Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 1: After the whirlwind at Highbury 24 hours earlier, Chelsea withstood a sometimes stormy north-westerly in Lancashire last night to take their lead at the top of the English Premiership to 11 points.
A goal by Arjen Robben and a penalty save by Petr Cech ensured Chelsea survived the buffeting of a Rovers team playing in much the way their manager Mark Hughes did, and ultimately Blackburn's attempt at recreating the force of Manchester United at Arsenal petered out.
Blackburn are not half the side United are and their efforts were ugly, if often unpunished by the referee Uriah Rennie. There were moments in the first half especially when Jose Mourinho looked as if he could not believe what Rennie was allowing to happen.
But with John Terry once again immense, Chelsea had their 20th win of the league season - from 25 games - and their third 1-0 in the north, where Alex Ferguson felt they could stumble.
After Middlesbrough and Liverpool came this victory. Robben scored Chelsea's goal after just six minutes, but five minutes later the Dutch winger became the major casualty of the night with a bruised foot and was taken to hospital.
That will give Mourinho a headache if it is a serious injury, but, for all their millionaire status, Chelsea proved again here that these players can also be brave footsoldiers.
They know all about being accused of buying titles in this town. It is 10 years in May since Rovers, funded by Jack Walker and led from the front by Alan Shearer, won the Premiership, the club's first championship since 1914. Blackburn lost a bit of itself then and it was another disappointing attendance - there were only 10,600 here against Colchester in the FA Cup last Saturday.
Yet, "stand up if you've won the league" was the Rovers' fans first chant. Chelsea did just that. Even before Robben's one, spectacular contribution, Terry suffered a fearsome challenge from Paul Dickov, but Chelsea's captain ran if off, as they say.
Aaron Mokoena was then to fell Robben, leading to the Dutchman's premature departure, but Robben had already got in his retaliation.
A Blackburn attack having broken down, Frank Lampard instantly swung a pass forward 40 yards to change the whole dimension of the game. Eidur Gudjohnsen met it with a deft flick of the head and Robben had the ball at his feet.
Twisting and turning Lucas Neill, Robben sprinted into the Rovers area before planting a fierce shot low past Brad Friedel. Shots of such velocity are often called unstoppable, though whether Friedel will think so this morning is another matter.
So Chelsea had their lead, Robben was quickly into his civvies and another night of all-in wrestling was upon us. It may have lacked the rabid atmosphere of Highbury, but both Mourinho, in particular, and Hughes were being provoked into leaving their technical area.
Twice in the first half matters threatened to get out of control, yet Rennie booked only Dominic Matteo for a scythe at Joe Cole.
Blackburn were engaged in a high-tempo pressing game, allied to swift breakaways - like an away team. This was fine in theory but, in practice, Rovers' passing let them down time and again. Nonetheless, before Dickov's 34th-minute penalty there were decent long-range efforts from Mokoena and Robbie Savage. Andy Todd might have done better with a free header.
Chelsea appeared comfortable, but then when Savage eased on to a clever backheel from Dickov, Paulo Ferreira brought Savage down. Dickov strode up and struck the ball cleanly, but Cech made an excellent dive to his left to save.
Cech's block was impressive in its own right, but Chelsea's Czech goalkeeper had already broken Peter Schmeichel's record of 694 minutes, set in 1997 with Manchester United, for length of time without conceding a goal in the Premiership.
Blackburn emerged after the break clearly wound up again by Hughes and more physical confrontations resumed. Instead of goalmouth action - of which there was none between the minutes of 42 and 72 - there was just a succession of spats.
BLACKBURN: Friedel, Neill, Todd, Nelsen, Matteo, Emerton, Thompson (Reid 81), Mokoena, Savage, Pedersen, Dickov. Subs Not Used: Amoruso, Tugay, Enckelman, Johnson. Booked: Matteo, Dickov.
CHELSEA: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Gallas, Terry, Bridge, Tiago, Makelele, Lampard, Duff, Gudjohnsen (Kezman 82), Robben (Cole 11), Cole (Jarosik 79). Subs Not Used: Johnson, Cudicini. Booked: Terry, Kezman. Goals: Robben 5.
Referee: U Rennie (S Yorkshire).
