Chelsea 1-0 QPR 05/01/2008

Chelsea 1-0 QPR

Holders Chelsea held off their west London neighbours but were helped by a Lee Camp own goal to seal their place in the FA Cup fourth round.

The Hoops's goalkeeper was helpless as Claudio Pizarro's low drive hit the post, rebounded off Camp's back and bobbled across the line.

Substitute Patrick Agyemang should have slotted past Hilario after the break as the well-organised visitors improved.

Rangers pressed late on but the below-par Blues dug in to progress.

Rarely do Chelsea host a side richer than themselves but their class prevailed in this battle of the billionaires, despite a spirited performance from the team 35 places below them in the league standings.

The Hoops denied their neighbours time and space early on, disrupting Chelsea's rhythm and breaking up play in midfield.

But the visitors' early zest and work rate soon fizzled out and they fell behind on 28 minutes, albeit through a huge slice of fortune.

Pizarro swivelled on the edge of the box and crashed his low shot off the post, only for Camp to inadvertently knock it back in.

The goal settled the home side who wrestled control of the game in midfield with Steve Sidwell dictating the play.

Shaun Wright-Phillips went close when he fired over from the edge of the box, while Sidwell went even closer when he struck the post with a low drive from 25 yards that had Camp well beaten.

QPR, with five debutants in their starting line-up, failed to seriously trouble Hilario although Agyemang should have slotted past the keeper from close range. Instead, he scuffed his effort into the keeper's arms.

Didier Drogba, bound for the African Cup of Nations on Sunday, made his return from the knee surgery he underwent in early December. But he, and those behind him, struggled to kill off a dogged QPR.

But despite a valiant effort in the last 15 minutes, the four-time winners held out to progress.