Reports

It was billed as a monster clash between two of English football’s giants, but in truth – despite being the current Premier League champions – Manchester United have fallen so far short of their usual standards of late that anything other than a Chelsea victory would have been a major surprise. The writing was on the wall for David Moyes’ men as soon as the teams were announced, the absence of both Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney for the visitors meaning they had little realistic hope of success.

Danny Welbeck was tasked with leading the line with teenage sensation Adnan Januzaj (whose emergence has been one of United’s few positives this season) playing in behind. Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia were on the wings with Michael Carrick partnered in the centre of the park by an out-of-position Phil Jones – all in all hardly a side to have the opposition quaking in their boots. Having said that, while United looked weak on paper it was they who started the brighter, fashioning a number of early chances that could have seen them edge ahead.

Jose Mourinho’s men, however, soon got into gear, and it was Samuel Eto’o who opened the scoring on 18 minutes after his curling shot took a wicked deflection that caused the ball to loop over a helpless David de Gea. The goal gave the home side impetus and though United battled hard to get themselves back into the game, they lacked any cutting edge in the final third against a well-drilled Chelsea backline.

The Blues didn’t create too much for the remainder of the half, but just before the break Cameroonian Eto’o – who was preferred up top to Fernando Torres – knocked in a low cross from centre back Gary Cahill, the United defence having gone AWOL. The goal killed the Red Devils’ chances of success and the result was never in doubt from that point. Moyes simply doesn’t have the kind of game-changers he needs to compete at this level, and though his men didn’t lack fight in the second period, they looked impotent as an attacking force without their two main men, Rooney and RVP.

Indeed the match was put to bed as a contest soon after the interval as Eto’o completed his hat-trick, tapping in from close range after woeful defending by United at a corner. The introduction of Javier Hernandez for the visitors gave them a spark up top and begged the question why the Mexican hadn’t started alongside Welbeck, especially when he scored a consolation after 78 minutes. A late red card for United captain Nemanja Vidic was something Moyes could have done without (the centre back faces a three-match suspension) and was the culmination of a disappointing day for the visitors.

Ultimately, few had expected anything other than a home victory here, and the win both keeps the Blues well in the title hunt (after Manchester City and Arsenal were both victorious a day earlier) and puts the final nail in the coffin of United’s chances of successfully defending their Premier League crown. Next up in the league for Mourinho’s men is a very winnable home match against West Ham, and then the big one: Man City away on 3rd February.

Chelsea put in a measured and confident performance on Saturday in East Yorkshire to beat Hull 2-0, a victory which moved Jose Mourinho’s men to the top of the Premier League (at least temporarily, prior to the Sunday matches).

The match always looked like being a tricky one for the Blue given Hull had previously beaten Liverpool 3-1 and hit Fulham for six at the KC. But the visitors played with an assurance and patience that will have pleased their Portuguese boss, and though they didn’t create a lot in the first 45, they were never put under any serious pressure.

It was goalless at the break, which was a fair reflection of a fairly dour first half spectacle, but after the interval Chelsea began playing with more invention, with – inevitably – Eden Hazard pulling the strings in the centre of the park. Indeed it was Hazard who got the breakthrough after 56 minutes, the Belgian latching on to a flick from Ashley Cole before jinking along the edge of the area and hitting a low strike into the corner. It was Hazard’s 11th goal of the season in all competitions and if he maintains his excellent strike rate the Blues will have a great chance of keeping pace with Man City and Arsenal in the title race.

Once the first goal had been scored there was only ever going to be one winner, and rather than shutting up shop Chelsea appeared to play with more freedom after they had scored the opener. Despite Steve Bruce’s men trying hard to force themselves back into the game, things weren’t going their way and, as gaps began to appear in the Tigers’ backline, Chelsea were able to double their lead, a fine strike from nearly 20 yards from an otherwise quiet Fernando Torres giving Allan McGregor no chance in the Hull goal.

Another clean sheet (Chelsea’s fourth in their last five league matches) was another big plus for the Blues, not least because it meant Petr Cech earned his 209th clean sheet for the club, beating Peter Bonetti’s long-standing record. Cech has been one of the most consistent goalkeepers in recent history and this latest clean sheet was his 150th in the Premier League, just 20 short of David James’s all-time Premier League record. If Cech keeps performing as he has for the last few years he’ll get to that milestone before too long.

So all in all it was a good day at the office for Chelsea: a solid win away from home against tough opposition, a clean sheet and, believe it or not, a goal from a striker! Mourinho will have gone home a happy man and more confident than ever that he can guide his side to Premier League glory this season. And there’s a tasty fixture coming up next weekend: Man United at Stamford Bridge. In the mood they are in at the moment, the Blues will relish the chance to seize victory over the champions.

Chelsea had to work hard to overcome in-form Derby County on Sunday, but they secured their place in the fourth round thanks to second half goals from John Obi Mikel and Oscar. The Blues now face a home tie against Stoke in the next round and will feel well-placed to progress to the fifth round.

This match was typical of Chelsea’s season thus far. They played well in spells and created plenty of half chances but didn’t quite create enough to dominate and weren’t accurate enough with their shooting. They deservedly won the game and it wasn’t vintage Chelsea but, as seems to be the way this season, it can very much be filed under “job done”.

The Rams had dropped just two points in nine league games until losing at home to Wigan just four days prior to this encounter. Despite that loss, confidence and morale were high and Steve McClaren’s men would have fancied their chances given the Blues have hardly been unbeatable on the road.

The home side kept things level for more than an hour which would have bolstered their optimism – and that of the crowd – but ultimately the superior class and ability of the away side became the telling factor.

In-form Willian crossed for Mikel to head in the opener on 66 minutes before Oscar bent the second in after 71 minutes to put the tie to bed. Overall it was a deserved win but it will worry Blues boss Jose Mourinho that only three of the Pensioners’ 17 shots were on target and the continued inefficiency of his forwards has to be a concern.

Mourinho sent out a strong side, despite making six changes from the XI that beat Southampton. With Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres coming off the bench, there were no major differences to the personnel one would expect to see in a big game, although Petr Cech was rested with Mark Schwarzer stepping in between the posts. The Aussie shot-stopper was rarely tested, his most difficult challenge keeping out a late strike from Chris Martin.

The visitors, well aware of the form and abilities of the home side, were on their mettle and could have won more comfortably, Ramires (who was booked for diving by the same ref who awarded him that penalty against West Brom at the Bridge!) hit the bar and had another decent shot from distance, Oscar went close with a free kick and Torres saw an effort saved by Lee Grant.

Derby tried to get into the game but they too, despite also fielding a strong side, were unable to get many of their 16 attempts on target and all in all it was a very satisfactory day for Mourinho and his men.

A home tie in the next round and a further building of momentum, coupled with the exit from the competition of several premier League sides, most notably Man United, Spurs and Newcastle, made for a good weekend all round as far as Chelsea are concerned. Up next: a trip to Hull at the weekend.

The festive fixture frenzy is over, in terms of the Premier League at least, and now we can take stock of the festive games and see if it has been a Blue Christmas or not. From the 23rd December to the first day of 2014 the Pensioners played Arsenal, Swansea, Liverpool and Southampton. Here we will have a look at those games, the highlights, low points and what it all means for Chelsea’s ambitions in 2014. Oh, and Happy New Year to all Blues fans!

Arsenal v Chelsea, 23/12/13 – result: 0-0

Not the great game many had predicted and hoped for, this one was a dour bore draw in which neither side committed too many men going forward. Away from home Jose Mourinho was clearly happy to take a point whilst Arsene Wenger, perhaps wary that he had never got the better of his Portuguese counterpart in nine attempts (including a 2-0 home loss in October in the League Cup), appeared equally happy to settle for a draw.

Of course, in the context of the title race the stalemate was probably better for the home side, preserving as it did Arsenal’s two point superiority over their opponents. The result left Liverpool top at Christmas but in a game with just six shots on target – four of them to the away side – neither side did enough to win the game as Chelsea crowded the middle of the park and got the point they crossed the capital for.

Chelsea v Swansea, 26/12/13 – result: 1-0 to Chelsea

The Blues edged their Boxing Day clash 1-0 against Swansea but in truth their dominance deserved a far more convincing scoreline. Eden Hazard scored the decisive goal to give Chelsea a fifth win in seven league games but Samuel Eto’o spurned two good chances as the home side amassed 19 shots in total. In the end an increasingly animated Mourinho was thankful for the final whistle and he again bemoaned the profligacy of his men in his post-match interview.

Chelsea v Liverpool, 29/12/13 – result: 2-1 to Chelsea

Liverpool were the opposition for the third game in a week and the Stamford Bridge faithful were again sent home happy, although they may have been worried when their side went down to a goal from Martin Skrtel after just three minutes. The defender had a simple finish after Philippe Coutinho’s free kick fell kindly off a Luis Suarez flick and things looked bleak for the home side.

The free kick was conceded after a very poor challenge by Eto’o that could have seen the Cameroonian dismissed but Mourinho will have been delighted by the way his side fought back. The midfield alliance of Hazard, Oscar and Willian, with fine support from David Luiz, was too much for Liverpool and the home side equalised on 17 minutes when the effervescent Hazard supplied a fine finish. Just 17 minutes later the Pensioners were ahead when Eto’o was able to guide the ball past Simon Mignolet and the Liverpool keeper will have been disappointed not to have made the save.

In a fine game both sides could have added more goals and whilst Liverpool could easily have won a penalty – or two – the home side were worthy winners and produced one of their finest displays of the season to end the year just two points behind Premier League pacesetters Arsenal.

Southampton v Chelsea, 01/01/14 – result: 3-0 to Chelsea

2014 started in excellent style for Chelsea as they got their joint biggest away win of the campaign at Southampton to complete the double over the south coast side. The game was 0-0 at the break but the introduction of Oscar and Willian early in the second half was crucial and three goals in 22 minutes from Torres and the two subs made sure of the points.

Mourinho will have been delighted with the way his side played and kept their patience and Chelsea are starting to look like serious title contenders without yet hitting top gear. 10 points from 12 is a fine return and with the FA Cup tie against Derby on the 5th the Blues will resume their Premier League campaign with a trip to Hull on the 11th before a home game against Man United eight days later, the gap between games sure to be a welcome break for the players, if not the fans.

How will Chelsea do in 2014?

Without wanting to tempt fate too much, things are looking all set for a very fine 2014 for Chelsea and those connected with the club. There is sure to be money available in the January window but whether Mourinho is able to get the calibre of striker required is doubtful. However, the current squad has enough strength in depth and ability to produce great things and whilst a world class forward would elevate the Blues to serious Champions League contenders, even without one we predict silverware to make its way to Stamford Bridge before the summer.

Well set in the Premier League, just two points off the top, Chelsea have a real chance of delivering the title. They have played away at five of the top eight, only having home games against Liverpool and City, whilst they have also visited Stoke who have a habit of taking points from the top sides (they have drawn with Everton and City and beat the Blues). On balance they probably have the easiest fixtures of the sides challenging for the title and they should finish no worse than second as Mourinho continues to work his magic.

Whilst the Champions League may prove too difficult for this developing Chelsea side they should have a real chance in the FA Cup and so the Double is a real possibility, albeit one with more ifs and buts than a schoolboy’s lamest excuses. The Champions League is of course on hold until February and if Chelsea can continue to improve then who knows? Certainly they have a great chance of making the last eight given they face Galatasaray in the next round.

So, all in all it’s been a fine Christmas for Chelsea and the New Year has every chance of being very happy too!

Chelsea were knocked out of the League Cup on Tuesday night by a battling Sunderland side who clinched victory in extra-time. Gus Poyet’s side weathered the storm against a generally dominant Chelsea and now progress to the semi-final of the competition despite being rock bottom of the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s men were once again victims of their own profligacy in front of goal, a recurring problem that has begun to concern the Portuguese boss. “The quality of football we produced is amazing,” Mourinho said after the match. “We never lost a match because we didn’t play or that the opponent was stronger, it’s just we don’t kill opponents and we give them life.”

In fact the Blues were unable to score a goal of their own after Lee Cattermole’s own goal gave them the lead in the 46th minute. After a late strike from Fabio Borini took the match to extra-time it was the Black Cats who appeared in the ascendancy and it was no great shock when Ki Sung-Yueng hammered in the winner sending the Stadium of Light into raptures and Chelsea out of the League Cup.

No doubt with Monday’s trip to Arsenal in mind, Mourinho opted to rest Fernando Torres (who has at least been showing vague signs of form recently) and start with Samuel Eto’o up front. The Cameroonian was generally ineffectual, however, and though Willian and Andre Schurrle had their moments in attack, none of the three could muster a goal. Eden Hazard and Demba Ba were introduced in the second half but they too struggled to make an impact against a determined and robust Sunderland side.

We have long been suggesting Mourinho may have to dip into the transfer market to buy a little more potency in the striking department, but he has denied he will be going down that road, in January at least. But with Torres having scored six goals from 17 appearances, Ba hitting three from 13 and Eto’o just four from 15, the Special One will be well aware his strikers will need to improve their goals to games ratio if the Blues are to have a realistic chance of challenging for the title.

While the side have been able to paper over the cracks in many of their matches so far this season thanks to goals from midfield (Hazard has notched eight thus far, Shurrle three and Oscar six), they could find themselves exposed at the Emirates on Monday. And with Liverpool and Southampton coming up on the 29th December and 1st January respectively, if things don’t go well over the festive period we could yet see Roman Abramovich dipping into his pockets in the New Year.

While being knocked out of the League Cup might actually be a blessing in disguise when it comes to the Premier League and Champions League later on, the fact that Chelsea failed to win the match from a position of apparent dominance is an issue that simply must be addressed if Chelsea are to enjoy success this term, and Mourinho will put all his efforts into doing just that, ideally before the Arsenal game.

Chelsea moved second in the Premier League and to within two points of leaders Arsenal but their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace will have done little to appease fans concerned about the performances of their club.

The Blues won thanks to goals from Fernando Torres and Ramires, the pair scoring either side of Marouane Chamakh’s equaliser, with all three goals coming in the first 35 minutes of an exciting game.

Whilst the home side dominated possession (Jose Mourinnho’s men enjoyed 70% of the ball) and 16 shots to Palace’s 10, they were thankful to goalkeeper Petr Cech who made a number of fine stops in the second half to preserve his side’s slender advantage.

Things had looked good for the Blues when they took the lead after just 16 minutes, Torres being left with a simple finish after Julian Speroni could only push Willian’s shot against the post, the £50m striker reacting quickly to tap in.

Branislav Ivanovic had a half chance soon after but shot wide and the Pensioners couldn’t build on this as Palace put up stubborn and well organised resistance. On 29 minutes the visitors were rewarded with an equaliser, a revitalised Chamakh guiding a volley into the corner from Joel Ward’s cross.

The goal stirred Chelsea and Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Ramires began to exert more control in midfield. Willian and Hazard combined to give Ramires a shooting opportunity and the Brazilian curled a fine effort past the unsighted Speroni.

Willian might have made it three before the break and whilst the home side remained on top they created few real chances. After the interval it was Tony Pulis’s rejuvenated side that started strongly, Cech denying both Jason Puncheon and Damien Delaney.

Sub Yannick Bolasie missed with a header and Delaney the same when both could have done better whilst Cech pulled off a superb save from Stuart O’Keefe’s effort. The home side had swapped Mata for Oscar to try and gain more control but it was the visitors that continued to look the better side and were unfortunate not to score after a scramble in the Chelsea box.

Mourinho’s men did, finally, stir and subs Andre Schurrle and Demba Ba were denied by a fine double save from Speroni after Ramires fluffed a simple chance when through on goal. When the final whistle came the relief amongst the fans and Chelsea staff was evident and whilst another league win keeps the points total growing, yet again the Blues were unconvincing.

There seems to be a lack of cohesion about Chelsea and they appear to possess an inability to produce for the full 90 minutes. The Portuguese boss claims his transition is ongoing but after 16 games many would have expected it to be further on.

Next up is Sunderland on Tuesday in the quarter final of the League Cup, before a huge game at Arsenal where a performance like this is unlikely to go unpunished.

Chelsea made sure of topping Group E by beating Steaua 1-0 at Stamford Bridge. That result left them with 12 points, two clear of Germans Schalke who beat Basle 2-0 at home to secure their own passage to the next round.

The win was vital to the Blues’ hopes of progression to the final eight as it now means they will avoid Real Madrid, PSG, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Athletico Madrid in the next round. Those big guns all topped their groups, as did Man United and Borussia Dortmund, the latter pipping Arsenal to top spot in Group F after last night’s games.

Jose Mourinho will be delighted his side have got the job done and also that they kept a clean sheet but after dominating possession so heavily he would have hoped for a more convincing scoreline.

The home side took the lead after just 10 minutes when Demba Ba scored from Oscar’s flick-on. The Blues had started fast and were good value for their goal but it wasn’t too long before the away side created a good chance of their own, Gabriel Iancu wasting Bucharest’s best chance when one on one with Mark Schwarzer, the youngster pulling a tame effort wide of goal.

Overall Chelsea had almost 70% of the ball and with twice as many shots as the Romanians they should certainly have scored more. Both Ba and Eden Hazard missed excellent opportunities to extend the Blues’ lead and their inability to do so will have frustrated The Special One who had called for his side to be more clinical in front of goal. There were further chances for Ba and Hazard, whilst even before the early opener David Luiz or Oscar could have opened the scoring.

However, there were certainly positives for the Pensioners, with a very good performance from much maligned Brazilian, Willian, who controlled the midfield and showed excellent passing range. Equally, the clean sheet will have satisfied the boss after conceding seven in their last three, including three at Stoke last time out and another three at Sunderland prior to that.

Much as Mourinho claimed those goals were down to bad luck rather than poor defending, this clean sheet will give the Pensioners confidence and with a trip to Arsenal looming just before Christmas and a League Cup quarter before that, this result stands them in good stead.

More importantly though, as said, it means they avoid the big boys – as well as Arsenal and Man City – in the next round. Chelsea will face either Bayer Leverkusen, Galatasaray, Olympiakos, Zenit St Petersburg or AC Milan and would feel confident against any of those, especially with Milan down in ninth in Serie A.

Leverkusen, second in the Bundesliga, would be the toughest draw but given Man United beat them home and away in Group A, John Terry and co would still fancy their chances.

The draw for the next round will be made in Nyon, Switzerland, on the 16th December.

Chelsea suffered their third Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday when they went down 3-2 at Stoke City. In an exciting game that saw plenty of chances for both sides it was the home side who ultimately edged it after early profligacy in front of goal cost the visitors dear.

Jose Mourinho’s men have now conceded three goals in their last two matches, and while they had enough firepower to overcome Sunderland at the Stadium of Light in midweek (a match the Blues won 4-3), they didn’t have the required finishing ability to get the better of the Potters in front of a vociferous crowd at the Britannia.

Things started well enough for the Pensioners when Andre Schurrle fired home after nine minutes, but lanky Peter Crouch levelled things up just before the break after Petr Cech was caught in no man’s land at a corner, leaving himself helpless to prevent the low effort.

Stoke came out after half time with all guns blazing, their equaliser having visibly galvanised the players. After good work on the right from Jonathan Walters, Stephen Ireland put the home side ahead with a curling shot that left Cech with no chance. The equaliser, though, was not long in coming, Schurrle popping up again to smash a fine half-volley past Asmir Begovic.

At 2-2 it looked like Chelsea were having the better of the play, but Stoke defended stoutly and refrained from simply sitting back in the hope of earning a point. It was left to Stoke’s Oussama Assaidi (on loan from Liverpool) to settle matters with a strike that deserved to win any match. Again Cech had no hope of preventing the venomous strike that nestled in the top corner, and – given it was scored as the 90 minutes were coming to an end – the visitors simply had no time to respond.

Blues boss Mourinho looked far from happy after the match, bemoaning his side’s wastefulness in the first half and the fact they have conceded six goals in two games. It was the first time they had conceded three goals in consecutive away matches since April/May 1998, and the Portuguese manager was clearly not impressed.

Given the lack of firepower or clinical finishing it is likely Chelsea will seek to dip into the transfer market in January, at least if they want to get themselves in a position to battle for the title. They will certainly need to improve at both ends of the pitch if they are to get anything when they face Arsenal at the Emirates on 23rd December, a match which could yet prove pivotal in the race to become Premier League champions.

They have two matches before that (both at home, to Steaua Bucharest and Crystal Palace) followed by a further two home matches in the league (Swansea and Liverpool), after which we will have a much better idea about whether Mourinho’s men are serious contenders for the title. On Saturday’s evidence we would have to say not.

Chelsea came from behind to win a pulsating encounter at the Stadium of Light by a 4-3 scoreline but it is clear that the Blues still have so much work to do, especially on the road.

Prior to this they had dropped points at Everton, Spurs, Newcastle and Man United on the road, only mustering wins against lowly Norwich and West Ham and Jose Mourinho must have feared the worst when the home side scored through Jozy Altidore after just 14 minutes.

They hit back quickly to steady the nerves, Frank Lampard having a free header after fine work from Juan Mata before the superb Eden Hazard made it 2-1 with a low strike from the edge of the area. Chelsea should have closed the game out but they continue to do things the hard way.

They struggled to find any real passing rhythm against a committed Sunderland and former Man United player John O’Shea equalised after a scramble in the 50th minute. The Black Cats had seen off Man City and Newcastle in their previous home fixtures and continued to battle hard but the superior ability of the Pensioners showed as a fine finish from Hazard made it 3-2 just after the hour mark.

Mourinho replaced the ineffectual Fernando Torres, who had earlier missed a good chance, with Demba Ba whilst Mikel later replaced Mata and it was Ba who provided the cross that led to the fourth goal. Phil Bardsley could only deflect the striker’s cross past his own keeper and at 4-2, once more, that should have been it.

However, just two minutes later Bardsley notched at the right end to make it 4-3 but with just four minutes left it was too little too late and Chelsea hung on to take the three points.

Mourinho’s men might not be doing things the easy way but they remain second in the league and have now won three league games on the bounce. They were very thankful to Hazard here but ultimately deserved the victory and will hope for an improved performance in their next game at Stoke, though the Potters never make things easy at the Britannia. Our preview of that one will be coming soon.

Chelsea fought back from the shock of conceding a goal after just 13 seconds to beat Southampton 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and move up to second in the Premier League table.

It was never going to be an easy task against a side that had won at Liverpool and taken a deserved point from Old Trafford, and having conceded the early goal many Chelsea fans – and players? – could have been forgiven for thinking this was not going to their day.

The Pensioners have been struggling of late, with a tame loss at Newcastle followed in the league by the controversial 2-2 home draw with West Brom and another insipid performance – and a loss – against Basel in the Champions League (albeit proceeded by a straightforward 3-0 win at West Ham). Whilst it’s far too early to speak of pressure on Jose Mourinho, a home defeat here could have been the cue to start the debate given the short-termist nature of life in the Premier League, not to mention Roman Abramovich’s well known penchant for wanting champagne football and first class results yesterday if not earlier.

The goal that would have set Mourinho’s pulse racing here came as the result of an awful attempted back pass from manager’s favourite Michael Essien, making his first start of the season. The Ghanaian midfielder let in Jay Rodriguez who had no problem beating Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal.

Southampton have a fine blend of velvet and steel, with midfield enforcers Victor Wanyama and Morgan Schneiderlin constantly closing down and breaking up the home attacks. Oscar occasionally managed to wriggle free of their attentions and was Chelsea’s most likely source of a goal but – save for a decent strike from 18 yards that was well saved – Saints keeper Artur Boruc was rarely tested. The Brazilian attacker was subbed off after 42 minutes injured and at that stage it really looked like being Southampton’s day.

At half time The Special One made another change, bringing off Essien and switching to two up front, Demba Ba joining Fernando Torres. The change, and no doubt stern words from the boss at the interval, produced the desired effect and the Blues began to control possession and look to create chances. This urged the crowd on and, as the pressure built, Gary Cahill managed to bundle the ball in after a header from Ba.

At 1-1, with 35 minutes remaining the home side knew this game was there for the taking and captain John Terry scored with a fine header on 62 minutes. Juan Mata, making a rare start, was pulling the strings now and as Southampton tired the home side looked to make sure of the win. Torres and Ba both had chances to seal the win before the latter made sure of the points at the death after good work from Ramires.

On the balance of play it was the right result but Mourinho and his side know they have a lot of work to do if they are contest the title. A trip to Sunderland on Wednesday awaits and another three points will be required.