Chelsea 1-2 PSG Match Report – 9th March 2016

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Chelsea crashed out of the Champions league as they lost 4-2 on aggregate to French champions PSG. The Blues knew they needed a good start here to overturn a 2-1 defeat in Paris, but Adrien Rabiot scored for the French club after they dominated the early stages. Diego Costa got an equaliser as the hosts pressed late in the first half, but they couldn’t get in front. Zlatan Ibrahimovic ended all hopes that Chelsea had as he struck to send his side through.

Guus Hiddink went with an open side for this one, when many expected him to start with Nemanja Matic alongside John Obi Mikel. The Serbian was left on the bench, with Cesc Fabregas playing in the middle. John Terry sat out again, so Branislav Ivanovic captained the side, with Kenedy surprisingly in at left back.

That team seemed too open, with Fabregas never likely to break up play in central midfield. That was the case from the start, as the French side danced around the Chelsea defence. They had a couple of early chances, and it felt like a PSG goal was coming. After a quarter of an hour of pressure, Ibrahimović’s cross found Rabiot, who tapped in at the back post, as he breezed through a confused Chelsea back line.

That goal seemed to wake the home team up, as they began to exert some control over the game from there on. They had to find two goals just to force extra time, but in truth they should have managed that by half time. There were so many good chances here for Chelsea, but they only managed to score the one.

Costa got that goal just before the half hour mark, he worked his way into some space and fired past Kevin Trapp. That goal lifted the fans, but the second just wasn’t coming. The Blues pushed forward and dominated as half time closed in, but they were unable to take advantage. Even at the time, it looked like their failure to take advantage then would be their undoing.

Chelsea did keep trying after half time, but Laurent Blanc got his side pushing forward again in response. The French champions showed absolutely no fear here, and their quality shone through. Costa limped off with an injury, and then seven minutes later Ibrahimovic scored from Angel Di Maria’s cross.

From there, the tie was over. The Blues had 20 minutes to score three times, without their leading striker. Their exit here means this is the last Champions League game at Stamford Bridge for a long time. With work on the stadium possibly starting next year, it could be a long time before the competition returns here.

The scale of the defeat showed just how big the gap between the Blues and Europe’s best is. Right now, they are miles off where they should be. Whoever takes charge of this side next season has some serious work to do.

LCN Man of the Match: Kenedy

Everton v Chelsea (FA Cup) – 12th March 2016

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Chelsea face the second of two decisive fixtures in four days when they head to Goodison Park on Saturday. This FA Cup quarter final is a massive test for Guus Hiddink, a man who has made no secret of his desire to win the FA Cup again. Roberto Martinez also has history in this competition, and his Everton side need a win here just as badly as the Blues.

Of all the possible draws, this is one of the toughest on paper. Goodison Park is a difficult place to go, and it’s a ground that the Blues lost 3-1 at earlier this season. But, that win is one of just four that Everton have recorded at home in the league, so maybe this fixture isn’t the worst draw that the champions could have been handed.

Chelsea expect Diego Costa to be fit again for this tie, while John Terry is a doubt. He’s confirmed to miss the match with PSG and it remains to be seen if he can recover in time here.

Hiddink’s men will certainly need to be at their best, as this Everton side contains plenty of quality players. Romelu Lukaku and John Stones are known well by most at the club, one a former Chelsea target, the other a former Blues prospect. Both are looking like top players, although they’ve drifted in and out of form in Everton’s patchy season.

To be honest, with Everton sitting 11th in the table, Martinez should be thankful of the disaster that Chelsea have had this term. If they were in the title fight or even close to the top four from the start, then there would have been a lot more focus on the Toffees’ troubles. They have a squad packed with players who are worth £30million plus, but they still can’t contend with the likes of Leicester and Southampton at the top.

A lot of that would be forgotten with a cup victory, which makes this tie huge for Martinez. Having seen his side crash out of the League Cup, they’ll need to do better here, as they look to book a trip to Wembley for the semi finals.

Chelsea aren’t in a completely different boat, they too need success to keep their top players, and to attract new ones. This squad needs improving before next term, but why would a top player come to a side mid-table, out of the Champions League and trophyless? A cup win would show that this season was just a blip, and that they’re still contenders for silverware, even at their weakest point.

It would also give the top stars a reason to stay, with Eden Hazard among those who have been linked with a move away. Willian could be as well, and you couldn’t blame him if his head was turned, given how much he’s contributed compared to his teammates. After the season he has had, the Brazilian deserves to be playing at the highest level.

Of course, when it’s make or break for both sides, someone is going home disappointed. Hopefully the experience in the Blues side will give them the edge in this one and given Everton’s defensive problems we fancy Chelsea to get the job done.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1

Former Chelsea Doctor Wants Public Apology

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Chelsea’s former club doctor, Eva Carneiro, has made clear that any settlement she receives in her employment case against the club should include an apology from the club’s former manger Jose Mourinho.

The Gibraltar born medical professional is suing her former club for constructive dismissal, whilst also launching a separate legal action against Mourinho regarding the same incident that resulted in her departure from the London club. Her suit against the self-proclaimed ‘Special One’, who was sacked by Chelsea in December after a series of poor results, is for victimisation and discrimination.

Mary O’Rourke QC, Carneiro’s barrister, refused to say much after she left the London South Employment Tribunal on Monday afternoon, stating that proceedings were ‘confidential’. She did, however, make clear that a resolution was unlikely. She said, “The two sides are so far apart financially. And we want Mr Mourinho to make a public apology”.

The fact that the two sides are so far apart on any possible agreement means that the case is likely to go to a full employment tribunal, with a date of June 6th currently pencilled in to hear the case. Bruce Buck, Chelsea’s chairman, and board member Marina Granovskaia were both in attendance at the private mediation hearing but neither were able to help the case come to a mutually acceptable conclusion.

The incident stems from how Carneiro felt she was treated by Mourinho during the club’s match against Swansea on the opening day of the season. Chelsea were already down to ten men after Thibaut Courtois was sent off for a late tackle on Swans striker Bafetimbi Gomis. Towards the end of the game Eden Hazard, the Blues’ winger, went down with an injury and the medical team were called onto the pitch several times by the referee.

Carneiro and Jon Fearn, the club’s physio, ran on to the pitch to give Hazard treatment, meaning that he had to go off and leave the team with just nine players for a period of the game. After the match the Portuguese manager called his medical team ‘impulsive and naive’ for going on to the pitch at such a late stage in the game. He later decided to demote Carneiro from first-team duties.

Those in positions of power at the defending Premier League champions have consistently refused to comment on the ongoing trial, stating that they won’t comment on an internal staffing matter. If the case goes to a full tribunal, however, then the whole thing will be played out in public. Statements, emails, text messages and documents could all be made available for the trial and the match referee as well as members of Chelsea’s staff will be called as witnesses.

Mourinho wasn’t represented at yesterday’s hearing, with the club continuing to defend him despite having ended his association with the West Londoners at the end of last year. The Portuguese manager has been consistently linked with a move to Manchester United, should the Red Devils choose to part company with Louis Van Gaal this summer. He was cleared of using discriminatory language by the Football Association after the investigated footage appearing to show him aim the Portuguese words for ‘son of a bitch’ at Carneiro during the game last August.

Chelsea 1-1 Stoke Match Report – 5th March 2015

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Chelsea warmed up for their crucial Champions League tie in midweek with a 1-1 draw at home to Stoke. The game was a mixed bag for the Blues, with Bertrand Traore scoring a fantastic opener, and Guus Hiddink setting a league record for longest unbeaten start by a manager. Stoke could have ended that unbeaten run, as they pushed forwards and probably deserved more than just Mame Biram Diouf’s goal.

Hiddink started this game without Diego Costa, who had a minor injury. It’s nothing serious, it’s likely he was just rested ahead of the PSG and Everton games later this week. Traore replaced him up front, while Nemanja Matic came in for Cesc Fabregas in midfield. Aside from that, Hiddink went with the team that beat Norwich 2-1 in midweek.

Traore started well up front, working hard in a game that seemed to mean very little. While Stoke are hoping to make the Europa League, this game was nothing compared to what was coming for the Blues in the next week. It was a hard one for fans to get excited about, they all seemed to be focusing on the tie with PSG on Wednesday. It’s hard to blame them for it, the league has lost its shine after the awful start made by the Blues.

That fact that Hiddink is using these games to give a youngster a chance in the form of Traore is great, especially when he’s picked ahead of January signing Alexandre Pato. You’d not be blamed for forgetting that the Brazilian was a member of the Blues squad. Traore has taken his chance in the team brilliantly, and Saturday was no exception.

When he picked the ball up with five minutes to go until half time, he showed no fear. He took a touch, moved himself into a position to strike, and hit a left footed thunderbolt into the net. It might be the best goal scored at Stamford Bridge this season, and it helped announce the arrival of a young forward who can hopefully kick on where many strikers have failed.

The energy created by that goal had apparently evaporated by the time the Blues came out for the second half, and Stoke took control of the game. They dominated most of the second half without scoring, and it looked like the Blues would hold on to record a fourth consecutive league win.

With just five minutes left to play, however, Stoke got level. Mame Biram Diouf was first onto a Thibaut Courtois punch, and he was presented with the perfect chance to score for the first time since September. He headed home, giving Stoke the point that their second half display deserved. They came close to taking all three, with Courtois saving in injury time from Bojan.

The Blues will need to be a lot more focused on Wednesday, as they look to overturn a 2-1 defeat against PSG. They’ll want to do it without going to extra time, with a cup quarter final against Everton to come on Saturday.

LCN Man of the Match: Bertrand Traore

Norwich 1-2 Chelsea Match Report – 1st March 2016

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Chelsea moved up to eighth in the Premier League table after picking up a 2-1 victory at struggling Norwich. A very early goal from Kenedy got things off to the perfect start for the Blues, before Diego Costa hit a second to extend the lead. Guus Hiddink’s men had to hold out as the Canaries pushed for an equaliser, but they managed to hold on to make it three league victories in a row.

Hiddink made a couple of changes to his team for this one, and they weren’t what we were expecting. John Terry failed to make the bench again, while Abdul Baba Bahman dropped out of the side. Kenedy came in at left back, while Bertrand Traore came into the side for Willian. Pedro was left out of the squad here, after coming off early against Southampton on Saturday.

The fastest goal of the Premier League season isn’t the worst way to kick off a game, and that’s exactly what the Blues got. Anyone questioning Kenedy’s inclusion at left back was quickly silenced, as the young Brazilian made a swift breakthrough. He shot from 20 yards, finding the net just 39 seconds into the game. Given that the Blues scored late on Saturday, they’ve picked up right where they left off here.

The Canaries seemed stunned after that goal, not sure if they should deviate from their pre-match plans. They had been set up to frustrate Chelsea, but obviously that idea was ruined very quickly. It took a while for Alex Neill to reorganise them to a new way of playing, but that didn’t exactly go to plan for them either.

It seemed like they just wanted to be still in the game after the break. They were playing for half time, hoping to keep the score to 1-0. Costa had other ideas, after Traore put him through. The Spaniard was clearly offside, something that everyone could see apart from the linesman. The flag stayed down, and John Ruddy dived towards the feet of Costa. He lifted the ball over the keeper, scoring for the eighth time in his last 10 outings.

Norwich did push back in the second half, and Nathan Redmond got a goal back for them. That set up a nervy finish for the Blues, but they held on to their lead, which saw them jumping into the top half of the league table. With three wins on the spin, is this the run we’ve all been expecting the Blues to go on?

Hiddink has to get credit for putting together this run of form. On top of that, going with Kenedy and Traore was a big statement from him. These kinds of games are a great chance to blend a few youngsters into the team, so we hope to see more of those two and Ruben Loftus-Cheek going forward. It would have been easy for Hiddink to just play the big names since he’s on a short term deal, but he’s handing out starts to players that could be the future of the club.

LCN Man of the Match: Cesc Fabregas

Chelsea v Stoke Match Preview (Premier League) – Saturday 5th March 2016

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Chelsea are looking to make it back to back home league wins with victory over Stoke City on Saturday. After thrashing Newcastle last month, the Blues are now hoping to get some momentum going at the Bridge, before attention turns to a massive few days for the club. Can they take a much need victory here, or will this be another slip up?

Momentum seems to be the big thing about the club now, as they look to battle for success in two cup competitions. The Blues have got themselves up the table after a couple of wins, but they’re now playing so well that they can be considered a threat in both the FA Cup and Champions League. It’s going to take a huge effort for them to win either competition, but right now they’re certainly in with a chance.

Next week is a make or break week for their season, with PSG visiting the Bridge on the Wednesday night in the Champions League. That’s followed by a trip to Everton in the FA Cup quarter finals the Saturday after, and that will really test their ambitions for the season.

Guus Hiddink will want his side in good form going into those games, but there’s also a possibility that he’ll hold a couple of players back for those clashes. With the Stoke game in the league much less important than the cup clashes, we might see a rotated side take the field this weekend. Few managers would prioritise the cups ahead of the league, but in Hiddink’s short stay, trophies are the most important thing to him and the best the Premier League can seemingly offer is the booby prize of Europa League qualification.

That does mean the team are running the risk of taking their eye off the ball in the league ahead of this Stoke game. If they do choose to rest a few players, that could leave them at risk of an upset. Stoke have already beaten the champions twice this season, albeit once on penalties. Both those games came at the Britannia Stadium, while unusually Stoke have actually been pretty dangerous on the road this term.

They’ve been through a poor recent run, where they lost three games in a row away from home, but they got back to winning ways at Bournemouth. With their set up, they’re a brilliant counter attacking side, and that could hurt this Chelsea team, as they’re just getting back the confidence to control games. Without their biggest names, this could be a very tough afternoon.

Given the size of the squad, it’s hard to see full scale rotation here. One or two may drop out, but expect Hiddink to try and keep his side winning games, so they go into their crucial week in impressive form. They need to restore their fear factor at the Bridge, and the only way to do that is to keep on winning.

LCN Verdict: Chelsea to win 2-1