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Defoe delight as Portsmouth hold Chelsea
Portsmouth 1 Chelsea 1


By MALCOLM FOLLEY

Jermain Defoe created an instant impression on an afternoon when Harry
Redknapp gave the discarded England striker what he most craved — a
game of football.

At £9 million, Defoe has been brought from the shadowlands of
Tottenham's squad to provide a cutting edge at Portsmouth. And during
an exciting, unpredictable second half at Fratton Park, he claimed a
64thminute equaliser against a Chelsea team heavily involved on four
fronts, domestically and in Europe.

He also went excruciatingly close on three other occasions late in the
game as Redknapp proved himself once more adroit at making the market
work for him. On this performance, Defoe will not be languishing on
the bench in his new environment. His future as an integral cog in the
team is assured. Unlike that of Benjani Mwaruwari.

Until Thursday, he had been luxuriating in the position of
Portsmouth's leading scorer with 12 Premier League goals. Without
warning, he suddenly found himself demoted from first-choice striker
to a pawn in Redknapp's world of wheeler-dealing.

He was invited to take himself to Manchester City's Eastlands to
finalise a £7.6m transfer to offset the cost of Defoe.

But yesterday, due to an array of circumstances — involving missed
flights, stories of a failed medical and conflicting reports that the
paperwork had failed to be registered in time to beat Thursday's
midnight transfer deadline — Benjani was living in a footballer's
no-man's land.

The promise is that all will be revealed next week but for the moment
Benjani is unwanted by Portsmouth and without a contract at Manchester
City. Redknapp used the arrival of Defoe to deploy Niko Kranjcar in a
role behind his strikers. It is the Croat's preferred position and he
rivalled Lassana Diarra, playing against his former club, as the most
influential player in the first half.

Diarra, small in stature but huge in authority, was sold by Chelsea to
Arsenal, then brought to Portsmouth for £5.5m two weeks ago.
Yesterday, he patrolled midfield with huge purpose.

Kranjcar, meanwhile, fulfilled his defensive responsibilities as well
as acting as a probing force in support of Defoe and Milan Baros. In
the 35th minute, stationed on the back post, the Croat headed Michael
Ballack's header off the goalline after Alex had flicked Juliano
Belletti's corner into the German's path. A couple of minutes later,
Portsmouth appealed for a penalty after Baros struck the ball against
Belletti's arm as he cleverly turned into the Chelsea area.

From Kranjcar's corner, Noe Pamarot delivered a thunderous header
against a Chelsea post. Just before half-time, Portsmouth goalkeeper
David James needed to be alert to deny Nicolas Anelka, advancing from
his goal to make a critical block. But Anelka was not to be denied in
the 55th minute.

He benefited from a classic counterattack as Chelsea sprung out of
their own area into Portsmouth's with three passes. First, Claude
Makelele won the ball and moved it upfield to Shaun Wright-Phillips.
The England winger swiftly put Florent Malouda in possession over the
halfway line and he gained ground before finding Joe Cole in
Portsmouth's penalty area with a 40-yard crossfield pass.

Cole took the pace out of the ball with a delightful volleyed pass to
Anelka. And the Frenchman, twisting to deal with a ball, beat James
with a skilful first-time volley.

But Portsmouth deserved to draw level in a manner that Redknapp
envisaged when he captured Defoe's signature. The goal came down route
one but was no less aesthetic for that.

When Baros won an aerial duel to reach a downfield punt from James,
Defoe anticipated the path of the ball and although alone against Petr
Cech, arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, he won the
instant approval of Portsmouth fans with a cool finish in the bottom
corner.

Later James had to make a superb close-range save from Belletti and
Defoe had a fabulous chance but Cech's presence encouraged the striker
to place a snap-shot wide. Rightly, the game ended all square but the
day belonged to Defoe.

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Indy:

Portsmouth 1 Chelsea 1: Defoe makes instant impact for Portsmouth
By Ronald Atkin, Fratton Park
Sunday, 3 February 2008


Whether he cost seven, eight or nine million, depending on the source
of the transfer information, Jermain Defoe was joyously welcomed by
Portsmouth as well worth the money as a coollytaken equaliser halted
Chelsea's winning run at nine and applied a brake on their title
ambitions in a rousing contest.

Defoe could have had a couple more, but victory for either side would
have been unjust, since David James, reprising his brilliant form of a
week ago against Plymouth in the Cup, denied Chelsea time and again as
a rousing first half was capped for thrills by the second.

As Portsmouth's manager, Harry Redknapp, pointed out, "It could have
gone either way – a good game for neutrals."

There were comforting words for Chelsea from Redknapp. "The
championship is nowhere near over," he said, before turning to his
Chelsea counterpart, Avram Grant, seated alongside him with the
comment, "Full credit to this man, he has been fantastic for them when
you think how many of his players are injured or away."

One player away for Ports-mouth was the striker Benjani Mwaruwari,
whose transfer to Manchester City fell through on transfer-deadline
day. "He is the big loser in all this. He is sitting up there [in
Manchester] in a hotel and he doesn't deserve that. I hope it will get
resolved in the next couple of days," offered a sympathetic Redknapp.

While giving credit to Defoe for his goal, Redknapp reserved his full
praise for the brilliant midfield work of Lassana Diarra. "That little
kid turned in a performance you would have to go a long way to see
bettered in any league in the world. Absolutely superb." And so he
was.

In a midfield containing the world-renowned likes of Michael Ballack
and Claude Makelele, Diarra shone like a Portsmouth harbour light,
forever prompting, setting up attacks at one end and closing them down
at the other. It was the sort of performance which covered up
weaknesses such as the slowness of Sol Campbell and the errors of Glen
Johnson.

Defoe's goal did more than lift Portsmouth's fans. It shattered a
dismal run of nine Premier League games lost to Chelsea in which one
goal had been scored and 19 conceded. It was perhaps too much to hope
Pompey would pull off their first win against the London side in any
League for 60 years, but they certainly gave it a go. Though Petr Cech
was in urgent action earlier than James, falling to his left to save
from Diarra, it was the Ports-mouth goalkeeper who was busier after
the first half-hour. When Florent Malouda flicked on a corner Ballack
rose to send in a fierce header that Niko Kranjcar headed off the
line.

Then Ballack put in an outstanding, finely timed tackle in his own
penalty area to halt Milan Baros, while Noë Pamarot deserved to do
better than hit the bar with glancing header from a corner. Back to
the other end swung this fascinating match, for James to rush out and
block Nicolas Anelka in time added on in the first half.

Defoe's first chance came at the very start of the second half, sent
through by Kranjcar. He cut inside Alex smartly enough but fatally
delayed his shot andwas closed down, though the rebound fell to Baros,
who saw Cech save with his feet.

Anelka made up for his first-half miss in the 55th minute, and a fine
goal it was. Malouda made ground on the left and crossed to the far
post, where Joe Cole turned it back for Anelka to volley in.

Portsmouth needed only nine minutes to pull level with a Route One
goal which clearly upset the Chelsea bench. James's mighty clearance
was turned on by the head of Baros and Defoe strode through to tuck
the goal away.
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Telegraph:

Jermain Defoe shines on Portsmouth debut
By Duncan White at Fratton Park

Jermain Defoe, dropped by Juande Ramos, discarded by Fabio Capello,
but in Harry Redknapp he has found a manager who believes. Redknapp
brought Defoe to West Ham as a teenager and the Portsmouth manager has
never wavered in his admiration for a striker whose career stuttered
and stalled when it should have been gathering momentum.

Signed for £9 million from Tottenham with just five minutes left
before the transfer deadline closed, Defoe was quick to work. Trailing
to Nicolas Anelka's first Premier League goal for Chelsea, Defoe,
played onside by Juliano Belletti, collected Milan Baros's flicked
header and calmly slotted the ball beyond Petr Cech. Three days into
his new job and he is back to doing what he does best.

"He needs to play, he needs to score," Redknapp said. "It was good for
him to get the goal and he had a couple of other chances, too. Maybe
if he had been sharp he would have stuck in the winner. That'll come
when he gets games under his belt."

Defoe thrice came close to scoring that winner, a goal that would have
broken Chelsea's 48-year unbeaten run against Portsmouth. Cech was
swift out to deny him the first time but he leant back when teed up by
Lassana Diarra and shot wide of the near post after cutting inside
Claude Makelele. "I'm a little bit disappointed not to get the
second," Defoe said. "But I'll take the goal and build on this. I
really enjoyed it out there."

Chelsea came just as close to taking the three points in a thrillingly
frantic second half. They had opened the scoring with a superb
counter-attack, Shaun Wright-Phillips playing in Florent Malouda down
the left for the Frenchman to send in a deep cross. Joe Cole calmly
side-footed the ball to the on-rushing Anelka and he met it on the
full, volleying into the bottom corner.

Niko Kranjcar had headed a Michael Ballack header off the line in the
first half and, with the scores at 1-1, Wright-Phillips lobbed wide
from a fine Ballack diagonal pass. Belletti had the chance to make up
for his role in the Portsmouth goal but was denied by the excellent
David James after Joe Cole's clever approach play. It was frustrating
for Avram Grant and his first return to the club where he was director
of football ended his hopes of securing a club record 10th straight
win.

They are six points behind leaders Arsenal but have reinforcements on
the horizon. Either Michael Essien or John Obi Mikel will be back
after Ghana play Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations, while Frank
Lampard is fit and ready. The influential Ricardo Carvalho, who is
suspended, will also return.

Portsmouth have their own personnel on the way back from Ghana, but
the status of Benjani Mwaruwari remains fraught. Portsmouth hope he
will complete his £9?million move to Manchester City in the coming
days.

"The big loser in all this has been Benji," Redknapp said. "You have
never met a nicer boy in your life. He's sitting up there in a hotel,
in limbo. It's sad, he doesn't deserve that."

Portsmouth deserved more than their solitary goal. Belletti clearly
handled in the area in the first half and Noe Pamarot headed against
the top of the far post from the ensuing Kranjcar corner. It was
impressive from an improving Portsmouth. Baros was full of running in
his second game since joining on loan from Lyon, while Diarra is
rapidly earning cult-hero status among the support. "Absolutely
superb," was Redknapp's verdict on the Frenchman's exemplary
performance in the middle of midfield.

Man of the match
Ashley Cole (Chelsea) 8/10
• Completed 85% of passes
• Won 80% of tackles
• Made 3 clearances

Best moment of the match
Lassana Diarra's early slide tackle on a sprinting Ashley Cole was
absolute perfection.
Worst moment
The ball broke loose to Milan Baros, with Petr Cech stranded, it
looked like a simple goal. The Czech striker tried a lob but could
only dink the ball to his compatriot.
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Defoe makes a point and dents Chelsea's title hopes


Stuart Barnes at Fratton Park
Sunday February 3, 2008
The Observer


Delight for Jermain Defoe, disappointment for Chelsea and another
twist in a fascinating Premier League championship race from a match
that ebbed and flowed entertainingly throughout.
Satisfying moments were few and far between for the £9million striker
during a frustrating career with Tottenham - and for the best part of
an hour here, not surprisingly, he struggled to make an impact for his
new club.

Then some of that frustration began to wash away as he put Portsmouth
on level terms. The confidence began to flow to such an extent that
Defoe could easily have gone on to deliver a famous victory.

His goal was set up by fellow newcomer Milan Baros and, although it is
unwise to pass judgment on the basis of one match, there was enough
evidence to suggest their partnership could prove productive.
'I enjoyed playing alongside him,' Defoe said. 'He worked his socks
off. I was a little disappointed not to get a second because we could
have taken all three points. But I'll settle for the one.'

Manager Harry Redknapp said: 'He took his goal well and with a couple
of games under his belt could have stuck away the winner. He needs to
be playing regularly.'

Chelsea were denied a club-record tenth successive win in all
competitions, although Redknapp believes they are capable of an
instant response. 'Considering the players they have been without,
their run was tremendous. With the likes of Terry, Lampard, Essien and
Drogba back, they are capable of going on another run.'

Avram Grant also felt his side should be applauded for overcoming
injuries and Africa Cup of Nations calls. 'We should respect the
players who have done it,' said the Chelsea manager. 'We are not so
happy when we are not winning, especially after leading. But we were
playing a good side and had chances to win it.'

Current form and past results between the teams weighed heavily in
favour of another Chelsea victory. You had to go back to December 1960
for Portsmouth's last success - in a League Cup fourth- round tie -
and more than 50 years for a win with points at stake.

They had lost all nine previous Premier League matches, conceded 19
goals in the process and scored just the one. That, ironically, was an
October 2006 strike by Benjani, the player whose move to Manchester
City remains clouded in uncertainty.

Baros had the first chance to mark his home debut with something
special, gathering a long, precise through ball from the impressive
Lassana Diarra but firing into the crowd with a shot on the run.

But Chelsea came closest to going ahead when Juliano Belletti's corner
was helped on by Florent Malouda, headed goalwards by Michael Ballack
and cleared off the line by Niko Kranjcar. Portsmouth were even closer
as Noe Pamarot's header from Kranjcar's corner rattled the angle of
bar and post.

Kranjcar, like Diarra, was getting through some good work, and when he
played in Defoe, the newcomer's speed looked to have taken him into a
shooting position. Although his run was halted, the ball broke
favourably for Baros, who

shot straight at the advancing Petr Cech. Within a minute, Chelsea
also threatened. Shaun Wright-Phillips released Ashley Cole, who cut
in from the left and was denied by a combination of a touch by James
and a completed clearance from Hermann Hreidarsson.

A classic counter brought them the lead. After Howard Webb turned down
Portsmouth appeals for a penalty for handball, Wright-Phillips sent
Malouda away and his deep cross was cushioned back across goal by Joe
Cole for Nicolas Anelka to volley in. The advantage did not last long.
A clearance by James was won in the air by Baros, who sent Defoe clear
through the middle to beat Cech with a flourish.

Redknapp was full of praise for Diarra's display. 'You would go a long
way to see one like that,' he said.

The Portsmouth manager is also hoping that Benjani's move, which
faltered after a medical, will be sealed soon. 'He's been the big
loser in all of this. He is in limbo waiting to see what happens and
I'm hoping it goes through. If not, he will be back here,' Redknapp
said.

THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT

Robin Dunford, Pompey.org The second half especially was very exciting
and a fairer score would have been 4-4 - Defoe was very lively and
could have had a hat-trick. As it was, our goal looked obviously
offside and theirs was, too, apparently, and came from a rapid break
after we had a penalty shout. Thanks to the Africa Cup of Nations we
had no option for right midfield, so had to have a diamond, but we
really went for it, with two up front plus Kranjcar in a free role.
And the crowd was up for it as well and enjoyed having a go at Ashley
Cole. Diarra looks a class act and I can't believe he'll be here too
long, while Kranjcar was very creative. Hreidarsson was moved to
centre-half today and made a number of crucial blocks.

Player ratings James 8; Johnson 7, Pamarot 7, Campbell 7, Hreidarsson
9; Davis 7 (Mvuemba 7), Diarra 9, Hughes 7, Kranjcar 9; Baros 7, Defoe
8

Trizia Fiorellino, Chair, Chelsea Supporters' Group We missed a hatful
and in the end I was relieved we got a point. Wright?Phillips is a
complete enigma. One game it looks as if we have a world-class player
and the next he is hopeless. Today he was hopeless. And it's hard to
know what Ashley Cole is doing in the team when we have Wayne Bridge
only on the subs' bench. Bridge is a much better player - a better
defender and a better attacking player. I'm so glad we have signed
Anelka, though. He is class. He took his goal brilliantly and looked a
danger all afternoon. He needs a bit more service, however, as he has
to go looking for the ball too often. I hope we can stay in touch with
the leaders till the other lads come back from injury and the Africa
Cup of Nations.

Player ratings Cech 7; Belletti 7, Ben Haim 8, Alex 8, A Cole 4;
Makelele 6; J Cole 7, Wright-Phillips 5, Ballack 6, Malouda 6 (Pizarro
6); Anelka 8

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Sunday Times:

Jermain Defoe quick off the mark for new club Portsmouth

Portsmouth 1 Chelsea 1

Andrew Longmore at Fratton Park

Chelsea might know a little about the limbo that claimed Benjani
Mwaruwari on transfer deadline. Given a rare chance to close the gap
on Manchester United, if not Arsenal, Chelsea were left in no man's
land after Jermain Defoe, inevitably, had cancelled out Nicolas
Anelka's goal yesterday at Fratton Park.

Chelsea do not often let leads slip, least of all to Portsmouth, who
were claiming their first point in 10 Premier League games against the
London side.

Mwaruwari was marooned in a Manchester hotel awaiting a decision on
his fate. In his absence, Defoe took 64 minutes to begin the payback
on his £9m transfer from Tottenham and could have crowned his debut
with a winner, blazing over from 15 yards and chipping another chance
over Petr Cech but just wide in a pulsating final quarter. Both Coles,
Joe and Ashley, had chances to claim a club record 10th straight
victory for Chelsea.

It has been a crazy week at Portsmouth, but with Defoe and Milan
Baros, making his home debut, providing a sharper edge to Harry
Redknapp's new-look side, Portsmouth will expect to renew their
challenge for a place in Europe next season.


With Avram Grant, his former technical director at Fratton Park,
alongside him, Redknapp laid down Chelsea's title credentials rather
more forcefully than the quietly spoken Israeli. "No Lampard, no
Terry, no Drogba, no Essien and they won nine on the spin," said the
Portsmouth manager. "Carvalho was out today. When they all come back,
they'll get stronger and stronger. This championship is a long way
from being over."

Chelsea will echo those sentiments, but Frank Lampard and John Terry
can not return soon enough given the staccato nature of their
performance yesterday. Ricardo Carvalho, who was suspended, would
surely not have been out-jumped by the diminutive Baros before Defoe's
equaliser. Alex and Tal Ben-Haim, both six-footers, should hold their
heads in shame. But Chelsea could not argue with the outcome after
Howard Webb had ignored a handball in the penalty area by Juliano
Belletti midway through the first half.

After a quiet first half, illuminated only by the energy and
creativity of Lassana Diarra and a header by Noe Pamarot that crashed
against the post, both sides shed their inhibitions after the break.
"A draw is not enough for us," said Grant. "We had more chances to win
the game, but we played against a very good team. All the top teams
have found it difficult here."

When Chelsea did take the lead, it was a goal of Arsenal-like speed
and precision with just a touch of good fortune. Momentarily
distracted by claims for handball by Claude Makealele, Portsmouth were
slow to track back and when a long cross by Florent Malouda found Joe
Cole on the right of the Portsmouth penalty area, his neat, volleyed
pass was turned home from close range by Anelka.

Within 10 minutes, though, they were feting a new hero. It had to be.
Yet, even Defoe might wonder how Baros managed to fend off Chelsea's
central defenders and plant a header straight into his path 10 yards
out.

Presented with the sort of opportunity that brought him 43 goals for
Tottenham, Defoe rolled the ball past Cech with a true striker's
confidence.

Level and sensing a shock, Portsmouth pushed on for all three points,
leaving themselves wide open for a swift counter-thrust. Grant also
gambled, replacing Malouda with the more direct Claudio Pizarro and
pushing Shaun Wright-Phillips, who had begun the first half in a
roving central role, back to his usual station on the right wing. Nico
Kranjcar, playing behind the front two strikers for an hour,
constantly probed Chelsea's back line, but it was Diarra driving
forward from midfield that threatened to turn the game decisively in
favour of the home side.

"From the moment he walked in here, he's been doing that," said
Redknapp. "The kid turned in a performance you would go a long way to
see in the Premier League."

James twice saved magnificently in the dying minutes and, Defoe might
have banished fond memories of Mwaruwari with the winner. "I'm a
little bit disappointed not to get a second," said Defoe. "But I'll
take a goal any day."

Star man: Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth)

Player ratings: Portsmouth: James 7, Johnson 7, Campbell 5,
Hreidarsson 6, Pamarot 6, Hughes 6, Diarra 8, Davis 5 (Mvuemba 68min),
Kranjcar 7, Baros 6, Defoe 7
Chelsea: Cech 7, Belletti 6, Alex 5, Ben Haim 5, A Cole 6, Makelele 6,
Ballack 6, Wright-Phillips 7, Malouda 7 (Pizarro 74min), J Cole 6,
Anelka 7

Scorers: Portsmouth: Defoe 64 Chelsea: Anelka 55

Yellow cards: Portsmouth: Davis, Pamarot

Referee: H Webb

Attendance: 20, 488