2008–09 Chelsea F.C. season
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| 2008–09 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Roman Abramovich | |||
| Chairman | Bruce Buck | |||
| Manager | Luiz Felipe Scolari (until 9 February 2009) Ray Wilkins (caretaker manager) Guus Hiddink (interim manager) | |||
| Stadium | Stamford Bridge | |||
| Premier League | 3rd | |||
| FA Cup | Winners | |||
| League Cup | Fourth round | |||
| UEFA Champions League | Semi-finals | |||
| Top goalscorer | League: Nicolas Anelka (19) All: Nicolas Anelka (25) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 41,810 v Manchester City (15 March 2009) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 37,857 v Barcelona (6 May 2009) | |||
| | ||||
The 2008–09 season was Chelsea Football Club's 95th competitive season, 17th consecutive season in the Premier League and 103rd year in existence as a football club.
Kits[edit]
Supplier: Adidas / Sponsor: Samsung
          Home |  Home alt. |    Away |     Third |
     Goalkeeper 1 |      Goalkeeper alt. | Goalkeeper alt. 2 |     Goalkeeper 2 | Goalkeeper 3 |
Season summary[edit]
After again finishing second to Manchester United in the Premier League the previous season, Chelsea sacked their manager Avram Grant, replacing him with the Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, who had managed the Portugal national team at UEFA Euro 2008 that lost in the quarter finals to Germany. The first few months of his management went according to plan, as Scolari's narrow 4–1–4–1 formation, using Ashley Cole and new arrival José Bosingwa as wing-backs, initially took the league by storm, leaving Chelsea top ahead of Liverpool after 13 games.
By the end of November, however, Scolari's Chelsea began to lose their form due to exhaustion. They suffered a 3–1 defeat away to Roma in the Champions League and were eliminated from the League Cup at Stamford Bridge by Championship side Burnley on penalties. In the league, they had a 0–0 draw at home to Newcastle United, (who were later to be relegated). Chelsea lost a home league game for the first time since 2004 (and 86 matches) when they lost to Liverpool, and a second home league defeat to rivals Arsenal dropped Chelsea to second place.
Chelsea qualified for the knock-out stages of the Champions League with a 2–1 victory against Romanian champions CFR Cluj at Stamford Bridge in the final match of the group. During the winter months, they drew against West Ham United, Fulham, Hull City and League One's Southend United in the FA Cup. Chelsea suffered defeats away to Manchester United and Liverpool, which left them in fourth place during February which would mean a Champions League place would not be certain. Long-term injuries to Michael Essien and Joe Cole marked the period while Didier Drogba was not included frequently.
Chelsea sacked Scolari, replacing him with Russia national team manager Guus Hiddink for the remainder of the season. Hiddink's regenerative effect was immediate, with four-straight league wins, including a vital 1–0 victory away to Aston Villa in his first game in charge, moving Chelsea into the top three. Eleven wins in the team's last 13 league games, marked by a 4–1 victory over Arsenal away at the Emirates Stadium, finally secured third place in the league, and Champions League football for a seventh consecutive season.
Although Chelsea's title challenge was already realistically over when he arrived, Hiddink led Chelsea to their fifth Champions League semi-final, knocking out Juventus and Liverpool, where they were eliminated in controversial circumstances by Barcelona on away goals in the semi-final, mainly due to the performance of second-leg referee Tom Henning Øvrebø.
Despite the Champions League exit, the season culminated in a trip to Wembley Stadium, with Chelsea's final game of 2008–09 contested against Everton in the 2009 FA Cup Final. Chelsea won 2–1, winning the FA Cup for the fifth time in their history.
Key dates[edit]
- 24.05.08 – Avram Grant is sacked as Chelsea manager.
- 29.05.08 – Chelsea terminate assistant manager Henk ten Cate's contract.
- 11.06.08 – Chelsea name Luiz Felipe Scolari as new manager, with his contract officially starting on 1 July 2008.
- 03.08.08 – Chelsea thrash Milan 5–0 to take third place in the preseason Russian Railways Cup.
- 17.08.08 – Chelsea start their 2008–09 Premier League campaign with an emphatic 4–0 home victory over Portsmouth.
- 15.09.08 – Assistant manager Steve Clarke leaves Chelsea to become number two under Gianfranco Zola at West Ham United.
- 16.09.08 – Chelsea defeat Bordeaux 4–0 at Stamford Bridge in the opening match of the UEFA Champions League.
- 18.09.08 – Ray Wilkins is appointed assistant manager of Chelsea, in place of the departed Steve Clarke.
- 21.09.08 – Exactly four months after the 2008 Champions League final, Chelsea draw 1–1 at home against Manchester United in the Premier League.
- 24.09.08 – For the third time in a row, Chelsea start a competition with a 4–0 win, beating Portsmouth 4–0 away at Fratton Park in the League Cup.
- 26.10.08 – Chelsea lose 1–0 against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League. Chelsea's home unbeaten run ends after an astonishing 4 years, 8 months and 86 games.
- 12.11.08 – Chelsea lose 5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw in extra time against Burnley at home in the fourth round of the League Cup.
- 30.11.08 – Chelsea lose 2–1 against Arsenal at home in the Premier League after a Robin van Persie brace. Replays later show the Dutchman's first goal to be offside.
- 09.12.08 – Chelsea fight back to win 2–1 against CFR Cluj in the UEFA Champions League at home. With the win, they secure second place in Group A and advance to the First knockout round.
- 03.01.09 – Chelsea draw 1–1 against Football League One side Southend United in the third round of the FA Cup at Stamford Bridge.
- 11.01.09 – Chelsea lose 3–0 against Manchester United in the Premier League at Old Trafford, their first away loss in the Premier League this season.
- 17.01.09 – Chelsea snatch a crucial 2–1 home victory against Stoke City in the Premier League after two last minute goals from Juliano Belletti and Frank Lampard. Lampard also makes his 400th appearance for Chelsea.
- 01.02.09 – Chelsea lose 2–0 against Liverpool at Anfield in the Premier League by way of two late Fernando Torres goals after Frank Lampard is incorrectly sent off in the 60th minute.
- 09.02.09 – Due to the team's poor run of form, endangering Chelsea's hopes of Champions League qualification for the following season, the Chelsea board dismiss Luiz Felipe Scolari from his position as manager with immediate effect. Ray Wilkins is named as caretaker manager while a suitable replacement for Scolari is found.
- 11.02.09 – Russian national manager Guus Hiddink is named as temporary Chelsea manager until the end of the season.
- 14.02.09 – With Ray Wilkins in charge as caretaker manager, a Nicolas Anelka hat trick against Watford at Vicarage Road gives Chelsea a 3–1 victory and a place in the FA Cup quarter-finals against Coventry City. Michael Essien makes his return from the bench after six months out of action due to an ACL injury.
- 21.02.09 – In Guus Hiddink's first match as manager, a Nicolas Anelka goal and a gritty Chelsea performance bring about a vital 1–0 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park, Chelsea's first Premier League victory there since 1998–99. With it, Chelsea overtake Villa to reclaim third place in the table.
- 25.02.09 – Chelsea end the first leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie against Juventus with a slight advantage, winning the first ever competitive meeting between the clubs 1–0 by a Didier Drogba goal. The match also marks Petr Čech's 200th appearance for Chelsea.
- 28.02.09 – A John Terry volley and a late Frank Lampard header seal a 2–1 victory for Chelsea over Wigan Athletic in the Premier League. While Liverpool's 2–0 loss to Middlesbrough at the Riverside returns Chelsea to second place, Michael Mancienne makes his first ever Premier League start at right back, John Terry's goal makes him the highest scoring defender in Chelsea history, and Frank Lampard joins George Mills as Chelsea's joint sixth all-time scorer with 125 goals.
- 10.03.09 – A tempestuous 2–2 second leg draw at the Stadio Olimpico di Torino against Juventus, with goals scored by Michael Essien in his first start since September and a reborn Didier Drogba, gives Chelsea a 3–2 victory on aggregate in their Champions League first knockout round clash, sending them through to the quarter-finals of the competition.
- 08.04.09 – Chelsea claim a commanding 3–1 win in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie with Liverpool at Anfield, recovering from an early Fernando Torres goal to score twice from the head of Branislav Ivanović, with a reborn Didier Drogba capping off the scoring. Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard is notably marked out of the game by Michael Essien.
- 11.04.09 – Chelsea take a 4–0 lead after 63 minutes against Bolton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, scoring through Michael Ballack, a double from Didier Drogba and a penalty from Frank Lampard, for Bolton to surprisingly surge back into the game, scoring three goals in an eight-minute span. Although Bolton come close to equalising in injury-time, Chelsea just manage to hold off their comeback to scrape a 4–3 victory.
- 14.04.09 – The second leg of Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final match with Liverpool ends in a stunning 4–4 draw. After a clever Fábio Aurélio free-kick and a Xabi Alonso penalty give Liverpool a 0–2 lead in the first 30 minutes, Chelsea fight back in the second half to make the score 3–2 with goals from Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard sandwiching a trademark Alex cannonball free-kick. Two more goals from Lucas and Dirk Kuyt give Liverpool renewed hope in progression, but a second Lampard strike puts the tie to bed. The tie ends 7–5 to Chelsea on aggregate, leaving them to play a rampant Barcelona in the semi-finals, Chelsea's fifth attendance at this stage in six seasons. Ashley Cole's yellow card in this game rules him out of the first leg of that tie, leaving Chelsea without a recognised left back to field at the Camp Nou.
- 18.04.09 – A mistake by goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański gifts Didier Drogba an 84th-minute winner in Chelsea's FA Cup semi-final clash against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium, sending Chelsea to a tense 2–1 victory after a goal by Florent Malouda equalises Theo Walcott's early strike. Chelsea consequently reach their ninth FA Cup final, to be contested against Everton on 30 May.
- 25.04.09 – Petr Čech's save from Mark Noble's penalty secures Chelsea a 1–0 Premier League victory over West Ham United at Upton Park after Salomon Kalou scores his ninth goal of the season before giving away a spot-kick at the other end. Michael Mancienne starts his second Premier League game of the season, while José Bosingwa makes an experimental appearance at left back in preparation for Chelsea's visit to the Camp Nou.
- 28.4.09 – A masterful defensive display by Chelsea sees them become the first team not to concede a goal at the Camp Nou this season in an intriguing 0–0 draw with Barcelona, the first leg of the clubs' Champions League semi-final tie. Petr Čech shrugs off his recent media criticism with a string of important saves and despite Barcelona's domination on possession, Didier Drogba has an excellent chance to secure an away goal for Chelsea, only to be stopped by a double save from Víctor Valdés at the end of the first half.
- 02.5.09 – John Terry's 400th game for Chelsea, a West London derby at Stamford Bridge against Fulham in the Premier League, ends in a 3–1 victory to the home side following goals from Gallic trio Nicolas Anelka, Florent Malouda, and Didier Drogba. The asymmetric 4–3–3 formation used by Chelsea in this game, with Anelka playing more like a second striker, was Guus Hiddink's preference for the remainder of the season.
- 06.5.09 – A controversial 1–1 draw in the second leg of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final tie against Barcelona at Stamford Bridge eliminates Chelsea from the competition on the away goals rule, sending Barcelona to the final to play Manchester United in Rome. Essien's brilliant left footed volley early in the game gives Chelsea the lead, but unclinical finishing and four viable penalty appeals turned down by Norwegian referee Tom Henning Øvrebø allow Barcelona to equalise in the ninety-third minute with their only shot on target all game, a strike from outside the penalty area by Andrés Iniesta, despite the earlier sending off of Eric Abidal. Incensed by the referee's terrible performance, Chelsea players surround and criticise Øvrebø after the final whistle, with Didier Drogba controversially labelling the result "a fucking disgrace" on live international television.
- 10.5.09 – Chelsea shake off their post-Barcelona blues with an emphatic 4–1 victory against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in the Premier League. After surviving an early bout of Arsenal pressure, Chelsea take a 3–0 lead through an Alex header, a long range shot from Nicolas Anelka against his former club, and a Kolo Touré own goal. Nicklas Bendtner pulls one back for the home side, but a tap in from Florent Malouda completes the rout. The result ends the Gunners' 21 game unbeaten run in the league, and is the joint best away result against Arsenal in the league in Chelsea's history. Chelsea will finish the league season in at least third place, securing automatic Champions League qualification for 2009–10.
- 17.05.09 – Chelsea's last home game of the season against Blackburn Rovers in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge ends in a 2–0 victory, with goals scored by Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka. The game is marked by an end-of-season party atmosphere as fans chant repeatedly for Guus Hiddink to remain at the club, criticising the club's apparent pursuit of Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti to replace Hiddink over the summer.
- 24.05.09 – The last game of Chelsea's 2008–09 season ends in a 3–2 victory against Sunderland away at the Stadium of Light. In preparation for the FA Cup final against Everton the following Sunday, Frank Lampard and Alex are rested, and Sunderland's still uncertain survival in the Premier League leads to a tense first half. Nicolas Anelka's long-range curler early in the second half, his 19th league goal of the season, secures him the Premier League Golden Boot ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo. Salomon Kalou replies to Kieran Richardson's equaliser, and, despite Kenwyne Jones' late header, Ashley Cole's first goal of the season wins the game for Chelsea.
- 30.05.09 – Chelsea win the 2009 FA Cup Final with a 2–1 victory over Merseysiders Everton, who were chasing their first FA Cup since their victory over Manchester United in 1995. A Louis Saha goal after 25 seconds becomes the fastest in FA Cup history, but Chelsea quickly recover with a Florent Malouda cross finding the head of Didier Drogba. Chelsea continue to dominate before finally taking the lead in the 70th minute, after Frank Lampard escapes his marker Phil Neville for the first time in the game and unleashes a shot from 25 yards. A Malouda shot from 40 yards is incorrectly judged not to have crossed the line after rebounding from the crossbar, but Chelsea hold on for a famous victory. Guus Hiddink ends his short tenure as Chelsea manager with silverware.
Squad[edit]
First-team squad[edit]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Reserve squad[edit]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Youth squad[edit]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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UEFA Champions League squad[edit]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club[edit]
Coaching staff[edit]
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Manager |  Luiz Felipe Scolari (until 9 February 2009) |
 Ray Wilkins (caretaker manager) | |
 Guus Hiddink (interim manager) | |
| Assistant managers | Flávio Murtosa (until 9 February 2009) |
 Steve Clarke (until 15 September 2008) | |
| Ray Wilkins | |
| First team fitness coach | Darlan Schneider (until 9 February 2009) |
| Glen Driscoll | |
| Goalkeeping coach |  Christophe Lollichon |
| Carlos Pracidelli (until 9 February 2009) | |
| Head scout |  Michael Emenalo |
| Match observer scout | Mick McGiven |
| Club doctor | Dr. Bryan English |
| Chief scout and director of youth development |  Frank Arnesen |
| Reserve team manager |  Brendan Rodgers (until December 2008) |
| Paul Clement | |
| Youth team manager | Paul Clement (until December 2008) |
| Dermot Drummy | |
| Academy manager | Neil Bath |
| Match analyst | James Melbourne |
Source: Chelsea FC
Other information[edit]
| Owner |  Roman Abramovich |
| Chairman |  Bruce Buck |
| Chief Executive | Peter Kenyon |
| Ground (capacity and dimensions) | Stamford Bridge (41,841 / 103x67 metres) |
Source: Chelsea FC
Transfers[edit]
In[edit]
Summer[edit]
| # | Pos | Player | From | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | DF |  José Bosingwa | Porto | £16.2 million[5] | 12 May 2008 |
| 20 | MF | Deco |  Barcelona | £7.9 million[6] | 30 June 2008 |
| FW | Fábio Paím | Sporting CP | Loan[7] | 21 August 2008 | |
| 27 | MF | Mineiro |  Hertha BSC | Free[8] | 24 September 2008 |
Winter[edit]
| # | Pos | Player | From | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF |  Gökhan Töre | Bayer Leverkusen | £500,000[9] | 30 January 2009 | |
| 18 | MF | Ricardo Quaresma |  Inter Milan | Loan[10] | 2 February 2009 |
Out[edit]
Summer[edit]
| # | Pos | Player | To | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | Per Weihrauch | N/A | Retired | April 2008 | |
| FW |  Phil Younghusband | Unattached | Released | Summer 2008 | |
| FW |  Momoudou Ceesay |  Westerlo | Free | Summer 2008 | |
| MF | James Simmonds | Unattatched | Released | Summer 2008 | |
| DF | Harry Worley | Leicester City | Free[11] | 8 May 2008 | |
| DF | Adrian Pettigrew | Unattached | Released | 31 May 2008 | |
| FW |  Hernán Crespo | Inter Milan | Free[12] | 3 July 2008 | |
| 9 | MF | Steve Sidwell | Aston Villa | £5.0 million[13] | 10 July 2008 |
| 4 | MF | Claude Makélélé | Paris Saint-Germain | Free[14] | 21 July 2008 |
| DF | Khalid Boulahrouz | VfB Stuttgart | £3.9 million[15] | 21 July 2008 | |
| 22 | DF |  Tal Ben Haim | Manchester City | £5.0 million[16] | 30 July 2008 |
| 31 | MF | Anthony Grant | Southend United | Free[17] | 7 August 2008 |
| 24 | MF | Shaun Wright-Phillips | Manchester City | £9.0 million[18] | 28 August 2008 |
Winter[edit]
| # | Pos | Player | To | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 | DF | Wayne Bridge | Manchester City | £12.0 million[19] | 3 January 2009 |
| GK | Stuart Searle | Watford | Free | 23 January 2009 | |
| 23 | GK | Carlo Cudicini | Tottenham Hotspur | Free[20] | 26 January 2009 |
Loaned out[edit]
| # | Pos | Player | To | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FW | Ben Sahar | Portsmouth | 1 July 2008 | 1 January 2009[21] | |
| MF | Jimmy Smith | Sheffield Wednesday | 2 July 2008 | 1 January 2009[22] | |
| DF | Ryan Bertrand | Norwich City | 5 July 2008 | 31 May 2009[23][24] | |
| DF |  Slobodan Rajković | Twente | 9 July 2008 | 1 July 2009[25] | |
| FW | Shaun Cummings | Milton Keynes Dons | 4 August 2008 | 3 May 2009[26][27] | |
| 14 | FW |  Claudio Pizarro | Werder Bremen | 15 August 2008 | 30 June 2009[28] |
| MF | Lee Sawyer | Southend United | 18 August 2008 | 18 November 2008[29] | |
| DF | Jack Cork | Southampton | 21 August 2008 | 1 November 2008[30] | |
| 7 | FW |  Andriy Shevchenko | Milan | 25 August 2008 | 1 July 2009[31] |
| 42 | DF | Michael Mancienne | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 27 October 2008 | 29 December 2008[32] |
| MF | Liam Bridcutt | Watford | 27 November 2008 | 31 January 2009[33][34] | |
| DF | Jack Cork | Watford | 2 January 2009 | 1 July 2009[35] | |
| FW | Ben Sahar | De Graafschap | 3 January 2009 | 1 July 2009[36] | |
| 16 | MF | Scott Sinclair | Birmingham City | 6 January 2009 | 3 February 2009[37] |
| MF | Lee Sawyer | Coventry City | 26 January 2009 | 22 February 2009[38] | |
| DF | Carl Magnay | Milton Keynes Dons | 30 January 2009 | 30 February 2009[39] | |
| MF | Jimmy Smith | Leyton Orient | 1 February 2009 | 1 July 2009[40] | |
| MF | Sergio Tejera | Mallorca | 2 February 2009 | 1 July 2009[41] | |
| FW | Fábio Ferreira | Oldham Athletic | 20 February 2009 | 20 March 2009[42] | |
| DF | Carl Magnay | Northampton Town | 9 March 2009 | 9 April 2009[43] | |
| MF | Lee Sawyer | Wycombe Wanderers | 19 March 2009 | 1 July 2009[44] |
Overall[edit]
Spending[edit]Summer: Winter: Total:
| Income[edit]Summer: Winter: Total:
| Expenditure[edit]Summer: Winter: Total: |
Pre-season[edit]
| 23 July 2008 | Guangzhou Pharmaceutical  | 0–4 | Chelsea | Guangdong Olympic Stadium, Guangzhou |
| 13:00 | (Report) | Kalou  20'Lampard 51'Di Santo 79'Wright-Phillips 87' | Referee: Zhao Liang |
| 26 July 2008 | Chengdu Blades | 0–7 | Chelsea | Estádio Campo Desportivo, Macau |
| 13:00 | (Report) | Anelka 15' Kalou 31'Lampard 38'J. Cole 59', 82'Di Santo 65'Wright-Phillips 84' | Referee:  Tou Lap Meng |
| 29 July 2008 | Malaysian Select XI  | 0–2 | Chelsea | Shah Alam Stadium, Selangor |
| 13:45 | (Report) | Anelka 26' A. Cole 53' | Referee: Subkhiddin Sallehk |
| 1 August 2008 | Lokomotiv Moscow | 1–1 (5–4 p) | Chelsea | Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow |
| 18:05 | Kambolov 84' | (Report) | Essien 26' | Referee:  Massimo Busacca |
| Penalties | ||||
Bilyaletdinov  Spahić  Glushakov Cociș Mujiri Kambolov | Lampard Deco Wright-Phillips Essien Bridge Shevchenko | |||
| 3 August 2008 | Milan | 0–5 | Chelsea | Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow |
| 11:00 | (Report) | Lampard 3' Anelka 8', 18', 51', 58' | Referee: Yuri Baskakov |
Competitions[edit]
Overall[edit]
| Competition | Started round | Current position / round | Final position / round | First match | Last match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | — | — | 3rd | 17 August 2008 | 24 May 2009 |
| Champions League | Group stage | — | Semi-finals | 16 September 2008 | 6 May 2009 |
| Football League Cup | 3rd round | — | 4th round | 24 September 2008 | 12 November 2008 |
| FA Cup | 3rd round | — | Winners | 3 January 2009 | 30 May 2009 |
Source: Competitions
Premier League[edit]
League table[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United (C) | 38 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 68 | 24 | +44 | 90 | Qualification for the Champions League group stage[a] |
| 2 | Liverpool | 38 | 25 | 11 | 2 | 77 | 27 | +50 | 86 | |
| 3 | Chelsea | 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 68 | 24 | +44 | 83 | |
| 4 | Arsenal | 38 | 20 | 12 | 6 | 68 | 37 | +31 | 72 | Qualification for the Champions League play-off round |
| 5 | Everton | 38 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 55 | 37 | +18 | 63 | Qualification for the Europa League play-off round[a] |
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
- ^ a b Since both finalists of the FA Cup (Chelsea and Everton) and the League Cup winners (Manchester United) qualified for the European competitions based on their league position, the sixth-placed team (Aston Villa) received a berth in the Europa League play-off round and the seventh-placed team (Fulham) received a berth in the Europa League third qualifying round.
Results summary[edit]
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 68 | 24 | +44 | 83 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 33 | 12 | +21 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 35 | 12 | +23 |
Source: Barclays Premier League
Results by round[edit]
Matches[edit]
| 17 August 2008 1 | Chelsea | 4–0 | Portsmouth | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 13:30 | J. Cole 12' Anelka 26' Lampard 45+1' (pen.) Deco 88' | (Report) | James  45+1' | Attendance: 41,468 Referee: Mike Dean |
| 24 August 2008 2 | Wigan Athletic | 0–1 | Chelsea | JJB Stadium, Wigan |
| 13:30 | Cattermole 49' | (Report) | Deco 4' Terry 14' Carvalho 74' | Attendance: 18,139 Referee: Alan Wiley |
| 31 August 2008 3 | Chelsea | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 13:30 | Deco 10' Belletti 27'J. Cole 45'Bosingwa 86' | (Report) | Bent 45' | Attendance: 41,790 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 13 September 2008 4 | Manchester City | 1–3 | Chelsea | City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester |
| 17:30 | Robinho 13' | (Report) | Carvalho 16' Mikel 45'Lampard 53'Anelka 69'Terry  77' (suspension withdrawn) | Attendance: 47,331 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 21 September 2008 5 | Chelsea | 1–1 | Manchester United | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 14:00 | Mikel 68' Kalou 80' | (Report) | Park 18' Scholes 36'Ferdinand 41'Neville 58'Berbatov 60'Rooney 80'Evra 86'Ronaldo 90' | Attendance: 41,760 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 27 September 2008 6 | Stoke City | 0–2 | Chelsea | Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent |
| 15:00 | Griffin 55' Cresswell 66' | (Report) | Bosingwa 36' Malouda 55'Anelka 76' | Attendance: 27,500 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 5 October 2008 7 | Chelsea | 2–0 | Aston Villa | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 15:00 | J. Cole 21' Anelka 43' | (Report) | Cuéllar 68' Petrov 78'Shorey 85' | Attendance: 41,593 Referee: Chris Foy |
| 18 October 2008 8 | Middlesbrough | 0–5 | Chelsea | Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough |
| 12:45 | O'Neil 25' Alves 77' | (Report) | Kalou 14' Belletti 51'Wheater 53' (o.g.) Lampard 63'Malouda 67' | Attendance: 29,221 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 26 October 2008 9 | Chelsea | 0–1 | Liverpool | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 13:30 | Malouda 53' A. Cole 56' Deco 79' | (Report) | Alonso 10' Riera 22'Gerrard 39' Mascherano 65' | Attendance: 41,705 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 29 October 2008 10 | Hull City | 0–3 | Chelsea | KC Stadium, Hull |
| 19:45 | (Report) | Lampard 3' J. Cole 11'Anelka 50' Deco 59'Malouda 75' | Attendance: 24,906 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 1 November 2008 11 | Chelsea | 5–0 | Sunderland | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 15:00 | Alex 27' Anelka 30', 45', 53'Lampard 51' | (Report) | Tainio 39' | Attendance: 41,693 Referee: Martin Atkinson |
| 9 November 2008 12 | Blackburn Rovers | 0–2 | Chelsea | Ewood Park, Blackburn |
| 13:30 | Warnock 62' Simpson 80' | (Report) | Anelka 40', 68' Malouda 85' | Attendance: 20,670 Referee: Chris Foy |
| 15 November 2008 13 | West Bromwich Albion | 0–3 | Chelsea | The Hawthorns, West Bromwich |
| 17:30 | (Report) | Bosingwa 34', 57' Anelka 38', 45'Terry 51'Ivanović 78' | Attendance: 26,322 Referee: Steve Bennett |
| 22 November 2008 14 | Chelsea | 0–0 | Newcastle United | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 15:00 | (Report) | Gutiérrez 50' Guthrie 86' | Attendance: 41,660 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 30 November 2008 15 | Chelsea | 1–2 | Arsenal | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 16:00 | Djourou 31' (o.g.) Terry 61' Ivanović 85' | (Report) | Van Persie 59', 62' | Attendance: 41,760 Referee: Mike Dean |
| 6 December 2008 16 | Bolton Wanderers | 0–2 | Chelsea | Reebok Stadium, Horwich |
| 15:00 | Davies 18' O'Brien 65' | (Report) | Anelka 9' Deco 21' Ballack 81' | Attendance: 22,023 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 14 December 2008 17 | Chelsea | 1–1 | West Ham United | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 16:00 | Mikel 21' Ballack 33' A. Cole 37' Anelka 51' | (Report) | Bellamy 33' 45+1' Cole 40' | Attendance: 41,675 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 22 December 2008 18 | Everton | 0–0 | Chelsea | Goodison Park, Liverpool |
| 20:00 | (Report) | Terry 35' Lampard 43' A. Cole 43' Ballack 68' | Attendance: 35,655 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 26 December 2008 19 | Chelsea | 2–0 | West Bromwich Albion | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 13:00 | Drogba 3' Lampard 45+1'Ballack 74' | (Report) | Attendance: 41,417 Referee: Rob Styles |
| 28 December 2008 20 | Fulham | 2–2 | Chelsea | Craven Cottage, London |
| 14:00 | Dempsey 10', 90', 90+1' | (Report) | Lampard 50', 72' Drogba 82' Bosingwa 90+1' | Attendance: 25,462 Referee: Andre Marriner |
| 11 January 2009 21 | Manchester United | 3–0 | Chelsea | Old Trafford, Manchester |
| 16:00 | Ronaldo 28' Vidić 45+2' Rooney 63' 66' Park 68' Berbatov 87' | (Report) | Lampard 4' Bosingwa 27' Carvalho 28' Terry 81' Belletti 87' | Attendance: 75,455 Referee: Howard Webb |
| 17 January 2009 22 | Chelsea | 2–1 | Stoke City | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 15:00 | Belletti 88' Lampard 90+3' | (Report) (Highlight) | Faye 15' Delap 60' Kitson 89' Whelan 90' | Attendance: 41,788 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 28 January 2009 23 | Chelsea | 2–0 | Middlesbrough | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 19:45 | Kalou 58', 81' | (Report) | Shawky 10' Riggott 56' | Attendance: 40,280 Referee: Lee Probert |
| 1 February 2009 24 | Liverpool | 2–0 | Chelsea | Anfield, Liverpool |
| 16:00 | Mascherano 21' Alonso 46' Gerrard 70' Torres 89', 90+4' | (Report) | A. Cole 22' Mikel 53' Lampard 60'[45]Terry 61' | Attendance: 44,174 Referee: Mike Riley |
| Note: Lampard's red card was rescinded after the match. | ||||
| 7 February 2009 25 | Chelsea | 0–0 | Hull City | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 15:00 | Mikel 26' | (Report) | Ashbee 48' Garcia 80' | Attendance: 41,802 Referee: Lee Mason |
| 21 February 2009 26 | Aston Villa | 0–1 | Chelsea | Villa Park, Birmingham |
| 12:45 | Cuéllar 53' | (Report) | Anelka 19' Ballack 84' Bosingwa 84' Terry 90' | Attendance: 42,585 Referee: Mark Halsey |
| 28 February 2009 27 | Chelsea | 2–1 | Wigan Athletic | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 15:00 | Alex 10' Terry 19', 25' Mancienne 77' Lampard 90+1' | (Report) | N'Zogbia 24' Cattermole 29' Kapo 82' | Attendance: 40,714 Referee: Lee Probert |
| 3 March 2009 28 | Portsmouth | 0–1 | Chelsea | Fratton Park, Portsmouth |
| 19:45 | (Report) | Drogba 79' | Attendance: 20,326 Referee: Phil Dowd |
| 15 March 2009 29 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Manchester City | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 13:30 | Essien 18' | (Report) | Elano 29' Evans 75' | Attendance: 41,810 Referee: Mike Riley |
| 21 March 2009 30 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–0 | Chelsea | White Hart Lane, London |
| 15:30 | Modrić 50' | (Report) | Belletti 45' Ballack 84' | Attendance: 36,034 Referee: Mike Dean |
| 4 April 2009 31 | Newcastle United | 0–2 | Chelsea | St James' Park, Newcastle |
| 15:00 | (Report) | Lampard 38', 56' Mikel 45+3'Malouda 65' | Attendance: 52,112 Referee: Rob Styles |
| 11 April 2009 32 | Chelsea | 4–3 | Bolton Wanderers | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 15:00 | Ballack 40' Drogba 48', 63' Lampard 60' (pen.) | (Report) | O'Brien 70' Basham 74'Taylor 78' | Attendance: 41,096 Referee: Peter Walton |
| 22 April 2009 33 | Chelsea | 0–0 | Everton | Stamford Bridge, London |
| 20:00 | (Report) | Neville 14' | Attendance: 41,556 Referee: Mark Halsey |