Chelsea FC News

Chelsea will play away against Southend or Brentford in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The tie is to be played the weekend beginning 26 January.

The full draw is:

Reading v Sheffield United
Huddersfield Town v Leicester
QPR or West Brom v Sheffield Wednesday or MK Dons
Bolton or Sunderland v Cheltenham or Everton
Brighton & Hove Albion v Swansea City or Arsenal
Crystal Palace or Stoke City v Manchester City
West Ham United or Manchester United v Fulham or Blackpool
Southend United or Brentford v Chelsea
Hull City or Leyton Orient v Barnsley
Middlesbrough v Aldershot Town
Millwall v Aston Villa
Leeds United or Birmingham City v Tottenham Hotspur
Norwich City v Luton Town
Oldham Athletic v Mansfield Town or Liverpool
Macclesfield Town v Wigan Athletic or Bournemouth
Derby County v Blackburn Rovers

An emotional Frank Lampard paid tribute to the Chelsea supporters after becoming the club’s joint-second highest goalscorer during our 5-1 FA Cup third round win at Southampton.

The midfielder came off the bench midway through the second half at St Mary’s and soon found the back of the net, scoring his 193^rd Blues goal from the penalty spot to draw level with Kerry Dixon in the all-time list.

As he celebrated in front of our fans packed into the away end behind the goal, Lampard, who also became our joint-highest FA Cup goalscorer, alongside Bobby Tambling on 25, could be seen mouthing the words ‘I love you’ in their direction, which he explained after the game.

‘They’ve supported me throughout my career here, particularly in recent weeks,’ he acknowledged.

‘The way they were with me today was the way they’ve been with me all the time and I just wanted to say thanks.

‘That’s our platform out on the pitch to say thanks, firstly by doing the business. They pay their money to come and watch, so it was nice to say it back to them.

‘That’s genuinely how I feel; this club’s been amazing to me, and the club is the fans, so I can only thank them.

‘I’m enjoying my football, I know there’s a lot of talk going around, but I’m actually really enjoying playing and that’s what it’s all about really. There may be certain things going on in your head, but when I go out there and the fans supports me as they do, you can’t help but get very emotional.’

In terms of the achievement itself, the midfielder was understandably delighted to equal Dixon’s tally, and though there are plenty to choose from, when pressed on his most memorable goals in a Chelsea shirt, Lampard, perhaps unsurprisingly, plumped for a title-winning brace back in 2005.

‘It means a lot, I’ve got so much respect for Kerry, he was a great player at the club and is still a personality around the place,’ said the 34-year-old. ‘He’s actually a friend of mine, so to be able to get anywhere near him, and level with him, I’m very proud.

‘I have to say Kerry’s been one of the most important people at the club for me as an ex-player, and I’ve got nothing but thanks for helping me along the way to get level with him.

‘Probably the goals that won us our first Premier League title against Bolton. They were huge for the club and obviously it was a massive team effort, so I don’t want to take too much credit. On the day we needed to win the game and I managed to score two. My parents were at the game and it’s certainly a moment I’ll never forget.’

Having gone into the game against Nigel Adkins’ side as holders of the FA Cup, our defence of the trophy got off to a poor start when Jay Rodriguez put the hosts in front after 21 minutes.

However, a debut goal from new signing Demba Ba brought us level, and after Victor Moses had given us the lead just before the break, we never looked in any serious danger.

With our place in the fourth round secure, Lampard was simply pleased to get back to winning ways after the disappointment of the home defeat to Queens Park Rangers.

‘We’d been playing well and were on a bit of a run, but the QPR game wasn’t up to our standards,’ he said.

‘We were probably a bit unfortunate not to score at some stage to make it a win, but it was important we didn’t fall into a mini slump.

‘The reaction of the team was good. Having gone 1-0 down, we worked hard and had the confidence to get back in the game and take a clear lead.’

Following Chelsea’s biggest ever win in an away game at Southampton, Rafael Benitez was very pleased with the way the team steadied itself after conceding first, and used its quality to overcome a top-flight side comfortably to reach the fourth round of the Cup.

A good reaction to the defeat against QPR was on order and Demba Ba was handed his debut a day after signing. Two goals from the fresh arrival rewarded the selection…

‘It is always important for a striker to score goals but more than just the goals was his contribution for the team,’ said Benitez as he considered Ba’s 90 minutes.

‘His movement and understanding of things we were wanting to do was really good. He was very clever and he could understand the movement of the players. He did everything well on the pitch.

‘I prefer to have this selection problem now than to have just one striker. It is important to have good players and different options, and Ba and Torres can compete or play together.’

On the overall performance…
‘The first half Southampton started well but little by little we were doing better, and the second half we were much better,’ noted Benitiz.

‘With the players we have, when you go one goal ahead and the opposition have to take more risks, if you have clever movement you know you will score more goals.

‘They were going forward and we had more space behind and it is always a threat to have Hazard and Mata and Moses. I am really pleased because Victor has to go to the Africa Cup of Nations but he was given permission to stay today and scored a goal.’

On Frank Lampard’s goal which drew him level with Kerry Dixon overall, and with Bobby Tambling in FA Cup goals…
‘It is a great achievement for him and hopefully he can score a lot of goals until the end of the season.

‘I will be delighted if we can carry on in all the cup competitions until the end because it means the team is doing well. Today I was trying to manage minutes with substitutions for Ivanovic and Mata, and I will try to do the same until the end of the season.

‘We have a good record in the FA Cup and as a club and as a manager, but every game is different. We are happy because we progressed and have another chance to do well, but we will see what happens in the next round.’

Southampton manager Nigel Adkins had no argument about the result and was not short on praise for the opposition from London.

‘Chelsea were very good second-half,’ he said.

‘We started brightly and scored a good goal, but the big killer blow was the goal before half-time. In the second half they demonstrated the good players they have got. Give them credit. They have good football players and a good manager and staff. Mata was exceptional.’

Summary
After a slow start in which the Blues went behind, two goals from debutant Demba Ba plus strikes from Victor Moses, Branislav Ivanovic and Frank Lampard maintained our unbeaten run in the FA Cup third round which stretches back to 1999.

It was Ba with a close-range finish who levelled the scores, with Moses putting the visitors ahead on the stroke of half-time. The second half was one-sided although Ross Turnbull pulled off a smart double save.

Ivanovic headed his goal soon after the restart and after the impressive Ba had stretched the lead, the Senegalese striker was denied a hat-trick by a good save.

Substitute Lampard from the penalty spot went level with Kerry Dixon as Chelsea’s second highest goalscorer, and at the same time joined Bobby Tambling as the club’s highest FA Cup scorer. He now has 25 goals in the competition.

Team news
It was instantly clear from the team selection that Rafael Benitiz is taking the FA Cup seriously. Back in came Juan Mata, Eden Hazard, Ramires and Ashley Cole who was captain.

Demba Ba made his debut and David Luiz continued in midfield, his compatriot Ramires the one alongside him this time.

Southampton lined up with former Chelsea junior Jack Cork at right-back. Striker Rickie Lambert started on the bench so Jay Rodriguez played up front, with James Ward-Prowse coming in to their midfield for injured Ramirez.

First half
Despite having come up to the Premier League, this Southampton team were still new opposition for Chelsea but historical omens warned against any complacency with the Saints having progressed the four previous occasions we were drawn against each other in the FA Cup.

It took a long time for Chelsea to get into our stride in this third-round tie however. On six minutes Mata won a corner, Southampton cleared their area a couple of times but on the second occasion when the ball fell to David Luiz outside the box, the Brazilian sent his effort up into the dark grey sky. Moses waltzed past Cork in an attack soon after but his delivery came to nothing.

Chelsea had to defend a 14th-minute corner, headed away strongly by Ba at the near post, but the new arrival had been given little chance to show what he could do at the other end. The first 20 minutes had been nothing to write home about.

On 21 minutes the home side took the lead. There was perhaps not enough pressure on Jason Puncheon in possession but the right-midfielder played a very good diagonal pass and the Blues were in trouble. Jay Rodriguez was in behind Cahill and although Turnbull closed fast, the no. 9 kept his head to score.

Neither keeper had previously been tested but now Chelsea knew we had to improve very quickly.

Hazard drilled a curling shot only just wide on 25 minutes having been supplied by a Ramires pass, and soon after Artur Boruc in the Saints goal did well to get a fist to a Mata corner with Cahill not far away from making contact.

There was a flash of quality from Ba on half an hour when he dribbled out from a tight spot towards goal, but was dispossessed for a corner. On 34 minutes he was in the right place at the right time to put his new side level.

Hazard, who had played mostly on the right, had briefly come over to the left and was found by a precise flick by Moses. The Belgian attacked and picked out Mata in space in the area, and showing technique to drool over, our joint-topscorer in the FA Cup last season, chipped the keeper. There was every chance a defender could have cleared the ball off the line but Ba had the burst to get his leg to it inches out and make sure the ball went in.

Now Chelsea went in search of a half-time lead and Boruc in the Saints goal was shaky in dealing with shots from Moses and Azpilicueta.

Hazard was looking capable of causing problems every time he attacked down our left, and it was from that flank our second goal originated seconds before the half-time whistle.

Cole played a precise square ball into the area to Moses and from 15 yards out, the Nigerian gave Boruc no chance as he powered a shot beyond him.

Second half
A Mata corner very nearly fell to Ba in front of goal five minutes after the restart but we only had to wait one more minute to go further ahead. Mata was involved again, bringing the ball in from the left and placing his cross on to the head of Ivanovic for the Serbian to head down and in from six yards out.

The fourth goal, scored on the hour, was a model in patience and good movement. Moses and Ramires switched the play in front of the penalty area with the ball played out to Hazard, this time in space on the right. He hit a low diagonal ball into the box and Ba read it well, scoring with a sharp near-post finish.

Frank Lampard replaced Ivanovic on 64 minutes, with David Luiz dropping into defence. Marin came on for Moses eight minutes later but between those changes it took good goalkeeping at both ends to prevent goals.

Turnbull’s was a fine double stop, blocking shots from Davis and De Ridder. Then Moses crossed to the far post and Ba rose high to head down, but Boruc scrambled the ball out from on the line.

Inside the final 10 minutes, Lampard sprayed a superb ball out to Marin in space and the cross from the German was handled. It was a penalty. From the spot Lampard smashed home his milestone goal.

The two headline writers almost combined for a goal in stoppage time. Ba charged towards goal on the right and picked out Lampard on the penalty spot with a pass but the ball slipped from the midfielder’s control.

We find out our fourth-round opponents when the draw is made tomorrow (Sunday) at around 3.30pm.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Turnbull; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic (Lampard 64), Cahill, Cole (c); Ramires, David Luiz, (c); Hazard, Mata (Oscar 78), Moses (Marin 72); Ba.
Unused subs Hilario, Ferreira, Bertrand, Torres.
Scorers Ba 34, 60, Moses 46, Ivanovic 51, Lampard 82 pen.

Southampton (4-2-3-1): Boruc; Cork, Fonte (c ) (Hooiveld 63), Yoshida, Shaw; Schneiderlin (De Ridder 54), S Davis; Puncheon (Lee 77), Ward-Prowse, Do Prado; Rodriguez.
Unused subs K Davis, Reeves, Mayuka, Lambert.
Scorer Rodriguez 21.
Booked De Ridder 77, Ward-Prowse 88.

Referee Mike Dean.
Crowd 27,813.