Blackburn Rovers 0 Chelsea 2Jose Mourinho revels in depicting Blackburn Rovers as cyncially streetwise and macho, but his side were the ones showing their studs here as they out-muscled as much as outmanoeuvred Mark Hughes' team.
Goals from Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou secured Chelsea's passage into the fourth round while spoiling Hughes' 100th match in charge of Blackburn and perhaps altering Mourinho's opinion of Ewood.
The "Ewood micro-climate", as Hughes describes it, fully justified Mourinho's fears here, the lashing rain and capricious breeze forcing a pitch inspection before the game. Such inclement conditions dictated that sliding tackles tended to segue into dramatic aquaplanes. There has always been a certain frisson, not to mention a physical edge, when these teams have met under their present managers and neither was prepared to field a genuinely weakened team.
Uncharacteristically cautious, Blackburn were evidently adhering to a safety-first gameplan, but might have taken a first-half lead when Shabani Nonda's low drive prompted a fine save from Henrique Hilario. By then, though, Brad Friedel had twice done well to repel a shot and half-volley from Arjen Robben, and Hughes' defence had reason to be grateful that the unattended Kalou had failed to make a proper connection with Geremi's ultra-inviting right-wing cross.
Robben and the fit-again Joe Cole were troubling Blackburn from their deep-lying wide roles and impressed, although Cole's style was cramped after he collected a booking in the wake of a nonsensical bit of argy-bargy with David Bentley and was subsequently left limping after receiving a wince-inducing Mokoena tackle.
If Mokoena's intentions were clear Morten Gamst Pedersen certainly did not mean to catch Michael Essien in the groin with his studs, but, recovering manfully, Essien later had Friedel diverting his fierce volley with his legs.
With Chelsea playing the more cohesive football it was no surprise when Joe Cole gave them the lead, the England midfielder celebrating his return to action by turning the ball in from close range after Kalou had danced around Jay McEveley before dispatching a low right-wing cross in the scorer's direction.
Still Mourinho was not satisfied and, much to the delight of regular Ewood patrons, he received a stern ticking off from Phil Dowd after ludicrously contesting Khalid Boulahrouz's booking for a foul on Benni McCarthy.
No matter, he looked a little happier when Kalou made it two, scoring on the rebound after Friedel could only parry a shot from Shaun Wright-Phillips.
BLACKBURN: Friedel, Emerton, Khizanishvili, Henchoz, Neill, Bentley, McEveley, Mokoena, Pedersen (Peter 49), McCarthy (Jeffers 86), Nonda (Roberts 56). Subs Not Used: Brown, Todd. Booked: Bentley, Peter.
CHELSEA: Hilario, Geremi, Terry, Boulahrouz, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole (Wright-Phillips 79), Essien, Ballack (Lampard 61), Makelele, Robben (Drogba 83), Kalou. Subs Not Used: Makaba-Makalamby, Ricardo Carvalho. Booked: Joe Cole, Boulahrouz. Goals: Joe Cole 53, Kalou 81.
Referee: P Dowd.
