petr Cech - 7 - Made one fantastic save from
Larsson's free kick, picking up a knock in the process. A solid
afternoon for the Czech, in an open game.
Ashley Cole - 6.5 - Got forward on a number of
occasions, but seems to be lacking the cutting edge he had earlier
in the season. Generally solid at the back, Ancelotti will want to
try and coax more out of him in coming weeks.
John Terry - 7 - Showed his quality in a solid
performance. Plugged any leaks in what was at times a very open
defensive line, winning the ball in the air and recycling it on the
deck.
Alex - 7.5 - Arguably Chelsea's most threatening
player all game, the Brazilian seemed to win every header from
corners. Rattled the bar with a thumping free kick in an all-action
performance.
Branislav Ivanovic - 6.5 - Less threatening going
forward than in recent weeks, the Serbian had a relatively quiet
afternoon dealing with the few counter attacks that came his
way.
John Obi Mikel - 6.5 - He still gives away far too
many fouls, but the Nigerian covered his defense well and generally
kept his side's structure and defensive discipline. Substituted
late on for Ballack.
Juliano Belletti - 6.5 - Brazilian was
unspectacular on only his third start of the season, showing his
worth in defense and attack — but making enough poor challenges and
misplaced passes to undermine the fact he is not best suited to the
midfield diamond.
Florent Malouda - 6.5 - Sending off was innocuous
— two relatively harmless challenges — but suspension will not be
welcomed by his manager. While on the pitch he was solid, providing
some width going forward and supporting his defense when
required.
Frank Lampard - 6 - The tip of the diamond is
still not a position where the midfielder can sparkle, as he
struggled to really get into the game and cause problems for the
opposition. Replaced by Joe Cole late on as Ancelotti looked for
more creativity.
Daniel Sturridge - 6.5 - Looked lively and full of
confidence on his first league start for the club. Had a couple of
chances to open the scoring, but failed to take advantage.
Encouraging signs for his manager, but was still withdrawn with 20
minutes left for Kalou.
Didier Drogba - 6 - Quiet afternoon for Drogba,
for once the defense got the better of him. Nothing he tried really
seemed to come off, as he barely got a sniff at goal.
Substitutes
Salomon Kalou - 6.5 - Had one decent chance to
grab his side a win, but Hart denied him.
Joe Cole - 6.5 - Had little chance to really make
a difference.
Michael Ballack - n/a - Late change for Mikel, saw
little of the ball.
