Reading 2-2

Independent:

Rafa Benitez left bemused by Adam Le Fondre's late larceny
Reading 2 Chelsea 2

Kevin Garside the Madejski Stadium

“I bet that's changed a few headlines. eh?” The words of a laughing Brian McDermott after his Reading team had erased a deficit that stood at two with 87 minutes on the clock. It might also have accelerated the demise of his opposite number at Chelsea, the unloved Rafa Benitez, who also offered a smile, one of bewilderment. It was either that or cry.

If a crisis meeting was deemed necessary after the scratchy FA Cup draw at Brentford, what next for Benitez after arguably the most bizarre result of his 20 match-reign? Chelsea were coasting to victory here after goals from Juan Mata and Frank Lampard. Reading offered nothing until the last orders were rung. McDermott admitted afterwards that his principal concern at the start of the game was to avoid embarrassment against the European champions.

McDermott might want to give derring do a go next time. The bench is certainly no place for Adam Le Fondre, who for the third successive league game earned rewards following his late introduction. That's 12 goals for the season, six of those as a substitute and five in the last three matches. Benitez can count himself lucky that Le Fondre was on the pitch for only 24 minutes.

"It's difficult to explain," Benitez said. "We are as surprised as you, controlling game for 85 minutes. We had chances to kill the game. The team did a perfect job for 85 minutes. They had their first shot after 78 minutes. We all have to take responsibility. These little things make the difference."

Benitez seeks succour in the technical details, utterly failing to recognise the negative emotions associated with his posting at Stamford Bridge. In this state of denial he proceeds towards his own execution. "We are still in a good position in the table but it could have been better. The team is improving. For 85 minutes we were really good. We just made mistakes. At this level they know they have to be more clinical. We win together, we draw together."

McDermott got lucky here, and accepted as much. "We are trying to stay in games. What I have learned is if you open up in a game in this division then you get beat. We have not played particularly well today but we have got something. If you have Le Fondre coming off the bench you know you have a chance.

"We got a draw with the champions of Europe from being two down with three minutes to play. It's about our players tonight."

Eventually. A neat strike from Mata with the final kick of the first half and a smart header from Lampard looked to have claimed the easiest three points of Chelsea's season. A fixture that should have generated the tension ordinarily associated with teams battling for survival had none, until Le Fondre's late intervention. The Madejski came alight for the first time in the match after his opening strike, planted left-footed beneath Ross Turnbull, hinting at what might have been had McDermott the courage to take the fight to Chelsea at the outset.

Benitez endeared himself to the Chelsea support further with the omission from the starting line-up of the team's heartbeat, John Terry, and new talisman Demba Ba. It is hard to imagine that captain, leader, legend voted for that during the meeting with Benitez and Lampard, despite concerns about his fitness. The selection of Fernando Torres over Ba bore even less scrutiny.

The first real opening took 40 minutes to fashion. It fell to Torres, who swung wildly at the ball with his right boot. The outcome was both sad and comic, the ball travelling parallel to the goal as it flew away from the target. It is clear that Torres can never be the player he was at Anfield. The most he can hope is to run around like a journeyman linking the play as best he can.

As fate would have it, he played that very role as Chelsea stole the lead in the last attack of the opening half. Lifting the ball cleverly over the defender's head, Torres picked out Mata as he advanced toward goal. There was plenty to do to accommodate body and ball, but he managed it with a drilled left-foot volley on the turn from close range.

In the second half a typical Lampard break saw him feed the ball through to Oscar, who pulled the ball square in the direction of Torres. A peak Torres would have been halfway to the halfway line in celebration before the defender could respond. This version didn't even get his toe to the ball and Ian Harte cleared.

Not to worry, there is always Lampard. A Mata corner was met by Lampard with typical elan, steering the ball high into the net to double Chelsea's lead. That seemed to be that until Le Fondre joined the party. His first was clinical, the second equally so sidefooting the ball coolly past Turnbull, exposed by a hapless Chelsea defence.

Man of the match Le Fondre.

Match rating 7/10.

Referee M Halsey (Hertfordshire).

Attendance 24,097.

==============

Guardian:

Reading's Adam Le Fondre hits late double to stun Chelsea

Dominic Fifield at Madejski Stadium

There is to be no respite in Chelsea's tumultuous season. Even games that seem to have been won with ease against relegation-threatened opponents are being wrested from the European champions, the sense of farce that is building leaving the interim first-team manager, Rafael Benítez, alone and increasingly exposed amid the maelstrom. Indignity is being delivered on a match-by-match basis at present.
The club's hierarchy watched on in disbelief from the directors' box here, Bruce Buck, Ron Gourlay and Michael Emenalo blanching as the visitors caved in to the only two shots of any potency mustered by Reading on the Chelsea goal. That suited trio of chairman, chief executive and technical director have the ominous look of a firing squad about them, as so many previous incumbents have discovered to their cost, and they were grim-faced as they exited amid the locals' giddy delirium on the final whistle. Benítez's position is apparently not under immediate threat, with his side still five points clear of fifth, but this was unacceptable.
It was also unexpected. Reading may have come back to score three times in the last eight minutes to beat West Bromwich Albion, but they had looked spent here against a Chelsea side who eased into a two-goal advantage without breaking into a sweat. They were professional rather than spectacular but the hosts were still kept at arm's length until three minutes from time. And then, from a position of complete authority, they disintegrated. Reading's first goal was neatly constructed, the substitute Hope Akpan clipping a neat pass inside Gary Cahill for Adam le Fondre, free of Branislav Ivanovic, to dispatch first time inside Ross Turnbull's near post.
Even that should only have been a mild inconvenience, but Chelsea's composure had drained. By the fifth minute of stoppage time, Le Fondre – new to the Premier League but whose reputation as a goal poacher is already well established – was one of three unmarked players at the far post as Adam Federici's free-kick prompted panic. Ivanovic and Cahill allowed the ball to bounce, Jimmy Kébé headed across goal and Akpan flicked on, and there was Le Fondre to volley back and across Turnbull to equalise. Such sloppiness will eat away at Benítez. "Everybody had the same feeling in the dressing-room," said the Spaniard. "Everyone could see the game was under control for us until the last minute. Really disappointing."
It says much when 87 minutes of dominance against a team struggling to avoid a swift return to the Championship yields only a point. Benítez pointed to their dominance – and they were so assured – as reason for optimism, and even suggested he could not be angry with his players for their late capitulation given how superior they had been. "If you play bad and draw, you can say it's a problem," he said. "But when you play so well, and have the chances we had … we did a good job, a great game, but we have to manage these little mistakes. We need to get the result we deserve."
But, for all that it is only 10 days since they beat Arsenal, their current form has served up draws with Swansea and Brentford prior to this. A fortnight previously they had led Southampton, another of the strugglers, by two at home and only drawn. The hierarchy, via Emenalo, may have impressed upon Benítez the need to finish in the top four and the manager is still on course to achieve just that, but it felt inexcusable not to have squeezed closer to Manchester City in second place once Juan Mata's fine finish from Fernando Torres's perfectly conjured pass had edged the visitors ahead. Add to that Frank Lampard's 196th goal for the club, thumped in from a corner, and a fifth consecutive league away win was surely theirs. Perhaps the sight of Le Fondre entering the fray immediately after that goal should have heightened the Londoners' concentration. Instead, they dawdled and Reading prospered.
Brian McDermott's side are out of the relegation zone and showing glimpses of that irrepressible post-Christmas form that has propelled them upwards over the last three years. They had lost only one of their previous seven games in all competitions before this match and, even when their position felt hopeless, retained the conviction that they could eke something from the contest. "We got a draw against the champions of Europe when we were 2-0 down with three minutes to play," said McDermott, through a smile. That summed up the drama. Le Fondre now boasts five goals in his last three Premier League outings, all cameos from the bench. "He's a great bloke, funny and with good banter, and wants to be the best player in training," said the Reading manager. "Our players all have so much more to come: that hunger and desire to improve. We haven't played particularly well tonight but we got something: these guys have so much heart and desire."
They retain such energy even into the latter stages. Chelsea are not as effervescent, with this their 41st game of a morale-sapping campaign. Benítez has overseen 20 of those in a little over two months. There simply is no relief to be had at this club.


================

Telegraph:

Reading 2 Chelsea 2

By Paul Kelso, Madjeski Stadium

Chelsea’s crisis continues to make great drama. A season of permanent turmoil took another twist at the Madejski Stadium last night as Rafael Benítez’s side conspired to toss away a two-goal lead against a Reading team who spent most of the evening rehearsing relegation form.
For 87 minutes Benítez was enjoying perhaps his most comfortable evening as Chelsea manager. He had endured the usual round of abuse from the travelling fans, but would have taken comfort from a performance of craft and composure that seemed certain to deliver a fifth consecutive away league win and, perhaps, some breathing space.
Goals from Juan Mata, his 15th of the season, and Frank Lampard’s 196th in Chelsea blue put them on course for a victory that would have tightened their grip on third place, and opened a six-point gap over the chasing pack.
All that changed in the game’s last gasps as his defence choked, Reading struck, leaving Benítez and his squad to journey back up the M4 reflecting on a third consecutive draw, another backward step, and renewed discussion of the manager’s prospects.
Benítez will not have been the only one considering his future. In the stands at the Madejski, looking as shocked as everyone else, were chairman Bruce Buck, chief executive Ron Gourlay and technical director Michael Emanalo. The next dispatch to Roman Abramovich will be instructive.
The Royals’ escapologist-in-chief was once again Adam le Fondre, who continued his remarkable form from the bench with two goals in eight minutes to snatch the draw. The goals took his total to five in the past three Premier League games, all of them as a substitute and all of them pivotal in turning games in his side’s favour. Ten days ago his double sank Newcastle at St James’ Park; the previous week he scored the equaliser as Reading turned round a two-goal deficit here to defeat West Bromwich. This performance capped both.
Introduced by Brian McDermott in the 66th minute, immediately after Lampard had doubled Chelsea’s lead, Le Fondre left it 20 minutes before going to work. His first goal owed much to another substitute, Hope Akpan, a 21-year-old graduate of the Everton and Crewe academies whose only previous appearance for Reading came as a substitute at Newcastle, where he laid on the winner.
Here, moments after Adam Federici had denied Oscar scoring a third goal with a fine save, he provided the pass that for the first time all evening split the Chelsea back line. Le Fondre got himself the wrong side of Branislav Ivanovic, stayed just onside and ­powered a left-foot shot first time inside Ross Turnbull’s near post.
The goal brought the stadium to life, but there was still little excuse for the yips that seized Chelsea in the final minute of added time. With the last attack of the game Federici punted a free-kick forward, and somehow Ivanovic and Gary Cahill missed their headers. The bouncing ball was nodded across the Chelsea box by Jimmy Kebe where Le Fondre cushioned a side-foot volley into the roof of the net and sent the home fans that remained into raptures.
The smile that split Le Fondre’s face contained as much disbelief as joy, and his manager could barely contain his. The win vaulted Reading over Aston Villa and Wigan and out of the relegation places and could prove hugely significant.
Defeat would have left Reading just three points ahead of bottom-club Queens Park Rangers, whose squad get stronger by the hour. Harry Redknapp’s side now lie four back, and this result will fuel McDeromtt’s optimism that Reading can stay up.
Having made a habit of stirring comebacks they began as if the intention was to avoid having to mount a similar rearguard action, with five men strung across midfield and lone striker Pavel Pogrebnyak.
It made for a game as congested as the M4 outside the ground but Chelsea, showing the patience and craft of European champions, kept working and were eventually rewarded.
The breakthrough came from Mata, who scored in first-half injury time after a one-two with Fernando Torres. With Plan A exposed, Reading had to be more positive but it left them exposed. They escaped narrowly once when Ian Harte denied Torres three yards out but respite was brief.
From the corner Lampard thumped home a header, prompting a round of “Sign him up!” from the fans who remain devoted, even if Abramovich is not. Those supporters will be preparing a less pleasant response for their next encounter with their manager. The drama is not done yet.

Team details

Reading: Federici; Harte, Pearce, Mariappa, Kelly; Leigertwood; McAnuff (Le Fondre 66), Guthrie (McCleary 58), Karacan (Akpan 77), Kebe; Pogrebnyak. Goals: Le Fondre 87, 90.
Subs: Taylor, Shorey, Morrison, Akpan, Robson-Kanu, McCleary, Le Fondre.

Chelsea: Turnbull, Azpilicueta, Cole, Cahill, Ivanovic; Ramires, Lampard (C); Oscar, Mata (Benayoun 77), Bertrand, Torres.
Subs: Hilario, Ferreira, Terry, Marin, Benayoun, Ake, Ba. Goals: Mata 45, Lampard 66.

=================

Mail:

Reading 2 Chelsea 2: Sub Le Fondre hits two in final five minutes to rock Rafa

By Neil Ashton

High up in the stands at the Madejski  Stadium, Chelsea’s firing squad were shaking their heads in disbelief.
On the field Adam Le Fondre was soaking it all up after rescuing Reading with another remarkable contribution after coming on as a substitute.
Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck, technical director Michael Emenalo and chief executive Ron Gourlay were all present to witness their team wobble like jelly in the final minutes. The legs have gone in this Chelsea team, shot to bits as they limp from one fixture to the next.

By the time Le Fondre came on as a 67th minute substitute for Jobi McAnuff, Chelsea had only just  finished celebrating Frank  Lampard’s 196th goal.
By the time they walked off the field there were haunted looks, vacant expressions among the  players after Le Fondre scored twice in the final minutes.
There will be twitches at Chelsea’s training ground this morning, with fear sweeping the corridors of power as the big men prepare for another brutal analysis. Buck, Gourlay and Emenalo always turn up at matches together when the going gets tough. For a club of Chelsea’s standing — the fifth  biggest club in Europe in terms of revenue — this is as bad as it gets.
Really bad.
That heavyweight trio all report back to owner Roman Abramovich independently and naturally there are some serious misgivings about the managerial performance of Rafa Benitez. No-one could argue about that.

The rot has set in and Le Fondre made sure of it after securing one of the most unlikeliest points in the history of the Barclays Premier League.
They were two down and on the verge of their 13th defeat in the top flight when Le Fondre delivered a masterclass in finishing.
Chelsea’s fans were rubbing it in after Juan Mata’s sparkling  performance put them on course for a fifth successive away league win.
 
By the time Le Fondre scored Reading’s equaliser, 94 minutes and seven seconds into this game, it was back to the bad old days.
Benitez was getting it again as they made their way out of the  stadium and Chelsea’s boardroom contingent would have been of much the same opinion, minus the bad language.
This is critical point for Benitez. It was embarrassing, revisiting Sunday’s shocking show in the FA Cup at Brentford with their failure to clear the ball in times of distress. They had done the hard yards, securing a two goal advantage thanks to the mastery of Mata.

He sparkled, latching on to Fernando Torres’ lofted pass over the Reading defence to score Chelsea’s opening goal.

It was a terrific move, a throwback to the good times when Chelsea used to carve teams open with their attacking thrust.
The players are there, particularly with the ability of Mata and Oscar. Mata, back in the starting line-up after he was rested at Griffin Park in the Cup, was also the architect of Chelsea’s second.

His outswinging corner met the head of Lampard and Chelsea’s stand-in skipper is now within six goals of Bobby Tambling after  powering his header past Adam Federici. They should have been home and hosed. Instead there is another inquest after Le  Fondre’s intervention.

Brian McDermott’s side are beginning to believe they can escape the drop. Le Fondre has scored five in his last three league games, establishing a reputation as a super-sub with crucial strikes.
McDermott said: ‘I speak to Adam as much as I can. I’d like to start him in matches, but we are trying to find a way of getting results. We are trying to find the solutions, but the boy’s happy and the team’s happy because of the past few results.

‘I’m pleased for him, but it’s  difficult to pick the team at the moment. He trains like he wants to be the best and he’s getting better all the time.’
His finishes were of the highest order, reading the pass of Hope Akpan to flash a left-footed effort beyond keeper Ross Turnbull.

Even then Chelsea should have had enough to see this out, relying on players such as Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic to shepherd them towards three points.

Instead they blew it, shutting down as Reading threw bodies into the box for one last effort.
By the time Akpan’s looping header made its way across the area, Reading had a queue of players waiting to beat Turnbull at the far post.
Inevitably it was that man Le Fondre who made the move for a stunning equaliser, taking full responsibility for Reading’s revival.

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Mirror:

Reading 2-2 Chelsea

Stunned! Rafa admits Chelsea players were shocked by their own late collapse against Reading

By Martin Lipton


Le Fondre was the hero again, cancelling out Mata and Lampard's openers

Stunned Rafa Benitez revealed his players were left as shocked as he was by the late collapse that put his teetering reign under further pressure.
Chelsea were in complete control when Frank Lampard rose to power home the outstanding Juan Mata's corner on 66 minutes.
Mata had earlier put the Blues in front with his 15th of the season but two goals in five minutes from substitute Adam Le Fondre, including a superb stoppage time leveller, left Benitez floundering.
The Spaniard, feeling the heat after the cup woes at Swansea and Brentford, admitted: "There was a sense of disbelief - and everyone had the same feeling.
"It's difficult to explain. We were controlling the game for 85 minutes. We had done a perfect job but then we just made too many mistakes. We don't blame anyone."
Benitez may not have been playing the blame game but the despairing looks on the fans of the travelling Stamford Bridge hierarchy trio of chairman Bruce Buck, chief executive Ron Gourlay and technical director Michael Emenalo told their own story.
What made this hurt so much - and give such a huge boost to Royals chief Brian McDermott, whose side moved out of the drop zone for the first time in two months - was that the game was done and dusted on 66 minutes.
Lampard's header was the veteran midfielder's 196th Blues goal, just six short of Bobby Tambling's club record, bringing another chorus of "sign him up" by the travelling fans who had briefly stopped their baiting of Benitez.
Benitez had opted to omit skipper John Terry and Demba Ba but with Fernando Torres creating Mata's opener with a superb pass on the stroke of half-time the Spaniard appeared for some rare and wanted relief.
But Benitez was then powerless to prevent the appalling defensive sloppiness that followed as Reading, who had failed to create a single shot in the first 86 minutes, pulled off another great escape to put his interim reign under further scrutiny.
Le Fondre has become Reading's "Supersub" in recent weeks, coming off the bench to complete the stunning recovery win over West Brom and netting both goals in the comeback triumph at Newcastle.
This though, after Benitez rested the impish Mata, was arguably his greatest feat, outpacing the leaden-footed Branislav Ivanovic to thrash first time between Ross Turnbull and his near post.
Then, deep in stoppage time, Ivanovic and Gary Cahill failed to deal with Adam Federici's free-kick, Jimmy Kebe's header was helped on by Akpan and the unmarked Le Fondre exploded a volley home to ignite the Madejski.
Benitez was left to lament: "The frustration is that we could have closed the gap on Manchester City. We just needed to be more clinical and kill the game.
"We did a professional, perfect job for 85 minutes. It's difficult how to explain how we drew this game. We are disappointed but have to take responsibility. We win together. We draw together."
McDermott, whose side have now picked up 11 points from their last 18 and leapfrogged Aston Villa and Wigan, said: "Whatever happens, we haven't got fear, just belief.
"Even at two down I thought we could get something from the game. I knew Adam could make a difference off the bench and his second was ridiculous, top, top drawer."

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Sun:

Reading 2 Chelsea 2

WOULD YOU ADAM 'N EVE IT? ... Le Fondre snatches an amazing point for Reading

By MARK IRWIN

ADAM LE FONDRE proved that lightning strikes THRICE to leave Rafa Benitez convinced that someone up there does not like him.
The Reading supersub came off the bench to transform his team’s fortunes for the third successive Premier League game with two stunning late goals.
Le Fondre might not warrant a place in Brian McDermott’s starting line-up but his contribution as an impact player is proving to be absolutely priceless after firing his team clear of the relegation zone.
The former Stockport and Rotherham striker, known to his team-mates as ALF, sent the Madejski into raptures with a stoppage-time equaliser just minutes after halving Chelsea’s two-goal lead. 
Three weeks ago he helped his team overturn a two-goal deficit against West Brom and seven days later scored both goals in a late 2-1 win at Newcastle.

But this cameo was the best of the lot as poor old Benitez suffered another body blow in his bid to win over his Chelsea critics.
For the Blues had been coasting to victory until Le Fondre’s 66th-minute introduction in response to Frank Lampard heading the visitors into a 2-0 lead.
It was a bitter pill for Chelsea to swallow. And it would have been even harder to stomach but for the magnificent Juan Mata.
The Spanish playmaker was at it again with his 15th goal of the season to seemingly keep the Blues clear in third place.
His latest contribution to the Save Our Rafa campaign came at the end of a first half in which Chelsea had dominated but rarely threatened.
Exchanging passes with Fernando Torres on the edge of the area, Mata ran clear of a static defence to hook a left-footed shot beyond keeper Adam Federici.
The goal arrived just minutes after Torres had seen a shot of his own go out for a throw, prompting more derision for Benitez for not starting with Demba Ba up front.
It was probably just as well that his team were up against toothless Reading side that spent most of the evening camped in their own half.
Any prospect of another comeback seemed dead and buried midway through the second half when Lampard doubled Chelsea’s lead.

Mata — who else — delivered an inch-perfect corner from the left and Lamps found enough space in the six-yard area to power in an unstoppable header.
It was his 196th goal for Chelsea and leaves him just six short of Bobby Tambling’s all-time club record.
And it prompted inevitable chants of ‘Sign him up’ from the Blues supporters frustrated that he has not been offered a new deal.
Yet those Chelsea celebrations evaporated in an instant when Le Fondre latched on to an 87th-minute through ball from fellow sub Hope Akpan to beat Ross Turnbull with a low, angled drive.
And four minutes later he was at it again, volleying in from another Akpan assist after Chelsea failed to clear Federici’s long free-kick.
For Chelsea, this was an eighth successive game unbeaten away from the toxic atmosphere of Stamford Bridge. But it sure as hell felt like a defeat.

DREAM TEAM

SUN STAR MAN — JUAN MATA (CHELSEA)

READING: Federici 6, Kelly 6, Pearce 6, Mariappa 6, Harte 6, Kebe 6, Karacan 6 (Akpan 7), Leigertwood 6, Guthrie 5 (McCleary 6), McAnuff 6 (Le Fondre 8), Pogrebnyak 5. Subs not used: Taylor, Shorey, Morrison, Robson-Kanu. Booked: McAnuff.

CHELSEA: Turnbull 6, Azpilicueta 6, Ivanovic 7, Cahill 6, Cole 6, Mata 8 (Benayoun 6), Ramires 7, Lampard 7, Oscar 7, Bertrand 6, Torres 6 (Ba 3). Subs not used: Hilario, Ferreira, Marin, Terry, Ake. Booked: Ramires, Azpilicueta.


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Express:

READING 2 - CHELSEA 2: SAVIOUR LE FONDRE
By Tony Banks

GIVE this Chelsea team a hurdle right now and Rafa Benitez's side will fall over it. But, even by their recent standards, this collapse was extraordinary.

Reading Two goals up with four minutes left, Chelsea were cruising towards a fifth successive away Premier League win and all was well.
But then two goals from substitute Adam Le Fondre saved Reading a point they never looked remotely like getting throughout the previous 86 minutes.
As an implosion, it was astonishing. Benitez's task in the four months he has left as Chelsea's interim manager, as was made clear to him before this game, is to keep his team in the league's top four.
If this kind of form goes on – and this collapse followed a dismal performance at Brentford in the FA Cup on Sunday and a limp exit from the Capital One Cup at Swansea four days previously – there can be few who would confidently stake their house on that.
Owner Roman Abramovich and the hierarchy were reportedly furious with the performance at Griffin Park. When the Russian receives reports from this debacle, he will surely be apoplectic.
Goals from Juan Mata and Frank Lampard had set Chelsea up for one of the most comfortable wins of the season, against a team that had not mustered a shot against them up until the 75th minute. But then, the roof fell in on Chelsea.
Le Fondre has now scored five goals in his last three league games, each time after starting as a substitute.
The £300,000 former Rotherham striker arrived from the bench against West Brom at home to equalise with a penalty and then notched two after coming on at Newcastle to earn his side a win.
With Chelsea cruising, Le Fondre fastened on to fellow substitute Hope Akpen's pass to screw a shot past Ross Turnbull which looked like a mere consolation on a night when Reading had been outplayed.
But then, in the dying moments, Chelsea nervously failed to clear a high ball from goalkeeper Adam Federici and Akpen nodded down for the unmarked Le Fondre to volley home. The Madejski Stadium went berserk. Chelsea's players slumped disbelievingly to the ground.
The club stay third, but this felt like a mortal blow. Benitez has long since been dismissed as having any chance of keeping the job at the end of this season, with Jose Mourinho hovering in the background.
Had Abramovich not already sacked one manager just 12 weeks ago, Benitez would be walking on very thin ice indeed now. As it is, there is little point in removing the Spaniard now, because there is no one else to appoint.
And it had all looked so good. Seconds before half–time, Chelsea, who had been the better team throughout the opening period, finally put together a penetrating move and took the lead.
Fernando Torres cleverly scooped the ball through for Mata to slide home his 15th goal of the season.
They should have been two goals to the good when an exquisite pass from Lampard caught out the Reading defence but Oscar hooked the ball wide of the post.
Reading fans hollered for Le Fondre to be summoned from the bench. But McDermott was keeping his powder dry.
Mata was again involved in the goal that seemed to end the game as a contest. The Spaniard's corner was typically pinpoint and Lampard was all alone six yards out as he thumped his header past Federici.
Only then did Le Fondre appear and what an impact he had. Surely McDermott has to start him in Reading's next game.

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Star:

GRIM-FACED CHELSEA CHIEFS WATCH ADAM LE FONDRE MAKE THINGS WORSE FOR RAFA BENITEZ
Reading 2 Chelsea 2
By Adrian Kajumba

JUST when Rafa Benitez thought things were about to get better, along came supersub Adam Le Fondre to make them a whole lot worse.
Permanently under fire from the Chelsea fans who never wanted him and now under pressure from the owner who no longer wants him, ­Benitez looked to have earned some breathing space.
The Blues were 2-0 up thanks to goals from Juan Mata and Frank Lampard and it looked like job done.
But Le Fondre leapt off the bench to repeat his two-goal match-winning heroics last time out at Newcastle by scoring twice in quick succession to earn Reading a point.
It was a stunning fightback by Brian McDermott’s never-say-die side and resurgent Royals have now won four and drawn one of their last five games in all competitions.
They didn’t have a shot on goal until the 87th minute, but ended the night climbing out of the bottom three on goal difference.
It was a spectacular and disastrous collapse for Chelsea and was played out in front of grim-faced chairman Bruce Buck, chief executive Ron Gourlay and technical director Michael Emenalo.
Yet, all seemed to be going so well once Chelsea eventually got ­going.
Benitez must have been fearing ­another blast from the travelling ­boo-boys at half-time, like the ­poisonous one he got at Brentford in ­Sunday’s FA Cup tie.
Another unimpressive Chelsea display was summed up by a ­Fernando Torres shot that flew out for a throw-in.
But then Mata, Chelsea’s standout player, conjured up some magic to give the visitors the lead with his 15th goal of the season.
The little Spaniard laid the ball off to Torres on the edge of the box ­before bursting through the Royals ­rearguard to collect the return and fire past Reading goalkeeper Adam Federici.
It should have been 2-0 to Chelsea 10 minutes into the second half but ­Oscar hooked an acrobatic volley wide after springing the offside trap to latch on to Lampard’s ball over the top.
The same pair combined again soon after but Oscar chose to pass to Torres, rather than shoot, and Ian Harte nipped in to clear.
But from the resulting Mata corner, Lampard headed in his 196th Chelsea goal – leaving him just six short of Bobby Tambling’s long-standing club record of 202.
Oscar blew another chance with five minutes remaining when ­Federici came out on top in their one-on-one battle. And how costly that proved to be.
Le Fondre, who came on in the 66th minute, halved the deficit with three minutes to go from fellow sub Hope Akpan’s clever pass.
And with referee Mark Halsey ­preparing to blow the final whistle, ­Federici pumped one last hopeful free-kick forward and that caused chaos in the Blues box.
Jimmy Kebe and Akpan knocked the ball on and Le Fondre – one of three players ­unmarked at the back post – coolly volleyed in a dramatic added-time equaliser.
It was his fifth goal in the last three games after coming off the bench.

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Brentford 2-2

Independent:
Brentford 2 Chelsea 2
Glenn Moore

From the moment that Chelsea were forced to enter the Griffin Park pitch through a guard of honour of ball boys it was clear this was to be an uncomfortable day for the FA Cup holders  and so it proved with League One Brentford twice poised to despatch them.
In the end a brace of equalisers from Oscar and Fernando Torres enabled the European Champions to avoid a humiliating exit and with no players sent off and no ball-boys harmed it turned into a relatively quiet afternoon by their standards.
It might easily have been different. Ross Turnbull received the benefit of the doubt from referee Jon Moss when he brought down Tom Adeyemi in the box, and Torres’s goal came just seven minutes from time.
And yet Chelsea might well have won, Moss somehow missing a clear handball by Harlee Dean in injury-time. That would have been harsh on their League One opponents. Uwe Rosler’s team of young talents discarded by bigger clubs, guided by a few older heads, outplayed the Premier League side for long periods on a heavily-sanded, gluepot pitch.
Interim manager Rafael Benitez preferred Torres to Demba Ba, rested Juan Mata, recalled John Terry and gave Marko Marin another chance on the right. With Ryan Bertrand advanced on the left this gave him a front three consisting of two players woefully out of form and an out-of-position left-back. It showed. Though Chelsea were the sharper team in the early stages they had no attacking threat. Once Brentford realised they would not be swept away they began to get the ball down and play themselves.
Helped by a strong wind at their backs, the central midfield trio of Adam Forshaw, Toumani Diagouraga and Jonathan Douglas pressed Ramires and Frank Lampard back and the Bees took control.
The main threat was on the left where Harry Forrester combined well with Shaleum Logan. Forrester had blasted over when Turnbull bizarrely conceded a free-kick by picking up Terry’s back-pass, and did not always choose the right option, but his skill and pace troubled Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill. Three times he threatened Turnbull and on the fourth he stuck gold, the goalkeeper only managing to shovel his shot out to Marcello Trotta, who lashed the rebound back. Cue joys for supporters of Brentford – and Fulham, from whom Trotta is on loan.
Marin was hauled off at the break and Mata asked again to rescue his team. Chelsea, who now had the wind in their favour, did begin to establish some control and 10 minutes into the half Oscar, showing delightfully quick feet in the box, levelled. Chelsea looked set to push on and secure a passage to the fifth round but with 20 minutes left Adeyemi, whose previous association with the FA Cup had been unhappy (he was racially abused at Anfield playing for Oldham) came on.
Almost immediately he went clear and tumbled over Turnbull’s clumsy challenge. Referee Moss decided it was a penalty, but, to the displeasure of Rosler, just a yellow card. “My impression is a goalscoring opportunity was denied. We know what that means,” said Rosler.
Forrester stepped up and scored in front of the Chelsea fans. “I had a little look at them to soak up the moment, then picked my spot,” he said. “It is one of those moments that will stay with me forever.”
The Chelsea fans called for Ba. Benitez changed right-backs prompting chants of: ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’.
“We know what we are doing,” said Benitez afterwards, adding that he wanted fresh legs to produce more width. Indeed Bertrand soon headed over from a Cesar Azpilicueta cross.
Benitez also pointed to the game-changing introduction of Mata as an example of his tactical acumen and said of Ba: “I left it as the team was doing well. We were in control and on top of things. When you are doing well you cannot change too many things.”
Ba finally came on, ostensibly to play on the left, with eight minutes remaining. He soon drifted inside and was involved in the move which ended with Torres curling a lovely shot past Simon Moore for his first goal in nine matches.
Brentford were happy to take a draw but Chelsea wanted a winner and might have had it had Moss seen Dean block Mata’s cross with his arm. With Frank Lampard on the pitch that would probably have been curtains for Brentford though Moore did make a superb penalty save against Leyton Orient in midweek.
“It was a very clear penalty,” said Benitez, “but it was also very clear we did not perform in the first half.” He did not, however, see any reason to feel relieved as: “I was really pleased with the reaction of the team in the second half.”
Such are Chelsea’s fixture commitments the replay – Brentford’s first match at Stamford Bridge since 1946 – will be held on the weekend of the fifth round, 16-17 February. In the meantime Chelsea have a Champions League place to chase and Europa League campaign to pursue, while Brentford focus on their League One promotion challenge with matches against Yeovil, Bury and Stevenage.

====================

Guardian:

Fernando Torres saves Chelsea from FA Cup humiliation at Brentford
David Hytner at Griffin Park

Thank heavens for Fernando Torres. Chelsea were staring at FA Cup humiliation at the hands of League One opposition and Rafael Benítez was feeling the fury of the club's travelling support when the striker, who has become synonymous with a failure to deliver when it really matters, cast off the shackles.
Torres's late equaliser was marked by the kind of quality that persuaded Chelsea to break the British transfer record to sign him and, although it is trite to suggest that it repaid a slice of the £50m fee, there could be no doubting the relief that it brought.
Benítez was prominent among the beneficiaries. His 78th-minute substitution of Branislav Ivanovic for César Azpilicueta, one right-back for another, as Chelsea trailed to Harry Forrester's penalty, drew derision from the away enclosure, who told him that he did not know what he was doing. There was the stock reminder that he was not wanted by them, and the end of the first half had triggered an outpouring of abuse.
Torres's instinctive finish – right-footed into the far corner – painted happier headlines for Chelsea, who had to fear the worst after Ballboy-gate at Swansea City last Wednesday. They could even have snatched it in injury time when the substitute Juan Mata's cross struck Harlee Dean's hand only for the referee, John Moss, to ignore the penalty appeal.
Perhaps, he subconsciously gave in to his romantic side because defeat would have been awfully harsh on Brentford, who controlled the first half and contributed heavily to an engrossing tie. The intensity of their midfield trio was stirring and Shaleum Logan and Forrester caught the eye with their enterprise on the left flank. The cheers from the home crowd upon the final whistle spoke of a famous result and Kool and the Gang's Celebration caught the mood, as it was played over the PA system.
Benítez had taken few chances with a strong lineup, in which all six of his senior English players started, although he would tell you that his squad is so stretched at present he has little room for manoeuvre. But Chelsea were dismal in the first half, creating nothing of note and struggling to piece together passes. Brentford looked as if they wanted it more, in front of their biggest home crowd in three decades and on a pitch that was the leveller of cup lore.
Believe it or not, Chelsea paid for the surface to be seeded, as part of the deal that allows their under-21s to play here sometimes and they felt it cut up badly. Brentford seek to get the ball down and play but, as Chelsea battled to come to terms with the bobbles, Uwe Rösler's team revelled in their familiarity.
Ross Turnbull epitomised the Chelsea edginess. In for the injured Petr Cech, the goalkeeper had endured an early misunderstanding with John Terry, which resulted in him getting too close to the returning captain and picking up his back-pass. Forrester lifted the free-kick over the crossbar. But when Forrester shot from distance before the interval, after the impressive Adam Forshaw had robbed Frank Lampard, Turnbull could only parry to the feet of Marcello Trotta, who ignited the occasion with his finish.
Benítez responded at half-time by sending on Mata for the anonymous Marko Marin, moving Oscar to the right and, presumably, instructing his team to show a bit of backbone. He had wanted to spare the overused Mata but the situation felt desperate. He got the response that he wanted, with Chelsea coming to show purpose and their first equaliser duly arrived. It was a beauty.
Oscar had looked as though he would rather be elsewhere in the first half; possibly, on a beach in his native Brazil. At least there was plenty of sand on this pitch. But he came alive inside the area, showing his balance to wriggle past defenders before curling home with the outside of his right boot. Mata drew a smart save out of Simon Moore shortly afterwards and it seemed as if Chelsea were primed to weather the storm.
Wrong. Rösler withdrew Trotta for Tom Adeyemi, moved Clayton Donaldson to his normal No9 role and enjoyed a stunning dividend. Donaldson's pass ushered in Adeyemi and when he nicked the ball past Turnbull, he found himself impeded by the advancing Chelsea goalkeeper's challenge. The visitors complained about the lack of contact but Turnbull had been clumsy. He was booked – the sanction could have been worse, on another day – and Forrester kept his nerve from the spot.
Ivanovic had gone close with an overhead kick when Benítez swapped him for the fresh legs and natural width of Azpilicueta, who promptly crossed for Ryan Bertrand to head off target, and it became easy to imagine the reaction to a Chelsea exit. Torres, however, stepped forward to save the day. The club's Cup defence remains alive.
Man of the match Harry Forrester (Brentford)

===============

Telegraph:

Brentford 2 Chelsea 2:
Henry Winter

At one point in the second half, with the League One hosts leading 2-1, Brentford’s raucous fans enquired of their visitors: “champions of Europe? You’re having a laugh.” Chelsea didn’t even look like FA Cup holders for long periods.
They recovered to force a replay through Fernando Torres seven minutes from time but this was a deeply unconvincing performance.
Oscar scored an exquisite goal, Juan Mata brought intelligence when arriving for the second half but too many high-profile names lost their duels with Uwe Rosler’s players.
The replay will be on fifth-round weekend because of league, international and Europa League commitments. Chelsea fly back from Sparta Prague after their Valentine’s Day assignment, resuming conflict with Brentford on Feb 17, before taking on Sparta in the second leg four days later.
They need Rafa Benitez to consider pairing Torres with Demba Ba, and urgently require Petr Cech to recover from what Benitez termed “a niggle”. Ross Turnbull is too underwhelming an understudy.
They also need Benitez to demonstrate more fully the tactical nous he was known for at Liverpool. Those Chelsea fans temporarily relocated from the Shed to the Wendy House watched closely for signs that Benitez could influence the flow of the game.
The criticism of Chelsea’s interim manager from some supporters is that he responds to the clock rather than the scoreboard.
They even chanted “you don’t know what you’re doing” when he delayed the introduction of Ba. Benitez must shake off the impression that subs come on as if at pre-planned points in the game.
He had to act at the break, following a largely lifeless 45 minutes by Chelsea. Brentford were sharper, stronger of spirit, a collective rather than a gathering of individuals.
The pitch was poor in one half, part Hackney Marshes, part Copacabana, but Brentford managed to move the ball across it well enough. Adam Forshaw and Harry Forrester worked overtime. So did Jonathan Douglas, who wore the beard of a pirate and a look of utter determination to thwart distinguished guests. Marcello Trotta, on loan from Fulham, ran hard as the lone striker.
Chelsea knew swiftly they were in for a sustained examination of their character. With Eden Hazard starting his suspension, Chelsea emerged to a ball-boy guard of honour, carrying ironic if unintended echoes of the Liberty Stadium. They lacked inspiration and conviction in the opening half. Frank Lampard looked tired. Oscar managed a shot but it was tame.
Chelsea were disorganised defensively. Turnbull picked up a John Terry back-pass, gifting Brentford an indirect free-kick that Forrester eventually fired over.
Forshaw, twice, and Forrester both went close. Nerves crept into Chelsea’s play. Gary Cahill put the ball straight out.
Torres miskicked. Two minutes from time, Turnbull erred again, parrying Forrester’s shot into the path of Trotta, who pulled the trigger and three sides of Griffin Park rocked with delight.
One stand, housing the visitors, contained a mix of apprehension, defiance and soon dissent. At the break, Benitez walked across the pitch, his head down, initially engaged in conversation with Mata. Benitez did not look to his right where a few Chelsea fans were giving him the reverse Churchill.
How would he react? Criticised for his delayed and ultimately ineffective substitutions against Swansea, Benitez actually twisted early here. He withdrew Marin, a skilful player who possesses the slightness of frame that would make kite-flying a risk in windy conditions yesterday let alone finding a way through the dense thicket of Brentford’s five-man midfield.
If Mata’s change brought some rare approving nods from the Chelsea fans, Benitez’s decision to continue to keep Ba in reserve with Torres labouring was baffling.
Torres needed support. Oscar appreciated Mata’s presence, the Brazilian equalising within 10 minutes. He dribbled through the middle, his quick feet steering the ball through Brentford’s defence before he elegantly flicked the ball past Simon Moore with the outside of his right foot. The goal contained hints of Romario in his pomp.
Chelsea’s mood was better but Turnbull was hardly a human barricade. Rosler sent on Tom Adeyemi for Trotta and the substitute had an instant impact, running through and being brought down by Turnbull after 73 minutes. Forrester calmly took control of the penalty, placing it low to Turnbull’s right.
Chelsea fans were in ferment. Urgently needed a goal to prevent humiliation, Benitez’s second substitution after 79 minutes involved a right-back, Cesar Azpilicueta, for a right-back, Branislav Ivanovic, a like-for-like change greeted splenetically by the visiting fans.
Where was Ba? Sitting on the bench, hiding beneath a large bobble hat. Where was the logic in Azpilicueta? The holders were facing ignominy, losing to League One opposition, and a defender was coming on. Where was the boldness of a Jose Mourinho?
They immediately questioned Benitez. Azpilicueta promptly lifted in a promising ball but the supporters’ calls for Ba were understandable.
Three minutes later, Benitez sent him on for Bertrand. He assumed a position on the left but then moved into the centre, winning the ball and creating the stage for Torres to equalise with a superb curling strike. The Spainard’s finesse was a total contrast to his earlier travails.
Torres seemed inspired by Ba’s presence, perhaps finding greater motivation or simply more space.
Chelsea could even have won it in stoppage time, Mata and Ba screaming for a penalty when Harlee Dean handled Mata’s cross but Brentford deserved their replay and pay-day that could touch £750,000. Chelsea’s strange old season continues.

================

Mail:

Brentford 2 Chelsea 2: Torres spares Rafa's blushes as holders are taken to replay

By MATT BARLOW

It is two years this week since Chelsea smashed the British transfer record to buy Fernando Torres and Sunday was probably not what anyone had in mind when he signed.
The £50million striker came to the rescue against League One Brentford at Griffin Park, sparing the European champions embarrassment at the end of a torrid week with a splendid equaliser, whipped into the top corner seven minutes from time to secure a replay.
It was his first goal since Christmas and one of the more valuable of the 27 he now has since moving from  Liverpool. Predictably, however, it did not protect Rafa Benitez from a volley of abuse as he crossed the pitch to the tunnel at the end.
Chelsea fans sped through their anti-Rafa repertoire: ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’; ‘You’re not wanted here’; ‘We don’t care about Rafa’.
Chief among their complaints at Griffin Park was that Demba Ba did not appear from the bench until nine minutes from time. When he did, he had an instant impact with an assist in the Torres goal.
Brentford were roared off by their biggest crowd for 30 years — more than 12,000. They played with fluency and spirit and rocked their illustrious neighbours but their delight was mixed with regret at failing to hold on for victory.
‘My players did fantastic,’ said the Bees’ manager Uwe Rosler. ‘They earned the right to play at Stamford Bridge. It will be a great day for our supporters again, for our players and, financially, it will help enormously.’
Marcello Trotta fired Brentford ahead two minutes before half-time when Frank Lampard dithered deep in his own half and was dispossessed by Adam Forshaw. Harry Forrester pounced, unleashing a drive which Ross Turnbull spilled to Trotta, who scored. It was a deserved lead.
Left back Shaleum Logan said: ‘We got in their faces. If one person missed a tackle the next person went in. We didn’t let them get in a rhythm. With world-class players, the one thing they don’t like is people in their faces and that’s what we did.’
Chelsea did not step up to the challenge. They were feeble in the first half as they kicked into a strong wind, casting accusing glances at a sticky pitch which played on their nerves and insecurities.
John Terry and Gary Cahill were uncertain at the back and Torres barely had a touch but nobody was more jittery than Turnbull,  in goal because Petr Cech was nursing a niggle.
The Benitez plan to rest players for the 40th game of the season backfired and Chelsea must squeeze this replay into the fifth-round weekend, between Europa League ties against Sparta Prague.
Rosler said: ‘I think we look forward more than Chelsea to that replay.’
It will be Brentford’s first trip to Stamford Bridge for a competitive game in 66 years.
Benitez sent on Juan Mata at half-time. Marko Marin, after a rare start, was hauled off. Mata was influential but Chelsea’s change in attitude was more important. They showed some desire to compete and quickened the tempo.
Oscar levelled after 55 minutes with a beautiful goal, side- stepping defenders in a crowded penalty area before poking a high shot past Brentford keeper Simon Moore, who then saved from Mata.
Chelsea would then have been  expected to squeeze the life from the home team but Brentford hit back. Rosler released League One’s top scorer Clayton Donaldson from his defensive duties on the right wing, restored him to centre forward and the home side regained the lead.
Donaldson unzipped the defence with a pass to Tom Adeyemi, who had only been on a few seconds when he was sent spinning into the air by Turnbull’s clumsy dash from goal. Chelsea’s keeper escaped with a booking but  Forrester punished him by converting from the penalty spot.
The next move from Benitez was to change his right back, which brought hoots of derision from beneath the tin roof at the away end. But the fresh legs of Cesar Azpilicueta created a chance which Ryan Bertrand headed over the bar.
Then Ba’s physical presence supplied a new dimension and within a minute he had  muscled the ball down for Torres to curl in the equaliser from the edge of the box.
Benitez said: ‘I changed Mata at half-time and he made a big difference. We were in control. We were on top of them. When you are doing well you cannot change too many things. I wanted to give some width to the team with Cesar. Still we were in control, then I brought on Ba.’
Chelsea summoned a strong  finish. Mata wanted a penalty in stoppage time when his cross from the Chelsea left hit centre half Harlee Dean on the hand but referee Jon Moss waved play on.
The visitors protested, a sign of their desperation, and Rosler accepted football’s gods must have been on his side.
‘European champions, you’re having a laugh,’ sang home fans at the final whistle. They did not want to leave, lingering behind the stands to savour a famous day, searching for autographs.
Brentford chairman Greg Dyke could not keep the grin off his face. For Chelsea, it was another day to forget but at least the ball boys performed well.

================

Mirror:

Brentford 2-2
Stung by the Bees: Only late Torres equaliser prevents Brentford from dumping Chelsea out of the Cup
Darren Lewis

How the mighty continue to fall.
Never mind champions of Europe, this was not even a performance befitting their status as defending champions of the FA Cup.
Chelsea remain in a mess after Brentford became the latest side from lower down the pecking order to embarrass them in a matter of weeks.
Uwe Rosler’s Bees join Fulham, QPR, West Ham Southampton and Swansea – all of whom have either held, or beaten, Rafa Benitez’s ­multi-million-pound side across three competitions going back to the start of December.
At Griffin Park, Brentford came within touching distance of inflicting a defeat so devastating that the Blues’ interim boss could not possibly have talked his way out of it.
Bizarrely enough, Rosler’s men will even fancy themselves at Stamford Bridge in a couple of weeks’ time as the Blues have won just three of their last nine games at home.
The hostile atmosphere that has seen Benitez, Fernando Torres and the Chelsea board all booed and blasted in recent weeks will surely be reproduced if Brentford repeat this performance.
And stinging in the Chelsea players’ ears will be Rosler’s taunt about their work rate which he believes his League One players totally surpassed in this entertaining contest.
Brentford have lost just twice at home in the league this season and did themselves proud in front of their biggest home crowd for 30 years.
They were handed an early chance to take the lead yesterday after John Terry – starting his first game under Benitez after injury – backpassed to keeper Ross Turnbull.
Bizarrely, the Chelsea reserve picked up the ball allowing Brentford a free-kick inside the box. Harry Forrester blazed over. But the Bees went on to enjoy more ­opportunities in what was turning out to be an absorbing encounter.
Special mentions must go to in-form Bees striker Clayton Donaldson who worked hard down the right in the first half. Also midfielders Toumani Diagouraga, Jonathan Douglas and Adam Forshaw.
It was striker Marcello Trotta, however, who opened the scoring. The Italian was fastest to react three minutes before the break when Turnbull could only parry man-of-the-match Forrester’s shot.
Benitez – again blasted from the stands by disgruntled fans – ­withdrew the ineffective Marko Marin at half-time for Juan Mata. Suddenly Chelsea were enjoying more possession and, out of nothing, Oscar’s flick provided a moment of magic to level the scores.
Brentford keeper Simon Moore – who could do nothing about the Brazilian’s strike – had had nothing to do in the first half. He was far the busier keeper in the second, however, with Chelsea finally ­realising they had to clock on.
The side third in the Premier League still found themselves staring down the barrel 17 minutes from time, though, when sub Tom Adeyemi was fouled by Turnbull after being sent clear by Donaldson.
Referee Jon Moss let the Chelsea keeper off the hook with a yellow card. But Forrester didn’t let Turnbull off from the spot.
Their lead restored, Rosler’s men looked to be holding their more illustrious visitors at arm’s length with Moore holding Branislav Ivanovic’s overhead kick easily and Ryan Bertrand heading over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
 At that point Chelsea appeared in grave danger of surrendering their sixth chance of winning a trophy in as many months.
Then, redemption for Rafa. ­Substitute Demba Ba, scandalously made to wait until the 81st minute for his introduction, scrapped for the ball on the edge of the Brentford box and teed up Fernando Torres.
The under-fire Spanish striker, so often the weakest link in the Chelsea team, swept the ball into the back of the net with a curling finish.
It was tough on the League One side but terrific from Torres as he battles to justify his inclusion ahead of in-form Ba.
To be fair to the Blues they could even have had a late penalty when defender Harlee Dean handled Mata’s cross in injury time.
The statistics still favour the Premier League giants, who remain undefeated in their last 25 FA Cup matches, winning 20 and drawing five of them.
Their stumbles over the last six weeks, however, mean Brentford will go to Stamford Bridge in a fortnight with every chance.


================

Star:

BRENTFORD 2 - CHELSEA 2: BEES STING THE BLUES
David Woods

BRENTFORD yesterday accused FA Cup holders Chelsea of not trying hard enough and hating having them in their faces.
Bees boss Uwe Rosler claimed the God of football had supported his team when the Blues were denied a clear 93rd-minute penalty for handball against defender Harlee Dean.
“We deserved that luck from what we have put in compared to what Chelsea put in over the 90 minutes," said the German.
“There is a football God up there and he is in on our side.”
And the League One side’s left-back Shaleum Logan reckoned the Champions League winners did not have the stomach for the fight at Griffin Park.
“The one thing with world-class players is they don’t like people in their faces and that’s we did,” he said.
“We didn’t let them get in a rhythm. Maybe we had them rattled.”
Rosler’s Brentford were twice in the lead, through goals from Marcello Trotta in the 43rd minute and a penalty from Harry Forrester in the 73rd. Oscar in the 56th minute and Fernando Torres in the 83rd hit back for Chelsea to land a moneyspinning replay for Brentford at Stamford Bridge in two weekends’ time, on fifth-round day.
Rosler said: “This is another game that falls within a hectic schedule.
“Rafa Benitez is also not happy with another game in his schedule.
“But I think we look forward more than Chelsea to that replay.
“We have everything to win and nothing to lose and we won already today by earning that replay.”
Aside from the handball controversy, referee Jon Moss also only booked Chelsea keeper Ross Turnbull for bringing down Tom Adeyemi in the box. Rosler claimed it should have been red.
“My impression is in that split second the player went through, went around the keeper and had a scoring opportunity denied,” he said.
Benitez admitted his team had started poorly but got better.
Of the abuse from Chelsea fans during the game, he said: “It is a transition period at the club. They wanted a manager with experience, and I will try to do my best.”

=================

Express:

BRENTFORD 2 - CHELSEA 2: `FERNANDO TORRES TO THE RESCUE
Tony Woods

Chelsea were sliding to one of the most embarrassing Cup exits in their history yesterday. But, seven minutes from time, Demba Ba, who had only been on for a minute, won the ball in a tussle and poked it to Torres. The Spaniard then guided a shot across keeper Simon Moore and into the far corner of the net. Sighs of relief all round.
Roman Abramovich would not have been at all happy to see his club go out of two cup competitions in the space of five days. Wednesday’s Capital One Cup semi-final loss at Swansea was bad enough.
After the first 45 minutes yesterday it looked as though even worse was on the cards as Chelsea trailed to Marcello Trotta’s strike. It was as bad a performance as the Blues have put in this season.
Twice they had to fight back from behind against Uwe Rosler’s League One promotion contenders. In the end they slunk away grateful for a replay. Had this one slipped away they would have only the Europa League, and that is a notoriously difficult competition.
The FA Cup isn’t easy, mind, not in a proper old London tie in a proper old ground heaving with a capacity 12,146 crowd. And how close we came to an old-fashioned upset. The Bees looked set to be overwhelmed early on. Then they discovered that s second-choice goalkeeper Ross Turnbull was as nervous as a cat on hot bricks.
Benitez brought back John Terry after two months out for the sort of match that the skipper loves. But Turnbull’s nerves affected everyone.
First he picked up a back-pass, giving away a free-kick that Harry Forrester put over. Forrester then twice put efforts wide and Adam Forshaw just missed.
Chelsea at this stage, on a wet pitch and with the wind against them, could barely put a pass right. And four minutes before half-time the roof fell in. Forrester’s shot was palmed away by Turnbull, but only to Trotta, who tapped the ball in.
Off went the anonymous Marko Marin, on went Juan Mata, and Chelsea at last started to play. Oscar provided the equaliser , skipping past two tackles to chip his shot home, but Brentford dug in.
Forrester sent Tom Adeyemi through with a clever pass and Turnbull upended him. Luckily for Chelsea it was only a yellow card. But Forrester punished them enough, rattling in the penalty.
Calamity threatened. Benitez was getting abuse from the Chelsea fans and to shouts of “You don’t know what you’re doing”. He threw Ba on, and that switch paid off within a minute. Ba set up Torres for what seasoned Chelsea watchers reckoned was only the third meaningful, game-changing goal that he has scored in a blue shirt.
Chelsea should have had a penalty late on when Harlee Dean handled. But a defeat would have been harsh on Rosler’s skilful young side. A replay was the least they deserved.

Swansea 0-0

Independent:
Swansea 0 Chelsea 0
Sam Wallace

They have lost semi-finals at the death, with furious recriminations against referees; they have lost to dubious goals and they have been eliminated on penalties, but never have Chelsea tumbled out of the last four of a competition in quite such ignominious fashion.
In the end, the night was dominated by the red card for Eden Hazard, dismissed by Chris Foy for kicking a ballboy in a desperate attempt to retrieve the ball from underneath the teenager. Just when life at Chelsea feels like it cannot get any more preposterous, another kid got caught in the crossfire and all hell broke loose.
The boy in question was evidently time-wasting and – if it the Twitter profile for him that was quickly circulated after the game is correct it was not the first time he has done so – but when it becomes acceptable to kick a ballboy then English football really has lost the plot.
The incident in question took place with eight minutes of the match left when the ball had gone into touch behind the Swansea goal-line. The ballboy lay on the ball and after a couple of attempts to prise it out from under him, and understandably frustrated, Hazard briefly took leave of his senses and tried to kick the ball out, catching the boy in his side.
From that point, Foy had little option but to dismiss the player. Cue another Chelsea storm. The ballboy, who it turned out was 17, was taken away grimacing. Later invited to the away changing room he and Hazard, according to Rafael Benitez, exchanged apologies. Allegedly a son of a Swansea director, both father and son agreed that no charges would be pressed. Hazard gave an interview to Chelsea TV to apologise and both parties tried to draw a line under a very unsavoury episode.
Much less easy to explain away was another desperate night in the cup competitions for this Chelsea team and the second cup elimination that interim coach Benitez has presided over since he took charge at the club. Trailing by two goals from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, they never looked like they were going to do enough to reach the Capital One Cup semi-final, much less the team that reached the Champions League final last year.
What a shame for Swansea City that a ballboy had to steal their thunder on such a historic night. They have come a long way from the last time they played Bradford City in 2007 on front of just more than 7,000 fans. On 24 February they will play the League Two side in front of a full Wembley for what would potentially be the first major cup in the 101-year history of the Welsh club.
It was never really in doubt. There was a solid performance from Ashley Williams and Chico Flores, the home side kept the ball easily and in the bleak midwinter, it was Michael Laudrup's team who looked like the old Premier League hands. You would have been hard pressed to remember that Chelsea are one of the kings of knockout domestic competitions, having won the FA Cup four years out of the last six.
You might have expected it would be Chelsea, in pursuit of that two-goal deficit, who would make the running with Demba Ba picked ahead of Fernando Torres and a two-goal deficit to make up. The simple truth was that it was Swansea who were the most threatening before the break and, by the time Hazard was sent off, Chelsea had all but given up.
There were chances in the first half when Cesar Azpilicueta blocked a Wayne Routledge volley from Jonathan de Guzman's cross from the right. Michu, who signed a new four-year deal at Swansea yesterday, had a shot saved by Petr Cech. Gary Cahill blocked another from De Guzman. Chelsea struggled to create anything of note.
Benitez declined to make a change in the early stages of the second half, waiting until just over 20 minutes was left before he sent on David Luiz for Branislav Ivanovic, which did not change the attacking formation. His side had enjoyed possession but barely even anything that constituted a chance. Ba had tried to wrap his leg around that of Ben Davies in the first six minutes to win a penalty but to no avail.
Chelsea were in grave danger of going out with a whimper. As the half developed, Mata played in a more advanced position, as good as alongside Ba, and Chelsea switched to a more orthodox 4-4-2, or 4-2-4 when they had the ball. Even so, they were contained easily enough by Swansea who worked them hard in midfield and were confident dealing with the balls that were crossed into the area.
Once Hazard has been sent off, Benitez finally sent on Torres for Oscar. The lead that had been established at Stamford Bridge with those goals from Michu and Danny Graham never looked in doubt. It was only nine months ago that Chelsea went to the Nou Camp and got a draw against Barcelona to reach the Champions League final but they could hardly have looked further from that side.
At the final whistle, Swansea could have been forgiven a victory lap but they recognised that the celebrations would be best left until they win this trophy and were back in the dressing room quickly. They are one game from a trophy. Chelsea are back wondering where there future lies and hoping there are no disasters against Brentford in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Man of the match Williams.
Match rating 6/10.
Referee C Foy (St Helens).
Attendance 19,506.

=============

Guardian:

Swansea City have final say as Chelsea's Eden Hazard sees red
Daniel Taylor at the Liberty Stadium

It has taken more than 100 years but, finally, Swansea City know what it is like to reach a major final. They will play Bradford City at Wembley on 24 February while Chelsea, and Eden Hazard in particular, will reflect on another ignominious chapter in the story of a difficult season.
Two-nil down after the game at Stamford Bridge, it was remarkable in the first place that Rafael Benítez's side played with such conservatism, not managing a shot on target until the 73rd minute and barely offering any sense they were in the mood to pull off a dramatic feat of escapology.
Yet their prosaic performance will be swiftly forgotten in comparison with what happened in the 78th minute when Hazard went to get the ball from a ballboy close to the corner flag and ended up being sent off for violent conduct. Put it this way: it will be some story for the schoolyard.
Hazard, in fairness, was entitled to want the ball back quickly while the ballboy seemed hell-bent on delaying him – but what followed was nothing short of extraordinary, culminating in post-match apologies, with South Wales Police getting involved and Benítez leaving his post-match press conference by spreading the blame, saying his player would be disciplined but adding, pointedly, that "society has a big problem".
At one point the boy, from his starting position sitting by the pitch, was lying on top of the ball, playing dead to smother it and showing no signs that he was willing to move. Hazard tried to wrestle it back, one side then the other, realised he was getting nowhere and made the mistake of delivering a short, impatient kick to release it from beneath the teenager. It worked, to a degree. The problem was it also left the boy writhing in apparent pain and clutching his midriff as various Swansea players ran over to remonstrate. Whatever the boy was playing at, regardless of whether he was exaggerating the pain, it was naive from Hazard, to say the least.
The boy, it turned out, was 17 – five years younger than Hazard – and had been employed as a ballboy for six years as a perk of being one of the directors' sons. Embarrassingly for the club, his Twitter account includes a post where he describes himself as "the king of ballboys" who was "needed for time-wasting". He also says it is going to be his last appearance. He may be right.
The pity for Swansea is that an incident this exceptional, under the glare of the cameras, with replays available from countless angles, will inevitably draw attention away from their own story. Michael Laudrup's side played with great organisation and commitment and there were jubilant scenes for a club whose previous success in knockout competitions amounts to two FA Cup semi-finals. Swansea Town, as they were known back then, lost 3-0 to Bolton Wanderers in 1926 and 2-1 to Preston North End 1964. At least Bradford have actually been to a final before, even if it was back in 1911.
"It's a small fairytale," Laudrup said. "What Bradford have done, though, is just amazing. They have beaten three Premier League sides on an incredible run. We have to try to make sure that stops now."
Between them, the two finalists can certainly share a few stories about the times when both clubs flirted with financial ruin and how, in football, the excruciating lows can make the exhilarating highs feel that little bit better. A Wembley final will also be very different from the last time they faced one another, a 2-2 draw in League One in January 2007, with a crowd of 7,347 inside Valley Parade. What a wonderful story it is that Leon Britton was in the Swansea team that day and has been on the upwards trajectory ever since. Swansea's pass-master finished this match with his head bandaged courtesy of a stray elbow from Ramires.
Chelsea needed their own heroes – but nobody raised an arm. Benítez could be forgiven for losing trust in Fernando Torres but there is still something perplexing and unsatisfactory that a team could need two goals and leave out a £50m striker. Torres was brought on directly after Hazard's red card but at that point Chelsea had pretty much waved the white flag. "You could see it was finished," as Laudrup put it afterwards.
How, possibly, could Chelsea be so feeble when the prize was a final against the 10th-placed side from League Two? Benítez's men had a lot of the ball, particularly in the first half, but their creativity was poor and their momentum never built. The urgency was never there. Demba Ba hardly distinguished himself either with the deviousness that was attached to his attempts to win an early penalty. By the end, a side that began the season in contention for seven trophies are down to two, one of which is the Europa League – a competition Roman Abramovich regards as little more than an afterthought.
Swansea will reflect that they had enough chances once they had the extra man to win both legs. In the end, it did not particularly matter. They defended with great resolution and commitment and, when the dust settles, they will cherish the memories of an odd night.


==================

Telegraph:

Swansea City 0 Chelsea 0; 2-0 on aggregate

Henry Winter

On a night of highs and lows, Hymns and Arias, Swansea City deservedly reached the first major cup final in their long history. Football itself reached a depressing first: a ballboy being kicked by a professional footballer for time-wasting.
In an extraordinary and deeply embarrassing incident, Eden Hazard reacted initially with frustration and then with total folly when ballboy Charlie Morgan, the son of a Swansea director, refused to release the ball with 13 minutes remaining and Swansea protecting their first-leg lead.
Morgan was clearly time-wasting, lying on the ball as if this were an Ospreys game at the Liberty.
Hazard put his hands to one side of Morgan, trying to loosen the ball, and then placed his hands on the other but still the ballboy would not yield possession. Hazard responded by kicking him and was dismissed by referee Chris Foy, ending any faint hope Chelsea had of getting back into his game.
Chelsea, clearly feeling contrite, asked for Morgan to come to their dressing room.
Swansea’s kit-lady led the teenager there, where he was met by Frank Lampard and John Terry, who went out of their way to greet him warmly and check he was all right. Rafa Benítez also met the ballboy, who then talked to Hazard.
Morgan apologised for time-wasting and Hazard then asked whether he had hurt him. Morgan told Hazard that he had caught him in the ribs.
Hazard said sorry. According to Chelsea, Morgan told Hazard that he had been asked by South Wales Police whether he wanted to press charges. He told Hazard that he wanted the matter dropped.
However remarkable, the incident must not be allowed to overshadow Swansea’s formidable achievement.
Michael Laudrup’s side attacked well in the first leg, claiming that two-goal lead. They defended brilliantly here, particularly Ashley Williams and Chico Flores, two determined sentries who blocked and cleared, rising high to meet aerial threats or sliding in to repel shots or crosses.
As Williams and Flores excelled, so did the Swansea fans, singing Hymns and Arias and soon “we’re going to Wembley”.
Swansea’s progress was thoroughly merited and they now take on Bradford City in a rather unexpected line-up for the Capital One Cup final. Swansea and Bradford have not met since a 2-2 League One draw at Valley Parade on Jan 13, 2007. Leon Britton played there in front of 7,347. When he next faces Bradford, at Wembley, there will be 90,000, in what surely will be dubbed the “Peoples Final”
For Chelsea, there will be a painful inquest in a season of painful inquests. Benítez hardly enhanced his chances of making the interim role permanent here, delaying his changes, but he did handle the post-match inquisition well, arguing that the incident was a reflection of the “Big Brother society” when everyone sought fame.
Chelsea certainly lacked the X-Factor at the Liberty. Jumpin’ Jack Flash had pumped up the mood, as if it had needed any further stoking. Pleased that Demba Ba was in ahead of Fernando Torres, Chelsea’s fans had made it along the stop-start, snow-soaked M4, believing that their team could do it.
They were given early hope when Ba raced into the box, falling theatrically under a challenge from Ben Davies. The main contact had been the striker flicking his right leg towards the young Swansea left-back and then throwing himself to the floor, earning a shake of the head from Foy and derision from the Swansea fans.
The home faithful had been buoyed by news that Michu had signed a contract extension to 2016, a decision perceived within the Liberty as also confirming Laudrup’s commitment to the club. Michu had been up on his own, supported occasionally by Jonathan de Guzmán through the middle while Wayne Routledge and Pablo Hernández tucked in on the wings. Routledge almost scored after seven minutes, connecting sweetly with Àngel Rangel’s cross but César Azpilicueta slid in to block.
Swansea, playing with composure and intelligence, counter-attacked again. Routledge fed Michu, whose left-footed strike was pushed away by Petr Cech. Swansea were looking the likelier to score. When Michu headed down, De Guzmán shot goalwards but Gary Cahill blocked.
Shedding their early nerves, Chelsea settled briefly, testing Swansea’s defence. Flores nicked the ball from under the flying feet of Hazard. Williams deflected behind a ball from Ashley Cole.
From Juan Mata’s ensuing corner, Cahill’s header was cleared off the line by Rangel. Gerhard Tremmel then saved from Ramires.
Swansea rode the brief storm in blue. De Guzmán, Britton and Ki Sung-yueng kept playing their triangles in midfield to manouevre the ball out of tight corners. Their work-rate was excellent, embodied by Davies when he made a rare mistake after 25 minutes. Having lost possession to Hazard, Davies chased back to win it back from Mata.
Their defensive determination could not be faulted. When Mata broke into space down the inside-right corridor, Flores formed a human wall to prevent the cross. When Oscar then danced through, Williams read the danger.
Ki was tracking back diligently, closing down Mata and Hazard. The South Korean was then caught by nasty challenge from Ramires, somehow ignored by Foy. Still Swansea defended with discipline. Rangel thwarted Mata. Davies blocked Oscar cross. Williams kept clearing.
Laudrup’s players were giving everything for the cause, even blood.
Britton had his head cut open when challenging Ramires. There was extensive bandaging applied, but Britton played on. He has played with a broken cheekbone before. Tough. He was soon tackling again, dispossessing Mata.
Swansea’s defence continued to shine. Flores nipped in to clear ahead of Oscar. Then Hazard came calling, playing a one-two with Lampard, but again Williams was well-positioned to block. Then Hazard saw red and Swansea began making their travel plans to Wembley.

====================

Times:

Swansea City 0 Chelsea 0 (Swansea win 2-0 on agg):
One reckless boot is all that goes in for Chelsea

Oliver Kay

As the dust settled on an extraordinary night at the Liberty Stadium, people were talking about a ballboy. Specifically, they were talking about that crazy moment when a 17-year-old, the son of a Swansea City director, was kicked by Eden Hazard as the Chelsea player tried to retrieve the ball from under the teenager’s body.
 No doubt Charlie Morgan will enjoy his 15 minutes of fame. No doubt Hazard will have a few days of notoriety as the FA weighs up whether he should be suspended for more than the three matches that his red card for violent conduct stipulates. But in years to come that will be a mere footnote in the story of the rise and rise of a Swansea City team who deservedly reached the League Cup final last night for the first time in their history.
 Swansea against Bradford City at Wembley on February 24? Bring it on. These teams, who last met in League One seven seasons ago, have illuminated the Capital One Cup and have shown, in various ways, the value of teamwork and discipline when faced with more illustrious opposition.
 It was not because of Hazard, or indeed a ballboy, that Swansea secured their place in the final last night. Chelsea had already looked a busted flush by then, having never threatened to overturn a 2-0 deficit. Along with the freakish nature of the Hazard incident, what was surprising was that it was the most tenacity and urgency shown by a Chelsea player all evening.
 Most of Rafael Benítez’s post-match press conference was taken up with discussion of what had happened with Hazard. The Chelsea interim manager should be grateful for that — as should his players. If the fallout from that episode distracts or deflects attention from a substandard performance, as another trophy has disappeared from their horizon, Benítez and his players can probably live with it.

Swansea rode their luck at times in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, but not last night. They defended superbly, with Chico Flores and Ashley Williams outstanding, and performed with intelligence, sophistication and a focus that will delight Michael Laudrup, their manager.
 Swansea were never in trouble. Their magnificent supporters did their best to convey an air of anxiety in the final moments, but it was artificial; this was as comfortable as a semi-final victory over the European champions could possibly be.
 Gerhard Tremmel, the goalkeeper, barely had a save to make, with Demba Ba struggling to make an impression in the Chelsea forward line before being joined late on by Fernando Torres.
 There was so little urgency about Chelsea’s first-half performance. You wondered if that was part of the Benítez plan: to stay in the tie, then try to exploit the Swansea nerves that would grow as the evening went on. But that seemed less and less plausible the longer Chelsea’s inertia continued.
 The early initiative was with Swansea, who created the game’s first three openings in ways that showed the variety of their attacking threat. The first was a fierce counter-attack, led by Pablo Hernández that culminated in César Azpilicueta’s block from a Wayne Routledge volley after Jonathan de Guzmán crossed from the right. The second was a Michu shot, saved by Petr Cech, after a well-worked move between Leon Britton and Routledge. The third came from Àngel Rangel floating the ball forward and Michu knocking a header down to De Guzmán, whose shot was blocked by Gary Cahill.
 Some of Swansea’s football was delightful, with Britton, De Guzmán and Ki Sung Yueng taking turns to drive them forward, while De Guzmán and Routledge were buzzing around in support of Michu. If Benítez had felt that Laudrup’s team might be unsure whether to stick or twist, there was certainly little in the first half-hour to encourage that view.
 Gradually, Chelsea began to assert themselves, notably through Ashley Cole, who was getting forward well from left back. One Cole run led to a corner, taken by Juan Mata, from which Cahill’s header forced Rangel into a goalline clearance. On another occasion, Cole’s volley was flicked by Hazard into the path of Oscar, only for Williams to intervene. In first-half stoppage time, a Cole cross fell to Ba, who lashed his shot over the crossbar.

Chelsea’s creative inspiration was desperately lacking. Early in the second half, Mata teed up Ba for a shot, which the former Newcastle United forward curled wide of Tremmel’s left-hand post from the edge of the penalty area, but other than that, Swansea looked increasingly comfortable, with Williams dominant, and were happy to play on the counter-attack.
 Something had to change, but Benítez has never been one for the obvious substitution. His first decision was to introduce David Luiz in place of Branislav Ivanovic — one central defender for another — in the hope that the Brazilian would speed up their distribution from the back.
 By then, time was running out. Mata had an effort saved by Tremmel, but Chelsea’s night was about to go from bad to much, much worse.
 As the ball went out of play for a Swansea goalkick, the ballboy was slow to recycle it and tumbled over on top of it under pressure from Hazard’s initial advances. Frustrated by the prone ballboy’s apparent time-wasting, Hazard tried to wrestle the ball back and then took matters into his own hands, kicking it from underneath the teenager’s body and connecting with him in the process. Cue bedlam — and a deserved red card.
 Swansea’s supporters knew by then that their team’s place in the final was all but confirmed. Chelsea’s faint challenge disappeared as the home crowd sang Land Of My Fathers louder than ever before.
 Somewhere inside the ground, a ballboy no doubt had convinced himself that it was all his work. It was not. There have been many genuine heroes in the rise and rise of Swansea City.

Swansea City (4-5-1): G Tremmel — À Rangel, J M Flores, A Williams, B Davies — P Hernández, J de Guzmán, L Britton, Ki Sung Yueng, W Routledge (sub: N Dyer, 65min) — Michu. Substitutes not used: M Vorm, D Tiendalli, G Monk, I Schechter, R Lamah, D Graham.

 Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech — C Azpilicueta, G Cahill, B Ivanovic (sub: David Luiz, 68), A Cole (sub: R Bertrand, 85) — Ramires, F Lampard — E Hazard, J Mata, Oscar (sub: F Torres, 81) — D Ba. Substitutes not used: R Turnbull, P Ferreira, J Terry, M Marin. Sent off: Hazard.

 Referee: C Foy.

======================

Mail:

Swansea 0 Chelsea 0 (agg 2-0): Swans to meet Bradford in final as Hazard bizarrely sees red

By MATT BARLOW

Swansea are not standing on the brink of their first major trophy because Eden Hazard lost his head and kicked a ball boy.
That remarkable loss of discipline said more about Hazard’s immaturity and the simmering frustration at Chelsea as another piece of silverware slipped away in a campaign which began with them chasing seven.
The Capital One Cup has gone the way of the FA Community Shield, the UEFA Super Cup, the Champions League and FIFA’s Club World Cup. They finished with 10 men and fled Wales in the night, hopefully ashamed of Hazard’s idiocy.
As Swansea captain Ashley Williams said: ‘I saw him kick him in the ribs. You can’t do that to a young boy.’
His team will now prepare for Wembley where they will face Bradford City, from League Two, on February 24. The last time they met was in League One, six years ago, when fewer than 8,000 turned up at Valley Parade. Assuming Phil Parkinson’s team have used up their miracles, the Swans can almost touch the silver.
Michael Laudrup’s stock continues to soar. If he was not on Roman Abramovich’s managerial short-list before, then he will be now, having out-thought Benitez and kept the European champions at bay for 180 minutes.
‘It is really incredible,’ said Laudrup. ‘What we have done is a small fairy-tale but what Bradford have done is absolutely fantastic, beating three Premier League sides. I hope it stops there.’
Swansea did their damage at Stamford Bridge in the first leg. Last night it was a question of resisting the inevitable Chelsea charge, keeping organised and clear-minded. They did it quite brilliantly, led by Chico Flores and Williams, brave centre-halves who resisted when the visitors threatened and organised those around.
Shirtless Flores was cheered from the field at the end, as was Leon Britton, another battered hero, who completed the game with his head strapped.
Britton spent the second half on the toes of his central defenders, collecting scraps of possession, filling holes and launching the increasingly rare counter-attacks.
Swansea stood firm and protected Gerhard Tremmel, who barely had a save to make. When he did, he was alert, diving to his right to smother a fierce drive from Juan Mata near the end.
Mostly, however, the German goalkeeper who must have felt both under siege and underemployed at the same time. For all Chelsea’s possession there were few clear chances.
Demba Ba muscled his way into the area with less than seven minutes gone, pushed the ball past Ben Davies, searched for contact and crashed to the turf. Referee Chris Foy was unmoved, although there were similarities to the penalty won by Ramires against Arsenal.
There were further echoes before half time when the Brazilian sank his studs into Ki Sung-Yueng’s ankle, twisting it badly. He was late and it was a foul, but Foy waved play on. Ki needed treatment but was able to return.
The home crowd responded to Laudrup’s call for vocal backing by seething noisily at Ba’s theatrical tumble and they roared as their team swarmed forward on the break. Swansea are quick and industrious and rarely waste time on the turnover of possession.
Angel Rangel launched the first counter-attack, found Jonathan de Guzman on the right and his deep cross was met on the volley by Wayne Routledge. The connection was sweet but Cesar Azpilicueta threw himself in the line of fire.
Moments later Cech produced a brilliant save to deny Michu. Released by Routledge, the Spanish striker looked well set, driving his shot with his left foot across the ‘keeper but Cech did well.
Cahill prompted vain cries of handball as he blocked another Routledge shot, again after a good link-up with Michu, before Chelsea really stirred into life, took a grip and slowly squeezed Swansea back towards their goal.
‘What gave me the belief we could do it was our start,’ said Laudrup. ‘My major concern was the way we started. We did not score but we did well. We were into the game. We know there would be moments when we were defending deep and under pressure. There were 10 minutes in the first half but without the big, big chances.’
Chelsea finished the first half strongly. Ba turned and flashed another effort over from the edge of the box — and the pattern  continued after the break.
Ba seized on a rare moment of confusion and went close again, curling a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards. Williams lifted the home supporters with a strong but fair tackle on Hazard, which left the Belgian in a heap. Ramires miscued horribly and Lampard, in his desperation to rescue the  situation, rifled a 25-yarder into the top tier of the stand behind Tremmel’s goal.
Chelsea never really generated a head of steam. If they had, it would been lost in the Hazard flashpoint, when the ball boy collected the ball and refused to give it to the Belgian. He fell on top of it and when Hazard kicked the ball from beneath him. The ball-boy clutched his side, clearly hurt and Williams rushed to confront Hazard.
After much discussion Foy sent off Hazard. It meant six minutes of stoppage time but Swansea were never in danger after this. They finished on top. Cech made a fine save from Nathan Dyer.
It didn’t matter. Swansea were Wembley bound and the celebrations started in South Wales.


===========

Sun:

Shaun custis

CAN this Capital One Cup competition get any more extraordinary?
On Tuesday night League Two minnows Bradford completed an astonishing journey to the final by giving Aston Villa a metaphorical boot in the ribs.
Last night Chelsea had £32million Eden Hazard sent off for kicking a ballboy in the ribs as they were knocked out by Swansea.
It is hard to recall a more bizarre dismissal. With 12 minutes left, the Belgian midfielder was trying and failing to wrestle the ball away from teenager Charlie Morgan as he lay on the ground refusing to let go.
Hazard’s solution to the conundrum was extreme to say the least as he applied a right boot to the lad’s chest and ref Chris Foy had no option but to send him off.
It was a stupid thing to do and another sorry chapter in Chelsea’s recent chequered history.
But the ballboy was not totally blameless. He was clearly time-wasting in Swansea’s favour.
Swans boss Michael Laudrup said: “To have beaten the European champions over two games to get to a final for the first time is absolutely incredible.
“They lost their belief after the red card. You could see when he was sent off they were finished.
“What we have done is a small fairytale but what Bradford have done is absolutely amazing.”
And it was not as if Swansea needed Hazard’s help. They had the visitors in their pockets for most of the night and never looked like surrendering the two-goal advantage they earned at Stamford Bridge.
The Swans are no footballing ugly ducklings. This is a team that deserves to grace Wembley.
And they will be in the unaccustomed position of being overwhelming favourites to lift a first major trophy in their 100-year history.
Should they do so, they will also be rewarded with European competition next season.
Last time Bradford played Swansea six years ago 7,347 fans saw a League One clash at Valley Parade that ended 2-2. Next month, there will be 80,000 to watch them at the home of football.
As for Chelsea, this was another sizeable step backwards for the Rafa Benitez regime.
Benitez was beaten in the Club World Cup soon after arriving and has failed in this one too.
The interim boss claims owner Roman Abramovich is happy with him. He might like to have a rethink after this.
Laudrup says Chelsea need trophies more than his men because of all the millions spent by Abramovich.
By contrast getting to this final is a bonus for the Welsh, not an expectation. There was a feeling that Chelsea could turn it round and Laudrup still argued the opposition were favourites before kick-off despite their two-goal lead.
But his central defensive pairing of skipper Ashley Williams and Chico were immense. They would not let Chelsea pass.
And to have kept clean sheets in both legs of the semi against talent like Oscar, Juan Mata, Hazard and Demba Ba is no mean achievement.
Senegal striker Ba wanted a penalty on seven minutes when he caught the trailing leg of Ben Davies. But despite Ba’s protests, referee Foy was having none of it. Had he got the verdict the night might have been very different.
Having survived that scare Swansea rattled the visitors as they carved out two fine chances.
First Wayne Routledge had his stinging volley well blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta, then turned provider to put in Michu who had a left-foot shot saved by the diving Petr Cech.
The Swans were not flapping and were showing no signs of nerves.
Next Gary Cahill threw himself in front of a Swansea shot, this time from Jonathan De Guzman.
Then Cahill threatened at the other end with a looping header which was headed away by Angel Rangel on the post. No one was shirking their responsibilities in this Swans defence.
Williams epitomised the commitment by getting back to nick the ball off Oscar in the six-yard box as the Brazilian looked set to score.
Ramires’ frustration showed with a nasty challenge on Ki Sung-Yueng that went unpunished, as he raked his boot down the South Korean’s ankle.
As half-time approached, Ba lashed over the top and Swansea had got half the job done, thanks in no little part to rock-solid Williams and Chico.
It was hard to see how Chelsea were going to crack them open, let alone get the two goals they needed to force the tie into extra-time.
If Benitez was thinking of introducing Fernando Torres he need only to have taken a glance behind on the bench to see it was not worth the bother.
Torres seemed hardly desperate to play, with his jacket zipped over a face masking a look of indifference.
In any case Ba was still having a go and a right-footer from 20 yards was not far wide. Routledge, who had run himself silly, was replaced by Nathan Dyer as Laudrup carefully plotted his way through the 90 minutes.
Benitez countered by introducing David Luiz. And while he came on at the back for Branislav Ivanovic and not in midfield, you still felt he would have more impact than Torres.
After Hazard was dismissed for his lunacy, Torres went on for the last nine minutes. Few expected any miracles from the £50million man who cost double the Swansea team.
Benitez said: “I was convinced we would score but we didn’t create the clear chances we needed. It was the same story as in the first leg.”
These days the sight of Torres is a boost for the opposition, not a worry.
Foy added seven minutes of injury time because of the ballboy incident.
He could have added 70 minutes and Chelsea would not have scored.

DREAM TEAM RATINGS

STAR MAN - ASHLEY WILLIAMS (Swansea)
SWANSEA: Tremmel 7, Rangel 7, Chico 7, Davies 7, Williams 8, Britton 6, Ki 7, Routledge 7, De Guzman 7, Hernandez 6, Michu 6. Subs: Dyer (Routledge) 6. Not used: Vorm, Monk, Tiendalli, Graham, Lamah, Shechter.

CHELSEA: Cech 7, Azpilicueta 6, Cole 6, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 7, Lampard 6, Ramires 6, Mata 7, Hazard 1, Oscar 6, Ba 6. Subs: Luiz (Ivanovic) 6, Torres (Oscar) 5, Bertrand (Cole) 5. Not used: Turnbull, Ferreira, Terry, Marin. Sent off: Hazard.


==============

Star:

SWANSEA 0 - CHELSEA 0: SWAN FOR THE ROAD TO WEMB-GLEE!

By Ralph Ellis

ALL of a sudden the Capital One Cup has become a competition for dreamers.
On Tuesday it was lowly ­Bradford who proved that football miracles can happen even in the modern multi-million pound era of high finance.
Last night came Swansea’s attempt to reach a Wembley final for the first time in their history – in the club’s centenary year as well. And they showed once again that ­romance is not dead.
Ten years ago the Welsh club were teetering on the brink of extinction, crippled by debt and playing Hull on the final day of the season knowing that anything other than a win would have seen them crashing out of the Football League.
Their journey to where they are now has been remarkable.
And just as astonishing is that Leon Britton, a key man in the midfield that crucial day, was still making things tick against the reigning European champions last night.
In the first 15 minutes the 30-year-old midfielder picked some clever passes that gave first ­Angel Rangel and then ­Pablo Hernandez the chance to get at Chelsea’s defence.
And by the second half he was battling on with his head ­bandaged after a clash had left him needing treatment.
Surely the odds would be against two miracles in two days, even with Swansea holding a 2-0 lead from the first leg.
Yet Blues boss Rafa ­Benitez spent the early minutes in and out of his technical area, and it wasn’t hard to see why he was worried as his side were caught on the break.
The Spaniard wanted a cup ­final as a chance to win over Chelsea’s fans and maybe even to convince owner Roman Abramovich that the “interim” should be removed from his job title as team manager.
But his side had kept just three clean sheets in 15 games and should have conceded again as Rangel stormed forward only for Wayne Routledge to put a ­glorious chance over the bar.
Demba Ba, chosen ahead of Fernando Torres up front, wanted a penalty after seven minutes but Chris Foy was right to turn him down. If anything the referee was generous not to book the forward for his theatrical tumble over Ben Davies.
Swansea manager Michael Laudrup’s glittering playing ­career, with seven league title medals for four clubs in three countries, had left him well aware of the value of a psychological boost before a big game.
So the Dane picked the right day to persuade star striker Michu to sign a new contract.
The Spaniard has burst on to the Premier League stage with 15 goals before last night in all competitions – including one at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago.
And he agreed a four-year deal to stay at the Liberty Stadium just four hours before kick off.
Michu underlined his value, bringing down Rangel’s cross and setting up Jonathan De ­Guzman for a shot that Gary ­Cahill frantically blocked.
But then he wasn’t the only one celebrating a new deal and Ashley Cole burst into life to start a good spell of pressure for Chelsea.
He won a corner that ended with Rangel clearing ­Cahill’s header off the line, then Eden Hazard tested Gerhard Tremmel with a low shot.
Swansea knew that every minute they didn’t concede took them closer to Wembley.
And they could sense the ­frustration of the Londoners – especially when, with half-an-hour gone, Ramires horribly mis-hit a pass that went into the stand. If Chelsea had a reason to ­believe then it was their recent away record.
They might have had a few ­hiccups at Stamford Bridge – including the first leg of this semi-final – but they have won their last six domestic games away from home, scoring 20 goals in the process.
But they were struggling to break down the Swans and were relieved that ­Hernandez was flagged just offside on a break at the start of the second half.
Even when a good advantage played by referee Foy allowed Juan Mata to find some space, it all finished with Ba shooting wide – and he was just as wild with another effort as the clock ticked past the hour.
Even Frank Lampard was showing signs of desperation, lashing a shot way over the bar from a 63rd minute free-kick.
And there was controversy when Hazard was sent off in the 80th minute.
A ball-boy lay on the ball when Hazard tried to retrieve it for a Swansea goal kick. The frustrated Belgian tried to kick it out but booted the youngster.
After consulting his assistant, Foy got out his red card.
That left the Blues with too much to do – and Swansea were on their way to Wembley.

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Express:

SWANSEA 0 - CHELSEA 0: SWANSEA BOOT OUTBRAWL BOYS
Tony Banks

The midfielder was sent off 10 minutes from time for kicking a ball boy as Chelsea’s night went from bad to worse.
With time running out and Chelsea increasingly frustrated, the ball boy took the ball and fell on it after it had gone out of play. Hazard tried to retrieve it to re-start play quickly but, when denied, he kicked the ball from under the ball boy, hurting him in the process. Referee Chris Foy then sent off the Belgian.
The red card did not detract from the victory for Swansea and their manager Michael Laudrup. The Dane is a cool, calm and collected man. But the grin that split his face at full-time last night told a thousand stories.
Laudrup’s admirable side overcame Chelsea and their millions as they held on to the two-goal lead they had earned in the first leg in London. And no one could begrudge them their achievement in the slightest.
So it will be Swansea who now face Bradford at Wembley on February 24 in a Capital One Cup final no one could have foreseen. But what a triumph for the unpredictability and, yes, the romance of cup football it will be.
Ten years on from almost going out of the Football League, the homely Welsh club will write their names in the history books for all the right reasons. For Rafa Benitez it was another setback to his hopes of getting the manager’s job on a permanent basis in the summer.
His side tried to overcome that first-leg defecit and had plenty of pressure. But Swansea were too good.
Despite trailing by two goals from the first leg, Chelsea went into the second match of this semi-final in showbound South Wales with considerable optimism. After all, Benitez’ men, so shaky on their own pitch, had won their last six away games on the bounce, scoring 20 goals. Swansea had been so impressive in that first leg, however, that Chelsea knew a turnaround was going to be tough. Chelsea had 24 shots on goal at Stamford Bridge two weeks ago to Swansea’s two, it was the Welsh side who won, courtesy of two horrible errors from Branislav Ivanovic.
There were serious doubts that last night’s game would be called off an hour before kick-off, as the blizzards swept in from the Atlantic, but it eased sufficiently for the game to start.
For Swansea, never before in a major cup final and just 10 years ago on the brink of going out of the Football League, there would surely never be a better chance.
Laudrup’s hugely capable team, showing three changes from the side that beat Stoke 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, were boosted before the game by the news that top scorer Michu had signed a new contract keeping him at the club until 2016.
Benitez recalled Demba Ba to lead the attack with the power and muscularity which they would need.
The first goal last night was always going to be crucial, and it was Swansea who almost got it as Wayne Routledge saw his shot blocked by Cesar Azpilicueta. Routledge then cleverly put Michu through but Petr Cech pulled off an excellent save from the Spaniard.
Chelsea had an early shout for a penalty waved away when Ba tumbled. Swansea were certainly not intent on simply protecting their lead, and it needed a fine block by Gary Cahill to stop Jonathan de Guzman’s shot.
But then Cahill thumped in a header from a corner and Angel Rangel had to clear off the line, before Hazard saw his shot saved.
Ramires drove from 25 yards, but again keeper Gerhard Tremmel was in the right place. Oscar fluffed a chance, mishitting his shot from Juan Mata’s cross, as Chelsea began at last to impose themselves on the game.
The next chance came when Swansea failed to clear Ashley Cole’s cross but Ba fired just over.
It was Ba again, pulling his shot a foot wide from Mata’s pass, who looked the most likely to get the goal that Chelsea needed to spark the tie into life again. But time was not on the Londoners’ side. As the minutes ticked by at the frozen Liberty Stadium, though, so it seemed did another chance for Benitez to claim the job at the end of this season. And somewhere in Madrid, Jose Mourinho might have been chuckling.
The pressure mounted as Chelsea forced Swansea back, but very few clear-cut chances came Chelsea’s way. There was no cutting edge.
And Swansea, with De Guzman and Ki Sung-Yueng cool and calm in midfield, kept pinching the ball off them time and time again.
Even when being pressed back, Laudrup’s side never lost their shape and their desire to keep the ball.

SWANSEA CITY (4-2-3-1): Tremmel; Rangel, Flores, Williams, Davies; Britton, Ki; Hernandez, DeGuzman, Routledge (Dyer 65); Michu.
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic (Luiz 67), Cahill, Cole (Bertrand 86); Ramires, Lampard; Mata, Hazard, Oscar (Torres 80); Ba. Sent off: Hazard (80).
Referee: C Foy.