Author: chelseafan

Chelsea left it late to claim the three points at Loftus Road as the league leaders got the win after a drab display. Cesc Fabregas produced the Blues’ only shot on target and the only goal of the game with just minutes to go to save the visitors’ blushes. Despite the poor performance, this win sees the table topper now just four wins from the title with seven games to go.

The lack of goals could be explained with a glance at the starting line-up, as Jose Mourinho went into the match without either of his two first choice strikers. Diego Costa has started a month on the side-lines with a hamstring injury, whilst Loic Remy suffered a calf injury ahead of the trip to QPR. That left Didier Drogba up front, supported by Cesc Fabregas. Youngster Izzy Brown was the reserve forward on the bench.

The first half was a scrappy affair, and as expected the visitors received a hostile reception from the home support. John Terry received the worst treatment, although the QPR faithful rounded on Eden Hazard as well. There was a local derby atmosphere, despite there being a big gulf between the two sides, and that played a part in this becoming a rather disjointed match.

Several Chelsea stars seemed rattled by both the crowd and the high energy pressing game used by QPR. One notable moment in the first half came when Branislav Ivanovic and Didier Drogba exchanged heated words across the pitch after the Ivorian failed to make himself available at a throw in. Rangers were doing their best to match the visitors physically, and they were succeeding.

The strugglers also had chances; they came close to worrying Thibaut Courtois on a few occasions. An effort from Charlie Austin and two from Matt Phillips were denied by the Belgian stopper, who was the best of a bad bunch as far as Mourinho’s side were concerned. He kept the team in the match, whereas the rest were struggling to string passes together. Their 70% pass completion rate was their worst so far this campaign.

As the match ticked on, the game looked set to finish goalless. The league leaders began to take control again late on, but given that they had yet to force Rob Green into a save it didn’t seem like a goal was coming. It was Green’s poor clearance that gave the Pensioners the breakthrough however. His skewed hoof fell to Hazard, and some neat interplay between him and Oscar set up Fabregas for the late slotted winner.

Once again, it wasn’t an inspiring performance from Chelsea, but it was enough to move ever closer to the title. With Manchester City losing again, they look out of it now. The Blues currently lead Arsenal by seven points and United by eight, with a game in hand on both. And, it just so happens that those two teams are the next two opponents for Mourinho’s side, so two wins from those and the title is all but assured.

LCN Man of the Match: Thibaut Courtois

An incredible strike from Charlie Adam couldn’t prevent Chelsea taking another step towards the Premier League title. Goals from Eden Hazard and Loic Remy helped the Blues move seven points clear at the top, nine points ahead of champions Manchester City. The only downside for the leaders was an injury to Diego Costa, who came off the bench at half time but lasted just 10 minutes.

With Costa benched, it was Remy who stepped up to lead the line after his goal against Hull last time out. Jose Mourinho said he owed the Frenchman a run in the side, as Costa’s performances have slightly overshadowed him. Aside from that change, it was pretty much the regular team for Chelsea, as they looked to move closer to sealing another title win.

They looked to be heading for the three points when Philipp Wollscheid brought down Cesc Fabregas in the box, gifting the hosts a penalty. Eden Hazard stepped up to take it, and converted his ninth penalty in nine attempts. That goal was deserved after his performance, and he’s beginning to stake a real claim to be crowned player of the year come the end of the season. The hosts looked to be going in ahead at half time, until an incredible strike changed the game.

The moment that will have everyone talking long after the season is over came from Adam. The midfielder spotted Thibaut Courtois off his line, and attempted an unlikely effort from inside his own half. The Scotsman was a full 60 yards out, and his effort curled from going wide, back towards the goal, sailing over the head of the Chelsea keeper, who couldn’t get a strong enough hand on it to keep it out. That goal had to be appreciated by all, and Mourinho even claimed Adam had done something the likes of Pele and Maradona struggled to do.

During the game it’s likely the Chelsea boss was more annoyed than impressed. His side were being held at home, and pre-match he told his team that they needed wins to secure the Premier League trophy. He made a change at half time, with Costa replacing Oscar. The Spaniard was on the bench due to having a niggling hamstring problem, which came back to haunt him during the game. He lasted just 10 minutes, and after the match the manager said he could be out for up to four weeks.

Costa was replaced by Didier Drogba, as the Blues kept two up front to trouble Stoke’s back four. In the end, the goalkeeper did most of the work for them. He threw the ball out, almost straight to Willian. He played in Hazard, who laid the ball on a plate for Remy after a mazy run. Remy tapped home, securing three vital points, with only 16 more needed until the title is secured.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Chelsea held on to their six point lead at the top of the Premier League after something of a scare against struggling Hull. Eden Hazard and Diego Costa put the visitors ahead, before Ahmed Elmohamady got one back and Abel Hernandez equalised for Hull. The Blues’ blushes were saved, however, as Loic Remy grabbed a fortunate winner, keeping the league leaders comfortably ahead of City in the race for the title.

There were few changes for Chelsea between the draw with Southampton and this trip, with Cesar Azpilicueta being replaced by Filipe Luis. Oscar made way for Ramires, with Cesc Fabregas being pushed forward into the number 10 position. That aimed to get Fabregas in the middle of the action, but he wasn’t the man to break the deadlock early in the first half.

Eden Hazard scored the opener less than two minutes into the game, giving the Blues the perfect start. After back to back draws in their last two games, Chelsea needed that start to recover from their recent below par performances. After seeing Manchester City win the day before, a victory here was necessary to keep up their advantage at the top of the league. Luckily, Costa added another goal to that lead just minutes later.

The Spaniard cut inside while in possession and drove the ball home to give his side a two goal lead, capping off an excellent start to the match. After three consecutive 2-0 wins over Hull, that goal made it look like the match was over almost before it had got going, but in truth it was just beginning. After bursting to two goal lead, Chelsea’s players seemed to relax a little too much, which allowed Elmohamady to pull a goal back. The Egyptian’s effort looked like a probable consolation at the time, but it was part of a swift comeback.

Seconds later, Thibaut Courtois handed Hull an equaliser, passing straight to Hernandez who levelled the scores. The Belgian keeper had been looking to pass to Ivanovic, but he played it too short and it landed at the Uruguayan’s feet. While it was a horrible error, he did make up for it with three quick reaction saves in the second half when Hull were dominating the game. That kept the Blues in it, and then they grabbed a winner with a rather fortuitous effort.

Loic Remy replaced Costa, and just four minutes after coming on he fired home the winner. Remy’s shot squirmed under Alan McGregor, and that strike handed them a huge three points in the title race. With just nine games left to play, Chelsea have a six point lead with a game in hand over City, and the title is within sight for the Blues.

With no other competitions to focus on, Chelsea’s main aim is to end the season as champions. While their recent performances haven’t been great, this result will surely boost morale, and it should be the kick they need to go on to secure the Premier League title.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Chelsea ended a tough week by going six points clear at the top of the league with a 1-1 draw at home to Southampton. The Champions League chasing Saints frustrated Chelsea, denying them a win for the second time this season. Diego Costa gave the hosts the lead, but Dusan Tadic equalised from the spot to give his side a share of the points. That may not have been the result Jose Mourinho was hoping for, but it does send his side further clear at the top.

After their Champions League exit against PSG on Wednesday, Mourinho kept faith with mostly the same side. The only change to the starting line up here was Willian replacing his countryman Ramires wide on the right. Nemanja Matic made a first Premier League appearance since being sent off against Burnley three weeks ago.

The team will have started this game with the PSG result fresh in their minds, as well as the fact that Manchester City slipped up to Burnley less than 24 hours before. With the chance to move eight points clear with a game in hand, Chelsea started the game brightly. That was capped off when Costa scored his 18th of the season to put them ahead. He got on the end of a ball from Branislav Ivanovic to find the net for the first time since January. That also sent him above Sergio Aguero in the race for the golden boot.

That lead for the hosts was short lived, however, as the Saints were back on level terms within eight minutes. Saido Mane found himself stuck between Ivanovic and Matic, and the referee judged he was fouled. Tadic stepped up to take the penalty, and dispatched it with ease to get his side back level. After that, the Blues struggled to make anything much of note in the remainder of first half, and they gave the visitors chances to take the lead.

Mourinho’s switch at half time was replacing Matic with Ramires, and it seemed to do the trick, as the athletic Brazilian added pace and power to Chelsea’s game. They poured forward with menace after that, but they came up against a goalkeeper at his very best. Fraser Forester pulled off a string of fantastic saves to keep his team level, putting in the kind of performance that could worry Joe Hart.

In the end, the two sides had to settle for the draw. While it wasn’t the best way to respond to the poor display on Wednesday night, it was an improvement. This has been an incredibly tough few days for the team, after their European exit and then being denied a win at home, but they’ve come out of it having extended their lead over City in the race for the title. While their main rivals for the premier League crown can’t seem to have anything fall for them, the Blues are clutching at positives from below par performances. The match against the Saints may not have been the performance of champions, but it’s clear that they’re on the verge of claiming that accolade, especially if City keep slipping up.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Chelsea crashed out of the Champions League on away goals after a disappointing clash against PSG. After a tense night and a lacklustre performance from the hosts, Gary Cahill made the breakthrough from a corner. David Luiz struck late on to level on the night and on aggregate, forcing the Blues into extra time for the first time since the 2012 final. Eden Hazard’s penalty ruled out the prospect of penalties, but then Thiago Silva headed in from a corner to send the French champions through on away goals.

Jose Mourinho started the game with Ramires out wide on the right, a decision that his predecessor was widely criticised for. Nemanja Matic played for the first time since being sent off against Burnley, which saw Kurt Zouma drop down to the bench.

The game was physical from the off, and the heated atmosphere spiralled after a coming together between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Oscar. Both players slid in just outside the home side’s box, but Oscar won the ball and came out of it in pain. The referee went straight to his pocket, although Chelsea players crowding the referee was blamed for what seemed to be a harsh red.

It was then Mourinho’s men who felt hard done by, as they had a penalty waved away. After dancing past half the Parisian defence, Diego Costa was brought down by Edinson Cavani. The referee waved away the appeals, just one of a number of mistakes he made over the course of the game.

Chelsea dropped off in the second half, and their performance got more and more leggy. Cahill’s volley handed them a lead to protect in the 81st minute, even though it was far from deserved. From that position, a Mourinho team would usually be expected to hold out, but all was not well with the side. Luiz popped up to haunt his former team late in the game, scoring from a corner to force extra time.

The Premier League leaders made the perfect start to extra time, after being almost literally handed a penalty by Silva. The Brazilian leapt up and went at the ball hand first, and the slightest of touches had the referee pointing to the spot. Eden Hazard was as cool as usual with the penalty, stroking it home to give the home side the lead once more.

That looked like it would be enough for Chelsea, until Silva made up for his mistake with another headed goal. John Terry completely abandoned the opposition captain at a corner, giving him space to score from 12 yards out. After that, time wasting and nerves seemed to end all hopes the hosts had, as they failed to threaten and crashed out in hugely disappointing fashion.

It was a result deserving of the performance, both on the night and over the two legs. The Blues turned up for just 45 minutes of the 210 and PSG took advantage. It’s a disappointing defeat, one that shows how Mourinho hasn’t added the necessary ruthless edge this season. Steps have been taken, but this side aren’t the finished article yet. However, with a trophy in the bag and a comfortable lead in the league, they’re still on course for a good year.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Chelsea came through a hard fought battle at Upton Park to keep themselves five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Eden Hazard scored the only goal of an end to end game to secure the three points, and only magnificent saves from the two goalkeepers prevented more goals on the night.

The league leaders started with almost the exact same side that won the League Cup on Sunday, with Oscar coming in for Willian in the only outfield change. Thibaut Courtois was back in goal for Petr Cech, while Kurt Zouma continued to play in midfield in place of the suspended Nemanja Matic.

After playing a cup final on Wembley and celebrating success after, there were real questions about what kind of shape the Blues would be in for this game. So few changes hinted that they were ready for this, and that was proven as the visitors started the better of the two sides. They dominated the first 20 minutes and then finally made their control pay. Ramires’ cross was met by Hazard, a rare headed goal for the diminutive Belgian.

West Ham believed he was offside, and they had a point, but luck rarely goes with a side who are as out of form as the Hammers. With just one league win since losing at Stamford Bridge last December, Sam Allardyce’s side have seen their season start to tail off after an excellent start. That didn’t seem to affect them here, as they came roaring back after the opening goal.

Courtois did well to deny Diafra Sakho, and from there the Belgian keeper had to stay on his toes as the game opened up and both sides were given more and more chances. Ramires hit the post in the second half, while Diego Costa was involved a lot. At the other end it was Sakho and Enner Valencia who were most threatening for the hosts.

Despite the open nature of the game, and those chances, there weren’t any more breakthroughs, and that had a lot to do with Chelsea’s resilient defending. All of the Blues’ players put in a shift as they looked to protect their lead. With Man City winning comfortably over Leicester elsewhere, there was no room for slip-ups here.

In the end West Ham couldn’t force a way through, and they ended up with another defeat. They played well, but Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea side know how to get games won at this stage of the campaign. While this wasn’t as easy as he would have liked, the manager will certainly be glad of the points. After the game he praised his side’s defending, which helped to churn out another victory.

After sealing one trophy on Sunday, this is another big step to landing a second. The lead is still five points with a game in hand, and now attention turns to the meeting with PSG in a week’s time.

LCN Man of the Match: Eden Hazard

Chelsea won their first trophy of the season with a 2-0 victory over Spurs at Wembley in the Capital One Cup final. Goals from John Terry and Diego Costa, the latter helped by a deflection from Kyle Walker, helped the Blues on their way to silverware, as they controlled the game despite early pressure from Spurs.

The big news pre match was Jose Mourinho deciding to start the game with five defenders, with both Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel both unavailable for the game. Kurt Zouma was picked to play in defensive midfield, and he played alongside Ramires in the middle of the park. Oscar was left on the bench, as Cesc Fabregas took up the number 10 role behind Costa.

Costa was the most involved Chelsea player in the early stages, but it was Spurs who dominated this period of the game. It looked like Mourinho’s midfield gamble had backfired through most of the first half, but then John Terry made the difference. The ball fell to him at a corner kick, and his shot deflected in to give the Premier League leaders the advantage at half time.

Mourinho’s side took control in the second period, and 10 minutes in they doubled their lead. Fabregas played in Costa, who pulled in to space and fired home, putting the Blues ahead. It took a huge deflection off Walker, leaving Hugo Lloris helpless in goal.

Spurs looked to be paying the toll for their game in Italy on Thursday night, as they lost a Europa League tie with Fiorentina. After Mohammed Salah scored in that game, they were probably sick of the sight of Chelsea forwards, but they had a few to contend with in this contest. In the end, they couldn’t match up to Mourinho’s side, who made their class pay.

With Manchester City losing at Anfield in the early game, that capped off a fantastic day for Chelsea. They are now five points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand, with some silverware now in the cabinet. That was the Blues’ first trophy since May 2013, when they won the Europa League.

It was also a first trophy for Mourinho after almost a three-year wait. His last win came in 2012 as Real Madrid won La Liga, and the manager called this his most important final to date. He’ll surely be happy with the victory, getting back to winning ways and giving his side a huge morale boost before the title run in and latter stages of the Champions League.

After the game, the manager said, “My players strategically were fantastic, I have a certain concept about the final and obviously we cannot win every final but finals are not to play they are to win. We had a team not everyone was expecting but we had a team with a great balance, very compact in midfield, we pressed them very well. We didn’t have problems, they had a couple of chances. The free-kick (with which Christian Eriksen hit the bar) and nothing else, we controlled the game really well. We knew we would be dangerous on the counter, I was expecting more, but I think we played like we should play a final.”

LCN Man of the Match: John Terry

Chelsea saw their lead at the top of the table cut to five points, after they fell to a 1-1 draw with struggling Burnley. The Blues had Nemanja Matic sent off as they surrendered a lead to drop two crucial points. Branislav Ivanovic scored the opening goal, but the 10 men couldn’t hold out and Ben Mee grabbed an equaliser which has hit the hosts’ advantage in the title race.

Jose Mourinho left out Gary Cahill from his starting line-up, replacing him with Kurt Zouma. Juan Cuadrado made just his second start since joining the club, while Diego Costa made his first league start for the club in over a month after returning from his ban. With the return of Costa the Blues would have expected to have more of a cutting edge, but that wasn’t apparent.

Branislav Ivanovic got his second goal of the week here, as he managed to bury Eden Hazard’s cross to put the hosts ahead. They looked set to extend their lead to 10 points before City kicked off in the late game, but they were unable to find a second goal to put the game beyond doubt.

But, in the 70th minute, Chelsea were dealt a huge blow. Matic received a heavy challenge from Ashley Barnes, and his angry reaction to the tackle earned him a red card for his troubles, sending the league leaders down to 10 men. Not just were they without their defensive shield for the last 20 minutes, they’ve now lost him for the next three games, including the Capital One Cup final next weekend.

Without Matic in the side, Chelsea are always more vulnerable at the back. The Clarets sensed an opportunity and they eventually took advantage with less than 10 minutes to go. Mee headed in from a corner, which give Burnley a point and saw them move up a place to 18th in the table. After getting a point at the Etihad earlier in the season, Burnley have managed to take a point at the home of both of this season’s best-performing sides.

While Burnley worked hard for their point and may have deserved it, Mourinho’s side will feel hard done by, as they had two penalty shouts turned down. The manager wouldn’t be drawn on too much after the game, but he did point out the moments where he thought the game had been decided.

The Portuguese said in his post-match press conference, “There are four moments of the game where you can write the story. Minutes 30, 33, 43 and 69. Don’t ask me more questions. I can’t go through the incidents. I am punished when I refer to them.”

With City at Liverpool next week, there was a chance that Chelsea could have been seven points clear with a game in hand by the end of next weekend. This result shows just how unpredictable the league is, and there are plenty of twists and turns left over the course of the season, with those assuming the Blues had the title in the bag left to think again now.

LCN Man of the Match: Branislav Ivanovic

Chelsea recorded a result much better than their performance as they grabbed a draw and an away goal in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday evening. The visitors took the lead through Branislav Ivanovic’s first half goal, but that was cancelled out by an Edinson Cavani header. PSG where by far the better team in the second half, and Jose Mourinho’s men had to dig in to hold back a rampant PSG attack.

The Blues started with a number of players who were injured or lacking match practice. Mourinho said he had five injured players on the pitch, which likely included Willian and Cesc Fabregas. Diego Costa returned but he wasn’t at his sharpest, given that he’s not played since last month. Despite having close to a week’s rest going into this game, Chelsea were far from full strength here.

There wasn’t too much action of note in the first half hour of the game, it was a pretty quiet affair, although Thibaut Courtois had to be on his toes to deny PSG on three occasions within the space of a couple of minutes. Neither side looked close to their best and from the early stages you could tell this game wasn’t going to match up to the quarter final meetings between these two last season.

After 35 minutes of the game, we finally had a breakthrough, with three defenders involved in the Chelsea goal. John Terry picked up the ball after a Thiago Silva clearance, and his cross was flicked into the path of Ivanovic by Gary Cahill’s back-heel. It was a remarkable piece of skill from Cahill, and it presented the right back with a great chance to put the Premier League leaders ahead. That was Ivanovic’s first European goal since scoring the winner in the 2013 Europa League final.

PSG looked shell-shocked after that goal, which is hardly surprising given this game came on the back of them blowing a two goal lead against Caen at the weekend. The French champions regrouped after half time and they were much better in the second half, pushing forward and creating chances.

Chelsea were struggling at the back, giving away chances that they usually wouldn’t. Poor marking in the box left Edinson Cavani free in the area, and he got on the end of Blaise Matuidi’s cross to head in the equaliser. Thibaut Courtois was called upon several times after that to save efforts from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but he stood strong and Chelsea held onto the draw going into the second leg in three weeks.

While it was far from the best performance we’ve seen from the Blues this term, this was a result they probably would have taken before the game. With the scores level and an away goal in hand, Mourinho’s side must be heavy favourites ahead of the crucial return match at the Bridge.

LCN Man of the Match: Thibaut Courtois

It took a late goal to maintain Chelsea’s seven point lead at the top of the Premier League in a dramatic night at Stamford Bridge. Despite dominating most of the possession, Jose Mourinho’s side couldn’t force a way through against a struggling Everton side. In the closing minutes Gareth Barry was sent off, and then the Pensioners grabbed a winner in the 89th minute.

The Blues started with new man Juan Cuadrado for the first time, as he replaced the unavailable Oscar. That move saw Willian take up the number 10 role, which seems to be his favoured position. Petr Cech also came in for Thibaut Courtois, while Kurt Zouma replaced Gary Cahill at the back. Romelu Lukaku started for the away side, as he made his first return to Stamford Bridge since his £28million move to Merseyside in the summer.

Cuadrado made an excellent impact early in to his first start, showing his pace down the right hand side. Chelsea had a scary amount of pace going forward, with Willian, Eden Hazard, Ramires and Loic Remy alongside the Colombian. That kind of speed and power started to tell for the hosts as they made several promising breakaways, but they couldn’t capitalise on that in the opening half.

The two sides went in level at the break, after the home side dominated the first half. Everton had a few chances of their own on the break, but the they couldn’t find a way past the Blues’ back four, with Kurt Zouma in particular putting in an impressive display. The one time they did break free Cech produced a fine stop with his feet from Lukaku.

Lukaku again came close to breaking the deadlock against his former club, as he shot from point blank range after Bryan Oviedo’s cross. It looked like a certain goal for the Belgian with no one marking him, but Cech pulled off another fantastic save with his left foot to deny him. Lukaku couldn’t have done much more, but the Czech keeper was at his best to hold on to his clean sheet.

With Oscar out and Cesc Fabregas only on the bench, Chelsea were without their two biggest creators of goals so far this season. That was evident as the Blues struggled to create chances against a dogged Everton side. Mourinho decided to bring Fabregas off the bench with 20 minutes to go, his first appearance since getting injured in the League Cup semi final second leg against Liverpool. He replaced Cuadrado, and moved in to the advanced midfield role.

Chelsea thought they took the lead with minutes to go through a deflected effort from Nemanja Matic. The smallest of touches off Branislav Ivanovic took it in, but sadly the Serbian was standing in an offside position, so the goal was disallowed. The game sprung to live from there, and when Willian was fouled near the halfway line, a full on melee took place. Gareth Barry received a second yellow in the middle of it, although Ivanovic, who may yet be subject to disciplinary action, may have been fortunate not to also see red after grabbing James McCarthy and then leaning his head in towards the Everton man.

From the resulting free kick the ball was pumped in the box, and Tim Howard’s punch out fell straight to Willian who was stood just outside the box. His effort flew through a crowd of bodies, and beat Howard in the Everton goal. That was enough to secure the win for Chelsea, a second late show against Everton here in a row.

LCN Man of the Match: Willian