Chelsea 2 Zilina 1:THE ROT has been stopped for now, though the concern that seems permanently etched on Carlo Ancelotti's brow as he patrols his dugout has hardly been eased.
After almost two weeks of interference from above and sloppiness out on the pitch, Chelsea can at least celebrate a welcome win and first place in the group, though any sense of celebration should be tempered.
This was deeply unconvincing, for long periods, against Slovakian opponents who have been cannon fodder for all-comers in this competition. For a while the Londoners confronted utter humiliation here, trailing at the interval and fluffing their lines in front of goal yet again. There was relief to be had once more experienced players had been flung into the fray but, on this evidence, Sunday’s trip to Newcastle still looks daunting.
Chelsea might have surrendered top place in the Premier League by then and be playing catch-up for the first time this season. The feeling that this team remain on edge persists even in victory. They had started knowing a point would be enough to guarantee them Group F after Marseille’s trouncing of Spartak Moscow in Russia, though complacency was hardly an excuse for the slack tempo.
The passes pinged between Chelsea players were neat enough, but they were exchanged in areas where Zilina felt comfortable. The lack of urgency allowed a team who arrived pointless, bottom of the section and beaten 7-0 at home in their last group game, time to acclimatise and sniff out vulnerability.
Chelsea appeared toothless and drained of conviction, even with six wide-eyed juniors more, usually on the fringe of the first-team, among their ranks, including 19-year-old Dubliner Conor Clifford on on the bench. The seniors did the youngsters few early favours. Didier Drogba, his left ankle raked by Mario Pecalka, was off the pitch when the Slovakians were permitted to venture forward at pace, Babatounde Bello and Robert Jez exchanging passes and the latter sliding the Benin midfielder between Jeffrey Bruma and Paulo Ferreira.
His finish was crisply dispatched beyond Ross Turnbull and a disbelieving hush settled over the majority in this arena.
If that had been an isolated opportunity then maybe the sense of panic might not have welled up so rapidly, but Turnbull was forced to turn Tomas Majtan’s near-post shot away on the half-hour after Patrick van Aanholt and Florent Malouda had obligingly parted. Chelsea appeared fragile against a team who had previously managed only nine shots on target in the Champions League, the fewest in the competition, and were only playing for pride.
At times, it felt as if the selection of so many bright young things was actually a statement delivered by the manager. Perhaps the hierarchy would only recognise the lack of depth in the squad if the youngsters sank. Josh McEachran was a busy presence at the base of midfield, his distribution accurate and tidy, but there was anxiety all around him. It was half an hour before they forced Martin Dubravka into a save, the goalkeeper claiming Drogba’s weak header with ease.
That at least shrugged them awake, Daniel Sturridge forcing Dubravka to turn a long-range shot aside and Malouda nodding straight at the grateful goalkeeper in front of goal.
Ancelotti, with the assistant coach Paul Clement placed between him and Michael Emenalo on the bench, was unimpressed, though the whingeing from their bench at Dubravka’s perceived time-wasting 32 minutes in was indicative of the increasing desperation. This was supposed to have been a walkover, not an evening when the agony was prolonged. Reward, when it did materialise, owed more to the Zilina’s deficiencies than the home side’s prowess. Gael Kakuta had been deemed the scapegoat, his latest disappointing cameo seeing him replaced by Salomon Kalou, with the Ivorian’s seemingly weak centre from the right duly wrong-footing Zilina defenders who had clearly been expecting more venom in the cross. Sturridge, ignored at the far post, converted through Dubravka’s legs.
The lapse in concentration was a return to type for the Slovakians.
Drogba might have forced Chelsea ahead, seeing a free-kick from 25 yards turned on to a post, with Van Aanholt rattling the same upright from distance as Zilina suddenly became aware of their shortcomings. The partnership of Drogba and Nicolas Anelka had been restored by the last quarter to test them further, with the pair combining for the captain to nod down for Malouda’s close-range winner. The relief was palpable, though Ancelotti hardly mustered a smile in response.
CHELSEA: Turnbull, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Bruma, Van Aanholt, Ramires, McEachran (Mellis 90), Malouda, Sturridge (Anelka 74), Drogba, Kakuta (Kalou 46). Subs not used: Hilario, Mikel, Clifford, Sala. Booked: Ramires.
MSK ZILINA: Dubravka, Angelovic, Pecalka, Piacek, Gergel, Jez, Guldan, Babatounde, Vladavic (Rilke 90), Majtan (Poliacek 85), Oravec (Ceesay 64). Subs not used: Krnac, Leitner, Sourek, Zosak.
Referee: R Schorgenhofer (Austria).
