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BOLTON, England (AP)—Substitute Robbie Blake scored a late equalizer with an
exquisite free kick as 10-man Bolton recovered from going two goals down to draw
2-2 with Birmingham City on Sunday.

Central defender Roger Johnson put Birmingham in front after four minutes
and was then involved in the incident that led to the sending-off of Bolton
goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen in the 37th.

Craig Gardner added a second for Birmingham in the 50th minute but Bolton
bounced back, with Kevin Davies’ penalty reducing the deficit and Blake’s
curling free kick 10 minutes from time sealing the comeback.

The draw ensured that both teams stayed unbeaten in the Premier League on
five points from three games.

Johnson was the center of attention in a first half that burst into life
when he opened the scoring. Lee Bowyer’s cut-back was flicked on by Cameron
Jerome and Johnson slid home a finish for his first goal for Birmingham.

James McFadden almost made it 2-0 when his volley was well-saved by
Jaaskelainen as Bolton struggled to create any clear-cut chances at the other
end.

That was the Finland international’s last meaningful contribution before he
was shown a straight red card eight minutes before half time for appearing to
slap Johnson’s face, who had knocked Jaaskelainen over as he challenged for the
ball.

Birmingham looked dangerous on the counter-attack early in the second half
and added a second goal five minutes after the break, Gardner tapping in from
close range after Jerome had nodded across goal a pass from McFadden.

Bolton fought back and after Johan Elmander had a hooked shot saved by Ben
Foster, Davies reduced the lead with the 100th Premier League goal of his
career.

Johnson was harshly adjudged to have climbed on Davies when going up for a
speculative ball into the area, and the former Southampton and Blackburn striker
picked himself up to coolly stroke his penalty into the top corner in the 71st.

Birmingham lost Sweden winger Sebastian Larsson to a leg injury in the 73rd
and conceded the equalizer eight minutes later when Blake curled in a superb
free kick from 25 yards for his first Bolton goal.

Jerome had a chance to win the game for Birmingham in stoppage time but his
left-foot shot was saved by substitute goalkeeper Adam Bogdan.

SEOUL, July 25 (Reuters) – South Korea’s Lee Chung-yong has
not considered leaving English Premier League club Bolton
Wanderers to cash in on his impressive World Cup campaign but
would like to play in the Champions League one day. The
22-year-old midfielder scored twice for his country as they
reached the World Cup second round for the first time on
foreign soil in South Africa and has been linked with a move
across Lancashire as part of Liverpool’s rebuilding programme.

“There’s still much for me to learn in Bolton, so I haven’t
given any serious thought to the matter of a transfer,” he told
the Yonhap news agency before leaving for England on Sunday.

Lee’s flair and five goals made him a firm favourite in the
first season of his three-year deal with Bolton but the winger
said he would like to play for a bigger club eventually.

“As I do my best to work with what’s given to me, chances
will come and I will take them,” he added.

“Money is important, and it’d be good to play for a big
team like one in the Champions League, but most of all I want
to go where I can develop myself.”
(Writing by Nick Mulvenney in Beijing; Editing by Peter
Rutherford; To query or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

SEOUL, July 25 (Reuters) – South Korea’s Lee Chung-yong has
not considered leaving English Premier League club Bolton
Wanderers to cash in on his impressive World Cup campaign but
would like to play in the Champions League one day. The
22-year-old midfielder scored twice for his country as they
reached the World Cup second round for the first time on
foreign soil in South Africa and has been linked with a move
across Lancashire as part of Liverpool’s rebuilding programme.

“There’s still much for me to learn in Bolton, so I haven’t
given any serious thought to the matter of a transfer,” he told
the Yonhap news agency before leaving for England on Sunday.

Lee’s flair and five goals made him a firm favourite in the
first season of his three-year deal with Bolton but the winger
said he would like to play for a bigger club eventually.

“As I do my best to work with what’s given to me, chances
will come and I will take them,” he added.

“Money is important, and it’d be good to play for a big
team like one in the Champions League, but most of all I want
to go where I can develop myself.”
(Writing by Nick Mulvenney in Beijing; Editing by Peter
Rutherford; To query or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP)—Bolton will play an exhibition at the minor league
Charlotte Eagles on July 14 as part of its preseason U.S. tour.

Bolton, whose roster includes American midfielder Stuart Holden, also has
games at the Charleston Battery on July 17 and at Major League Soccer’s Toronto
FC on July 21.

The Premier League season starts Aug. 14. Manchester United, Manchester City
and Tottenham also have preseason U.S. tours.

LONDON (AP)—Chelsea moved four points ahead of Manchester United atop the
English Premier League standings with a 1-0 victory over a resilient Bolton on
Tuesday.

It took Nicolas Anelka’s 43rd-minute header against his former club to
clinch a fourth straight league win for Chelsea.

Chelsea can afford to lose one of its four remaining matches, which includes
hosting Tottenham on Saturday and a trip to Liverpool, and still win its first
championship crown since 2006.

“The Premier League is in our hands and we have to stay focused and calm,”
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said.

Arsenal is six adrift in third place going into Wednesday’s north London
derby against Tottenham.

Bolton is just five points above the relegation zone but, and manager Owen
Coyle thought his team should have been awarded penalties in each half at
Stamford Bridge.

“We were in that game every second of the match,” Coyle said. “We are
fighting for our lives as well to secure our Premier League place. There are an
awful amount of positives to take from the match—the energy and zest of the
team.”

Last month it seemed Chelsea’s season was falling apart—Champions League
elimination was followed by a league draw at Blackburn that put Manchester
United in control of the title race.

But with Wayne Rooney injured, United has faded while Chelsea has returned
to the ascendancy by scoring 17 goals in its last four wins in the league and FA
Cup before struggling to beat Bolton.

Bolton had lost four of its last five without scoring and even United
manager Alex Ferguson had predicted that these would be three easy points for
Chelsea.

It didn’t go to plan. Didier Drogba, who spearheaded the Chelsea attack, had
a couple of early chances but the home side struggled to put together any
flowing football.

And there were a couple of early injury scares for Chelsea defenders. John
Terry briefly limped off after appearing to hurt an ankle while trying to block
Matthew Taylor’s shot, but the captain returned. And bandages were wrapped
around Yuri Zhirkov’s head after a clash with Kevin Davies to stem the flow of
blood.

Bolton proved far more formidable than the side that leaked four goals to
United last month. Paulo Ferreira had to scramble the ball off the line in the
15th after Taylor pounced when goalkeeper Petr Cech dropped Lee Chung-yong’s
cross.

Chelsea did come close to going in front 10 minutes later when Jussi
Jaaskelainen parried Drogba’s free kick, but it hit Salomon Kalou’s head and
went wide.

Chelsea made its breakthrough just before the break, when Drogba’s left-foot
cross picked out Anelka in front of goal and he headed down past former Bolton
teammate Jaaskelainen to score his first goal in 14 matches.

Kalou could have strengthened Chelsea’s lead at the start of the second
half, but he shot straight at Jaaskelainen after being released by Drogba.

Bolton appealed for a penalty when Terry appeared to handle Lee’s cross, but
the referee’s assistant indicated that it hit the center back’s upper chest.

“You go through a season and you’re going to get penalties and not going to
get them—they could have had one,” Terry said. “It definitely felt like it
hit the top of my chest.”

Joe Cole replaced Kalou with around 15 minutes to go and was immediately
rampaging down the right and picked out Michael Ballack, but the midfielder
headed at Jaaskelainen.

Johan Elmander could have leveled in the closing minutes but he headed wide
from Taylor’s cross.