Jose Bosingwa Orchestrates Comfortable Chelsea Victory

Jose Bosingwa scored one and set up another to secure a comfortable victory for Chelsea against Stoke this afternoon.

The Portuguese right-back’s deflected shot gave Chelsea the lead 10 minutes before half time, and then his cross was converted by substitute Nicolas Anelka to wrap up the three points in the second half.

Florent Malouda also hit the bar and Stoke had a header cleared off the line by John Obi Mikel.

Didier Drogba was handed his first Premier League start of the season and, crucially, Rory Delap missed out for Stoke due to a hamstring injury.

This deprived Stoke of their main threat but Petr Cech’s goal was far from untroubled.

Michael Ballack had two attempts on target within the first 20 minutes. The first, a 20-yard shot, was tipped over the bar by Sorensen, and the second was a downwards header that was stopped on the line.

Bosingwa’s goal on 35 minutes came about after some lovely interplay between Mikel and Lampard, with the latter releasing Bosingwa whose shot took a deflection off Andy Griffin.

That was to be it in terms of first half action, and the Blues emerged for the second half minus Salomon Kalou, who had picked up an injury and was replaced by Nicolas Anelka.

Malouda then came agonisingly close to adding a second, hitting the crossbar after his shot was well saved by Sorensen, who was proving to be hard to beat.

Stoke had offered little going forward at this point, but came very close to levelling things up in the 65th minute. Leon Cort’s header was cleared by John Obi Mikel on the line and the danger was averted.

Didier Drogba, who had a quiet afternoon, was replaced by Juliano Beletti, and soon afterwards Anelka put the result beyond doubt.

Cort made a hash of an attempted chest control, allowing Anelka to rifle the ball past Sorensen and into the net. It was Bosingwa’s cross that had caused Cort problems, and the Portuguese international is fast proving to be a very astute purchase.

Lampard could have added a third seven minutes from time, but rather casually chipped the ball into the arms of the keeper after being set up by Ballack.

With Arsenal about to kick off against Hull City, Chelsea sit top of the league on goal difference, with Liverpool in second after their 2-0 win over Everton in the Merseyside Derby.

Stoke (4-4-2): Sorensen; Griffin(c), Abdoulaye Faye, Cort, Higginbotham; Lawrence (Tonge 64), Olofinjana, Diao, Cresswell; Sidibe (Amdy Faye 80), Kitson (Fuller 52).

Booked Griffin 55, Cresswell 66

Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry (c), A Cole; Mikel; Kalou (Anelka ht), Ballack (Ferreira 89), Lampard, Malouda; Drogba (Belletti 72).

Goals Bosingwa 35, Anelka 75

Booked Malouda 55