Southampton 1-1

Independent:

Southampton 1 Chelsea 1

Eden Hazard makes a point as Blues count blessings
 
Jack Pitt-Brooke  


Jose Mourinho’s mood may have marginally improved when he left his post-match press conference and learnt that Manchester City had drawn at home with Burnley.

That surprise result from the Etihad Stadium – the equaliser came just as Mourinho was discussing Chelsea’s non-penalty here – meant that the gap between City and Chelsea at the top of the Premier League stayed at three points, rather than contracting to just one, and that Chelsea’s failure to win at Southampton was less immediately costly than it might have been.

Chelsea, kicking off an hour before City, had just stumbled to a 1-1 draw with an impressively resilient Southampton side. Mourinho’s men had been poor in the first half and had gone behind, only for Eden Hazard, seemingly carrying the whole team on his shoulders, to drag them back with a brilliant equaliser just before the break.

For all of Chelsea’s attacking pressure in the second half, though, they could not find a winner. Their best opportunity came when Matt Targett tripped Cesc Fabregas in the box, only for referee Anthony Taylor to book Fabregas for simulation. This was the incident that sparked Mourinho’s post-match fury, not just with the “scandal” of the unawarded penalty, but with what he called a “campaign” against his team, denying them penalties that they had earned and ignoring the transgressions of their rivals.

It was quite a performance from Mourinho afterwards but understandably so. This was the type of marginal misfortune that decides tight games. And this was the type of tight game that decides tight seasons. Chelsea were away from home, against a good team, back on the pitch just 48 hours after their last match. This was a real test of their resources and the evidence on the pitch was that they did not quite have enough. Or rather, they did not have enough to render the officiating irrelevant.

Throughout the first half, Chelsea had looked slower and sloppier than their brisk, inventive hosts. Mourinho had made changes from the side who brushed West Ham United aside on Boxing Day. He brought in Jon Obi Mikel for midfield presence and André Schürrle for pace on the break.

It was a Chelsea team set up to counter-attack but Southampton’s willingness to sit deep caught Chelsea slightly unawares. With Diego Costa not looking at his very sharpest – this is his first Christmas programme – Chelsea were more reliant than ever on the incision of Hazard and Fabregas.

Southampton played the better football throughout the first half. Ronald Koeman could not field his first-choice team here, with full-backs Nathanial Clyne and Ryan Bertrand injured and ineligible respectively. But what Koeman did have was his first-choice front three, in Graziano Pelle, Sadio Mané and Dusan Tadic.

Their early combinations should have been warning enough to Chelsea and, 17 minutes in, they took the lead. Pelle beat Gary Cahill to a long ball from the back, knocking it back to Tadic, who cushion-volleyed the ball over the top, finding Mané’s run. Mané raced away from John Terry, who was caught out of place, and his confident finish beat Thibaut Courtois.

Chelsea had yet to start playing and it looked as if Southampton were the likelier side to score before the break. Tadic curled a free-kick over the bar, Targett had a shot blocked by Gary Cahill and Pelle stabbed a shot over from the edge of the box.

With the final attack of the first half, though, Chelsea pulled level. Fabregas clipped a perfect pass into the inside left channel and Hazard raced on to it. Facing part-time right-back Maya Yoshida, Hazard darted inside, dummied rather than shooting, came back further inside beyond Toby Alderweireld and found the far bottom corner of the net. It was a brilliant individual goal, the goal of a player determined to deliver his team the three points all by himself.

Once Mourinho put Willian on for Schürrle at half-time, Chelsea had more attacking options and they started to force Southampton back into their penalty area. Both Fonte and Alderweireld had to block shots from Willian before the tangle between Targett and Fabregas – a clear trip and a foul – that so incensed Mourinho. There were still 35 minutes left after that, though, and even with Didier Drogba and Loïc Rémy thrown on, Chelsea could not score the winner they thought they deserved.

The best chance came when James Ward-Prowse underhit a back pass straight to Costa, who lost his footing. After that, they had all the possession and territory but could not quite make a clear chance. Hazard spun and shot just wide, Drogba failed to get a shot away from a Hazard cross, and could not meet a ball which Fabregas hit across the box.

On another day Chelsea might have found a winner but they did not, and looked at the end like they missed the imagination of Oscar, who was ill. “We tried everything, we dominated and we created a lot,” Mourinho said. “We played well.”

Southampton gave everything, especially after Morgan Schneiderlin was sent off for a second yellow card, and clung on to an important point.

“One point against Chelsea is like maybe three against another team,” smiled Koeman. “I am proud of the organisation and the spirit in the team. In some moments we were a bit lucky, but if you don’t have luck against these teams, it is impossible to get a result.”


===========

Guardian:


Chelsea held by Southampton despite red card for Morgan Schneiderlin

Southampton 1 - 1 Chelsea

Daniel Taylor


When the full story of the Premier League season comes to be told, this may be one of the occasions Chelsea look back on with a measure of satisfaction given they were facing a team in fourth who have overcome recent difficulties and had not dropped a point on every other occasion they had gone in front this season.

Equally José Mourinho and his players will know it could have been considerably better in view of the long spells in the second half when they went looking for the winner only to come up unusually short in attack. Cesc Fàbregas and Eden Hazard played virtually every pass in those 45 minutes apart from the killer one and their frustrations did not stop there on a day when two bookable offences by Morgan Schneiderlin meant Southampton had to get through the last couple of minutes of normal time, plus another four for stoppages, a man down.

The complaints from Mourinho were certainly prolonged after another diving controversy involving one of his players presented Chelsea’s manager with an opportunity to allege that his club were being treated differently from others, presumably by the media as much as the match officials. Fàbregas was disgusted with the yellow card that the referee, Anthony Taylor, showed him early in the second half and the replays supported his case.

Mourinho launched into an impassioned outburst afterwards about “a campaign” against Chelsea and he also called for television replays to be shown to referees when they have made a clear mistake. As always he sounded as if he believed every single word but, despite rightful grievances about the latest incident, if his team are suffering from a reputation, then a good part of that, undeniably, is of their own making.

On a more positive note their response to Sadio Mané’s 17th-minute goal, preceded by a rare positional lapse from John Terry, showed all their qualities of resilience and togetherness. Terry’s expertise has been a considerable factor in why this was the first time Chelsea have conceded a goal in their last four league matches. On this occasion, however, he was caught in two minds between going for the ball and trying to maintain a defensive line and managed to do neither. At 34 Terry’s legs were not going to spare him and Mané, played onside, ran on to Dusan Tadic’s pass before having the composure and presence of mind to lift a bouncing ball over the oncoming Thibaut Courtois.

At that stage Southampton looked full of energy and spirit and the ironic chants of “the Saints are staying up” were noisily reminding everyone about the frequency with which they were portrayed as relegation possibilities, rather than Champions League hopefuls, at the start of the season.

Schneiderlin and Victor Wanyama were quick to the ball and strong in the tackle, preventing Fàbregas and Nemanja Matic from dominating the midfield in the way that happened after the interval. Hazard, such a menace throughout the second period, was subdued in the opening half an hour and Matt Targett, one of the teenagers from Southampton’s conveyor belt of seemingly endless young talent, had slotted in so harmoniously that his direct opponent, André Schürrle, was substituted by Willian at half-time. Targett is a 19-year-old left-back of rich promise on this evidence, even if he was grateful to be given the benefit of the doubt after the incident that led to Fàbregas’s booking when it could conceivably have been a penalty decision. There was clear contact between the two players even if Southampton could argue it was Fàbregas moving into his opponent rather than the other way round.

Chelsea took their time to get going but the pattern of the game changed in first-half stoppage time when Fàbregas lifted the ball into the path of Hazard, running through the inside-left channel, and the Belgian was set free for the first time. Hazard, wanting the ball on his right foot, still had plenty to do and had to cut inside the full-back, Maya Yoshida, as well as the nearer centre-half, Toby Alderweireld. He did so brilliantly, finding the space to take aim, and fired his shot into the far corner with power and precision.

Mourinho’s team had so much of the ball after the break that they will be exasperated by their inability to create more chances. Diego Costa had one of his least productive games and, for all the menace of Hazard and Fàbregas, Fraser Forster in Southampton’s goal was surprisingly underworked given how much time the ball spent in and around his penalty area.

Alderweireld showed again what a fine centre-half he is and Ronald Koeman made a sensible decision to replace a tiring Yoshida given that the defender was facing the elusive Hazard and had already been booked.

Didier Drogba immediately started to trouble his opponents when he came off the bench but the best chance for Chelsea came from a mistake by the substitute James Ward-Prowse and a misplaced back-pass that threatened to undo all of Southampton’s defensive work. Costa lost his footing when he had the opportunity to run clear and the home side held on after Schneiderlin’s foul on Fàbregas, following an earlier booking for one on Hazard, left them a man down during the final exchanges.


Man of the match Eden Hazard (Chelsea)

Southampton (4-2-3-1) Forster; Yoshida (Gardos 62), Fonte, Alderweireld, Targett; Wanyama, Schneiderlin; S Davis (Long 77), Mané, Tadic (Ward-Prowse 58); Pellè. Subs not used K Davis, Isgrove, Reed, McCarthy.

Booked Yoshida, Pellè. Sent off Schneiderlin.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Luis; Matic, Mikel (Drogba 74); Schürrle (Willian ht), Fàbregas, Hazard; Costa (Rémy 89). Subs not used Cech, Zouma, Ramires, Azpilicueta.

Booked Matic, Fàbregas


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

West Ham 2-0

Independent:

Chelsea 2 West Ham 0

John Terry and Diego Costa fire brilliant Blues to derby win

Steve Tongue

An Andy Carroll and a Stewart Downing, however nicely wrapped, are not a Diego Costa or an Eden Hazard.

The latter pair were among a crop of outstanding performers in blue as Chelsea consolidated their position at the top of the table, compared with whom the east Londoners could offer only their goalkeeper Adrian.

Surely one of the most improved keepers in the country, he followed three tremendous saves against Leicester last Saturday with four more here. Chelsea, of course, have rather more to offer than the Premier League’s bottom club and not even the former Betis man could prevent John Terry’s tap-in in the first half or Costa’s individual flourish in the second.

Far from the 19th-century football of which Chelsea’s manager, Jose Mourinho, had accused West Ham following the goalless draw here last January, their approach was all too 21st century: faced with another game 48 hours after this one, they left their two most effective players this season shivering in the dugout for an hour. Alex Song and Diafra Sakho duly appeared at that point, whereupon Chelsea immediately scored their second goal, reducing Sam Allardyce’s plan to rubble.

He refused to blame defeat on team selection, pointing out the qualities of their replacements, Mark Noble and Enner Valencia, but admitting that had there been seven days until the next game the line-up would have been different.

“I have no complaints about the result,” Allardyce said. “Chelsea are a top-quality side and we found it difficult to  compete with them. I’m  angry with the first half, the way we approached the game. I expected us not to play  that way. I had to set out the tactics against a side of the quality of Chelsea. When it doesn’t happen, you get  frustrated.”

There was an improvement in the second half, which was only to be expected, but even then the only time Chelsea were threatened with conceding a fourth home goal of the season was just before the finish when the third substitute, Morgan Amalfitano, hit a post from close in.

Mourinho hinted that he would make changes of his own with three matches over the next eight days, but knows he has far better resources than West Ham and just about everyone else. Full of the Christmas spirit, he even gave in to the “crying in the dressing room” about two proposed training sessions today and moved one of them, a gentle warm-down no doubt, to last night.

“It was not perfection, but we played very well against a very difficult team,” he said. Or two different teams to be precise, once Allardyce had shouted at them at half-time: “The first one against a defensive side; in the second half, against an attacking team who made changes, put on faster players and were more direct with balls into the space. We coped well with that, too.”

As to the longer term and the quest for four trophies: “The only thing we can do is to try and reduce – just to try – the unpredictability of football by doing what we’re doing: playing really well.”

The chances flowed from early on, even when the football was less fluent, Oscar missing badly and Gary Cahill forcing Adrian’s first fine save. Ideally, the first goal should have come from a lovely piece of intricate play just after the half-hour, which James Collins interrupted by conceding a corner. Cesc Fabregas took it, Costa headed on and Terry bundled in his 61st goal for the club.

Allardyce’s mood was not improved by Branislav Ivanovic’s dying swan act in search of a penalty just before the interval, and after his strong words West Ham showed a little more imagination. But Adrian still had to save from Hazard, Oscar and Nemanja Matic, and in between times Matic robbed Cheikhou Kayoute, allowing Hazard to feed Costa, who wriggled on to his left foot, sending Carl Jenkinson and Collins the wrong way before a lovely finish low into the corner of the net.

Carroll, lacking support with Sakho missing and Downing moved out wide, was withdrawn and it was too late to matter when Amalfitano fooled two defenders but hit the inside of a post with Thibaut Courtois for once beaten.


Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Matic, Fabregas, Willian (Ramires, 85), Oscar (Mikel, 81), Hazard, Costa (Drogba, 81).

West Ham: Adrian, Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Cresswell, Nolan, Noble (Song, 59), Kouyate, Downing (Amalfitano, 74), Valencia, Carroll (Sakho, 59).

Booked:

West Ham Collins, Cresswell, Reid.

Man of the match Matic.

Match rating 6/10.

Referee M Oliver (Northumberland).

Attendance 41,589.


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

Guardian:

Chelsea coast past West Ham with Terry and Diego Costa doing the trick

Dominic Fifield

José Mourinho spoke of his players “crying so much in the dressing room” in the aftermath here though that familiar mischievous glint in his eye swiftly warded off assumptions of crisis, calamity or even revolt. The dissatisfaction expressed post-match had been at the prospect of a double training session at Cobham on Saturday. Chelsea have so little to complain about at present, with their progress at the top of the division utterly serene.

This was a fifth successive win in all competitions since they suffered their only defeat of the campaign, at Newcastle in early December, with the manner in which they strolled beyond a resurgent West Ham Uniteda measure of the authority propelling their title pursuit. A derby against a side who began in the Champions League places should have been awkward but ended up more of a breeze. Mourinho reconsidered his schedule and duly rewarded his players by bringing forward the warm-down session to be undertaken at Stamford Bridge. His players can rest up, still three points clear at the top, before their trip to Southampton on Sunday.

There was no call for tears. This all seemed rather routine, the latest victory to sustain a pristine home record achieved courtesy of Nemanja Matic’s power in the centre, with attack-minded team-mates buzzing off his presence. John Terry and Diego Costa scored the goals which set Chelsea apart but only the excellence of West Ham’s goalkeeper, Adrián, prevented a rout. His saves from Oscar and Matic late-on were outstanding when gloss might have been applied to the scoreline. “But the results are good, the performances are quality, the players are doing well,” said Mourinho. “My team are playing well. As a coach I feel good with the people surrounding me, which is something I had been missing for a while. Now I have again a group that I love.”

If that was damning of his latter days at Real Madrid, then it is easy to see why he is relishing life back at Chelsea. There was so much slippery movement in this display, Eden Hazard, Willian and Oscar for ever tearing into their markers and exploiting space while West Ham, uncharacteristically ponderous from the outset, were left dizzied by it all.

James Collins and Carl Jenkinson will struggle to banish memories of Hazard. Without the reassurance of Alex Song at the base of the midfield from the start, the Cameroonian initially among the substitutes, West Ham were vulnerable. Sam Allardyce bemoaned a lack of spark, the ball shipped sideways too often. “They got too sucked into a negative style passing it sideways and backwards instead of forwards into the right areas,” said the manager. “And as good as Chelsea were, as talented as they were, the goals we conceded were so avoidable.” It was sloppiness in possession which proved properly damaging. All that alleged “19th-century football” last January had earned West Ham a draw here. An attempt at a more expansive brand yielded nothing.

There was an irony that Chelsea’s lavish approach did not yield them a lead. The opener was more brutal in its construction, Cesc Fàbregas’s corner flicked goalwards by Costa and the striker having lured Collins towards him, an unmarked Terry converted his 36th Premier Leaguegoal with ease. Yet the reward had long been coming, with other opportunities spurned, Oscar in particular guilty from point-blank range early, and the visitors consistently picked apart. Matic was untouchable in midfield, an interceptor liberating Fàbregas’s creativity at his side. The visitors might have been spurred into a riposte by a sense of injustice that Branislav Ivanovic was not penalised for going to ground too easily in first-half stoppage time, but by the time Allardyce reacted to fling on Song and Diafra Sakho just before the hour, a salvage mission was unlikely.

Cheikhou Kouyaté duly lost the ball in midfield, Hazard slipped Costa free for the Brazil-born forward to tease space from Collins and Jenkinson before drilling a left-foot shot across Adrián and into the far corner for a 13th league goal of term. That West Ham rallied late-on, Morgan Amalfitano drifting a header wide and then clipping a post after wriggling clear of Gary Cahill and Terry, seemed more of an afterthought. This had not been a display worthy of their recent form and Chelsea had eased off, confident victory was theirs, with the manager’s willingness to scrap his post-match plans an indication of faith in his playing staff.

Players gathered on the pitch for their warm-down, the unused substitutes enjoying a quick game as groundstaff hovered to attend to the turf. Southampton, who have leapfrogged West Ham to return to fourth place, will pose their own threat but, for now, Mourinho’s team appear untouchable.


Man of the match Nemanja Matic (Chelsea)

Chelsea 4-2-3-1 Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Fàbregas, Matic; Willian (Ramires, 86), Oscar (Mikel, 83), Hazard; Diego Costa (Drogba, 83).

Subs not used Cech, Filipe Luís, Zouma, Schürrle.

West Ham United 4-3-3 Adrián; Jenkinson, Reid, Collins, Cresswell; Kouyaté, Noble (Song, 59), Nolan; Downing (Amalfitano, 74), Carroll (Sakho, 59), Valencia.

Subs not used Jaaskelainen, Jarvis, O’Brien, Cole.

Booked Collins, Cresswell, Reid.

Attendance 41,598. Referee M Oliver.


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


Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 West Ham United 0

John Terry and Diego Costa on target in Boxing Day clash

Jose Mourinho's side sweep aside supine Hammers at Stamford Bridge

Henry Winter


Chelsea staged a full training session at the Bridge after this one-sided affair and it might have stretched them more. West Hamwere unadventurous, seemingly more focused on Sunday’s home game against Arsenal, and only Adrian’s reflexes prevented greater damage.

After the stalemate here last January, Jose Mourinho derided Sam Allardyce’s side as purveyors of “19th-century football”, a disparaging epithet nicely sent up by West Ham who tweeted a mocked-up picture of their team arriving at the Bridge in a horse and cart. They almost parked the cart here.

It was only two goals in the end but it could easily have been a scoreline from the 19th century, with a top-hat full of goals for Chelsea. Mourinho’s men were impressive but West Ham allowed them to be. John Terry’s second goal in successive games highlighted again his hunger to score, as well as prevent goals, and Diego Costa’s 13th in 15 Premier League games demonstrated the range of the pain Chelsea can inflict on opponents.

They have balance, muscle, deftness, pace, steel and strength in depth. They can play a possession game, circulating the ball for long periods, probing for the right opening, using their technique and movement, or simply break swiftly. They exude class from back to front. As well as being an agile shot-stopper, Thibaut Courtois searches for prospective outlets even before coming to claim crosses and corners, looking to launch swift counters.

Rare is the central defensive axis that can eclipse Gary Cahill and Terry for organisation and defiance, blocking and tackling, and the occasional goal threat.

It would take lengthy analysis to detect a significant flaw in Cesar Azpilicueta’s game as a full-back. He dealt well with Stewart Downing and triggered attacks down the left with measured deliveries.

Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas ran midfield, mixing accurate passes with a relentless desire to win the ball. Eden Hazard scampered forward but also strived hard defensively, embodying the Chelsea way of talent contributing to the collective. He has clearly bought in to the supreme work ethic demanded by Mourinho. Others in the creative department, like Oscar and Willian, pressed the opposition as well as expressed themselves. In attack, Costa is proving the ideal target-man, holding the ball up, as well as being a ruthless finisher.

The only unedifying element to Chelsea’s game here was a Branislav Ivanovic dive. The referee, Michael Oliver, missed a tumble by the Serb in 2012 against Stoke City when their then manager, Tony Pulis, described the act as “laughable”. Oliver again ignored an Ivanovic dive in the first half here, following a challenge from Andy Carroll.

If West Ham had a legitimate grievance there, they could not dispute Chelsea’s superiority. West Ham were poor, barring a late surge through Morgan Amalfitano. From the moment that the team-sheet was handed in, revealing the influential pair of Alex Song and Diafra Sakho on the bench, it seemed their game was as much about damage limitation at the home of the Premier League pace-setters.

Allardyce observed afterwards that Song and Sakho were recovering from injuries but both came on after 58 minutes. It must have frustrated West Ham fans congregating in the corner of the Shed. This is a derby they particularly crave success in.

What appeared pragmatism from Allardyce, who seemed to be targeting the Arsenal game, still smacked of excessive submissiveness. For the Barking-born Terry, briefly on West Ham’s books, to score in the first half, and celebrate in front of them, the East End boy with a Shed End goal, must have been particularly painful for the visiting contingent to behold.

In a vainful attempt to combat Chelsea’s myriad strengths, Allardyce flooded midfield in a 4-3-3 system with Downing and Enner Valencia flanking Carroll but dropping deep when Mourinho’s side had possession, which was for most of the game. Mark Noble, Kevin Nolan and Cheikhou Kouyaté were flying around, looking to stop Chelsea surges before they could build momentum. The plan lasted barely half an hour.

In contrast to Allardyce, Mourinho picked his strongest side and it was only a matter of time before they scored. It was largely one-way traffic. Willian was immediately lively down the right, sending in a cross that confused West Ham’s defence but also surprised Oscar, who shot over. Willian then cut the ball back to Terry who swept a cross to the far post where Cahill headed over. Carl Jenkinson blocked an Oscar shot. Then Cahill, neatly fed by Fabregas, shot straight at Adrian. On it went, the chances piling up.

Chelsea should have had a penalty after 23 minutes when Jenkinson pushed Hazard, sending him off-balance but the Belgian refused to go to ground, trying to keep his footing, staggering on but the moment was lost. Mourinho was incensed that Oliver did not spot the offence. Hazard was effectively being penalised for his honesty.

The breakthrough came after 31 minutes. From a corner conceded by Collins, Chelsea’s main men made their moves. Collins was initially close to Terry but then went for the ball, being beaten by Costa who headed down towards Terry, now unattended. Chelsea’s captain had the straightforward task of turning the ball in left-footed.

There should have been more before Costa brought more sanity to the scoreboard in the second period. Adrian saved well from Matic. Costa had a shot deflected wide and then fired over. Yet the main talking point at half-time was that Ivanovic dive, an embarrassing piece of theatrics that particularly irked Carroll and Collins. Amazingly, Oliver did not deem Ivanovic’s subterfuge as worthy of a caution.

Just before the hour, Sakho and Song did come on with Carroll and Noble departing but the force remained with Chelsea, who added a second after 62 minutes. When Kouyate charged over the halfway line, Matic and Hazard nicked the ball. Hazard coolly and quickly swept the ball forward to Costa, whose response was magnificent. With Winston Reid, Jenkinson and Collins trying to stop him, Costa elegantly wrong-footed them all, taking the ball on to his right, before switching back on to his left and shooting past Adrian.

Chelsea could have added more but Adrian tipped over an Oscar free-kick. Mourinho began resting some of his first choices, removing Costa for Didier Drogba, Oscar for John Obi Mikel and then Willian for Ramires, a reminder of the richness of their reserves. West Ham raised themselves late on, Amalfitano heading wide and then hitting a post, but Chelsea’s thoughts were already turning to that additional training session.


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


Times:

Chelsea coax goodwill out of José Mourinho after calling all the shots

Chelsea 2 West Ham United 0

Gary Jacob


Chelsea conducted a second training session on the pitch at Stamford Bridge last night after West Ham United had seemingly provided the first in a beguilingly easy victory.

José Mourinho showed his softer side by scrapping one of his practices planned for today in acknowledgement of the excellence of their performance, not to mention the congested nature of the festive fixture list. “They were crying so much in the dressing room I’ve decided to make a change,” Mourinho said.

First against fourth place, as West Ham had been going into the game, proved anything but the contest that it might have appeared on paper.

The Barclays Premier League leaders created chance after chance and were rewarded by goals from John Terry, his second in as many games, and Diego Costa.

West Ham’s ineffectiveness angered Sam Allardyce, their manager, although in mitigation they were initially without the pivotal Alex Song, who can control games in front of the defence, and Diafra Sakho, the nippy forward, who were carrying minor injuries.

Their absence, at the start of the game at least, was a nod to the meeting with Arsenal at Upton Park tomorrow, and as soon as the the pair were introduced in the hope of an equaliser, West Ham promptly conceded again.

Song would have been a stronger midfield test for Cesc Fàbregas who effortlessly pulled the strings, looking for give-and-goes and deft passes. Eden Hazard was at his swashbuckling best despite pre-match fitness concerns and had free rein to torment Carl Jenkinson, the West Ham right back.

It was from one such incursion that Costa’s brilliant bodyswerve had three defenders off balance before he drilled in Chelsea’s second just as the visiting team were beginning to appear more adventurous.

Perhaps only injuries can derail Chelsea’s season and Mourinho showed few concerns on that front as he selected his strongest side. After a first defeat of the season away to Newcastle United on December 6, this was Chelsea’s fifth consecutive win, although those looking for a blip might pin their hopes on fixtures away to Southampton tomorrow and Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. “My players are human like all the others and the point is that every match, for us, is fundamental,” the Portuguese said. “There are no better points than others.”

Unlike last season, Mourinho’s side have guile and subtlety in midfield and, in Costa, a dependable striker who notched his 13th league goal.

Also crucial has been Chelsea’s ability to keep clean sheets, with Terry and Gary Cahill suppressing Andy Carroll and the central-defensive pairing only looked vaguely vulnerable when the game was won as Morgan Amalfitano glanced a close-range header just wide, then ended a jinking run with an effort that struck a post.

“We are a much better team when we have the ball,” Mourinho said. “At the beginning of the season there was a bit of conflict between attacking and defending and we made defensive mistakes — three goals against Everton [in a 6-3 victory]. But we have a good balance now. The team is happy to have the ball. But I am also comfortable when the opposition have the ball.”

West Ham made light of being labelled as playing “football from the 19th century” by Mourinho last season by mocking up a picture on Twitter showing Sam Allardyce arriving by horse and cart at Stamford Bridge.

It wasn’t long before it seemed that the joke would soon be on them when, inside four minutes, a Willian cross eluded Jenkinson and Oscar blazed over. Soon afterwards, Chelsea laid the ball back to Terry and he chipped in for Cahill to beat Jenkinson in the air at the far post but head over.

Chelsea’s first goal, after 31 minutes, was simple and straight from the training ground. Costa flicked on a corner and Terry escaped the attentions of James Collins to tap in.

Adrián pulled off a string of saves, notably from Nemanja Matic and Hazard, whose powerful shot sent the goalkeeper reeling backwards. Costa, by his standards, had a straightforward chance to double the advantage when he put a cutback over the bar.

“We gave stupid goals away,” Allar-dyce said. “We created our best chances towards the end of the game, too late, and didn’t take any of them.

“ They got too sucked into a negative style, passing it sideways and backwards, instead of forward into the right areas.”


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

Mail:

Chelsea 2-0 West Ham:

John Terry and Diego Costa send Premier League leaders to third straight victory at expense of Hammers

By Martin Samuel

It is like running into a brick wall, right now, playing this Chelsea team.

A beautifully constructed brick wall, obviously. Not one slung up by a couple of navvies looking to take an early cut over Christmas. This is a wall of great precision and craftsmanship, of sound foundations and excellent structure.

West Ham came here in good form, with half an eye on an upset, and bounced straight off Chelsea. They hit a post through Morgan Amalfitano in the 87th minute, but barely threatened before that.

Not starting two of your best players does not help — but it is hard to imagine even Alex Song and Diafra Sakho would have made an enormous difference, so tight is this Chelsea unit. West Ham manager Sam Allardyce elected to introduce them in the 59th minute and in the 62nd Chelsea scored their second.

They could have had many, many more. Chelsea had 28 shots, of which nine were on target and Adrian, West Ham’s goalkeeper, was arguably the man of the match.

Jose Mourinho is getting huge performances out of his players and even the goals were events, of a sort. John Terry scored in consecutive games for the first time since August 2006 — against Greece for England and Manchester City for Chelsea — while Diego Costa marked a return to form with an absolute peach to confirm victory in the second half.

Costa’s form has dipped of late and he had scored one goal in his last six appearances going into this match. As strikers feed off confidence, the sight of him taking three West Ham defenders out of the game in one swift goalscoring movement will not make comfortable viewing at Southampton, where Chelsea are due next.

Yet this was not just about the matchwinners. The usual suspects in the supporting cast — Nemanja Matic, Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard — maintained their extremely high standards, while Willian was tireless, perhaps the hardest worker on the field.

Last to play at the weekend, first out this Boxing Day, Chelsea showed no signs of festive fatigue. Mourinho said he does not have a grand plan for this holiday season, and takes each game on merit. Maybe this optimism will catch up with his players come January 1 at White Hart Lane, but this was another display that had the mark of champions.

Allardyce needs to beat Arsenal on Sunday for his own strategy to be deemed successful. Leaving out Song and Sakho weakened West Ham and the first half confirmed that. For a team in fourth place who had outplayed Manchester City in October, they were never in contention and lucky not to be out of the game at half-time.

The goals came a distance apart, after 31 and 62 minutes, illustrating Chelsea’s control, but it was the sheer weight of opportunity that should impress. Allardyce prides himself on constructing robust defensive units, but a conservative estimate suggests Chelsea had 15 chances that could have produced goals, including long-range free-kicks and a series of stunning saves by Adrian. David de Gea is not the only Spanish goalkeeper in top form in the Premier League right now.

So, yes, Chelsea should have had more, but that is the only quibble. It was certainly not for want of trying. One day they will catch a team when it all goes right and will run up a rugby score.

As it was, two were enough. Terry must really like this time of year. His last three Premier League goals for Chelsea have all come in December — spread across more than a year — although there were just four days between his last two. On both occasions, they were the all-important deadlock breakers, and particularly vital on Friday after so many misses. How he must have enjoyed scoring it in front of those mocking him in the away enclosure, too.

It was a typical Chelsea move — brains and brawn. An intricate build-up climaxed with Hazard surging into the area and winning a corner from a frenzied scramble. Fabregas curled it in, Costa flicked it on and Terry popped up, two yards from goal, to tap the ball past Adrian — powerless, for once.

The second came shortly after Allardyce had made his big changes, rather negating their impact. Cheikhou Kouyate lost the ball in midfield, Hazard pounced, played it through to Costa and he took a trio of West Ham defenders out of the equation before finishing with a shot low across his body. He has been missing a few of late, and he did here as well, but that was a goal of the highest quality, in tune with Chelsea’s performance.

The last time West Ham came to Stamford Bridge, the match finished goalless and Mourinho accused Allardyce of taking football back two centuries. He says he regrets such harshness now but, despite West Ham’s lofty position, the present was still an awkward place to be for Allardyce’s men.

They spent most of it chasing Chelsea, often with limited success. Sharper finishing and a lesser display from Adrian could have ended in a horrid humiliation, and the opportunities are truly too numerous to record in detail.

Let’s just say there were chances for Oscar (fourth minute), Gary Cahill (10), Oscar (16), Cahill (21), Oscar (27), Willian (29), Matic (34), Costa (39), Costa (42), Hazard (52), Willian (55), Costa (65), Oscar (67), Matic (68), Fabregas (69), Oscar (71, twice) and Hazard (81). Apologies if some are missing. It was like trying to count a shoal of fishes.

Of those, at least six were kept out by the magnificent Adrian. He charged down a close-range shot from Cahill, a low effort after a forward run from Willian, tipped round from Matic 20 yards out, frustrated Hazard cutting inside, flicked over an Oscar free-kick and cleared off the line after Matic tried to replicate Terry’s opener. West Ham had the odd attempt, but their only scoring chance came with three minutes remaining.

Mourinho is rare among managers in stating he loves the festive fixture pile-up, and lists it as one of the elements of the English game he most missed while abroad. One can see why. There was no question of him resting players, even after the battering Hazard received at Stoke, and no sign of fatigue as Chelsea left the pitch.

Frank Lampard, recalling his time under Mourinho, said there were occasions when the players felt so confident, they could have gone out again a few hours after the final whistle. This looked like one of those days. The brick wall stood unmoved at the end, as West Ham wondered what had hit them.


Chelsea: Courtois 6.5, Ivanovic 7, Cahill 7, Terry 7.5, Azpilicueta 7, Fabregas 7, Matic 7.5, Willian 6.5 (Ramires 86), Oscar 6.5 (Mikel 83), Hazard 6.5, Costa 7 (Drogba 83).

Subs not used: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Schurrle.

Goals: Terry 31, Costa 62.

West Ham: Adrian 7.5, Jenkinson 6.5, Collins 6, Reid 6, Cresswell 6, Nolan 5.5, Noble 5.5 (Song 59, 6), Kouyate 5, Downing 5.5 (Amalfitano 74, 6), Carroll 5 (Sakho 59, 5.5), Valencia.

Subs not used: Jarvis, O'Brien, Jaaskelainen, Cole.

Booked: Collins, Cresswell, Reid.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).

Attendance: 41,589.


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


Mirror:

Chelsea 2-0 West Ham: Terry and Costa give dominant Blues a comfortable three points

Tom Hopkinson


Jose Mourinho's men had little difficulty in seeing off West Ham at Stamford Bridge to remain in pole position in the Premier League

Nineteenth Century football might not have sat well with football's purists and Jose Mourinho in particular last season but at least it earned West Ham a point at Stamford Bridge.

This time out, Sam Allardyce's high-flying side came to play the game in the modern way and it completely backfired on them as the blue juggernaut rolled on.

Chelsea may only have scored twice, through John Terry in the first half and Diego Costa after the break, but they could have had 10 such was their dominance.

Admittedly, West Ham's starting line-up was shorn of its two best players - Alex Song and and Diafra Sakho were both carrying niggles that limited them to 30-minute cameo's from the substitutes' bench - although even with them in the side they would have struggled against a Chelsea team in this mood.

That Jose Mourinho's men didn't hit six or seven was thanks largely to Hammers keeper Adrian, who made five or six top-quality saves, and a couple of poor finishes from good positions.

Oscar was guilty of the first of those when he blazed over early on after James Collins and Carl Jenkinson, who had a torrid afternoon, afforded him far too much space and Gary Cahill went close with a looping header from Terry's cross soon after.

Enner Valencia's 30-yard free-kick at the other end looked to be flying well over but dipped wickedly and only cleared the bar by a couple of inches, and that was the closest West Ham came to troubling Thibaut Courtois in the Chelsea goal until three minutes from time.

Adrian was called upon again when a loose ball dropped to Cahill in the box - the West Ham keeper was well positioned to deal with the defender's pile-driver - and he did well again when Willian's long-range effort bounced dangerously in front of him.

Chelsea finally found a way past the keeper when Costa headed a Cesc Fabregas corner goalwards and Terry turned it home from close range, and as the Blues laid siege to West Ham's goal it looked as if the floodgates might open.

Nemanja Matic's long-range shot was well saved and Collins did enough to deflect Costa's effort from the edge of the box just wide of his own goal.

Referee Michael Oliver waved play on when Branislav Ivanovic went down in the West Ham box under Andy Carroll's challenge, sparking a small melee, and Costa and Adrian were still arguing as they disappeared down the tunnel for half-time.

The West Ham keeper's lively afternoon continued after the break when he saved well from Eden Hazard but Costa then got the upperhand in their personal duel when he drilled a low shot home after twisting past Jenkinson.

Adrian tipped Hazard's 30-yard free-kick over with perhaps his best save of the afternoon before Hammers sub Morgan Amalfitano saw West Ham's first serious effort come back off a post.

Teams:

Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Matic; Willian, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.

West Ham: Adrian, Jenkinson, Cresswell, Collins, Reid, Noble, Kouyate, Nolan (c), Downing, Carroll, Valencia

Player ratings - by Dave Kidd:

CHELSEA
•Courtois 6 - Could have stayed on his sofa and watched the box.
•Ivanovic 7 - The Tank rumbled ominously. Harshly accused of diving.
•Cahill 7 - Didn't give Carroll an inch. Might have scored a couple.
•Terry 8 - Granite defending, netted opener. Ageless stuff.
•Azpilicueta 6 - Quiet efficiency at left-back from the Spaniard.
•Matic MOTM 8 - Monster in midfield. Wins it, gives it, bosses it.
•Fabregas 6 - A couple of killer passes. Relatively subdued.
•Willian 7 - Never stopped buzzing about and creating mayhem.
•Oscar 7 - Grafts so much harder than last season. Almost scored free-kick.
•Hazard 8 - Petrified Jenkinson. Like a slalom skier performing conjuring tricks.
•Costa 7 - Worked hard, took goal well but should have had a hatful.
•SUBS: Drogba (for Costa, 82 min, 5), Mikel (for Oscar, 82 min, 5), Ramires (for Willian, 86 min, 5)

WEST HAM
•Adrian 8 - Several fine saves. No blame for goals.
•Jenkinson 3 - Little short of a personal nightmare. Tortured by Hazard.
•Reid Booked 6 - Good in the air but impossible to withstand so much pressure.
•Collins Booked 5 - Leaden-footed when Chelsea's lively front players ran at him.
•Cresswell Booked 6 - Tidy display. Didn't do a lot wrong.
•Noble 6 - Neat enough but doesn't boss a game like Song.
•Kouyate 6 - Good workrate but robbed in build-up to second goal.
•Nolan 5 - The match passed him by in a way matches never used to.
•Downing 5 - Quiet. Rarely able to impose himself.
•Valencia 6 - Flashes of inspiration but received too little service.
•Carroll 5 - Feeding off scraps. Tasty spat with Ivanovic.
•SUBS: Sakho (for Carroll, 59 min, 6), Song (for Noble, 59 min, 6), Amalfitano (for Downing, 74 min, 6)



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

Express :

Chelsea 2 - West Ham 0: John Terry’s keeping a title grip on it as Hammers head for a fall

Tony Banks


Chelsea have been asked questions by the resurgence in form of Manchester City as this season reaches its halfway point.

What had appeared a seamless procession towards the title has turned into a two-horse race - perhaps even three, now that Manchester United are waking up.

But Chelsea have firmly answered those questions with two wins in five days, at Stoke on Monday and yesterday against West Ham, that have marked them down as the team to beat in this title race.

Two victories in tough games, four goals scored, none conceded. The pressure might be on, but Chelsea are responding.

John Terry opened the scoring, as he had at Stoke, and the captain never allowed his team to loosen their grip.

Diego Costa added a second, and by the time West Ham shrugged off their negativity and decided to have a go in the last 15 minutes, it was long over as a contest.

Maybe if they had been bold from the start, they might have got something out of it. But they were not, and paid the price for it.

Alex Song and Diafra Sakho, West Ham's two best players this season, were left on the bench for the first hour were as Sam Allardyce looked to Sunday's home game with Arsenal.

But this Chelsea team would have stepped up a gear even had those two been on the pitch for longer. They were dominant for long periods, with the excellent Cesc Fabregas running the game and Eden Hazard and Willian in vibrant form.

Last season the Hammers ground out a goalless draw at Stamford Bridge with a performance Jose Mourinho dubbed "19th century football". This was more up to date, but considerably less effective.

Oscar should have given Chelsea an early lead but blazed over as Chelsea created chances right from the start and West Ham sat back meekly, much to their manager's anger.

Gary Cahill nodded over, goalkeeper Adrian pulled off a great save from the same player, and Oscar and Willian went close.

The inevitable breakthrough came when Fabregas floated in a corner, Costa flicked on and Terry, alert as ever, stabbed home, celebrating in front of the Hammers fans who had been giving him merciless stick.

Some of Chelsea's attacking football was a joy to watch as Fabregas and Hazard combined to deadly effect. Nemanja Matic and Costa, twice, should have added to the score.

Adrian was West Ham's best player, foiling Hazard again, but he could do nothing when Costa picked up Hazard's pass, was given way too much room as he jinked inside, and drilled his 13th of the season.

When Song and Sakho came on West Ham finally started to play. Sakho swept past Terry and Thibaut Courtois had to dive at his feet to save. Song then shot just wide, as did another substitute, Morgan Amalfitano, who also hit the post.

Afterwards Allardyce switched his anger from his own players to Branislav Ivanovic, accusing the defender of trying to "con" referee Michael Oliver into giving a penalty.

Two weeks ago Hull manager Steve Bruce complained of the same problem in Chelsea's last home game, when Costa and Willian were both yellow-carded for diving and Gary Cahill escaped with a blatant tumble when already booked.

Yesterday Ivanovic tumbled in a tussle with Andy Carroll, and Allardyce said: "Ivanovic went down looking for a penalty.

"They try and make the referees' mind up for them. Staying on your feet does not get rewarded if you're fouled. We all know that.

"Decisions did not go for us. But we all know the script for games like this when you've been in the game as long as me. Some of the free-kicks given against us were very harsh.

"Should the referee have booked him? You'll have to ask him. Knock on his door. I'm not paying any more money to the FA."


Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois 7; Ivanovic 7, Cahill 7, Terry 7, Azpilicueta 7; Fabregas 8, Matic 7; Willian 7 (Ramires 86), Oscar 7 (Mikel 83), Hazard 7; Costa 7 (Drogba 83). Goals: Terry 31, Costa 62. NEXT UP: Southampton (a), tomorrow PL.

West Ham (4-3-2-1): Adrian 7; Jenkinson 6, Reid 7, Collins 6, Cresswell 6; Kouyate 7, Noble 6 (Song 59, 6), Nolan 6; Downing 7 (Amalfitano 74), Valencia 7; Carroll 6 (Sakho 59, 6). Booked: Collins, Cresswell, Reid. NEXT UP: Arsenal (h), tomorrow PL.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).


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

Star:

Chelsea 2 - West Ham 0: Blues prove too good for high-flying Hammers

CHELSEA have the title in their sights and are determined not to let anything get in their way - not even the potential manager and team of the season.

By Adrian Kajumba


Jose Mourinho may well have showered Sam Allardyce and West Ham with high praise after their transformation from a relegation-threatened team accused of playing 19th century football here last year to Champions League contenders.

But that was where his generosity and admiration for the Hammers stopped and for 90 minutes it was down to business.

Chelsea have their eyes on the Premier League prize and refused to give West Ham, the story of the season so far, any hope of writing another brilliant chapter in their season.

Mourinho's title-chasing Blue machine powered on, dispatching West Ham in routine, professional fashion thanks to goals in each half from captain John Terry and star striker Diego Costa.

West Ham may well be breaking barriers this season in Allardyce's words, flying high in fourth, their highest position at Christmas since 1985, after just one defeat in their previous 11.

But continuing their brilliant run by winning at Chelsea was a Stamford Bridge too far, especially with Mourinho's men in this ruthless and efficient mood.

The Hammers have been handed a real test of how far they have come this season with a festive double header against Chelsea and Arsenal.

And they almost made the worst possible start four minutes in when Carl Jenkinson let Willian's cross from the right bounce past him but was relieved to see Oscar blaze the chance over.

Gary Cahill went close twice before Willian stung West Ham keeper Adrian's palms with a 20 yarder as the Blues started to ramp it up just before the half hour mark.

And the goal they had been threatening eventually arrived in the 31st minute.

Diego Costa nodded a Cesc Fabregas corner goalwards and Terry was Chelsea's Johnny on the spot, perfectly placed to tap in his second goal in two games from a yard out.

By half-time Chelsea might have had more to show for their first-half dominance.

Adrian denied Nemanja Matic with a flying save before Costa had one effort deflected wide and side-footed another over from 12 yards.

The half ended with another Chelsea diving controversy when Branislav Ivanovic went down easily under a challenge from Andy Carroll.

Referee Michael Oliver waved away Chelsea's penalty appeals but the incident - coming a few weeks after Gary Cahill, Willian and Costa were caught in diving storms - sparked a bust up between the two sides which continued after the half-time whistle.

This wasn't quite a backs to the wall, defensive display from the Hammers, like the one that sparked Mourinho's infamous '19th century' jibe after January's goalless stalemate between the two sides.

But the spark and thrilling football that has propelled West Ham into Champions League contention was missing.

It was all so comfortable for the Blues in the first 45 though West Ham's more adventurous start after the break suggested the second half might be a bit different.

Two early Hammers corners came to nothing and Eden Hazard provided a warning of the dangers of opening up too much against Mourinho's men when he cut in from the left and fired in a blistering drive that Adrian pushed away.

Allardyce made a double change to try and inspire a comeback, replacing Andy Carroll and Mark Noble with Diafra Sakho and Alex Song.

But he was forced to think again minutes later when Cheikhou Kouyate was robbed in midfield and Hazard fed Costa who tricked his way past three defenders before smashing in Chelsea's second.

Again the Blues could have added to their lead. Oscar was inches away with a free-kick and Winston Reid produced two heroic blocks to deny the Brazilian and Hazard a third Chelsea goal.

In between Adrian readjusted his feet brilliantly to deny Matic from close range before sub Morgan Amalfitano headed wide and hit the post late on for West Ham.

But by then the job had already been done as the Blues march on.


CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Fabregas, Matic; Willian (Ramires 85), Oscar (Mikel 82), Hazard; Costa (Drogba 82). Subs: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Schurrle.

WEST HAM (4-2-3-1): Adrian; Jenkinson, Collins, Reid, Cresswell; Noble (Song 59), Kouyate; Downing (Amalfitano 74), Nolan, Valencia; Carroll (Sakho 59). Subs: Jaaskelainen, O'Brien, Jarvis, Cole.

Referee: Michael Oliver

Stoke City 2-0

Independent:

John Terry and Cesc Fabregas strike to make Blues this year's Christmas No 1
 
Stoke 0 Chelsea 2

Sam Wallace  

These are the games that Jose Mourinho is referring to when he talks about the long slog of winning a league title in England, the first against 13 encounters that would be easily ticked off by the big clubs in Spain or Italy but here have to be fought for to the very end.

There were times when Stoke City pushed the league leaders to the limit, not least a disastrously dangerous tackle by Phil Bardsley on Eden Hazard in the first half that had both benches at each other’s throats, but Mourinho’s team never lost their cool. They took the lead through John Terry within two minutes before Stoke had even found their rhythm and they never really gave their opponents’ a clear sight of goal.

It was Cesc Fabregas who finally won the game with a second goal with 12 minutes remaining and Mourinho could at last feel confident enough to substitute Diego Costa, the man who was set upon Ryan Shawcross to try to neutralise the embodiment of the Stoke team. Costa never got the goal he desperately strained for to make his point to Shawcross in their but he did enough keeping the Stoke defence occupied.

It leaves Chelsea top at Christmas, three points clear of Manchester City in second place. As for Stoke, they pushed Mourinho’s side hard but never really created the chances that might force a breakthrough. You could see the Chelsea manager’s satisfaction in his willingness to shake the hand of Mark Hughes at the end of the game after they had quarrelled during the first half. He even extended a handshake to the referee Neil Swarbrick.

Chelsea took the lead within two minutes, before Stoke had reminded themselves that against a team this sophisticated and this tough, they needed to be more like Stoke than ever before.

They were undone at a corner, conceded by a shot deflected wide and clipped in from the right wing by Fabregas to the head of Terry who nodded his third goal of the season downwards past Asmir Begovic. The real business had taken place seconds earlier when Geoff Cameron had tried to get hold of Terry in the box and been expertly palmed away by the Chelsea captain who was more focused on the ball than his opponent.

These are the kind of goals that Stoke like to score but this was Chelsea showing there is more than just silky Fabregas touches to their repertoire. Nonetheless the corner was the Spanish midfielder’s 12th assist of the season. The record for an entire Premier League season belongs to Thierry Henry and he totalled 20 in the course of 38 games in 2002-2003.

John Terry heads Chelsea in front John Terry heads Chelsea in front  After the goal had been scored, the contest could begin in earnest. It was hard to take your eyes from Shawcross and Costa’s mutual animosity, like the heavyweights at the top of the card they shoved and kneed one another and, to Costa’s frustration, his opponent failed to stand still when he tried to walk backwards onto his toes.

For the real violence, you needed look no further than Bardsley’s atrocious challenge on Hazard on 19 minutes, a straight red card in most referee’s book but worthy of just a yellow from Swarbrick. He could have booked Bardsley six minutes earlier for a foul on the same player and in the aftermath of the second challenge the two benches erupted.

There was no love lost between Mourinho and Hughes with the former having some justification for his outrage. He also seemed to be suggesting that the Stoke manager had done too much petitioning of the referee for his liking. At one point even Rui Faria, Mourinho’s combustible assistant, threatened to get involved - a sure sign that events really have got out of hand.

Stoke thrived in the ensuing minutes with Chelsea still nursing their injustice over Hazard. Steven Nzonzi shot over and Gary Cahill had to be at his best to block a shot from Jonathan Walters after Bojan Krkic had worked the ball to the left.

Then, on 31 minutes, came a prime chance for Chelsea to move the game out of the reach of their opponents. Nemanja Matic separated the ball from Cameron in midfield with scalpel-like precision and from Hazard it went to Fabregas who opened up the Stoke defence with his pass. Costa sprung the offside trap and running down the right channel he had a good view of Begovic’s goal but slipped the ball wide of the goalkeeper’s right post.

Phil Bardsley fouls Eden Hazard - he was given a yellow Phil Bardsley fouls Eden Hazard - he was given a yellow  There were grievances being nursed as the players departed at half-time and the promise of a second half in which tempers could be lost but, if anything, the game lost its spark until the last 20 minutes. Save from a foul on Fabregas by Shawcross four minutes after the break, Chelsea looked composed. Even Costa was relatively becalmed, one tussle with Erik Pieters aside.

It was with some surprise that Stoke found themselves still in the game with 20 minutes left. Peter Crouch, who had little change out of Terry and Cahill, departed straight down the tunnel with what Hughes later said was a ricked neck. He was replaced by Mame Diouf and Charlie Adam, on for Cameron, came the closest with a shot struck just wide of Thibaut Courtois’ goal.

Cesc Fabregas celebrates wrapping up victory with Chelsea’s second goal Cesc Fabregas celebrates wrapping up victory with Chelsea’s second goal  The intensity of the first half had ebbed from Chelsea, but they are the kind of team that can summon a goal in a heartbeat and so it proved. On 78 minutes, Hazard picked out Fabregas in the box and his first touch right looked like it was intended to steer the ball into the path of Costa. Instead the midfielder followed the ball himself and his scuffed shot into the corner deceived Begovic entirely.

Costa should have had one himself on 84 minutes when substitute Andre Schurrle teed him up. The Spain striker left the pitch shortly afterwards to widespread booing from the Stoke fans. That alone would have told him that his job was done.


Stoke (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Muniesa, Pieters; Nzonzi, Cameron; Walters, Bojan, Arnautovic; Crouch.

Subs: Diouf/Crouch 63, Adam/Cameron 68, Assaidi/Arnautovic 82

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Mikel, Matic; Willian, Fabregas, Hazard; Costa.

Subs: Schurrle/Willian 80, Drogba/Costa 85, Zouma/Hazard 90

Booked: Stoke Walters, Bardsley, Pieters

Referee: N Swarbrick

Man of the match: Matic

Rating: 6

Attendance: 27,550


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


Guardian:

Cesc Fàbregas offers Chelsea festive joy in feisty win at Stoke

Stoke 0 - 2 Chelsea

Stuart James

The portents are promising for Chelsea and ominous for their rivals. This is the fourth time that Chelsea have enjoyed the view from the top of the Premier League come Christmas Day and on each of the previous occasions they have gone on to win the title. John Terry’s header after only 95 seconds, followed by a second-half goal from Cesc Fàbregas, secured their place at the summit and restored their three-point advantage over Manchester City.

It was, in short, a much happier experience for José Mourinho than 12 months ago when his Chelsea side were beaten 3-2 here and the Portuguese departed bemoaning their failure to “kill the game”. Fàbregas’ corner had set up Terry’s opener to take his tally of assists for the season to 12 – Thierry Henry’s Premier League record of 20 in a single campaign looks to be under serious threat – and the Spaniard ensured there would be no slip-up this time when his mishit shot found its way into the bottom corner.

The performance, as well as the result, reinforced the impression that Chelsea possess all the qualities to stay the course. Diego Costa could afford to have an off night on an evening when Fàbregas showed some lovely touches in midfield, Eden Hazard stood up to Phil Bardsley’s early attempts to rough him up and Nemanja Matic was the outstanding player on the pitch.

Terry was not getting carried away when he described Matic as a “revelation” this season.

It was hard not to contrast Chelsea’s commanding display with the way Arsenal imploded here this month. With Matic a formidable presence in front of the resolute central-defensive partnership of Terry and Gary Cahill, Stoke were restricted to few goalscoring opportunities while at the other end of the pitch Chelsea looked threatening whenever they attacked. For Mourinho, it was a highly satisfactory night’s work.

“It’s a victory that means a bit more than the three points, not just because it’s difficult but also because to win here you need to put more than just your quality,” he said. “The players were a team, they worked together and coped well with a difficult style.”

The Chelsea manager was full of praise for Terry, who has now scored in each of the past 15 Premier League seasons. “More important than the goal for me is the way he’s playing this season,” Mourinho said. “When I came here last season he was a bit in trouble, his career was a bit up and down, not playing regular for Chelsea. Certainly in the last two years he’s playing basically every game and for me at the same level he was playing in 2004-07 when I was here. I think he knows the way I trust him, I think he feels very confident, very happy and he’s playing very well.”

That goal, when Terry got ahead of Geoff Cameron to dispatch Fàbregas’s corner, got Chelsea off to the perfect start. Stoke looked rather flat in the early stages and it was not until after Bardsley clattered into Hazard on the touchline, earning a yellow card that could easily have been red, that the home team roused.

Mourinho was furious with Bardsley’s challenge at the time and became embroiled in an angry exchange with the Stoke manager Mark Hughes, but he was much more restrained when he spoke afterwards.

“From my position, and in a flash, it looks a red card,” Mourinho said. “But I don’t know. What I know is that if it was a bad tackle it was the only one. The game was clean, good and aggressive. The referee kept the game under control and the players were fair.”

Stoke enjoyed their best period of the game around the midway point of the second half, when they started to apply a little pressure and Charlie Adam’s raking drive drifted inches wide, but Chelsea’s second goal of the evening extinguished any hopes that Hughes had of salvaging a point.

Hazard, who had sportingly kicked the ball out of play when Bardsley was down injured not long after the Stoke right-back had put him into touch – “I wouldn’t do it for a guy who kicked me,” Mourinho said, smiling – picked out Fàbregas in the Stoke penalty area.

The Spaniard’s first touch was heavy and his shot was anything but convincing, but it bobbled past Asmir Begovic and into the net. Costa then squandered his second one-on-one of the evening. Not that it mattered.



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


Telegraph:

Stoke City 0 Chelsea 2: Cesc Fabregas inspires Blues to hugely impressive win

By  Mark Ogden, Britannia Stadium

Cesc Fabregas does not do scruffy goals, he tends not to tough it out at Stoke either, but the Chelsea midfielder picked the perfect time to do both by inspiring his team to a victory that carried the hallmark of champions.

Fabregas, booed by the home crowd for being the outspoken face of the Arsenal team who castigated Stoke City for the broken leg suffered by Aaron Ramsey at the Britannia Stadium four years ago, has endured enough bruises and batterings in the Potteries to scar him for the remainder of his career. But the Spaniard came of age in a Chelsea shirt on a night when Mark Hughes’s players tried and failed to intimidate a Chelsea team who moved three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table with this win.

Fabregas’s second-half goal, following John Terry’s second-minute opener, confirmed the victory which proved that Jose Mourinho’s team have the steel to stay ahead of Manchester City and end Chelsea’s five-year wait for a league title.

“It is a victory that means more than three points because, to win here, you have to show more than your quality,” Mourinho said. “Only with a great team performance is it possible to win at Stoke.”

With City moving level on points with Chelsea at the weekend, the response of Mourinho’s players was always likely to offer a gauge of their readiness to battle for the title.

They would either display signs of being choked by the pressure or deliver a firm statement of intent.

The latter was no formality, after they dropped points at Newcastle and Sunderland recently, but Chelsea were fired up and motivated by the challenge, both physical and psychological.

And they struck to silence the home crowd after just 96 seconds when Terry extended his run of scoring to 15 consecutive seasons.

Branislav Ivanovic’s deflected shot had resulted in the corner which Fabregas delivered from the right, deep into the Stoke penalty area from where Terry headed past Asmir Begovic for his first league goal in 12 months.

Stoke responded in typical fashion. Mark Hughes has done much to change their approach since replacing Tony Pulis 18 months ago, but his players remain as belligerent as they were under Pulis.

Phil Bardsley and Ryan Shawcross, in particular, typified Stoke’s hit-them-hard mantra, with Bardsley fortunate to stay on the pitch after earning just one booking for two crude fouls on Eden Hazard.

The second, which resulted in the yellow card, bordered on thuggery as the former Sunderland full-back clattered Hazard over the touchline.

The devil in Stoke’s game served its purpose, however, in that it distracted Chelsea and enticed them into a scrap.

While they briefly took their eye off the ball, Chelsea allowed Stoke to build up a head of steam, and it required a crucial save by Thibaut Courtois to keep out Steven N’Zonzi’s deflected shot from 20 yards after 21 minutes.

Although this was a game of few chances, that was largely down to Chelsea’s discipline and organisation rather than a lack of creativity.

At 1-0 up, few Mourinho teams will abandon their defensive shape in favour of a cavalier goal hunt. It may not be pretty, but it is an approach which wins trophies.

Fabregas, whose time at Arsenal was a tale of beautiful football with nothing to show for it, may discover this season that pragmatism wins more than panache.

The trickery of Hazard and constant threat of Diego Costa ensure that Chelsea will always pose a danger to opponents when ahead, but their rock-solid adherence to Mourinho’s game plan was just as impressive as the skills of the expensive attacking outlets.

John Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic gave a masterclass in protecting a back four, while Terry’s communication and cajoling emphasised the former England captain’s ongoing importance to this Chelsea team.

Having suffered a 3-2 defeat against Stoke here last season, the prospects of lightning striking twice were as good extinguished the moment Terry gave Chelsea the lead, because of the visitors’ control of every department on the pitch.

They just needed a second goal to reflect their dominance. When it came, it was a scuff from the right boot of Fabregas rather than the more aesthetic finish one would associate with the Spaniard.

Hazard, once again, was a thorn in Stoke’s side as he threaded the ball through to Fabregas in the penalty area.

The former Barcelona midfielder initially looked set to lay the ball off to Costa, but a heavy first touch fortuitously created a scoring chance and Fabregas was able to beat Begovic with a scruffy shot which bobbled into the far corner of the net.

Neat and tidy it was not, but the league table is all that Fabregas and Chelsea will worry about.


===========

Times:

Chelsea pass the mettle detector test to find room at summit

Oliver Kay Chief Football Correspondent

Stoke City 0 Chelsea 2


For Chelsea, this was the type of victory that their players might once have marked by stripping to their waists. There was no need for such machismo at the Britannia Stadium last night, perhaps because the performance and result had already said it all.

As a delighted José Mourinho said, victory away to Stoke City signifies more than just the three points by which they now the lead Barclays Premier League. It was a show of strength, a demonstration that, quite apart from the creative qualities of Cesc Fàbregas and Eden Hazard, Chelsea have the mental and physical fortitude to cope with an examination as tough as this.

The idea of the Britannia Stadium as the ultimate Premier League proving ground can be overstated at times — Aston Villa, Leicester City and Burnley have all won there this season — but it was the kind of assignment that required Chelsea to show the cojones that Mourinho felt they lacked last term. Even after going ahead as early as the second minute, through John Terry’s header, their mettle was tested.

Mourinho loves performances such as this. The early goal gave his team a little breathing space, but, in this mood, they do not coast, not even for a minute. Men such as Terry, Branislav Ivanovic and the excellent Nemanja Matic do not believe in comfort zones.

Neither, on this and recent evidence, does Hazard. Having been subjected to an awful challenge from Phil Bardsley in the early stages, the Belgian got straight back to work, tormenting the Stoke defence and tracking back well in support of César Azpilicueta.

The Chelsea manager had spoken about how this fixture requires visiting teams to compete in “difficult circumstances”. He could have meant many things by that, but if atmosphere was one of them, the home crowd was quietened, however briefly, by Terry’s early goal.

You simply do not expect Stoke to be caught cold from a dead-ball situation in the second minute, particularly at home. Mark Hughes certainly did not, to judge from his incredulous look on the touchline, but Chelsea, on the front foot, had taken the game to Stoke right from the kick-off.

Hazard wandered down the left wing, into the space behind Bardsley, and cut inside before picking out Ivanovic, whose first-time shot was deflected behind for a corner by Erik Pieters. When Fàbregas swung the ball over from the right, Terry stole a march on Geoff Cameron and beat Asmir Begovic with a firm downward header.

As Chelsea’s players began to enjoy themselves, knocking the ball about with ease, it was as if some of their opponents were riled into action. Ryan Shawcross, for the most part a far more controlled figure these days, subjected Diego Costa to a couple of rough challenges. Much worse was Bardsley’s wild lunge at Hazard on 20 minutes, for which the Stoke full back could feasibly have been shown the red card rather than the yellow.

That incident — and the indignant responses from Mourinho, his players and staff alike — seemed to serve as another catalyst for Stoke. Steven N’Zonzi strode forward and had a shot deflected goalwards by Terry, but Thibaut Courtois reacted well to make the save. This was a test for the Chelsea goalkeeper, but he coped well, commanding his penalty area well to field a high ball from Shawcross, a corner from Bojan Krkic and a throw-in from Cameron. Terry and Gary Cahill also kept Peter Crouch under control.

For Stoke, the main difficulty was in finding the pockets of space in which Bojan and Marko Arnautovic love to operate. There is not much space to be found when you have midfielders such as Matic and John Obi Mikel guarding a defence like Chelsea’s.

On the half-hour Matic made a perfect tackle on Cameron to trigger a counterattack. As Chelsea broke via Hazard and Fàbregas, Shawcross stepped up at the wrong moment, playing Costa onside. The Chelsea forward should have scored, but, one against one, he shot wide of Begovic’s right post. It was not entirely clear whether Costa was enjoying the physical battle or loathed it. He certainly did not shy away from it, but he looked bewildered at one point in the second half by the attentions of Pieters, who was booked for his troubles.

Stoke had started the second period well, but even creating half-chances is not easy when you are playing Chelsea in this mood. Peter Crouch, who can rarely have had a less fruitful evening, ricked his neck and was replaced up front by Mame Biram Diouf. The second Stoke substitute was Charlie Adam, who immediately went close with a first-time shot that swerved just wide of the Chelsea goal after good work by Jonathan Walters and N’Zonzi.

Chelsea looked as if their priority was to hang on rather than chase a second goal, but on 78 minutes the opportunity arose. Fàbregas found Hazard and continued his run into the penalty area, where he was picked out well by his team-mate. Fàbregas’s first touch looked a little heavy by his standards, but it allowed the ball to sit up perfectly for the shot. Even that was not his cleanest connection, but it crept into the far corner to give Chelsea a two-goal lead.

Even then Chelsea did not relax. They do not do relaxing and, looking at the rest of their Christmas programme — West Ham United at home, Southampton away, Tottenham Hotspur away — it is probably just as well.

Manchester City’s form over the past month or so has dispelled any notion of this title race as a Chelsea procession. Mourinho’s team will need to be at their best, one way or the other, if they are to take their three-point lead into 2015. In the circumstances, it was best to keep their shirts on.


Stoke City (4-2-3-1): A Begovic — P Bardsley, R Shawcross, M Muniesa, E Pieters — S N’Zonzi, G Cameron (sub: C Adam, 68min)— J Walters, Bojan Krkic, M Arnautovic (sub: O Assaidi, 82) — P Crouch (sub: M B Diouf, 63). Substitutes not used: J Butland, R Huth, M Wilson, G Whelan. Booked: Bardsley, Pieters, Walters.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): T Courtois — B Ivanovic, G Cahill, J Terry, C Azpilicueta — J O Mikel, N Matic — Willian (sub: A Schürrle, 80), F Fàbregas, E Hazard (sub: K Zouma, 90+3) — D Costa (sub: D Drogba, 85). Substitutes not used: P Cech, N Aké, F Luís, Oscar.

Referee: N Swarbrick.


===========

Mail:

Stoke 0-2 Chelsea: John Terry rises to the occasion before Cesc Fabregas seals win for Blues who secure top spot for Christmas

By Martin Samuel for the Daily Mail


That’s the thing with Chelsea. They can do it on a mild Monday night in Stoke. Unseasonably warm. That is the bad news for those betting on a white Christmas this year.

The good news for Jose Mourinho and Chelsea is that they will wake up on December 25 three points clear at the top of the Premier League table and playing like champions.

For Mourinho, this is a very good omen. He has been in pole position at Christmas on seven occasions in his managerial career, and each time he has won the title; twice at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan, once at Real Madrid. It is a stunning record.

We are used to winners who come from down the field — and that was Manchester United’s style under Sir Alex Ferguson. Mourinho is different, a front-runner.

His campaigns start well, and on Monday night Chelsea looked the team to beat. Stoke were disappointing, but theirs was still a robust challenge, and plenty of good teams will lose here. This place hasn’t changed all that much from the Tony Pulis days, as Eden Hazard’s battered legs will confirm.

Stoke present a significant physical challenge and it is easy to see why teams with fainter hearts have a problem here. At Anfield on Sunday, Arsenal couldn’t find a defender who wanted to head away a 96th-minute Liverpool corner; Chelsea often had two men jumping to make the same clearance.

There are stronger attacking forces than Stoke, but this was still an impressive rearguard action, seeing off a second-half bombardment. Chelsea scored after two minutes. That is a hell of a long time to defend a 1-0 lead away from home.

Stoke rode their luck, could have given away a penalty when Ryan Shawcross fouled Cesc Fabregas, and Chelsea had the best chances of the night. But Mark Hughes’s men were still in there fighting until 12 minutes from the end. Hughes upped the tempo and the ante with substitutions and every half-chance brought a mighty roar. Chelsea sucked it all up, and then swatted Stoke away with a second goal to put the match beyond reach.

Fabregas made certain of victory with a goal that had a small degree of good fortune, but it was no more than he and Chelsea deserved. His build-up play with Hazard was typically precise, but he took the finish off the toes of Diego Costa and seemed to scuff his shot, which squirmed in at the far post.

Stoke had the odd shot from range but the stadium was mute and half-empty by the end. Chelsea are too smart and too good to lay on a grandstand finish. They more than had the measure of Stoke.

The goal that set them on their way came from the first attack of the game. A lovely move saw Fabregas feed Hazard and the ball slipped to Branislav Ivanovic on the overlap, his shot charged down, but winning a corner.

Fabregas curled it in and had Geoff Cameron kept his eyes on the delivery, he may have been in a better position to head it away. Instead he had decided to enter Strictly Come Grappling with Terry, in and out of hold, nice top line, Len would have loved it. Terry then spoiled the routine by ignoring his partner and heading the ball past Asmir Begovic in Stoke’s goal.

It could have been more were it not for the unlikeliest sight — two sitters missed by the fearsome Costa, one in each half. The first came in the 32nd minute when a full-blooded tackle by the outstanding Nemanja Matic sent the ball into the path of Fabregas. He thought quickly and played it into Costa, who beat the offside trap and sped towards goal.

At the start of the season you would have put your house on him scoring, but Costa steered his low finish narrowly wide of the far post.The second was teed up nicely by Andre Schurrle with seven minutes remaining. Costa was spare at the far post, but Begovic smothered.

Even factoring in these errors, it was still a mightily impressive win. Chelsea have the stuff of champions right now and in Matic, Fabregas and Hazard three of the most important footballers in the English game.

Matic was voted man of the match and understandably so given the battle in the heart of the pitch, but Fabregas is on course to break Thierry Henry’s record of 20 assists in a Premier League season, and Hazard was simply the bravest soul out there.

Stoke tried to kick him into submission, and failed. He never stopped taking them on, never stopped probing, teasing, testing them to the limit. By the time his brutal treatment saw him limp down the tunnel, injury-time was being played and the match was won. Yet Hazard deserved better from referee Neil Swarbrick; indeed, the same could be said for good footballers everywhere.

Stoke manager Hughes has a well developed chip on the shoulder about the treatment his team receive from referees, but heaven knows why on this evidence.

With 20 minutes gone, right back Phil Bardsley was lucky to still be on the field after two poor tackles on Hazard. The first was a booking, the second arguably a straight red. Bardsley received nothing initially, and then a limp-wristed yellow from the ineffectual Swarbrick. Mourinho was rightly furious.

Any bad behaviour that is not stopped is encouraged, so Swarbrick must take his share of the blame for the treatment Hazard received. The Belgian is a candidate for Footballer of the Year, and Bardsley had clearly made it his mission to test his mettle.

In the 14th minute, he went in high. That was the moment when Swarbrick should have offered protection. It was a yellow-card challenge, no more, but it would have put Bardsley and Stoke on notice. Yet he let it go with just a free-kick and six minutes later Bardsley could have ended Hazard’s participation in the game, maybe even the season.

Some tackles look worse than they are. This one didn’t. It looked exactly what it was: late, high, reckless, hitting Hazard at full pelt and launching him into the air.

Swarbrick could easily have made amends for his earlier leniency. Instead, he produced an overdue yellow. Mourinho looked fit to burst, so too Hughes — although he was fortunate to still be managing 11 men.

The pair exchanged words and Mourinho appeared to be suggesting — without irony — that Hughes had too much to say. He had a point, though. Hughes is a ball of discontent in the technical area, always unhappy with some perceived injustice or slight, often without cause.

He moaned when Costa went down after a challenge by Shawcross, although replays showed the Spain striker had every reason. He appeared agitated when Bardsley was injured making a tackle on Hazard, but the Chelsea man most certainly did nothing wrong.

The play up Stoke’s end, Bardsley still floored, Hazard kicked the ball into touch to allow his adversary to receive treatment. A touch of class.

So it was a sad indictment of Swarbrick’s officiating that he ultimately allowed the best player to be kicked out of the game.

Jonathan Walters’ foul was not as blatant as Bardsley’s assault, but he clumsily trampled on Hazard’s heel late on and, after a literally lame attempt at continuing, the Chelsea man signalled he could not continue.

Would Walters have been as wanton had Swarbrick done his job sooner? The fans who accused Hazard of diving may feel pangs of guilt, too. Far from being a faker, he was the most courageous player out there. Anyone can kick. Getting kicked and going back for more: that takes guts.


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

Mirror:

Stoke 0-2 Chelsea: John Terry and Cesc Fabregas on target as Blues restore three-point lead

By John Cross


Jose Mourinho's side took the lead within two minutes at the Britannia and rarely looked like letting victory slip
 
Don't believe anyone who tells you Stoke have gone soft.

It’s just that they picked on the wrong team because Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea braves proved last night they are determined not to be bullied out of the Premier League title this year.

And in John Terry, Chelsea have the oldest warrior of them all as the 34-year-old showed his team mates the way from the moment he headed in the opener after just 90 seconds.

Terry stood firm as Stoke tried every old trick in the book to wind up Chelsea as they kicked and scrapped but Mourinho’s men gave as good as they got until Cesc Fabregas’s late second sealed victory.

Last season, Chelsea lost at the Britannia Stadium and Mourinho moaned his squad was not good enough to win the title. This time not only has Mourinho got more quality, he’s also got the fighting spirit as well.

Since that defeat at Stoke 12 months ago, Chelsea have bought in Nemanja Matic, Fabregas and Diego Costa and have a new spine which has a wonderful mix of steel, class and killer instinct.

It is why Chelsea are title favourites, top of the table and why, for all of Stoke’s best attempts to bully them, they produced a calm, measured and season defining victory.

Mourinho’s men toughed it out, didn’t rise to the bait and the Potters just couldn’t find a way past Chelsea who also gave as good as they got.

Mark Hughes has prided himself on introducing more expansive and attractive style of football. But Hughes was kidding us last night because this was a throwback to the old days of Tony Pulis. And probably worse.

Stoke full back Phil Barnsley was lucky not to be sent off and Ryan Shawcross tried to clean out Costa who played the majority of the game with his socks rolled down almost to show he wasn’t scared of being kicked.

That was Chelsea all over as they sent their defiant message from the moment Terry headed them across, beating Stoke midfielder Geoff Cameron to a header from a corner to prove his point.

Fabregas put over a curling flag kick from the right, Cameron was so busy grappling with Terry that he lost sight of the ball and the Chelsea captain powered home a close range header. It was perfect timing to score his first Premier League goal of the season.

It also took the wind out of Stoke’s sails and the noise out the stadium.

But if you need someone to fire it up again, then you can count on Ryan Shawcross who started a ding-dong with Costa by cleaning him out with an aerial challenge.

But Bardsley was even more brutal as he scythed down Eden Hazard with a shocking sliding tackle. Referee Neil Swarbrick produced a yellow card when it could easily have been red.

Mourinho was incensed on the touchline, he got involved in a war of words with Hughes and that really fired up the occasion.

Stoke turned up the heat as Jon Walters and Steven N’Zonzi both had openings before half time but Chelsea defender Gary Cahill and keeper Thibaut Courtois defied them.

Bojan Krkic also produced some lovely moments as he dribbled and tricked his way into the Chelsea penalty box as his skill was in contrast with Stoke’s rough stuff.

Chelsea held firm and also looked increasingly dangerous on the break and they got their second after 78 minutes after Fabregas rounded off a lovely move.

Hazard’s incisive pass found Fabregas, he turned Shawcross and the Spaniard mis-hit his shot but it ended up deceiving Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic and trickling into the net.

Chelsea could have won even more comfortably as substitute Andre Schurrle set up Costa but Begovic produced a great block.

In keeping with the night, Walters hacked at Hazard and the Chelsea forward hobbled off in the dying minutes. But it was too late by then. The damage was done.

Chelsea are top of the Premier League for Christmas and it would be dangerous to bet against them being there in May.


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


Express:


Stoke 0 - Chelsea 2: John Terry helps make it a Merry Christmas for Blues

CAPTAIN John Terry did what he has been doing for 15 years at Chelsea, inspiring his team to victory when they needed it most.


By John Wragg

Terry’s first league goal of the season after two minutes deflated a potentially difficult game at Stoke and put Chelsea three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.

Terry’s first league goal of the season after two minutes deflated a potentially difficult game and, with Cesc Fabregas getting a second 12 minutes from time, it put Chelsea three points clear at the top of the table.

Second-placed Manchester City, who have had their own historic problems at Stoke, were hoping for a rip-roaring night of worry for Chelsea, but instead Jose Mourinho’s side took calm control.

City had won six successive league games to draw level with Chelsea on points – surely this was a night when Chelsea might crack? But no. It is one defeat in 26 games in all competitions for Chelsea and they are still on course to win all four trophies open to them.

Chelsea have been top of the Premier League three times at Christmas and won it each time – twice under Mourinho in his first spell at the club and once with Carlo Ancelotti.

Terry, now 34 and looking for a new contract, was involved in all three successful battles and knows another one is on the horizon.

He can see a similarity with this emerging side and the first one that Mourinho built that won back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006.

“This was a tough test,” said Terry. “You have to play well to win at Stoke. We are going for the title again, just as we did 10 years ago, but Manchester City have come from nowhere and Manchester United are in the fold now.”

Terry’s goal could not have been more perfect. It was exactly what Chelsea needed against a team who treat games at home to the Premier League’s elite like FA Cup ties – they love a giant-killing at the Britannia Stadium.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal were all beaten last season and Arsenal left Stoke just 16 days ago, surly, unhappy and beaten once more.

Branislav Ivanovic set it up with a 20-yard shot that was deflected away for a corner and Fabregas, who had already made 11 goals for Chelsea this season, provided a cross that Terry got to first and headed in.

It took the fans inside the Britannia a while to recover but they found their voice when Ryan Shawcross clattered Diego Costa.

Phil Bardsley then put Hazard on the floor with a rural tackle and three things happened – Bardsley was booked, Mourinho ran down the touchline in anger, and the Britannia Stadium roared into life.

Steven Nzonzi added to the rousing atmosphere with a drive that deflected off Terry and caused Thibaut Courtois, returning as keeper in place of Petr Cech, to make a good diving save.

Chelsea’s job was to dampen it all down again, so they got the ball and kept it for a while and ought to have made it 2-0 in the 31st minute when Eden Hazard sent Costa through, but he shot wide. That was a surprise in itself because Costa has been deadly since he came into English football.

Hazard, with the assistance of Fabregas, was the player who kept Chelsea ticking and Stoke needed to disrupt that again, just as they had for a while in the first half.

Chelsea were allowed to dominate and it needed the rumbustious Stoke of old to rev things up.

Stoke’s problem was that they could not go gung-ho because they would leave themselves wide open to be picked off in the counter-attack. Beware Hazard and Fabregas.

But Stoke continued to have a lot of the ball and Charlie Adam, on as a substitute, took a pass from Nzonzi in the 72nd minute and drove it just wide. Chelsea needed to be careful too. Failing to get a second goal was an error and as much as they tried to slow the game down, keep control, they were vulnerable.

That problem ended in the 78th minute when Hazard fizzed a pass into Fabregas. First of all Fabregas moved the ball from his left to right foot, then mis-hit his attempted volley, the ball bouncing its way past Asmir Begovic.

Lucky, yes, but you do not get unlucky champions.


Stoke (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Muniesa, Pieters; Nzonzi, Cameron (Adam 68); Walters, Bojan, Arnautovic (Assaidi 82; Crouch (Diouf 63). Booked: Bardsley, Pieters, Walters. NEXT UP: Everton (a) Boxing Day, PL.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Mikel, Matic; Willian (Schurrle 80), Fabregas, Hazard (Zouma 90); Costa (Drogba 85). Goals: Terry 2, Fabregas 78. NEXT UP: West Ham (h) Boxing Day, PL.

Referee: N Swarbrick (Lancashire).



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


Star:


Stoke 0 - Chelsea 2: Blues top at Christmas after victory at the Britannia

JOHN TERRY made sure Chelsea will celebrate Christmas as league leaders but his side were forced to show their steel.

By Dave Armitage


Terry grabbed his first Premier League goal of the season to put his side on their way after just 90 seconds.

And they had to battle all the way until Cesc Fabregas finally put the gritty home side to the sword twelve minutes from the end with a scuffed mishit.

Chelsea were desperate to reopen a three point gap on Manchester City at the top with a fourth consecutive win.

And they could hardly have asked for a better start as inspirational skipper Terry nodded them in front from a Fabregas corner.

They had to dig deep and work hard against a Stoke side who refused to just hand it to them on a plate.

And Terry’s early opener was just what the doctor ordered for Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho who was clearly uneasy going into the game.

He had cranked up the pressure on referee Neil Swarbrick before a ball – or even a player- had been kicked with a typically mischievous call for strong refereeing.

Stoke might have changed their style and are far more pleasing on the eye but the Chelsea boss was clearly concerned his side might be strong-armed out of it without the officials ensuring fair play.

“With a good referee that can understand when aggression finishes and the rules of the game start there will be no problem at all,” he said.

It was the colourful boss at his best, putting down a marker for a game which his side lost 3-2 at The Britannia last season.

He demanded his side to get off to a flyer – and they duly obliged – when Terry used his head to nod them in front from a corner.

Fabregas swung the ball in towards the spot where Terry and Geoff Cameron were having a legitimate tussle.

But the big defender shrugged off his man, charged towards the edge of the six yard box and nodded the ball into the bottom of the net with surprising ease.

Chelsea should have gone 2-0 up on the half hour when Diego Costa broke clear of the Stoke back line and was left with a one-on-one with keeper Asmir Begovic but sent his shot just wide.

In between times, things had threatened to get out of hand and Mourinho charged up the by-line protesting furiously when Phil Bardsley scythed down Eden Hazard on the touchline.

He got a booking for that though Ryan Shawcross escaped punishment for barging into Costa with a challenge that clearly upset the striker.

Stoke went close to equalising when a speculative shot from Steven N’Zonzi deflected off Terry and almost fooled recalled keeper Thibaut Courtois but the big Belgian changed direction and stopped it.

Fabregas came close with a shot from the six yard box when Hazard found him after an impressive piece of trickery but the midfielder’s first time shot was snatched out of the air by Begovic.

While there was only one goal in it, Stoke had a chance and Charlie Adam was inches wide with a 20-yarder which left Gary Cahill blowing his cheeks in relief.

But Fabregas wrapped it up in the 72nd minute when he seized on a ball from Hazard and shunted it to his right to get into position.

Trouble was, he mishit his shot so badly that it ended up taking both Shawcross and Begovic out of the equation as it rolled cruelly into the bottom corner.

Costa really should have capped things off with a goal minutes later when he found himself with only Begovic to beat at an angle.

He struck the ball well enough, but the keeper had his angles right and pulled out a great block.


STOKE (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Bardsley, Shawcross, Muniesa, Pieters; N’Zonzi, Cameron(Adam 67); Walters, Bojan, Arnautovic(Assaidi 83); Crouch (Diouf 63). Subs: Butland, Huth, Whelan, Wilson.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Mikel, Matic; Willian(Schurrle 80), Fabregas, Hazard(Zouma 90); Costa (Drogba 85). Subs: Cech, Luis, Ake, Oscar.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick.