Chelsea 2 Portsmouth 1: Michel Platini has promised that if he succeeds Lennart Johansson as president of Uefa he will try to limit the number of Champions League places to three per country because, in his opinion, too many non-champions are appearing in the competition proper.
This would encounter stiff resistance, not least from the Premiership, although Saturday's encounter between the English champions and the team lying fourth did much to support Platini's point.
The final score barely reflected the gulf in ability between Chelsea and Portsmouth, who did not play badly by their lights but were spared a merciless rout only through a combination of the opposition's profligacy and exceptional goalkeeping by David James, always at his best when kept busy.
In spite of their early surge, Portsmouth are unlikely to fill the fourth Champions League place this season - in fact, they will probably be grateful again to finish in the first 17. Yet their performance typified much of what Chelsea and the other leading sides will continue to meet regularly in between European duties: willing but limited.
Chelsea are starting to punch their not inconsiderable weight. At last, their big summer signings, Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack, justified the ballyhoo. Ballack scored his first Premiership goal two minutes after Shevchenko had scored for the first time at Stamford Bridge.
Shevchenko also drew the best save of the match as James threw himself to his left to push wide a shot curling towards the top far corner, and was one of three players to have goals disallowed - one for a foul, two for offside.
Jose Mourinho intends benching Shevchenko for Wednesday's English League Cup tie at Blackburn, but the Ukrainian's performance on Saturday will have arrested any doubts about his ability to influence Chelsea's success. The regularity with which Shevchenko switched from the middle to the left flank, stretching Portsmouth's pliable back four and creating space for Didier Drogba and others, complemented the rediscovery of his marksmanship.
Ballack, meanwhile, looked worth every penny of his free transfer from Bayern Munich. The German does not go in for the spectacular, except when shooting from long range. His game is more about astute positioning and the subtle pass that initiates the unravelling of a defence. His ability to slip unnoticed into scoring positions brought him his goal and, but for James, he might have had more.
In fact, had Arjen Robben taken any of the three chances that came his way in the first half, when on each occasion one-on-one with James, the contest would have been settled long before Shevchenko and Ballack were celebrating. In the event their joy should have been more confined as both were cautioned by Mark Clattenburg for leaning over the barrier to receive the plaudits of the Chelsea fans.
Chelsea's manager pointed out that Clattenburg had been the referee at Charlton three weeks previously when Arsenal's Robin van Persie escaped punishment for celebrating in a similar vein. "I think the referee should explain when Arsenal's Van Persie can do it but Chelsea's players cannot," Mourinho said.
Robben partly atoned for his earlier misses on Saturday by providing the pass from which Shevchenko scored in the 55th minute, followed by the centre that was part-cleared by Matthew Taylor before Drogba nodded the ball back for Ballack to head home in the 57th.
Benjani Mwaruwari's opportunism after John Terry had blocked a shot from the substitute Andy Cole promised Portsmouth the least likely of points, but the match ended with James making one last save to deny Drogba a third.
- Guardian Service
