Chelsea cut United's lead
Jose Mourinho's Chelsea are nine points behind Manchester United
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Saturday, 03, Mar 2007 07:56
Premiership champions Chelsea maintained the pressure on league leaders Manchester United by putting Portsmouth to the sword 2-0 at Fratton Park.
Carling Cup final hero and recent recipient of the African player of the year award Didier Drogba put the Blues ahead in the first-half, with Salomon Kalou wrapping up the three points with a late strike.
Jose Mourinho's team had started the game 12 points behind United after their fortuitous 1-0 win at Liverpool, although Chelsea had played two games less than their title rivals.
Portsmouth made Chelsea work for the victory however, with the away team twice relying on stunning saves from Petr Cech to deny Pompey a way back into the match.
Despite having the majority of meaningful possession Kanu was proving a nuisance to the Chelsea rearguard, with the Blues looking to the pace of recalled winger Arjen Robben and Drogba as their main attacking outlet.
It was from a Robben cross that the game's first real chance came, but Andriy Shevchenko showed no sign of his returning class when he sliced wildly over David James' goal.
In the 33rd minute Drogba grabbed his 29th goal of an unbelievable season when he volleyed into the ground and past James from fit again left-back Ashley Cole's cross.
After the restart Robben was given a fantastic opportunity to make the game safe, but his decision to shoot after being played in by Drogba instead of squaring to Shevchenko saw James' post grazed but nothing more.
Makeshift centre-back Michael Essien was epitomising the type of archetypal away performance that Chelsea have become famous for under Mourinho, but the Ghanaian had his goalkeeper to thank when he let substitute Andrew Cole get on the end of a cross.
Cech athletically tipped the veteran striker's header wide with a strong left hand.
Shortly after Chelsea's Cole grabbed his second assist of the game when recently introduced Kalou raced onto his header to stab past the prone James.