Poignant

26 Dec 09, 03:45

Live on Football Channel, Channel 27, at 8.45 pm.

Poignant

26 Dec 09, 19:57

Birmingham’s Johnson: Not celebrate against Chelsea? Just watch me!

Birmingham City defender Roger Johnson admits he's a "hardcore Chelsea fan", but that won't stop him celebrating if he scores today.

As for the fad of not celebrating against former teams and those players supported as boys, Birmingham fans should relax. It sounds like Johnson could be in the stand celebrating alongside them.

"I’m desperate for my first goal," he told the Daily Mail. "My older brothers, Stuart and Richard, will be in the away end. I’ve already warned them that it could happen.

"But as for not celebrating... not celebrating my first Premier League goal against Chelsea? Just watch me."

ChingAlvin

26 Dec 09, 22:49

HOw many points are Chelsea going to give away in a steak?..

But well Birmingham on a 10 game unbeaten streak!

I-like-flings(m)

26 Dec 09, 22:50

kick finished already ar? i watched 1st half nia..... how?? 0-0 ar??

Poignant

26 Dec 09, 22:51

ya, 0-0

Rooney9

26 Dec 09, 23:35

2 points dropped again this week. they dropped 4 points for the past 2 weeks le. this season the title is very open, all top 4 have chance to win it. I hope Villa wins it this season.

Poignant

27 Dec 09, 01:06

Chelsea held to scoreless draw at Birmingham

Chelsea failed to score for the first time in 34 games as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Birmingham at St Andrews.

Brum stopper Joe Hart made two stunning first-half saves to keep out Daniel Sturridge's low shot and Frank Lampard's drive, whilst Alex hit the woodwork.

The visitors created enough chances to win the game and will feel they have dropped two points.

Birmingham had their moments, notably when Chucho Benitez had a goal ruled out for offside and Sebastian Larsson's free-kick was saved by Petr Cech.

However Chelsea's frustration was evident late on as Florent Malouda was sent off for a late challenge on Steven Carr.

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has now seen his side win only once in their last seven games, whilst the hosts extend their unbeaten record to ten games.

Poignant

27 Dec 09, 01:07

Birmingham keeper Hart lauds team after Chelsea draw

Birmingham extended their unbeaten Premier League run to 10 games with a 0-0 draw against Chelsea.

Blues keeper Joe Hart was in fine form as City defied Chelsea and ended the contest with a bandaged head following an aerial challenge with Salomon Kalou.

"It's one of the first games I've actually had something to do," man of the match Hart told ESPN after the St Andrew's clash.

"The lads have been absolutely awesome so there's no surprises we're getting results and where we are in the league.

"I've had a few words with them because they block everything and I want something to do.

"I enjoy the game and I enjoy making saves."

One of the defenders immediately in front of Hart was Roger Johnson.

"It was tough, we knew it would be tough," said Johnson, who is a Chelsea fan.

"We made a good account of ourselves against one of the top four sides.

"There were a few chances. We've got a good defence and this season we've shown we're resilient at the back."

zocoss

27 Dec 09, 01:32

I thought Chelsea would have won this especially with Drogba playing his last match for them... I sold Drogba after this game in my Fantasy League... Cos he won't be around until the end Jan or early Feb... Bought Bent in his place... lol.

Poignant

27 Dec 09, 03:57

Birmingham 0-0 Chelsea: All Square At St Andrews

Joe Hart and Petr Cech keep their sheets clean.

EPL: James McFadden - Juliano Belletti, Birmingham - Chelsea (Getty Images)

Birmingham City played out a goalless draw against Chelsea at St Andrews Stadium in a highly entertaining game that would've left the crowd wondering how neither side scored.

The hosts came into this game boasting a superb run of form that had seen them go nine games unbeaten, with five consecutive victories prior to their previous match - a draw against Everton.

In contrast, the top dogs of the top-flight arrived at St Andrews Stadium following a dreary run only of one win from their last six games in all competitions.

Carlo Ancelotti handed Daniel Sturridge his first Premier League start, due to the absence of Nicolas Anelka through injury, while Brazilian defender Alex replaced Ricardo Carvalho.

Meanwhile, Brum boss Alex McLeish chose to field an unchanged side for the seventh successive game, as Liam Ridgewell and Roger Johnson - who both sustained minor injuries at Goodison Park - recovered in time to make a start.

McLeish's men signaled an early intent to take the game to their opponents, when Cameron Jerome chased a ball and beat Alex with his pace, but was unable to score from a narrow angle.

Following an early scare, the travelers soon settled into a rhythm that saw the home side under a fair amount of pressure, during which goalkeeper Joe Hart made some excellent saves to deny Sturridge and Frank Lampard, keeping his side in the game.

But Birmingham created chances of their own to trouble the visitors' defense, and on one such occasion, Ridgewell found some space in the box and sent in a ball that Christian Benitez easily tapped into the open net. But the goal was disallowed as the linesman deemed that the player was offside when the ball was played his way, despite a floored Didier Drogba appearing to have played his counterpart onside.

Five minutes before the break, play was stopped when the Londoners were handed a for a foul on Florent Malouda. Alex took the free-kick and let loose a thunderbolt from 35-yards that rattled the crossbar.

Following the break, Birmingham tightened their defensive line to avoid a hiccup early on in the second period. As both sides slowly regained their rhythm, Brum committed more bodies to the attacking third of the pitch. as Ancelotti's charges continued to enjoy a fair share of possession.

At the hour mark, Sebastian Larsson looked set to give his side the lead through a free-kick that beat the wall, but Petr Cech produced a sensational save to put the ball away for a corner. However, the Czech Republic international had smacked his head against the post in the process, and there were a few tense moments as the 'keeper (who still wears protective head gear following an injury a few seasons back) lay on the ground. Fortunately for the shot-stopper, he was able to continue following some treatment.

Meanwhile, at the other end, Salomon Kalou - who had just come on in place of young Sturridge, who never really made the impact he would've liked - looked to make an immediate mark on the game when he went one-on-one with Hart, who was forced into making yet another brilliant save to keep the game on level terms.

With less than ten minutes to go, an error in judgment by Stephen Carr saw Drogba almost get to the ball, but Hart got to the ball first. The Ivorian was unable control his pace, and the 'keeper was subject to an accidental boot in the head. The fans breathed a sigh of relief, as the battle-hardy stopper was able to continue after being bandaged.

Any flicker of hope that Chelsea had of a late winner was extinguished when Malouda was sent off for a second bookable offense.

As the ref brought an end-to-end game to a halt, Birmingham managed to snatch a point from the table-toppers to go 10 games unbeaten, which is their best run in the top-flight in over a 100 years.

Poignant

27 Dec 09, 03:58

Premier League Player Ratings: Birmingham City 0-0 Chelsea

Home side have goal wrongly disallowed and Malouda sees red.

Dec 26, 2009 9:59:32 AM

EPL: John Terry - Cameron Jerome, Birmingham - Chelsea (Getty Images)

Joe Hart - 8 - Made a number of fantastic saves, including one from former Manchester City team-mate Daniel Sturridge, and combined well with his defense to frustrate the Chelsea attack. A solid afternoon's work.

Stephen Carr - 6.5 - Was exposed only once by Ashley Cole, not a bad return after 90 minutes' pressure. No frills at the back — apart from one slack header back to his keeper — the captain led by example as he repelled any threat that came his way.

Roger Johnson - 8.5 - Most defenders fear facing Drogba, Johnson seemed to relish the occasion. Gave the big Ivorian as good as he got, never showing weakness and hardly giving him a sniff. Very impressive performance.

Scott Dann - 7 - Alongside Johnson was a resilient presence, holding off the opposition with remarkable composure. You wouldn't think this is his first season in the Premiership.

Liam Ridgewell - 7 - Rounded out the defense with another strong performance, the former Aston Villa man was not happy with the defending from set-pieces but never refused to put his body in where it hurts for the team.

Barry Ferguson - 7 - Made life harder for the Chelsea attackers as he sat in front of his determined central defenders. The Scot won the ball well and distributed it precisely, springing a number of counter-attacks for his side.

Sebastian Larsson - 7.5 - Diligent worker down the right, frustrating Ashley Cole on numerous occasions and shielding his defenders from pressure. Set-piece delivery also posed many problems for the away side.

James McFadden - 6 - Decent shift from the Scotland international, who posed a few threats with his delivery and trickery. Lack of a right foot was exposed, however, and subsequently he was substituted late on.

Lee Bowyer - 6.5 - His runs in behind the defense can make the difference against lesser teams, but against Chelsea the former Leeds United midfielder struggled to make much of an attacking impact.

Cameron Jerome - 6.5 - Physical presence up front didn't help much against Alex and Terry, and defensively fingers were pointed at him as his side lost many headers. But other than that the former Cardiff striker put in a good shift for the team.

Christian Benitez - 6.5 - Incorrectly flagged for offside after tapping home what looked like an early opener for his side. Was lively and dangerous throughout, but sometimes lacked a bit of awareness and intelligence.

Substitutes

Keith Fahey - 6 - Replaced McFadden, but didn't really get into the game.

Damien Johnson - 6.5 - Replaced Larsson late on, his fresh legs helped preserve his side's clean sheet.

CHELSEA

Petr Cech - 7 - Made one fantastic save from Larsson's free kick, picking up a knock in the process. A solid afternoon for the Czech, in an open game.

Ashley Cole - 6.5 - Got forward on a number of occasions, but seems to be lacking the cutting edge he had earlier in the season. Generally solid at the back, Ancelotti will want to try and coax more out of him in coming weeks.

John Terry - 7 - Showed his quality in a solid performance. Plugged any leaks in what was at times a very open defensive line, winning the ball in the air and recycling it on the deck.

Alex - 7.5 - Arguably Chelsea's most threatening player all game, the Brazilian seemed to win every header from corners. Rattled the bar with a thumping free kick in an all-action performance.

Branislav Ivanovic - 6.5 - Less threatening going forward than in recent weeks, the Serbian had a relatively quiet afternoon dealing with the few counter attacks that came his way.

John Obi Mikel - 6.5 - He still gives away far too many fouls, but the Nigerian covered his defense well and generally kept his side's structure and defensive discipline. Substituted late on for Ballack.

Juliano Belletti - 6.5 - Brazilian was unspectacular on only his third start of the season, showing his worth in defense and attack — but making enough poor challenges and misplaced passes to undermine the fact he is not best suited to the midfield diamond.

Florent Malouda - 6.5 - Sending off was innocuous — two relatively harmless challenges — but suspension will not be welcomed by his manager. While on the pitch he was solid, providing some width going forward and supporting his defense when required.

Frank Lampard - 6 - The tip of the diamond is still not a position where the midfielder can sparkle, as he struggled to really get into the game and cause problems for the opposition. Replaced by Joe Cole late on as Ancelotti looked for more creativity.

Daniel Sturridge - 6.5 - Looked lively and full of confidence on his first league start for the club. Had a couple of chances to open the scoring, but failed to take advantage. Encouraging signs for his manager, but was still withdrawn with 20 minutes left for Kalou.

Didier Drogba - 6 - Quiet afternoon for Drogba, for once the defense got the better of him. Nothing he tried really seemed to come off, as he barely got a sniff at goal.

Substitutes

Salomon Kalou - 6.5 - Had one decent chance to grab his side a win, but Hart denied him.

Joe Cole - 6.5 - Had little chance to really make a difference.

Michael Ballack - n/a - Late change for Mikel, saw little of the ball.

Bus&Soccer l0v3r (VO3x 1)

27 Dec 09, 10:15

for mi

Joe Hart

zocoss

27 Dec 09, 11:13

I think Birmingham is very unfortunate... They got 2 points rob against Liverpool when Ngog dived in injury time and last night, they got rob another 2 points as their goal was legitimate... Those extra 4 points would have given them a few place up on the table...

dragg

27 Dec 09, 11:22

birmingham should have won the game.

it was a goal, not offside.

drogba kept the ball on.