The Times
November 1, 2007

Dish fit for Roman Abramovich to savour but Chelsea's back line remains a worry
Chelsea 4 Leicester 3

Matt Hughes

Avram Grant's press conferences may be best viewed on Ceefax, but his
football team are well worth watching, if not always for the right
reasons. It took a header from Frank Lampard in the 93rd minute that
completed his hat-trick to secure victory in a seven-goal thriller
against Leicester City, who were four minutes away from becoming the
first domestic visiting side to win in open play at Stamford Bridge in
more than 3½ years.

With discounted tickets priced between £10 and £20, an incredible
match even provided excellent value for money, almost unheard of at
Chelsea. Having dismissed Josι Mourinho for providing insufficient
thrills and spills, Roman Abramovich was rewarded with the best match
seen in these parts for years, although after Leicester, the Coca-Cola
Championship club, took a 3-2 lead, the Russian may have been ruing
what he had wished for.

The holders were going out until Andriy Shevchenko scored an equaliser
in the 86th minute with a left-foot thunderbolt, with even Grant
admitting that the result was too close for comfort. As many a
would-be impresario has discovered before him, the entertainment
industry is a risky business. "If we continue to win 4-3, it's not
good as we don't want to concede so many goals," Grant said. "We
enjoyed winning and enjoyed scoring four goals, but not the way it
happened. We conceded three goals, which we don't like, but showed
good character to fight back. I never in my life give up until the
last moment."

Grant said beforehand that he values style over substance, with this
erratic performance serving to prove his point. While Chelsea's
resilience under pressure is admirable, their defending was little
short of shambolic, with Tal Ben Haim and Alex playing like strangers
at centre back and Steve Sidwell offering no protection to a harassed
back four.

The visiting team took advantage to open the scoring through Gareth
McAuley in the sixth minute before launching an audacious second-half
fightback, with D. J. Campbell and Carl Cort scoring in the space of
five minutes to leave Grant contemplating defeat in only his fourth
home match. Ben Haim was caught out of position for all three goals in
a dismal display that will not fill Steve McClaren with confidence
before Israel's crucial European Championship qualifying match against
Russia this month.

Frank Burrows, the Leicester caretaker manager, struck the right note
by refusing to bemoan his side's cruel fortune and could take pride
from giving Chelsea a Hallowe'en fright to remember. "It's not often
that John Terry, the captain of England, runs on the pitch to punch
the air after victory over a Championship side," Burrows said. "That's
why he's captain of England, mind, he always wants Chelsea to win. I
was guilty of allowing myself to dream.

"Chelsea were the better side, their passing was better, but our
hearts were as big as theirs. We matched them with our heart and
spirit, which is an old English thing. They never know when they're
beat."

Without Lampard, Chelsea would have already been beaten and the
prospect of losing him is enough to give the board nightmares. With
the honourable exception of Scott Sinclair, who created Lampard's
first two goals on only his second start of the season, Chelsea's
acting captain was their only consistent attacking threat because
Shaun Wright-Phillips looked bereft of confidence after being left out
of Grant's past two squads.

After missing almost two months of the season with a thigh injury,
Lampard is relishing the responsibility of leading the side in Terry's
absence and thoroughly deserved his first hat-trick since scoring
three in an FA Cup win over Macclesfield Town in January, taking his
haul of Chelsea goals to 96 in 339 appearances. The century will
surely come before long, but there is concern that there may not be
many more because talks on a new contract have been postponed until
the end of the season.

Grant urged the club to sort the matter out as soon as possible as
Lampard has only 18 months remaining. "Frank wants to stay and Chelsea
want him to stay," Grant said. If Lampard's first goal was one of the
best he has scored for the club — he met Sinclair's header with a
sweetly struck right-foot volley before adding a neat finish to the
18-year-old's cross for a second five minutes later — his winner
summed up a hectic night perfectly.

The 28-year-old's header appeared to have crossed the line before
Shevchenko made sure, but the striker was not going to deny Lampard a
hat-trick. Chelsea's rousing comeback was completed by the news that
they have moved closer to joining the elite G-14 group, but their fans
will be more relieved that they remain in the Carling Cup.

Chelsea (4-4-2): C Cudicini – J Belletti, Alex, T Ben Haim (sub: M
Essien, 80min), P Ferreira (sub: F Malouda, 52) – S Wright-Phillips, S
Sidwell, F Lampard, S Sinclair (sub: S Kalou, 80) – C Pizarro, A
Shevchenko. Substitutes not used: Hilαrio, J O Mikel. Booked: Sidwell,
Ben Haim, Belletti.

Leicester City (5-3-2): M Fulop – R Stearman, P Kisnorbo, B N'Gotty, G
McAuley, A Sheehan – S Newton (sub: L Porter, 61; sub: A Maybury, 80),
D Kenton, J Chambers – M Fryatt (sub: D Campbell, 63), C Cort.
Substitutes not used: P Henderson, S Hellings. Booked: Newton,
Sheehan.

Referee: P Dowd.
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Telegraph:

Frank Lampard hat-trick saves Chelsea
By Oliver Brown

Chelsea (2) 4 Leicester City (1) 3

Frank Lampard can rarely have experienced a more chaotic game – or
more cathartic. The midfielder has been bereft since the departure of
mentor Jose Mourinho, not to mention barracked by England fans and
baffled by interminable contract talks with Chelsea.

But last night he was transformed, lifted by a fine hat-trick to
sustain Chelsea's resurgent season and bury the noble effort of
Championship challengers Leicester.

The third part of Lampard's treble, coming late in the six minutes of
injury time to seal a compelling tie, was borne of utter confusion.
Initially both Andrei Shevchenko and Juliano Belletti were awarded the
winner, but it was Lampard who found the header ultimately adjudged to
have crossed the line.

Where Chelsea can perform powerfully under Avram Grant, they can also
perform precariously. Stressing the study in contrasts that this match
offered with Saturday's six-goal demolition of Manchester City, the
Israeli said of Lampard: "The last game was about his assists – this
game was about his goals. For him to be at such a high level is very
important for us."

Chelsea's style has certainly evolved from doughty but dour 1-0 wins
during Grant's brief tenure. Strangely impassive after 96 minutes
spent living on the edge, the coach said: "We needed to have good
character. I never in my life give up until the last moment – 1-0 is a
good score but 4-3, I think, is better." Asked for his play-by-play
analysis of Lampard's goal, he replied: "I don't care. All I care is
that it was a Chelsea goal."

While Chelsea had to count the cost of a nasty-looking ankle injury to
Paulo Ferreira, this occasion was largely a night for rehabilitation.
Shevchenko was at last learning to smile again, too. Lampooned by
Leicester fans throughout as an expensive has-been, the Ukrainian made
sure he had the last word with a stylish equaliser from Michael
Essien's cross.

Initially, Chelsea had struggled to reach the same heights. Their
fragility was exposed unexpectedly in the sixth minute when Matt
Fryatt, seizing on a quick free-kick from Shaun Newton, clipped a
sharp cross that allowed captain Gareth McAuley to ghost in
unchallenged for a header beyond Carlo Cudicini. Chelsea, who had not
conceded for almost nine hours until that point, could have been
forgiven a flakiness in response – but Grant appears to have modelled
a team in his own image. His decision to use Lampard as the anchor in
an inexperienced side yielded reward 12 minutes later, as he concluded
a fluid three-man move for the equaliser. Juliano set up Scott
Sinclair for an initial strike before Lampard contrived the most
effortless half-volley.

When a low cross from Sinclair fell into his path the captain was
ruthless again, stroking home a second volleyed finish from eight
yards. Leicester, deflated, were not quite defeated. But for all their
spirited counter-attacks, Chelsea should have left them for dust far
sooner. The visitors seized the stage in the second half; first Levi
Porter scattered Chelsea's back line with a high cross that DJ
Campbell dispatched with a header.

Then Chelsea were shaken and Alan Sheehan's free-kick was angled past
Cudicini by Carl Cort, as near pandemonium broke out in the Leicester
end.

The upset looked perfectly possible. But this was to neglect
Shevchenko, who contrived Chelsea's third with three minutes of normal
time left. Then Lampard, showing a glorious sense of theatre,
delivered the coup de grace.

Match details
Chelsea (4-4-1-1): Cudicini; Belletti, Alex, Ben Haim (Essien 80),
Paulo Ferreira (Malouda 52); Wright-Phillips, Sidwell, Lampard,
Sinclair (Kalou 80); Pizarro; Shevchenko.
Subs: Hilario (g), Mikel.
Booked: Sidwell, Ben Haim.
Leicester (4-4-2): Fulop; McAuley, N'Gotty, Kisnorbo, Sheehan; Kenton,
Stearman, Chambers, Newton (Porter 61); Cort, Fryatt (Campbell 62).
Subs: Henderson (g), Hellings, Maybury.
Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).
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Indy:

Chelsea 4 Leicester City 3: Lampard hat-trick outfoxes Leicester
By Glenn Moore

At this rate Jose Mourinho will be forgotten before Christmas. After
Saturday's 6-0 demolition of Manchester City Roman Abramovich, and
40,000 fellow Stamford Bridge spectators, witnessed seven goals last
night as the Carling Cup holders won an extraordinary fourth-round
tie.

The difference was Chelsea had to share the first six goals with
Leicester City, of the Championship, before snatching a winner four
minutes into added time. Having trailed after six minutes the Carling
Cup holders led from the 29th to the 69th, created chance after
chance, yet found themselves behind with 16 minutes remaining.

In a finale so dramatic it provoked the respective benches into a bout
of grappling, Andrei Shevchenko drew Chelsea level then Frank Lampard
completed a poacher's hat-trick in the fourth minute of injury time
during a crazy melee. As Chelsea celebrated the Leicester coach Gerry
Taggert and his Chelsea counterpart Steve Clarke had to be separated.
"I did not see it," claimed Avram Grant of the argy-bargy at the end,
"but the important thing is we all shook hands afterwards."

"It's nothing really, you're just disappointed when the goal goes in
after working so hard," said Frank Burrows, Leicester City's caretaker
coach, even more disingenuously. Of the football Grant said: "I think
everybody will have enjoyed it. We showed we had good character."

Grant had surprisingly abandoned the 4-3-3 system that had brought him
five successive wins and the torrent of goals against City, switching
to 4-4-2. It seemed this was to accommodate Shevchenko and Claudio
Pizarro. Shevchenko may have scored at the weekend but such is his
fall from grace he is now one of those players for whom the Carling
Cup offers the chance of a start.

Leicester arrived searching for their third new manager of a traumatic
season but that did not deter 6,500 very vocal fans from making the
journey. They were swiftly rewarded as Leicester outwitted and
startled their hosts. Instead of swinging a free-kick into the box
Shaun Newton rolled it down the touchline. Matty Fryatt was first to
the ball, turned Steve Sidwell and crossed for his unmarked captain
Gareth McAuley to head in.

The travelling Foxes went nuts, and remained in good voice even after
Lampard equalised. The England midfielder had had a forward run halted
by Darren Kenton's firm tackle but he had got up and continued his run
as the ball rolled to Juliano Belletti. The Brazilian crossed deep,
Scott Sinclair nodded the ball back, and Lampard drove home.

Lampard, whatever one may think of his depressing conversion to the
cult of celebrity, gives full commitment in every match and his knack
of running beyond his man into the box paid further dividends nine
minutes later. Again the provider was Sinclair, the teenager running
on to Paulo Ferreira's headed pass before crossing low to the near
post. The ball broke off a scrum of bodies for Lampard to steer into
the net. Chelsea had to reshuffle when Paolo Ferreira suffered what
looked a bad ankle injury. With no defenders on the bench Florent
Malouda came on to play, impressively, at left-back.

Then Burrows made a brace of substitions for the visitors. Within
minutes the first, Levi Porter, was allowed time to pick out the
second, DJ Campbell, who had crept behind Tal Ben Haim. Campbell, who
was playing for nearby Yeading a few years ago, calmly headed over
goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini. Then Porter was felled by Belletti and Carl
Cort stabbed in the free-kick.

Grant went to three at the back – including Malouda – and Chelsea
poured forward. Four minutes from time Shevchenko, showing the
benefits of his speed training, turned slickly to level. Leicester,
remarkably, sought a winner but were done on the counter-attack.
Martin Fulop, who was superb all night, denied Kalou, sparking a
frantic melee in which Pizarro hit the bar, Lampard had a header
cleared off the line, then Shevchenko's shot struck Belletti, and flew
in. It transpired the goal had already been given, for Lampard's
header.

"It's not often John Terry [who was on the sidelines, injured] runs on
to the pitch and punches the air for a result against a Championship
side," said Burrows. He added: "They were the better side, but our
hearts were as big as theirs."

Chelsea (4-4-2): Cudicini; Belletti, Ben Haim (Essien 80), Alex,
Ferreira (Malouda 52); Wright-Phillips, Lampard, Sidwell, Sinclair (
Kalou 78); Pizarro, Shevchenko. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk),
Mikel.

Leicester City (5-3-2): Fulop; Stearman, McAuley, N'Gotty, Kisnorbo,
Sheehan; Newton (Porter 60, Maybury 80), Kenton, Chambers; Cort,
Fryatt (Campbell 62). Substitutes not used: Henderson (gk), Hellings.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffs).
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Lampard hat-trick finishes off Foxes in seven-goal thriller

Simon Burnton at Stamford Bridge
Thursday November 1, 2007
The Guardian

When Avram Grant promised that there would be more excitement at
Stamford Bridge, this cannot have been what he meant. Twice Leicester
led, Chelsea's second equaliser coming as late as the 86th minute, and
it was deep into stoppage time before the holders confirmed their
progress with a goal as chaotic as the game it decided. In the
confusion Frank Lampard claimed the final touch, and with it a
hat-trick. "I don't know who scored the last goal," said Grant, "and I
don't care. Chelsea scored it."

Few Chelsea fans, having witnessed their team score six against
Manchester City at the weekend, would have been unduly surprised that
this game featured seven goals - the great shock was their
distribution. Leicester, struggling in the Championship and without a
manager since Gary Megson's defection to Bolton last week, could have
won here and surely would have had Carl Cort not missed with a
close-range header in the 82nd minute.
Instead Grant was allowed to purr about his team's fighting spirit,
ironically the only quality at which Frank Burrows, Leicester's
caretaker manager, believed his charges bettered their hosts. "They
had more possession than us, they passed the ball better than us," he
said. "Where we matched them, and maybe in my opinion shaded it, was
our hearts. I wouldn't change my laddies' hearts for theirs after
that."

Given the chaos at their club and the quality of their opponents some
disorganisation could have been expected from Leicester but it was
Chelsea whose defence was more prone to panic. It crumbled at the
first opportunity when Matt Fryatt's cross in the sixth minute found
Gareth McAuley running in from the edge of the area to power home a
header while those around him in blue stood useless.

Leicester reacted well to their lead, chasing possession and gamely
snapping into tackles. Cruelly, the Foxes' tackling was to prove their
undoing. First Darren Kenton's challenge on Lampard only allowed
Juliano Belletti to cross, Scott Sinclair heading the ball back for
Lampard to sidefoot past Marton Fulop. Then Bruno N'Gotty did
excellently to divert Sinclair's cross away from Claudio Pizarro at
the near post. Sadly the ball looped to Lampard eight yards out and he
volleyed his side into the lead.

But Leicester were to be rewarded for their resistance. In the 69th
minute two substitutes combined to draw them level, Levi Porter
chipping the ball over Chelsea's defence and DJ Campbell capitalising
on Carlo Cudicini's hesitance to head in. A further five minutes and
they were in the lead, Alan Sheehan's free-kick turned in by Cort at
the far post.

Then came Cort's miss and Chelsea, reprieved, poured forwards. In the
86th minute Michael Essien passed to Andriy Shevchenko and the
Ukrainian spun sweetly before scoring with a left-footed drive from
the edge of the area. Then deep into stoppage time the striker struck
again, less cleanly this time, his shot looping off Belletti and
skimming off Lampard before crossing the line.

Suddenly the 40 coachloads and more of Leicester fans, so recently in
full voice, fell silent. "It was a big part of my teamtalk, the
responsibility of sending those fans home with a bit of pride and I
think we did that," said Burrows.

There will be some debate about whether this constituted an
improvement from the plodding inevitability of Chelsea success under
Jose Mourinho but Grant at least was convinced. "I think 1-0 is a good
score," he said, "but 4-3 is better."
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Mail:

Lamps treble gets Chelsea off the hook
Chelsea 4 Leicester City 3

By NEIL ASHTON

Andriy Shevchenko has been sprint training under the gaze of Darren
Campbell and the Chelsea striker arrived just in time to save their
Carling Cup blushes last night.

Chelsea were heading out of the competition when Shevchenko, who
scored in the 6-0 destruction of Manchester City last weekend,
produced a wonderful effort in the 87th minute to make it 3-3.

Substitute Levi Porter had put Leicester into fantasy land when he
created two chances that were converted by DJ Campbell and Carl Cort
to give the visitors a 3-2 advantage.

They had one foot in the door of the quarter-finals, but Shevchenko
swivelled on the edge of the area and sent the ball beyond Martin
Fulop And just when everyone at Stamford Bridge thought they were in
for a bout of extra time, skipper Frank Lampard completed a remarkable
hat-trick to rescue the London club when he had the last touch on a
Shevchenko shot amid a frantic goalmouth scramble.

Up to that point, it had been the stuff of dreams for the 6,500
travelling fans stationed in the Shed End, but had been a reality
check for Chelsea boss Avram Grant.

Leicester made no apology for stringing five across the back and hoped
to stop the Chelsea juggernaut in its tracks.

Six wins on the spin suggested Chelsea could see off their rivals with
something to spare, but seven changes from the weekend left them
lop-sided. Chelsea had a 46-match unbeaten home record to protect —
yes, Jose, you were in charge for most of them — and a team from the
second tier of English football were once easily swatted aside.

Ever since Gary Megson upped sticks and left for Bolton, Leicester
have been muddling along under dependable caretaker boss Frank
Burrows.

Last night, they attempted to muddy the waters — and almost pulled off
a huge surprise. The visitors took the lead after just six minutes.

Matt Fryatt turned Steven Sidwell too easily by the corner flag and
Gareth McAuley's gamble paid off with a neat header.

Tal Ben Haim did not spot the Leicester skipper's run, but the
post-mortem can wait until they prepare for this weekend's Premier
League trip to Wigan.

Instead, Chelsea spent the next 84 minutes on the attack.

Lampard, wearing the captain's armband in the absence of injured John
Terry, was on a one-man mission to take Chelsea through.

He slapped his thigh in disgust after an early shot failed to trouble
Fulop, but he made amends with a 20th-minute equaliser.

Young Scott Sinclair headed Juliano Belletti's cross into Lampard's
path and the midfielder sent a sweet half-volley beyond Fulop. Chelsea
were in control and it was only a matter of time before they took the
lead.

Shevchenko is still feeding off scraps and Claudio Pizarro is
continues to struggle to find his feet in Chelsea's colours, but
Lampard has certainly rediscovered his goalscoring touch.

Sinclair sent a teasing near post cross towards Claudio Pizarro and
Lampard arrived in time to convert the loose ball.

Paulo Ferreira was stretchered off after a clash at the start of the
second half, but Chelsea still created chances — Sinclair hit a post
and Pizarro was denied by Fulop — but Leicester were still alive and
kicking.

Burrows threw on his remaining substitutes and was rewarded when
Campbell headed in an equaliser after a Porter cross.

Chelsea panicked. Their defence fell apart and Cort applied the
finishing touch to Porter's dangerous free-kick only to make it 3-3
when Shevchenko pounced and then he stabbed in a close-range winner
deep in injury time.

CHELSEA (4-4-2): Cudicini 6; Belletti 6, Ben Haim 5 (Essien 80), Alex
6, Ferreira 6 (Malouda, 52, 6); Wright-Phillips 6, Sidwell 7, Lampard
8, Sinclair 7 (Kalou 78); Pizarro 6, Shevchenko 6. Booked: Sidwell,
Ben Haim.

LEICESTER CITY (3-5-2): Fulop 7; Kisnorbo 7, N'Gotty 7, McAuley 8;
Stearman 6, Newton 5 (Porter 60, 8), Kenton 6, Chambers 7, Sheehan 6;
Cort 7, Fryatt 7 (Campbell 62, 8). Booked: Sheehan, Newton.

Man of the match: Frank Lampard. Referee: Phil Dowd.
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Sun:

Chelsea 4 Leicester 3
By ANDREW DILLON


FRANK LAMPARD and Andriy Shevchenko spared Chelsea's blushes with a
late, late show at Stamford Bridge.


In a crazy finale to a rollercoaster clash, England ace Lamps secured
his hat-trick with a controversial goal three minutes into injury
time.


His header from six yards in a goalmouth melee summed up a frenetic
night when the Blues were three minutes from going out.


First they were indebted to £30million striker Shevchenko, who fired
in a brilliant 20-yard strike to seemingly send the tie into extra
time after they trailed 3-2.


Then up stepped Lamps to bundle in a winner.


Claudio Pizzaro's cross deflected off the bar. Lampard's close-range
header appeared to be bundled clear by Leicester keeper Martin Fulop
before Shevchenko followed up with a shot that cannoned off Juliano
Belletti.


The goal was initially credited to Ukrainian ace Shevchenko. But ref
Phil Dowd eventually gave it to Lampard — his third on a memorable
night.


And the relief was clear as injured skipper John Terry joined his pals
to celebrate getting off the hook and into the last eight.


It certainly underlined the importance of the Terry's stand-in to Chelsea.


Lampard's treble is his first since hitting three at Macclesfield at
home in the FA Cup last January. And boss Avram Grant is optimistic
the player's long-running contract wrangle will soon be resolved.


Lampard, 29, had earlier equalised on 20 minutes with a cool volley
after City skipper Gareth McAuley gave the brave Championship side a
shock sixth-minute lead.


And the Blues star was on hand to prod home after excellent work by
impressive teenager Scott Sinclair in the 29th minute.


But then the fun started with City sub Dudley Campbell, the artist
formerly known as DJ, climbing high and cashing in on Carlo Cudicini's
horrendous hesitancy with 21 minutes left.


Striker Carl Cort was at the end of a free-kick to put unfancied
Leicester 3-2 up and on the verge of a huge shock. But then Sheva and
Lamps to turn party-poopers.


Foxes boss Frank Burrows played down a touchline bust-up between the
two sets of club officials when Lampard grabbed his winner.


Burrows, who coached Lampard as a 16-year-old at West Ham, said: "It
was nothing but the disappointment when a goal goes in after you have
fought so hard.


"I told Frank when he was a kid 'if you're involved in anything that
ends with the ball going over the line, claim it.'


"They passed better than us and had more possession but I wouldn't
swap their hearts for my lads' hearts tonight.


"It's not often you see John Terry, the captain of England, run onto
the pitch to celebrate a win over a Championship side is it?


"They did not believe it was over until it was over and maybe that was
the crucial difference out there. It's why they are top-quality
players."


Regardless of who had the last word, Chelsea were made to look human
again after a run of six successive wins.

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