Times August 17, 2008

Chelsea show attacking flair to thrash Portsmouth
Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0

Martin Samuels

It was, it has to be said, just like watching Brazil. Not because Luiz
Felipe Scolari already has his Chelsea team playing with the joyous
expression of the Canarinho, but because he has them set up in the
modern way perfected by his countrymen. Scolari's Chelsea play fast,
overlapping full backs, a high, creative midfield line, and have, in
John Obi Mikel, a holding midfield player who doubles as a centre half
in the style of Gilberto Silva. It puts them quickly on the offensive,
but always with the padlock secure at the back and Portsmouth found
them unplayable. The scoreline flattered the visiting team, who did
not look like scoring, but could have let in three more with better
finishing, when Chelsea forwards were left one on one with David
James, the England goalkeeper.

Fabio Capello, the watching England manager, will have taken away
positive thoughts about Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, John Terry and Ashley
Cole, less so Jermain Defoe, the Portsmouth striker, who barely got a
kick. His partner, Peter Crouch, also did little to make the Italian
rethink his decision to exclude him from the squad to play the Czech
Republic on Wednesday.

What Scolari has succeeded in doing very quickly is blending the
English core of his team with a continental intellect, so efficiently
that it is scarcely possible to tell one from the other. José
Bosingwa, the right back, got forward quickly, but so did Ashley Cole
on the left. Deco played sublime passes that caused Portsmouth huge
problems in the heart of midfield, but so did Michael Ballack and
Lampard. The role of Mikel, who drops in as a third centre half when
the backs operate as wingers, is a masterstroke and brought out the
best from the Nigeria player. This was his finest game in a Chelsea
shirt, and Michael Essien's return to the first team cannot be
regarded as a formality.

Scolari airily dismissed the Brazilian connection, preferring to talk
of the flair of his individuals, regardless of nationality. The aspect
on which all agreed, though, was that this was the perfect start for
Chelsea under the new manager. Asked whether it was a result that
would have Manchester United, the champions, worried, Scolari did not
take the bait. "No," he said, "because we do not play them next. Wigan
Athletic, maybe." Steve Bruce's team are up in six days' time.

This was Chelsea's most emphatic start to a season since victory by
the same scoreline over Sunderland in 1999 and if Sir Alex Ferguson
thinks that this Chelsea team are too old to win the title, then that
side would have had him sending mocking deliveries of Sanatogen. It
was the era when Chelsea were attracting world-class players, but not
in their prime, and Marcel Desailly, Gianfranco Zola, Albert Ferrer
and Didier Deschamps were in the starting lineup. By comparison, this
Chelsea team are spring chickens and anyone who did not think they had
the potential to be champions on the evidence of yesterday was not
paying attention.

Chelsea were a goal up after 12 minutes and three clear by half-time.
If the second half was quieter it was because Portsmouth were no
contest and Scolari's team sensibly conserved their energy for bigger
challenges ahead. Between the 52nd and the 88th minutes, Chelsea did
not have a clear-cut scoring chance, although Deco rewarded those who
stayed to the end with a 25-yard shot from outside the right of the
penalty area, which swerved so much in mid-air that James could only
palm it into his own net. It was a fitting end to the game, though,
confirmed by the admission from Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth
manager, that his team could not live with Chelsea. He did not sound
angry, more resigned. His only consolation is that he will not be
playing Chelsea every week. No, his next opponents are Manchester
United.

Portsmouth were not helped by naive defending – at one time a headed
clearance by Terry from inside the Chelsea half was allowed to loop
over the heads of the opposition back line, leaving Joe Cole with only
James to beat – but in the main it was Chelsea's movement that won the
game. The first goal was created by a first-time chip from Ballack,
but it was the wit of Joe Cole, peeling off his marker and cutting
inside, that finished it.

Chelsea's second came from the flanks, with Bosingwa crossing deep and
Deco playing the ball back into what was now a largely unguarded net,
James having deserted his position, and Nicolas Anelka outjumping Glen
Johnson on the line to score the first goal of his career at Stamford
Bridge. It could have been more.

Joe Cole and Lampard combined to put Anelka through alone after 20
minutes, but his shot was saved, and a mistake by Sol Campbell left
him in a similar position from Petr Cech's goal kick, this time
steering the ball wide.

The calamitous defending of a header by Terry that Joe Cole then
missed out on was the final straw for Redknapp. "If you coach
nine-year-olds the first thing you tell them is when a defender is
about to head it forward, take a step back and give yourself a bit of
space," he said with a grimace. "Our lot are all standing there,
thinking: 'Are we going to win this? Oh, where's it going now?' " He
had a point, but the basic problem was one that could not be
surmounted by any amount of coaching. There was not a player in his
team who would have made the first XI at Chelsea.

The outcome moved beyond doubt in the 45th minute when Sylvain Distin
handled a cross by Joe Cole, Lampard scoring from the penalty spot.
James was booked for dissent, ignoring the FA's new Respect agenda,
with its instruction to get on with the game. Unfortunately, this
would have been the least tempting option for Portsmouth. Nipping
outside to a public telephone box and abandoning proceedings with a
hoax bomb alert would have contained more appeal.

Chelsea ratings

4-1-4-1 P Cech 7 J Bosingwa 8 R Carvalho 7 J Terry 8 A Cole 7 J O
Mikel 8 M Ballack 7 Deco 7 F Lampard 8 J Cole 7 N Anelka 6

Substitutes P Ferreira (for Bosingwa, 83), F Malouda (for Ballack, 37
6), S Wright-Phillips (for J Cole, 77) Not used H Hilario, F Di Santo,
W Bridge, Alex. Next: Wigan (a)

Portsmouth ratings

4-4-2 D James Y 5 G Johnson 5 S Campbell 5 S Distin 5 H Hreidarsson 5
P B Diop 5 L Diarra 5 Y Kaboul 5 N Kranjcar 5 P Crouch 5 J Defoe 5

Substitutes A Mvuemba (for Diarra, 67min 5), J Thomas (for Kranjcar,
72). Not used J Ashdown, Lauren, J Utaka, M Cranie, D Traoré. Next:
Manchester United (h)

Referee: M Dean. Attendance: 41,468.
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Telegraph :

Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari lays down expansive rhythm against Portsmouth
Chelsea (3) 4 Portsmouth (0) 0

By Oliver Brown

We expect flamboyance from Chelsea but not understatement. Here we
were given both as Luiz Felipe Scolari instantly imposed his brand of
expansive football on the Premier League to exhilarating effect, while
downplaying his own cult of personality. Before his lavishly-assembled
squad dismembered Portsmouth at will he announced himself to the crowd
with nothing more than a polite wave and thumbs-up – a muted gesture
from this Croesus of a manager, lavished with wealth, power and the
acclamation of his people.

Scolari exudes charisma through his every move but needs few of the
histrionics patented by predecessor Jose Mourinho when his players
respond as emphatically as this. It has become axiomatic at Chelsea
that they need to entertain to acquire any kind of broader affection,
and to that end the width and dynamism of their play here, the licence
given to full-backs Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa to attack at every
chance, formed a compelling advertisement.

It was an afternoon when each simmering sub-plot of Chelsea's summer
came to a satisfying resolution. Deco answered all doubts about his
age and pace by terrorising Portsmouth's centre-halves, then providing
a stunning goal. Scolari delivered on his promise to inject some flair
by devising a tactical scheme full of verve and enterprise. Even Frank
Lampard was in on the act, dispatching an easy penalty.

At that point, with Lampard putting Chelsea three goals to the good,
Scolari claimed that his team had achieved "tranquillity". It seemed a
strange choice of word for a man struggling so endearingly with his
English. Perhaps it was borrowed from Sun Tzu's The Art of War, the
Chinese military treatise around which the 59-year-old famously built
Brazil's 2002 World Cup win. In the seventh chapter – about,
appropriately enough in Chelsea's case, winning confrontations by deft
manoeuvres – is the proverb: "In order await the disordered; in
tranquillity await the clamorous. This is the way to control the
mind."

Unscrambled for a sporting context, this suggests a team that they
should only engage in battle on terms favourable to themselves.
Chelsea followed this concept to the letter yesterday, controlling the
game with an exhibition of creative movement that Portsmouth could
never hope to emulate. A lack of width in midfield meant nothing with
Bosingwa called to act less as a right-back than as a winger. Joe Cole
was similarly menacing on the right flank and his fleetness of foot,
seizing upon a quick exchange between Michael Ballack and Nicolas
Anelka, helped propel Chelsea into a 12th-minute lead.

Anelka has so far appeared a man restored under the strict tutelage of
Scolari and the Frenchman converted Deco's cross with a fine header
after 26 minutes. The fluidity of this performance portended a fine
season for Chelsea, who eclipsed Portsmouth in every department. This
might have owed much, though, to the ineptitude of Harry Redknapp's
side, defensively shambolic and badly exposed in midfield as strikers
Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch failed to spearhead an ambitious 4-4-2
system.

Sylvain Distin was another culprit as his clumsy handling of a ball
from Joe Cole gifted Chelsea a penalty and an unassailable advantage
in the dying seconds of the first half. Lampard stepped up to score
with aplomb and thereafter Chelsea could afford to be, as Scolari
hinted, tranquil, if not serene. Belatedly, Portsmouth's partnership
of Defoe and summer signing Crouch flickered into life, but their
sense of wretchedness was complete when David James palmed in Deco's
speculative drive.

The new understated Chelsea were careful not to celebrate this win too
wildly. Lampard simply wheeled away after his penalty and thumped his
shirt. After extending his commitment to the club for another five
years because of loyalty, brotherhood, and not at all because of £33
million, he might at least have been expected to kiss the badge.

250

This was Chelsea's 250th clean sheet in the Premier League, matching
Arsenal's total, set on Saturday
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-------------------------

Indy:

Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0: Scolari's 'beautiful game' brings joy to Chelsea

By Sam Wallace
Monday, 18 August 2008

As a former manager of Brazil, Luiz Felipe Scolari will be used to
steamrollering the occasional opponent but it would be fair to say
that even a French Guyana team in the midst of an injury-crisis and
struggling with self-esteem issues would have put up a better fight
than Portsmouth. First day of the season and Big Phil's team filled
their boots.

This is how the Chelsea hierarchy dreamed it when they signed up
Scolari: Stamford Bridge bathed in sunshine, the full-backs
overlapping like it was the 1970 World Cup final and Deco slamming one
in the top corner from 30 yards. It will not be like this every week
of course but at least the first game went to plan and, unlike Avram
Grant's empty promises of a bold new attacking team, Scolari does seem
to have changed some of the fundamentals that made Chelsea so
unlovable in the past.

From the moment that Joe Cole buried the first goal on 12 minutes,
Chelsea's full-backs were getting forward like never before – to the
extent that Ashley Cole might have required directions to get back to
his normal spot at left-back. When Nicolas Anelka headed the second on
26 minutes the game was over, although there was a touch more joy
about the football than is usually the case when Chelsea obliterate
the opposition in the first half hour.

It was, Scolari said, "a beautiful game" that Chelsea will now be
expected to repeat every week. "We have to keep this going," he said.
"We can. Every game, every week." His argument that his players were
given the freedom to interpret their roles rang true. "We're not
playing like Brazil – Lampard is not Brazilian, he's English," the
Chelsea manager said. "Ballack's style is different, as is Deco's... I
ask my players to hold their position but to play to their style."

They were stylish indeed, sufficiently so to warrant a dressing room
visit from Roman Abramovich after the game. Frank Lampard marked his
new contract with the third goal from the penalty spot and the £9m
spent on Deco looked good value even before his 88th-minute goal. John
Obi Mikel just edged Deco out as the game's outstanding player, the
holding midfielder giving nothing away in front of the defence.

Early days yet for Portsmouth but yesterday's performance was insipid.
Harry Redknapp bemoaned defending that was "like a nine-year-old's"
and cited an injury crisis that forced him to play Younes Kaboul in
the centre of midfield. It is safe to say that the former Tottenham
central defender is no Paul Scholes but it is the lack of width that
makes Portsmouth so predictable. With Papa Bouba Dioup and Nico
Kranjcar anonymous on the flanks, Pompey scarcely put one decent cross
in for Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch.

It was a miserable day for Portsmouth's two marquee names, who found
themselves stifled at every turn by John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho.
The money has dried up for Redknapp, which is perhaps why the stories
that suggest he would like a move back to West Ham will not go away.
Given that this is a man who went from Pompey to Southampton and then
back again, nothing is impossible despite his denials yesterday that
the grass may be greener elsewhere.

"Chelsea were just too bright – their movement was too much for us,"
Redknapp said "Last year we played 4-5-1 and were fantastic away from
home. I made a rod for my own back by bringing in two strikers. I
don't think you can play 4-4-2 here. You get overloaded in midfield."

It is a curious point but one that is central to Pompey's season.
Redknapp said that if he had decided to play 4-5-1, "I'd have had to
leave Defoe out and I've bought him here to play." What is evident is
that without Sulley Muntari and, to a lesser extent Pedro Mendes, both
of whom Redknapp said he did want to sell, the FA Cup winners are not
quite the same force. They have two international strikers but a
midfield that seems to have no way of getting the ball to them.

The only cloud over Chelsea's day was an injury to Ballack that forced
him off in the first half and he may miss Germany's friendly against
Belgium on Wednesday. Joe Cole opened the scoring, via a sweet Ballack
through-ball, then Anelka added the second with a close-range header
after David James had committed himself to an earlier cross. Syl-vain
Distin's handball gave Lamp-ard the penalty before half-time.

Just before the end, James should have done better when Deco hit a
shot from the kind of distance that should not beat an England
goalkeeper, but he might put that down to the new Premier League
balls. Four goals up, Stamford Bridge looked like it was enjoying
itself and, as Scolari knows, they will want more of the same every
week.

Goals: J Cole (12) 1-0; Anelka (26) 2-0; Lampard (pen, 45) 3-0, Deco (88) 4-0.

Chelsea (4-1-3-2): Cech; Bosingwa (Ferreira, 83), Carvalho, Terry, A
Cole; Mikel; Ballack (Malouda, 38), Lampard, Deco; J Cole
(Wright-Phillips, 78), Anelka. Substitutes not used: Hilario (gk), Di
Santo, Bridge, Alex.

Portsmouth (4-4-2): James; Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson;
Diop, Kaboul, Diarra (Mvuemba, 67), Kranjcar (Thomas, 73); Defoe,
Crouch. Substitutes not used: Ashdown (gk), Lauren, Utaka, Cranie,
Traoré.

Referee: M Dean (Wirral)

Booked: Portsmouth James

Man of the match: Mikel.

Attendance: 41,468.
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Chelsea 4 Cole, J 12, Anelka 26, Lampard (pen) 45, Deco 89
Portsmouth 0

Kevin McCarra at Stamford Bridge The Guardian, Monday August 18 2008

This is the sort of boredom they have been crying out for at Stamford
Bridge. Chelsea were much too clever and effective for the opposition,
ensuring that the uninteresting second half was just a statutory
requirement. Even then there was still a twinge of pain for Portsmouth
as Deco, on his competitive debut, rattled a 30-yarder that David
James could only help into the net a minute from the close.

Chelsea fans were thrilled by the football laid before them prior to
the interval. The movement in a layered midfield ensured elusiveness
and Harry Redknapp's side must almost have felt haunted by all the
ghostly presences. The style was reminiscent of Luiz Felipe Scolari's
previous work with Brazil and Portugal. In this ideas were translated
perfectly into the language of the Premier League.

The display had an expansiveness that was not among Jose Mourinho's
aspirations. He, of course, is not to be chided for an approach that
made him the most successful manager in Chelsea's history.

Nonetheless Mourinho had a penchant for controversy and conflict that
was debilitating and, in the end, the club's owner, Roman Abramovich,
could apparently bear no more of it.

Dispensing with Mourinho was a questionable decision and Avram Grant
had little hope of distracting anyone from the feats of the
Portuguese. Scolari, a World Cup winner, does not need to convince
anyone of his standing but the Mourinho period is the context by which
subsequent Chelsea managers will be judged.

The newcomer, with his high profile and vivid character, ought to
cope. Scolari has seemingly converted the squad to his approach at
high speed and there were no reservations in the mind of the Chelsea
players. They opened as if they had always craved this sort of
football and it must be appreciated how unusual this kind of drubbing
is for Portsmouth.

Last season Redknapp's side conceded 26 goals over the course of 19
away matches in the Premier League. It was only a week ago that they
forced a goalless draw against Manchester United, prior to the penalty
shoot-out defeat in the Community Shield.

At Stamford Bridge, by contrast, they were immediately on the brink of
capitulation. The back four was disoriented since it was so hard to
identify the danger as Chelsea, with Nicolas Anelka as a lone striker,
devastated with flowing midfield play that was a tidal wave to the
Portsmouth defence. Michael Ballack was the best of the quintet before
his ankle injury but home fans could have had a merry debate on the
topic as contributions were made by many players.

Redknapp was repentant afterwards about fielding two strikers. Hard as
Jermain Defoe and Peter Crouch worked, they had scant bearing on the
game and Portsmouth were outnumbered in midfield. There was a sureness
of touch by Chelsea that left the visitors baffled in the 12th minute.
Deco pitched the ball forward, Anelka chested it back and Ballack put
Joe Cole through with a sweet pass. The England midfielder fired
across James for the opener.

Cole, mostly keeping in close contact with Anelka here, has been
viewed as potentially surplus to requirements at Chelsea. While he did
scuff wide from a fine opening in the second half Cole went about as
far as he could in illustrating the merit of keeping him on the
payroll.

Mikel John Obi was another who pressed his claim, while the regular
holding midfielder Michael Essien was missing through injury.
Portsmouth, in truth, did not often harass him but there was a calm
about Mikel that was unfamiliar. Chelsea, indeed, got through the
afternoon without a yellow card. That saintly statistic comes more
readily to a side at peace with itself. The team was encouraged, too,
by the dynamism of Jose Bosingwa in his first competitive appearance
for the club. The right-back raced down his flank and Ashley Cole had
as much licence on the other wing.

It was the Portuguese who hit the deep cross in the 26th minute that
James ought to have left to others. Instead the goalkeeper chased
after it and was stranded as Deco chipped the ball into the middle for
Anelka to head home.

There were twitches of pride from the visitors and Petr Cech, after 43
minutes, had to pull off a double save from Niko Kranjcar and Crouch
but that was a digression from the real story of the match. Two
minutes later an effort by Joe Cole hit the outstretched left arm of
Sylvain Distin and Frank Lampard marked the start of his new Chelsea
contract by sending James the wrong way from the penalty spot.

If need be, his side would have come up with even more goals before
Deco's spectacular strike. That drive capped the contribution of a man
who had already invited Anelka on to the scoresheet. However, the
Portugal midfielder did waste the ball now and again. It must be
pleasing to Scolari that his side was overwhelming while also showing
that it can certainly improve.

The audience had no quibbles. They had witnessed svelte, imaginative
football and, with Didier Drogba absent because of a knee injury,
Anelka hinted that he might regain his old sharpness after that blunt
spell under Grant. The line-up may not have been overhauled radically
but Scolari has met his first target by showing that everything has
still changed radically.

Several players made important contributions for Chelsea but the
attacking right-back, on his competitive debut for the Blues, gave the
team a drive on the wing that has been lacking.

Man of the match Jo Bosingwa (Chelsea)

Several players made important contributions for Chelsea but the
attacking right-back, on his competitive debut for the Blues, gave the
team a drive on the wing that has been lacking.

Best moment His run and deep cross to the back post that led to
Anelka's goal was full-back play at its finest and explains why
Chelsea agreed to pay £16.2m for him.

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Mail:

The Phil good factor - Scolari era at Chelsea starts with style, guile and goals

Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0

By Matt Lawton

This was not exactly what you would call a seven-year hitch. It might
have been that long since Luiz Felipe Scolari last took charge of a
competitive club game but the break appears to have been good for the
Brazilian.

Yesterday amounted to an impressive start for Scolari, his side
producing the kind of football Roman Abramovich has craved from the
moment he decided to invest a sizeable chunk of his fortune in
Stamford Bridge. It was football with fluency and finesse. Football,
believe it or not, that invites Chelsea's full-backs to venture out of
their own half and join the forwards in attack.

Scolari could be forgiven for now thinking the FA Cup must be an easy
competition to win. Portsmouth were that poor. But Chelsea were
devastatingly impressive, performing so well in the opening 45 minutes
that Frank Lampard dared suggest was the 'best football we can play'.

His manager was a fraction less enthusiastic, even if he did remark
that opening the bottle of orange he was given the drink was more
difficult than the match. 'If we want to be champions we will need
more than this,' he said. 'But I think Chelsea's fans saw a beautiful
game today.

'It was more than I expected. We put what we have been working on in
training for the last 15 or 20 days on to the pitch and that was
pleasing. We played as a team. Closed the midfield. Marked very well
when they had the ball and passed well when we had it. I think the
fans will be happy today and the owner will be happy too because he is
one of the fans.'

His tactics might have been simple but they were brilliantly executed.
A case of John Obi Mikel dropping into the centre of defence whenever
either Jose Bosingwa or Ashley Cole were in possession and therefore
enabling Chelsea to attack in the knowledge that they remained secure
at the back. It meant that, on occasions, they had five players up
front and it was wonderful to watch as a consequence.

Harry Redknapp could only marvel at 'their movement'. 'They were just
too bright for us,' he said after insisting, in response to reports
linking him with a return to West Ham, that he was 'happy' as
Portsmouth manager. 'We were guilty of some basic errors but they have
so many options when they have players like Deco, Joe Cole and Frank
Lampard. It was really difficult for us and I'm just glad we've got an
easy game next. Manchester United next Monday.'

Scolari described his first game at Stamford Bridge as a 'fantastic
experience' and even if he was reluctant to soak up the applause of
the fans shortly before kick-off he soon got into the spirit of the
occasion.

A first goal after little more than 11 minutes prompted a trademark
goal celebration, the South American punching the air in delight after
seeing Joe Cole chase down a super ball from Michael Ballack - who has
an ankle injury that Scolari said could take a week to heal - before
guiding a shot past David James.

By now Deco was starting to excel with a demonstration of his artistry
- Art Deco you might say - and when he met a fine cross from Bosingwa
at the far post, Nicolas Anelka rose above the hapless Glen Johnson to
score his first goal at Stamford Bridge. James, incidentally, was
nowhere, having committed himself to the cross and failed to make
contact.

Goal three then arrived moments before the interval, Sylvain Distin
blocking a cross from Joe Cole with his left hand and inviting Mike
Dean to point to the penalty spot. The referee did exactly that and
Lampard then followed with a perfectly executed finish.

The second half was something of a stroll for Chelsea. Time, by then,
to save themselves for international duty and the next Premier League
encounter.

A fourth goal nevertheless arrived in the 89th minute, Deco crowning a
super debut with a 25-yard strike James could only guide into his own
net.

Already favourites to win the title? Having met United in the
Community Shield a week earlier, Redknapp was not so sure. 'They are
both fantastic teams,' he said. 'And they play a very similar way.'

And Scolari was not about to reflect on his first taste of Premier
League football by taunting the defending English and European
Champions. Asked if the performance would now be worried about playing
them, he said: 'I wouldn't have thought so because we are not meeting
them next. But maybe Wigan will.' No doubt.

Chelsea (4-3-2-1): Cech 7; Bosingwa 7 (Ferreira 84min, 6), Carvalho 7,
Terry 7, A Cole 7; Ballack 7 (Malouda 38, 6), Mikel 8, Lampard 7; J
Cole 8 (Wright-Phillips 78, 6), Deco 7; Anelka 6.
Portsmouth (4-4-2): James 6; Johnson 4, Campbell 6, Distin 5,
Hreidarsson 5; Diop 5, Kaboul 4, Diarra 5 (Mvuemba 68, 5), Kranjcar 5
(Thomas 73, 5); Defoe 4, Crouch 4.
Booking: James.
Referee: M Dean.
Man of the match: J Cole.
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Express:

SCOLARI'S CHELSEA GET OFF TO PERFECT START

Sunday August 17,2008
By Mauro Galluzzo
Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0

LUIZ Felipe Scolari got his Chelsea reign up and running with victory
over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge and a message of attacking intent
to the rest of the Barclays Premier League.

Chelsea were criticised for being cautious under Jose Mourinho but
Scolari's first match in charge suggested he wants style as well as
substance, and they continued to push forward once Joe Cole opened the
scoring in the 12th minute.

Nicolas Anelka, Scolari's only senior forward available, headed in his
first goal at home for Chelsea before Frank Lampard put the result
beyond doubt just before the break, scoring a penalty just five days
after sealing his new five-year contract at the club.

Deco, on his debut, added a fourth from long range just before the end.

While Lampard may have been in the headlines this week it was Scolari
- wearing a blue club tracksuit - who took centre stage on the opening
weekend of the new season.

The Brazilian had promised a samba style to his time in west London,
and he did not disappoint after being introduced to the crowd and
giving them a thumbs-up.

Like his Brazil team that won the 2002 World Cup, he relied on his
full-backs to create width - instead of Cafu and Roberto Carlos he has
Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole marauding forward.

It allowed his five-man midfield to dominate through the middle, which
is where the opener was created from less than a quarter of an hour
into Scolari's career in England.

Anelka cushioned a header back to Michael Ballack, who lifted the ball
over Pompey's defence with the outside of his boot for midfielder Cole
to steer his finish around David James.

It could have got worse for the visitors as Lampard split their
defence again, only this time James saved with his feet when Anelka
ran through.

The France striker was not made to wait long for his goal. Bosingwa
helped set it up by getting to the byline and standing up a cross to
the far post.

Ballack almost got in the way as Deco met the ball but the Portugal
midfielder managed to clip over James and Anelka beat Sylvain Distin
on the line to head into the empty net.

Anelka should have added a third on the half-hour mark when he raced
through again, but his effort went just wide of the post after he
tapped the ball around James.

It did not run entirely smoothly for Scolari as he was forced into a
change when Ballack picked up a knock, with Florent Malouda coming on.

Pompey also suggested they were willing to fight back when Petr Cech
was forced into a double save before the break, first from Niko
Kranjcar's powerful drive, then bravely with his body when Peter
Crouch latched onto the rebound.

However, their hopes ended when Chelsea were awarded a penalty in
first-half stoppage-time after Distin handled a cross by midfielder
Cole.

James was booked for kicking the ball away before Lampard tucked away
the spot-kick and tapped his badge in celebration as he ran to the
crowd.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp, Lampard's uncle, had offered his advice
before Lampard committed his future to Chelsea - and there was an
inevitability that the midfielder would find the net against his
relative.

The attacking continued after the break, with Anelka twice firing over
the crossbar after the restart.

Midfielder Cole went sent through over the top again but fired wide of
the post after outpacing the Pompey defence.

Pompey, in contrast, looked short on belief and were contributing to
their own downfall, one free-kick in their own territory resulting in
possession lost and a chance being presented to Anelka.

Younes Kaboul thought he had sight of goal from a corner but his
effort came off his knee, and Crouch could not tame the ball when it
fell to him.

Pompey also had a penalty appeal when Niko Kranjcar's drive was
blocked by Ricardo Carvalho.

Crouch's partnership with Jermain Defoe clearly needs time to gel. It
took them 78 minutes to combine, and Defoe could not get direction on
his finish when he met a flick-on.

Deco's goal came in the 89th minute, a powerful and swerving effort
from 30 yards that James could only parry into the top corner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------\
-------------------------
Sun:

Chelsea 4 Pompey 0

By SHAUN CUSTIS at Stamford Bridge

BLIMEY, it really was almost like watching Brazil.

New Chelsea boss Phil Scolari had promised to turn the Blues into
entertainers like the side he guided to World Cup glory six years ago.


He warned it would take time but it will not be long judging by this.



In fact, whisper it quietly, Chelsea might even become popular — a
team you would happily sit in your armchair and watch for 90 minutes
instead of sending you to sleep before half-time.


Despite all the success the Blues enjoyed under Jose Mourinho, Chelsea
could never be described as easy on the eye — more like a smack in the
chops. They bludgeoned rather than dazzled the opposition.

But the standing ovation from the excited supporters at the final
whistle and the sight of Roman Abramovich applauding like a demented
seal suggests this will be the start of something very good.


The Chelsea owner craves world-wide respect for his club but, to earn
it, you have to achieve with style. Winning is not enough.


In Big Phil he has the man to give him all he desires.


Even before the game the manager had made an impact, forging a renewed
spirit within a group which was threatening to implode.


But all that good work could have gone up in smoke if Chelsea had lost
at home in the league for the first time since February 2004 — a
record stretching back 82 games.


Instead the Blues enjoyed their biggest win on the opening day of the
season for nine years.


They were aided by a desperately poor Portsmouth side which performed
badly enough to make Harry Redknapp think seriously about a mooted
return to West Ham.


Their defence was a shambles and ex-Chelsea star Glen Johnson suffered
another nightmare afternoon to go with his display in the Community
Shield.

Sol Campbell struggled too and Hermann Hreidarsson looked every bit
like an ex-Charlton player.


Redknapp also discovered Younes Kaboul is no central midfielder
although Spurs fans would probably argue he was no centre-half either.


And up front Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe did not get a look in.
Crouch was surprisingly axed from Fabio Capello's England squad to
face the Czech Republic on Wednesday but he did nothing to persuade
the Italian the decision was incorrect.


It seems so long ago the Pompey Chimes were ringing proudly as
Portsmouth paraded the FA Cup.


Chelsea were purring from the off and some quality link play produced
the opener on 12 minutes.


Nicolas Anelka chested down and Michael Ballack flicked a gorgeous
ball into the path of Joe Cole who tucked it in the corner.


Questions are being asked about whether Cole will fit in Scolari's
system once everyone is fit.


He has been linked with a move to Aston Villa and there has been a
hint Liverpool will show interest. But Cole would far rather stay at
the Bridge and he made his case yesterday.


Deco also showed why Scolari has such faith in the little Portugeezer
who was his first official signing.


There were a few raised eyebrows about Chelsea going for a 30-year-old
midfielder who did not figure in Barcelona's plans.


But Deco, an £8.3million buy, showed his class against Pompey as he
gently caressed the ball to all points of the park.


He played a part in Chelsea's second after 26 minutes when he rather
fortuitously scooped Jose Bosingwa's cross back into the area and
Anelka climbed above Johnson to head in.

It was Anelka's first ever goal at Stamford Bridge and shook a huge
monkey off his back.


But he should have had a hat-trick and his lack of clinical finishing
which has dogged him since his £15m arrival from Bolton came back to
haunt him.


The Frenchman was unlucky when he flicked the ball past David James
and it ran inches wide.


But he wasted at least three other clear-cut openings.


By half-time though, Chelsea were home 'n dry as Frank Lampard
converted a penalty awarded when Sylvain Distin managed to pat the
ball from his left hand on to his right hand.


Lampard, celebrating his new five-year deal, never looked like missing
and said: "The first half was as good as we can play." Admittedly, it
would be difficult to better it.

"They understandably eased off the gas after the break but Deco put
the seal on victory with a 25-yard shot with a minute to go.


It was a sweet strike, with a touch of swerve, which James could only
help into the top corner.


But the England keeper will probably feel he should have turned it
over the bar.


So ended what Scolari called "a perfect day" although he did fail to
get the top off a juice bottle as he wound up his Press conference.
"The match was easier," he laughed.


Not just a winner, a comedian too.