Manchester United claimed their first points of the season with an edgy win over Fulham, whilst Chelsea continued their strong start with victory over Newcastle.
Just a week in to the new Premier League season and we can already say that a number of players have made evidently good moves over the course of the summer -- Eden Hazard has needed no time to bed in at Chelsea, Michu is already having a ball at Swansea City, and Mladen Petric has quickly embraced the team ethic at Fulham. As we barrel towards the end of the transfer window, however, there are a few moves that, if not entirely baffling, at least give rise to a feeling of unease.
Late goals from Fernando Torres and Branislav Ivanovic gave Chelsea a 4-2 win over promoted Reading at Stamford Bridge Wednesday.
updated: Wed Aug 22 2012 17:25:00
Don Riddell interviews Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo and talks accomplishments and what the future holds.
Manchester City shrugged off a penalty miss, an injury to striker Sergio Aguero and falling 2-1 behind in the second half, to register a thrilling 3-2 opening win over Southampton Sunday in their defense of the English Premier League title.
updated: Wed Jul 25 2012 15:37:00
CNN's Don Riddell recaps the friendly soccer match between Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain at Yankee Stadium.
updated: Tue May 29 2012 05:36:00
Didier Drogba talks to Chelsea TV about his decision not to renew his contract with the Champion's League winners
One of the hottest properties in European football, Eden Hazard, has ended months of speculation as to his future by announcing on Twitter he is to join Champions League winners Chelsea.
With Chelsea's victory over Bayern Munich still fresh, here are five UEFA Champions League-inspired thoughts and observations from another MLS Saturday:
Sometimes football simply doesn't make sense. The cliché that a club's name is on a trophy can't have any truth, and yet it was hard during Chelsea's Champions League final victory not to feel it had some greater power behind it.
Three thoughts after Chelsea won the Champions League title on Saturday over Bayern Munich in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 tie:
updated: Sat May 19 2012 18:14:00
CNN's Pedro Pinto and Alex Thomas set the scene for the UEFA Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea.
Didier Drogba scored the winner in a dramatic penalty shootout as Chelsea beat Bayern Munich Saturday to win the European Champions League for the first time.
The world's most important annual club soccer game is set to kick off in Munich on Saturday. Here are five thoughts on the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea (FOX, 2:45 pm ET).
Heading into Saturday's Champions League final against Bayern Munich, here are five storylines to watch for Chelsea.
Following Man City's dramatic triumph, here are several thoughts from the end of the EPL season.
What started out as Chelsea's worst season since owner Roman Abramovich arrived in 2003 is now on the verge of becoming one of the English club's best.
The mystery behind the peculiar inscriptions "Out of the Blue" and "True Blue" which first appeared on Sauber engine covers at the Chinese Grand Prix has finally been revealed.
"The best don't always win," Fernando Torres said after Chelsea's dramatic 2-2 draw away to Barcelona. It's a soccer truism that becomes ever more pronounced at the highest of levels. It's why no one will begrudge Chelsea or Bayern their advancement to the May 19 final at the Allianz Arena, both second legs could have easily turned out very differently. It ultimately came down to missed penalties on Tuesday and Wednesday, a margin of error so small that it should stop us from making sweeping statements. The reasons for success were as complex and open to debate as those for failure.
Chelsea stunned titleholders Barcelona with a 1-0 victory in the first leg of their European Champions League semifinal on Wednesday
Some quick thoughts on this weekend's FA Cup semifinal contestants:
Chelsea romped into the English FA Cup semifinal with a 5-1 beating of London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a controversial match at Wembley Sunday.
Karim Benzema scored twice as Real Madrid won 3-0 at APOEL Nicosia to all but secure their place in the European Champions League semifinals.
A late strike from Samir Nasri, set up by the returning Carlos Tevez, helped Manchester City maintain their quest for a first English league title in 44 years with a 2-1 win over Chelsea on Wednesday.
Branislav Ivanovic scored a superb extra-time goal to put Chelsea through to the quarterfinals of the European Champions League, while Real Madrid also progressed Wednesday.
"Arsenal beat Milan 3-0, so we have to believe we can turn it around," says Roberto di Matteo, who'll be running things for Chelsea for the rest of the season. His team actually has a less onerous task than Arsenal, on paper, with a 2-0 win enough to see them through and the mood in camp decidedly different since Andre Villas-Boas was given the boot.
Didier Drogba scored his 100th English Premier League goal as Chelsea edged 10-man Stoke 1-0 at Stamford Bridge Saturday.
Chelsea battled to a 2-0 win at second flight Birmingham City in an FA Cup replay Tuesday in Roberto di Matteo's first game since taking over from the sacked Andre Villas-Boas.
Chelsea sacked manager Andre Villas-Boas Sunday, citing poor results which threaten their participation in next season's Champions League.
Chelsea's sacking of Andre Villas-Boas came under fire Monday with former Blues boss Luis Felipe Scolari warning it will be "hell" for whoever succeeds the Portuguese at Stamford Bridge.
Andre Villas-Boas' troubles as Chelsea manager deepened on Saturday as he watched his side go down to a 1-0 defeat at West Bromwich Albion in the English Premier League.
Roberto Mancini and Andre Villas-Boas have had sharply contrasting fortunes this season, but both managers celebrated vital victories in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Under-fire Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas has again confirmed he has the full backing of the club's owners -- although he admitted his tenure would be easier if they publicly supported him rather than doing it in private.
Substitute Javier Hernandez scored a late header as champions Manchester United fought back from three goals down to earn a remarkable 3-3 Premier League draw at Chelsea on Sunday.
Chelsea's title chances took another dent on Saturday as they dropped points away to Norwich City in the English Premier League.
Chelsea have completed the signing of England international defender Gary Cahill from Premier League rivals Bolton Wanderers for a fee of $10.7m.
The January transfer window: a mid-campaign silly season to send even the most sensible commentators doolally. Andy Carroll back to Newcastle? Sure, why not. Lionel Messi to West Brom? You heard it here first! January always lands a few surprises, but here are some of the storylines I'll be keeping an eye on over the next few weeks.
Chelsea's slender title hopes in the English Premier League all but disappeared after a sorry 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa Saturday.
England soccer captain John Terry will be charged with racially abusing another player, the UK's Crown Prosecution Service said Wednesday.
updated: Wed Dec 21 2011 16:29:00
Don Riddell talks to former English FA Chief Executive David Davies about John Terry's case and racism in soccer.
Chelsea captain John Terry is an iconic figure with the English football club's fans as a result of his on-field achievements in more than 15 years at Stamford Bridge.
Manchester City's unbeaten Premier League run came to an end on Monday as Chelsea blew the English title race wide open with a 2-1 victory at home to their 10-man opponents.
Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua have pulled off an audacious transfer coup by signing former France international Nicolas Anelka from English team Chelsea.
The irony is that, this time, it probably wasn't his fault. Mikel John Obi took a lot of the blame for Liverpool's opening goal against Chelsea on Sunday, but he was put in an almost impossible position by Petr Cech's goal-kick. Charlie Adam, anticipating superbly, was already on him by the time the ball reached him and, with both Chelsea center backs marked, and no other player in his field of vision, there were only two options: to attempt a highly risky backpass to Cech, or to try to turn and play the ball forward. Mikel went for the latter, was probably fouled and, when no free kick was given, lost possession to leave Liverpool with a three-on-two it exploited clinically.
Chelsea officials have condemned chants from the English football club's own supporters during Tuesday's European Champions League match away to Belgian team Genk.
The recent incident involving Chelsea and England captain John Terry and Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand has seen the issue of racism in football dominate the headlines.
There was one doubt about Andre Villas-Boas when he arrived at Chelsea in the summer. Astonishing as Porto was last season -- it won a treble of Europa League, Portuguese Cup and Portuguese League (in which it dropped only four points) -- it never really faced a test. Sporting is at a low ebb and Benfica looks much stronger this season, while in Europe it faced no side from England, Germany, Italy or France. Of teams from the top five leagues in Europe, Porto met only Sevilla and Villarreal.
London's Metropolitan Police on Tuesday said they are investigating allegations that Chelsea and England captain John Terry aimed a racial slur at an opposing player during an English Premier League match last month.
A Robin van Persie hat-trick earned Arsenal a thrilling 5-3 win over their west London rivals Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the English Premier League on Saturday.
Chelsea have warned a group of supporters they are slowing the progress of the English Premier League outfit after they opted not to return the freehold to the club's Stamford Bridge stadium.
updated: Wed Oct 05 2011 06:39:00
Italian giants Juventus celebrate the official opening of their new home.
Roman Abramovich is seeking to buy back Chelsea's home ground in order to switch to a new location that he hopes will help the English Premier League club remain competitive on an international scale.
The two key figures in Chelsea's 4-1 win over Swansea City on Saturday weren't on the pitch at the final whistle. They weren't even in sight of it, Fernando Torres having been sent off and Frank Lampard having left the bench a couple of minutes from the end. In their respective narratives is bound up the story of the new Chelsea that is beginning to emerge.
Five thoughts from Saturday's action in the Barclays Premier League ...
In many ways, soccer is the simplest sport: it requires minimal equipment, and the laws are readily understandable. Even offside, the most difficult of the laws, is uncomplicated beside rugby's laws on the breakdown or the lbw law in cricket. And yet, at the same time, soccer evades statistical analysis like no other game. There is no statistic that, taken in isolation, will tell you who has dominated. Even the score line can be deceptive; over a series of games, the best team will usually prevail. In a one-off, though, anybody can beat anybody. That is the beauty of soccer, but it is also what must make it a desperately frustrating game for coaches. In most respects Chelsea was the better side; but it was Manchester United who won, 3-1.
Spain international Juan Mata is poised to Join English club Chelsea after they agreed a deal for the player with Valencia.
On Thursday, top English Premier League side Chelsea confirmed the $22m signing of teenage striker Romelu Lukaku on a five-year contract, a transfer that continues the recent trend of young Belgian talent moving across Europe for big money.
Manchester United started their defense of the English Premier League title with a 2-1 away win at West Bromwich Albion Sunday.
Chelsea Football Club have agreed a deal with the Belgian club Anderlecht to sign the 18-year-old striker Romelu Lukaku.
Chelsea this week returned to London as newly-crowned champions of the fifth Barclay's Asia Cup in Hong Kong.
English club Chelsea have complained to the Malaysian Football Association about alleged racist abuse of Israel captain Yossi Benayoun last week.
Portuguese coach Andre Villas-Boas was confirmed as the new manager of Chelsea Wednesday.
updated: Sat Jun 18 2011 11:07:00
CNN's Don Riddell asks Ray Wilkins and Chris Coleman about the fixtures for the 2011-12 Barclays Premier League.
Croatia midfielder Luka Modric will not be sold to Chelsea, according to the chairman of his English Premier League club Tottenham.
Carlo Ancelotti was sacked as Chelsea manager Sunday night after their 1-0 defeat to Everton in the final match of the English Premier League season.
As the Barclays Premier League season goes in to its final weekend, let's take a look back at how things have panned out for each club since August:
All that talk of this Manchester United team being the poorest champion of the Premier League era feels a little silly now. Almost surreptitiously United has become a very good side indeed. Talk of Chelsea being resurgent also seems a little misplaced: against United, particularly early on, it looked again aging and slow, stumbling around hopelessly like a grandfather trying to keep up with a hyperactive toddler. The difference in class was vast, and at halftime the fact that the two sides began the day only three points apart seemed incomprehensible.
Sunday's meeting between Manchester United and Chelsea hardly wants for dramatic potential; it is, effectively, a title decider, and we haven't had a match like this since 1989 when second-placed Arsenal traveled to Anfield on the final day needing to win by two goals against Liverpool.
There's no doubt that all eyes are focused on Sunday's big game in the Barclays Premier League when Chelsea travels to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United.
A goal in the 89th minute from substitute Salomon Kalou earned Chelsea a precious 2-1 victory over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening.
Tottenham fought back to clinch a 3-3 draw with Arsenal that further dented their north London rivals' English Premier League title hopes as another capital club, Chelsea, claimed second place on Wednesday.
Manchester United ended 10-man Chelsea's hopes of winning a trophy this season with a 2-1 home victory that put Alex Ferguson's side into the semifinals of the Champions League for the fourth time in five seasons.
Wayne Rooney's goal at Stamford Bridge last week gives Manchester United the advantage going in to the second leg at Old Trafford, but Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has been thumbing through Jose's Big Book of Managerial Mind Games in an attempt to level the playing field.
Sir Alex Ferguson reckons soccer players don't really do revenge, but the 2008 Champions League final penalty shootout will surely be at the forefront of Chelsea minds. That and the fact that a not particularly brilliant Manchester United side might win the treble if someone doesn't stop them soon.
Tactical thoughts on the first legs of the Champions League quarterfinals:
Real Madrid reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the first time since 2004 with a convincing 3-0 win over Lyon in the Bernabeu Wednesday.
A late Frank Lampard penalty handed Chelsea a vital 2-1 win over English Premier League leaders Manchester United to breath new life into the title race.
If this match had been played when originally scheduled, in December, top-of-the-table United would kickoff only three points ahead of its host. Instead, Chelsea is 15 points back and struggling just to make certain of a Champions League spot ... if Carlo Ancelotti is going to turn this ship around, he needs to sound the horn long and loud with a performance here.
England soccer star Ashley Cole received the backing of his club manager on Monday in the wake of reports that the Chelsea player had shot a work-placement student with an air rifle.
"Chelsea won't go out against Copenhagen." So says Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti, almost as if he think it won't be worth tuning in for this one. And in truth, FC Copenhagen was the team that everybody in the Champions League round of 16 wanted to be drawn against.
This season has encouraged a deal more introspection at the top of the table than we're used to seeing; the points totals alone tell you that the Premier League's traditional top three have not had it all their own way. Manchester United stuttered through eight draws away from home before finally surrendering its unbeaten run (and "Crap Invincibles" tag) at Wolves this month -- its road form hasn't ranked lower for 20 years. Arsenal has suffered shocking home defeats to West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. And then there's Chelsea.
Chelsea's attempt to make FA Cup history came to a halt on Saturday when the holders were eliminated from England's top knockout competition in a penalty shootout by Premier League rivals Everton.
An injury time penalty save from Petr Cech prevented Chelsea from a crushing defeat at the hands of London rivals Fulham in the English Premier League.
Liverpool continued their improvement under manager Kenny Dalglish with a superb 1-0 Premier League win at Chelsea, making it a debut to forget for striker Fernando Torres against his former club.
By the time Fernando Torres actually signed his contract with Chelsea on Monday, there were less than 15 minutes of the transfer window remaining. The clock was ticking, and when he put pen to paper, there was relief more than joy. His situation had reached a point of no return, he was in a corner, and yet the risk of having to return felt real. At times during deadline day, Torres had doubted the deal would go through. But a tense and difficult day -- a tense and difficult few months -- finally ended well for Torres. He got what he wanted.
Chelsea's big spending on Europe's transfer deadline day has been criticized by one of the club's English rivals, who questioned how the Premier League champions can meet UEFA's new financial fair-play rules.
When Carlo Ancelotti arrived at Chelsea in summer 2009, he started off playing 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond. That paired Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba as strike partners, with Frank Lampard tucked behind. It rapidly became apparent that Lampard is far better played with the ball in front of him than playing with his back to goal.
Two-time English FA Cup holders Chelsea needed a late goal from substitute Salomon Kalou to stay in the competition Saturday as the Ivorian's 75th-minute goal rescued a 1-1 draw at Everton in their fourth round clash.
English Premier League club Liverpool have rejected Chelsea's bid for Fernando Torres and insisted the Spain striker is not for sale.
It has been exactly one year since I traveled 44 hours to Angola to interview Didier Drogba, the Chelsea and Ivory Coast superstar, for a story in Sports Illustrated magazine leading up to last year's World Cup. He couldn't have been more accommodating, spending 90 minutes talking to me in his private bungalow on the heavily fortified Ivory Coast team base in Cabinda during the African Cup of Nations.
Chelsea's season took another turn for the worse as the English Premier League champions lost 1-0 at lowly Wolverhampton on Wednesday to pile more pressure on manager Carlo Ancelotti.
Chelsea's chances of retaining the English Premier League title suffered another setback on Sunday as struggling Aston Villa snatched a last-gasp 3-3 draw in London.
Defending champions Chelsea secured their first win in seven league games to beat Bolton 1-0 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night, but title rivals Arsenal dropped vital points.
A three-goal blitz in nine minutes sent Arsenal second in the English Premier League as they finally ended their hoodoo against champions Chelsea by winning 3-1 at Emirates Stadium on Monday night.
Substitute Didier Drogba missed a last minute penalty as Premier League champions Chelsea drew 1-1 at rivals Tottenham in a thrilling London derby on Sunday.
Chelsea's poor Premier League run continued on Sunday as the English champions dropped points for the third match in a row and failed to return to the top of the table.
Chelsea crashed to a second successive English Premier League defeat for the first time in four years on Saturday, allowing Manchester United to draw level on points with the leaders.
English Premier League champions Chelsea suffered a humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Sunderland to see their lead at the top cut to two points as Arsenal won 2-1 at Everton on Sunday.
Chelsea won their west London derby against Fulham to extend their lead at the top of the English Premier League on Wednesday.
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