Independent:
Hull 2 Chelsea 3
Sleepwalking Chelsea rescued by Loic Remy's winner
Michael Walker
For the middle third of this curious three-act drama it was possible to think of Chelsea as a team marooned – marooned at the top of the league.
It is no bad place to be alone, of course, but as the blue shirts drifted around the KC Stadium at 2-2, four points ahead of Manchester City with a game in hand, Chelsea’s was a strange kind of dominance of the Premier League. They, like everyone else, seemed to be waiting for the inevitable.
The title will surely be theirs and Jose Mourinho talked afterwards of “mathematics”, of it being a question of when Chelsea lift the trophy. Making it happen is what differentiates Mourinho from others.
With Diego Costa signalling hamstring concerns and having taken a buffeting all game from Alex Bruce – Costa did give some back, it has to be said – Mourinho called his principal striker off and put on Loïc Rémy.
It was the 77th minute – 50 often slow minutes on from the fourth goal of the game’s bizarre, hectic opening – and Mourinho was about to change the underwhelming Willian for Juan Cuadrado.
Costa’s limp changed Mourinho’s mind and on went Rémy. Immediately the ball was with Willian on the right flank and his fast, low cross was heading towards Rémy’s left boot. It was Rémy’s first touch and he directed a shot that possessed enough power – just – to go through Allan McGregor’s body.
One point became three and Chelsea’s lead at the top of the league was restored to six points.
Hull City bustled some more after Rémy’s strike but Steve Bruce’s team could not muster another equaliser. For Bruce the twin consolation was the manner of Hull’s performance after they found themselves 2-0 down after nine minutes and the fact that the five teams below Hull on Saturday morning all lost over the weekend.
Hull stay 15th, three points above third-bottom Burnley and have a better goal difference. Hull’s run-in, which sees them face six of the current top eight, leaves little room for error, but if they show the same resolve they displayed here, when it looked as if they were about to be submerged in Chelsea goals, Hull should stay up. However, they cannot begin as they did yesterday. People were still digesting events from Anfield when Eden Hazard woke up the stadium to another reality.
As fans took their seats, Costa met a clipped pass from midfield by Nemanja Matic. The Spaniard was 30 yards out and held off Alex Bruce as he produced a perfect flick into the path of Hazard.
There were black and amber jerseys around Hazard but he had the ball at his feet and was able to gambol 10 yards further forward before assessing his angles and directing a left-foot shot into the right-hand corner of the Hull City net.
In three aspects, it was some goal: Costa’s touch, Hazard’s shot and the timing.
This is the opposite of what any manager plans. Yet it was soon to get worse for the home manager – though not before Abel Hernandez was one-on-one with Courtois only to hit the Chelsea keeper with his effort.
That was a warning of what was to come from Hull; it’s just that everyone, including themselves, forgot that as Chelsea walked in a second.
If Hull’s defenders had been stand-offish on the opener, they were no more inclined to breach Chelsea’s peace eight minutes later. As Costa peeled away to the right of the Hull area and shaped into a shooting position, Michael Dawson backed off. From a tight angle, Costa found the same corner as Hazard, via a nick off Dawson. McGregor had no chance. The blue corner of the stadium bounced with glee; the home fans sang to owner Assem Allam of his ongoing ‘Hull Tigers’ plan: “Why don’t you go? You said you’d sell up, so why don’t you go?”
Well, watching an apparent walkover can make the mind drift.
This could well explain what happened next. Two-nil up, in total control against shellshocked opponents, Chelsea’s players switched off. It was too easy. After fireworks on Merseyside, it was tea and toast on Humberside.
Lulled by their cosy domination, perhaps Chelsea did not notice Steve Bruce and his assistant Mike Phelan in animated conversation.
It was not just a defeat confronting Hull, it was a tanking. So they made a change. What on paper had been a 3-5-2 formation – but in reality was 5-3-2 – became 4-4-1-1. Paul McShane moved from the left of three centre-halves to right- back and the shift in system stiffened Hull.
On 27 minutes, Andy Robertson ran at Willian and Branislav Ivanovic and bypassed them with ease.
Robertson then delivered a low, curling cross that Ahmed Elmohamady met on the run. Courtois was beaten.
Hull had some damage limitation, and that was good enough given what had gone on already, yet 90 seconds later they had an equaliser.
Ivanovic, partially at fault for the first, was again involved. This time he slid a bobbling back pass to Courtois, who should probably have belted the ball first-time upfield. Instead, the keeper tried to play football, the ball skipped away from him and ran to Hernandez who slid it in. It was a chaotic goal to end a vivid 27 minutes. Thereafter the game slowed. Hazard’s influence faded and Willian and Cesc Fabregas were quiet.
Four minutes into the second half, Fabregas might have made it 3-2 and Chelsea had territorial control again.
But Hull retained their spark, and arguably the game’s defining moment came on 64 minutes when Courtois blocked from Elmohamady. The ball ricocheted to Jake Livermore, whose shot was again saved by Courtois. Finally, Gaston Ramirez followed up and Courtois saved again.
That meant Chelsea’s platform was stable when, 13 minutes later, Mourinho called Rémy from the bench. Courtois had atoned, Chelsea had won. Yet Mourinho was subdued. Marooned he and Chelsea remain, title awaiting.
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Guardian:
Chelsea’s Loïc Rémy snatches win after Hull fightback rattles leaders
Hull 2 - 3 Chelsea
Richard Gibson at the KC Stadium
It is now surely José Mourinho’s Premier League title to lose after Loïc Rémy ironed out a bump on the road for Chelsea with the late winner.
Six points and a game in hand over their nearest challengers, the characteristics of their play at both ends of this victory bode well – two quality goals in the opening 10 minutes and a clinical purloining of the points with less than a quarter of an hour remaining – their subservience to a spirited Hull in between forgotten as they enter the international break.
Pegged back by a draw against Southampton seven days previously, recent history threatened to repeat itself before Rémy replaced Diego Costa a quarter of an hour from the end and scuffed in the winner off Allan McGregor’s boots a couple of minutes later to provide Chelsea with what Mourinho described as their most dominant position of the campaign.
“The title race should be over. In normal conditions Chelsea should have eight to 10 points more than we have and it’s over. But the reality is we have a six points lead which is our best situation for the whole season because the maximum distance we had was eight with 20 matches to go,” said Mourinho, whose side also have a game in hand, against bottom club Leicester. “I am pretty confident. I believe in my players.”
Chelsea certainly started and finished like champions. Within 10 minutes they had made a mockery of Hull’s relatively sound defence – at kick-off no team outside the top six had conceded fewer than their 37 goals – with a couple of imperious finishes.
The first, dispatched from 20 yards by Eden Hazard’s left boot, owed to a combination of home hesitancy once Costa’s muscular lay-off cushioned the ball into the Belgian’s path. Allowed to proceed unopposed in a central position, Hazard gave McGregor no chance with a shot that arrowed inside the upright.
The second, emanating from Hull’s gifting of possession midway inside their own half, was equally clinical and nestled in a similar place in the net. Cesc Fàbregas threaded a pass into Costa’s stride and although the angle was difficult on the left side of the area, the use of Michael Dawson as a shield to unsight McGregor, and the accuracy of the curling effort combined for his 19th league goal of the season.
If the finish was typical Costa, so unfortunately were the second-half antics in which his elbow appeared to connect with Jake Livermore during a prolonged tussle between the pair at a corner. However, there were no gripes from the Hull camp post-match, with their manager Steve Bruce claiming not to have witnessed it.
However, a recurrence of Costa’s hamstring injury trouble may mean further reliance on Rémy. “When a guy with a lot of hamstring injuries says with 15 minutes to go it’s over for him, it’s over for him. He has this problem. He tried to play the Champions League final with Atlético and was injured again, and again, and again. He has this fragility so we know this hamstring is not a strong one,” said Mourinho, who dismissed any notion of surgery.
Like Hazard, who made it three in three, Rémy has a good scoring record against Hull and it was therefore no surprise he popped up to steer in Willian’s low centre from the right a dozen minutes after Thibaut Courtois’ act of redemption –- a triple save foiling Ahmed Elmohamady, Livermore and Gastón Ramírez shots in the space of five seconds.
“At half-time I told the players there was no point in analysing details and mistakes of the first half. The team felt deeply the 2-2 but the first minute of the second half they went back to quality football, to creation and I knew sooner or later the goal should arrive,” Mourinho said.
Hull’s comeback had been down to the tactical touchline scheming of Bruce and his recently-arrived assistant Mike Phelan midway through the first half. Having started with the 3-5-2 formation that had resulted in nine points being collected from their previous six matches, one of their central defenders was sacrificed, Dame N’Doye redeployed on the left flank and Ramírez wedged between a four-man midfield and his fellow Uruguayan, Abel Hernández, up front.
It worked a treat as a double strike – the fastest two goals by a side in the top flight this season – had the KC Stadium rocking. Scotland full-back Andrew Robertson was the creator of the first as his burst past Willian and through Branislav Ivanovic preceded a centre that Elmohamady converted from six yards. Then came Courtois’ blunder on the Humber. Ivanovic appeared to have tidied up another Hull attack with a back pass but Ramírez’s refusal to give up a lost cause induced panic and a heavy touch was pounced upon by Hernández.
Ultimately, their endeavour proved futile, although Bruce sought succour in the performance of his team, who sit three points above the drop zone but have a daunting conclusion to the season: they play five of the top seven.
“That’s as good as we’ve played for a long, long time, against the best team in England. We are obviously disappointed in the manner we’ve lost but we’ve created umpteen opportunities, and … the big turning point was the three saves by Courtois in quick succession,” said Bruce.
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Telegraph:
Hull 2 Chelsea 3
Loic Remy scores winner after sterling fightback from hosts Hull
Remy, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa ensure league leaders keep their advantage at the top of the table
By Mark Ogden
It was scruffy, unconvincing and fortuitous, but if Chelsea emerge as champions in May the victory earned by Loic Remy’s goal at the KC Stadium might just prove the one which propelled Jose Mourinho’s team down the home straight.
Six points clear with a game in hand, Chelsea will be entering Devon Loch territory if they allow Manchester City or Arsenal to reel them in between now and May 24.
But for Remy’s winner, a close-range strike from Willian’s cross which squirmed through Allan McGregor, Hull City may have landed a wounding blow to Chelsea’s title hopes having fought back from 2-0 down to haul themselves level.
Yet Remy’s contribution, two minutes after replacing the injured Diego Costa, secured a crucial three points which leaves the rest of the teams running out of time to play catch up.
Chelsea’s recent slump, which included the Champions League elimination at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain, had seen Mourinho’s team win just five of their past 12 games in all competitions.
Despite Mourinho’s bullish insistence that his team would respond to their critics by winning the title, actions speak louder than words and it was down to his players to justify the manager’s confidence.
Within nine minutes of this game, however, it appeared as though Mourinho’s ‘us against the world’ battle-cry was having its desired effect. Chelsea did not so much as race out of the traps as obliterate them, with Eden Hazard and Costa scoring twice before 10 minutes had elapsed to leave Hull on the ropes.
Hazard gave Chelsea the lead with a stunning goal from the edge of the penalty area after being released by Costa. The Belgian midfielder received the ball, and left McGregor helpless with his crisp strike.
Hull could have equalised in the fifth minute, when Abel Hernandez was put through on goal by Dame N’Doye’s header from David Meyler’s forward pass.
Hernandez bore down on Thibaut Courtois, who must have appeared an imposing sight in his bright orange goalkeeper kit, but the Hull forward panicked and shot straight at the Belgian, who blocked the strike with his chest.
Four minutes later, Costa highlighted the difference between a £10 million forward and one who cost £30 million by proving much more clinical to finish off Cesc Fabregas’s throughball. Costa pulled to the left flank and attacked the back-tracking Michael Dawson before using the defender as a screen around which he curled a right-foot strike beyond McGregor and into the far corner.
Two-nil up after nine minutes, it was surely game over for Hull, with the only question as to how many Chelsea would score.
However, this has been a remarkable Premier League season, with Burnley taking four points off City and Leicester putting five past United, so it would have been foolish to serve Hull with the Last Rites with more than 80 minutes left to play.
Steve Bruce, the Hull manager, abandoned his 3-5-2 starting formation and reverted to a traditional 4‑4‑2. The switch energised his team, who tore at Chelsea as though they had nothing further to lose. And fortune favoured the brave, with the home side scoring twice within 74 seconds to haul themselves level.
The fightback began in the 26th minute when poor Chelsea defending saw Andy Robertson waltz between Branislav Ivanovic and Willian on the near touchline before crossing into the six-yard box, where Ahmed Elmohamady arrived at the far post to score.
Chelsea had been undone, but worse was to come seconds later, to the extent that the KC may have been shorthand for the Keystone Cops manner of their defending.
Courtois had time to clear Ivanovic’s back-pass, but the goalkeeper recklessly took a touch to take the ball away from the on-rushing Gaston Ramirez, only to hit it too hard and drive it into the path of Hernandez, who buried the loose ball to make it 2-2.
Thibaut Courtois allowed Hull back into the game with a terrible error to gift the hosts an equaliser
Mourinho was caught on camera, slumped in his dug-out, while Bruce danced in celebration before remembering there was still over an hour to play. And it was a tense and, at times, fractious hour, with Costa usually at the centre of every flashpoint.
The Spain forward reacted with a verbal rant towards the assistant referee when challenged heavily by Alex Bruce before allowing himself to become embroiled in a heated shoving match with Jake Livermore.
Costa’s flaw is that he allows vastly inferior players to needle him and it is one that opponents will not tire of targeting.
But Costa’s petulance exposed Chelsea’s frayed nerves and their increasing anxiety, which increased with every Hull foray forward.
The home side would have gone ahead on 64 minutes but for an incredible triple save from Courtois, with the villain now becoming a hero by denying Elmohamady, Livermore and Ramirez within the space of ten seconds. Courtois saved Chelsea’s skin and Remy did the business at the other end.
This was a big victory.
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Mail:
Hull City 2-3 Chelsea:
Loic Remy comes off the bench to net winner as Jose Mourinho's side survive fightback after Thibaut Courtois error to extend lead at the top of the Premier League
By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail
Not the sweetest strike you’ll see. Not the sweetest strike of the game, in fact. But Loic Remy’s tentative prod which squirmed past goalkeeper Allan McGregor and trickled into the net was like a shot of nectar for Chelsea.
Jose Mourinho may one day reflect on this late contribution from a striker he has rarely used as the moment when self-doubt was allayed and the Barclays Premier League title was secured.
Having been 2-0 up inside nine minutes at Hull, courtesy of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa, Chelsea had to prove they could banish this habit of throwing away the lead. But their not-so-reliable-anymore defence wobbled and creaked.
Ahmed Elmohamady and Adel Hernandez levelled before half-time and Thibaut Courtois performed a breathtaking triple-save from three Hull players, mid-way through the second half, which Steve Bruce thought was the key moment.
It was still 2-2 as the clock ticked towards 77 minutes and Cesc Fabregas rolled a pass to Willian on the Chelsea right.
Willian found Remy and the substitute, only on for a few seconds after replacing the injured Costa, jabbed it towards McGregor, who was clearly expecting something else entirely because he was wrong-footed, unable to recover, and the ball slithered over the line. A thrilling game was settled by a scruffy goal and Chelsea’s cushion at the top of the table was plumped.
‘I’m pretty confident,’ said Mourinho. ‘We got what we deserved. We have a six-point lead, one match in hand and eight matches to go for our opponents. They can make 24 points. I believe in my players.’
They had made such a brilliant start at the KC Stadium, where Hazard lashed in a beauty after only 78 seconds. Collecting a lay-off from Costa, he drove diagonally across the pitch before firing the ball back across goal with his left foot. From outside the penalty area, it sailed beyond McGregor’s dive.
Even early on Chelsea’s frailties were in evidence. Hernandez was through and ought to have equalised. Played onside by Ivanovic, he collected a flick from Dame N’Doye, but could not beat Courtois who blocked with his body.
When Costa made it 2-0, the contest seemed to be settled. Again, it was a splendid goal, lashed past poor McGregor from an angle. For the £32million Chelsea striker, it was his 20th of the season.
The goal-rate has slowed since the turn of the year, and his temper simmered, as ever. There was a confrontation with Alex Bruce, when Costa accused the Hull manager’s son of swiping his legs away, and a flashpoint when Jake Livermore claimed to have been elbowed in his face.
Referee Michael Oliver did not see the ‘elbow’, as he had not seen Costa’s stamp on Emre Can during the Capital One Cup semi-final. The pair have history going back to Costa’s first game in English football when the same referee booked him for a dive at Burnley.
Hull reacted after a tactical switch from manager Bruce, who started with three at the back and moved to a 4-2-3-1 formation after going two down. The change did not stop left back Andy Robertson charging forward to create the first with a low cross, bundled in by Elmohamady.
Within two minutes, the home team were level and panic descended on Chelsea at the back as they struggled to cope with a mixture of high balls and intense pressing. Courtois made a poor decision to take a touch on a back-pass from Ivanovic. The goalkeeper twisted past Gaston Ramirez, who was closing in, but his touch was too heavy, the ball rolled to Hernandez for a simple finish.
After the break, Chelsea were brighter. Mourinho tweaked his midfield shape, sent on Oscar and controlled possession but Hull defended well and limited the visitors to long-range efforts.
Courtois then produced his incredible triple save to thwart Elmohamday, Livermore and Ramirez, each flying stop better than the one before, and perhaps it energised his team to search for the winner.
Even when Costa headed down the tunnel with the medics, Chelsea kept probing. Remy restored the lead and this time they did not surrender it. It was Remy’s sixth goal since an £8.5million move from Queens Park Rangers.
‘He probably deserves more than I gave him,’ said Mourinho. ‘There are not many times when a coach can feel he owes something to a player but with Remy that’s the case. Every time he plays he gives us a lot and he has never complained.’
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Mirror:
Hull 2-3 Chelsea: Blues blow two-goal lead but late Loic Remy strike spares Courtois blushes
By John Cross
Chelsea romped into a two-goal lead but found themselves level-pegging again at the break following an uncharacteristic error from Thibaut Courtois
Loic Remy has been unhappy about being a bit-part player for Chelsea.
But the French striker scored one of the most important goals in his team’s season as Jose Mourinho’s men refused to let their grasp slip on the Premier League title.
It was far from convincing but Chelsea came through an almighty wobble to move six points clear with a game in hand.
That’s the difference with Mourinho’s side. Even when they are below their best and look vulnerable, they still have a winning mentality.
They were awful defensively at the KC Stadium, let slip a two-goal lead and yet still came back to snatch all three points after a topsy-turvy, roller-coaster ride of entertainment.
Manchester City and the rest just tend to lose these games, while you get the impression Mourinho would have got his players together at half-time and made sure they didn’t blow it.
Chelsea were sloppy in the first half and better after the restart.
Their vulnerability was exposed in 74 seconds of first-half madness when their defence gifted Hull a way back into the game as the visitors’ defensive frailties were horribly exposed.
From a position of being two-up inside nine minutes, the Blues were rocking and suddenly the title race looked wide open again.
City were terrific, the better side before the break and the way Steve Bruce’s men came back from being dead and buried was incredible.
The west Londoners looked strong and ruthless from the start as they only took 79 seconds to go ahead when Eden Hazard showed his class with a goal of the highest quality.
Branislav Ivanovic began the move forward, feeding Nemanja Matic, who knocked it on to Diego Costa. His little touch-on released Hazard who curled a beautiful left-foot shot into the far corner.
It got even better in the ninth minute. Cesc Fabregas played a ball into the right channel, Costa chased it down and Michael Dawson stood off the striker and allowed him time and space to curl home a brilliant shot.
It really seemed like game over. But back came the Tigers as they sensed Chelsea’s failings. Between them, Ivanovic and Gary Cahill made one mistake after another.
Left-back Filipe Luis wasn’t much better. Hull’s excellent left wing-back Andy Robertson stormed down the flank, put over a low cross and Luis lost Ahmed Elmohamady who fired in at the back post.
It was game on. And, incredibly, only 74 seconds later, Hull equalised. It was the shortest gap between goals in the top flight this season.
Ivanovic’s backpass put Thibaut Courtois under needless pressure. The Chelsea keeper took a heavy touch as Gaston Ramirez closed him down, and the ball fell straight to Hull’s £10million man Abel Hernandez to slot home.
Chelsea came out for the second half as if Mourinho had given them a dressing-room rollicking. They were fresher, hungrier and really piled on the pressure.
Hull stood firm and Costa lashed out with an elbow at Jake Livermore as the pair grappled in the box.
Referee Michael Oliver missed it and Costa may find himself in trouble with the FA. Hull went desperately close to taking the lead. But Courtois pulled off a stunning TREBLE save to deny Elmohamady, Livermore and then Ramirez.
Costa came off clutching his left hamstring and on came Remy. Within 92 seconds of his arrival, Chelsea’s supersub wrapped up all three points with only his sixth of the season.
Ivanovic and Oscar combined to set up Willian who pulled it back for Remy to poke home through keeper Allan McGregor’s legs. Heartbreak for Hull but a huge win for Chelsea.
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Express:
Chelsea overcome Hull fightback to edge closer to Premier League title
By James McMath
STEVE Bruce sent Jose Mourinho a crate of red wine during his first season as Chelsea manager in 2004.
It is celebratory champagne that Chelsea can almost taste as they took another step closer to their first Premier League title in five years, though this was hardly a vintage performance.
The Blues took their chance to move six points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand – but only just.
Loic Remy’s goal 13 minutes from time ensured the victory went to the away team but they were made to sweat because of a sparkling display from their lowly hosts.
Mourinho said his side deserved the victory – despite allowing Hull back into the game.
“We let the lead go but we played fantastic football since the first minute,” he said.
“When you are 2-2 and you want to win the game the most important thing is to play the football we played in the beginning of the game.”
Eden Hazard’s drive from 20 yards after 78 seconds was followed by Diego Costa’s curling effort – his 19th goal of the season - to put Chelsea 2-0 up after nine minutes.
After dropping points in two of their previous three league matches, Mourinho had warned his side against complacency but the warning had clearly fallen on deaf ears as the Tigers roared back with two goals in 74 seconds before half-time.
A switch from 3-5-2 to 4-3-2-1 helped Hull get forward and left-back Andy Robertson crossed for Ahmed Elmohamady to slide in at the back post to pull a goal back.
Hull’s second came when Gaston Ramirez closed down Thibaut Courtois after Branislav Ivanovic’s backpass and the Belgian keeper’s poor touch allowed Abel Hernandez to slide in and force the ball into the unguarded net.
Chelsea were rattled and Hull were buoyant. Courtois was called on to atone for his mistake with three fine saves in quick succession to deny Elmohamady, Jake Livermore and Ramirez.
Few Costa outings end without a moment of controversy and the Spain striker appeared to elbow Livermore as Hull defended a corner. It was his last meaningful contribution before limping off with a recurrence of the hamstring injury that continues to trouble him.
Mourinho hopes the 15-day international break will give Costa time to recover for the run-in.
The striker was replaced by Remy and, 92 second later, Chelsea were ahead.
Cesc Fabregas’s pass sent Willian away down the right and he crossed low to find Remy. The Frenchman’s shot was unconvincing but it was firm enough to squirm through the legs of Allan McGregor and over the line.
It was his sixth goal of the season and Mourinho praised Remy for his attitude as 12 of his 15 league appearances have come as a substitute.
“Probably he deserves more that what I give him,” said Mourinho.
“I owe him something, every time he plays he gives us a lot and I’m so happy for him because he deserves it.”
Defeat was cruel on Hull. The Tigers still have plenty of work to do in their survival bid but if they play like this, they stand a great chance of staying up.
Manager Steve Bruce certainly believes they can do it.
“I’m sure we’ve got enough and I’m convinced if we play like that, we’re good enough to stay in this division,” he Bruce.
Hull City (3-5-2): McGregor 5; Bruce 7, Dawson 6, McShane 7; Elmohamady 7, Meyler 7 (Quinn, 81), Ramirez 8 (Aluko, 81), Robertson 7 (Brady, 80); N’Doye 8, Hernandez 7.
Subs: Harper, Rosenior, Davies, Sagbo.
Next up: Swansea (a), PL, April 4.
Bookings: Livermore. Goals: Elmohamady 26, Hernandez 28
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Courtois 7; Ivanovic 6, Terry 6, Cahill 6, Luis 6; Matic 6; Willian 7 (Zouma, 80), Fabregas 7, Ramires 6 (Oscar, 61, 6), Hazard 8; Costa 7 (Remy, 75, 7).
Subs: Cech, Cuadrado, Azpilicueta, Loftus-Cheek.
Next up: Stoke (h), PL, April 4.
Bookings: Cahill, Matic
Goals: Hazard 2, Costa 9, Remy 77
Referee: M Oliver (Northumberland) 8.
Attendance: 24,598
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Star:
Hull 2 Chelsea 3: Blues grind out vital win after Remy wastes no time
SUPER-SUB Loic Remy stretched Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table to leave boss Jose Moruinho planning his next watch purchase.
By Ian Murtagh
Mourinho revealed last week, that he has celebrated all 21 major honours of his managerial career by buying a brand new watch and sticking the old one in the safe.
But if his side continue picking up points in this crazy manner, a Mickey Mouse timepiece might be more appropriate.
With Chelsea now six points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand, the clock is ticking for the chasing pack.
But there were times yesterday when the leaders looked ready to implode as they surrendered a two goal lead inside 10 comical minutes.
In the end, Remy came off the bench to silence the alarm bells, meeting Willian’s pull-back with a scuffed left-foot shot in the 77th minute which Hull keeper Allan McGregor should have kept out.
On the evidence of the first half, it was the Chelsea defence rather than his timepiece that Mourinho should consider replacing.
Vulnerability isn’t a word normally associated with Mourinho teams but there were times when Chelsea were a shambles defensively.
The uncertainty so evident during their recent Champions League exit at the hands of Paris St-Germain was there again with even the normally reliable Thibault Courtois providing a contender for clanger of the season.
Within four minutes of Eden Hazard spectacularly breaking the deadlock, Branislav Ivanovic played Abel Hernandes on-side as he latched on to Dame N’Doye’s flick, only to smash his shot far too close to the advancing Courtois.
That wasn’t Ivanovic’s only dodgy moment before the break though as he was caught out by Andy Roberton’s pace in the build-up to Hull’s first goal.
The Scotland international powered past the right back before delivering the perfect cross for fellow wing-back Ahmed Elmohamady to slide in ahead of a hesitant Filipe Luis and score at the far post.
Just 74 seconds later, Hull were level following an astonishing communication breakdown between Courtois and Ivanovic.
The keeper appeared more at fault meeting his team-mate’s back pass with a dreadful first touch as Gaston Ramirez closed him down and with Ivanovic not expecting the ball back. Hernandez was left with the simple task of firing into an empty net.
Hull did not feel sorry for themselves after going two down so early on but in contrast, Chelsea were shell-shocked and in a state of disarray after blowing a comfortable lead in a matter of moments.
It was Bruce’s men who had the upper hand for the rest of the first half.
No-one could have predicted such a dramatic turnaround after the league leaders’ blistering start.
To those who claim Mourinho’s men have lost their swagger in recent weeks, Hazard delivered an instant response.
The build-up was slick, the finish sublime. Ivanovic to Nemanja Matic to Diego Costa whose lay-off saw Hazard stride forward before unleashing an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box which gave McGregor no chance.
The Hull keeper was helpless again on nine minutes as Costa turned executioner.
There looked little on when he received Cesc Fabregas’ pass wide on the left but with Michael Dawson backing off, he curled a stunning right-foot shot past the Scot.
He might have scored again but put a header from a Luis cross over the bar but for the last 20 minutes of a rollercoaster first period, Chelsea barely broke out of their own half.
A sense of urgency returned to their play after the restart and Fabregas should have done better than drag his 49th minute shot wide after a mazy Hazard run had stretched the Hull backline.
But the afternoon was not going to plan and a clearly frustrated Costa was fortunate referee Michael Oliver failed to spot his elbow connecting with Jake Livermore’s chin as the pair grappled in the box.
Courtois redeemed himself for his earlier blunder, producing a breathtaking triple save to keep out efforts from Elmohamady, Ramirez and Livermore as Hull refused to accept the predicted script.
Costa trudged off in the 75th minute, clutching his left thigh but within two minutes, his replacement Remy pounced with his first touch, squeezing in between two defenders to convert Willian’s pass.
