Nicolas Anelka keeps Chelsea's double alive
By William Johnson
Sport.Telegraph, 27th January 2008
Nicolas Anelka, after several agonising near misses since his recent £15
million transfer from Bolton, finally opened his Chelsea account and then set
up the clinching second for Shaun Wright-Phillips against Wigan to keep Avram
Grant's team on course for a Wembley cup double.
Anelka, predatory in the North West playing at Liverpool, Manchester City and
Bolton, broke the deadlock eight minutes into the second half of what had been
until then a desperately disappointing tie which only belatedly rose to the
standard expected of one of the plums selected for live television.
The French striker displayed all the sharpness he showed as an Arsenal youngster
to propel the holders into the last 16. Firstly, he was alert to time his
darting run on to Juliano Belletti's chip to meet it on the volley just before
the advancing Chris Kirkland to steer the ball into an unguarded net. He then
showed commendable unselfishness by refusing the chance of a second for himself
by teeing up Wright-Phillips for a much simpler finish - a tap-in which reduced
the ensuing goal of the match from Wigan substitute Antoine Sibierski to
consolation status.
"Anelka is a proven striker and he showed his class today," Grant said. "We
need him more than ever at the moment because we are short of players in attack."
Anelka's goal rescued a contest which had threatened to be the dampest of
squibs. Wigan's defenders felt aggrieved that he was allowed to execute a
clinical finish and Paul Scharner sprinted 40 yards to make the assistant
referee aware of his complaint - an over-reaction which brought a yellow card.
The official had been spot on and a disappointed Wigan manager Steve Bruce
agreed by suggesting his players' attempts to lay the offside trip had cost
them dearly.
Eight minutes from time Anelka was through again after eluding the challenge
of Kevin Kilbane to burst clear and tee up Wright-Phillips 10 yards out to
the delight of the Chelsea faithful who were in the area on cup duty for the
second time in four days, having watched them account for Everton in the
semi-finals of the Carling Cup.
Chelsea deserved their latest success under the astute guidance of Grant,
who is steadily reducing his predecessor Jose Mourinho to a distant memory.
They were hardly threatened by hosts whose priority is Premiership survival
until Sibierski chested the ball down just outside the penalty area and
unleashed a terrific shot on the turn.
Until then, Cech was called into action only twice, to save with his feet
from Emile Heskey and then gather a Sharner free kick, but he was almost
beaten a second time in stoppage time when Marcus Bent struck the top of
the crossbar with a fierce drive from a tight angle.
The excitement of the second half contrasted sharply with a first which
would have stretched the patience of the armchair audience at tea time and
it was a hard slog for those who occupied the half-full JJB Stadium as
they watched the highly paid players from both teams struggle to cope with
a pitch not conducive to producing flowing football.
If Joe Cole, whose goal secured Chelsea's Carling Cup final place, had
scored after 47 seconds with his side's best chance of that opening period
it might have turned into a more appealing spectacle.
Similarly, if Bent had profited from his Wigan strike partner Emile Heskey's
splendid through ball at the other end and not allowed Wayne Bridge to recover
and clear, his side might have forced the holders out of their comfort zone.
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