PORTSMOUTH 0 – 4 CHELSEA

Pompey fans must have been dreading this game off the back of a 6-0 thumping by Man City at the weekend and knowing we’d already beaten them 4-0 on the opening day. Not only that, but Chelsea had a 48-year unbeaten record against Portsmouth going into the game as well, so with their defence as fragile as it appears this season, the omens never looked good from the start.

Scolari, who claims to give all four competitions equal consideration, got the balance about right, resting players like Ashley Cole, Bosingwa, Obi Mikel and Joe Cole to give others a chance, whilst giving both the competition and Pompey sufficient respect to retain some experienced players in the line-up. Ivanovic became more than a myth with his first appearance, whilst younger players like Sinclair and Di Santo came on from the bench.

Likewise, Redknapp chose not to risk players like Campbell and Diarra, although retained James in goal and put his faith in Crouch up front. Unfortunately for Crouch though, he had the misfortune of being marshalled by Alex, who seems to be playing a blinder since coming in for the injured Carvalho.

On the game itself, Chelsea seemed to brush aside Redknapp’s defensive set-up fairly comfortably with a mixture of good fortune and an equal measure of flair. Despite Ballack going away from goal, Belhadj brought him down and the penalty was clinically dispensed with in customary Lampard fashion. Florent Malouda, who continues to improve under Scolari, put a low drive past James from a Kalou ball. More defensive errors 4 minutes after the break saw David James push a Kalou cross straight at the oncoming Lampard, who knocked in his second goal of the night with his chest. And it was the ever-involved Salomon Kalou who rounded off the night, nicking the ball off a hesitant Distin on the edge of the box and rifling it past the hapless helpless David James.

Business as usual as far as Pompey are concerned then.

PORTSMOUTH (4-5-1): James; Johnson, Pamarot, Distin, Hreidarsson; Utaka, Hughes (Wilson 80), Kaboul, Mveumba, Belhadj (Traore 69); Crouch (Kanu 69).
Bookings: Hreidarsson, Hughes, Johnson.
CHELSEA (4-3-3): Cech; Ivanovic, Alex, Terry, Bridge; Ballack (Ferreira 69), Belletti, Lampard (Sinclair 74); Kalou, Drogba (Di Santo 79), Malouda.
Booking: Ballack.
Referee: Steve Bennett.

Filed under: Match report