Carlo Ancelotti’s side were leading through the first of Didier Drogba’s two goals at Fratton Park when Malouda was let off with a caution after elbowing Portsmouth defender Ricardo Rocha, leaving the Portuguese international with a suspected fractured cheekbone.

Malouda took full advantage of his reprieve by netting two goals in the space of ten second half minutes as Chelsea reduced Manchester United’s lead at the top of the table to a single point.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had demanded a response from his team after last week’s Champions League exit at the hands of Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan and subsequent 1-1 draw at Blackburn.

Despite making a lethargic start Chelsea, boosted by goalkeeper Peter Cech’s return, never looked in any danger of succumbing to a side 11 points adrift at the bottom of the table.

Frank Lampard thought he had opened the scoring as early as the tenth minute only to be denied by a superb flying save from England team-mate David James.

The goalkeeper needed all of his 6ft 6in frame to fling himself to his right to turn Lampard’s fiercely struck 25-yard shot behind for a corner.

But veteran James was not to impressive as he gifted Chelsea just after the half-hour mark.

There seemed little danger when James came out to meet Deco’s flick on but the ball bobbled under his foot as he attempted to clear, allowing Drogba to race through and tap the ball into an unguarded net for the easiest of his 24 Premier League goals this season.

Chelsea, who lost defender Ricardo Carvalho to an ankle injury shortly after Drogba’s opener, were fortunate to avoid being reduced to ten men in the 40th minute.

Referee Lee Mason’s decision to let off Malouda with only a yellow card as Rocha was leaving the field on a stretcher was met with fury by the home fans and Pompey manager Avram Grant.

The Israeli’s rage intensified five minutes into the second half when Malouda doubled Chelsea’s lead to all but secure victory.

Malouda raced beyond Portsmouth’s makeshift right back Hayden Mullins before planting an unstoppable shot across James and into the top left corner from an acute angle.

Six of Chelsea’s starting line-up were in the Chelsea side Grant led to the brink of lifting the European Cup in 2008 but the Londoners were in no mood to go easy on their old boss as they looked to claw back United’s superior goal difference.

James produced another brilliant save to deny substitute Joe Cole only his second Premier League goal of the season.

Cole looked certain to score when he found himself one-on-one with James on the edge of the six-yard box but the 39-year-old made himself big to palm his right-foot pile-driver wide of the left hand post.

James though was powerless to prevent Malouda extending Chelsea’s lead on the hour mark.

Lampard’s ferocious long range shot was beaten away by James only for Malouda to slam the rebound into the roof of his net.

Drogba claimed his 30th goal in all competitions this season in the 77th minute, latching onto John Obi Mikel’s pass before outpacing Steve Finnan and drilling past James at his near post.

The Ivory Coast striker then turned provider as Lampard tapped in Chelsea’s fifth in stoppage time after Drogba had flicked on Cole’s cross.

Source: sport24.co.za

Pic: supersport.co.za

The summer signing, brought in after Xabi Alonso’s sale to Real Madrid, has struggled to adapt to life in England but was at the heart of everything in only his fifth Barclays Premier League start. It was the first time since they beat Hull City 6-1 on 26th September that Liverpool had scored more than two goals in a league match and that helped lift them to fifth in the table, a point behind Tottenham Hotspur having played one match more.

For Portsmouth the defeat ensured their 59-year winless run at Anfield continued but, considering their off-field problems, it will hardly have a defining impact on their season.

Having cranked up the pressure against the massed ranks of Portsmouth’s defence – with Torres and Steven Gerrard both having penalty shouts turned down – Liverpool eventually made the breakthrough they were so desperate for in the 26th minute.

It was with more than a slice of good fortune, however, and came courtesy of goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown, making only his fourth appearance this season because of David James’ calf injury.

Ashdown drilled Ricardo Rocha’s back-pass straight at Gerrard and the ball dropped to Maxi Rodriguez, who squared for Torres to roll a shot into the empty net.

Two minutes later Glen Johnson’s cross to the far post dropped to Torres, who turned former Liverpool defender Steve Finnan before slipping a pass inside for Babel to poke home.

In the 32nd minute the goal that all Anfield – and Aquilani – had hoped for came when Gerrard played in Torres, who crossed back for his captain to dummy and allow his team-mate to fire home in front of the Kop.

Torres could have made it 4-0 in the 35th minute when he cut in from the left to curl a right-foot shot beyond Ashdown only to see it rebound back off the post. Gerrard fired wide from Johnson’s return ball.

Portsmouth were slow to return for the second half and it was perhaps understandable as the barrage continued almost immediately.

In probably the best move of the match, the ball was worked in from the right starting with Rodriguez and going through Torres, Aquilani, Babel, and Aquilani again before Gerrard’s shot at the far post was charged down by Ashdown.

From the same move the Portsmouth goalkeeper’s fingertip save then tipped Babel’s shot onto the crossbar and over.

Portsmouth threatened in the 55th minute when Brown’s shot was instinctively touched over by Jose Reina.

But it was only a brief respite as Rodriguez fired wide and Johnson felt he should have had a penalty when Belhadj brought down the England international.

Gerrard departed in the 74th minute as Yossi Benayoun came on.

Aquilani’s dream night continued in the 77th minute when he threaded a pass to Torres in the penalty area and he cut back onto his right foot to blast a shot inside the near post.

The Spaniard, who has now scored 15 Barclays Premier League goals to beat his tally of last season, was immediately replaced by David Ngog.

Torres, who looks to be returning to his lethal best having been sidelined for five weeks after a knee operation, left to a standing ovation.

But the real plaudits – after a long wait – went to Aquilani and even a late goal from Belhadj, sidefooting in Frederic Piquionne’s volley across goal, could not spoil his night.

Source: premierleague.com

But London rivals Fulham and Tottenham – managed by Harry Redknapp, who masterminded Portsmouth’s FA Cup triumph in 2008 – will have to replay after a goalless draw at Craven Cottage.

French forward Piquionne scored twice in three second-half minutes for Portsmouth, forcing the ball home from close range and then, in the 70th minute, after being played in by Jamie O’Hara, beating Joe Hart when one-on-one with the goalkeeper to the delight of the Fratton Park faithful.

“You can break many things but you cannot break our spirit,” said Portsmouth manager Avram Grant.

“The spirit of the players and fans was high. Other people maybe thought we would break but nobody can break our spirit.

Portsmouth, bottom of English football’s top flight and facing the prospect of all but certain relegation, are currently in administration and their estimated debts of £76 million could yet see the club go out of business. “There are some moments in your life you always remember and this is one of them,” said Grant.

“This club deserves more than anyone to be at Wembley because the players and fans are victims of things done by others. I will say it again and again until someone listens.”

Birmingham, on a day when world football governing body Fifa again ruled out goal-line technology, thought they’d scored through Liam Ridgewell’s close-range header with 10 minutes left.

Replays showed the ball had crossed the line but the officials did not let the ‘goal’ stand and Portsmouth were on their way to Wembley for the semifinals.

Asked if City had scored, Portsmouth and England goalkeeper David James replied: “Not as far as I am aware.

“Maybe we can debate that on the way home but we won 2-0 as far as the score goes and I think we deserved it,” he added.

However, City manager Alex McLeish said: “I just don’t know how it could have been disallowed. It was not as though it was a close call. The whole of the ball was over the line.

“For an hour I thought we were the better side, our build-up was composed and we looked in control,” he added.

“But we did not make enough chances up front and when we did, we did not take them.”

Sunday’s last eight ties see Premier League title-chasers Chelsea up against Stoke whilst second-tier Reading, the lowest ranked club left in the FA Cup, are at home to League Cup finalists Aston Villa.

Source + Pic: supersport.co.za