Author: chelseafan

Chelsea got back to winning ways after they saw off Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday. The Gunners had been leading the table going in to the weekend, and they were heavy favourites to take all three points. However, the Blues have an excellent record in clashes against the north London side in recent years, and they did the double over 10 man Arsenal thanks to Diego Costa’s goal.

Costa was widely expected to be missing here, which did little for pre-match optimism. After bruising his shin bone in the draw with Everton, it was thought that he faced a few weeks out. The Spaniard started up front, however, and made a huge contribution. Pedro pulled out injured before the game, meaning Oscar took his place on the left. Eden Hazard was back to fitness, but he was overlooked, leaving him to watch on from the bench.

Chelsea were in control of the opening stages and, pretty early into the game, everything was turned on its head. Costa was sent through on goal, after using his pace to get around Per Mertesacker, but then the big German was rash to dive into a challenge and hauled the Spaniard down. The referee had the red card out right away, leaving Arsene Wenger a little less than pleased.

While Wenger was annoyed about the decision, his next move didn’t help things very much. We all know that the Gunners are short in the striking department, so it made little sense when Wenger took off Olivier Giroud and replaced him with Gabriel following the red card. Theo Walcott moved up front for a while, but he quickly dropped back, leaving Arsenal effectively playing without a forward.

Chelsea’s forward showed exactly what that kind of presence up front can do just a minute later. He didn’t mind that he was up against two centre halves again, as he was first to the ball when Branislav Ivanovic whipped in a cross from the right. Costa was more alert than anyone else in the box, turning it past Petr Cech to open the scoring.

The second half saw the Blues move to keep what they had, as Arsenal came pushing for an equaliser. They had started with Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel once again, and that defensive shield did well on this occasion, screening runs and passes form the Gunners’ midfield. Kurt Zouma was a monster at the back once more, repeatedly throwing himself in the way of the ball like a man possessed.

Of course, the Gunners kept pushing, which opened up gaps at the back for the Blues to exploit. Loic Remy, who replaced Costa in the second half, seemed to spend the entire time offside, ruining some great build up play. Willian missed a great chance to make it 2-0, but in the end it didn’t matter, as the team held on for all three points.

LCN Man of the Match: John Obi Mikel

Chelsea needed a late equaliser from John Terry to secure a point against Everton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The Blues’ captain had scored an own goal to give the visitors the lead, before Kevin Mirallas doubled it. Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas equalised, but Ramiro Funes Mori scored in added time to put the Toffees ahead. That looked to be enough for them but Terry’s late goal salvaged a draw.

Going into this game we said that Guus Hiddink might try and fix his defence by playing two holding midfielders, and that’s exactly what he did. John Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic both started, with Fabregas playing in behind Costa. That aside, there were no other changes from the team who drew 2-2 with West Brom on Wednesday night.

There was little about the first half that suggested this would turn out to be a six goal thriller. The two sides went in at the break goalless, with Hiddink’s defensive midfield pairing seeming to be working for him. Neither side could really keep a hold of the ball in the first half, with the first 45 coming to a close without incident.

It took all of five minutes for the game to turn in the second half, as the visitors took the lead. Leighton Baines sent a cross into the box after a good attacking move, and it was Terry who got on the end of it. When trying to clear it, he deflected the ball in to his own goal, giving away the opening goal.

Everton had pushed forward and they looked dangerous and they were 2-0 up just six minutes later. Baines’ cross found Mirallas, who took one touch before firing home to double the lead. With the defensive duo clearly not working, Matic was hauled off to be replaced by Oscar.

Chelsea got back in the game not long after, as Fabregas’ long ball forward beat almost everyone, with Costa giving chase alongside Phil Jagielka. The forward held off the challenge, poked the ball around Tim Howard and scored into an open goal to get his side back in the game.

Two minutes later, Costa returned the favour, as he teed up Fabregas, who saw his shot deflected in to bring the Blues back level. The game stayed level until stoppage time, when Funes Mori turned the ball in at the back post. He ran into the crowd and his crowd surfing saw more time added on.

Into the eighth minute of added time, the Blues pumped the ball into the box, and Oscar nodded the ball in to the path of Terry. Terry was clearly offside but the linesman didn’t give it and his backheel finish pulled Chelsea level, ending an incredible game with some last minute drama. The team stay 14th in the table and they’re still unbeaten under Hiddink.

LCN Man of the Match: Cesc Fabregas

A late equaliser from West Brom denied Chelsea all three points on a frustrating night at Stamford Bridge. Cesar Azpilicueta had put the Blues ahead, only for Craig Gardner to equalise. A Gareth McAuley own goal looked to have been enough for the Blues to win it, until James McClean scored to prevent the home side from overtaking the Baggies in the Premier League table.

Guus Hiddink had ruled Diego Costa out of this game at the weekend, but despite that the Spaniard started here, leading the attack. He was supported by Willian, Oscar and Pedro, with Eden Hazard once again not even fit enough to make the bench. John Terry and John Obi Mikel both returned after sitting out the cup game at the weekend. Thibaut Courtois also returned to the side after being rested in the FA Cup.

There was a sense of optimism around the Bridge after the good recent performances from the Blues. That almost made you forget about the extent of the problems within the team, many of which were laid bare over the course of the 90 minutes. Everything started off pretty well though, with the home side getting themselves ahead after 20 minutes.

The combination for the opening goal says a lot about Hiddink’s Chelsea. Branislav Ivanovic, who was by far the biggest underperformer in the last few months of last year, was the man who provided the assist. His cross was met by his fellow full back, Azpilicueta, who scored just his third goal for the club. The fact that both full backs were so attacking shows the manager’s mentality, but it also hinted at problems to come.

West Brom came back at the Blues after that goal, knowing full well that there were gaps to exploit. Gardner was on as a substitute after just five minutes, but he was up to speed in the game by the half hour mark. Pedro gave the ball away cheaply and Gardner found himself in acres of space in the middle of the park. He took one touch, strode forward and smashed the ball home.

Pedro found himself hooked off at half time, with youngster Kenedy taking his place on the left wing. The young Brazilian played a key part in the second goal, as Willian’s low cross towards the forward touched in off McAuley, who diverted the ball into the bottom corner of his own net.

Chelsea seemed on course to win it, but poor defending cost them again. The players switched off and the ball rolled to the unmarked McClean at the edge of the box. He had all the time in the world to pick his spot, putting the ball in the bottom corner to prevent the Blues taking all three points. The win was there for the taking, but once again the defending just wasn’t up to scratch.

LCN Man of the Match: Willian (again!)

Chelsea eased into the Fourth Round of the FA Cup as they saw off League One side Scunthorpe 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Diego Costa and Rueben Loftus-Cheek helped Guus Hiddink’s side through, and the Dutchman will be having ambitions of another FA Cup win, after he led the team to a memorable cup triumph back in 2009.

Hiddink was pretty clear with his intentions from the start here, as he named a very strong team for this one. Asmir Begovic came in for Thibaut Courtois in goal, while Gary Cahill replaced John Terry. Cesc Fabregas and Ramires started in midfield, but aside from that we saw the team who thrashed Crystal Palace a week earlier. Eden Hazard once again missed out, but on recent evidence he might not have started here anyway.

The strong line up made a pretty quick impact, with the Blues in front after less than 15 minutes. Branislav Ivanovic swung in a cross from the right hand side, and somehow Costa managed to get to it while under pressure from two opposition defenders. The Spaniard got the slightest touch on the ball to direct it goal-wards, and that opened the scoring.

At that point, it looked like the champions would go on to run riot, given just how much talent they had on the field. But Scunthorpe – to their credit – came back at them, probably full of confidence after the upset Bradford pulled off here last season. The League One side got on the ball and asked plenty of questions of the Blues, while Luke Daniels made saves to ensure that they stayed in the game.

Half time saw the introduction of one of the young stars that you expect to see in cup games. Loftus-Cheek came on to replace Oscar at the break, giving the midfielder 45 minutes to prove his worth. It was his first display under Guus Hiddink, and the Dutchman seemed to be impressed by his display here.

Loftus-Cheek was playing his 11th game for the Blues, but he had been yet to score, until this game. After a long patient build up, Cesar Azpilicueta got the ball on the left hand side, and this time it was the left-back providing the assist, a low ball into the box that the England Under-21 international Loftus-Cheek buried to double the lead.

One big difference of the Hiddink reign to Mourinho’s was shown here, with the full-backs bombing forward much more now. Both Ivanovic and Azpilicueta are great attacking talents, and they were shackled to an extent when the Portuguese was in charge.

That win has Chelsea into the draw for the fourth round and it’s likely that Hiddink will make this competition his top priority in the coming weeks. First, though, he has to focus on seeing off West Brom on Wednesday night, with the team back at the Bridge for some Premier League action.

LCN Man of the Match: Kurt Zouma

Chelsea picked up their first win under Guus Hiddink with an impressive display at Selhurst Park on Sunday. The Blues frontline finally clicked, while the defence recorded a second consecutive clean sheet. Oscar, Willian and Diego Costa scored as the champions picked up their first away win since August in the league. They’ve now moved up to 14th place, eight points behind seventh placed Palace.

Diego Costa returned after serving a one match suspension at the end of last year, while injury saw Nemanja Matic only fit enough for the bench. John Obi Mikel came in to replace him, playing alongside Cesc Fabregas in the middle of the park. The midfield saw Willian, Oscar and Eden Hazard in attacking positions, with Pedro dropping down to the bench.

The Spaniard wasn’t left out for long, as Eden Hazard picked up an injury with just 15 minutes of the game played. Just like the Leicester game it didn’t seem too serious, but the Belgian said he couldn’t continue. Pedro replaced him, and the team immediately looked better, with the former Barca man putting in a great shift on the left hand side of midfield.

Pedro made his debut in the only other away league win that Chelsea have recorded this term, against West Brom back in the summer. He didn’t play quite as key of a role here, but the gear shift after he came on inspired the first goal. The most pleasing part had to be the link-up between Fabregas and Costa in the build-up, something that’s been lacking this term. The forward held the ball up, and played through Oscar, who buried it to score his first away league goal in almost a year.

The half-time break saw the visitors leading 1-0, and they were able to double that 15 minutes into the second period. Oscar was involved again, he was brought down just after passing to Willian, who scored with a fabulous strike after the referee played advantage. It was another gem in Willian’s collection, the standout Chelsea player from this otherwise poor campaign.

It wasn’t long before the Blues put even more shine on the scoreline, with Diego Costa scoring for the third time in his last two outings. His goal was no more than a tap in, but no less than he deserved, as he was excellent up front. He was like a bull, charging around and disturbing that Palace back line.

For once, there were several Chelsea candidates for man of the match. Costa was up there, both Willian and Oscar were great, but the real standout man seemed to be unsung hero Mikel. He was a calming influence on a defence who have seen much better days, and he’s a big part of the reason that no Palace attacks are mentioned here. There simply wasn’t anything of note from Palace’s pacey forwards.

LCN Man of the Match: John Obi Mikel

Chelsea played out a close goalless draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday, with Guus Hiddink still searching for his first win on his return to the west London outfit. The Blues moved up a spot to 14th, and they continue to trail United by 10 points. With the team looking much better defensively, could this be the start of the revival?

Despite having played just about 48 hours before kicking off at Old Trafford, Hiddink resisted the urge to make any wholesale changes to his team. A couple of players pulled out late with injuries, but aside from that it was almost an unchanged line-up. Gary Cahill was ruled out late in the day, with Kurt Zouma stepping in, while John Obi Mikel took the place of Cesc Fabregas who had picked up an illness. Diego Costa was suspended for this one, while Loic Remy and Falcao were both injured, so Eden Hazard started up front.

Hiddink reverted to the false nine system that Jose Mourinho had used at Tottenham a few weeks ago, which was a team set up to avoid defeat. Speaking of Mourinho, he was a big presence at Old Trafford, despite not actually turning up. Before the game, Manchester United scarves with his face on them were being sold, cranking up the pressure on Louis van Gaal.

It was fair to say that the Red Devils were coming into this one in almost as bad shape as Chelsea, given that they hadn’t won in their last seven games. Van Gaal’s position looks in severe danger, while they could well end up missing out on the top four. That said, their start here was a lot better than they’ve shown in recent weeks, as they pushed forward with some intent.

Both Anthony Martial and Juan Mata hit the woodwork in the opening 15 minutes, much to the delight of a weary home support. The Blues carved out chances too, with their best effort coming from a corner, as David De Gea pulled off a great save to deny John Terry.

Chelsea too looked better here, with the four attacking midfielders covering a lot of ground as they pressed the United defence. There was a solidity to the team that was lacking a few weeks ago, with Zouma standing out at the back. He made a tackle on Martial that displayed both his talent and potential, and he has to be seen as first choice at the back.

The Blues weren’t at their best going forward here, but they could have stolen a win late on. Nemanja Matic went through on goal, but his effort sailed over the crossbar, and even as a defensive minded player, he really should have done better with the chance.

After the game, Hiddink seemed pleased with the result. “On the one hand, I am happy with a point because we had a difficult game, but on the other, we had two big chances to get three points. We were lacking some attacking players and had to adapt. In general I’m happy.”

LCN Man of the Match: Kurt Zouma

A brace from Diego Costa wasn’t enough to give Guus Hiddink a winning return to Stamford Bridge. The Spaniard put the Blues in front, and then hit an equaliser after Watford had got themselves into the lead. Troy Deeney scored from the penalty spot, before Odion Ighalho had put the Hornets ahead. This now leaves the Blues seven points shy of the top half of the Premier League table.

Guus Hiddink made a few bold changes in his first starting 11. There was no place for Eden Hazard, who was left on the bench. It seems like some at the club still aren’t happy with his display at Leicester. There was no starting place for Kurt Zouma, who was first choice defender under Jose Mourinho. Cesc Fabregas took up a place in midfield alongside Nemanja Matic.

Things started pretty well for the Blues, with Diego Costa looking much more like the striker of last season. He seemed to have recovered a bit of lost confidence, and he was pushing around Watford defenders early on. It was Costa who made the breakthrough after just half an hour, scoring just his fourth league goal of the season.

Not long after that, all the early hard work was wasted. A Watford corner was swung in and Matic handled the ball. It seemed like he was struggling to see through his mask, but there was no question that it was a penalty. Deeney stepped up and converted, and the two sides headed in to the half time break level pegging.

The second half start was a little more sluggish, and the Blues were toiling as Watford grew in confidence. They came in to this game on the back of four consecutive wins, and there was a genuine belief in their side that this could be a fifth. The Hornets were pushing forward and troubling Chelsea, and then they eventually found a second goal. Ighalo’s deflected shot brought the mood in Stamford Bridge right back down. New manager, same problems.

Another home defeat was unthinkable here, and the Pensioners began pushing for an equaliser. The much needed moment of spark came as Willian angled a fantastic ball through for Costa, and he timed his run perfectly, before firing in a second goal. They were back level, and they had 25 minutes to go in search of a winner.

That winner was sitting on a plate with 10 minutes to go, as substitute Eden Hazard was brought down by Valon Behrami, and the Blues were awarded a penalty. Oscar stepped up instead of Hazard, but it might be the last one he takes. The Brazilian slipped in his run up, and saw the ball fly over the bar and in to the crowd.

That scuppered Hiddink’s hopes of a winning start, but he has the chance to turn things around away to an out of form Manchester United next.

LCN Verdict: Diego Costa

Chelsea’s players quickly shrugged off the ghost of Jose Mourinho as they picked up a first league victory in almost a month. The atmosphere was tense around the ground just two days after the Special One was sacked for a second time. The fans made their unhappiness with the players known, and even goals from Branislav Ivanovic, Pedro and Oscar did little to win them back over.

Steve Holland named pretty much the same side that Mourinho did in his final game, the only difference being that Eden Hazard was missing through injury. Pedro came in to replace him, while the other midfield change saw Cesc Fabregas come in for Ramires. Before the game, nearly every player was booed by fans as their name was read out. Hazard, Fabregas and Diego Costa received the worst of the abuse.

The news that Guus Hiddink was confirmed as manager until the end of the season received little fanfare or response. The Blues fans came to the Bridge looking to vent their frustrations, having seen their greatest ever manager dismissed again. The last thing they wanted to see was a Chelsea side who suddenly improved from the shambles we’ve seen this season.

So, there were more than a few fans who were angry when Ivanovic opened the scoring after just five minutes. One of the major underperformers, back and scoring for the first time since February. The team showed intensity from the start, which does make it look like they had given up in the last few weeks.

Those suspicions grew minutes later, as Pedro scored for the first time since August to give the Blues a 2-0 lead. He picked up a loose ball and fired home, finally making the kind of impact that he threatened to do on his debut. The Spaniard should have made himself an important part of the team in the past few months, now he’s making up for lost time.

While Chelsea fans had a rare lead to enjoy, that didn’t distract them from backing their former manager. The supporters were singing his name throughout, with almost every banner in sight in support of Mourinho. While the sacking seemed to be getting something out of the team, the fans clearly weren’t happy with it.

Costel Pantilimon took down Willian in the second half, and that allowed Oscar to score from the penalty spot. That was his first goal or assist in the league since the opening day. He managed to get away without too much stick from the crowd, but he’s far from innocent here. It’s hard to think of a player who has gone missing more often during the Mourinho years.

Fabio Borini pulled one back for Sunderland, but the Blues held on to take all three points. While it was a much needed win, it didn’t put the smile back on Chelsea fans’ faces.

LCN Man of the Match: Oscar

Chelsea’s top four hopes appear to be over as they lost 2-1 against Leicester at the King Power Stadium on Monday night. Leicester opened the scoring with another goal from Premier League’s top scorer Jamie Vardy, and Riyad Mahrez added another in the second half. Loic Remy pulled a goal back for the Blues, but he couldn’t save them from suffering yet another defeat.

Jose Mourinho named the same team that saw off Porto at the Bridge last week, hoping to keep up the momentum from that win. That saw John Terry keep his place in the team, alongside the seemingly now first choice defender Kurt Zouma. Cesc Fabregas was once again left out, after the manager named him as one of the squad’s biggest underperformers this season.

That unchanged side only managed to make it 30 minutes into the game, as Eden Hazard was taken off with an injury, with Pedro coming on. Vardy fouled the Belgian, who went tumbling and landed on his hip. While it was a clear free kick, it didn’t look like much of an injury. That will only fuel speculation that the winger is in line for a switch to Real Madrid in the not too distant future.

Just moments later, Vardy hurt the Blues again, as he put the Foxes ahead. Riyad Mahrez put in a fantastic ball for the forward, who hit his 15th goal of the season. He helped fuel Leicester’s fantastic start, and he played a big part as the hosts dominated during the first 45 minutes.

Things went from bad to worse for Chelsea in the second half, as Mahrez went from provider to scorer, doubling the lead. He hit a wonderful curled effort that sailed past Thibaut Courtois, and the King Power Stadium was rocking. Mourinho wasn’t impressed, and straight away he hauled off John Terry, replacing him with Fabregas. Remy also came on for Oscar, with the Blues moving to a 3-4-3 system.

The Blues did start to carve a few openings, as Pedro and Branislav Ivanovic both had opportunities blocked. There was a bit of added urgency, something missing from the early stages. That improvement finally got them onto the scoresheet, as they pulled a goal back. Pedro sent the ball in to the middle, and Remy headed in to cut the deficit.

The Blues pushed for an equaliser late on, but they could barely string a coherent move together. They were unable to make a breakthrough, and they suffered a ninth defeat of the season, leaving languishing in 16th place. As for Leicester, they moved back top of the table, and Chelsea fans will be willing them on to win it ahead of the likes of Man City and Arsenal.

The Blues are back in action on Saturday, as they host a struggling Sunderland side. Can they get the better of the team sitting second from bottom in the table? We probably wouldn’t bet on it at the moment.

Chelsea secured top spot in their Champions League group and booked a spot in the last 16 with a 2-0 victory against Porto. An own goal from Ivan Marcano and a second half strike from Willian put the Blues through, and sent Porto in to the Europa League. After their recent league struggles, could this finally be the point where Jose Mourinho and his team turn their season around?

Diego Costa was given a recall ahead of this game, as Mourinho decided to drop the false nine system he had been trying. Cesc Fabregas was dropped, which was hardly surprising given his form this term. Ramires made it back from injury to replace the Spaniard, while John Terry also returned, coming in for Gary Cahill at centre half. There was also a first Champions League game of the season for Thibaut Courtois.

Costa’s presence up front delivered a very changed performance, as the forward was prepared to run in behind to stretch the visiting defence. In fact, the first goal of the night was almost all down to Costa. His run was picked out by Eden Hazard, and the former Atletico Madrid man got clear to shoot. His shot was blocked by the keeper, but a deflection off Marcano saw it bounce in to the net. It was exactly what their bright start deserved.

The best sign was the way that Chelsea maintained their intensity in the first half after that goal. They kept control of the game, pushing for a second goal. At times the team have looked panicked after scoring the opener, and tried to defend at all costs. That wasn’t the case here, as our attacking stars ripped through the Porto defence. While they couldn’t get a second goal before half time, they were great value for their lead.

With Dynamo Kiev beating Maccabi Tel-Aviv, the Blues knew this was a must win game. They would take top spot with a win, while a defeat would have seen Porto take their place in the next round. That’s what made getting a second goal so important, as it would practically wrap up a qualifying spot from this group.

Some great work from the forwards created the second goal, with Costa again involved. He held the ball up and then laid it off to Eden Hazard, and the Belgian was able to pick out Willian’s run. The Brazilian has almost single handily kept Chelsea alive in this tournament, so it was fitting that he scored the all-important goal that sent them through.

That puts the Blues into the hat for Monday’s draw, with PSG, Juventus, Gent, PSV Eindhoven, Roma and Benfica the possible opponents. Monday is a huge day for the team, as not only will they find out their next Champions League hurdle, they also face a trip to league leaders Leicester, a team they trail by 17 points.

LCN Man of the Match: (Yet again!) Willian