Author: chelseafan

Chelsea kept themselves at the top of the Premier League table with a Boxing Day victory over London rivals West Ham at Stamford Bridge. John Terry and Diego Costa scored the all-important goals to see off the fourth placed Hammers, thus extending their lead over City to six points before the champions played later in the day (and won at West Brom).

Last week’s win at Stoke felt like a big victory for the team, keeping them top on Christmas Day, and Mourinho was looking to follow that up with another one here. The Blues returned to what is considered their best team, with John Obi Mikel making way for Oscar. Given West Ham’s defensive performance in their last game at the Bridge, the so-called “19th century football”, the extra attacking numbers would be needed.

This time, the West Ham defensive barrier wasn’t quite so difficult to crack. The Blues took the lead after the half hour mark, with Terry scoring the opener from a corner for the second game in a row. Cesc Fabregas’ corner was headed down by Costa, straight into the path of the captain who stuck out a foot and tapped it home from a few yards out, which was the perfect way to silence the away support.

The Blues dominated for the rest of the half, and there was controversy when Branislav Ivanovic went down in the area under a challenge from Andy Carroll. The striker looked to have had his arm out, but a penalty would have been a little on the harsh side. There was a coming together of several players in the aftermath, and the referee handled it smartly by keeping his cards pocketed.

The second half was quite even, with West Ham pushing forward with more energy and belief. Chelsea had opportunities from free kicks, with Willian and Costa going close before the home side finally doubled the lead, through top scorer Costa. Possession fell to Eden Hazard on the half way line, and he quickly fed it to the Spaniard. He straight away went looking for goal, and – after twisting and turning – Costa evaded the attentions of three West Ham defenders and fired home from just outside the box.

Thibaut Courtois was given a couple of scares towards the end after going largely without hassle for most of the match. Morgan Amalfitano’s header caught the keeper off guard, and it went just wide of the post. He got even closer moments later, jinking past Terry and Gary Cahill before seeing his shot come back off the post.

That little revival for West Ham came to nothing, with the Blues recording a 14th clean sheet in 17 home Premier League games. It was a Mourinho special, a goal in each half, a clean sheet and a comfortable 2-0 win. It was a deserved three points, and they’ll now be looking forward to their visit to Southampton on Sunday, as the games just keep on coming.

LCN Man of the Match: Nemanja Matic

Chelsea cemented their position at the top of the tree for Christmas after a battling win over a physical Stoke side at the Britannia Stadium. John Terry scored early on in the game, before Cesc Fabregas added a second goal with just over 10 minutes to go. That win puts the Blues three points clear of City once more, after the champions won 3-0 against Crystal Palace at the weekend.

Jose Mourinho made changes to his team selection to prevent a repeat of the 3-2 defeat they suffered at Stoke last year. John Obi Mikel came in alongside Nemanja Matic in a deeper midfield role, targeting Bojan and cutting off service to him. Aside from that, it was the usual team, with Thibaut Courtois replacing Petr Cech in goal.

The team hit the ground running, getting on the front foot from the first whistle. As always at Stoke, questions were asked about how the visitors would deal with set pieces, but the Blues scored from a corner themselves after just 95 seconds. Cesc Fabregas got yet another assist, delivering the corner, and John Terry rose to meet it on his 650th appearance for the Blues.

That goal edged the visitors ahead, and they then went on to control most of the play from that point. Mourinho got animated on the touchline at the referee twice, after he got in the way of a quick counter attack, and after he gave Phil Bardsley just a yellow card for a thumping tackle on Eden Hazard. Despite that, he will have gone in happy at the break, with his side leading 1-0.

Stoke had more of the game in the second half, but they couldn’t work a real chance. Thibaut Courtois dealt with the aerial threat of Stoke well, and this kind of game was made for him given his height and confidence from set pieces. The league leaders had their defence put through their paces, and they came out of this one looking in good shape.

The Mikel and Matic combination worked well, and that allowed Cesc Fabregas to play further forward in the number 10 role. That paid off for him, as he got his name on the score sheet. Eden Hazard was the provider, he found Cesc in the box, and his mis-control actually took him in to space before he found the net. It wasn’t the typical goal that the former Barcelona man has been involved in, but it was a crucial one.

The Blues held on to win 2-0, keeping them top of the tree this Christmas. Despite the performances of Fabregas and Terry, the star was no doubt Matic. He was in fantastic form, breaking up play and denying the home side space. The Blues have been top of the Premier League table on Christmas Day on three occasions, and they won the league every time. That’s should make Christmas Day more enjoyable for Mourinho and his men, but the hard work starts again on Boxing Day against West Ham.

LCN Man of the Match: Nemanja Matic

Chelsea clinched a place in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup with a comfortable win over Derby on Tuesday evening. Goals from Eden Hazard, Filipe Luis and Andre Schurrle helped the Blues through, with Craig Bryson scoring for the home side. Adam Buxton was sent off for Derby, while Chelsea had Kurt Zouma taken off with a head injury.

Chelsea fielded a strong side for the game, with only a few changes made and only one young player included, in the aforementioned Zouma. The likes of Didier Drogba and World Cup winners Andre Schurrle and Cesc Fabregas came into the side, showing that Mourinho is taking this competition seriously as he looks to bring an end to his two year spell without a trophy. Of course, the time gap between this game and Monday’s meeting with Stoke will have played a part.

There was a slow start at the iPro as neither side really did much in the game during the opening exchanges, but the Blues managed to seize on a Derby mistake to make a breakthrough. The visitors pressed from the start, and Eden Hazard picked up on a slip from Andy Keogh. He then attempted to make up for his mistake and clear the ball, which landed right at the feet of Fabregas. He gave the ball back to the Belgian, who found himself some space in the box and applied the finish.

The Premier League leaders took control from that point on, but they were unable to take advantage. Derby had a late rally in the first half, and after they got a corner Zouma was involved in a collision with Petr Cech, leaving him on the floor for several minutes before being stretchered off. Branislav Ivanovic came on to replace him.

Will Hughes went close for the Championship side, with Petr Cech and John Obi Mikel getting in the way of his shot. They found themselves two goals behind just 10 minutes into the second half, after Hughes fouled Drogba. It was Luis who stepped up to take the free kick, curling in a fantastic effort to open his account for the club in impressive fashion.

The hosts pulled a goal back when Bryson swept a shot home from just outside the area, which looked like it would set up a grandstand finish. Before they could really push for an equaliser, however, Remy ran through on goal and was dragged back by Buxton, who was then sent off. While it looked harsh at the time, replays suggested the referee made the right call.

That allowed Chelsea to pour forward again, and the game was sealed when Schurrle added the third goal. Fabregas played in Remy, who saw his shot saved, before the German slotted the ball home to restore their two goal lead. That was enough to put the Blues through to the next round, with the semi-finals due to be played next month.

LCN Man of the Match: Cesc Fabregas

Chelsea continued their 100% home league record with a comfortable win over an out of form Hull side. Goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa fired the Blues to victory, keeping them three points clear at the top of the table. In between those strikes, the visitors had Tom Huddlestone sent off.

The hosts weren’t quite at their strongest, as they had Cesc Fabregas missing through suspension. That allowed John Obi Mikel to start, as he and Nemanja Matic formed a formidable defensive shield in the middle. Thibaut Courtois was injured late in the week, with Petr Cech coming in to replace him. As far as replacements go, those were two pretty good ones.

The home support didn’t have to wait long for the opening goal, with the Blues ahead within seven minutes. Matic, who missed out last week through suspension, sent in a fantastic cross which was headed in by Hazard of all people. The Belgian found himself unmarked in the box, and he got his head on it to put Chelsea ahead.

There was an air of complacency after that, with the league leaders dropping down a gear and letting Hull back in to it. Steve Bruce’s men couldn’t really force a chance, but there was little threat coming from the Chelsea attack. They carried a narrow 1-0 lead in at half time, needing to step things up in the second half.

The second period started off evenly matched, but the red card just before the hour mark really hit Hull. Huddlestone went in with an ugly challenge on Filipe Luis, which deserved a straight red. With the visitors down to 10, Chelsea knew they had this one in their control.

That control was extended soon after, when they doubled their lead. Hazard was impressive, and he teed up Costa who ended a four game goalless drought. It was a well taken goal by the former Atletico Madrid man, and it showed that he’s at his best when going on instinct. He’s seemed a little hesitant in the last couple of weeks, but he hit this one before he had time to think and buried it in the Hull net.

It was by no means the best performance from Chelsea this season, but it was classic Mourinho. Early goal, double the lead in the second half, keep a clean sheet and head home with a 2-0 win. While many will have wanted to see them press on for a bigger win, that energy is better saved with many more games to come in the next few weeks.

This result kept Chelsea three points ahead of Man City, who won 1-0 at Leicester. While the dives from Gary Cahill and Willian will dominate the news cycle, what’s more important is Chelsea are back to winning ways in the Premier League. Next up for the Blues is a trip to Derby on Tuesday night in the Capital One Cup.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

A much-changed Chelsea side won in the final game of their Champions League group, condemning Sporting to the Europa League. Goals from Cesc Fabregas, Andre Schurrle and John Obi Mikel helped Chelsea to the victory, which lent a helping hand to a Chelsea legend in the process.

The build up to this game was dominated by talk of a player who didn’t even start, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek taking up a place on the bench but the 18-year-old was heavily tipped to make his debut. Several Chelsea stars were left out, but Diego Costa surprisingly started up front.

Filipe Luis was one of those who came into the side, and he made an instant impact. Luis has been limited to Champions League games mainly, so we’ve seen little of him bombing forward. He did that here, and he was brought down in the box by Ricardo Esgaio. Fabregas stepped up to the spot and scored, despite many thinking Costa would be the one to take it with Eden Hazard missing out.

That lead was doubled less than 10 minutes later, when Andre Schurrle blasted home a low shot with his right foot. The German has been struggling with illness of late, which has affected his performances on the pitch. This game was a welcome return to form for him, something he needed if he was to go on and push for a starting spot in the coming weeks.

Sporting hit back in the second half, with defender Jonathan Silva pulling one back just five minutes after the break. It was a well taken goal, chesting it down before putting the ball past Petr Cech, who was getting a rare start in goal. That goal briefly ignited hope for Sporting, who needed a point to guarantee a spot in the last 16.

Sadly for them, that hope was short lived. The Blues reopened their two goal lead just six minutes later, with Mikel the unlikely source. Fabregas once again delivered the ball, this time from a free kick. Gary Cahill flicked the ball on, and there was Mikel at the back post to tap it home from the shortest of distances. On replay, there were questions of offside, but the goal stood to give Mikel his first of the season.

There were a few chances after that, but Mikel’s goal almost ended the contest. Loftus-Cheek made his appearance with just under 10 minutes to go, and despite a few heavy touches he looked talented, going on a run at the Sporting defence before being fouled. While he’s not likely to break in the team any time soon, he looks like a great prospect.

That win meant that Schalke had the chance to go second in the group, and they duly did so with a 1-0 win at Maribor. Roberto Di Matteo has his former club to thank for helping his current side in to the Champions League last 16. After the 5-0 win over them a few weeks ago, Mourinho wouldn’t mind meeting them again later in the competition.

LCN Man of the Match: Cesc Fabregas

Chelsea surrendered their unbeaten record in a disappointing 2-1 defeat at Newcastle on Saturday. Sloppy defending twice allowed Papiss Cisse to score, before Steven Taylor was sent off for the hosts. Didier Drogba pulled one back, but it wasn’t enough to rescue a point for the Blues.

Chelsea came into this game with almost a full strength team, but they were missing Nemanja Matic through suspension. They were looking to end an unwelcome record for Jose Mourinho, as he had never won a game at St James’ Park. The Blues boss also knew his side had lost here on their last two visits, so they had to up their game.

In truth, the Blues did up their game. They had two thirds of the possession, had 26 shots and 10 corners, but they just couldn’t make that apparent dominance count. The first half was an even affair, with both sides creating chances, but Newcastle made the breakthrough in the second half. Gary Cahill couldn’t get to Sammy Ameobi’s cross, and that left Cisse with an easy tap-in to put the hosts in front.

The Blues pushed forward trying to get themselves back into the game, and Eden Hazard saw his shot cannon off the post. Sadly for the Blues, seconds later Newcastle were more clinical at the other end. The Magpies counter-attacked, and the ball fell to Cisse once again who gleefully doubled the lead. He could hardly believe his luck against a usually solid Chelsea back line.

The visitors were handed a way back into the game when Steven Taylor, who was already on a yellow card, fouled Andre Schurrle and received his marching orders. Didier Drogba came off the bench to join Costa up front, and he pulled a goal back for Chelsea. Cesc Fabregas once again made the assist, as his free kick was headed in by the big Ivorian.

They pushed for the equaliser, but missed several chances late on that could have clinched a point. With that, their 21 game unbeaten run was brought to an end, and City were handed a massive opportunity in the title race. It’s important to remember that this is a particularly difficult trip to make, especially without the man that Mourinho considers to be Chelsea’s best player.

After the game, the Blues’ manager criticised the crowd for time wasting towards the end of the game. “Things were happening that the referee cannot control,” said Mourinho. “He cannot punish the ball boy that disappears, the people in the crowd that keep the ball or somebody that throws a second ball on to the pitch.”

“If the six minutes were to be played normally it would be fine, but again in the six minutes more of the same happens,” he added. “One thing is to waste time on the pitch in a proper way – you keep the ball, you go to the corner, you hold the ball, you wait for the free-kick and the goalkeeper is not running to get the ball. But another thing is what happens outside the four lines which is the responsibility not of the referee.”

LCN Man of the Match: Didier Drogba

Chelsea maintained their unbeaten campaign with a comfortable win over Tottenham at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Goals from Eden Hazard, Didier Drogba and Loic Remy helped the Blues to victory, which keeps them six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

The Blues started with 10 of the side that drew at Sunderland, despite the team showing signs of fatigue in the North East. The only change was an enforced one, with Diego Costa missing out through suspension. Didier Drogba was the man picked to replace Costa, and he delivered with a tireless performance that earned him a goal.

The hosts didn’t get off to the best of starts, however, with Spurs having most of the early chances. They grabbed a foothold in the game after about 15 minutes, and the opener followed soon after. Tottenham’s defence was spliced apart after a good move, which saw Hazard and Drogba trade passes before the Belgian powered the ball past Hugo Lloris, the start of an awful night for the French keeper.

The second goal followed just moments later, with Drogba applying the finishing touch this time. Lloris’s goal kick went straight to Hazard and he linked up well with Oscar, as they did all night and have for most of the season, and he fed the ball to the Ivorian. While the Chelsea legend has lost a little pace, he’s still deadly in front of goal and he fired low to double the home side’s lead.

Gary Cahill was hurt in a collision with Jan Vertonghen in the first half, and he had to come off at half time. Kurt Zouma replaced him at centre half, but by that stage the Blues were in total control of the game. They continued to push forward, but midway through the second half they were forced in to another change, with Didier Drogba having to come off for Loic Remy.

It was Remy who scored the final goal of the night, not long after he came off the bench. The Frenchman ran onto the ball in the box, held firm while being fouled by Vertonghen before outmuscling him and working space for a shot. His low effort sailed into the bottom corner, leaving Lloris helpless in goal.

That wrapped up the victory for Chelsea, and in the end it was a relatively comfortable affair. They kept Spurs down to just two shots on goal, and in recent weeks they’ve been impressive in not conceding shots let alone goals. Altogether it was a display with which Jose Mourinho will be delighted, with the Blues doing enough to win the game by half time, which should help fitness levels before their trip to Newcastle this weekend.

The only poor part of the performance was Nemanja Matic’s yellow card, which rules him out of the trip to Newcastle. He now has a one game suspension, and we could see a few more of those creeping up over the hectic Christmas run of games.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Chelsea couldn’t find a way past a stubborn Sunderland defence in a disappointing game at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. The league leaders drew a blank for the first time this season, and they could have lost the game late on as Sunderland had quite a few chances.

Jose Mourinho kept faith with the side which started in the 5-0 win over Schalke in midweek, and they came into this game as huge favourites at a ground at which they’ve won their last nine league visits. Of course, the Black Cats won the last meeting between these sides at Stamford Bridge in April, ending Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten home league record in the process, so the Portuguese boss knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park.

Chelsea looked like a side on a mission for revenge in the early stages, as they camped outside the home side’s box and penned their players in. They probed and looked for a way through the resilient defence, but gaps were few and far between. Chelsea’s best chance came from Willian, the Brazilian hitting the post with a low drive from range.

With the Blues unable to find a way through, Sunderland’s confidence grew and they stepped out a little more. They hit the wood work themselves shortly after, when defender Santiago Vergini popped up in the Chelsea box and saw his effort crash off the cross bar.

The second half was a little livelier, but still there were no breakthroughs. The home side continued to look solid after the break, with Connor Wickham’s powerful shot almost catching Thibaut Courtois off guard. Jozy Altidore was sent on by former Blue Gus Poyet, and the American had a good chance to end Chelsea’s unbeaten run late on, as did winger Adam Johnson.

Mourinho sent on Didier Drogba, Loic Remy and Andre Schurrle as the game neared its conclusion in order to try and find a winner, but they created little. It was a point that Sunderland deserved for their hard work, restricting Chelsea to shots from distance like they did at the Bridge last season. The biggest blow of the night was probably a yellow card for Diego Costa, which keeps him out of Wednesday’s game against Spurs. Costa was at his most confrontational, and he could have seen red for an angry lash out at John O’Shea in the first half.

After the game Mourinho praised his opponents, whilst deflecting questions on Costa’s booking. “They defended a lot and they defended well”, he said. “Defending a lot and well is not a crime. It is a strategy and it was successful for them. We were a bit tired towards the end and we left a bit of space. But I’ve got nothing negative to say about my team.”

On Costa’s booking, for an aerial collision with Wes Brown, Mourinho said, “I didn’t see it. But the referee was close and he had a very good performance throughout. If I see the incident on television I might have a better opinion.”

LCN Man of the Match: Branislav Ivanovic

Chelsea hammered a limp Schalke side at the Veltins Arena to confirm their place in the last 16 as group winners. The Blues went ahead early on through John Terry, and Willian doubled the lead. Jan Kirchhoff put the ball in his own net late in the first half before Didier Drogba and Ramires added gloss to the win in the second period.

It’s fair to say that many didn’t expect such an easy game beforehand, with this being seen as a tough task for Jose Mourinho’s men. They came up against former manager Roberto Di Matteo, with these sides fighting it out for top spot in the group. Schalke trailed Chelsea by three points before the game, and a win here would have put the Germans top.

Mourinho named his strongest possible side, and any pre-game worries were extinguished when Terry put the visitors ahead after just two minutes. Cesc Fabregas once again set it up, with Terry rising to head in the Spaniard’s corner. Their lead was doubled just before the half hour mark, when a fantastic flowing move was finished off by Willian, who was in sterling form.

The game was put beyond doubt just before half time, when Kirchoff summed up his side’s night by heading in to his own goal. That goal pretty much confirmed the three points for Chelsea, putting them through to the next round and giving them an uncatchable lead at the top. That was also the end for Kirchoff, as he was hauled off at half time by Di Matteo.

The second half was less action packed early on, with Diego Costa coming off just after the hour mark with an apparent leg injury. Given how he’s played in recent weeks, and his injury record, that was the first real moment of concern for the away faithful, but Mourinho confirmed after the game that Costa will be fit for the trip to Sunderland at the weekend.

Luckily Costa’s replacement Didier Drogba isn’t such a bad player (!), and he added the fourth goal for the Blues. Willian teed up the Ivorian to tap in to an empty net, less than 10 minutes after he came off the bench. Ramires fared even better than that, scoring just moments after coming on. He made an instant impact, heading in from Drogba’s cross to make it 5-0.

It was a result deserving of Chelsea’s performance, they completely outclassed the German side. Many of Europe’s best would struggle to live with the Premier League leaders playing like this, and on this form they could go further than last year’s semi final exit. One thing that will help that is topping the group, theoretically giving them an easier tie in the next round. They’ll be glad to have secured that with a game to spare, so they can focus elsewhere during December.

LCN Man of the Match: Willian

Chelsea extended their advantage at the top of the Premier League with a comfortable win over West Brom at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Diego Costa and Eden Hazard in the first half sent the Blues on their way, and Claudio Yacob’s sending off in that period ended West Brom’s hopes. At that point the Blues looked set for a big win, but they had to settle for just the two goals.

There were doubts about the fitness of both Costa and Cesc Fabregas before the game, but both of those were fit enough to make the starting 11. Chelsea came in to this one having beaten West Brom just once in their last five meetings, but they showed from pretty early on that they’d have little trouble on the day.

West Brom packed defenders around Costa early on, but he broke the deadlock just over 10 minutes in to the game. He got on the end of a delivery from Oscar, and fired home to put the Blues in the lead. The Blues dominated the first half, with West Brom getting very little by the way of chances. The pressure paid off for the Blues, as they doubled their lead just 15 minutes later.

The Pensioners caught West Brom sleeping at a corner, and they were inventive enough to take advantage. Fabregas took the corner, played it quick and low to Hazard who was unmarked at the near post, and he looked up and slotted the ball low past Ben Foster. It was a fantastic piece of play, giving Chelsea a comfortable lead.

West Brom looked outclassed, and it got even worse for them towards the end of the first half, when Yacob was sent off for what looked like a two footed challenge on Costa. Yacob didn’t connect with the tackle, and the card was debatable, but from then on Chelsea looked assured of the win.

The Stamford Bridge faithful would have thought they were in for a few more goals in the second half, but it wasn’t to be. They controlled the game, but it fizzled out as the Blues began to make changes ahead of the Schalke game on Tuesday night. In the end the league leaders dominated it, having almost 75% of possession with Thibaut Courtois having just a single shot to face all day.

That win extended the Blues’ unbeaten record to 18 games in all competitions, and to 12 in the Premier League. Jose Mourinho’s men are now seven points clear of Southampton in second, with the Saints playing on Monday night, and they maintain their eight point lead over champions Manchester City. All in all it was a productive day for the home side, and they topped it off with a much needed clean sheet, which was only their sixth of the season so far.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard