Author: chelseafan

Chelsea were humiliated by a blistering Manchester City side at the Etihad Stadium. Goals from Sergio Aguero, Vincent Kompany and Fernandinho punished the sloppy Blues, who are now five points off City in the table. Jose Mourinho brought John Terry off at half time, the first time he’s ever done that in the Premier League.

Asmir Begovic came in for the suspended Thibaut Courtois ahead of this tough game, while Ramires replaced the injured Oscar. The Brazilian started on the right, with Cesc Fabregas and Nemanja Matic in central midfield. Aside from that, the team was unchanged from the one that drew at home to Swansea last week.

Begovic had a busy time on his first full start for the club, as he was called in to action to stop Aguero on several occasions. The Argentine had four chances early on to put his side ahead, before he finally converted. That goal had been coming, as David Silva ran the show early on, slicing through a Chelsea side who again looked off the pace.

Eliaquim Mangala had a great chance to double the lead, but he headed wide from a free kick. Gary Cahill and Begovic collided while trying to defend that free kick, with the former ending up with a bloody nose for his troubles. That brought the Chelsea physios on to the pitch, much to the delight of the home support.

Soon after, there were more wounds for the Blues, as Diego Costa went down after being elbowed in the head by Fernandinho. That left a lot of work for the medical staff, which dragged attention away from the fact that the City man deserved a red. That decision could have changed the game, but somehow the referee only gave him a booking.

Terry’s half time substitution left a lot of fans scratching their heads, as Kurt Zouma took his place. Cahill stayed on, despite being covered in blood with his nose swelling up. It seemed like a message to the top at how thin the squad currently is at the back. They did manage to push forward in the second half, with Eden Hazard missing a glorious chance.

Branislav Ivanovic didn’t have the best time of things last weekend, and he really struggled here. The Serbian was at fault for the second and third City goal, and he looked way off the pace. Ivanovic was brushed off by Kompany from a corner, and the City captain headed in to seal the win.

Ivanovic’s sloppy clearance then fell in to the path of Fernandinho, and he hit a long range strike that sailed past Begovic. The keeper had very little he could do about the result on the day and he made a few impressive stops early on, but the defenders ahead of him left him exposed against a very talented attacking force.

LCN Man of the Match: Asmir Begovic

The Blues dropped two points in a disappointing opening day draw against Swansea. A red card for goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made the day worse, as the hosts once again looked far from full fitness. Oscar opened the scoring, before Andre Ayew equalised for the hosts. A Federico Fernandez own goal saw Chelsea ahead again, but Bafetimbi Gomis equalised from the spot after Courtois gave away a penalty.

Diego Costa made a welcome return to the champions’ line up for their first Premier League fixture of the new season. Oscar took his place in the team at the expensive of Ramires, as Mourinho went for a more attacking set-up for the visit of the Welsh side. There were no other shocks in terms of team selection, despite a few players looking jaded against Arsenal last week.

They made a good start to their league opener, as they looked in control for most of the first half here. The opening goal was a welcome surprise for Oscar, as his whipped free kick went across goal untouched, and landed in the bottom corner. It was a deserved lead, but it looked like the Brazilian didn’t even notice that he’d scored.

The Swans came back, ensuring that the scores were level again six minutes later, as debutant Ayew introduced himself in fine style. After Gomis’ header was saved, the Ghanaian saw his effort blocked, before he picked himself up and slotted home after shifting the ball into space. It was a tidy finish, but it was hardly the kind of defending that you’d associate with a Jose Mourinho side.

The hosts picked themselves up from that pretty soon after, as an own goal put them ahead just a minute later. Willian carried the ball down the left, as he tried to find space to whip in a cross. He attempted to put a ball across the box, but it deflected off Fernandez and landed in the Swansea net.

That was enough for a half time lead, but things took a huge turn for the worse after the break. A through ball from Jonjo Shelvey sent Gomis through, after Willian played him onside. Courtois rushed out to meet him, but his attempted clearance brought down the Frenchman, earning him a red card and gifting the visitors a penalty. He picked himself back up, and converted past debutant Asmir Begovic to level the scores.

The visitors were in the ascendancy from that point on, and they looked a better bet for the three points than the champions. Despite sending on Falcao to partner Costa, the Blues couldn’t crave out a chance to steal the three points. They looked far from match fitness, which is a major problem ahead of next weekend’s trip to Man City. That game will be even trickier now, of course, with Courtois facing a one game ban.

LCN Man of the Match: Oscar

A sluggish Chelsea performance led to a disappointing defeat to London rivals Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday. A first half strike from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain separated the two sides, with the Gunners lifting the Community Shield under the Wembley arch. The result brought an end to Jose Mourinho’s unbeaten record against Arsene Wenger, seemingly leading to more animosity between the two.

The champions started without Diego Costa, who was left out of the squad due to a hamstring problem. Loic Remy led the line, with a mostly full strength team behind him. The only major change was Ramires coming in for Oscar, something that Mourinho tends to do in matches against his top four rivals.

Straight from the off, it was clear that Chelsea weren’t fully prepared for the start of the season. They looked well below match fitness, with a lethargic pressing game and few moments of magic from their flair players. Before this game it was tough to understand why they were playing a friendly on Wednesday night, now it seems like a vital move ahead of the Premier League kick off.

Arsenal were in the Blues’ faces from the very start, showing that they were in no mood to let the Stamford Bridge side walk all over them again. There were few standout players, but the Gunners seemed to function well as a unit. They were good value for the opening goal, which came after 24 minutes. Some poor defending from Cesar Azpilicueta gave Oxlade-Chamberlain room on the right flank, and he came inside to put a left footed effort past Thibaut Courtois.

That goal did seem to spark a little bit of life from the champions, but despite their efforts they didn’t get close to troubling the familiar face of Petr Cech in goal. The Czech stopper could well have affected his former teammates mentally, as seeing what he was capable of in matches and in training for years could have Chelsea players worrying about just how they could get past him.

Ramires headed a good chance over the bar in the first half, while Eden Hazard screwed an effort way over in the second. It took over an hour to really test Cech, when he kept out a free-kick from substitute Oscar.

At the end of the game, Mourinho did point out his own sides failings, which were hopefully just early season rustiness as he suggested, “One team played counter-attack well, another had initiative and played well but without the sharpness that you need. They created, they tried, tactically everything. We didn’t equalise, we didn’t play at our normal level.”

The manager also praised the Arsenal performance, even comparing it to his own style. “A team that defends very well, that leaves their philosophy in the dressing room, plays all the second half with nine players in front of the box, this is football. Very good tactical organisation. They scored one goal, they deserved to win.”

LCN Man of the Match: Nemanja Matic

Chelsea ended the season in style as they beat Sunderland and lifted the Premier League title at Stamford Bridge. Diego Costa and a brace from Loic Remy gave the champions the win to wrap up what has been a fantastic season. The hosts were presented the title at the full time whistle, as John Terry lifted the trophy for the fourth time as Blues captain.

Two legends were given starts, ahead of possible departures during the summer. Petr Cech returned in goal after a minor injury, as he looks set to leave in order to find first team football. Didier Drogba confirmed that he would be leaving the club this summer just hours before kick off, and he captained the team and led the line going into the final game.

Sunderland didn’t quite read the script for this match, as they spoiled the Chelsea party by taking a first half lead. Fletcher struck for the visitors to give them a shock lead, even though they were already safe from relegation. Shortly after that, Drogba picked up an injury, ending his career at the club. The rest of the players carried him off the pitch, before he was replaced by Costa.

It was Costa who equalised before half time, as he buried a penalty to put the champions back level. John O’Shea barged Juan Cuadrado, gifting Costa the chance to equalise. It certainly got the fans back into the party spirit, as that early goal silenced the crowd. The match was devoid of any real intensity, as both clubs had already achieved their targets this season. It felt more like a testimonial for the departing stars than a Premier League match.

The Blues finally got ahead for the first time in the game when Remy struck his sixth goal of the season. A mazy run from Eden Hazard pulled apart the Sunderland defence, which let the substitute Remy find space 20 yards out to score. He and Costa rarely got a chance to start together this season, but they showed they could work in tandem in the second half of this one.

Remy then added the third of the game, when he buried a cross from Nemanja Matic. The Serbian’s ball in from the left fell for the forward just a couple of yards out and he applied the finish to wrap up the comeback here. While it wasn’t their best performance of the season, they still managed a winning end to the campaign. This win leaves Chelsea eight points ahead of City, who won with Frank Lampard scoring in his last ever Premier League game.

After the match the players and fans celebrated a great year as the league title was presented to Terry and the team. It gave the squad the perfect send off for the summer break, and the two departing legends a fitting finale to fantastic careers at the Bridge.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Chelsea’s penultimate game of the season ended in disaster as they were heavily beaten by West Brom at the Hawthorns. A double from Saido Berahino and a goal from Chris Brunt gave the Baggies the win, in a match which saw Cesc Fabregas sent off. This result has no bearing on the club’s season, but it was still a disappointing performance for the traveling fans.

The result suggests that this was a very weakened Chelsea side, but in fact Mourinho named a strong team and even had Diego Costa on the pitch. The Spaniard returned up front after a long absence, and he played alongside Loic Remy. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was handed another start, this time alongside Nemanja Matic in central midfield. Filipe Luis starting at left back was the only change to the usual back five, so this was the bulk of the starting XI.

It did take something special to beat Thibaut Courtois first time around, as Berahino scored a fantastic goal from outside the box. He buried a shot from 20 yards to give the hosts the lead inside 10 minutes, as the game took on an intensity that few expected before kick-off.

The return of Diego Costa certainly added to that, as he was as aggressive as ever against the hosts’ defence. His clash with Gareth McAuley led to a ridiculous chain of events that saw the visitors go down to 10 men. Their off the ball grappling led to a mass pile up involving most of the players. Fabregas wasn’t involved, and after going to argue with the linesman, he kicked the ball towards the crowd of players, hitting Brunt in the face. This heightened the intensity of the game further, and the referee sent the Spaniard off.

That made things very difficult for Chelsea, as they went into the break a goal and a man down. West Brom had little to play for, but they pushed ahead anyway looking to take a big scalp. The Blues had lost just twice this season, but they were pushed closer to a third defeat right at the start of the second half, when West Brom were awarded a penalty.

John Terry pulled down Berahino as he tried to run on to a pass from Brunt. The young forward then stepped up and scored the spot-kick to double the lead. That gave the Blues a huge task to get anything out of the game, and the points were wrapped up for WBA as Brunt’s fierce shot beat Courtois at his near post.

That result left the champions winless in four games at the Hawthorns. It doesn’t have any bearing on the season, and the side can be forgiven for slipping in their last few games after an excellent campaign. They will be looking for an improvement this weekend, as they host Sunderland before finally lifting the Premier League trophy.

LCN Man of the Match: Diego Costa

Chelsea maintained their unbeaten home record with a draw at home to Liverpool on Sunday. The Blues were given a guard of honour after clinching the title last weekend, and they followed it up with a hard-fought point against a dogged Liverpool side. John Terry scored the opener early on, but Steven Gerrard struck just before half time to secure a point for the visitors.

Jose Mourinho sprung a surprise with his team selection, as he picked youngster Rueben Loftus-Cheek in his starting line-up. He started alongside John Obi Mikel in midfield, while Filipe Luis was given a rare start ahead of Cesar Azpilicueta. Loic Remy returned from injury to start up front.

There was no hangover in evidence for the champions here as they made a very intense start to the game. Raheem Sterling was brought down by a foul by Cesc Fabregas, for which the midfielder was lucky to only receive a yellow card. They then had the perfect start, as they took the lead after just five minutes. Terry headed home from a corner to give the hosts the lead, but it was a soft goal from Liverpool’s point of view.

That goal showed that Jose Mourinho wasn’t joking when he said that his side would be taking the run-in seriously, despite having nothing to play for. Kurt Zouma picked up an injury midway through the half, with Gary Cahill replacing him. Even with some future prospects in the side, the champions weren’t about to let the pace they’ve set all season slip. They pressed well, dominated the game, before throwing away the lead through silly mistakes.

Branislav Ivanovic gave away a needless foul on Adam Lallana, bringing him down right outside the box for a free kick wide on the right hand side. John Obi Mikel managed to lose Gerrard, who then had all the space in he needed to head the ball home at the back post. Despite dominating the first half, Chelsea went in at the break level.

Mourinho went a little more defensive in the second half, as he replaced Loftus-Cheek with Nemanja Matic. The youngster had a very impressive game, and he was far more impressive than Mikel who outlasted him on the pitch. Loftus-Cheek was tidy in possession and pressed well, and he should be a very good addition to the first team next season, giving an extra option in central midfield.

Mourinho made yet another defensive sub with less than 10 minutes to play, as he took off Loic Remy and replaced him with midfielder Juan Cuadrado. It’s not really a change you’d expect him to make, but with the title already won he packed out the midfield to try and kill off the game.

That worked, and it gave Chelsea a point which they didn’t really need. Keeping the unbeaten home record was much more important, while the Reds saw their Champions League hopes all but ended. The Blues are back at Stamford Bridge for their final home game of the season in two weeks’ time, when they’ll finally lift the Premier League trophy.

LCN Man of the Match: Filipe Luis

Chelsea clinched the Premier League title with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. A first half header from Eden Hazard was enough to clinch the points that put the league beyond doubt. The win opened up a 16 point gap ahead of the chasing pack, and it topped off a dominant season for Jose Mourinho’s side.

The Blues were once again without Diego Costa and Loic Remy, although the Frenchman was an unused substitute. That left Didier Drogba as the only option for Mourinho up front once more, and he made his fifth consecutive start. Juan Cuadrado was handed a rare start after Ramires came down with illness, while Thibaut Courtois returned to replace Petr Cech in goal.

For all the build-up, the first half didn’t really deliver. The hosts couldn’t carve out a chance to break the deadlock, while Palace tried their best to pressure Chelsea, breaking up play with quite a few fouls. Eventually that cost them, as Eden Hazard was brought down by James McArthur in the box. The Belgian got back up to take the kick, and he headed it home on the rebound after missing first time around.

That brought a bit of action to an otherwise dull first half, and Mourinho made his intentions more than clear during the break. He brought on John Obi Mikel to replace Juan Cuadrado, going with two defensive midfielders as he looked to hold on to the lead and the title. It came at the end of a week were Chelsea’s style of play was the big talking point, but the manager won’t be too upset about disappointing viewers at this point in the season.

Chances were few and far between again in the second half, and Palace seemed unable to do anything that would stop the Blues’ coronation. Close to the end the visitors had a flurry of corners as they pushed for an equaliser to spoil the party, but the host’s defence stood firm. Kurt Zouma and John Terry played a key role in keeping the Eagles at bay.

While the game wasn’t anything special, the sense of relief and joy that engulfed the stadium at full time was. Even Roman Abramovich jumped to his feet at the final whistle, as he saw the culmination of a season of hard work. After leading the table for a total of 253 days, the third longest spell in Premier League history, the side from Stamford Bridge finally wrestled back the title for the first time in five years.

It was far from a classic, but this is a vintage Chelsea side. They have a winning Mourinho edge mixed with fantastic players like Cesc Fabregas, Hazard and Oscar. They now have two trophies in the bag this season, and they have the potential to go on and dominate for the next few years.

LCN Man of the Match: Willian

Chelsea moved within one win of sealing the title after a second half comeback against Leicester at the King Power Stadium. The Blues fell behind late in the first half after a strike from Mark Albrighton, but goals from Didier Drogba, John Terry and Ramires saw them take a 13 point lead at the top.

After suffering a suspected concussion on Sunday, Oscar wasn’t risked in the starting line up here. Ramires came in for his felow Brazilian, but Jose Mourinho sprung a surprise by putting him on the right, with Willian playing centrally and Cesc Fabregas in a deeper midfield spot. There was another change at the back, as Thibaut Courtois was replaced by Petr Cech, with the Belgian not 100% fit.

He was amongst the first half action, having to claim the ball after a spot of penalty box pinball. That was one of the few dangerous moments of the half, and the game looked like it would be deadlocked at half time, until Leicester found a way past the Czech keeper. Nemanja Matic gave the ball away, and Jamie Vardy took advantage to set up Albrighton, who opened the scoring in stoppage time.

It was fully deserved on their first half performance, which carried on their recent run of victories. There were tweaks at half time, with Ramires moving into central midfield, with Willian moving back out wide on the right. That change paid dividends straight away in the second half, as the visitors’ equaliser was created down the right. Willian worked hard, but it was Branislav Ivanovic who played the ball across, which was finished well by Drogba.

After that goal, the Blues were in control. They couldn’t quite turn that into a second for a while, but they eventually got the better of the Foxes from a corner. It was fitting that Terry would get the goal that pushed them close to the title, given just how his performances have inspired the side at times this season. Gary Cahill got a great header in, and Esteban Cambiasso’s block fell perfectly for Terry to bundle it home.

After that, Chelsea quickly killed off the game with a goal from Ramires a few minutes later. They poured forward even when 2-1 up, as all boring (!) teams do, and Ramires found space on the edge of the area and hit a thumping drive into the Leicester net. That was enough to see them take the points south, ending the home sides’ run of four successive victories.

The Blues now have the opportunity to lift the title this weekend, with a victory against Crystal Palace at Stamford Bridge. With the chance to win the trophy in front of their own fans, this is the perfect chance to win it for the first time in five years. After leading the way since the opening weekend, they’re tantalisingly close to being there on the final weekend.

LCN Man of the Match: Willian

Chelsea kept their 10 point lead over Arsenal intact with a 0-0 draw at the Emirates. The Blues had several penalty appeals turned down during the game, and eventually had to settle for a point that moves them ever closer to securing the title. With five games left, it looks impossible for Chelsea to blow that 10 point lead.

This looks like a point gained when you take a look at the starting 11. Coming into the game Jose Mourinho wasn’t able to start with any of his recognised strikers, as they were all struggled with injury. Diego Costa and Loic Remy were both out, with Didier Drogba only fit enough for the bench. Oscar played up front as a false nine, which gave the visitors limited options going forward.

It’s not hard to imagine that team would struggle to get too many shots away, and their best chances really came from turned down penalty appeals, of which there were three. Twice Oscar went down in the box, and after one he had to receive lengthy treatment. First, he was taken down by a shove from Hector Bellerin, and then he was taken out by goalkeeper David Ospina.

That second challenge left Oscar down for a while, which rubbed salt into the wound as far as Mourinho and his team were concerned. After that, Cesc Fabregas threw himself to the floor after a slight contact from Santi Cazorla, and he received a yellow for diving, which pleased the home supporters. Aside from that, Fabregas wasn’t too involved on his homecoming, although he didn’t have much in front of him to work with.

Drogba was introduced at half time, but he was nowhere near the player who recorded 13 goals in 14 games against Arsenal in his first spell. He looked sluggish, not quite the fit for a Chelsea side which needs a pacey forward in these kinds of games. As the match went on it became more obvious that this was a destruction job for the Blues, as they dropped deeper and deeper, denying the Gunners space as they controlled possession.

They were successful, as they kept the in-form hosts under control, earning a valuable point. Had Costa been available, things could have been very different. Without him and Remy, it became all about keeping things tight, as they had little going forward to trouble Arsenal. The hosts tried to play through the compact back four, which played right in to the hands of John Terry and company. The captain was fantastic, showing just why he should have been in the running for PFA Player of the Year with his form this season.

In the end, coming back from north London with a 10 point lead isn’t a bad result, but having that kind of advantage you’d have thought Chelsea could have taken a risk or two. They now need another six points to seal the title, and they could do that on Sunday against Crystal Palace, providing they beat Leicester on Wednesday night.

LCN Man of the Match: John Terry

Chelsea took a huge step towards winning the title with a victory over third placed Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. The only goal of the game came from the in-form Eden Hazard, capping off a week were he was nominated for player of the season. That’s opened up the possibility of the league leaders confirming the title at Leicester before the end of the month.

Once again the Blues had to start the game without either Diego Costa or Loic Remy, with 37-year-old Didier Drogba starting up front. There was also a brave choice in midfield, as Jose Mourinho put centre half Kurt Zouma in beside Nemanja Matic in the defensive midfield position. Oscar, Cesc Fabregas and Hazard were in the advanced midfield spots, with Willian benched due to illness.

United made a flying start to the match, and they troubled the home side early on. Luke Shaw outpaced Branislav Ivanovic to run on to a through ball, and he cut the ball back to an unmarked Wayne Rooney at the edge of the box. His shot went just wide, but as it nestled in the outside of the net the Red Devils’ away support and goalkeeper celebrated after thinking they had taken the lead.

There was controversy after a Chelsea breakaway, as David De Gea looked to have handled the ball outside the box. Ivanovic’s header fell to Fabregas, who had two United players and Hazard ahead of him. Fabregas played the ball high towards the Belgian, and De Gea came racing out of his box. Replays showed he deflected the ball away with his arm outside the box, but the referee waved away the Blues’ protests.

United couldn’t make the most of their early dominance and they were punished just minutes before half time. Falcao gave the ball away after a battle with John Terry, and it fell to Fabregas on the left hand side. He fed Oscar, who back-heeled it into the path of Hazard, and he ran clear and slotted the ball in between the legs of De Gea. After the clash between Falcao and Terry, they exchanged heated words again moments later.

The second half started off quite cagey, but it was no coincidence that United got back into the game as Marouane Fellaini started to shine. He has been a key player in their recent turn of form, and he was more effective after the break, which caused trouble for the hosts’ defence. Louis van Gaal obviously watched the game at QPR last week, as at times they recreated the quick pressing game that gave Chelsea so many problems at Loftus Road.

In the end, there was no repeat of United’s late equaliser at Old Trafford early in the season. Chelsea held on to take the three points, and eliminate United completely from the title race. Victories in their next two games will confirm the title, starting with a huge game against Arsenal next Sunday at the Emirates.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard