30-04-2025
Chelsea's title-clinching starting XI 20 years on
It is 20 years to the day since Chelsea won their first Premier League title - and first league title for 50 years - secured by a 2-0 win over Bolton Lampard struck twice in the second half as manager Jose Mourinho added the championship to the League Cup in his first season in started at right-back so William Gallas could play at left-back in the absence of the injured Wayne Bridge, while Jiri Jarosik played his only 90 minutes in the league for Chelsea before departing for Birmingham City on loan at the end of the Robben and Damian Duff were both out, while Joe Cole came on as a late substitute for Eidur spine of the team, however, of John Terry and Riccardo Carvalho in central defence, Lampard, Tiago and Claude Makelele in midfield and Gudjohnsen and Didier Drogba up front remained the Allardyce's Bolton offered an aerial assault on the Blues' record-breaking defence - notably the partnership of Terry and Carvalho - that conceded just 15 goals all season, but a fine goalkeeping performance from Petr Cech kept them at opener on the hour mark - a trademark effort fired into the bottom corner - was controversial with Bolton claiming Jarosik had fouled Fernando Hierro in the build-up and Allardyce said post-match "the referee won them this game".The clinching goal was a classic counter-attack with Lampard rounding Jussi Jaaskelainen to send the away fans in the Reebok Stadium into delirium.
