Reading 1 - 2 Chelsea 15/08/2007

MATCH REPORT: READING 1 CHELSEA 2

Chelsea maintained a 100 per cent start to the season with a narrow victory at the Madejski Stadium, though we didn't have it all our own way.

It was Reading who had taken the lead half an hour in, as substitute Andre Bikey took advantage of a mistake by Petr Cech, but goals after the break from stand-in skipper Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba were enough to give us the three points.

It's the second time in four days we have come from behind to snatch a victory, which hints at the character in the squad, but manager José Mourinho will be unhappy with his side's first half defensive performance, not helped by injury to Ricardo Carvalho.

Chelsea welcomed Drogba back into the starting line-up following his knee injury, with Pizarro relegated to the substitute's bench, while Ferreira returned in place of Glen Johnson at right back.

Michael Essien's injury kept him out of proceedings, and so Steve Sidwell made his first Chelsea start, returning to the ground where he made his name, and Reading had a familiar face for Chelsea fans at centre back, former Blue Michael Duberry.

A pre-match downpour made conditions treacherous early on, this made evident by a couple of fouls conceded by the boys in electricity yellow.

We started comfortably, with Wright-Phillips weaving magic down the right, supplying Drogba with a perfect cross but the Ivorian was adjudged offside. This proved academic as his volley cannoned off the outside of the post and wide.

It was then Reading's chance to pressurise as they forced a trio of corners, but our defence appeared far more comfortable with set pieces than it had at the weekend.

Both sides had a share of possession and looked as though they could create chances, but in the Chelsea box Ben-Haim cleared well, while at the other end we lacked a killer final pass.

In the 20th minute, Ferreira received the ball on the overlap from Wright-Phillips, but his enticing low cross for Drogba was cut out by the safe hands of Marcus Hahnemann.

Within a minute we had a penalty appeal turned down as Kalou went down under a clumsy looking tackle from Duberry, but referee Mike Dean waved play on.

By now we had a grip on the game, and when Malouda forced a corner, Drogba was waiting at the far post, but his volley uncharacteristically went upwards rather than goalwards.

With 28 minutes on the clock, Duberry was forced off with a groin injury, and it was his replacement Bikey who opened the scoring with his first touch.

Nicky Shorey's long diagonal free kick was headed into the goalmouth by Ingimarsson, and as Cech came for the ball, he found his route blocked, allowing it past him, and the tall centre back an easy finish into the open goal.

More bad news followed as Carvalho was forced off injured, replaced by Glen Johnson who tucked in alongside Ben-Haim.

We were lucky it wasn't two shortly after, when Doyle shot straight at Cech rather than finding a corner.

If we were lucky then, we were even more fortunate when Oster's far post volley came back off the post after Hunt had picked him out.

Chelsea's defence, so sturdy at the start of the game, was suddenly leaky, leaving Mourinho, decked out in a lighter raincoat than we normally see, plenty to think about for the break.

Before he had the chance to get his message across Johnson almost levelled as he headed Lampard's header towards goal, but Hahnemann was equal to it.

The manager clearly wanted to make an impact on his men, and sent them out early for the second period, also replacing Sidwell and Ferreira with Mikel and Pizarro, maintaining a 4-4-2 with Wright-Phillips deployed at right back and Kalou shifting to the right wing.

It worked emphatically. Less than two minutes into the second period and we were level.

Lampard burst through from midfield to slot through the legs of Hahnemann after first Pizarro and then Drogba had flicked on.

Another three minutes and it was 2-1, this time Drogba combined with Wright-Phillips who had surged forward, and curled home an exquisite 25-yarder.

This provided the travelling support with reason enough to copy what their hosts had sung in the first half, with a rousing chorus of 'Sidwell, what's the score, Sidwell, Sidwell, what's the score?'

The stronghold on the game had turned upside down, and Chelsea were on top. Pizarro could have made it three, but, off balance, he could only poke wide after Hahnemann was left grounded.

Having seen their lead turn into a deficit in the blink of a proverbial eye, Reading took time to rally, but gradually pulled themselves back into shape and began to pressurise.

Both Bikey and Doyle found themselves well placed inside our box, but couldn't get shots away. Mourinho's harsh half-time words must have had an effect on the Chelsea defence.

As we gained respite from the pressure Reading put on, Pizarro, playing in a withdrawn free role, could have increased the lead.

Malouda broke and found the Peruvian unmarked. He chested down well, but his left-footed half volley crept past Hahnemann's far post.

You got the feeling the next goal, if there were to be one, would be decisive. What came instead though was the dismissal of Kalifa Cisse, dismissed for a second yellow card after a foul on Pizarro.

Royals' manager Steve Coppell's response was to replace forward Shaun Long with defensive midfielder Brynjar Gunnarsson, and then Korean international Seol for Welshman John Oster.

They could find no further breakthrough though as Chelsea kept possession with some delightful crisp passing, buoyed by Mikel and Lampard who had begun to dominate proceedings in the middle third.

By the closing stages Reading had every man, including goalkeeper Hahnemann in our half as they searched desperately for an equaliser, but it was to no avail.

In the final seconds Lampard tackled brilliantly to keep the lead, and then Hunt fluffed his opportunity with an air kick.

Victory means we sit in third place after two games, behind Everton and Manchester City, the only three sides to have won their two games.

Going into the trip to Anfield on Sunday, there is plenty to work on but Mourinho will be relieved to leave this difficult venue with all three points in the bag, and a plethora of attacking options as Pizarro, Drogba and Kalou again impressed.

Reading (4-4-2) Hahnemann; Murty (c), Duberry (Bikey 28), Ingimarsson, Shorey; Oster (Seol 78), Harper, Cisse, Hunt; Doyle, Long (Gunnarsson 74).

Goals Bikey 30

Booked Long, Cisse, Hunt, Ingimarsson

Sent Off Cisse 71



Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Ferreira (Pizarro 45), Ben-Haim, Carvalho (Johnson 30), A Cole; Wright-Phillips, Sidwell (Mikel 45), Lampard (c), Malouda; Kalou, Drogba.

Goals Lampard 47, Drogba 50

Booked Carvalho, Sidwell, Wright-Phillips, A Cole, Mikel