Source: Martin Lipton (Mirrorfootball.Co.Uk)
Didier Drogba pulled Carlo Ancelotti out of the sticky stuff to extend the longest opening day winning streak in Premier League history - and revealed the debt he owed to Cristiano Ronaldo.
While Drogba was the first to admit his injury-time match-winner that left Ancelotti gasping for a fag and Phil Brown spewing was a fluke, the African ace had already scored one of the goals of the season.
Drogba’s stunning first half free-kick to draw Ancelotti’s Blues level after a solar plexus blow from Stamford Bridge hate-figure Stephen Hunt was a replica of the Ronaldo stunner against Portsmouth two seasons ago.
And the Chelsea hit-man conceded he had been more than happy to steal from the Portuguese star’s bag of tricks.
Drogba said: “I guess it was a bit like the one Ronaldo scored and it was deliberate. I tried to do it like that and lined it up to hit the valve.
“Everybody is aware of this technique now after Ronaldo and it’s true that when you hit the valve the ball comes down more.
“But it is just technique - and I think his free-kick was bit better than mine."
Drogba and his Chelsea team-mates were all smiles after ensuring their bombardment of Boaz Myhill’s goal was rewarded with the three points that should have been sewn up before the break.
For all Chelsea’s incessant pressure, Ancelotti’s diamond once again lacked natural width as Hull flooded the midfield and as the striker reflected: “It was relief at the end, not celebration.
“We created so many chances that I hadn’t scored. So the manager’s reaction was simple - ’Phew!’“
Ancelotti, who punished John Obi Mikel for a shocking first half by replacing him with Michael Ballack at the break, was equally willing to admit the pressure of his first taste of the Premier League had got to him, especially when he was not able to lean on his preferred emotional crutch, nicotine.
“I’ve given it up - before the match,” said the Italian. “Finito.
“But I start again as soon as I can afterwards. Before the match, finished. After the match, start again! But seriously it’s not difficult for me. In Italy you cannot smoke on the bench. It is the same as here. It is not a problem.”
What might have been a problem would have been two points tossed away, with Drogba’s lucky strike - after a string of chances had come and gone either side of Hunt’s opportunist tap-in - coming in the second minute of stoppage time to make it eight successive opening weekend wins for Chelsea.
Brown, who had theatrically punched the air in mock delight when fourth official Phil Dowd indicted the additional time, joked: “We’re not allowed to bet as managers but my money would have been on five.
“When six went up I was expecting Michael Turner to come off as a substitute. I’d made three so maybe Ancelotti was bringing him off.”
Drogba needed just two to win the game, further evidence of his value and Ancelotti added: “Didier has good motivation right now. He is a very important player but he is more than that because he has a very good personality, too.
“We are happy that he has started the season with two goals. He is training very well, and we want that to continue. He says he still feels young and when he does things like that for me, so do I.
“What was important is that we maintained the idea of how we want to play, and we deserved to win. It is why I celebrated with passion.
“Whoever works in this environment has passion - passionate players, passionate fans, a passionate coach, passionate journalists. Because this is nice work for us, and for the players.
“I know it’s impossible to win every game, but what is important is to believe we can win every game. This is my philosophy.”
Ancelotti’s players know they have to share that philosophy to wrest back the title, and Drogba agreed: “We needed to show that spirit to win it because it is in times like that the strength of the team comes out.
“To win the league you need to win all your home games and try to make some good result away. You need to beat teams like Hull here and if not, that is how you lose the league.
“I don’t think you lose the league against Manchester United or Liverpool; you lose the league because you are not consistent and you drop some points.”
Hull’s ambitions are understandably very different, and Brown moaned that all the hard work - including brilliant last-gasp tackles by the excellent Michael Turner and Andy Dawson and a stoic display from new midfielder Seyi Olofinjana - had been undone so cruelly.
“I thought we defended valiantly as a team,” said Brown. “We were unhinged by a cross but you’ve got to deal with it.
“Now we have to get up to speed in next three or four games. It’s important that we get points in those matches to go into the next international break.”
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