Reports

Chelsea took another significant step towards the Premier League title with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. The win maintains the Blues’ position at the top of the table and moves them to 66 points from their 29 games, seven points clear of Liverpool and Arsenal (who have each played 28 games), with Manchester City two points further back. But Jose Mourinho is still insisting it is Manuel Pellegrini’s City who are favourites for the title as they have three games in hand on Chelsea and a better goal difference.

Clearly the Special One is trying to relieve any pressure his players might start to feel and there is no doubt he would rather have the points on the board than games in hand (despite him insisting on the contrary view). And the latest victory will give the Pensioners a massive boost as we edge towards the climax of the Premier League season.

It didn’t always look like a match from which Chelsea would get both the three points and a healthy boost to their goal difference as, after a fairly even first half, it was goalless at the break. The deadlock was broken soon after however when Jan Vertonghen slipped and managed only to play the ball into the path of Samuel Eto’o in the 56th minute, who slotted home for the opener. Eto’o was only on the pitch because Fernando Torres sustained an injury in the warm up, and the Cameroonian looked sprightly up top – and he made light of recent jibes about his age from his boss by celebrating his goal like a decrepit old man at the corner flag.

Chelsea found some rhythm after their goal, and when Eto’o was adjudged to have been shoved over in the box by Younes Kaboul, Eden Hazard made no mistake from the spot. Kaboul was also shown a red card for the foul, which was perhaps a little harsh given there were other defenders around who might well have snuffed out the chance.

Demba Ba – who replaced Eto’o in the 76th minute – took just over 10 minutes to make an impact when he pounced on a mistake by Sandro to make it three and Spurs looked spent. There was worse to follow for Tim Sherwood’s men, however, as Kyle Walker tried to head goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’s clearance back to him, only to play it straight to Ba, who gratefully accepted the gift to make it 4-0.

After the match, Spurs’ rookie boss Sherwood all but admitted his side’s hopes of making it into the Champions League spot were blown, and for the first time in his short tenure he looked visibly angry and frustrated with his players.

Mourinho, meanwhile, was clearly happy with the day’s work which – for once – saw goals from not one but two strikers! If Ba and Eto’o can keep knocking them in, Chelsea have to be the big, big favourites for the Premier League crown, however often the Special One pretends otherwise.

Chelsea stayed clear at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win over west London rivals Fulham on Saturday. The match was all square at the break but a second half hat-trick from German Andre Schurrle was enough to get the win against a spirited and determined Fulham, for whom former Everton player Johnny Heitinga scored a consolation goal.

The win took the Blues to 63 points and with Arsenal losing at Stoke and Man City in League Cup action (they won the final 3-1 against Sunderland) it is now Liverpool chasing Jose Mourinho and co. The Reds and Arsenal both have 59 points and, although City can move top if they win their two games in hand, Chelsea are the bookmakers’ favourites for Premier League glory this season.

Things weren’t looking so great at the break here as Fulham, under new manager and renowned disciplinarian Felix Magath, put in a decent shift and managed to keep the Blues at bay. However, three goals from Schurrle in just 16 minutes at the start of the second period turned the game on its head and forced Fulham to open up leading to a more open and entertaining second half.

Eden Hazard, as so often this season, was the driving force and his pass over the top on 52 minutes put his German colleague through and Schurrle made no mistake in slotting past Maarten Stekelenburg in the Fulham goal. Just 13 minutes later Hazard again put Schurrle through with a nice pass and when Fernando Torres laid on the third just three minutes after that the game was effectively over.

The Cottagers, who are now four points adrift at the bottom having played more games than most of those immediately above them, have not won a league game since the first of January. They have taken just two points in eight games since then but they were forced to come out of their shells here and after 74 minutes they got one back after a corner caused confusion in the Chelsea penalty are and Darren Bent found Heitinga who slid the ball in.

There was to be no amazing comeback though, despite some bright moments for Fulham in the second half. Chelsea were, overall, well worthy of the three points and although they created little in the scrappy opening half their class eventually showed in a game in which they had 58% of the ball and managed more than twice as many shots as the home side.

The biggest cause of concern for Magath may not be the result, poor as it was, but the injury which forced Brede Hangeland off after just 16 minutes. Hangeland has missed much of the season through injury and his side have missed him badly. He could miss more games after a nasty clash of heads but his side missed their captain here.

For Chelsea, it was a job well done, ultimately, and another game ticked off as they close in on the Premier League crown.

Chelsea were pegged back by Turkish side Galatasaray with a second half goal from Aurelien Chedjou enough to earn the home side a 1-1 draw and keep them in the tie. The Blues will be confident of finishing the job on home soil but after having started brightly they will be disappointed to have only come away from Istanbul with a draw.

Of course, avoiding defeat and scoring an away goal would have been two of Chelsea’s main objectives but Jose Mourinho was left once more to rue the inefficiency of his strikers. The game was billed as a battle between Didier Drogba and his former club and how Mourinho must have longed for a player of the quality the Ivorian displayed during his peak years with the Pensioners.

Fernando Torres started the game brightly, linking play and looking sharp and the Spaniard got his reward after just 10 minutes when he silenced the home crowd with the opener. The hosts were far too open in the early stages, committing men forward and maintaining a high defensive line and when an attack broke down Cesar Azpilicueta – improving with every game – countered quickly before squaring for Torres who had an easy finish.

However, rather than serving to boost his confidence, Torres reverted to recent form after the goal and any hope that he might put in a really dominant performance was quashed when he wasted a good chance early in the second half. Fernando Muslera made a solid save but Torres should have done better from 15 yards after fine work by Eden Hazard. In a game of few real chances such profligacy was shown to be costly when Gala equalised not long after.

Unbeaten in 16 games at the Turk Telecom Arena, Roberto Mancini’s side had struck the post moments before they scored. Skipper Selcuk Inan saw his effort after a Drogba header rebound off the woodwork but his frustration was short-lived as soon after Chedjou converted Wesley Sneijder’s corner to keep the home side firmly in the game.

All in all it was a disappointing game and Mancini may feel he got the better of Mourinho, the man that replaced him at Inter Milan and with whom there is little love lost, as the game turned on a tactical change made by the Italian after just 31 minutes. Mancini, aware that the Chelsea full backs were getting too much space on the break, replaced winger Izet Hajrovic and switched to 4-5-1 with central midfielder Yekta Kurtulus providing more cover against the visitors’ attacks.

Whilst Mourinho bemoaned his team’s lack of cutting edge, on this occasion he may have to accept that a draw was not such a bad result at an intimidating ground. The Blues undoubtedly lack that X factor in the final third but it is not so much the strikers missing chances as the side – for whatever reason – not creating enough really good openings.

Tactical musings aside, however, at 1-1 John Terry – rarely troubled here – and co will be highly confident of progression, with a win or a clean sheet enough to see them through to the quarters, possibly as sole English representatives.

Chelsea earned a crucial 1-0 victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge in the early kick off on Saturday to maintain their position at the top of the Premier League table. Jose Mourinho’s men left it very late in the day after some exceptional defending from Everton’s back four kept them at bay for most of the game. In the end it well into injury time before John Terry – who returned after an injury lay-off – bundled in a Frank Lampard free kick, leaving the visitors dejected and pointless.

Despite Roberto Martinez’s men having the slight edge in terms of possession (53% to 47%), it was the home side who created the best chances in the match. Eden Hazard, Samuel Eto’o, Lampard and Branislav Ivanovic were all denied by the impressive Everton keeper, Tim Howard, and – in all fairness – the Blues were the better side over the 90 minutes.

That is not to say Everton didn’t perform well, with Seamus Coleman, Phil Jagielka, Sylvain Distin and Leighton Baines looking solid for the vast majority of the match. But with Romelu Lukaku ineligible to play against his parent club despite having returned to fitness, Martinez had to rely on Steven Naismith to lead the line. The Scot is not a bad player, but he simply does not possess the ability, pace or power to get the better of Terry and Gary Cahill. As such Everton lacked that cutting edge in the final third and the home side were rarely threatened.

Chelsea were not overly impressive in the first period, with Oscar in particular looking out of sorts. The Brazilian was subbed for countryman Ramires at the break and Mourinho’s men looked all the more dangerous for the change.

The victory for the Pensioners moves them on to 60 points from their 27 games and extends their unbeaten home record in the league under Mourinho to an astounding 74 matches. For Everton, it was the fourth loss on the road to teams above them in the table (their one point when visiting a top five club came at Arsenal in December). It leaves the Toffees with a mountain to climb if they are to finish in the top four, with Liverpool and Spurs both above them and playing well.

The Blues face a potentially tricky trip to Istanbul to face Galatasaray in the Champions League in midweek, followed by league matches against Fulham then Spurs, and wins from those three will give Mourinho’s men a great deal of momentum as the season approaches its crescendo.

Chelsea have the best defensive record in the Premier League having conceded just 21 goals from their 27 games – six fewer than Arsenal. It is just as well they are tight at the back given the lack of potency up front. But with plenty of matches to go and Arsenal and Man City promising to challenge Chelsea all the way, it promises to be as exciting a title battle as we’ve seen in years!

Manchester City exacted sweet revenge over Chelsea on Saturday as their 2-0 victory in the FA Cup afforded them passage to the quarter-finals and eased the pain of their recent defeat to the Blues in the league. Goals from Stevan Jovetic and second half substitute Samir Nasri were the difference in a game in which Chelsea created little from an attacking point of view, not managing a single shot on target.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men face Barcelona in midweek and as such the Chilean coach opted to leave Joe Hart, Alvaro Negredo, Nasri and one or two others on the bench, bringing in James Milner and Jovetic to the starting line-up. Chelsea were not playing until the following Saturday as their own Champions League Round of 16 match against Galatasaray is not until the following week, so Jose Mourinho was able to field a full strength side. Having said that, having played against West Brom last Tuesday may have made some difference given City’s own midweek match was postponed due to the high winds.

Chelsea’s downfall in the match was due in no small part to the excellent job James Milner and Pablo Zabaleta did on the visitors’ player of the season so far, Eden Hazard. The Belgian didn’t have the time or space he’s enjoyed in other matches and things that would usually flow for him stuttered and failed to come off.

The win marks only the second victory for Pellegrini over Mourinho, and he certainly won the tactical battle with his enigmatic Portuguese counterpart on this occasion, giving the visitors no space in the final third and also offering the wherewithal to nullify Chelsea’s main attacking threat of hitting the home side on the break. Indeed, the Blues were limited to just three shots from distance in the whole match, none of which required a save from Costel Pantilimon.

The goal from Jovetic – in the 16th minute – put the writing on the wall for Mourinho’s men, who knew they needed to keep City at bay for as long as possible if they were to be in with a real chance of repeating their recent success at the Etihad. The Montenegrin struck low and true after good work from Edin Dzeko and David Silva to give Pellegrini’s team the lead.

Despite no little effort from the Blues, they lacked the spark and intensity they had shown on their last visit to City and that – combined with the home side being wise to their visitors’ tactics – meant there was only ever going to be one result after the Citizens had taken the lead. And so it proved, with Nasri’s goal in the 67th minute coming just minutes after being introduced to the match after a five-week injury layoff and giving the home side an unassailable 2-0 lead.

After the match Mourinho was – for him – magnanimous in defeat, admitting City were the better side. He then went on to say the referee was rubbish and that the second goal was offside… but then that’s Jose for you. Everton are up next in the Premier League, a crucial game – as if any aren’t at this stage of the season.

Chelsea missed the opportunity to cement their position at the top of the Premier League table on Tuesday evening as they let the lead slip when drawing 1-1 with West Brom at the Hawthorns. Jose Mourinho’s men dominated for much of the game but it took until almost the stroke of half time for them to turn that superiority into a goal, Branislav Ivanovic knocking it in after a David Luiz flick from a corner, only for a late Victor Anichebe equaliser to stun the travelling Chelsea fans and add yet another twist to the race for the title.

In the early stages of the second half Chelsea looked comfortable as Pepe Mel’s men found it difficult to fashion any meaningful chances. But, as has been the case on a number of occasions this season, the Blues were unable to convert territorial advantage into the clear cut chances they needed. The Baggies realised that Eden Hazard was Chelsea’s main danger man (the Belgian’s hat-trick against Newcastle giving Mel and his staff all the evidence they needed for such an assertion) and the creative midfielder was marshalled well for much of the game, the home side often doubling up to limit his options and space.

Chelsea’s main issue this season (as we continue to mention on this site) has been their lack of an effective striker. Samuel Eto’o, Fernando Torres and Demba Ba have mustered just 11 league goals between them this season, just one more than Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud and four less than Man City’s Sergio Aguero. Eto’o started the match at the Hawthorns but couldn’t find the space he enjoyed against Newcastle (when he set up one of Hazard’s goals and won the penalty for another). He was eventually replaced by Torres in the 69th minute, but the Spaniard also looked ineffectual and unlikely to force the second goal.

The home side increased in confidence as the second half wore on and, as the Blues looked to tire in the latter stages, created some chances of their own. Captain Chris Brunt and James Morrison both had chances to level but fluffed their lines, but it was left to former Everton striker Anichebe to get the crucial goal in the 87th minute as he nipped in front of David Luiz to head in a cross from Saido Berahino.

The point moved the Baggies out of the bottom three (prior to the Wednesday matches at least) and moved Chelsea two clear of second-placed Arsenal and three ahead of Man City, both of whom would leapfrog Mourinho’s men if they win on Wednesday.

After the match, Portuguese boss Mourinho suggested his side lacked “personality” when letting the Baggies back into the game by inviting the pressure in the latter stages of the game. But given the Special One always suggested his side wouldn’t win the title this year, perhaps his players are just trying to prove him right. Next up is another trip to Man City (in the FA Cup) followed by a tough home match against Everton. Are Chelsea good enough to win the title? We have our doubts after this match.

Chelsea gave their title credentials a massive boost on Saturday as they comfortably beat Newcastle 3-0 at Stamford Bridge. With Arsenal getting hammered 5-1 by Liverpool at Anfield and Manchester City being held to a goalless draw by Norwich at Carrow Road, the victory for Jose Mourinho’s side moves them to the top of the Premier League table and – despite the Portuguese boss suggesting otherwise – they are now in pole position for the title.

The Blues now have amassed a total of 56 points from their 25 games with a goal difference of plus 27; Arsenal are in second on 55 points with a plus 22 goal difference and City are third on 54 with the best goal difference in the division of plus 41. While it is almost certainly a race between the current top three, Liverpool still have an outside chance of sneaking into contention as they are on 50 points with a goal difference of plus 33. But we think it’s going to be between Chelsea and City (Arsenal are showing signs of their annual crumble so might do well to hold on to a top three finish).

Saturday’s win over Newcastle was Chelsea’s seventh victory in their last eight top flight games and was thanks to a fine hat-trick from Belgian genius Eden Hazard. A fine drive into the bottom corner for the opener set the ball rolling for the home side after 27 minutes, but it was the second goal which impressed the most: Hazard passed to Samuel Eto’o and the Cameroonian back-heeled into the Belgian’s path before a cool finish gave Tim Krul no chance.

Hazard’s third goal – in the 63rd minute – came from the penalty spot after Eto’o was rugby tackled in the area by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa at a corner, and it capped off a solid display that will please Mourinho no end, not least because his side were able to take a good proportion of the chances they created, which has not been the case too often this season.

Alan Pardew bemoaned the fact that some of his key players were missing through injury, but his men put up a reasonable fight at the Bridge, creating 12 goal-scoring opportunities (to Chelsea’s 18) with six shots on target (to the home side’s eight). The difference was that Chelsea took their chances and Newcastle stuttered and lacked composure in the final third.

Mourinho is almost certainly playing mind games or attempting to keep the pressure off his players when suggesting City are still favourites for the title. Given the Blues have done the double over Manuel Pellegrini’s men this season and also have the easier run-in, we are confident the Special One not only knows his side have a great chance of winning the title but that he fully expects they will do so. If they continue to put in commanding performances such as the one they exhibited on Saturday we are inclined to agree.

The Blues recorded a magnificent win at the Etihad on Monday evening to move themselves level with Manchester City and just two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal. They became the first side to avoid defeat in the league at City this season and ended the Citizens’ 20 game unbeaten run, as well as putting a halt to their run of scoring in 61 consecutive games. It also completed a Chelsea double over the title favourites, following Jose Mourinho’s men winning 2-1 at Stamford Bridge back in October.

As said, Manuel Pellegrini’s men remain favourites to finish top of the Premier League come May but this result really opens up the battle and keeps Chelsea well in the hunt. Mourinho claimed after the match that his side were not contenders but his mind games couldn’t have been more obvious if he’d dressed up as Derren Brown. The Pensioners are in this, make no mistake and it will be interesting to see if the loss has any impact on what was a growing sense of invincibility in the City ranks.

It was something of a strange game, won 1-0 by the away side thanks to a fine strike from defender Branislav Ivanovic after 32 minutes. The home side dominated for large parts of the match, having almost two thirds of the possession and creating several good chances. However, of their 25 shots, just three were on target, whilst at the other end Chelsea, whilst often outplayed, had twice as many shots on target and hit the woodwork three times as well. The match ended 1-0 but 3-3 or 4-3 would have better reflected the nature of the game.

Mourinho showed his tactical magnificence as his side carried out his counter attacking plan to perfection. They were highly potent on the break, capitalising on City’s attacking instincts that had seen them score 68 league goals prior to being shutout here. Samuel Eto’o, Gary Cahill and Nemanja Matic all hit the frame of the goal and though City were without Sergio Aguero many still felt they had enough to record a straightforward victory here.

They were also without Fernandinho, a growing presence in midfield, whilst Pellegrini also highlighted injuries to Samir Nasri and Javi Garcia. Few will have any sympathy for such an expensively assembled squad, however, and the fact of the matter is that City were wasteful with their finishing and were tactically out-manoeuvred.

Eden Hazard was – again – superb for Chelsea and, just ahead of Matic, was the away team’s best player. With David Luiz strong in midfield and the two centre backs Cahill and John Terry quickly snuffing out most of the Citizens’ attacks, this was a fine all round display.

Afterwards Mourinho was at his best, claiming that, “The title race is between two horses and a little horse that needs milk and needs to learn how to jump. Maybe next season we can race.” It may be true that the Blues are a developing thoroughbred rather than a proven winner of big races, but it is equally true they have the best jockey in the business and one that knows the Premier League track and jumps better than anyone. With Mourinho in the saddle, would anyone really be surprised if Chelsea won the race?

Chelsea were held to a 0-0 draw at home with West Ham, a result that seriously damaged their title push on a night when Man City moved top with yet another impressive performance, beating Spurs 5-1 in London. The Blues are now three points behind City and two back from Arsenal and in the eyes of the bookmakers – and most people up and down the country – the title is now very much City’s to lose.

Three points at home to West Ham was fully expected and on the balance of the game was fully warranted. Much as Sam Allardyce can be proud of the resistance his team showed, the stats paint a picture of total home dominance that was a fair reflection of the game. Jose Mourinho’s men had 72% of the ball and had a huge 39 shots compared to just one for the visitors. That only nine of those 39 were on target is indicative of Chelsea’s poor finishing, a problem that has plagued them all season and whilst Hammers goalkeeper Adrian made three or four good stops, for the most part he was untroubled.

Mourinho claimed his side played against “19th century” football and that the only way they could have got past the “wall” they faced was with heavy duty DIY tools. Unfortunately this is a familiar tune from the Special One, who cannot seriously have been surprised that a side that had conceded 17 goals in their last five would come to defend. The Hammers came into this clash in 19th place and almost every “small” side that comes to somewhere like Stamford Bridge is more than likely going to defend and play for a point.

Would Man City have failed to break the Hammers down, or even Liverpool? This game proved once more what everyone – including, of course, Mourinho himself – already knew: Chelsea need a world class striker.

Whilst Samuel Eto’o has shown signs of improvement he was unable to score here, having one good effort well saved. Demba Ba replaced Oscar after 80 minutes – too late many will feel – and he flicked an attempt onto the post whilst the man he replaced had earlier seen a curling shot pushed onto the bar as well.

The home side just weren’t quite good enough and although they briefly hit their stride towards the end of both halves, John Terry having a header well saved near the end of the first period and Frank Lampard seeing a shot from 10 yards blocked in stoppage time, they just couldn’t make the breakthrough.

The visitors created nothing, their main striker Andy Carroll predominantly occupied in defence, clearing many set pieces but there can be no doubt that Allardyce will have been delighted with the point.

Next up for the Blues, a trip to the Etihad on Monday night where they will need to improve massively to get anything against the seemingly unstoppable Citizens and it could be Mourinho “parking the bus”.

Chelsea booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Stoke that should have been far more convincing. The Pensioners dominated from start to finish and should have won much more comfortably and whilst it is the result that counts – more than ever in the cups – Jose Mourinho cannot help but be concerned by his side’s continued inability to score the goals their fine play merits.

Given Stoke beat Chelsea 3-2 as recently as December there was never a chance the home side would be taking this game lightly and with Mark Hughes naming a strong side on his return to one of his former clubs it was clear Stoke were up for the battle. With both sides fielding teams respectful of the traditions of the FA Cup and the memory of the previous meeting at the Britannia fresh in everyone’s minds, a good game looked in prospect and so it proved from the off as Chelsea leapt out of the blocks.

After just two minutes Samuel Eto’o, fresh and confident after a hat-trick against Man United, turned smartly inside the box, firing through a crowd but his effort curled just wide. The Cameroonian had other chances, notably late in the game when the ball just wouldn’t drop for him inside the six yard box and when he did get his shot away he somehow fired wide.

There were so many other fine chances it would be difficult to list them all but the Blues twice hit the post, Oscar seeming to be using the game as shooting practice, and both Frank Lampard and David Luiz had good long range efforts saved, the latter a thunderously struck free kick that could have cost the Stoke keeper Asmir Begović his fingers!

Juan Mata may have left the club but it is performances like the ones from Eden Hazard and Oscar that show the Special One had a tough decision to make in leaving the Spaniard out of his plans. Both were outstanding here, especially Hazard whose dribbling ability and close control are things of wonder. It was the Brazilian’s intervention that proved decisive though, Oscar shaping a free kick beautifully into the far corner on 27 minutes. The ball was hit to the goalkeeper’s side but with such bend, accuracy and power that Begović, who, as ever, had a fine game, had no chance of keeping it out.

There were good, solid performances all over the pitch for the home side, new signing Nemanja Matic in particular looking impressive. The Serbian reads the game well and as well as breaking up play is able to bring the ball forward and looks an excellent acquisition. However, Chelsea still look like they need a world class forward and 19 shots with just five on target and one goal tells its own story.

The Pensioners will surely have to improve if they are to progress further in the FA Cup, given their reward for this victory is a trip to Man City. Mourinho said of the draw, “No problem. If you want to be the best, you have to play against the best, so it’s good for us. One team is the end product. One team needs to improve and has a long way to go. Good experience, good game, big game.” We think the Special One has brought the hammer firmly into contact with the nail there.