Shrewsbury Town 2-1

Independent:

Dismay for Shrews as Jermaine Grandison own goal puts Blues into last eight of League Cup
 
Shrewsbury Town 1 Chelsea 2

League Two side run Premier League leaders close with spirited performance

Jon Culley  

Chelsea weathered a storming effort from League Two Shrewsbury to make their way into the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup, maintaining their unbeaten record across all competitions despite a raft of changes from the side denied by Robin van Persie’s late equaliser at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho’s side looked ready to progress comfortably when Didier Drogba  put them ahead three minutes into the second half but Micky Mellon’s team, 72 places below Chelsea in the league ladder, clawed their way back when Andy Mangan equalised with 13 minutes left.

There would be no fairytale, though. No sooner had the home crowd drawn breath after loudly celebrating their side’s well-deserved reward than Chelsea were back in front as substitute Willian’s cross found its way into the net off the head of defender Jermaine Grandison.

With suspensions and injuries eating into his squad even before he considered who might benefit from a rest, Mourinho had dipped into his reserves for some less familiar names, with Kurt Zouma teamed with Gary Cahill in central defence, Nathan Aké alongside John Obi Mikel as the two deeper midfielders and Mohamed Saleh on the right of the trio supporting Didier Drogba. Andreas Christensen made his debut at right-back.

Shrewsbury, having seen off three Championship sides already, did not lack self-belief, gaining early encouragement when Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro’s header forced Petr Cech into a scrambling save. It was a test of Chelsea’s composure and Aké, the 19-year-old Dutchman, lost his for a moment when he brought down Bobby Grant, a challenge that earned the teenager a caution.

The home side were well organised and Chelsea did not look a real threat until Drogba launched a breakaway attack with a clearance from deep in his own half that sent Saleh away. The Egyptian then found André Schürrle on the left only for the German to pass up the chance to shoot in favour of a ball back into the box that was easily cleared.

Shrewsbury walked off at half-time to generous applause, yet Mourinho’s side were ahead within three minutes as Salah, from Schürrle’s pass, played a neat ball in for Drogba to sweep past Jayson Leutwiler for his third goal in as many matches.

Shrewsbury mounted a positive response and would have been level had Nathaniel Knight-Percival’s deflected shot spun inside rather than outside the right-hand post, although it would have been tough on Cech, who was hopelessly wrong-footed. Drogba’s appetite on his third appearance in eight days had to be commended.  Chelsea needed a second goal before they could begin to relax and, though Leutwiler had to stretch to help a long-range effort from Schürrle over the bar, if anyone was going to score it then Drogba looked the most likely.

Instead, Shrewsbury came up with an equaliser, a just reward for their refusal to let the Premier League leaders dictate.  From Liam Lawrence’s corner, Grandison’s header reached Mangan, on the field only a couple of minutes as the home side’s second substitute, who swept it gleefully past Cech.

Mourinho’s response was to send on two of his battalion on the bench, replacing Salah and Obi Mikel with Willian and Nemanja Matic and within moments Chelsea were ahead again as Willian’s cross, aimed at Drogba, was turned into his own net by Grandison.

Man of the match Drogba.

Match rating 7/10.

Referee N Swarbrick (Lancashire).

Attendance 10,201.


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


Guardian:

Didier Drogba makes his presence felt to guide Chelsea past Shrewsbury

Jamie Jackson at New Meadow


A wet and at times uncomfortable evening in Shropshire for Chelsea ended with José Mourinho’s team squeezing into the quarter-finals. Didier Drogba continues his refusal to be ignored on his return to the club, scoring the first goal for Chelsea and making himself a nuisance for the winner, which came when Jermaine Grandison turned the ball past his own goalkeeper, Jayson Leutwiler, with nine minutes remaining.

Mourinho will be relieved to return home with this game safely navigated as he prepares for Queens Park Rangers’ visit on Saturday before the Champions League game with Maribor and the trip to Liverpool on 8 November.

Understandably he picked out the 36-year-old Drogba for playing a second match in two days after he starred in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United. Mourinho, though, was clear he expected more from some.

“If players who play 90 minutes two days ago were fantastic tonight, I expect people who are not playing a lot to raise the level to create me problems. I love problems of choices [in selection]. And it is easy to choose my team for Saturday,” he said.

Pushed if André Schürrle and Mo Salah, who started against Shrewsbury, were two players he wanted to give him a headache, he said: “Yeah.”

Mourinho said normally Diego Costa could play against QPR following a hamstring problem but of Drogba being able to make it a third match in seven days he said: “We will see. His character is bigger than his body. His character is stronger than his body. So what he did today was maybe because of his character and not because of his body. So let’s see the reaction. This is what makes players special and if I was a kid player and I play with this guy on my side and I am 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 what can I wish more? So for the kids it has to be a privilege and they have to learn by example.”

“Yes I was worried when they equalised. Shrewsbury put up a great fight. They are what the cups are all about.”

The rain came down before kick-off and continued to soak the players during a first half that unfolded predictably. Shrewsbury were breathless and in the visitors’ faces, while Chelsea preferred to wait and patiently prod and probe.

Two early corners won by Chelsea and taken by Schürrle came to nothing before Shrewsbury claimed their own via James Collins following a breakaway attack. When the ball arced in from the left Petr Cech did well to save a Nathaniel Knight-Percival header.

These teams last met 11 years ago. Then, Chelsea won 4-0 in an FA Cup tie with a side who included Gianfranco Zola, Emmanuel Petit, Graeme Le Saux, Frank Lampard and John Terry, who as a substitute here was the sole survivor from the encounter at old Gay Meadow.

The side named by Mourinho had a debutant – the 18-year-old Danish defender Andreas Christensen – and was led by Drogba, who showed flashes of his class throughout.

Micky Mellon initially selected the same side who defeated Portsmouth at the weekend, before James Wesolowski was replaced by Liam Lawrence before the start.

Drogba, who scored at Old Trafford, ended the half again finding the net but was adjudged offside.

The ground’s capacity had been specially extended to 10,210 with 1,720 of these a travelling support who were celebrating three minutes into the second half. Schürrle found Salah and when he slickly played in Drogba this time the Ivorian did score, leaving Leutwiler no chance.

Yet in Ryan Woods, a diminutive 20-year-old midfielder, Shrewsbury had a player who was willing to try to run the game. It was Woods who won the free-kick from which Connor Goldson might have equalised. Lawrence floated the ball towards Chelsea’s penalty spot and when it broke to the captain his shot ricocheted around the area to wrong-foot Cech before going wide.

While the score remained only 1-0 Shrewsbury had a chance of taking the tie into extra time. And, after Mellon’s introduction of Andy Mangan for Collins on 75 minutes, that was were the contest was headed. Lawrence pinged in a corner from the left and after some scrappy play Mangan smashed home.

Mourinho had seen enough. Off came Salah and Mikel John Obi for Willian and Nemanja Matic. Seconds later Chelsea moved downfield and with Drogba in close attendance Grandison was the author of the dreaded own goal.


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

Telegraph:


Shrewsbury Town 1 Chelsea 2

Resilient Shrews tamed as Jose Mourinho's side reach quarters

Premier League side through to last eight after surviving scare against League Two side in rainy Midlands
 
By  Henry Winter, Football Correspondent, Greenhous Meadow


One man went to mow, went to mow Greenhous Meadow. That man was Didier Drogba, 36 but still lean, still a goal machine, still hungry and still a wonderful example to young professionals. Drogba scored Chelsea first, his third in under a week, and after Shrewsbury equalised through Andy Mangan, he so scared the hosts' defence that Jermaine Grandison conceded an own goal.

Drogba has played four hours and 14 minutes in six days, scoring against Maribor, Manchester United and now Shrewsbury. In the final minute here, as Micky Mellon's enterprising League Two side were mounting a late siege, Drogba took the ball down to the corner, a compliment to the hosts as he used up vital seconds to steer Chelsea into the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup.

At the final whistle, Drogba was applauded off the pitch by Chelsea fans and Shrewsbury's alike. They admired his determination, his enduring professionalism, the way he kept running in the rain against a redoubtable three-man central defence.

They respected him even more half an hour later. He emerged from the tunnel, strode over to the group of home fans waiting patiently and satisfied the demand for autographs and photographs. “What an absolute legend,'' said one fan as Drogba finally headed off for some interviews.

“I played here before, with Galatasaray, and I think Shrewsbury have improved since then,'' said Drogba. “It was difficult tonight with the weather. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the game. It was difficult but I started (his career) playing in places like this.''

Captain for the night, Drogba added: “I don’t need a armband to push the team.” That's Drogba, giving everything, a willing worker again with Diego Costa and Loic Remy injured. “I was worried when they equalised but we go through and Didier played a massive part in that,'' said Jose Mourinho.

“Hopefully he will be good for the weekend (against QPR) but we will have to see because right now his character is stronger than his body. Maybe what he has done today is through his character - not his body. That's what makes players special and any of the young players lucky enough to play alongside him, learn from that. It's a privilege for them. If I'm 18, 19, 20, 21, I want to learn from him.'' Mourinho was clearly not impressed with some of his players. “I expect players to give me problems.

I love problems. But a lot of them didn't and they've made it easy to choose my team for Saturday.” Asked about the performances of Mohamed Salah and Andre Schurrle, who were particularly poor, Mourinho's countenance exuded disappointment.

He preferred to praise others. “I think I had on my four players that played on Sunday (Drogba, Gary Cahill, Filipe Luis and Oscar) and they were an unbelievable example for others. They were absolutely brilliant.'' So were others. “When you have Petr Cech and Jon Mikel Obi not playing regularly, they come here and give great example of professionalism.”

Youngsters like Nathan Ake, Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma hardly enhanced their reputations unlike the 20-year-old Shrewsbury midfielder, Ryan Woods, a home-grown talent with a competitive edge, neat touch and fearlessness demonstrated in the way he hounded Drogba out of possession at one point. He battled Mikel and Aké for the ball. He closed down Oscar. He looked a real prospect.

The taming of the Shrews was no easy production for Mourinho to direct. “Shrewsbury put up a great fight,'' added Mourinho. “They are what the cups are all about. You’re playing a World Cup final, because that is what it is for Shrewsbury.” The League Two side spent nothing in the summer, and the half-time announcer introduced the £1,000 Golden Gamble draw with the words “we could buy five players with that”. Poor in budget, Town were rich in spirit, responding to the raucous support. Shrewsbury fans adorned the stands with banners such as “Floreat Salopia”, “Breathe On 'Em, Salop” and “Proud Salopian” and got totally, ceaselessly behind their Woods and company.

A crowd of 10,210 squeezed in to the Greenhous Meadow, including 1,720 Chelsea fans. As the strains of Andy Williams' “Can't TAké My Eyes Off You”, a song for Drogba, floated away into the drizzly night, Shrewsbury had suffered a setback in the warm-up when James Wesolowski damaged his groin, bringing Liam Lawrence into the heart of midfield alongside Woods.

Unfortunate as this was for Wesolowski, Lawrence was very influential, curling over a fifth-minute corner from the left met by Nathaniel Knight-Percival, whose header was just kept out by Cech.

Mellon instructed his players not to be in awe of Chelsea, and Woods was swiftly into his impressive stride, dribbling around Oscar, launching attacks from alongside Lawrence. When Shrewsbury calmly built a move down the right, working the ball around yellow shirts, Aké lost his composure, and dived in on Bobby Grant, earning a booking.

They were defending well, Knight-Percival closing down Drogba.

The Ivorian then launched a stunning counter-attack, driving the ball 40 yards to Salah, who sped 30 yards being tracked by the tireless Woods.

Salah checked inside, allowing Woods to catch up, before clipping the ball across to the unmarked Schurrle, who wasted the moment with an anaemic header.

Until Drogba's goal, Chelsea lacked real conviction. Oscar shot over. Mikel lost the ball to Grant. Mourinho sent Willian out to warm up in front of a hoarding promoting Tiddlywinks Nursery (“Quality Nursery Education”). As Willian stretched, gales of laughter broke out behind him as a miscued shot from Salah flew out for a throw-in.

Drogba settled the nerves four minutes after the break.

Schurrle cut in from the right and passed to Salah, who helped the ball on to Drogba. He wasted no time in powering it past Jayson Leutwiler, Shrewsbury's keeper.

Shrewsbury responded strongly. After 75 minutes, Mellon sent on Mangan for James Collins and within 120 seconds the substitute equalised.

It came from a Lawrence corner, Grandison heading down and Mangan was quickest, firing in.

It was an inspired substitution from Mellon but Mourinho also made a significant move, sending on Willian and Nemanja Matic for Salah and Mikel after 80 minutes. Within 60 seconds, the move paid off. Willian crossed from the left, and Shrewsbury seemed distracted by Drogba. Poor Grandison, who had been superb all evening, turned the ball into his own net.

Drogba marches on.


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

Times:

José Mourinho far from impressed by his labourers

Rory Smith

Shrewsbury Town 1 Chelsea 2

The biggest compliment Chelsea could have offered Shrewsbury Town came in the 93rd minute. José Mourinho, at that point in a game when he has a habit of offering a consoling, slightly patronising handshake, was busy preparing Eden Hazard to go on. Didier Drogba, his body doubtless aching, was taking an age to pick himself up off the floor.

These are the lightest shades of the dark arts, of course, but the message was still a powerful one: Chelsea, the Barclays Premier League’s clear leaders, all but unstoppable against their fellow members of the game’s elite, pulling every trick in the book to hold on against a side from Sky Bet League Two. That is how close Shrewsbury pushed them. That is how tight this was.

Mourinho described it as a “World Cup final” of a game. He was lavish in his praise of Micky Mellon’s side in public and doubtless equally complimentary in private, as the two shared a glass of wine in the bowels of the Greenhous Meadow. He admitted that he had feared extra time when Andy Mangan, with his first touch of the game, cancelled out Drogba’s opening goal, right until Jermaine Grandison’s own goal sent the west London side into the quarter-finals of the competition.

Amid all the magnanimity, though, a current of dissatisfaction ran through the Portuguese. Not just because his side had been forced to play only 48 hours after their draw at Old Trafford — “it should not be allowed” — but because too few of the seven players he brought into his line-up repaid his faith.

Shrewsbury deserved enormous praise for their efforts, of course, but Mourinho was right: he sent out a side full of fêted stars and celebrated internationals and it was hard to identify one who seized the chance. “I like problems,” he said. “I love problems of choice. I like them to give me problems, but a lot of them did not.

“There are players I expected more from. When there are players who have played for 90 minutes on Sunday and they are exceptional, then maybe I expect those who do not play so often to raise their level. They did not. They have made it easy for me to pick my team on Saturday.”

Drogba, by some considerable distance, was the most admirable of the players Chelsea sent out. He has struggled for fitness all season; he has now started twice in three days, but his performance gave no more clues as to his fatigue than it did his age.

He had one effort ruled out before half-time, before slotting home Mohamed Salah’s clever pass to open the scoring just after and then, as Willian’s cross fizzed into the box, forced Grandison into the decisive error. He, almost alone, was not unnerved by his surroundings. “I would not say I enjoyed the game, but I started playing in places like this,” he said.

Mourinho was less circumspect. “Maybe what he did was through his character, not his body,” the Portuguese said. “That is what makes players special. If I was a young player, I would see it as a privilege [to play with him]. They are lucky to play alongside him. They have to learn from that.”

Too few of Drogba’s team-mates matched his application, his industry, his energy. On one of those evenings when all of the clichés can be applied, when all of the cup upset boxes are ticked — squalls of rain, compact ground, baying crowd — Shrewsbury were at them from the off. Petr Cech saved from Nathaniel Knight-Percival and Bobby Grant whistled a shot over.

Ryan Woods, though, was the star of the show, a 20-year-old home-grown midfielder of rich promise who the locals know will not be around for long, his distribution flawless and his movement excellent. “I want to keep him here, but he is a player of incredible gifts,” Mellon said.

Even after Drogba’s goal should have crushed their spirit, Woods and his team-mates stuck at their task. They did not wilt. Connor Goldson inadvertently diverted a James Collins shot wide and Collins dragged another effort past Cech’s right-hand post. They would have their reward: Liam Lawrence’s corner was met by Grandison, John Obi Mikel could not clear his lines and, in the confusion, Mangan — on the pitch for just 84 seconds — steered the ball home. “We wanted to bring the fans off their seats,” Mellon said. They did that.

Their luck deserted them with eight minutes to play, once Mourinho had sent for Nemanja Matic and Willian, the cavalry. Shrewsbury, still, would not accept it was over. They kept coming, right until the end. Only then, once he had used all his tricks, was Mourinho safe.


Shrewsbury Town (5-3-2): J Leutwiler — J Grimmer, C Goldson, J Grandison, N Knight-Percival, M Demetriou — B Grant (sub: J Clark, 67min), R Woods, L Lawrence — J Collins (sub: A Mangan, 75), J-L Akpa Akpro. Substitutes not used: M Halstead, M Ellis, S Vernon, A Griffith.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech — A Christensen, K Zouma, G Cahill, F Luís — J Mikel (sub: N Matic, 80), N Aké — M Salah (sub: Willian, 80), Oscar (sub: E Hazard, 90+3), A Schürrle — D Drogba. Substitutes not used: I Brown, M Schwarzer, J Terry, L Baker. Booked: Aké.

Referee: N Swarbrick.


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


Mail :

Shrewsbury 1-2 Chelsea: Jermaine Grandison own goal helps Jose Mourinho's men scrape into Capital One Cup quarter-finals after Didier Drogba's opener

By Laurie Whitwell for the Daily Mail  

SHREWSBURY 1-2 CHELSEA


It is games like this, just as much as Champions League matches, when Jose Mourinho illustrates his mastery of the substitution.

Having just seen his team concede a remarkable equaliser 13 minutes from the final whistle that seemed likely to send this Capital One Cup tie into extra time, the Chelsea manager immediately threw on Willian and Nemanja Matic.

In his first involvement, the Brazilian conjured a goal that spared any blushes. He raced down the left and produced a cross so troubling that Jermaine Grandison diverted into his own net with Didier Drogba lurking.

Remember when Mourinho acted quicker than Sir Alex Ferguson as Nani was dismissed against his Real Madrid side in Europe's elite competition? This was of similar ilk.

It was cruel on Shrewsbury, who barely three minutes earlier made it appear the impossible might be on. Liam Lawrence delivered a dangerous corner, Grandison nodded down and Andy Mangan prodded past Petr Cech 83 seconds after arriving from the bench himself.

Greenhous Meadow, boasting a record crowd for a football match thanks to 486 extra temporary seats, erupted so loud the whole of Shropshire would have heard.

Mellon calls himself the Special Brew to Mourinho's Special One, in light of the ale that has been created in his name by a local brewery.

He must be credited with fermenting a formula that for the entire first half kept a team of vastly greater ability and resources at bay.

That was until the appearance of the Special Drog. At 36, this is some winter to his career. Every day is Christmas it seems.

Drogba scored the opening goal here, his third goal in three games to give his team a foothold in a game they occasionally looked like slipping up in.

Three minutes after the interval he applied a sure finish to Mohamed Salah's through ball, following a flick from Andre Shurrle.

Mourinho questioned the application of some players he was giving a rare start to in light of the Ivorian striker who does not wilt.

'If players that played 90 minutes two days ago were fantastic I expect people who are not playing a lot to raise the level to create me problems,' Mourinho said. 'I love problems of choices, and it is easy to choose my team for Saturday.

'Hopefully Didier will be good for the weekend but we will have to see because right now his character is stronger than his body.

'That's what makes players special and if I was a kid player with this guy on my side what can I wish more? For the kids it is a privilege and they have to learn by example.'

Drogba added: 'I played here before, with Galatasaray. Shrewsbury have improved since then. It was difficult tonight with the weather. I wouldn't say I enjoyed the game. It was difficult but I started playing in places like this.'

This was the Premier League leaders, unbeaten in six months, against a side in League Two who have been bettered by Hartlepool, Stevenage and Southend this season.

Chelsea's squad cost around £300million to assemble. Shrewsbury's? Nothing. The teams are separated by 72 places in the league ladder.

It was David lining up against Goliath, except Goliath was on springs and David had two hands behind his back.

Still, Mourinho retained four of his starters from Sunday's match at Manchester United little more than 48 hours earlier.

Gary Cahill, Felipe Luis, and Oscar all began alongside Drogba. This was the first time he had started back-to-back games for Chelsea since April 2012, when the opponents on both occasions within a week were Barcelona.

Greenhous Meadow is no Nou Camp, but it is a finer stadium than you might expect for a League Two club.

Mellon has crafted a team who like to pass the ball, and in Ryan Woods have an excellent midfielder. For large swathes they worried Mourinho and when Mangan scored a shock was stirring.

'To get everyone out of their chairs was one of the things we wanted to do,' said Mellon. 'We're trying to re-build a football club and I cant say how proud I am of my players.'

Shrewsbury had the first chance in the fourth minute. Lawrence delivered a corner that Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro rose to head down, forcing Petr Cech to palm away.

Shrewsbury were the team conducting incisive attacks. Akpa Akpro's pace particularly troubled Chelsea. One passing move started from the back and involved six Shrewsbury players before James Collins sent his header wide.

Chelses were curiously unsure. Just after the half hour, Drogba set Salah away on a counter attack and when he picked out Schurrle in the middle it seemed a goal was inevitable. But the German World Cup winner instead nodded back across and Shrewsbury scrambled clear.

That may influence who starts against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday. 'At the end we had a glass of wine,' said Mellon. 'He is an example for any young manager how to operate.'

Mourinho and Drogba, examples alike.


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

Mirror:

Mourinho's men made to sweat by plucky Shrews

By James Nursey


Old man Didier Drogba sparked the eventual win but not before sub Andy Mangan had the minnows dreaming of a historic upset

Jose Mourinho admitted Shrewsbury “worried” him after seeing old campaigner Didier Drogba drag him out the mire.

Chelsea’s unbeaten run was in jeopardy at the most unlikeliest of surroundings when the League Two Shrews equalised 13 minutes from time.

Town sub Andy Mangan scored from a corner to cancel out Drogba’s 48th-minute opener after a tight first half.

And it took an own goal winner nine minutes from time when Jermaine Grandison deflected in William’s cross under pressure from Drogba to settle the tie.

It was harsh on Town, whose display belied their position 72 League places below the Premier League leaders.

Micky Mellon’s side put up a thrilling fight playing good football with young midfielder Ryan Woods impressing.

The hosts’ efforts made for an exciting game at a wet Greenhous Meadow in a cracking cup tie infront of a record sell-out 10,210 crowd.

It has everyone on tenterhooks when Mangan equalised in the 77th minute just seconds after coming on.

And even Blues boss Mourinho admitted: “I was worried yeah, I tried to win the game in the last 10 minutes.

“I didn’t want to go to extra time.

“It was difficult conditions, difficult weather but I am happy with my players’ approach.”

Mourinho was particularly pleased with Chelsea veteran Drogba, who skippered the side despite playing at Manchester United on Sunday.

He took his goal well and inspired Chelsea along with Filipe Luis, Oscar and Gary Cahill who were the other survivors from Sunday’s Old Trafford trip.

Mourinho added: “Guys like Didier Drogba and Oscar showed great professionalism.

“Didier doesn’t need to send messages to me.

“He was doing something which shouldn’t be allowed but they did which was to play two matches in 48 hours.

“It shouldn’t be allowed but it was and they were fantastic.”

Town won an early corner and Petr Cech had to be alert to keep out a header by Nathaniel Knight-Percival.

While Bobby Grant struck a rising shot over the bar and James Collins headed wide.

But Chelsea should have taken the lead in the 31st minute when Mohamed Salah, freed by Drogba's superb pass, crossed to Andre Schurrle, who made a complete hash of his free header.

A tight first half saw the hosts warmly applauded off at the break by their delighted fans.

And it needed striker Drogba,36, to finally break their resistance with a clinical low finish from Mohamed Salah’s pass.

It was his third goal in as many games and continues to vindicate Mourinho’s decision to re-sign him this summer.

But remarkable Shrewsbury levelled when sub Mangan struck at a corner in the 77th minute just 84 seconds after coming on.

There was still time for a cruel twist though as Grandison notched an OG as sub William’s inswinging cross was deflected in by the Town defender.

But pound for pound it was arguably the hosts who emerged with the most credit as their annual £1.4million wage bill is 125 times smaller than Chelsea’s at £176m.

Certainly those fans who queued up for the tie which sold out in two hours will not have felt short-changed at Mellon’s side’s display.

Mellon reflected: “For our lads to make them take the ball into the corner at the end is great credit to us.

“This is what cup football should be all about, Chelsea treated it in the right way.

“Jose Mourinho said to me before the game: ‘you have a good team and we know that’.

“We were determined to play with no fear and have a right good go and be organised.”

Player ratings:

Shrewsbury: Leutwiler 6, Grimmer 7, Grandison 6, Goldson 7, Knight-Percival 7, Demetriou 6, Woods 8, Grant 7 (Clark 67, 6) , Lawrence 7, Akpa Akpro 7, Collins 7 (Mangan 75, 7)

Chelsea: Cech 7, Christensen 6, Zouma 7, Cahill 7, Luis 6, Oscar 6 (Hazard 90, 6), Mikel 6 (Matic 80, 6), Ake 6 Booked, Schurrle 6, Drogba 8, Salah 6 (William 80, 6)


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

Express:

Shrewsbury 1 - Chelsea 2: King Didier Drogba still wears the crown for the Blues

CHELSEA’S ‘King’ got them out of a right royal problem at Shrewsbury.

By: John Wragg

The Premier League leaders, unbeaten this season, broke Shrewsbury Town’s impressive resistance with an early second-half goal from Didier Drogba – and it still was not enough.

They needed him again after Shrewsbury had equalised, Drogba putting so much fear into a League Two defence that Jermaine Grandison inadvertently won a terrific tie for Chelsea with an own-goal nine minutes from time.

Some players, at 19, feel like skipping an England game because they are tired but Drogba, at 36, has just played twice in three days and scored twice.

His goal at Manchester United earned the high-flying Blues a point and last night he refused to bow to a little club sensing a big night to remember.

No wonder his Chelsea team-mates are so in awe of Drogba they call him ‘The King’. Manager Jose Mourinho will not argue with that. He admitted he was worried when Shrewsbury pulled the game back to 1-1 and a place in the quarter-finals looked as if it wouldn’t be decided in normal time.

“Worried? Yes, that is normal,” said Mourinho.

“Drogba doesn’t need to send messages to me. The message is what he, Filipe Luis, Oscar, and Gary Cahill gave, doing something that shouldn’t be allowed, playing two football matches in 48 hours.

“That shouldn’t be allowed, but it is and the players were fantastic.

“We did Manchester to London, London to Shrewsbury, we came here for difficult conditions. I did not want it to go to extra-time so I tried to win the game in the last 10 minutes with the substitutions.”

Drogba has now scored three times in three successive games in eight days on his Chelsea comeback, including the Champions League penalty against Maribor, and Mourinho said: “His character is bigger, stronger than his body. So what he did today maybe was because of his character and not because of his body, so let’s see the reaction after this.

“But this is what makes players special and if I was a kid and I play with this guy on my side, and I am 18, 20, 21, 22, what can I wish more? For the kid it is a privilege and they have to learn by example.”

Drogba’s goal came in the 49th minute, made by Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah, the best Chelsea football of a tie Shrewsbury had generally ruled to that point. The shot was driven in by Drogba, but he had spent as much of the first half defending as he had attacking, such did Shrewsbury push Chelsea on to the back foot.

Shrewsbury had knocked out Blackpool, Leicester and Norwich, something Mourinho had watched on video and noted the danger.

When Andy Mangan, a second-half substitute, swivelled almost on the goal line and bashed in the 77th-minute equaliser, the fight Mourinho thought he might have was very much on.

Earlier, fans had piled into Greenhous Meadow, with its extra seats fitted into the corners and the marquees in the car park. There were 10,210 in the ground, the most ever in the seven-year history of the stadium except for an Elton John concert, and Shrewsbury entertained them.

Mourinho, winner of everything apart from the World Cup – and he probably thinks he deserves that as well – watched from the touchline, wet in his tracksuit, as Shrewsbury caused him worries.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech saved on his line near his post when Nathaniel Knight-Percival got in a close-range header from a fifth-minute corner and then Bobby Grant drove forward fiercely with a drive.

Shrewsbury’s record in the stadium this season is impressive, nine wins and a draw in 10 games, and so there was no shortage of home confidence. Mourinho, for his part, had kept only the four players he mentioned from the Manchester United game, looking for fresh legs only two days later.

But fresh ideas? There were not many and it needed the warrior Drogba to force Chelsea through.

William was one of Mourinho’s late subs and Drogba pounded towards his 81st-minute cross, Grandison commendably getting there before him, but then deflecting in the decisive goal.

SHREWSBURY TOWN (5-3-2): Leutwiler; Grimmer, Goldson, Grandison, Knight-Percival, Demetriou; Grant (Clark 67), Woods, Lawrence; Akpa-Akpro, Collins (Mangan 75). Goal: Mangan 77.

CHELSEA (4-5-1): Cech; Christensen, Zouma, Cahill, Filipe Luis; Mikel (Matic 80), Ake, Salah (Willian 80), Oscar (Hazard 90), Schurrle; Drogba. Booked: Ake. Goals: Drogba 49, Grandison 81 og.

Referee: N Swarbrick (Lancashire).


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

Star:


Shrewsbury Town 1 - Chelsea 2: Blues survive Cup scare as own-goal gifts them the win

DIDIER DROGBA came to Chelsea's rescue to shatter the plucky League Two battlers.

By Dave Armitage

Drogba answered a half-time rallying call from furious boss Jose Mourinho with his third goal in a week.

The veteran striker shunted Chelsea into the lead two minutes after the break and had a hand in the winner after Shrewsbury had looked like taking the match into extra-time.

How sad that in the end they lost to an own goal from Jermaine Grandison, who got the final touch when Drogba homed in on Willian's 81st-minute cross.

Grandison had played his part in hauling Micky Mellon's side back into it a few minutes earlier when he knocked the ball on for substitute Andy Mangan to level. Chelsea deserved to edge the tie but it took the evergreen Drogba and substitutes worth £87m to tip things their way.

Take nothing away from Shrewsbury, they turned in an immense performance and no wonder Mourinho read the riot act to his team at the interval.

But he was full of praise for 36-year-old Drogba who put in another dogged 90 minutes, 48 hours after his heroics against Manchester United.

Mourinho said: "Yes, I was worried when they equalised but we go through and Didier played a massive part in that.

"Hopefully he will be good for the weekend but we will have to see because right now his character is stronger than his body. "Maybe what he has done today is through his character not his body.

"That's what makes players special and any of the young players lucky enough to play alongside him learned from that."

Mourinho said the last thing he had wanted was extra-time, adding: "Shrewsbury put up a great fight. They are what the cups are all about."

Mourinho was not impressed with most of the players he had given chances to impress.

He said: "I expect players to give me problems. I love problems. But a lot of them didn't and they've made it easy to choose my team for Saturday."

Drogba shattered the home side when he slammed the ball home from close in after great work by Andre Schurrle and Mohamed Salah.

Two minutes later, a superb fingertip save from Jason Leutwiler kept out a vicious shot from Schurrle.

Mourinho had good cause to be angry at the break with Chelsea fortunate not to be behind to a team 71 places beneath them in the league ladder.

Chelsea had been given plenty to think about, not least when a shot from Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro struck team-mate James Collins and flew inches wide of the post.

Mangan's equaliser gave Shrewsbury hope but that was cruelly shattered when Grandison diverted the ball past his own keeper as he tried to intervene, with Drogba preparing to pounce on Willian's drive across the area.

Man Utd 1-1

Independent:

Robin van Persie's late goal rescues a point for United

By SAM WALLACE

There are injury-time goals for Manchester United at Old Trafford that have shattered the dreams of opposing teams, and changed the course of title races, and yet for all the drama today, this was a different kind of late goal, for a different kind of United team, in a very different era.

Robin van Persie disappeared under a mound of United team-mates after his 94th-minute goal, and still had the elation coursing through him when he emerged to tear his shirt off and throw it in the air. The Old Trafford crowd were sent home with that familiar tingle of joy at a game-changing last few minutes. But this was a draw, not a victory, and the gap to Chelsearemains a formidable 10 points.

On the touchline as Old Trafford erupted in delight at the equaliser, Jose Mourinho responded with a dismissive wrinkle of the nose and a shake of the head. His team had come close to a big win, and he was furious at the decision of referee Phil Dowd to send off Branislav Ivanovic in the moments before United scored. But soon he had composed himself because, for now, a point seemed like it was enough for him.

His team had stepped it up a level in the second half, scored through the 36-year-old Didier Drogba and then held United at arm’s length for much of the rest of the game. United got out of jail. They had the better of a hectic first half but Chelsea had taken control after the break and to watch them today was to see a team ready to win a title.

For Van Gaal, United remain frustratingly short of being the sum of their parts and the Dutch coach’s jolly attitude afterwards, ticking Van Persie off for the goal celebration that got him booked, suggested that he was relieved with a point. His team had thrown everything at Chelsea in the closing stages and, man-for-man, they match up well. The simple truth is that Chelsea are a much better functioning, slicker ensemble.

Eight minutes after half-time, Drogba drifted to the near post pursued by the diminutive Rafael Da Silva who was wholly inadequate when it came to challenging one of the greatest headers of the ball the game has known. Those are the kind of details that are tripping up United at present, the sort of glitches that Mourinho has had longer to address in his own Chelsea team.

Chelsea also had the most consistently dangerous player on the pitch in Eden Hazard, whose incision through the United defence won the corner for the goal. They played without their first and second choice strikers, Diego Costa and Loïc Rémy, and in the calmer post-match atmosphere, Mourinho seemed to have assessed the result as acceptable. His unwillingness to be explicit about what he regarded as Dowd’s mistakes in the game told you that much.

As for United, they were without the injured Radamel Falcao and their best attacker was the teenager Adnan Januzaj, who came in and out of the game but delivered quality every time. As for Angel Di Maria, when he reaches full fitness, he will be extraordinary – but this could not have been him at his best. Phil Jones is injured again, and missed the game with a case of shin splints that Van Gaal said had prevented him training.

It was a wonderful first half, full of the exceptional high-quality football one would expect of these two sides, but also with the promise of a mistake that might unlock the match. Marcos Rojo gave the ball away to Willian on 34 minutes and was lucky that Chris Smalling was there to cover. Rafael got himself booked on 12 minutes, falling for one of Hazard’s oldest tricks.

There were some fine moments from United for whom Marouane Fellaini did a good job minding Cesc Fabregas in midfield. The best chance for United in the first half was Januzaj’s ball into the inside left channel to Van Persie when Thibaut Courtois was off his line so quickly he was almost at the striker’s toes when he blocked.

Drogba missed Chelsea’s best first-half chance, a shot that David De Gea stopped with his feet. Chelsea found themselves stretched in midfield, demonstrated by the booking for Nemanja Matic for his second cynical block of the half. At a Chelsea corner, the away team could have complained about the grappling of United defenders.

In the second half, Dowd’s decision to book Ivanovic on 65 minutes enraged Mourinho, and with some justification. Di Maria had tried to push the full-back away and found himself out-muscled. When the free-kick was given United’s way it appeared to be Ivanovic’s complaint that earned him a yellow card for dissent. It was to cost him later.

Thibaut Courtois saves an effort from Robin van PersieBy then, Chelsea were in the lead. On 50 minutes Hazard was through the United defence in a heartbeat, exchanging passes with Drogba and in on goal. De Gea did well to save that time but from the subsequent corner United were undone.

The home side got their marking patterns all wrong, and so it was Rafael who chased Drogba to the near post in vain, making no impact on the striker’s glancing header back into goal. Van Persie managed a touch but it was not enough to stop the ball going in. In 20 games against United it was just Drogba’s fourth goal but what a goal, and what a player – even after all these years.

Later Van Gaal explained the mis-match of Rafael marking Drogba as a necessity; he said he simply did not have enough tall players in his side. The suspicion was that one reason for Fellaini’s inclusion was to address that problem, but he could not cover all the giants in Chelsea’s team.

The big tactical switches followed the goal. Van Gaal brought off Mata for the striker James Wilson and changed to a 4-4-2. Mourinho introduced John Obi Mikel to play alongside Matic. Oscar came off and Fabregas moved into the orthodox No 10 position. The big moment came after Ivanovic’s red card, which felt like it would be the decisive moment of the game.

For Ivanovic’s second yellow card, he had caught the heels of Di Maria, who swung in the free-kick and Fellaini attacked it well. From Courtois’ fine save it spilled to Van Persie who thumped it home. This was enough for now for United, but very soon they will need more from these kind of games.


Manchester United (4-1-4-1): De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw; Blind; Di Maria, Fellaini, Mata (Wilson, 67), Januzaj; Van Persie.

Substitutes not used: Lindegaard (gk), Carrick, Herrera, Fletcher, Blackett, Pereira.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Filipe Luis; Fabregas, Matic; Willian (Zouma, 90), Oscar (Mikel, 67), Hazard (Schurrle, 89); Drogba.

Substitutes not used: Cech (gk), Ake, Salah, Baker.

Booked: Manchester United Rafael, Fellaini Chelsea Drogba, Matic, Fabregas ,Oscar, Ivanovic

Sent off: Ivanovic

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire)

Man of the match: Hazard

Rating: 8

Attendance: 75,327


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


Guardian:

Manchester United’s Robin van Persie nicks point off 10-man Chelsea

Man Utd 1 - 1 Chelsea

Daniel Taylor at Old Trafford


Now, perhaps, Louis van Gaal has a better understanding why Sir Alex Ferguson used to boast no other side on the planet had Manchester United’s penchant for late drama. They were in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Robin van Persie pulled back his left foot to rescue them and here was another moment to punish anyone who risks heading for the exits when United are chasing a game and the clock is still ticking.

George Best tried it as the 1999 Champions League final moved into extra time, with the score at 1-0 to Bayern Munich. Their latest feat of escapology ranks further down the “football, bloody hell” scale but it was still some moment and the celebration from Van Persie told its own story. He was off, running to the crowd, peeling off his shirt, throwing it high and screaming to the skies. It felt like an explosion of pent-up emotion and that small moment revealed a lot, perhaps, about this club’s inner frustrations.

Until then, it had been straying dangerously close to becoming another ordeal. They had been losing since the 53rd minute, courtesy of Didier Drogba’s first Premier League goal since March 2012, and unlike so many other United comebacks there had been no real sense this one was brewing. Chelsea were not completely coasting but United’s response to going behind had been poor and the league leaders were on the verge of moving six points clear of Southampton and eight from Manchester City. United were looking desperately short of ideas. In Van Gaal’s words: “We lost our heads.”

Out of that, they should be mightily relieved about what followed. Everything started to unravel for Chelsea once Branislav Ivanovic fouled Ángel di María on the left wing and was sent off for his second booking.

Ivanovic’s first was on the same player but it scarcely warranted a yellow card and his sense of injustice will be compounded by the fact the referee, Phil Dowd, really should have awarded a penalty in his favour earlier in the match. As Ivanovic seethed in the tunnel, Di Maria whipped in the free-kick. Marouane Fellaini’s header was brilliantly saved by Thibaut Courtois but the rebound fell for Van Persie and he was on it in a flash. The power in his shot made it unstoppable.

Van Gaal was notably unenthused about his team’s performance, bemused to hear them being praised on television, and revealing that he had scolded his players because “normally you have to play your best against the best teams”. He was also unimpressed with Van Persie’s celebration, describing it as “stupid” because it had invited Dowd to show his yellow card again.

There was, however, something to admire about United’s perseverance and, though Chelsea had controlled large swathes of the game, the statistics backed up Van Gaal’s point that the home side had created more scoring opportunities. There was encouragement in the form of Luke Shaw and some nice flashes from another 19-year-old, Adnan Januzaj, higher up their left side. Van Persie looked sharper than he has done for a while and Di María never stopped wanting the ball even on a day when he flickered only sporadically.

Equally, there were sustained periods when Chelsea showed they are by far the more rounded team. Diego Costa had not recovered from his hamstring problems but Eden Hazard was superb on the left and it was his link-up with Drogba, culminating in a brilliant save from David de Gea, that led to the corner for their goal.

Fellaini’s close attentions meant Cesc Fàbregas could not exert his usual influence but Nemanja Matic was the driving force in midfield, quick to the ball, strong in the tackle, and one of the reasons, undoubtedly, why Van Gaal commented afterwards that United always seem to be smaller than their opponents.

That disparity cost United for Drogba’s goal and it was certainly a peculiar tactic that the man deployed with marking Chelsea’s scorer was their smallest defender, Rafael da Silva, giving away 16 centimetres in height. Until that point, Van Gaal’s team had shown a greater understanding of defence than has been seen at other times this season. Yet this was inexplicable. Van Persie could not keep out the ball on the goalline and Drogba, 37 on his next birthday, was running to the Chelsea fans for one of those look‑at‑me knee-slides that seemed to have been consigned to the past.

Seven of the game’s 10 bookings went to Chelsea, meaning the club will automatically be fined, but Mourinho’s real grievance went back to that moment late in the first half when another corner went into United’s penalty area and Marcos Rojo bundled John Terry to the floor while Chris Smalling was guilty of an even more blatant piece of illegal grappling on Ivanovic. Referees have been encouraged to penalise these type of offences and Chelsea were entitled to feel hard done by.

Maybe the home side might have done more to trouble Chelsea’s defence if Radamel Falcao had not suffered a training-ground injury and Wayne Rooney were not suspended. Yet Van Gaal’s reaction confirmed their imperfections are still widespread. The strange thing is that the late onslaught that might have been expected never really materialised. It was more a case of one free-kick, in a dangerous area, and a touch of fortune that when Fellaini’s header came back off Courtois it landed exactly where Van Persie wanted it.

Man of the match Eden Hazard (Chelsea)


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

Telegraph:


High drama at Old Trafford as Didier Drogba's strike is cancelled out by Robin van Persie scores injury-time equaliser

Chelsea never really parked the bus here but they did get caught on a double yellow. When Branislav Ivanovic was dismissed for a second bookable offence three minutes into injury time, Manchester United seized the moment, equalising through Robin van Persie, sparking euphoric scenes spiced with relief.

The draw stopped Chelsea accelerating six points clear at the top of the Premier League but they stay in the driving seat, remain the best side in the land, remain unbeaten and – to no great surprise – have found a useful understudy goalscoring centre-forward in Didier Drogba in the absence of the injured Diego Costa and Loïc Rémy.

Making his 350th appearance for Chelsea, Drogba seems to be reliving his first Chelsea era in reverse, converting a penalty against Maribor last week in an echo of the 2012 Cham­pions League final shoot-out, and now scoring with a flicked header from a corner, again reviving memories of his equaliser in Munich.

Chelsea ultimately paid the price for the mounting number of cautions, numbering seven by the denouement, including Ivanovic’s two bookings, one for dissent following a foul on Ángel Di María and the second for that injury-time trip on the Argentine. This was hardly indicative of a cynical concerted strategy from Jose Mourinho’s side as some United fans suspected, more individuals making snap-decisions to stop opponents in the heat of the moment.

As well as Ivanovic’s two offences, Drogba illegally stopped Juan Mata breaking upfield, Nemanja Matic prevented Van Persie advancing, Cesc Fabregas fouled the dribbling Mata, Oscar caught Chris Smalling as the defender moved forward while Eden Hazard went in forcefully on Rafael. Phil Dowd administered three yellow cards to United for Rafael pulling back Hazard, Marouane Fellaini fouling Hazard and then that infuriating sanction of a booking for a player removing his shirt in celebrating a goal. Not that Van Persie will worry.

Dowd’s refereeing strayed into the realms of controversy only in the first half when he failed to punish some wrestling antics by United players at a Chelsea corner that would have had Michael Oliver donning a black cap.

Oliver awarded Swansea City a penalty a week ago after Stoke City’s captain, Ryan Shawcross, pulled over Wilfried Bony. It was the correct decision but inevitably demanding other officials follow suit to be consistent.

When Fabregas curled a free-kick in, Marcos Rojo hauled down John Terry while the wrestling match intensified with Smalling pulling Ivanovic away from the incoming ball. Dowd saw nothing wrong. Ivanovic was incensed, appealing almost manically.

The next conversation that Stoke City’s manager, Mark Hughes, has with Mike Riley of Professional Game Match Officials Limited should be lively. So should Mourinho’s.

Whatever Mourinho’s frustrations, and he just about managed to resist venting his spleen afterwards, Louis van Gaal’s side deserved this point.

It was honours even between the two friends and coaches. Mourinho was greeted by a warm, almost emotional embrace from Van Gaal and a tribute in the programme in which the Dutchman described his former assistant coach at Barcelona as now a “great” manager.

Such is Mourinho’s kudos that taking a point off him is often considered a feather in a coach’s cap.

Those questioning Van Gaal’s ability to turn United around will note that the team are a point worse off after nine games than under David Moyes, who endured a tougher opening run of fixtures, and Van Gaal’s side have to travel to City next weekend. Yet the Dutchman’s vaunted pedigree guarantees him the time to work on reviving United. He has enjoyed success all over, building and organising sides, although he probably requires at least one more major transfer window here to address the defence.

A point can become a turning point for United only if Van Gaal can drill the defence better, instilling greater organisation and powers of concentration. There were positives in defence including Smalling, a quick, composed presence in replacing the injured Phil Jones, and Luke Shaw, who got forward well and executed one exceptional tackle on Willian. David De Gea continued to impress.

Yet Rojo resembles a bemused tourist struggling with a new language; the Argentine earned many good reviews at the World Cup and will surely come good with more practice, and United having a more settled back-line. Rafael was spooked early on by Hazard, booked, and never fully recovered.

After that, the first-half sparring contained occasional other noteworthy incidents. Di María blazed over. Adnan Januzaj threaded a fine pass down the inside-left channel to Van Persie. The Dutchman’s first-time shot would have beaten a lesser keeper but Courtois anticipated brilliantly, racing out and blocking. Chelsea’s goalkeeper then held another effort from Van Persie.

Mistakes continued to scar parts of United’s play. When Rojo gave the ball away cheaply, Willian ran through and only Smalling’s pace and awareness rescued United.

Chelsea began fuming at Dowd over his inability or unwillingness to get to grips with the grapplers.

Yet the sense that Chelsea were quietly building continued. As the first half closed, Oscar ran through, ignoring Hazard’s progress to the near-post, and cutting the ball back to Drogba, whose strong shot was saved athletically by De Gea.

Six minutes into the second period, United’s keeper denied Hazard who had played a high-speed 1-2 with Drogba. The danger never ebbed, Chelsea punishing lax marking at the ensuing corner. As Fabregas swung the ball towards the near-post, Drogba made his move, flicking the header powerfully goalwards. The ball clipped Van Persie and flew in. It was horrific defending by United, particularly the inexplicable thought process that had little Rafael tracking mighty Drogba. Rafael is 1.73 metres, 15 centimetres shorter than Drogba. It was a total mismatch, and the inevitable long and short of it all was that Drogba easily won that duel.

Just as Drogba, 36, revived memories of past glories with his powerful header, so United rolled back the years with a late flourish worthy of the Sir Alex Ferguson years. They still had to survive further scares. Chelsea almost added a second, Ivanovic shooting wide.

Mourinho tried to lock the game down, sending on John Obi Mikel for Oscar, then André Schürrle for Hazard and the centre-half Kurt Zouma for Willian.

United fought their way out of the straitjacket. Van Persie turned Gary Cahill but his shot was saved by Courtois. United were getting frantic, even Ryan Giggs sprinting from the dug-out down the line to collect a loose ball.

And then came that mistake by Ivanovic, tripping Di María. As Ivanovic made the short walk to the tunnel in front of a crowing Stretford End, Di Mara swept the ball across, Courtois thwarted Fellaini but Van Persie reacted best, firing the ball left-footed in to spark a wild celebration.

Mourinho was left shaking his head, having a quiet word with the fourth official, Chris Foy, before seeking out his old mentor, Van Gaal, for another embrace and handshake.

Chelsea departed annoyed at the late lapse but they continue to dominate the high ground of the Premier League. United still have a lot of climbing to do.


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

Times:

Cruel end halts Chelsea procession

Oliver Kay

Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1


The relief that greeted Robin van Persie’s late, late equaliser yesterday was felt beyond Old Trafford. It was an important goal for Manchester United, but it was also highly significant for the Barclays Premier League title race, which Chelsea have been threatening to turn into a procession.

Until Van Persie struck at the Stretford End in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Chelsea were on course to move six points clear of second-placed Southampton, eight points clear of Manchester City and 13 points clear of United after just nine matches. That dramatic swipe of Van Persie’s left boot brought wild celebrations from the Stretford End and a contemptuous shake of the head from José Mourinho on the touchline, but this still felt like an afternoon when Chelsea made an ominous statement of intent.

Didier Drogba’s 53rd-minute goal had been followed by almost 40 minutes of textbook defending from a Mourinho side: compact, resilient and, yes, at times rather cynical, as a soaring yellow-card count indicated. Branislav Ivanovic had been excellent, but his trip on Ángel Di María resulted in a red card, his second bookable offence, and the free kick from which Van Persie scored after Marouane Fellaini’s header was saved by the unfortunate Thibaut Courtois.

It was harsh in the context of Chelsea’s second-half performance, in which they appeared to have sucked all the belief out of United, but it is the second time in recent weeks that a trip to Manchester has resulted in the concession of a late equaliser — this one celebrated by Van Persie with rather more delight than Frank Lampard felt upon denying his former club at the Etihad Stadium a month ago. Those two goals, from Lampard and Van Persie, represent the only small dents in Chelsea’s title challenge so far.

As Mourinho shook his head on the touchline, Louis van Gaal, his former mentor, looked almost impassive, but the United manager must have been hugely relieved. Their first-half performance had brought encouragement, but they had been outwitted and outfought in the second period, their limitations exposed by what is, at present, a far superior Chelsea team. Whatever the Van Persie goal signifies for the longer term, it seems unlikely to be the catalyst for a title challenge this season.

Speaking at a book launch in London last night, Sir Alex Ferguson was not exactly effusive in his assessment of United’s progress so far under Van Gaal — “a little bit one step forward, two steps back”, “at times we’re fragile at the back” — but he is right.

A haul of 13 points from nine matches, with careless defending a near-constant feature, would cause considerable concern with a less experienced manager at the helm or indeed if similar inconsistencies had not also been shown by, for example, Arsenal and Liverpool. For United, one of the big difficulties so far this season has been in finding a balance between defence and attack.

For the first half yesterday, they were much better in that regard, even if there was always the feeling that a brittle defensive structure — Chris Smalling and Marcos Rojo in central defence, Fellaini and Daley Blind in front of them — would crumble if subjected to serious pressure.

As it was, United kept Chelsea at arm’s length for 45 minutes. Cesc Fàbregas completed only five passes in the first half, something that had much to do with the persistent attention of Fellaini in a man-marking role that brought perhaps his best United performance to date. Eden Hazard was a captivating sight in possession, dribbling away from opponents, but rarely in the first half did he inflict any damage in dangerous areas. That came later.

Neither Smalling nor Rojo convinced at the heart of the United defence, but Chelsea’s only real opportunity of the first half came when Drogba, from Oscar’s cut-back, had a shot well saved by David De Gea. Drogba, deputising for the injured Diego Costa, was looking his age at that point. Chelsea’s main threat before half-time came from dead-ball situations, hence their frustration when Phil Dowd failed to spot that John Terry and Ivanovic had been held by Rojo and Smalling respectively from Fàbregas’s corner in the 36th minute.

At the other end, United threatened on the counter-attack, but, with Di María and Juan Mata less precise than usual, the liveliest of their attacking players was Adnan Januzaj, who produced a clever pass to set up Van Persie midway through the first half, only for Courtois to make a fine save. Januzaj also threatened when found by Mata, but he shot into the side-netting.

Having appeared to rise to the challenge in the first half, though, United were unable to respond when Chelsea raised their game after the restart. The warning signs were there when Drogba, Ivanovic, Oscar and Hazard combined on 49 minutes, prompting a desperate saving tackle from Rafael Da Silva.

As against Arsenal recently, Chelsea’s breakthrough stemmed from a wonderful piece of improvisation from Hazard. Eight minutes into the second half, he dribbled away from Di María and Mata in the inside-left channel, switched the ball to Drogba and waited for the return pass, which was superb. With his next touch, Hazard shimmied away from Smalling and bore down on De Gea, who denied him with an excellent save. From the resulting corner, Drogba outjumped Rafael — no surprise there — and scored with a header that neither De Gea nor Van Persie, on the line, could keep out.

For almost 40 minutes after that, an away win looked inevitable. There are few teams better than Chelsea when it comes to defending a lead and, as John Obi Mikel and Kurt Zouma were sent on to add to their sense of impregnability, there seemed no way back into the game for United. Hope only returned for the home team deep into stoppage time when Ivanovic was sent off. From Di María’s free kick, Fellaini leapt highest, forcing a fine save from Courtois, and Van Persie did the rest. The Chelsea bandwagon had been held up, but for how long?


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


Mail:

Manchester United 1-1 Chelsea: Robin van Persie bags 94th minute equaliser after Didier Drogba looked to have come back with a bang

By Martin Samuel


They celebrated as if this was the turning point. Last minute Manchester United, twice in a week, back to their best. Hardly.

They got away with it. A scramble from a questionable free-kick in the fourth minute of injury time, lashed in by Robin van Persie. A red card for Branislav Ivanovic that most certainly wasn’t, and a rejected Chelsea penalty claim that gets more plausible with each viewing.

This wasn’t United at their best, but perhaps their most fortunate. Jose Mourinho had too much respect for his mentor, Louis van Gaal, to make his displeasure public when they came together on the sidelines. His face as the goal went in said it all, though. He screwed up his features as if encountering a bad smell. It was the expression of a man who thought he was robbed. Probably, he was.

Not hugely. This wasn’t grand larceny. Chelsea were not many goals better than United, they did not thrash them, or put them away. But a 1-0 win would have been about fair. Chelsea were better organised, stronger defensively, executed their game plan, and shaded the action.

To United’s credit, however, they did not give up, displaying the spirit that saw them through at West Bromwich Albion last Monday, and they deserve praise for that. It says much about their development, though, that this point at home was celebrated like a far greater affair, the United players forming a pyramid of jubilation on Van Persie as Chelsea despaired. Ivanovic, by now down the tunnel, will have known what had happened by the cacophony. The sense of injustice would have been quite raw.

Would Chelsea have hung on with 11? We can never know. The fact is, it never helps to defend with 10, and Ivanovic is a significant presence during set-pieces at either end. Perhaps Chelsea lost a little concentration, too, when Phil Dowd issued his seventh yellow card to a blue shirt. It did not seem a particularly dirty game, either.

To make one thing clear: Angel di Maria did not dive to win the foul. Ivanovic clipped his heel on the run, and he tripped. He did not cheat. It did not look intentional, but there was contact and that makes it a free-kick. Intent does not come into this. Even if Ivanovic merely mis-stepped the onus is on him not to be clumsy. So United’s drink in the last-chance saloon was at least deserved.

The booking, less so. There are too many dirty, dangerous challenges going unpunished in the English game for this to be yellow-card material. So Chelsea should have had the full complement on the pitch when Di Maria’s free-kick came in. Whether that would have made the difference, who knows?

As it was, United’s best player on the day, Marouane Fellaini, won the header, Thibaut Courtois made the save, and the ball fell to Van Persie, who buried ferociously it on instinct alone. There was no time for any more drama, and a result that would have pleased both sides before the game had the feeling of a United victory and a Chelsea defeat. Yet is that the positive it sounds? There was a time when Old Trafford would have been disappointed at two home points dropped in this fixture. Now it provokes a fiesta.

The turning points of the match? Chelsea will cite Ivanovic’s first booking and the spurned penalty appeal, although neither come with a guarantee. For the first, Ivanovic certainly seemed to hand off Di Maria, but the United man was trying to do the same to him. It is hardly Ivanovic’s fault that he won this particular trial of strength and, even if Dowd considered it worthy of a foul, it surely wasn’t a booking. Maybe, though, Ivanovic talked his way into trouble with his protests. If so, he was foolish.

As for the penalty that wasn’t, Dowd merits a small degree of sympathy. Closer inspection suggests Marcos Rojo had John Terry by the neck, and Chris Smalling was doing a similar job on Ivanovic as Cesc Fabregas’s first-half corner came in. But there is so much grappling in the box these days that the referee possibly viewed it as a fair fight, with the entire quartet offending. When Gary Neville says United got away with one, however, it is worth considering that Chelsea had a case.

The real victim here, though: Chelsea’s third-choice striker. Without Manchester United’s equaliser and Ivanovic’s red, the headlines would have belonged to Didier Drogba, as Chelsea’s match-winner. Life in the old Drog yet. Who would have thought it?

Rejoining in the summer, Drogba was considered to be on very much a sentimental journey under Mourinho. We should have known Chelsea’s manager does not do sentiment, even in mellowed middle age. Shorn of Diego Costa with a virus and his understudy Loic Remy, injured against Maribor, Mourinho sent Drogba into the fray, kept him there for 90 minutes, and watched in quiet vindication as he all but won the match.

One mighty leap in the 53rd minute took him above Manchester United’s puny defence and should have given Chelsea a six-point lead over their rivals. What has he got to offer? A muscular presence and eye for the main chance that may never be dulled by the years. Drogba is 36. He could be 86, and you would still fancy him to outjump Rafael from a Fabregas corner, which is what happened.

Quite why Van Gaal chose his right back to go against Drogba from a dead ball, who can say?

It was a mismatch of fantastic proportions. David versus Goliath, except some prankster has taken David’s sling shots and replaced them with marshmallows.

Seconds earlier, Drogba had signalled the spark that remains, playing a delightful one-two to send Eden Hazard sprinting beyond United’s defence, only for a fabulous David de Gea save to keep him out. It was from this corner that Chelsea scored. De Gea deserved more; United didn’t.

Fabregas whipped it, Drogba got the glancing header, Van Persie could not do enough to stop its progress to goal. Mourinho 1 Van Gaal 0. No, of course he doesn’t do sentiment. Leading his mentor by a single goal, Mourinho then tried to shut up shop, introducing an increasing number of defence-minded players as the minutes leaked away.

Fools will say Chelsea paid the price for being negative. Only an numbskull goes gung-ho leading by a goal at Old Trafford with 15 minutes remaining, though.

Can United build on this? Van Gaal will hope so. He will be buoyed, too, by the first-half performance of Adnan Januzaj, who was at the centre of most of United’s best work.

In the 23rd minute, he threaded a lovely pass through to Van Persie, whose shot was smothered by Courtois, one on one. At the other end, Drogba forced an equally fine save from De Gea, with his legs. Honours even? Sometimes it is better to be lucky than good, you know. Either way, it’s a start.


MATCH FACTS

Man Utd: De Gea 6.5, Rafael 6, Smalling 7, Rojo 7, Shaw 6.5, Blind 6, Januzaj 5.5, Fellaini 6.5, Mata 4.5 (Wilson 65 – 6), Di Maria 7, Van Persie 7.

Subs not used: Lindegaard, Carrick, Herrera, Fletcher, Blackett, Pereira

Booked: Rafael, Fellaini, van Persie.

Goal: Van Persie 90+4

Manager: Louis van Gaal 6

Chelsea: Courtois 7, Ivanovic 5, Cahill 7, Terry 7, Luis 6.5, Fabregas 7, Matic 6.5, Willian 6 (Zouma 90 – 6), Oscar 6.5 (Mikel 65 – 6.5), Hazard 7 (Schurrle 89 – 6), Drogba 7.5

Subs not used: Cech, Zouma, Ake, Mikel, Schurrle, Salah, Baker.

Booked: Fabregas, Matic, Oscar, Hazard, Drogba.

Sent off: Ivanovic.

Goal: Drogba 53

Manager: Jose Mourinho 7

Ratings by Neil Ashton

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


Mirror:

The Dutch striker earned Louis van Gaal's men a share of the spoils with a 93rd minute equaliser to deny the league leaders another victory

Alex Richards


Robin van Persie smashed home a 93rd minute equaliser to earn Manchester United a 1-1 draw against Premier League leaders Chelsea at Old Trafford.

Having twice been denied by saves from the excellent Thibaut Courtois, the Dutch striker finally got the better of the brilliant Belgian, rifling in a close range rebound after Courtois had made a diving save to deny Marouane Fellaini.

The Blues had looked set to move six points clear at the top of the Premier League - and eight clear of champions Manchester City - after Didier Drogba's 52nd minute header.

The 36-year-old met Cesc Fabregas' inswinging corner with a towering leap and a bullet his effort goalwards, leaving David De Gea with no chance to react.

For much of the match Jose Mourinho's men had looked like champions-elect, but after Branislav Ivanovic's 93rd minute booking saw him sent off for two yellow cards, van Persie's strike meant they dropped points for just the second time this term.

Defence hasn't been the order of the day for United so far during van Gaal's reign, so it was little surprise to see them attack from the outset. However, with Chelsea lacking their leading marksmen Diego Costa, perhaps it was surprising to see the Blues immediately look to take the game to their hosts.

As such, a breathless start ensued, with the first chance falling to the feet of Angel Di Maria just four minutes in.

Breaking from a Chelsea set-piece, the Argentine led the attack, thrusting down the right before the ball was worked across the field. Some 20 yards from goal in a central position, Juan Mata clipped a wonderfully disguised pass past the Chelsea back line; alas, Di Maria skied his attempted volley.

Jose Mourinho served notice of his side's attacking ambitions by selecting his attacking midfield trio of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian in support of Drogba. Hazard, scorer of two goals in the Champions League in midweek,wasted little time in asking questions of United right-back Rafael, who was booked for tugging back the Belgian with just 12 minutes on the clock. Similarly, referee Phil Dowd booked Drogba for a trip on former teammate Mata eight minutes later.

Chelsea forced five corners in the opening 20 minutes, but it was noticeable how quickly United looked to break after De Gea caught the last, and the Spaniard's use of the ball almost lent itself to the home side taking a 23rd minute lead.

Sweeping up field after the keeper's quick distribution, Adnan Januzaj advanced down the left and prised open a static Blues defence with a clever pass. However, Robin van Persie, having timed his run across the 18-yard line well, saw his left-footed effort turned away by Courtois, who had quickly sprung from his line to narrow the angle. Less than 30 seconds later, the Dutchman was again denied by the giant keeper, a looped header comfortably held by the Chelsea stopper.

Pre-game, much had been made of Chelsea's height advantage and how it could prove crucial where set-pieces were concerned. However, when you don't allow players to jump via nefarious means - and the referee waves away subsequent appeals -  it negates such problems, as Chris Smalling found after appearing to haul down Ivanovic when the Serbian looked set to tap home and give the away side the lead.

Five minutes before half-time, Mourinho's men came close once more, through their elder statesman Drogba. A long ball from Ivanovic was poorly-dealt with by Marcos Rojo, and when the loose ball fell to Oscar, he cut back for the veteran forward, who was denied by the legs of De Gea.

There would have been little need for either manager to be anything other than pleased with their side at half-time, but perhaps Mourinho would have liked his league leaders to take greater control of proceedings and exert themselves with added authority.

Certainly they started the second half quickly and within seven minutes they had the lead.

After Hazard was denied from point-blank range by De Gea when clean through on goal, Drogba powered the resultant corner into the back of the net, having escaped his marker, Rafael.

It was the Ivorian's first Premier League goal since his summer return and the Blues height advantage had been made to count.

The goal knocked the stuffing out of United and Chelsea looked keen to build on their lead. Willian fired a 25-yard effort that was well held by De Gea and the Blues began to move the ball with added swagger - and against less resistance.

Van Gaal's response to seeing his side fall behind was introducing the promising 18-year-old forward James Wilson, at the expense of Mata, whose impact had been fitful. Simultaneously, his former Barcelona assistant sought to stiffen his side's midfield, replacing Oscar with Jon Obi Mikel.

Yet Chelsea had little intention of sitting on a one-goal lead and the objective of furthering their advantage was personified by the powerful forward runs of Ivanovic, who after slaloming through a couple of challenges drilled across goal. The ever-willing Willian also went close, curling wide after cutting in from the left.

By now Chelsea looked comfortable, with Fabregas and Matic winning the midfield battle against Fellaini and the anonymous Daley Blind, while Di Maria had become a peripheral figure. In truth, with 15 minutes remaining, there had been little response from the hosts to falling behind.

With 12 minutes to go, van Persie was again denied by Courtois, seeing a low drive blocked by the keeper's massive frame, while moments later youngster Wilson showed his poacher's instincts, meeting Rafael's cross with a looping header, which landed on the roof of the net.

Courtois' goal - indeed his entire penalty box - is beginning to acquire an air of invincibility. It's little wonder he was rated as La Liga's best in each of the last two seasons.

However, after Ivanovic had been sent off in the 92nd minute for a second yellow, Chelsea's cloak of invincibility slipped.

Di Maria's free-kick from wide on the left was headed goalward by Fellaini - left unmarked after Ivanovic's dismissal - forcing Courtois into an excellent diving save, only for van Persie to blast home the rebound.

Resilience and late goals were both specialist subjects at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson. They'll be nice habits for van Gaal to bring back.

Teams

Manchester United: De Gea; Rafael, Smalling, Rojo, Shaw; Di Maria, Blind, Fellaini, Januzaj; Mata; van Persie (c)

Subs: Wilson (Mata 66)

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Filipe Luis; Fabregas, Matic; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Drogba

Subs: Mikel (Oscar 66), Schurrle (Hazard 85), Zouma (Willian 90)


Martin Lipton's analysis

Out of nothing, salvation. In the third minute of stoppage time.

Mourinho was disgusted when Ivanovic was deemed to have fouled Di Maria, earning his second booking.

The Blues boss then simply shook his head in disbelief as Courtois' stunning save from Fellaini counted for nothing as Van Persie rammed home the rebound.

United will know they got away with one. This game seemed dead and buried with Chelsea seemingly cruising after Drogba's header on the hour.

For all United's endeavour – with Fellaini and Rafael the pick of the bunch – they rarely looked likely to get more from the game.

Courtois saved twice from Van Persie but De Gea was the busier, unquestionably.

In too many areas, Chelsea were simply better. But one goal is a slender advantage, proven at the death.


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

Express:

Man Utd 1 - Chelsea 1: Van Persie rescues LVG as Mourinho's Blues stutter in title race

Richard Tanner


During David Moyes' ill-fated season in charge and in the early weeks of Louis Van Gaal stewardship, Man United'stendency was to fade away in games.

But Robin Van Persie's added time equaliser yesterday - following on from Daley Blind's late leveller at West Brom on Monday - showed that while their defence continues to look vulnerable and they are wasting too many chances, they have, at least, got back their old resilience and fighting spirit.

And this result could just prove the "Juventus moment" Louis Van Gaal has been looking for to provide his re-modelled team with a belated lift-off for their season.

In his first few difficult months at Bayern Munich he had to wait for his players to produce a stunning Champions League victory in Turin in the late autumn to validate his philosophy.

This performance hardly matched that victory in terms of quality but in terms of confidence it could do wonders for United - especially with the Manchester derby derby looming at the Etihad stadium on Sunday.

Until that fourth minute of added time, a trademark Didier Drogba goal appeared to have put the seal on a trademark Chelsea away performance.

For a quarter of an hour after Drogba headed home from Cesc Fabregas' corner in the 53rd minutes, United looked lost - like so many teams have when trailing Chelsea, usually the masters of seeing a game out from a winningposition.

But they kept plugging away and their efforts were rewarded in a controversial final few seconds.

Branislav Ivanovic was sent off for a second caution for clipping Angel Di Maria's heels - only he will now if it was accidental or not. That followed a booking apparently for dissent after Di Maria had gone easily after feeling a touch on his shoulder from the Chelsea defender.

To compound Chelsea's misfortune, Ivanovic's aerial presence was missed when Di Maria floated in the free-kick. Serb Ivanovic would have marked Fellaini but the big Belgian was able to power in a header that Thibault Courtois could only block allowing Van Persie to ram home the rebound.

The goal was something of an act of redemption for Fellaini and Van Persie. Fellaini should have picked up Drogba for his goal but a mix-up in communication left the diminutive Rafael to try and out-muscle the Chelesea's giant striker. It was no contest. Drogba gave him a shove, gained a yard and glanced in Fabregas' inswinger, evoking memories of his Champions League final winner in Munich in 2012.

Van Persie could have blocked the header had he not strayed away from his sentry duty on the near post, the ball deflecting in off his head.

The goal was like seeing a ghost from the past for United. Remember, Drogba scored the winner in the 2007 FA Cup final as well what was effectively a title-clinching goal at Old Trafford in 2010.

That Drogba's first Premier League goal of his second spell with Chelsea came from a set-piece came as little surprise because United lived on their nerves every time the ball was played into their area. Chelsea had two clear appeals for penalties turned down with Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling wrestling John Terry and Ivanovic to the ground respectively from the same Fabregas delivery in the first half.

It not only needs 20-20 vision by referees to award spot kicks in those circumstances but also bravery because it happens so often in every game.

In the final analysis a draw was a fair result but Chelsea left frustrated at the end despite maininting their unbeaten start and stretching their lead to three points at the top of the table. Twice now they have led games in Manchester this season and been pegged back to draws.

Had they not just sat on their lead but kept pressing United, they would almost certainly haave come away with three points.

Twice United needed the heroics of David De Gea to deny Chelsea. In the first half he stopped Drogba's first time shot and seconds before the goal he produced a magnifcent save to stop the impressive Eden Hazard. He also produced more acrobatics to stop a long-range from Willian.

Thibault Courtois was as impressive at the other end, twice denying Van Persie but he could nothing about the Dutchman's added time strike that would certainly have earned cheers in the blue half of Manchester as well.

Man Utd (4-1-4-1): De Gea 8; Rafael 6, Smalling 6, Rojo 6, Shaw 6; Blind 6; Di Maria 5, Mata 6 Wilson 67, 6), Fellaini 7, Januzaj 7; Van Persie 7.

Goals: Van Persie 90.

Booked: Rafael, Fellaini.

Next up: Sunday - Man City (a) PL.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois 8; Ivanovic 6, Cahill 7, Terry 7, Filipe Luis 6; FÃ bregas 6, Matic 8; Oscar 6 (Mikel 67, 5); Willian 6 (Zouma 90), Drogba 7, Hazard 9 (Schurrle 90).

Goal: Drogba 53.

Booked: Drogba, Matic, Fabregas, Oscar, Ivanovic, Hazard.

Sent off: Ivanovic.

Next up: Tomorrow (Tues) Shrewsbury (a) Capital One Cup.

Referee: P. Dowd (Staffs).


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


Star:

Man Utd 1 - Chelsea 1: Robin van Persie strikes at death to snatch point off 10-man Blues

David Woods

In the third minute of added-time it was looking like United were going to find out again you can't keep a good Drog down, after Didier Drogba scored another key goal against them.

But then, an afternoon when the Blues committed cynical fouls aplenty - something Arsenal's Arsene Wenger had moaned so much about earlier this month - Branislav Ivanovic brought down Angel Di Maria on the left wing.

It turned out to be costly when referee Phil Down reached for a yellow card, the SEVENTH time he'd decided to do so after a Blues foul.

It was the Serbian's second, so off he went and, with the game in the fourth and final minute of stoppage-time, Di Maria drove in the free-kick.

One man down, Jose Mourinho's men were exposed and Marouane Fellaini, United's best player, glanced a powerful header goalwards.

The Londoners' inspired young keeper Thibaut Courtois kept it out with an excellent save, but his parry went straight to the left foot of Robin van Persie, who smashed in to convert his third good chance of the match.

Wenger, if he was watching, would not doubt have thoroughly enjoyed seeing his former star striker punish Chelsea and deprive them of two vital points.

To be fair to Chelsea, the Red Devils were no angels either, being pulled up for 13 fouls, one less than the visitors.

But Louis van Gaal and his men will come away from this match, which was engrossing if not thrilling, the happier after their great escape, which ensured Mourinho's teamhave just a four-point lead at the top.

United are eighth, 10 points behind.

Up until Van Persie's rescue job, it had looked as if Drogba was going to claim a third VITAL goal against United.

The 36-year-old does not have the greatest of goal-scoring records against United, but, boy, when he gets one it usual counts for plenty.

Yesterday was only his fourth strike against United in 20 appearances against them, with none of the goals coming at Stamford Bridge.

In the 2007 FA Cup Final against United he claimed the only goal of the match in extra-time and in April 2010 he came off the bench to claim what turned out to be the winner in a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford.

It also won them the title as Carlo Ancelotti's team ended the season on top just a point ahead of United.

The only time he has notched and the Blues have failed to get anything from it was the Champions League quarter-final, second leg in 2011 when a 2-1 defeat saw them crash out to Sir Alex Ferguson's outfit.

Drogba, playing only due to injuries to Diego Costa and Loic Remy, struck in the 53rd minute after David De Gea did superbly to turn round Eden Hazard's shot for a corner.

Drogba had played him through into the box in a clever one-two and from Cesc Fabregas' corner he dashed in front of Rafael and glanced a powerful header, which Van Persie failed miserably to keep out standing near, but not on, the line.

It looked like it was going to be a rotten afternoon for Van Persie and his countryman Louis van Gaal.

Van Persie, in the 13th minute, had been played clean through by Adnan Januzaj but Courtois stretched out a long leg to deny him.

The Belgium stopper also used a leg to keep out Van Persie in the 79th minute, with De Gea pulling off a similar save to thwart Drogba in the 41st minute.

In the end it was all-square, although how Chelsea did not get a penalty in the first half when first Ivanovic and John Terry were grabbed round the neck by Marcos Rojo and Chris Smalling only Dowd can say.

It was probably a fair result and one which ensured Van Gaal and his former apprentice Mourinho could both hold their heads high.

But it still looks like Mourinho will prove to be the master when it comes to who wins the title.

Maribor 6-0

Independent:

Chelsea 6 - 0 Maribor

Blues dominate at Stamford Bridge but minds wander to Sunday's clash with Manchester United

Sam Wallace

This was a night that Chelsea could afford to coast at times, with the proverbial cigar alight, and even after 15 minutes minds were already turning to the game against Manchester United in four days’ time. That was shortly after Chelsea lost Loic Remy to a thigh strain, himself the replacement for the injured Diego Costa and so it was they called for Didier Drogba, the last man standing among Mourinho’s senior forwards.

Beyond Drogba, who scored his first goal of his second spell at Chelsea, there is the promising Dominic Solanke who made his debut little more than a month after his 17th birthday. This presents a problem to the Chelsea manager, who famously picked a team without a single recognised striker in it when his team played United at Old Trafford in August last year.

He might well consider that option again, unless he is prepared to place his trust in Drogba to reprise some of those old glories against the creaking door that is United’s back four. At least the victory over Maribor gave him a chance to take Cesc Fabregas off early to give him a breather. Friday will be the tenth anniversary of the day Fabregas was alleged to have thrown the pizza at Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. He will be looking forward to Sunday’s game.

The Maribor striker Agim Ibraimi missed a second half penalty, rattling the ball against the post of Petr Cech, given a rare first team outing to rest Thibaut Courtois. There was also an evening off for Gary Cahill. As for the game itself, it was over within 22 minutes when Drogba dispatched the second.

In Moscow, Manchester City might have played without a crowd, it was Chelsea’s good fortune that they played at times without a competent Maribor defence for long periods of the first half which ended with the home  team three goals to the good.

The Slovenian team battled through the qualifying rounds and drew their first two group games against Schalke and Sporting Lisbon, but this time they were up against a different class of opposition and it showed from the start. Remy gave Chelsea the lead within 13 minutes and was taken off two minutes later with a thigh strain sustained in driving his left-footed shot past the goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic.

It was a well-worked goal with a ball from John Terry into the right channel that Remy took back onto his left foot, going past the full-back Marko Suler with a change of direction, before dispatching his shot. There was a familiar ease for Chelsea with Fabregas pulling the strings and Maribor’s frantic counter-attacks a little too easy for the home team to read.

The injury to Remy meant that Drogba was summoned from the bench, always a popular figure in this stadium. The old lion does not quite dish it out to defenders as he once did but he still has that presence when he trots out onto a football pitch. His previous goal, No 157 for Chelsea, that Champions League winning penalty aside, had been in the final against Bayern Munich. There was always a chance that No 158, two years and five months later, might come against Maribor.

It arrived earlier than expected, from the Shed End penalty spot. The midfielder Ales Mertelj stooped low to handle the ball and, alas for him, the Dutch referee Danny Makkelie pointed to the penalty spot. Drogba put it to his favoured side, to the goalkeeper’s right and a little bit of history was made.

Having had an early chance, a header over by Damjan Bohar, Maribor were now in a panic and Chelsea unwilling to let them have the ball for any longer than was necessary. The third came from a corner that Chelsea defended and then broke from. It was eventually Fabregas who provided the cross from the right and Terry, having chanced his arm on a break connected with the ball in the area. He was fractionally offside.

Eden Hazard was careless in front of goal, never more so than in the build-up to the fourth goal when he missed Filipe Luis’ cross. He retrieved the ball and it was turned in by Mitja Viler at the near post. Nothing was going Maribor’s way. Ibraimi missed a penalty and then Branislav Ivanovic looked to have dived to win a second penalty for Chelsea on 75 minutes, which Hazard converted.

Hazard scored a fine second in the last minute all of which leaves Chelsea on seven points and realistically one win in Slovenia away from qualification. The Champions League is proving a stroll, Sunday promises to be much more of a challenge.


Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanivic, Zouma, Terry, Luis; Fabregas, Matic, Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Remy.

Subs: Drogba/Remy 15, Ake/Fabregas 59, Solanke/Oscar 72

Maribor (4-2-2-2): Handanovic; Stojanovic, Rajcevic, Suler, Viler; Mertelj, Filipovic; Mejac, Bohar; Tavares, Ibraimi.

Subs: Vrsic/Viler 57, Zahovic/Ibraimi 67, Mendy/Tavares 72


Referee: D Makkelie (Netherlands)

Man of the match: Matic

Rating: 6


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

Guardian:



Chelsea crush Maribor with Didier Drogba and John Terry on scoresheet

Chelsea 6 - 0 Maribor

Amy Lawrence at Stamford Bridge


Such is the swagger and confidence coursing through Chelsea’s squad that José Mourinho swatted aside any concerns over an injury picked up by Loïc Rémy during this Stamford Bridge breeze. It leaves Chelsea potentially short of firepower when they travel to Old Trafford on Sunday, with doubts over Diego Costa as well as Didier Drogba’s capacity to play for 90 minutes at full pelt.

On Rémy’s situation Mourinho appeared audaciously unconcerned. “It’s a muscular injury. I don’t know the dimension and I am not worried. When a player is injured, I play another one.”

He was fairly steadfast on the options. Did he expect Rémy to be fit? “No.” Costa? “No.” As for Drogba, player and manager had a conversation on the eve of this Champions League game and 30 minutes was what was on the cards. In the event, once Rémy left the pitch with a grimace as he felt his groin immediately after opening the floodgates by crowning John Terry’s Fàbregas-esque pass with a stylish finish, Drogba came on and played 75.

“He managed the intensity, range of movement and in the end was very, very important for the team,” noted Mourinho. “The best thing for a player to improve his condition is to play.”

He also scored, which sent waves of warmth and nostalgia around the venue he commanded for so many years. “He was not for a long time on the pitch in previous matches,” added Mourinho. “The last goal was the most important goal in the history of the club so to be back and score again at Stamford Bridge was nice for him.”

Drogba asked to take the penalty when Maribor were punished for a low handball by Ales Mertelj. Eden Hazard, the club’s designated penalty-taker, ceded responsibility given the credentials and emotional punch carried by the man who had just come on.

Chelsea’s third-choice striker duly took the ball, looked up at the luminous orange “Drogba Legend” sign, calmly set the ball and finished with the alacrity they had seen so consistently in these parts.

Mourinho was in mischievous mood when asked how he felt about the players taking it into their own hands regarding who took the spot-kick. “You want a fair answer? I don’t like it. They have the freedom to do it. But he has to score,” he said. That old-times feeling was extended when Terry galavanted 100 yards upfield to poach the third.

Credit where it is due to a 33-year-old centre-half to burst the length of the pitch – the move originated from a Maribor corner and within seconds Hazard was buzzing forward, Cesc Fàbregas appeared on the right to deliver with customary accuracy and Terry slid the ball in.

Unfortunately for Maribor he was offside but the Dutch referee awarded the goal anyway. Three goals up in half an hour exemplified how easy this was against the limited Slovenians.

Mourinho was delighted with the way his team did not relax. Once Maribor spurned the chance for a consolation via a penalty that Agim Ibraimi struck against a post, Hazard began to run the show. He was delightful to watch.

The Belgian had already had a hand in the fourth, turned in by Mitja Viler, and scored the final two goals. When Branislav Ivanovic ended up on the floor and it was time for another penalty, Hazard took it this time and was unerring. The last demonstrated the purest skill, as he twisted into position to drill in after Nathan Aké’s beautiful assist.

Mourinho had the added satisfaction of being able to bring on a couple of teenaged prospects to give them the flavour of a Champions League debut.

Aké, aged 19, slotted into midfield, while 17-year-old Dominic Solanke took up position on the right side of attack. Kurt Zouma is already considered ready to play in defence at any time.

Chelsea in cruise-control look so commanding and cohesive; they have a strength whatever the personnel. Mourinho is purring about the team’s progress. “We are playing well, confident, solid, have found a good balance. We have now the players adapted to play the game we were preparing last year that we couldn’t manage to do in a perfect way. Good results and confidence bring people to their best. We are in a good moment.”

Looking ahead, of course there is the possibility that one of Costa or Rémy will be better by the weekend. There is also the option of André Schürrle, having been part of the Chelsea plan in various successful away missions last season.

“We don’t cry on injuries, that is our philosophy,” Mourinho said. “We think an injury means an opportunity for someone else. We cannot hide that in this moment we have some problems with players unavailable to play. We will prepare for the Manchester United game and try to be at our best possible level.”

Whoever plays, and whoever they play against, that seems to be the template for Chelsea this season.


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

Telegraph:

Chelsea 6 Maribor 0

Jose Mourinho's old boys stroll to emphatic victory

By Henry Winter, Football Correspondent Stamford Bridge


Jose Mourinho faces striker injury crisis despite Champions League thumping of Slovenian champions at Stamford Bridge

On a night when 40 goals were scored in the Champions League, including seven each for Bayern Munich and Shakhtar Donetsk, Chelsea played their prolific part. Their biggest victory in Europe’s elite competition was shaped and graced by the sublime Eden Hazard, an irresistible combination of work ethic and technique.

Other significant story-lines were on offer at the Bridge, not least another injury to a Chelsea striker with Loïc Rémy damaging his left adductor in the act of scoring the first, leaving him on the sidelines alongside Diego Costa at Old Trafford this Sunday.

Up stepped Didier Drogba, also spicing the narrative of the night, scoring his first goal for Chelsea since the Champions League final of 2012. Another of the Golden Oldie generation, John Terry, then struck the third, prompting the Shed and Matthew Harding Stand to inform the watching Roy Hodgson that “there’s only one England captain”. Stories everywhere.

Hodgson will have seen few Slovenian players who could trouble England at Wembley on Nov 15.

For all the sight of Drogba, 36, and Terry, 33, rolling back the years, the eye kept being drawn back to Hazard, who forced an own goal from Matja Viler and then added the final two goals. Hazard was involved in the goals of Drogba and Terry. He had five attempts on target. He almost completed a hat-trick following a wonderful dribble. Chelsea’s No 10 was everywhere.

Hazard’s ubiquity was reflected in the passes he played to his full-backs, picking out the left-sided Filipe Luís 10 times and finding Branislav Ivanovic five times over on the other flank. Hazard roamed all over. He kept linking with Willian, exchanging passes with the Brazilian 17 times.

Jose Mourinho has built a side full of high-class players working at high tempo for the team. Hazard embodies the gifted individual sweating overtime for the collective. The sublimely-balanced Belgian was superb, twisting Petar Stojanovic, Maribor’s right-back, this way and that.

Hazard was full of changes of direction, including one that sent Marko Suler almost out of the ground. He fully aware of the team shape and his responsibilities, even tracking back to cover in defence when the excellent Ivanovic embarked on another of his barnstorming runs.

The 23-year-old Hazard cost £32 million from Lille but there was another pertinent line that required chronicling, and that was home-grown players coming off the bench, first Nathan Ake and then Dominic Solanke for his debut. There are many hurdles before they become regulars but the sight of Ake and Solanke striding confidently towards the Matthew Harding Stand, showing touch and ambition, reflected that Jose Mourinho was prepared to follow words about the importance of youth with deeds.

For all the promise of the academy products, the expensive Belgian was key to Chelsea’s record Champions League win, eclipsing the 6-1 bittersweet triumph over Nordsjaelland in December 2012 which still led to their demotion into the Europa League, a particular indignity as they were European champions at the time following Drogba’s winning penalty in Munich.

Their new record will be remembered fondly. Due allowance must be made for the modest nature of the visitors, although it needs recording that Maribor drew with Sporting Lisbon and Schalke. The Slovenians are well into the season, having begun their Champions League journey two days after the World Cup final, but they looked rusty here. Hazard never gave them a chance.

It was the variety as well as the quality of Chelsea’s attacks that bemused the visitors. Chelsea passed and moved, zig-zagging deep into Slovenian territory. They counter-attacked at speed, flying past yellow-shirted players made to resemble statues.

Willian and Oscar buzzed about in the final third, also tracking back, also putting in the tackles, always working to Mourinho’s command.

Cesc Fabregas was full of clever passes, occasionally disguised to add to the Slovenians’ distress. Nemanja Matic was head and shoulders above the visitors’ midfielders, striding past them powerfully with the ball.

At the back, Terry was Terry, reading danger well in advance, dominating the airwaves, intercepting on the ground, stopped only by a sneaky forearm from the Macedonian, Agim Ibraimi, whose eyes were clearly focused on the Chelsea captain rather than the dropping ball. Somehow, Ibraimi escaped sanction, although the look in Terry’s eyes must have chilled his blood.

Terry created Chelsea’s opener after 13 minutes, sliding a pass through the middle for Remy. The Frenchman turned Marko Suler and laced a strong left-footed shot past Jasmin Handanovic. Instead of a smile spreading across his face, Remy grimaced, signaling his injury.

As sad as they were to see Rémy eventually limp off, Chelsea fans were delighted in the sight of Drogba charging on. The noise grew when Drogba defied Mourinho’s orders to take a 23rd-minute penalty ahead of the designated taker, Hazard. The Belgian at least helped to orchestrate the chance, passing to Fabregas, before Willian’s ball in was handled by Ales Mejac. Drogba drove the penalty in.

Eight minutes later, the goalscorer turned goalmaker. Drogba met a Maribor corner with a thumping clearance that flew 30 yards to Hazard, who glided upfield before laying the ball off to Fabregas. The Spaniard’s cross was delivered with Terry offside but the Dutch referee, Danny Makkelie, did not see it, nor did his two assistants close by. Having run 80 yards, Terry was not waiting for any flag and slid in to score.

Terry’s side maintained the pressure after the break, scoring a fourth albeit in fortuitous circumstances. Willian sent Filipe Luis down the left and he dummied his way into the box before driving the ball across. Hazard fired the ball back in. Poor Viler. The ball clipped the centre-half’s right heel and went in for an improbable own goal. Maribor’s coach, Ante Simundza, showed no mercy. Viler was immediately taken off. Simundza then removed Ibraimi after he missed a penalty following Matic’s foul on the Maribor No  10.

Chelsea continued to delight. Willian almost broke the bar with a 20-yarder. When Solanke and Ivanovic combined with 13 minutes left, the Serbian fell under a mild challenge from Suler. Hazard coolly sent Handanovic the wrong way.

His second came on the cusp of full-time. Running on to Ake’s pass, Hazard scared the life out of Maribor’s defence with his first touch and change of direction before he put them out of their misery with a right-footed shot home. Some player, some team.


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Times:

Breeze for Chelsea clouded by freakish injury to Loïc Rémy

Rory Smith

Chelsea 6 Maribor 0


The striker who started for Chelsea scored. The striker summoned from the substitutes’ bench by Chelsea scored. Chelsea’s captain scored a poacher’s goal, and Chelsea’s twinkling star scored twice, the second had echoes of Dennis Bergkamp. And yet the story of this game somehow centred on a striker who was not even here, whom José Mourinho is sick to the back teeth of talking about. The Portuguese may not like it, but the conversation about Diego Costa is only just beginning.

There was much here to draw a smile from Mourinho. His side swatted aside the Slovenian champions with almost consummate ease to record their biggest win in this competition.

At times, they played with a rare elegance, too, fused with a spirit of invention and adventure not always credited to Mourinho’s sides. They can now add complete control of group G to absolute authority over the Barclays Premier League. Win in Slovenia in a fortnight and they are through with two games to spare.

All would be rosy in Mourinho’s garden were it not for the vexed issue of his strikers. He was without Costa here, his hamstring problem having been upgraded to an actual hamstring injury while he was on duty with Spain. Mourinho is so tired of discussing the issue that he declared, on the eve of this game, that he would no longer answer questions on the Spaniard.

He might have got away with it, too, had he not lost his first reserve, Loïc Rémy, to a groin problem within 16 minutes here, seemingly sustained in the act of cutting inside and curling a shot home to open the scoring. Both strikers are expected to miss Sunday’s trip to Manchester United.

“It is a muscular injury,” Mourinho said of the Frenchman. “I do not know the dimension and I am not worried. When a player is injured, I play another one. I don’t expect him [or Costa] to be fit [for United]. I do not like to speak about injured players.”

This, he said, is the club’s “philosophy,” seemingly drawn straight from Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. “We don’t cry about injuries,” he said. “We just think it means an opportunity for somebody else.”

In this case — presuming, of course, that Mourinho is not being slightly, uncharacteristically economical with the truth — that somebody else is Didier Drogba, the last forward standing at Stamford Bridge. The Ivorian scored seven minutes after replacing Rémy, converting a penalty after Ales Mertelj had handled Willian’s cross.

It provided a fitting bit of symmetry: his previous goal for Chelsea, back in 2012, was from the penalty spot, the kick that won the Champions League. His first since returning was eerily similar, rolled into the same corner, with the same confidence. A good thing, too: Eden Hazard, not Drogba, was the designated taker. “I don’t like it,” Mourinho said. “They have freedom to choose who takes the kick. But he has to score.”

In the usual narrative, that goal should have removed the emotional burden from Drogba’s shoulders, freeing him from the anxieties that seem to have beset his brief appearances since his return. It did not quite work out like that. The 36-year-old was a peripheral figure for much of the game.

Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United may be some distance from the finished article, and they may possess a plethora of defensive frailties, but they will be a substantially tougher challenge than Maribor, and there was little here — beyond that goal — to encourage Mourinho into thinking Drogba could step in convincingly for Costa.

“I was not expecting him to play 75 minutes,” he said. “I spoke with him yesterday and we spoke about 30. But the circumstances meant he had to go on. It was very important for Didier.”

That was not the only reason for optimism. Even without a fully functioning striker, this Chelsea team pack a punch. Cesc Fàbregas teed up John Terry for their third just before half-time, a wonderful counterattacking goal tapped home by the most unlikely counterattacker on the pitch; Hazard forced Mitja Viler into an own goal after the break, and then converted a penalty when Marko Suler bundled over Branislav Ivanovic. Maribor’s one chance came from the spot, too, only for Agim Ibraimi to strike a post.

The Belgian’s second was the best of the half-dozen, his silken touch drew Nathan Ake’s ball out of the sky, two feints sent two visiting defenders sprawling, before he finished unerringly. It was not quite Bergkamp against Argentina in 1998, but it was a decent impression.

Chelsea are not short of attacking potency but Mourinho must ponder whether they can do so — without Costa and Rémy — when presented with a rather stiffer challenge.


Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech — B Ivanovic, K Zouma, J Terry, F Luis — F Fàbregas (sub: N Aké, 60min), N Matic — Willian, Oscar (sub: D Solanke, 73), E Hazard — L Rémy (sub: D Drogba, 16). Substitutes not used: T Courtois, M Salah, G Cahill, C Azpilicueta.

Maribor (4-4-2): J Handanovic — P Stojanovic, A Rajcevic, M Suler, M Viler (sub: D Vrsic, 57) — A Mejac, A Mertelj, Z Filipovic, D Bohar — Tavares (sub: J-P Mendy, 72), A Ibraimi (sub: L Zahovic, 68). Substitutes not used: A Cotman, W Ndiaye, S Sallalich, Arghus.

Referee: D Makkelie (Netherlands).

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Mail:

Chelsea 6-0 Maribor: Didier Drogba scores for the first time since his return to Stamford Bridge as Jose Mourinho's team ease to confident win over Slovenian champions

By Matt Barlow


Didier Drogba stirred Chelsea emotions and rekindled misty-eyed memories of Munich as he scored a Champions League penalty to celebrate his first goal since returning to Stamford Bridge.

His first since the winning spot-kick against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena in May 2012 was the second in this six-goal Euro-romp against Maribor.

Jose Mourinho’s team are in control at the top of Group G, smoothly on course for a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

They are unbeaten in 12 games this season, have scored 33 goals and Eden Hazard is in electrifying form.

Yet, as supporters wallowed in the nostalgia and goose-pimpled with excitement at the prospect of the season ahead, they and Mourinho must have been wondering quietly about the collateral damage.

Drogba was only on the pitch because Loic Remy had hurt his groin scoring the first of the night and Remy was only starting because Diego Costa was absent with his hamstring problems.

These inconveniences did nothing to stop them outclassing the champions of Slovenia.

John Terry scored a remarkable third, there was an own-goal, Maribor missed a penalty and Eden Hazard grabbed two late on, his first from another spot-kick.

There was no shortage of incident and with the points safe, thoughts turned to Manchester United on Sunday, and Mourinho’s mounting problems. He also has Cesar Azpilicueta suspended, after his red card at Crystal Palace.

Cesc Fabregas came off with 30 minutes remaining to preserve his energy and Chelsea ended with three teenagers on the pitch, including striker Dominic Solanke, making his debut. Mourinho had also rested Thibaut Courtois and Gary Cahill.

Ahead of the game, Mourinho had been at pains to avoid complacency and Maribor, who took points from Schalke and Sporting Lisbon, produced an early warning when Damjan Bohar found space between Terry and Kurt Zouma and headed over.

From here, Chelsea took a grip and had killed the game by half-time. First came Remy’s goal, followed by his injury. Terry split the Maribor defence and Remy fired low into the corner. As he moved away to celebrate the goal, he winced and pulled up.

He must have warned Mourinho about the problem because Drogba was already warming up. After hobbling on for two minutes, Remy came off and went straight down the tunnel. He must have been devastated.

After moving from Queen’s Park Rangers and waiting patiently for his chance, here it came and went and on came Drogba, to seize the script with a goal and a performance which was a considerable improvement on his only start of the season, against Schalke.

Willian won the spot-kick when he jinked into the box and jabbed a pass which clearly struck Ales Mertelj on the hand. Mertelj seemed justified to complain that the ball had been struck from only a yard away and he had no chance to adjust, but the argument was lost.

Dutch referee Danny Makkelie pointed to the spot, and Hazard gave Drogba the honour. “I was surprised and I wasn’t particularly pleased,” said Mourinho. “I have my choices and Hazard is number one.”

Drogba made it easier for the manager to accept by stepping up and with a sense of history scored his 158th Chelsea goal, sweeping the ball into the same corner as the penalty he scored to win the Champions League shoot-out, with his last kick before leaving for China.

Remy's injury could pose a serious problem for Chelsea, who go to Manchester United next week with Diego Costa already a doubt

It was far from an electric atmosphere at the Bridge for what always seemed likely to be a routine group game but this was a popular moment, greeted with an enormous cheer. Drogba is the club’s top European goalscorer and this was his 35th.

Terry’s first of the season was nearly as popular. Chelsea had been defending a corner when a Drogba clearance sparked a counter-attack and the captain put his head down and ran.

Hazard carried the ball to the edge of the Maribor penalty area, rolled in Fabregas on the overlap and his low cross was met at the back-post by Terry, who had made a 100-yard dash to convert, sliding in on the seat of his pants. He was a fraction offside, but there was no flag.

The second half belonged to Hazard, although the Belgian winger began it with a couple of fluffed chances. He linked up neatly with Drogba only to stumble over the ball as he manoeuvred it out of his feet to shoot, with only the goalkeeper to beat.

He squandered another chance at the back-post as he reached a low cross zipped in from the left by Filipe Luis but, as he turned the ball back across goal, it was deflected into the net by Maribor left-back Mitja Viler.

The Slovenians had the chance to pull one back from the spot when Nemanja Matic bundled into Agim Ibrami and sent him sprawling in the penalty area.

Ibrami picked himself to take the kick himself and it seemed for a split-second as if Cech was about to continue the Munich theme. The Czech ‘keeper, demoted this season to No.2 behind Courtois, had saved three in that Champions League final, but this one flashed past his dive, smacked into the post and flew out.

Willian rattled the woodwork before Hazard finally found the target, which the goals his dazzling skills deserved. This time he took responsibility from the spot, stepping up to score after Branislav Ivanovic had tumbled theatrically,

Hazard added his second and his team’s sixth as the clock ticked past 90 minutes. A win in Maribor in a fortnight and Chelsea will be within touching distance of the knock-out rounds with two games to spare.

First, that trip to Manchester United, where Mourinho’s mentor Louis van Gaal will attempt to throw a spanner in the works of this blue machine

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Luis; Fabregas, Matic; Hazard, Oscar, Willian; Remy (Drogba 16).

Subs: Courtois, Ake, Drogba, Salah, Cahill, Azpilicueta, Solanke.

Goals: Remy, Drogba (pen), Terry, Viler (og), Hazard (pen)

Maribor (4-4-2): Handanovic, Stojanovic, Rajcevic, Suler, Viler; Mejac, Mertelj, Filipovic, Bohar; Ibraimi, Tavares.

Subs: Cotman, N'Diaye, Sallalich, Zahovic, Mendy, Vrsic, Arghus.

Referee: Danny Makkelie (Holland)

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

Mirror:


Chelsea 6-0 Maribor

Blues march on as Eden Hazard stars in win over Slovenian minnows

Martin Lipton


It was all too easy for Jose Mourinho's men at Stamford Bridge as they secured top spot in Group G of the Champions League

The legends of the Bridge proved they are not relics, yet.

Didier Drogba, John Terry and Petr Cech all played their parts to send a message of intent with will reverberate around Old Trafford over the next few days.

But as Chelsea's remorseless bulldozer ground the hapless Slovenians into the dust, the reality of what Jose Mourinho is building with his next generation of Chelsea heroes became even clearer.

Ten wins out of 12 in all competitions, 33 goals scored. Power, pace, penetration and precision in abundance.

A team that is still coming together. But knows where it intends to finish, as the masters of both England and Europe.

While there will be tougher, bigger, greater tests to come, presumably starting at Old Trafford on Sunday, the feeling that this Mourinho side might end up surpassing the achievements of his first, great, Chelsea side was hard to discard.

And if Eden Hazard continues to play like this, with a mesmerising, bewildering, phosphoric brilliance, there really may be no summits Chelsea cannot conquer.

Mourinho has opted for ''tough love'' to get the best out of the Belgian, just as he played hard-ball to make Joe Cole deliver in a Chelsea shirt.

Like the former England star, Hazard has bulked up physically, adding strength to the bewitching, beguiling natural talents already at his disposal, and the pace that Cole never really had.

And just as it seemed that this was going to be a night all about the Old Guard, as Drogba, on for the crocked Loic Remy, scored his first Chelsea goal since THAT night in Munich and Terry ran the length of the field to find the net as well, it ended with Hazard being the centre of attention.

Not just for the two goals that finished off Maribor. They were just the punctuation.

The narrative, the story, was of a player at the peak of his powers. Untouchable. Glorious.

Not that Drogba needs to remember his duty. He has carried them out in a Chelsea shirt so many times before, especially on Champions League duty.

It had been 885 days since Drogba's last Blues goal, the late header in Munich that took Roberto Di Matteo's team to extra-time, a period which ended with a penalty, low to Manuel Neuer's right, to win the greatest club prize.

Fittingly, too, it was from 12 yards, from the spot in front of the Shed End under which Peter Osgood's ashes are buried, that Drogba claimed his 35th Champions League goal for the club, his 158th in all competitions, after Ales Mertelj needlessly handled.

The roar which met that was repeated soon afterwards, Terry's 100-yard dash from his own box completing a classic Chelsea counter from a Maribor corner, Hazard feeding Cesc Fabregas for the skipper to slide home the low cross.

The second half, which allowed Mourinho to rest Fabregas and Oscar, was the Hazard show.

It was the Belgian's low cross that diverted in off defender Mitja Viler's heel and after Agim Ibraimi struck his spot-kick against Cech's upright after a foul by Nemanja Matic, Hazard came again.

The fifth, soon after Willian smashed onto the bar, came from the night's third penalty, rolled home by Hazard when Branislav Ivanovic was downed.

And with Dominic Solanke on for his debut, Hazard completed the scoring late-on, released by Nathan Ake and finding the net once more.

Contemptuously easy.

They're coming, United. On Sunday.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.


Fixtures (Wednesday, 5 November): Maribor vs Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon vs Schalke.

Teams

Chelsea: Cech 7, Ivanovic 7, Zouma 7, Terry 8, Luis 7, Willian 7, Fabregas 8, Matic 7, Hazard 9, Oscar 7, Remy 6. Subs: Ake 6, Drogba 7, Solanke.

Maribor: Handanovic 4, Stojanovic 4, Rajcevic 4, Suler 4, Viler 4, Mejac 5, Mertelj 5, Filipovic 4, Bohar 4, Ibraimi 5, Tavares 4. Subs: Zahovic 4, Mendy, Vrsic 4.

Referee: Danny Makkelie (Holland)


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Express:

Chelsea 6 - Maribor 0: Drogba shines as Blues secure biggest ever Champions League win

IT WAS a real stroll down memory lane at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea rolled back the years to register their biggest Champions League victory.

By: Tony Banks


At times it seemed as if we were watching snapshots from their history in the competition – as Didier Drogba, at 36, rolled in his first penalty since the spot–kick that won Chelsea the trophy in Munich in 2012.

Then skipper John Terry, a mere sprite at three years younger, scored one himself and also made another.

It had been a slow start for Jose Mourinho's side in Group G, held at home in their first game by Schalke, but this comprehensive victory made it two wins on the trot, seven points – and it means Chelsea have planted one foot firmly in the knockout stages at the halfway stage of the group.

Chelsea have already shown their power in the Premier League, with seven wins from their first eight games. But now in Europe they also seem to have found their rhythm and Slovenians Maribor, who ousted Celtic in the preliminary round and have taken points off both Schalke and Sporting Lisbon, were simply swept aside.

The only black spot on an almost perfect evening was Loic Remy injuring his groin in the process of scoring the first goal.

With Diego Costa also out of Sunday's clash at Manchester United, that leaves the old reliable Drogba as the only fit forward for Old Trafford. Mourinho said: "We could play Didier – or someone else.

I said before this game that he could not complete 90 minutes – I was not even expecting 75. We expected 30, but in the circumstances he had to go on. "This was important for Didier – the best thing for a player to improve his condition is to play."

Drogba had asked the allotted penalty–taker, Eden Hazard, if he could take the kick and Mourinho said: "I don't like that. They have the freedom to change takers, but if they do it, they have to score.

"Didier had not been on the pitch for a long time in previous matches. His last goal for Chelsea was the most important in the history of the club.

"I am happy. We are playing well, we are confident and solid and we have a good balance."

Drogba said: "I have to be honest, I wanted to score that goal. I asked Eden and he said yeah. This is the spirit we have in this team. We share goals we are happy when everybody is scoring. It is good for my confidence."

Remy's goal came after just 13 minutes, as he picked up a lovely through ball from Terry, cut in past two defenders and fi red a low shot inside the far post.

But as the ball hit the net, the Frenchman pulled up ominously, and on went Drogba.

If that was bad luck, Chelsea's second goal had a major touch of good fortune. Willian burst into the box and defender Petar Stojanovic unwittingly handled.

Referee Danny Makkelie amazingly gave the spot–kick, to Maribor's fury. Who else would take it but Drogba? He even put it in the same corner as he had in Munich.

But one old stager was not going to be outshone by another. Drogba cleared a corner on the half hour, Hazard picked the ball up and fed Cesc Fabregas, and his low cross incredibly found Terry – who had made a lung–bursting run from the back – at the far post. He stabbed it in and Maribor were in pieces.

The fourth goal arrived after half–time, as the Maribor defence collapsed again. Filipe Luis overlapped and crossed. Hazard fluffed his first effort, but shot again from an angle for the hapless Mitja Viler to deflect the ball into his own net.Even when Nemanja Matic foolishly bundled Agim Ibraimi over in the penalty area, Maribor could not profit. Ibraimi took the spot–kick himself – but hit the foot of a post.Hazard, in unstoppable form all night, showed them how to do it as he rolled in the fifth from the spot after Branislav Ivanovic had been brought down. The Belgian then notched the sixth from youngster Nathan Ake's pass.


CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Luis; Matic, Fabregas (Ake 60); Willian, Oscar (Solanke 73), Hazard; Remy (Drogba 15). Goals: Remy 13, Drogba 23 pen, Terry 31, Viler 54 og, Hazard 77 pen, 90.

MARIBOR (4-4-2): Hnadanovic; Stojanovic, Rajcevic, Suler, Viler (Vrsic 57); Mejac, Mertelj, Filipovic, Bohar; Tavares (Mendy 72), Ibraimi (Zahovic 68).

Referee: D Makkelie (Netherlands).


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

Star:

Chelsea 6 - Maribor 0: Blues run riot at the Bridge ahead of trip to Man Utd

DIDIER DROGBA rolled back the years last night to score for Chelsea – and looks set to try to do the same at Old Trafford on Sunday.

By David Woods


The 36-year-old, in his second spell at Stamford Bridge, brought back happy memories of his winning spot-kick in the 2012 Champions League Final penalty shoot-out against Bayern Munich.

He repeated the feat last night to put the Blues 2-0 up against a naive Maribor side who came to have a go – and paid for it.

The Ivorian was only on the pitch because Loic Remy – starting due to hamstring trouble for leading scorer Diego Costa – injured his groin fi ring the opener.

And the double blow looks set to give Drogba the chance to lead the line at Manchester United in four days, with hislast goal there coming in 2011 in a 2-1 last-eight Champions League defeat.

This Group G stroll was just what Jose Mourinho would have wanted before the trip up north.

United had a far tougher encounter 24 hours earlier at West Bromwich and no way can Mourinho complain about the timing of the fixture.

The Slovenians actually began brightly, Daniel Bohar glancing an early header over after an incisive break.

Remy had a first-time shot kept out after being set up by Willian, but in the 13th minute the France striker ran on to a fine pass from John Terry, cut back inside to his left foot and drilled low into the far corner, only to pull up in pain.

Maribor nearly hit back instantly, with Petr Cech having to dive to his left to push away a long-range drive from Agim Ibraimi, before Remy came off to be replaced by Blues legend Drogba.

And it did not take long for him to make his mark.

After Ales Mertelj was harshly penalised for handball as Willian passed sideways, Drogba netted the spot-kick.

Drogba has always shown he can defend too and his clearance in the 31st minute led to Chelsea’s third.

It went to Eden Hazard, who drove forward and then laid off to Cesc Fabregas on the overlap.

His driven ball across goal found Terry, who had made a lung-bursting run out from the back, to prod home with his left foot ahead of Marko Suler.

Terry was not so happy a few minutes later when he took an elbow in the face from Ibraimi which the offi cials missed.

It was 4-0 when a cross from Felipe Luis saw Hazard pressure Mitja Viler into turning into his own goal off his right heel with another pullback.

Maribor had a chance to close the gap in the 64th minute when Nemanja Matic bundled over Ibraimi in the box.

The Macedonian picked himself up to take the kick but could only hit Cech’s left post.

Hazard made it 5-0 with a penalty after Branislav Ivanovic was tripped by Suler and completed the rout with a superb individual goal in the last minute, twice turning defenders before blasting home after a pass from Nathan Ake.