It was goals galore again this weekend as Chelsea, Arsenal and Newcastle each hit their opponents for six on the second weekend of the Premier League 2010-11 season.

Defending champions Chelsea became the first side in top-flight history to record a goal difference of +12 in the opening two games as they thrashed woeful Wigan 6-0 at the DW Stadium, equalling their impressive scoreline from last week.

There was no room for Didier Drogba on the scoresheet this week, but he played his part nonetheless, setting up three of the goals as Nicholas Anelka, Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda and new signing Yossi Benayoun completed the rout.

Blackpool, who opened their Premier League debut campaign with a 4-0 drubbing of basement club Wigan, were brought back down to earth as the Gunners took advantage of Ian Evatt’s first half dismissal.

Theo Walcott was the star of the show as he netted his first Premier League hat-trick with a trio of ice-cool finishes. Andrey Arshavin scored from the park, with Abou Daby and Marouane Chamakh also getting off the mark for the season.

Elsewhere, Tottenham came away with a hard-earned win at the Britannia Stadium, where two sublime efforts from Gareth Bale earned a 2-1 away win for Harry Redknapp’s men.

West Ham’s poor start to the campaign worsened as they lost 3-1 at home to an impressive Bolton side. A Matthew Upson own goal kicked matters off before Johan Elmander’s brace secured an away win. Mark Noble’s penalty on 79 minutes was too little too late, with Carlton Cole guilty of missing from the spot in the first half.

Meanwhile, West Brom gave their chances of survival a boost with a deserved 1-0 win over Sunderland at the Hawthornes while last season’s surprise package Birmingham came from behind to beat Blackburn 2-1 at St Andrews.

Everton are yet to win as they drew for the second week running after Sylvan Ebanks-Blake cancelled out Tim Cahill’s opener as Wolves earned a creditable 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.

On Sunday, goals continued to fly in as Newcastle confirmed 6-0 as the scoreline of the moment, thrashing Aston Villa who looked well short of quality. Andy Carroll was the star man, rounding off his hat-trick in stoppage time.

Earlier in the game, Joey Barton had handed The Toon an early lead before Carroll kick-started his exploits. Kevin Nolan also chipped in with a brace.

Fulham ensured Chelsea are the only team to win two from two games as they twice fought from a goal down to earn a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United. Paul Scholes handed the Red Devils an early lead but Simon Davies cancelled it out in the second half.

The game looked destined for a 1-1 draw until a series of events kicked the game into life. Firstly, Brede Hangeland bundled the ball into his own net to hand United an 84th minute lead, and two minutes later the visitors had a penalty.

Damien Duff was adjudged to have intentionally handled inside the area and up stepped Nani, who saw his spot-kick saved by rookie ‘keeper David Stockdale. The save proved vital and it spurred on Hangeland, who atoned for his earlier error by powering in a header in the right end in the final minute, snatching a deserved point for the Cottagers.

Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba, has backed his club to get through January without any major trip ups. January sees the start of the African Cup of Nations and a lot of Chelsea players will leave Premier League action to go and represent their countries.

This leaves the West London club in a very tricky position because they have been banned from signing any more players over the next two transfer windows. Therefore the club are going to have to rely on what they have to get the job done but Drogba does not think they will struggle.

He said: “It will be tough for me to go. I want to help my team, to play and score goals for my team. But this is part of my career and to represent the national team is also really important for me. It will be difficult for me to leave, but at the same time I have to do it because it’s a big event for Africans and I want to be there.”

“But they [Chelsea] will do the job without me. The team is winning without me already [in the Champions League, in which he has served the first two of a three-match suspension] and that is fantastic. We think about the situation sometimes, but it is up to the club to find a solution. We only want the club to succeed and be top of the league all season. That’s what will matter for us.”

“We didn’t win the title last year because we lost too many points against the big teams. We lost against United, Arsenal, Liverpool. This is a new season and we want to correct that. This was only the first of those games, but it was important to show that we’re here and we want to be champions this season.”

Drogba is a great enigma of the English game and his departure will hurt the club. However, he can at times be inconsistent and his place can be taken up by another player who is hungry and wants to cement a slot in the side. Opportunities are very rare in football and this could be a blessing in disguise for the club.

It would be naïve to say that they will not miss him because they will but the club need to cope without him, they have to learn how to play without Drogba in the side and if they can do this then January will pass and Chelsea will still be in the hunt for glory.

The reported departure from Arsenal of striker, Emanuel Adebayor, to AC Milan now looks a step closer as the Italian club have failed to land a number of their other targets. Adebayor was linked with a big move to Milan only a month or two ago and wouldn’t hesitate at moving because it has been clear that Arsenal are quite far behind other sides at the moment.

In some respects the deal would mirror the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to Real Madrid, the Arsenal front man was heavily linked to Milan last summer but he decided to stay on for another year. However, in Ronaldo’s case this was down to the manager’s persuasion, in Adebayor’s case it may have just been down to the fact that a deal could not be officially put together in time.

He would be a good signing for Milan who have also just lost Kaka to Real Madrid. For someone so big and tall, Adebayor seems to have a brilliant touch and score beautiful goals from awkward situations and at important times. This is what has made him one of the most sought after strikers in the world when a lot of high profile stars are going between clubs for millions of pounds.

However, Milan should not try and get their hopes up too much because there are rumours flying around in England that it is only a matter of days before Chelsea make an approach for the striker. It was after all Carlo Ancelotti that wanted to take him to Milan in the first place and he clearly admires his skill and technique as a player.

Adebayor may also prefer a move to England as he would not have to settle down again in another country and learn a new language. Chelsea also need to make bigger changes to their squad and someone that could come in and compliment the likes of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka would definitely be considered.

History has also shown us that loyalty is not such a brilliant thing any more in football. The whole saga of Ashley Cole moving from Arsenal to Chelsea could be copied and it has been clear ever since that move was completed that Cole has won more haters than admirers. However, Adebayor should not be too worried about this and he has to think about what is best for him and his football future.

Either of these clubs would provide him with a better opportunity of success on the European scene but the slower paced football of the Italian league could well help him develop as a player and even extend his career by one or two seasons. Chelsea would probably be the most likely move if bids were put in from both parties but this link is purely just speculation at this moment in time, where as Milan have actually tried to sign him before and if they put in another bid it could be an old link that comes good for a very under rated player.

Chelsea have lodged an appeal against disciplinary action handed out by UEFA.That’s not much of a surprise given the Blues’ utter disappointment at losing the Champions League semi-final to Barcelona in such controversial circumstances.The knock-out still hurts and though the outcome can never be reversed, Chelsea intend to make a point, regardless of whether they really feel the UEAF punishment has been pegged at a fair level or not.

Most football supporters will, however, be saying shut up and put up. Didier Drogba has been given a six match ban, with the last two suspended for two years for his rant at the referee at the close of the semi-final. Team-mate Jose Bosingwa has to endure a four match ban, one of which has been suspended.The target for both of them was match referee Tom Henning Ovrebro whom they felt robbed Chelsea of several clear-cut penalty chances and a chance in the final against Manchester United. Barcelona, as we all know, went on to win the silverware.

In addition to the match bans, Chelsea have been fined 85,000 pounds for the improper conduct of its players.It’s difficult to predict on what grounds Chelsea will lodge their appeal. Drogba certainly had the grace to apologise in the wake of the match and much comment about the fact that thousands of children would have been watching. Such behaviour at any level of football is totally unacceptable and punishment has to fit the crime.

A six match ban for Didier Drogba seems to have been pegged at exactly the right level, especially with two having been suspended for two years. And it would be difficult for Bosingwa to argue against his penalty, given the offensive word he directed at the referee.

It could have been much worse and much tougher. And, let’s face it, an 85,000 pound fine for Chelsea is just a drop in the ocean. The players or the team could easily have been banned from the tournament. Perhaps those who criticise the decision might like to inject a bit of realism into their case, not least captain John Terry.

Though you would expect him to speak up for his club and colleagues, continuing to blame the referee for his performance is not an acceptable stance. He believes all the fuss over Drogba and Bosingwa only served to direct attention away from Ovrebro.Yes, he says, kids were watching the game but Drogba at least apologised. That’s like carrying out any unacceptable act and then saying sorry afterwards. Just don’t do it in the first place should be the message.Terry believes Drogba’s six match ban is too harsh and suggests it should be two. Hardly. Players incur a one match ban simply for getting two yellow cards or a straight red. Surely there can be no comparison.

The best thing the players could do, and Chelsea as a club, is to drop the appeal and save the time, money and controversy. Put it down to a bad job and get on with the game of football. Referees do have bad games and make bad decisions which change the cause of matches and tournaments. But players have bad games and make bad decisions too. There’s no point throwing your dummy out of the pram when things don’t go your way. That’s life and that’s football.

Chelsea will appeal over the European bans to players, Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa. Drogba received a four match ban and Bosingwa is also banned for three matches following the antics of the pair, which marked their semi-final loss to Barcelona in the Champions League last season.

Drogba was seen shouting at television cameras after referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo, turned down a number of good penalty shouts that he had during the match. Barca went on to score with what turned out to be the last kick of the match and Bosingwa also faced scrutiny because of his refusal to leave the referee alone or let him off the pitch before he had a chance to speak to him.

Chelsea have also been fined £85,000 for not being able to control players and although this may seem like pocket money to such a big club it will hurt them because they pride themselves on discipline and efficiency. A Chelsea spokesman said: “We’ve received the UEFA verdict and we’ll now take time to assess it in full and consider our response.”

Carlo Ancelotti will probably be relieved that the matter is over and he now knows who he will be able to start his European campaign with next season. There will still be a lot of injustice felt on the part of Chelsea’s players, which could be the main reason that propels them on to success and the over lying factor that maintaisn their discipline all the way through the season.

The club could appeal over all of the decisions, which they feel are harsh. The match bans are as long, or longer, than the ban you would receive for effectively going into a challenge and breaking the leg of an opposition player. However, UEFA maintain that one of the main principles that they base guidelines on is the respect that is shown between follow players, opposition and the match officials.

On this occasion there clearly was a breach in terms of respect shown towards the referee and that is the reason that the punishment handed out is relatively harsh. It means that Chelsea will be missing two of their best players for the start of the Champions League campaign. These games can often throw up some tricky group situations so Chelsea will be annoyed that they are missing players for these matches.

The problem for Chelsea is that should they appeal they will need to bring something new to the table, something strong enough to be able to eradicate the TV pictures of Drogba going off on a rant. This could be very tricky to do and it could mean that UEFA could increase the bans on the grounds that Chelsea have been wasting their time in the appeal process.

This may sound harsh but it is just the way the system works and if Chelsea want to get the bans over turned then it will be something they have to deal with. Ancelotti has to way up how important these two players are to his side and then decide whether or not to launch a campaign to get them freed from suspension.

No farewell blues for Hiddink

Chelsea fan or not, there can be few football impartials who would deny outgoing caretaker boss Guus Hiddink the pleasure of lifting the FA Cup.

After just 22 matches in charge, this amiable Russian obviously won the hearts of both players and supporters alike and victory was the most fitting of farewells.

Guus Hiddink appeared to be the perfect gentleman, even declining at the very end of his reign to lift the cup until the honour was shared with coaching colleague Ray Wilkins.

According to all accounts, his manner in the dressing room was just as calm, something he did try to convey to the team so that panic never set in. It didn’t always work, of course, and those who failed to tow the line ie Didier Drogba will pay the penalty.

But Hiddink also made no bones about the fact that he would not tolerate non-triers or those who gave into adversity.

The FA Cup final against Everton at Wembley proved a case in point. After conceding the first goal in a record-breaking 25 seconds to the Toffees, it could have been a repeat of the Manchester United/Barcelona Champions League clash all over again.

But Chelsea came back after the break to level the score, courtesy of Drogba and went 2-1 up with an absolutely stunning shot from Frank Lampard which will go down as one of the FA Cup greats. It should have been 3-1 to Chelsea but Malouda’s strike was incorrectly judged to have not been over the line.

In the event, it didn’t matter. Brave Everton, who have enjoyed the very best of seasons, just couldn’t level the score to force extra time or penalties and manager David Moyles later admitted the best team had won.

It had been two long years since Chelsea lifted any silverware and two unsuccessful managerial appointments following the departure of Jose Mouriniho has to take much of the blame.

Three months in charge was just long enough for Hiddink to make a difference and he is going to be sadly missed by Chelsea. This whirlwind romance was made to last but the Russian national team is calling and will no doubt pose quite a threat in the 2010 World Cup.

Hiddink wanted to go out with a bang and he did. He managed to tie together the discipline and friendship which was still in the squad but to activate it on the pitch where it matters the most.

Players showed the esteem in which they held Hiddink by presenting him the night before the match with an engraved watch and a signed shirt. He was genuinely touched and was that a glint of a tear in his eye as he waved goodbye to the Chelsea fans whilst holding the FA Cup aloft?

What now for Chelsea is the question on everyone’s lips as the team prepares for another new manager and another regime. What Hiddink has shown, however, is that continuity isn’t necessarily the key to success. If the manager is an excellent one, he should be able to win trophies regardless of the amount of time in charge.

Another man proud to pick up another piece of silverware was Ashley Cole who became the first player since the 1800s to pick up his fifth FA Cup medal and also earned himself the title of Man of the Match.

Meantime, Everton are going from strength to strength, having achieved fifth place in the League and a place in the Europa Cup. After losing in the FA Cup final this year and the semi-finals the year before, David Moyes intends to go one step better next season.

Everton striker Louis Saha made English FA Cup Final history today (May 30th) at Wembley Stadium in London, England, as he scored after just 25 seconds, before most of the crowd of 89,000 had settled into their seats. It eclipsed the old mark of 30 seconds set by Aston Villa’s Bob Chatt against West Brom way back in 1895.

While it gave Everton a flying start, it was probably also the worst thing to happen for them as they tried to sit back and protect the slim margin for the next 90 minutes. Of course it didn’t work as Chelsea dominated the rest of the way and came out 2-1 winners for their second FA Cup win at the new Wembley in the last three years, and their fifth triumph in the competition overall.

It didn’t take long for Chelsea’s Didier Drogba to do what he does best, which is score in English cup finals (FA and League Cups) as he drove in a powerful header in the 21st minute to tie the score at 1-1. It was the sixth-straight cup final goal for Drogba. He also scored in this year’s semi-final and quarter-final games.

Frank Lampard sealed the victory in the 72nd minute with a fine 20-yard shot that Everton keeper Tim Howard could only parry into the net. It looked like Florent Malouda had given Chelsea a 3-1 lead about five minutes later when his venomous long-range shot from 30 yards slammed off the underside of the crossbar and came crashing down over the goal line. Referee Howard Webb let play carry on, while television replays showed that the ball had clearly crossed the line.

This brings up the topic again of video replay and why it’s needed in football today. This could have been a huge missed call if Everton had come back to tie the game. It’s about time FIFA got off its ass and implemented television replays or loaded the pitch up with extra officials and goal line judges.

Everton didn’t come back though, and with only one striker up front it’s quite evident at the moment that their manager David Moyes and the players aren’t good enough to pull off a cup win. Their loss today sets a record for FA Cup failures as they’ve now lost the final eight times. They have won it five times as well mind you, but were hurt by having a few good players out with injury, especially Arteta and Yakubu. Going with one guy up front’s not going to win you many games against Chelsea though.

It was a great send off for Chelsea’s interim manager Guus Hiddink who worked wonders with the club since taking over in February. Chelsea only lost one game out of 21 under Hiddink’s reign, and with any luck could have also possibly added the Champions League to the trophy haul this season. The Dutchman will now head back to Russia to resume his job as the country’s national coach.

Another guy who will be celebrating long into the night will be Ashley Cole, who was officially named man of the match and became the first player in over 100 years to win five FA Cup medals. He won three with Arsenal and another with Chelsea in 2007.

Chelsea may have won something much bigger than the cup today though, as they have now appeared to win the respect and admiration of many neutral football fans. While Jose Mourinho, and Luiz Felipe Scolari were in charge, the team wasn’t quite as likeable as they were perceived to be arrogant and bought their way to cup finals. However, since Hiddink took over, it’s almost been a 180 degree turnaround as his calm and friendly manner has worked wonders for the team. Whoever takes over as manager next season will have a huge set of boots to fill.

Good luck to him.

Innocent until proven guilty may be the old adage but it will be interesting to see how Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa defend themselves against UEFA action.

Both have now been charged by the governing body after Chelsea lost their Champions League semi-final to Barcelona.

The disciplinary action claims they insulted the referee and made offensive comments. Chelsea have also been charged with the improper conduct of their players and failing to control supporters who were allegedly involved in missile throwing.

Drogba and Bosingwa were both caught on camera venting their frustration as the final whistle blew on the second leg of the semi-final at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had gone out to a late strike by Andres Iniesta to make it 1-1 and giving Barcelona the edge with their away goal.

The angry scenes were watched by millions of viewers throughout the world as Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo became the target after not granting Chelsea a penalty in a number of calls.

What defence can Drogba and Bosingwa possible put forward? Mitigation, yes, but it’s unlikely that either will get away without a very stiff fine or even worse.

What rankles many is why the team itself has to carry the can. Is it really possible for any football manager or the board to control the tempers of their players, especially if it is a first-time incident? Yes, they can give lectures and warnings and hit home the severe repercussions of not behaving but it’s just not possible to put players in straight jackets.

Players should carry the can for their behaviour, on or off the pitch, but leave the club alone. In the same theme, how on earth can a team be responsible for the behaviour of fans? Did they ask them to get involved or to throw missiles at the referee? Do the authorities really expect every club to be accountable for every fan?

On the whole, football supporters are a pretty decent lot but you are always going to get the bad egg whose temper boils over. It’s those fans who should be pinpointed and dealt with very severely. Ban them for life but don’t punish the club.

Meantime, Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas has been cleared by the FA following allegations about his conduct after the Hull FA Cup tie.
It was claimed that he spat at Hull assistant Brian Horton. An independent commission found there was not enough evidence of improper conduct.

The FA Cup final on May 30 may look quite one sided on paper but it is much more likely to be the opposite. Everton and Chelsea will go head to head in a match that seems quite refreshing to the football neutral. Both sides played well in their semi-finals but the fact Everton have emerged as one of the finalists creates a small bit of excitement.

Everton beat Manchester United on penalties in their semi-final in a match, which saw Sir Alex Ferguson field a greatly weakened side. However, this weakened side did play extremely well and Everton needed every bit of David Moyes’ tactical nouse to get them through the match and into the final.

It is always a lottery whenever such an important game goes to a spot kick shoot out, but it was Everton who held their nerve and always looked the more likely to come out of the tie on top. They will use this victory as inspiration and proof that they can beat the best side in the country, Europe and the world. What more do Everton need to know to prove to themselves they can win it.

Chelsea came through a much more gritty semi-final against Arsenal. Although the victory was in the end quite comfortable, it was a very physical encounter, one that showed all of the elements of why the sides and the fans don’t really like each other any more.

The West London side have not been at their best at all in this season’s competition, but they are backed through some harsh heartbreak. It was not too long ago that Andres Iniesta was smashing in a last minute winner for Barcelona, which knocked Chelsea out of the Champions League.

It is also set to be Guus Hiddink’s last game in charge of Chelsea, if they cannot convince him to stay. This could well determine the players to play their hearts out for the manager that came in and steadied a rocking ship, when he also had the small task of keeping an eye on the Russian national side.

Both sides have their reasons for getting their heads down and playing through the match, trying intensely to win it at a canter. Everton to show this is more than just a penalty shoot out bluff and Chelsea to show that they are still good enough to win trophies in England. Hopefully the match will be decided after a thorough performance from one or the other and not from a penalty shoot out, which is the harshest way big matches are decided in the current game.

The fiasco that has surrounded the issue of tickets being on sale for the match has seen both sets of fans for these clubs being offered fewer tickets than the numbers being given to corporate sponsors and other ‘friends of football.’ This could well mean the atmosphere is not as intense as it may be and could place the emphasis right onto the football as the fans will not be as audible as they could be.

This won’t matter one bit to the people going to the game though. Former professionals have often commented that they often were lifted by the noise any amount of fans can create and the factor of having the twelfth man on side could be the difference. It could mean that when both sides are tried and exhausted after playing however many minutes, they lift themselves for that all important moment and stab at glory.

Of course there is football to be played between now and then, so the selection of players available is at this stage unknown. However, both managers will pick their strongest possible elevens, which will see a number of key on field battles break out. These could go a long way in determining who comes out victorious.

Everton are likely to be soaking up a lot of pressure during the match. The likes of Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda should all start the match meaning Chelsea are not going to adopt an approach of sitting back and taking the pressure.

Whoever plays at the heart of the Everton defence will have to be on top form to make sure that these individuals can’t get a foothold in the match and give Chelsea an advantage. In recent times teams have adopted the approach of playing workman like wingers in order to peg back the Chelsea full backs, if Everton do this successfully then it will mean all of Chelsea’s play will be through the middle, which is a lot easier for any defence to deal with.

If Chelsea’s midfield controls the game then it could well be a matter of time during the match until one of the strikers gets a chance. Space could also be created if Everton sink too deep meaning that Frank Lampard or Michael Ballack could be free to fire in shots on goal without the threat of being closed down.

Everton’s attacking approach is likely to be simple, the counter attack. The toffees will be hoping that the defence works hard enough to soak up the pressure and draw in the Chelsea midfield. This would allow Tim Cahill to play in the middle of the pitch, pick up the ball and bomb forward with little resistance. However, Everton’s strikers will have to concentre for every single second as the one chance they get could end up being the only chance they get.

Ironically, even though it is Everton and not Manchester United in the final, a similar game could break out. It is unlikely to be an open end-to-end game with a million chances. Both teams will be nervous because this is their only crack at silverware for this season. It could appear a boring game for the neutral but the subtlest of tactics could be the deciding factor.

If you were a betting man you would not place money against Chelsea, but the point is Everton are capable of winning. You can’t back a draw so we are all going to have to pick a side to get behind but for now it is probably easier to get up on that fence and stay there.

Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa are to be charged by UEFA for the post-match antics in the Champions League semi-final defeat against Barcelona. Drogba was seen leaping off of the Chelsea bench before swearing directly into television cameras and hurling a volley of verbal abuse at referee, Tom Henning Ovrebo.

Bosingwa has also been found guilty of misconduct charges although his efforts were a lot less sensational than Drogba’s. Proceedings have also started against Chelsea as in the same match a number of the club’s supporters were throwing missiles onto the pitch after a last minute winner for Barcelona broke Chelsea hearts.

Manager, Guus Hiddink, and the club as a whole will now want the matter swiftly dealt with so they can focus their energy on the one remaining Premier League game they must play ahead of the FA Cup final at the end of the month. In this respect the news will be met positively but it carries with it both shame and embarrassment.

The club have been given until the day before the FA Cup final to respond and the matter will be finalised during June. It comes after a season of failures for Chelsea. First of all they sacked manager, Phil Scolari, and the Champions League defeat came at the end of a faltering league campaign, which once again saw them way off the pace of eventual champions, Manchester United.

Such incidents are neither welcomed nor needed in a game that constantly attracts attention for the way match officials are treated. The scenes at Chelsea would not have looked out of place on a pitch in a Sunday league somewhere, when referees have to be on their guard at all times as they do not have the benefit of police escorts off the pitch.

It was expected that eventually charges would be brought against Chelsea but the timing of the news has not helped their preparations for the one shot they have of winning something this year. It is unlikely to hinder their chance of winning the FA Cup but the point is that the charges should never have even been contemplation.

If Chelsea were unhappy with the way the game had been refereed against Barcelona then they should have kept quiet after the game and swallowed a bit of pride, then promptly filed a complaint against the referee that UEFA would have been obliged to look at. They did themselves no assistance whatsoever for allowing their players to surround the referee after the final whistle, when the decisions that had been made during the game were at that point unchangeable.

Hopefully this show of discipline on the part of UEFA will be a deterrent to any future possibilities of this kind. At the moment the outcome of the hearings is unknown but UEFA should be harsh and firm and impose punishment on Chelsea that will ensure the club are sorry for what they did and do not just end up with a fine that they could pay every day for about 50 years.