Sheffield United lose to Chelsea 2-0

Sheffield United lost to Premierships reigning champions Chelsea 2-0 at home after failing to convert a first-half spot-kick on Saturday.

The penalty was awarded after Didier Drogba was adjuged to have fouled Claude Davis, but Chelsea goalkeeper Henrique Hilario had little difficulty in saving Danny Webber's poorly taken penalty .

Frank Lampard put Chelsea in front just before the break, with a swerving free-kick that fooled Paddy Kenny.

Early in the second-half, Lampard crossed for Michael Ballack, who made it 2-0 with a powerful far-post header.

If Webber had scored, the course of the game might have been different, but once he had missed, Chelsea steadily assumed control.

Jose Mourinho's side had the better of the possession and in Lampard and Ballack, players who were able to turn that dominance into goals.

The one worry for Chelsea, who play Barcelona in midweek in the Champions League, was that the in-form Drogba did not emerge for the second half due to a foot injury.

United also lost a player in the first half, Michael Tonge limping off early on, after he fell awkwardly on his ankle after tackling Joe Cole.

Before Drogba's withdrawal the Ivory Coast striker had a busy time of it - unusually in his own penalty area.

Drogba did well to slide in ahead of Davis after Alan Quinn's cross had got past Hilario.

Soon after Drogba again found himself marking Davis, though this time referee Martin Atkinson ruled the Chelsea striker fouled the United defender they both went for the ball.

To Chelsea's relief, Hilario comfortably saved Webber's underhit penalty.

Either side of Webber's penalty, both teams claimed they should have been awarded spot-kicks.

Ricardo Carvalho might have been penalized for using his arm to stop Rob Hulse's jump, while after Webber's miss Chelsea appealed when Paulo Ferriera's tumbled following a Davis challenge.

It was not until the latter stages of the opening half that Chelsea began to create clear chances.

A cross from Ballack almost saw Chris Armstrong put the ball into his own net as he tried to clear under pressure from Arjen Robben.

Kenny did well to quickly to push away Lampard's close-range header, though soon after the United keeper's reactions proved altogether slower.

Lampard's long-range free-kick swerved marginally and with Kenny diving too early, the ball nestled in the middle of the net.

Lampard's goal might have had an element of fortunte about it, but there was nothing lucky about Chelsea's second.

Some slick combination play between Robben and Lampard provided the space for the England international to hang up a cross that Ballack forcefully headed in.

With a two-goal cushion, Chelsea should have won more comfortably, but Lampard shot over from a good position, while Robben was denied by Kenny after the United defence was carved apart.

Source: Xinhua