Newcastle 3-0

Guardian:

Chelsea 3 Newcastle 0

Michy Batshuayi double helps Chelsea saunter past Newcastle in FA Cup

Daniel Taylor at Stamford Bridge


At the end of a stress-free victory for Antonio Conte’s men, Chelsea had safely navigated a passage into the FA Cup fifth round for the 18th time in 20 seasons and the crowd were standing to acclaim their manager after one of those intermittent periods – such is modern life at Stamford Bridge – when he has come under scrutiny for the apparent crime of not having the Premier League sewn up.

Chelsea’s supporters must know the drill by now, after all these years of Abramovich rule, but this was about as comfortable as it gets for Conte’s men and another reminder, perhaps, about the chasm that exists between the teams near the top of the Premier League and those towards the other end. Newcastle were obliging opponents and, if anything, it was a surprise Chelsea did not add more goals to go with the two Michy Batshuayi scored before half-time and Marcos Alonso’s expertly taken free-kick during a second half when the away team displayed a startling lack of self-belief.

For Newcastle, that makes it 12 years since they last reached the fifth round and they will have left Stamford Bridge knowing that the next time they play in this competition it will have been half a century since their ribbons fluttered from a trophy of any description.


Not too many Newcastle fans remember the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and their dissatisfaction could be heard in the form of several mutinous chants calling for an end to Mike Ashley’s ownership of the club. Those chants have become the soundtrack to Newcastle’s season and the unusually large expanse of empty seats in the away end told its own story. The early kick-off will not have helped travel arrangements but, in happier times for Newcastle, it would have been almost impossible to imagine this kind of diminished following for an FA Cup tie against the reigning league champions.

The ones who did make it still managed to make a fair old racket but it was a tepid performance from Newcastle and the game followed a familiar narrative bearing in mind Rafael Benítez’s team have managed only one point out of a possible 33 from their league encounters against top-10 sides this season. It felt like deja vu but it was particularly disappointing bearing in mind their inability to find out for themselves why Chelsea have found it such heavy going recently. Conte’s men had won only two of their previous seven fixtures since the turn of the year and one of those was in a penalty shootout against Norwich City in the previous round. Yet this was a breeze for the home side and Newcastle did not have the wit or gumption to do anything about it.


Instead, there was an air of inevitability once Batshuayi had followed up his first goal by letting fly just before half-time and finding his luck was in as the ball spun off Jamaal Lascelles to arch over the goalkeeper Karl Darlow and drop into the exposed net. Lascelles was unfortunate after throwing himself at the ball to block the shot but it must have been alarming for Benítez to see how easily his team had been opened up and the disruption in his back four.

At least there was a touch of refinement about the buildup to the first goal and, specifically, the curling through-ball that Pedro put behind Newcastle’s defence to leave Eden Hazard with the chance to run, one‑on‑one, at Chancel Mbemba. Hazard flicked the ball inside him to Alonso and the next touch fell invitingly for Batshuayi, six yards out, to fire in from the centre of goal. Batshuayi, the subject of a possible loan move to Seville, could be on his way out of Chelsea if Edin Dzeko joins from Roma. With that deal looking unlikely given that the former Manchester City striker has yet to agree personal terms, Conte, however, has indicated that he would prefer Batshuayi to stay.

Benítez spent just as long in the post-match press conference talking about his own potential transfer business – “Our fans are very clever, they know what’s going on,” he said – as he did the match itself, and Newcastle could certainly do with some more talented players.

It was a subdued response in the second half and an indictment of Benítez’s team that there was not one period of play when it felt as though they genuinely believed there was any way back. Alonso curled in the third goal from 25 yards for the game’s outstanding moment and Conte made sure to substitute Hazard, N’Golo Kanté and Pedro, keeping them back for more challenging assignments.




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Telegraph:


Chelsea 3 Newcastle United 0: Michy Batshuayi scores twice as Antonio Conte's men march on in the FA Cup


Ben Rumsby


He scored his 18th and 19th goals in just 18 Chelsea starts and his 10th in 10 this season on Sunday, but Michy Batshuayi was still facing being dispatched on loan before the transfer window closed.

With just three more days of player trading remaining, Batshuayi’s man-of-the-match performance against Newcastle United was the perfect opportunity for Antonio Conte to declare that the Belgian was going nowhere this month.

The fact he did not do so reinforced the impression Chelsea’s manager simply refuses to trust the striker to lead the line in the big games, having preferred Eden Hazard up front in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal.

The official line from Conte on Sunday remained that he would be “happy” were the 24-year-old to stay – even if he completed the signing of Edin Dzeko or another target man before 11pm on Wednesday – and that three strikers was the “minimum” required.

He also declared it was down to the player to ask to leave, with Batshuayi desperate for regular football in order to secure a place in Belgium’s World Cup squad, amid fierce competition up front.

Speaking about a player he claimed had “a lot of space for improvement”, Conte said: “If the club decides to add another player then I don’t know if Michy wants to stay or to go on loan. In this case, it would be a player decision, not my decision.”

That was after Batshuayi said about his own future: “It is not me but the boss so it is better you ask Conte.”

Even if he does stay, he might not even get to start Wednesday’s Premier League game against Bournemouth, with Conte revealing that Alvaro Morata would resume training on Monday following his back injury.


Scoring with his first two shots on target on Sunday, Batshuayi certainly proved that for all Conte’s complaints that seem destined to end his time at Chelsea, he is still able to field a side for which the likes of Newcastle have no answer.

Indeed, with Marcos Alonso also cracking in a trademark free-kick, it was easy to come away from the game with the impression that everything was fine and well at Stamford Bridge.

That is far from the case but at least Conte comfortably avoided a second cup exit inside five days and kept alive the prospect of what could prove his last match in charge in May’s FA Cup final.

After being denied the Double in that exact fixture in his debut season, it is a competition in which the Italian has unfinished business.


It is almost 12 years since Rafael Benitez’s sole FA Cup triumph, with Liverpool, and his decision to change half his outfield line-up here suggested it was always destined to become 13. Yet, there was none of the parking the bus by Benitez that so blighted Newcastle’s recent defeats against Manchester City.

Sensing Chelsea were there for the taking following the Carabao Cup defeat to Arsenal that drove a further wedge between Conte and his board, Benitez’s players barely gave them a moment’s peace.

They forced mistake after mistake, and when Massadio Haidara glided past Davide Zappacosta down the left and crossed for Jonjo Shelvey in the 25th minute, Willy Caballero was required to repel a near-post volley.

But the visitors were undone six minutes later after one of the balls of the season, Pedro's defence-splitting 40-yard pass perfectly into Hazard’s path.

Hazard, in turn, found Alonso, who gave Batshuayi the easiest of finishes unmarked in front of goal.

The goal failed to settle Chelsea and Dwight Gayle tested Caballero, who came to the rescue again when Danny Drinkwater presented the ball to Shelvey.

But it was simply not Newcastle’s day. First, Pedro, Hazard and Batshuayi combined again a minute before the break with another lightning raid that saw the latter’s finish loop up off Jamaal Lascelles and into the net. And after Shelvey and Ciaran Clark were both denied again by the excellent Caballero, Chelsea killed the game off with the second of two moments of magic from Alonso.

The first was a spectacular volley that might have flown in but for a deflection off Javier Manquillo, and the second a wonderful free-kick 18 minutes from time that left Karl Darlow clutching at air. Conte was philosophical afterwards about the time it was taking Chelsea to recruit a striker this month, saying the January transfer market was “not simple”.

Those sentiments about drafting in reinforcements were echoed by Benitez, who insisted 3-0 was not a fair reflection of Sunday’s game.

“We are trying to do business but we still have time – I hope we can do something,” he said.




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Mail:


Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle: Michy Batshuayi's double and a classy Marcos Alonso free-kick seal FA Cup win as Antonio Conte's side cruise into the last 16


By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail

Michy Batshuayi could not convert Antonio Conte with the goal which won the title at West Bromwich Albion or a late winner at Atletico Madrid or a hat-trick in the League Cup against Nottingham Forest.

So two more in the FA Cup against Newcastle — one tapped into an open goal and one assisted by an enormous deflection — are not going to transform his future at Chelsea.

As far as Conte is concerned, there is more to the matter than sheer weight of goals. The manager wants to see more technical polish during open play, an improvement in energy and mobility and greater team awareness from his centre forward.


Chelsea will continue their pursuit of Edin Dzeko from Roma and if they sign him — or any other centre forward before Wednesday's transfer deadline — they will consider Batshuayi's desire to leave on loan.

Sevilla are interested in taking him to Spain for the rest of the campaign but the clock is ticking and a series of midweek Premier League fixtures will complicate the final days of the January market.

If this turns out to be his final appearance of the season at Stamford Bridge, Batshuayi was at least able to savour it, having scored twice in the first-half to set the champions on the path to the last 16.


He celebrated with an emoji-laced tweet about his new hairdo, having moved into double figures for the season and enhanced an impressive goals-per-starts ratio.

Batshuayi has 19 goals in 18 starts plus 35 appearances as a substitute since his arrival from Marseille for £33million in the summer of 2016 and he might easily have finished this tie with a hat-trick.

Twice in the closing minutes he was denied by Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow, the first effort following a flash of fancy footwork which left Chancel Mbemba scrambling around on the turf, not for the first time.

Marcos Alonso scored Chelsea's third, a free-kick curled over the defensive wall and past Darlow in the second-half which added comfort to the win for last year's beaten finalists.

Newcastle's long wait for major silverware goes on and they rarely even get close any more.

It is 12 years since they made it to the FA Cup fifth round and Rafa Benitez sounded like a manager with other priorities as he dodged questions on the transfer window with an extensive range of enigmatic facial expressions but very few words of interest.

For half-an-hour on the pitch the Benitez strategy was encouraging. Newcastle defended in numbers with a back-five and an industrious midfield diamond behind Dwight Gayle, often marooned as the lone striker.

They were aggressive and physical, hustling Chelsea into mistakes on the ball and even managed to threaten occasionally on the counter-attack during the first-half.

Willy Caballero made the first save of the game from Jonjo Shelvey and was the busier goalkeeper before the interval but the game changed with Batshuayi's double inside 13 minutes.

Both goals came from sweeping attacking moves launched by from Pedro, from deep in Chelsea territory on the right to Eden Hazard advancing on the left.

Pedro released Hazard for the first with a magnificent pass, teased behind Mbemba, who had a difficult afternoon charged with the task of shackling the Belgian.

Hazard feinted to go outside and checked the ball inside, for the run of wing back Alonso who stabbed a pass across goal where Batshuayi tapped a simple finish into the unguarded net.

Pedro won possession for the second in a similar area and punished Newcastle on the turnover, again picking out Hazard who rolled a pass to Batshuayi.

Jamaal Lascelles slid at full stretch in an attempt to block the low drive but only managed to defect it and send the ball spiralling high over the head of stranded Darlow.

When it was 1-0, Caballero denied both Gayle, who rolled away from Antonio Rudiger, and Shelvey, who pounced when Danny Drinkwater was caught in possession on the edge of his own penalty box.

At 2-0, Chelsea's back-up keeper, deputising for Thibaut Courtois, produced an excellent save to ensure Mbemba did not reduce the deficit before half-time.

There were no such alarms for Conte's team after the interval as the deficit forced Newcastle to play with a little more adventure and created the space to make Chelsea more dangerous.

Darlow made an excellent save to keep out an outrageous volley by Alonso which clipped Javier Manquillo and made the work of the goalkeeper even more eye-catching.

Alonso did find the net, curling in a free-kick, 18 minutes from time, after a foul on Davide Zappacosta. It was a seventh goal of the season for the prolific wing-back.

With the tie settled and Bournemouth due at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, Conte took the chance to withdraw key men Hazard, N'Golo Kante and Pedro.

Ross Barkley came on for his home debut and there were rare opportunities for teenagers Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

A glimpse of the future perhaps but a future unlikely to include Batshuayi.


Chelsea (3-4-3): Caballero 7; Rudiger 6, Christensen 6, Cahill 6; Zappacosta 6.5, Kante 6.5 (Ampadu 77), Drinkwater 6, Alonso 7.5; Pedro 8 (Hudson-Odoi 81), Batshauyi 7, Hazard 7.5 (Barkley 73, 5)

Goalscorers: Batshuayi 31, 44, Alonso 72

Subs not used: Eduardo, Fabregas, Moses, Musonda.

Manager: Antonio Conte 7


Newcastle (5-3-1-1): Darlow 6.5; Manquillo 5.5 (Murphy 77), Mbemba 5, Lascelles 6, Clark 6, Haidara 6; Hayden 6 (Atsu 83), Saivet 6, Shelvey 6; Ritchie 5; Gayle 5 (Joselu 64, 5).

Bookings: Mbemba

Subs not used: Woodman, Dummett, Diame, Yedlin.

Manager: Rafa Benitez 6

Referee: Kevin Friend

Attendance: 41,049

Arsenal 1-2

Telegraph:

Arsenal 2 Chelsea 1 (2-1 on agg): Gunners strike lucky as they come from behind to reach final


Jason Burt



There is a post-Alexis Sánchez liberation to Arsenal who showed the character, belief and a new-found togetherness to come from behind and defeat Chelsea to reach the Carabao Cup final.

Having cursed their misfortune throughout the draining Sánchez saga, before he finally departed for Manchester United, Arsenal benefited from two huge slices of luck to win this semi-final.

Oh no, Antonio. Not just Antonio Conte – with the Chelsea head coach a study in frustration on the touchline – but his defender Antonio Rudiger who scored an own goal and then with another hapless intervention deflected the ball into the path of Granit Xhaka so the midfielder could poke home the winner on the hour. Both were pinball goals, the ball ricocheting around the Chelsea penalty area before finding the net.

For Arsène Wenger this was the sweetest of victories, gained also through a smart tactical switch at half-time – when Chelsea were dominant – as he reverted to a three-man defence, pushing Mohamed Elneny back from midfield. Chelsea failed to cope.

That Xhaka and Elneny, often so maligned by the home fans, were two of Arsenal’s most impressive performers – along, again, with Jack Wilshere - will have been all the more satisfying for Wenger who has now set up a Wembley showpiece for a 10th time in under four years. And Wenger has won on all those previous nine visits.


That includes three FA Cup final triumphs, the latest only last May, when Chelsea were defeated – Sánchez scored the first goal in that 2-1 win – and it is just one defeat in eight encounters for Arsenal against them. Given the dominance Chelsea used to enjoy over Wenger that is another satisfying recent turn of events for him.

The League Cup is a trophy that has eluded him, though, with Arsenal having last won it in 1993 and their most recent appearance in the final was the shambolic defeat by Birmingham City in 2011. Seven years later – a lucky seven Wenger will hope – Arsenal are back and although they will, of course, be underdogs against Manchester City on Feb 25 then they were also for the two legs of this semi-final against Chelsea.


Conte will lick his wounds. A League Cup will not define his time at Chelsea, or influence his future, but this was a bitter disappointment not least because he evidently feels his squad is stretched, especially up-front with Alvaro Morata injured and little faith in Michy Batshuayi. They are too dependent on Eden Hazard.

The Italian will have noted that transfer target Edin Dzeko scored for Roma while this tie was unfolding and he will also have to deal with the loss of Willian to injury. His departure proved crucial, in fact, as up until the Brazilian limped off in the first-half Chelsea were dominant and for his replacement Ross Barkley, making his first appearance since his £15 million move from Everton, and playing his first game since last May, it was a tough start.


Having thumped Crystal Palace, in the Premier League, in the first game since it was confirmed that Sanchez was definitely leaving, this was another impressive riposte even if Wenger admitted that his team appeared “scared to go for it” during the first-half.

That they rallied after conceding such a poor goal was to their credit, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan, swapped for Sanchez, watching from the stands as he is ineligible for this competition having featured for United in their shock quarter-final defeat away to Bristol City.


Mkhitaryan will have shuddered when Arsenal were torn apart inside 10 minutes in a moment that, briefly, knocked the wind out of them. Pedro already had the ball in the net – a header correctly ruled out for offside – and Shkodran Mustafi had already lazily made a mistake, with a sloppy pass, before both players were involved and Hazard opening the scoring.

N’Golo Kanté was allowed to stride forward and play a simple pass into Pedro and with Laurent Koscielny committed his defensive partner Mustafi simply did not track Hazard who easily stole through to collect Pedro’s delivery and calmly stroke his low shot into the net, off goalkeeper David Ospina. Little wonder Arsenal are keen to sign Jonny Evans.

It also stunned Arsenal into action with Chelsea’s reserve goalkeeper Willy Caballero having to react quickly to deny first Wilshere, as he broke through, and then Nacho Monreal with the follow-up.

The goalkeeper was hurt. And then he was beaten. Arsenal won a corner, met by Monreal, such an unlikely goal threat, with his header ricocheting first off Marcos Alonso’s head and then Rudiger’s before flying past Caballero.

Rudiger was unfortunate there and was again with the decisive goal. This time, into the second-half, he tracked Alexandre Lacazette’s run, along with Andreas Christensen, and as the striker tried to cut the ball back it rebounded off Rudiger’s leg and squirted goalwards for Xhaka to pounce.


Once ahead, oddly, Arsenal were rarely in trouble and they went closest to scoring again when Mesut Ozil broke and squared the ball to Alex Iwobi who elected to shoot first-time, allowing Caballero to block with his legs. Would Arsenal pay the price? There was pressure from Chelsea, Conte ran through his substitutions, but worryingly for them they did not carve out an opening.

“We are happy to take our fans to Wembley,” Wenger said, having had a pre-match dig at teams who are lauded despite not winning trophies. “We’ve been there a few times now,” he added, smiling.



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Guardian:


Granit Xhaka seals Arsenal place at Wembley at Chelsea’s expense

David Hytner at the Emirates Stadium


Antonio Rüdiger’s eyes widened in alarm. It could not be happening again, could it? The Chelsea defender had already got in the way of a deflected Nacho Monreal header to concede an own-goal equaliser in this helter-skelter Carabao Cup semi-final, second leg.

It was happening again. Alexandre Lacazette had found a small pocket of space following a forward surge but Chelsea looked to have him under control. The Arsenal striker dug out a low cross and, almost in slow motion, it deflected off Rüdiger to fall perfectly for Granit Xhaka. The Arsenal midfielder stretched out a leg and, following one more thump of Rüdiger’s heart, the ball was on its way into the far corner for the winner.


It had been impossible to separate these rivals over 90 minutes in four previous meetings this season and it felt as though it might take something freakish to do so this time. Rüdiger provided it and so Arsenal will face Manchester City in the final next month. Arsène Wenger has never won this competition. Is the wait about to end?

It was the most eclectic of tactical triumphs for the Arsenal manager. He had lined up in a 4-3-3 formation but, after a wobbly start, he switched to a system with wing-backs and Mohamed Elneny in front of the three centre-halves.

Wenger’s more advanced midfielders interchanged positions, with Mesut Özil in a particularly free role. Jack Wilshere said that “we might have got the formation wrong in the first 25 minutes”.


Wenger firmed up his changes at the interval and, by the end, he had Elneny in the middle of his three-man defence, Sead Kolasinac – a substitute – in front of the left wing-back, Monreal, and Özil roaming as a false nine.

The new signing from Manchester United, Henrikh Mkhitaryan – who was cup-tied – watched from behind the bench. Wenger had been asked on Tuesday where he intended to play him. “Centre-back, on the right,” he began. On this evidence anything is possible.

It was difficult to fathom, at times, but it worked. Arsenal deserved to progress to Wembley for a 10th time in four seasons – they have won each of the previous nine – and they never looked as though they would surrender the advantage that Xhaka gave them. Willy Caballero, the Chelsea goalkeeper, came up for a last-gasp corner but it came to nothing.

Eden Hazard apart, Chelsea were off-colour and their cause was not helped when Willian felt his hamstring on the half-hour and was forced off. Conte suggested that the problem was not too serious but he launched into a post-match speech about the pressures on his small squad. These kind of injuries, he suggested, were the result of players playing too much.

Where were the reinforcements from the transfer market? Conte’s frustration was obvious and, he continued, the situation was not an overnight phenomenon.

“It is the same from the summer,” Conte said. He went on to lay the blame at the club’s board. They decided on every player, he said. “For sure, I don’t have a big impact on the transfer market,” he added. Conte’s future at Stamford Bridge is already in doubt. This felt like him picking an argument.

The tie had crackled to life at the outset, with Chelsea pressing and Arsenal making mistakes. Alex Iwobi and Shkodran Mustafi erred with loose passes and the home crowd howled. Pedro had a fifth-minute header correctly disallowed for offside before he sent Hazard through and the forward beat David Ospina.


Arsenal responded. Caballero blocked from Wilshere and then pawed the ball clear of the onrushing Monreal before Rüdiger suffered his first moment of misfortune. Monreal’s header from Özil’s corner hit Marcos Alonso before ricocheting off Rüdiger and flying past Caballero.

Conte described the loss of Willian as “decisive”. It led to a debut off the bench for Ross Barkley but Conte made the point that the January signing, bought from Everton for £15m, was not yet fully assimilated. It was Barkley’s first appearance since last May and Unsurprisingly, he looked off the pace.

The attacking options of both teams were under the microscope. With Arsenal pushing hard to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund, Lacazette needed a big game but he was restricted to feeding off scraps.

On Chelsea’s side it remains plain that Conte does not trust Michy Batshuayi. With Álvaro Morata injured he preferred Hazard as a false nine. Meanwhile the club’s target, Edin Dzeko, played for Roma and he scored a last-minute equaliser against Sampdoria.

Xhaka and Özil went close before the interval while Hazard slipped as he ran through early in the second half. Iwobi might have made the closing stages more comfortable for Arsenal had he finished from Özil’s cross on 76 minutes but Wenger’s team had done enough.



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Mail:


Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea (agg 2-1): Gunners come from behind to book place at Wembley as Granit Xhaka pokes in to secure Carabao Cup semi-final victory


By Martin Samuel


A goal and an assist. Not the worst night for Antonio Rudiger. Unfortunately…

The goal was Arsenal's first-half equaliser; the assist, their second-half winner. Not that Rudiger could have done much about either. These were hapless deflections more than horrible errors, a scruffy influence on what was often a scruffy game. Not that Arsenal were complaining.

This win takes them to Wembley again, for the first domestic cup final since their last visit in May. Manchester City will be favourites on the day, of course, but so were Chelsea over two legs here. Arsenal were decent value for their win, though, even if Chelsea will rue the chances missed by Alvaro Morata in the first game. They could have had a reasonable cushion here.


Instead they were vulnerable to random twists of fate. A header twice deflected on its way to goal, a cross diverted straight to the feet of Arsenal's matchwinner, Granit Xhaka. The winner came after 60 minutes, Arsenal having fought back from an early goal down. By then, they were in the ascendancy, despite Eden Hazard doing his utmost to drag Chelsea back into the game. To no avail: after Arsenal took the lead, they also had the best chance of the final 30 minutes. Had Alex Iwobi taken it, the last five minutes would have been considerably less tense – not to mention four minutes injury time.

Chelsea even got a corner, the final play of the game. Ross Barkley had one job on his debut – make sure he didn't plant it into the first red shirt. He failed and Michael Oliver blew the final whistle. It was an inauspicious start for Chelsea's new signing. He hadn't played a competitive first-team game since May, and it showed.

The winner was fortunate but not undeserved overall. Alexandre Lacazette, quiet otherwise, held the ball up well on the right against Andreas Christensen, before attempting a cross which clipped the legs of Rudiger. Having already diverted the ball into his own net with his head, he could have done with a break. He didn't get it.

The rebound took the ball directly to Xhaka, who prodded it past second-string goalkeeper Willy Caballero. Ah well. A Carabao Cup final appearance is hardly going to influence the long term future of Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. These things do matter to Arsenal though. They may be losing ground in the league, but Arsene Wenger he has turned them into an excellent cup side and some would even argue those recent successes have extended his tenure.


It was with 14 minutes remaining that Iwobi should have wrapped the game up, but he hit his shot directly at Caballero with plenty of time and space. He will be pleased that, unlike Morata, he was not made to pay for his wastefulness.

Indeed, the poor souls who paid good money for the first leg of this, must have followed the rematch with a degree of envy. There was more action, and certainly more goals, in the first 12 minutes than they enjoyed in 90 at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had the ball in the net, disallowed on a tight – but right – offside call after five minutes, scored legitimately after seven, and saw their lead erased five minutes later. And those were not the only opportunities in a frenetic opening spell.

It was more like the league game here, earlier this month, which finished 2-2 and could have been 5-5. At times it resembled one of those pick-up matches over the park, players doing as they pleased with scant regard for shape. Only as the game wore on did it become more structured, Wenger in particular tinkering between a back four, a three, and then four again, as he sought to contain Chelsea. He has done a job on them over these two ties – an intriguing reversal of a familiar pattern.

The VAR was in play on Wednesday night – as the Carabao Cup continued its random quest for truth – and Oliver used it at the first opportunity. Cesar Azpilicueta clipped the ball through, Pedro sprinted away from Arsenal's back line and steered a header past David Ospina. It looked too good to be true; and was. Scott Ledger's flag was up and the VAR rerun showed him to be correct. Pedro was off, but not by much. Arsenal could not afford to leave gaps in their ranks like that again. Being Arsenal, they failed to learn this rather obvious lesson.

So two minutes later, they paid. It was a lovely, fluent passing move, started by N'Golo Kante, who fed the ball into Pedro, his deft flick finding Hazard exploiting a hole in the middle of Arsenal's defence that the team bus could have driven through. Unlike Morata, Hazard made no mistake, slipping the ball past Ospina without fuss.

Arsenal should have equalised within two minutes. Jack Wilshere has been in great form for Arsenal of late, but his touch was poor when put through by a pinger of a pass from Iwobi. Wilshere's heavy control diverted the ball into the path of Cabellero, sustaining a minor knock. Not that it had any influence on Arsenal's equaliser minutes later.

No goalkeeper could have kept the ball out from its zig-zag path to goal. Nacho Monreal won the header but from there, the ball took on a life of its own. It hit Marcos Alonso on the head, rebounded off the head of Rudiger and defeated Caballero utterly. He might have reacted to the first ricochet, but the second left him stranded.

Hazard remained the danger, though, although the anger the home fans directed at him for a perceived dive in the second-half was misplaced. He had already been booked for a foul on Mesut Ozil when he went through on goal, but lost his footing, and fell. Yet what would once have been a source of harmless merriment was now a cause for fury. The locals wanted him booked for diving, and therefore sent off. It would have been a travesty.

There was no appeal from Hazard, no attempt to make capital of the situation. He tripped. That was all. Footballers have to be free to fall over without being accused of simulation. Sometimes it truly is no more than a slippy floor.


Arsenal (4-3-3): Ospina 6; Bellerin 6, Koscielny 6.5, Mustafi 6, Monreal 7; Wilshere 7, Elneny 7.5, Xhaka 6.5; Iwobi 6 (Ramsey 84), Lacazette 6 (Kolasinac 84), Ozil 7

Subs not used: Macey (GK), Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Nelson, Nketiah

Goal: Rudiger (OG) 12, Xhaka 60

Booked: Wilshere, Monreal


Chelsea (3-4-3): Caballero 6.5; Azpilicueta 6, Christensen 6, Rudiger 5; Moses 6 (Zappacosta 72, 6), Kante 7, Bakayoko 6, Alonso 6; Pedro 6 (Batshuayi, 65, 5), Hazard 7, Willian 6.5 (Barkley 30, 5)

Subs not used: Eduardo (GK), Drinkwater, Cahill, Luiz

Goal: Hazard 7

Booked: Hazard, Moses


Referee: Michael Oliver

Attendance: 58,964


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Brighton 4-0

Telegraph:

Brighton 0 Chelsea 4: Eden Hazard at unstoppable best as visitors take advantage of accommodating hosts

Ben Rumsby

Who needs a new striker when Eden Hazard is in the mood and the other team make it so easy to score?

Having been linked with almost every target man going after failing to win a game outside a penalty shoot-out this year, it took less than six minutes for Chelsea to show they could cope without one here.

It helped that Hazard was at his  unstoppable best and that Brighton were also so accommodating.

Manager Chris Hughton’s decision to axe half his outfield line-up and switch to a three-man defence backfired badly at the home side’s end of the field. So much so that a Chelsea team that had failed to score in three of their past five games, and were without the suspended Alvaro Morata and Pedro, looked like finding the net every time they attacked.

Hazard did so inside three minutes, shifting the ball expertly and drilling home after Dale Stephens had unwittingly prodded Victor Moses’s cross straight at him.

The Belgian was at the heart of a  sublime second as well, a one-touch box-of-tricks of a move involving Michy Batshuayi and Willian, with a finish to match by the Brazilian.


And Hazard scored a trademark third 13 minutes from time, Willian’s raking pass finding the tricky attacker, who raced goalward, waited for goalkeeper Matthew Ryan to commit, and passed the ball into the net.

The only goal that Hazard was not involved in was the fourth goal at the death, which came courtesy of sub Charly Musonda picking out Moses with an even better ball over the top, which the full-back took in his stride and side-footed into the corner.

Chelsea could have had even more goals but for Ryan, who saved from Tiemoue Bakayoko and also Willian, brilliantly tipping the latter’s free-kick on to a post.

Manager Antonio Conte refused to join the Hazard love-in afterwards, calling for all his goalscorers to refocus ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Arsenal.

“For us, it’s important that Hazard, Willian and Moses all score,” he said. “But, from tomorrow, every single player that scored today has to forget he scored and must try and score again against Arsenal.”

The Italian was more keen to praise the character of a squad ravaged by  injury and suspension, with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois joining Morata, Pedro, Cesc Fabregas and Gary Cahill on the sidelines.

“Despite this, we won 4-0,” Conte said. That means that every player  deserves his chance, and every player has to fight to play. Now we have to continue in this way.


“Every player today showed a great responsibility. For this reason, I’m very happy because every player felt this  responsibility. To grow in this aspect is very important for us.”

If there was any part of the field in which this game highlighted Chelsea’s need for reinforcements, it was in goal, judging by Willy Caballero’s antics in Courtois’s absence.

He was extremely lucky not to  concede a penalty when he palmed the ball straight to Ezequiel Schelotto  before lunging at the full-back – a Video Assistant Referee would not have overturned a spot-kick award.

The same might well be said about another first-half call when the same Brighton player appeared to be shoved by Bakayoko, only for referee Jon Moss to wave play-on and book him for his furious protests.

Hughton said: “I thought they were both penalties. I was probably more disappointed with the first one because it was an incident waiting to happen.

“The goalkeeper came out and there was always going to be a decision to be made. If that goes in, it’s 2-1. It gives you that bit of momentum and something to search for.

“Hugely disappointed. We had a few opportunities, two penalty appeals. Hence, why I don’t think it’s a true  reflection of the game.”

Three days after Chelsea became the victim of the first error of the VAR trials taking place in the FA Cup and League Cup, Conte said only that he thought the two incidents were the kind technology would help clear up in future.

“I can tell you that the new system – if we learn to use it very quickly – can help a lot to avoid big mistakes if there are big mistakes,” he said.


VAR could have also seen Hazard booked for simulation when he initiated contact on the edge of the box.

Caballero was not all bad either, producing a superb reaction save from Tomer Hemed’s header from six yards, clawing the ball away with his left hand having already moved to his right. But Hemed should have scored for a team whose own striker search ended on Friday with the £14 million club record signing of Jurgen Locadia, who was  paraded before kick-off.

The only side in the league without a point against any of the top six and  having won only one of their previous 12 games – failing to score in eight of them – Brighton also hit the woodwork through a Davy Propper header and saw the omnipresent Schelotto poke straight at Caballero.

By that stage, Chelsea had already lost Andreas Christensen to a nasty head injury after he was led off the field by Moss, having tried to play on. The Denmark defender had been allowed to continue following an assessment and his departure raised questions about that call.

Chelsea were adamant afterwards that all the correct protocols had been followed and that Christensen had a “contusion” rather than concussion, which would have ruled him out of Wednesday’s game.

“We made a substitution, but the player didn’t want to come off,” Conte said. “The referee tried to force this substitution. It was a simple contusion. The player is OK. From tomorrow’s training session, he’s ready.”

Brighton threw on midfielder Beram Kayal and top scorer Glenn Murray with a quarter of the game remaining but any faint hope was snuffed out by Hazard and Moses.



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


Mail:


Brighton 0-4 Chelsea: Eden Hazard brace inspires Antonio Conte's side to a first win in five games as Willian and Victor Moses also find the net


By Riath Al-samarrai for The Mail on Sunday


Chelsea have sent for a giant but this attack will always be at its best when the ball finds their little man of wonders. What a glorious mess Eden Hazard made of Brighton here.

He was truly exceptional, a 5ft 7in tornado that swirled into town and left Chris Hughton repeatedly shaking his head at the carnage of it all. What else can a manager do when such a talent is in such a vicious mood?

There were his two goals, scored after the 3rd and 77th minutes, each of which was excellent in its execution. There was also his backheel contribution to Willian’s strike three minutes after the opener, which might rank as the best team goal of the season.


Magnificent stuff even before you factor in the single dummy that threw three Brighton players off balance and his numerous other collaborations with Willian, his partner in a quite thrilling series of crimes. Neither man is taller than 6ft; each of them landed heavyweight punches on a team that usually looks extremely robust at this ground.

Whatever can be offered by the big new striker that Antonio Conte has requested - the rather leftfield list put forward to him by the club has included Edin Dzeko, Christian Benteke, Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch – they will not play with anything like the same razzmatazz.

Of course, that is not to denigrate the idea of a Plan B as a bad one, because it does make sense. Michy Batshuayi has been poor as a target man, even if this was one of his better games, and the suspended Alvaro Morata is horribly out of form. When nothing is working, they need something new to turn to and a big man would offer variety.

But there is also no denying how wonderful Chelsea look going forward when Plan A is going well and this game was an example of that. Indeed, when they attack as well as they did here, why would you ever want the ball to leave the ground?

That is not to say their first win in six matches in all competitions was easy - Chelsea’s backline was often poor and Brighton were always game. If the home side had more luck with the officiating, then who knows, because they were simply robbed of a penalty when Willy Caballero tripped Ezequiel Schelotto on 15 minutes. Certainly a VAR would not have missed the obvious.

A second appeal by Schelotto 20 minutes later against Tiemoue Bakayoko was also waved off, leaving something of a bad taste in Hughton’s mouth.

‘I was probably more disappointed with the first but I thought they were both penalties,’ he said.

Neither was given and so Chelsea regain their footing in the fight for the top four and quell some of the unease that quickly tends to spread at this club. Conte was defensive of the club’s form after this one, pointing to a 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions, even if his statistics were a little out.

When asked if the club had been in ‘crisis’, the Italian said: ‘Whoever said this has to pay attention to the stats. We're unbeaten in 14 games. It's normal that the press try to see the negative aspect and don't see the positives. But this team, with many problems, are unbeaten in 14 games in every competition.

‘This means we are performing important work despite five players out: Cesc Fabregas, Danny Drinkwater, (Thibaut) Courtois, two suspensions in Pedro and Morata. Despite this, we won 4-0.’

Against the backdrop of those injuries and suspensions, this was an impressive result. Even more so considering the holes in the Chelsea defence, underpinned by Caballero, whose repeated mishandling of high balls landed them in trouble.

Their first goal came on three minutes, with Hazard in the right place to tuck away a Victor Moses cross that had been deflected his way by Dale Stephens.

But the second - now that was something. All Brighton did wrong was give in to a little pressure, with Lewis Dunk playing carelessly near the halfway line. Ordinarily, they might have been fine given the traffic in Chelsea’s path to goal, but the burst from Willian and two backheels in sequence by Hazard and Michy Batshuayi saw to that.

In a blink, that rotation of one-touch passes had cut Brighton apart and put Willian in possession just inside the area. He lashed his shot into the top corner. Beautiful.

Brighton were denied their penalty appeals in pursuit of a way back and also caused serious scares when Tomer Hemed had a header saved and Davy Propper hit the bar. Chance creation wasn’t a problem but conversion has been a recurring issue this season, so the hope is that Jurgen Locadia, their new £14.1m signing from PSV Eindhoven, will drastically improve the productivity of this side. They need it.

Without goals, they were further picked apart by Hazard, whose run and strike for Chelsea’s third was a delight. Victor Moses buried the fourth after a lovely ball over the top by Charly Musonda.

Not bad from a side looking to revamp their attack.


Brighton (3-4-2-1): Ryan 7; Goldson 5.5, Duffy 5.5, Dunk 5; Schelotto 7, Stephens 6, Propper 6.5, Suttner 6.5; Gross 6 (Kayal 68, 6), March 7 (Izquierdo 83); Hemed 5.5 (Murray 68, 6)

Subs not used: Hunemeier, Baldock, Rosenior, Krul

Booked: Schelotto, Duffy, Goldson

Manager: Chris Hughton 6.5


Chelsea (3-4-3): Caballero 6; Azpilicueta 6, Christensen 7 (Luiz 58, 6), Rudiger 6; Moses 6.5, Bakayoko 7, Kante 7, Alonso 6.5 (Zappacosta 75, 6); Willian 8 (Musonda 81), Batshuayi 7, Hazard 8.5

Subs not used: Eduardo, Sterling, Ampadu, Barkley.

Goalscorers: Hazard 3, 77, Willian 8, Moses 89

Manager: Antonio Conte 7


Referee: Jonathan Moss 5

MOM: Eden Hazard



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


Observer:

Eden Hazard at the double after Chelsea punish Brighton’s slack start


Dominic Fifield at the Amex Stadium



This was not necessarily the breeze for the champions suggested by the scoreline yet, in the end, Chelsea’s first league win of the year felt restorative and will be remembered most for the exquisitely incisive rat-a-tat of passes which earned them breathing space.

There was something hypnotic about that early exchange between Willian, Michy Batshuayi and the irrepressible Eden Hazard, a flurry of accurate touches fizzed first time at breakneck speed while six Brighton players, all in the vicinity, were left feeling dizzy.

None came close to an interception, each Chelsea touch dropping them further off the pace, before Batshuayi eventually flicked Willian free to rip a finish gloriously beyond the diving Mathew Ryan from just inside the area. This attack has been toothless over recent weeks, their centre-forwards enduring mid-season crises of confidence and the approach play too often running aground. Those deficiencies had prompted the emergency calls querying the availability of Andy Carroll and Peter Crouch, plus Christian Benteke and Edin Dzeko. But this was also a timely reminder of the current crop’s devastating best.


Chelsea are a team capable of slicing opponents apart on the counter, and a collective inspired by Hazard’s jaw-dropping talent. The Belgian had already scored by the time he joined the celebratory huddle sparked by Willian’s fine finish. Having gratefully accepted Victor Moses’ cutback, prodded to him tentatively by Dale Stephens on the stretch, Hazard sent the 100th league goal of a career spent in France and England beyond Ryan.

“Against a player of his ability, you just hope you have a good day and can stifle them a bit with your system, or individuals can,” Chris Hughton said. “You know he’ll produce moments like he did. You just hope they don’t lead to goals. Unfortunately, today they did.”

His 101st league goal would be scored before the end, Hazard scurrying unchecked from inside his own half before cutting across the penalty area and finishing crisply into the far corner. Whenever the visitors were permitted a gallop, they revelled. Ryan alone denied Willian and Batshuayi further reward, the former after another glorious move comprising a dummy from Hazard, a clever touch from Batshuayi, and a return skip and pass from the No 10. There is no living with Chelsea when they find rhythm as upbeat as this.

Brighton have lost all seven games against the top six this season, scoring once, though this was no meek surrender. Until wilting at the last, the hosts had carried a threat, usually from Pascal Gross’s delivery, but were undermined by profligacy and, as Hughton suggested, refereeing oversights.

Tomer Hemed’s inability to bury a close-range header from a Gross cross felt wasteful, providing another reminder of why Jürgen Locadia, a club record £14m signing from PSV Eindhoven who was paraded on the turf before kick-off, could be key once recovered from a hamstring injury.

Willy Caballero was unconvincing, particularly at set plays, as he deputised in the Chelsea goal for the injured Thibaut Courtois, who should return from an ankle injury on Wednesday at Arsenal. Davy Pröpper would loop a header on to the top of a post early in the second half, which summed up Brighton’s luck.


Their real frustration lay at Jon Moss’s refusal to award a penalty after the excellent Ezequiel Schelotto had tumbled over Caballero’s outstretched left leg. The goalkeeper later said “it didn’t feel as if I touched him” but, even if the referee’s view of the incident had been blocked, his assistant was perfectly placed to see the contact which brought the Italy international down.

“He was 20 yards away from it,” Hughton said. “It was an incident waiting to happen and there was always going to be a decision to make, so I’m hugely disappointed.” Schelotto would be booked for dissent before the break after tangling with Tiémoué Bakayoko in the box, with Moss again waving away the penalty appeals.

Schelotto’s exasperat ion rather summed up Brighton’s mood, with their industry unrewarded throughout, even after Andreas Christensen had retired with “a contusion” according to Antonio Conte, after a clash of heads. Chelsea were quick to insist the Dane had shown no signs of concussion.

They would rouse themselves again courtesy of Hazard’s second before, minutes from time, the substitute Charly Musonda produced a fine pass from deep that Moses collected and converted after easing away from Markus Suttner.

After weeks of frustration which masked the reality they are unbeaten in 12 matches in all competitions, Chelsea could bask in the infliction of a thrashing

Norwich 1-1 (aet, 5-3 pens)

Guardian:

Hazard penalty puts Chelsea through against Norwich on dramatic Cup night

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

The anarchy into which this tie descended through extra-time actually made Chelsea’s eventual progress feel almost incidental. Antonio Conte had cause to celebrate Willy Caballero’s fine save and a perfect quintet of penalties in the shootout, but he was still a man on the edge long after the final whistle. So much of this had been the stuff of nightmares.
He could curse Norwich City’s hugely merited equaliser deep into stoppage time at the end of the 90 minutes, a flicked header from Jamal Lewis which thrust the hosts into an extra period they must have dreaded given their cluttered schedule. But then there were the trio of home players booked for diving, and the dismissals for Pedro and Álvaro Morata – two of those who had gone to ground – for second bookable offences in the last three minutes. The second red card prompted one irate home supporter to encroach on the penalty area to berate the referee, Graham Scott.

By then, heckles had been raised with no one inside the stadium clear when the official was referring decisions to the video assistant referee, Mike Jones. Willian’s caution, despite appearing to have been clipped by Timm Klose in the penalty box at the start of extra time, had apparently not been reviewed by Scott, presumably as Jones did not deem it to have been a clear and obvious mistake.
Conte, infuriated on the touchline, frantically shouted “VAR” while gesticulating for its use at a helpless fourth official. He was still simmering as Eden Hazard stroked home the hosts’ fifth penalty to quell Norwich’s challenge once and for all.

The wounds inflicted here will pursue them to Brighton on Saturday lunchtime. Pedro, booked for a dive and then a foul on Wes Hoolahan, and Morata will be missing at the Amex Stadium, the latter having first been cautioned for tumbling away from Christoph Zimmermann and then shown a second yellow for protesting the referee’s decision. That will presumably offer Michy Batshuayi, a player Chelsea would be willing to loan to Sevilla if a replacement could be purchased, another opportunity on the south coast, with the Belgian having at least emerged from a disjointed first-half display to pilfer his side’s lead from Kenedy’s low centre.

Morata had replaced him nine minutes from time and might have scored to settle the tie, steering a header wide of the far post, but Norwich had carried a threat on the counter throughout and eventually plucked reward. Nelson Oliveira and Josh Murphy had already struck the woodwork when, just as their opportunity appeared to have gone, with Chelsea seeking to close down the contest, they rallied four minutes into added time. Klose’s centre was optimistic but Lewis, a 19-year-old graduate of Norwich’s youth system, infiltrated space between centre-halves to head in the equaliser off the far post.

Thereafter, Angus Gunn kept the hosts at bay as Conte flung Hazard and the cavalry into the fray in the hope Premier League quality might tell. The Manchester City loanee’s brilliance in extra-time, denying Willian and Morata twice from close range, took the breath away. He had been just as acrobatic in tipping Danny Drinkwater’s earlier effort on to the crossbar at full stretch. The England under-21 international goalkeeper’s only frustration was his inability to muster a save in the shoot-out though, in truth, that could not be counted against him. Caballero, denying Oliveira, pulled off the decisive intervention.

For a team who have seen five experienced players depart Carrow Road since the original tie, this was still an admirable display from the Championship side even if that might have been lost amid the controversy. Klose might even have plundered the latest of winners with a free header in what time remained after Morata’s dismissal. “There are players in our dressing room with tears in their eyes,” said Daniel Farke, Norwich’s manager. “We were so close to creating a really big, big sensation.” Newcastle will hope to go one better when they visit in the fourth round.

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

Mail:

Chelsea 1-1 Norwich (aet, 5-3 pens)

By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail
In the end, penalties proved Chelsea's salvation as they staggered into the FA Cup fourth round but for 120 minutes penalties seemed set to be their downfall.
Pedro, Willian and Alvaro Morata were all booked for diving as they tried in vain to win spot-kicks for their team — with Pedro and Morata later sent off by referee Graham Scott.
Pedro was shown a second yellow card for a foul and Morata saw red for his angry reaction when Scott punished the striker for simulation.

Antonio Conte leapt around his technical area, locked in animated discussion with fourth official Andre Marriner. No matter how many times Conte mimed the shape of a TV set there would be no intervention from the referee's video assistant Mike Jones. All of this made for a tense and confusing third-round replay.
Of the three flashpoints, Willian's tumble in the first half of extra time was the most controversial.
Timm Klose did not win the ball and he slid in and made contact with the Brazilian player as he dribbled through a crowded penalty box. Even Klose admitted afterwards he thought it was a foul. Scott, however, was sure it was not and booked the Brazilian.

When it came to Pedro and Morata, the video evidence supported the officials.
Chelsea's players were diving out of desperation and it backfired with the Willian decision.
'A big, big mistake,' said Conte. 'Not for the referee on the pitch but the referee watching the TV. He can improve and he must improve.'
The second yellow for Pedro, for a tired, mistimed slide tackle on Wes Hoolahan, was impossible to dispute. And the referee was quite within his rights to send off Morata for dissent. Conte will be without them both when Chelsea go to Brighton in the Premier League on Saturday lunchtime.
Extra time, penalties and two suspensions will do little to ease his anxieties about the congested fixture schedule.

Having spent most of the game appealing for penalties which were not given, the tie was settled by spot-kicks. Willy Caballero saved Norwich's first, taken by Nelson Oliveira, and Chelsea were unerring.
Eden Hazard stepped forward to convert the winning penalty and secure a fourth-round tie against Newcastle. Norwich boss Daniel Farke said his beaten players were moved to tears in the dressing room having come so close to a major FA Cup upset.
The tie never seemed likely to become so fraught or emotional when Michy Batshuayi opened the scoring early in the second half.
Willian and Kenedy linked up in a tight area on the Chelsea left and Batshuayi escaped the attentions of Grant Hanley to find space to meet the cross at the near post.

Norwich's stubborn resistance had finally been broken and the much-maligned Batshuayi was able to celebrate his first goal at senior level since mid-October.
The goal transformed the contest from a tight affair into a high-tempo thriller. Norwich ventured forward and played with more risk.
Josh Murphy hit a post with a bouncing volley and Caballero made a fabulous low save to thwart James Maddison.

The clock had ticked into the fourth minute of added time by the time Jamal Lewis levelled. Klose swung in a hopeful cross from the left flank and the teenager arrived to glance a header past Caballero and in off the far post.
Conte had already abandoned his plans to give his first-teamers a night off. Morata, Andreas Christensen and N'Golo Kante were sent on while his team were defending their lead and Hazard was sent on in extra time.
How Chelsea rued a cluster of missed chances early in the game. Norwich barely made it out of their own territory during the opening half-hour but when they did Oliveira almost gave them the lead.

Batshuayi, deep in his own half, played a sloppy crossfield pass straight to the striker 30 yards from goal and his instant shot swerved past Caballero, clipped the bar and bounced over.
Norwich took confidence from the near miss and grew into the game. Their momentum was set back by Batshuayi's goal but they refused to give up.
Morata missed two good chances to settle the tie before teenager Lewis took the game into a frenzied extra time period when the VAR system was tested. If it worked at Leicester on Tuesday, this was less clear.

HOW THE CRAZY NIGHT UNFOLDED
55min: After an uneventful first half, Michy Batshuayi puts Chelsea ahead with a close-range finish.
62min: Referee Graham Scott books Pedro for a blatant dive in the box after skipping past Norwich goalkeeper Angus Gunn.
90+4min: Jamal Lewis sends the game into extra time when he heads in Timm Klose's cross.
91min: Willian goes down in the box after appearing to be clipped by Klose but Scott does not give a penalty. Despite replays showing contact, the Video Assistant Referee does not overturn Scott's decision as it was not an 'obvious' error and Willian is booked for diving.
95min: This time it's Morata shouting for a penalty, making the TV sign to the referee after falling under a Klose challenge, but no spot-kick is given.
109min: Scott waves away claims for another Chelsea penalty after Klose blocks a shot and the ball appears to hit his arm.
118min: Pedro is given his marching orders, picking up his second yellow card for chopping down Wes Hoolahan to halt a Norwich counter-attack.
120min: Morata becomes the third Chelsea player to be booked for diving after he goes down rather easily under a Christoph Zimmermann challenge. Morata reacts angrily to referee Scott, who promptly brandishes a second yellow for dissent and sends off the striker!

CHELSEA XI (3-4-3): Caballero; Ampadu (Christensen 81 mins), Luiz, Azpilicueta; Zappacosta, Drinkwater (Hazard 100), Bakayoko, Kenedy (Kante 87); Willian, Batshuayi (Morata 81), Pedro
Subs not used: Eduardo, Musonda, Sterling
Goal: Batshuayi 55
Booked:  Pedro, Willian, Morata
Sent off: Pedro, Morata  

NORWICH XI (3-4-3): Gunn; Hanley (Cantwell 86 (Stiepermann 120), Zimmermann, Klose; Pinto (Tettey 116), Reed (Hoolahan 82), Vrancic, Lewis; Oliveira, Maddison, Murphy.
Subs not used: McGovern, Husband, Raggett
Goal: Lewis 90+4
Booked: Maddison 
Referee: Graham Scott
Attendance: 39,684

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

Leicester 0-0

Telegraph:

Chelsea 0 Leicester City 0: Stalemate at Stamford Bridge as Blues fail to overcome 10-man Leicester

Sam Wallace

There was a time when every decision Antonio Conte made seemed destined to yield results, from his radical new formations to his substitutions, which is why when he replaced Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas before the hour without even a sympathetic glance, one assumed that a goal was coming.

Conte is not a man who is prepared to die wondering what might have been and yet as his Chelsea side failed to overcome a Leicester City team down a man for the last 22 minutes plus stoppage time after Ben Chilwell’s red card, their manager was out of options. This was the club’s third consecutive goalless draw, after those in the FA Cup and EFL Cup, and while their defence of the Premier League title has long since turned to dust, this one felt the most damaging of all.

Much of the blame will rest on Alvaro Morata, now five goals without a game, and given his fragile confidence this was the wrong time to run into the outstanding Harry Maguire, winning challenges and carrying the ball clear like a farmer delighting in his new 4x4. Even when Chilwell was sent off for two yellow cards within the space of six minutes, the second of which was for a reckless challenge on Victor Moses, there was no breaking Leicester.     

The most damning verdict was Conte’s response to Hazard and Fabregas, the creative soul of his team, early in the second half when the Italian did not even bother to wait for an hour before he hauled both of them off. Hazard did his best to suppress his displeasure at the indignity of it but Conte had clearly seen enough for him to feel that Pedro was a better option than one of the Premier League’s finest players.

Hazard was overshadowed by Riyad Mahrez, especially in the first half, when his flickering feet and bursts of acceleration was a constant source of concern for Chelsea’s left-sided defender Antonio Rudiger, who nevertheless stuck grimly to his task. There was frustration at Conte’s line-up with a five-man midfield that included another full game for Tiemoue Bakayoko, a more obvious substitution, it appeared, when Conte tried to ramp up the pressure with Pedro and Willian.


There were boos for Chelsea at the final whistle, and afterwards Conte defended his players citing the exertions of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal, although it should be noted that Hazard felt fresh enough to attend the NBA game at the O2 Arena. Their manager rejected the notion that he should jettison the unpopular 3-5-2 in favour of last season’s title-winning 3-4-3 system and said that he just did not have the players.

And there was the mandatory response to the latest Jose Mourinho intervention, Conte responding to the Manchester United manager’s view that he held his counterpart in “contempt”. This answer might not have been the incendiary response of one week earlier but this feud will simmer, even if Conte accepted he would be willing to call a truce if his counterpart did likewise.

“I think I said I'd stop,” Conte said. “It's the same for me [that he would halt the back-and-forth if Mourinho did likewise]. I don't know if he said this for me. I'm not worried. I sleep very well.” He might sleep less well knowing that never before have Chelsea strung together three goalless draws in their history and with no imminent move in the transfer market, for Alexis Sanchez or any other attacking player, it will be down to the Italian to change things himself.

“I think the problem is for the team, not only for Morata,” Conte said. “Compared to last season, we are conceding less and showing great solidity defensively. But, at the same time, we are not showing great quality in our finishing. This is the truth. But not only for Morata. Defenders have had chances from corners, and we've not taken those chances to score. We have to try to improve on this aspect. But the problem is not only for Morata or [Michy] Batshuayi when he plays. It's for all the team.”

Conte said that he saw “a lot of players very tired” and when asked again about whether the club might consider a bid for Sanchez, he was non-committal. “I'm the coach. I'm trying to do the best with my players, to try and improve my players, to try to work and give every day 110 per cent. Sometimes this is enough. It [transfers] is not my business.”

Leicester had dominated the attacking parts of the first half, and Mahrez was a constant thorn in their side. Shinji Okazaki in particular should have scored from a cross and they ended the half with 12 attempts on Chelsea’s goal which was more, their former player Gary Lineker pointed out, than any away side in a first half at Stamford Bridge in 15 years.

Chelsea lost Gary Cahill to injury but mostly they were just struggling to build any attack of significance. Mahrez seemed to drag his foot into Cahill’s replacement Andreas Christensen on 55 minutes and was denied a penalty by referee Mike Jones. Chilwell’s first yellow card was for a foul on Willian, Fabregas’ replacement, and he was sent off on 68 minutes for the challenge that left Moses limping. Claude Puel declared both of the cards “harsh”.

“When we watch our game [back], we lost two points,” Puel said. “Of course there's a little disappointment at the end, but a good feeling to show our quality. They are champions playing at home, so it's a good feeling to see my players with this quality, and all the chances we created this afternoon.”

Chelsea had one final chance when substitute Vicente Iborra gave away a dangerous free-kick in the third minute of injury-time but Marcos Alonso dragged his shot wide, and it would have been hard to say they deserved the three points.



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

Observer:

Chelsea take fortunate point from lively 10-man Leicester as fans grow restless

Chelsea 0 - 0 Leicester

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge


Chelsea heaved in search of a winner deep into stoppage time here, the locals howling in exasperation as Kasper Schmeichel turned Marcos Alonso’s free-kick round a post, but plucking a victory from this mess of a display would have been an injustice. Too much of what they had offered up was inadequate. Discontent is welling in these parts and, for the first time, some of it is being directed at the dugout.

There were boos when Eden Hazard, for the fourth time in four starts, did not see out the game, and another disgruntled chorus to greet the final whistle. A third successive goalless draw represents a club record and underlines that this team’s domestic campaign has rather run aground. Leicester made them feel so ineffective, of course, and more than merited reward for a display that verged on dominance until the last half-hour. Yet the champions, even with their cluttered schedule, should offer more than this.

They have become too predictable, too overreliant for comfort upon their Belgium forward and with too few team-mates contributing at Hazard’s side. Álvaro Morata is enduring a lull in his first season in these parts and, one dart to the byline aside, was anonymous until booked three minutes from time, but the striker’s crisis in confidence is seeping into other areas of this collective. In the aftermath of Schmeichel’s save, Victor Moses sliced a shot so wide it almost drifted out for a throw-in. That, or Antonio Rüdiger dawdling in possession to be robbed by Jamie Vardy inside Chelsea’s penalty area, was more typical of his team’s display.


Antonio Conte was apparently not looking for excuses but cited the quick turnaround from Wednesday’s draining draw against Arsenal as key to this lethargic display. “I saw a lot of players very tired, very tired,” he said. “We suffered a lot in the first half and at the start of the second.” He cited fatigue for his decision to remove Hazard and Cesc Fàbregas just before the hour mark and pointed to the burst of energy provided by Pedro and Willian as key to a slightly more acceptable last 20 minutes. “But we must improve if we want to score and to win.” There have been four successive draws since the turn of the year.

The visitors might normally have been satisfied having played the last 22 minutes with their number depleted after the dismissal of Ben Chilwell, but the better chances and more coherent play had always been theirs. “If it had finished 11 versus 11, we would have got the win,” offered Claude Puel. His own players, their schedule less energy sapping and recovery time awarded in midweek, were sprightly in comparison and had swarmed over their hosts for long periods. No visiting team has managed as many as Leicester’s 12 first-half attempts since the first season of the Roman Abramovich era in south-west London. It was Chelsea’s good fortune that none was taken.


It was profligacy, a lack of “cutting edge” according to Puel, which saw them survive. An experienced back three were tormented by the pace of Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, who would still blot his copybook with a second-half dive over Andreas Christensen’s outstretched leg in search of a penalty. Gary Cahill had started ahead of the young Dane as the back-line’s central pivot, though he was left dizzied by a brutal first half-hour and would eventually depart prematurely clutching his right hamstring. It was telling that Christensen, rather than David Luiz, was summoned as a replacement.

By then, the contest should have been settled. Shinji Okazaki, poking awkwardly over the bar, and Vardy, who guided a shot into the side-netting, had both benefited from Chilwell’s fine delivery early on. Wilfred Ndidi thought he had registered at Mahrez’s deflected corner only for Thibaut Courtois to conjure a save at full stretch, with a succession of centres fizzed across Chelsea’s goalline somehow eluding Leicester’s players. There would be further opportunities after the break, with Courtois static and helpless as Mahrez’s shot catapulted off Christensen and dribbled just beyond a post.

Rarely under Conte’s stewardship has this side been so disjointed. their set-up clumsy and tentative in the face of their opponents’ frantic press, and uncertainty prevailing with so many players straining to rediscover form and rhythm. Even Hazard could not haul them from their malaise, the Belgian overelaborating in his desperation to make an impact. Conte was asked post-match about José Mourinho’s apparent “contempt” for him but merely batted it back with: “I’m not worried.” His team’s displays will be causing him far more concern.



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


Independent:

Chelsea toothless once again as 10-man Leicester earn deserved point

Chelsea 0 Leicester 0: The Blues were thoroughly off colour and were perhaps fortunate to escape with a share of the points despite Ben Chilwell's sending off

Matt McGeehan Stamford Bridge

Chelsea endured a third successive goalless draw in an enthralling encounter against excellent 10-man Leicester.

Antonio Conte had been wary of the Foxes and his concern proved well founded as the movement and energy of Riyad Mahrez, Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki troubled Chelsea.

Leicester were relentless, playing like champions, with the intensity of their pressing forcing mistakes.

Ben Chilwell was sent off for two bookable offences in quick succession, leaving the visitors down to 10 men with 22 minutes remaining.

Yet still Chelsea, who had won their previous seven Premier League home games since September's loss to Manchester City, could not break the Foxes down as the Blues followed stalemates with Norwich and Arsenal with a third in a week.

Conte tinkered with his defence for the visit of Chelsea's predecessors as champions.

David Luiz was Conte's first choice in the centre of his back three in last season's title-winning campaign.


Now the Brazilian is apparently not even second choice as Gary Cahill was deployed in the central role, with Andreas Christensen rested on the bench alongside Luiz.

Cahill lasted just 33 minutes before going off clutching his right hamstring.

He had been given a torrid time by Vardy, who showed no signs of the groin injury which deprived him of a return to his former club Fleetwood a week ago.

The Foxes cut through their hosts time and again, with left-back Chilwell creating chances for Okazaki and Vardy, who next dragged an effort wide across goal.

Wilfred Ndidi's free header was saved by Thibaut Courtois before Cesc Fabregas forced a save from Kasper Schmeichel at the other end.


Only a well-timed Cahill tackle stopped Mahrez from shooting following a mazy run and then Eden Hazard should have punished the Foxes at the other end, only to shoot tamely at Schmeichel.

A race with Vardy culminated in Cahill stretching for the ball before hobbling off. Christensen went on, with Luiz not even asked to warm up.

Mahrez then drilled the ball across goal, but there was no-one in a black and gold shirt to convert.

Vardy then robbed Antonio Rudiger inside his own box. The ball went to Okazaki, whose effort was blocked into the path of Marc Albrighton. He fired wide.

Schmeichel saved from Fabregas before the break and Leicester continued to pressurise their hosts on the resumption.


Vardy nicked the ball off Christensen and found Mahrez, who initiated contact by kicking the Denmark defender.

The Foxes forward went to ground, seeking a penalty, but referee Mike Jones was unmoved and not inclined to dole out a yellow card for diving.

Mahrez next blasted a shot into Christensen and it deflected wide.

Conte had seen enough and made his final two changes. Willian and Pedro were sent on for the ineffective Hazard and Fabregas.



Willian lured a foul from Chilwell, who was booked after 63 minutes.

The left-back then caught Victor Moses late and was sent off after 68 minutes.

Long-range shots from Kante and Tiemoue Bakayoko were symptomatic of Chelsea's struggles to break Leicester down.

And Schmeichel turned a Marcos Alonso free-kick behind for a corner in stoppage time as Chelsea missed their last chance.




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

Mail :

Chelsea 0-0 Leicester: Blues left frustrated by Foxes as Antonio Conte's men fail to score for a third successive game despite Ben Chilwell red card


By Oliver Holt For The Mail On Sunday


Chelsea took advantage of a brief lull in the fighting between Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho to play a football match at Stamford Bridge.

But if Conte was hoping the contest with Leicester would bring him some respite from the fractiousness that is lingering around him and the club, this goalless draw with a purring Leicester side was not the game to do it.

Conte’s side were comprehensively outplayed by Claude Puel’s visitors for two thirds of the game and were lucky to escape with a point. Even when Leicester were reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute courtesy of Chilwell’s second yellow card, Chelsea rarely looked like breaking them down.


They are without a win in four games now and they left the field to yells of dismay from the crowd.

The result will do little to lift the air of siege that has settled around a manager who could do no wrong in his first season in west London but who has been a restless, fretful discontented presence during this campaign and has allowed himself to become thoroughly rattled by Mourinho’s expertly aimed barbs.

The build-up to this match had seen him fending off suggestions that he would leave the club at the end of the season and that either Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri or Luis Enrique had already been lined up to take over from him. The way his team played during this game suggested that all the off-the-field distractions may be taking their toll.


In this meeting of the two most recent Premier League champions, Leicester had begun playing as though it was they, not Chelsea, who were the current title holders. For much of the first half, they turned the clock back to the glory days of that fairy-tale season under Claudio Ranieri.

They overwhelmed Chelsea with the pace and guile of their play. Conte’s team struggled to cope with the combination of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez in particular. Their understanding seemed telepathic. The opening 45 minutes featured a succession of Leicester chances interrupted occasionally by a Chelsea foray upfield.

All the fluency and the technique belonged to the visitors. Chelsea looked slow and cumbersome and when they did have the ball, even Eden Hazard was careless in possession. Much of what he did was sublime. It always is. But after he had worked his magic with the ball, he too often gave it away.


Leicester should have taken the lead after eight minutes when Chilwell ran on to a long diagonal ball on the left flank and cut sharply inside. He dragged a cross back from the byline into the path of Okazaki but he could only lift it over the bar from close range when he should have scored.

Leicester spent the next few minutes peppering the Chelsea goal. Vardy flicked out a foot to steer a long ball from Chilwell into the sidenetting and then, a minute later, ran on to a through ball from James and drilled a shot across goal but just wide of the right hand post.

Leicester had another fine chance to open the scoring in the 12th minute when a corner from the right was allowed to bounce in the area. Ndidi guided the ball goalwards. Courtois flung himself to his right and palmed the ball away. Chilwell pounced on the rebound but his shot was blocked by Alonso at close range.

Only Fabregas offered much in the way of creative play going forward for Chelsea. Schmeichel saved well from him at his near post but it was not long before the home side were on the defensive again. This time, they were indebted to a fine saving tackle from Cahill that denied Mahrez after he had played a clever 1-2 with Okazaki.

Cahill went off soon afterwards with what looked like a hamstring injury and ten minutes into the second half, his replacement, Christensen, was at the centre of a penalty controversy. Mahrez burst into the box and even though Christensen did not make a tackle, Mahrez tumbled over him and Leicester bayed for a spot kick. Referee Mike Jones waved play on. It was the correct decision.


Mahrez was aggrieved by the decision and a minute later, his search for justice nearly brought a goal. He ran across the edge of the box from right to left and unleashed a shot at the Chelsea goal. It took a heavy deflection off Alonso that left Courtois rooted to the spot but it bounced just wide of the left hand post.

Leicester continued to dominate but Chelsea finally began to gain a foothold in the game when Conte brought on Willian and Pedro for Hazard and Costa and 22 minutes from the end, they were given another boost when Chilwell was sent off for second booking in six minutes, a studs-up tackle on Moses that might have been a straight red.

Chelsea pressed for a winner in the dying minutes and Schmeichel saved well from a bouncing Alonso free kick but Chelsea never really looked like getting the goal they needed. The air of gloom and infighting around Stamford Bridge lingers on.



CHELSEA: Courtois 7 – Azpilicueta 6, Cahill 7(Christensen 33 6), Rudiger 6 – Moses 5, Kante 6, Fabregas 7(Pedro 57 6), Bakayoko 4, Alonso 4 – Hazard 6(Willian 57 7), Morata 4.

SUBS NOT USED: Cabellero, Zappacosta, Batshuayi, David Luiz

BOOKED: Kante


LEICESTER CITY: Schmeichel 7 – Amartey 6, Maguire 6, Dragovic 6, Chilwell 6 – Mahrez 8, Ndidi 7, James 7, Albrighton 7 – Okazaki 6, Vardy 7(Gray 82 6).

SUBS NOT USED: Gray, Iheanacho, Hamer, Slimani, Iborra, Benalouane

BOOKED: Chilwell, James, Okazaki

SENT OFF: Chilwell


MAN OF THE MATCH: Mahrez

REFEREE: Mike Jones

ATTENDANCE: 41,552


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


Express:

Chelsea 0 - Leicester 0: Fans turn on Blues after another lacklustre performance

JEERS from the home fans filled the air at Stamford Bridge after the final whistle as Chelsea’s players trooped off in silent dismay. They’ve been heard more than a few times through years, of course.

By JIM HOLDEN


What has never happened before, not once in the 113-year history of this proud football club, is a run of three consecutive 0-0 draws.

That incredible statistic revealed the poverty of Chelsea in the past week, with goalless encounters with Norwich and Arsenal in cup-ties, and now against vibrant Leicester in the Premier League.

It explained the agitation of the Chelsea fans even though their club are still in all four competitions, and joint second in the League table this morning.Three goalless draws in succession --- that’s the number which matters, much more than another Chelsea could pluck out that says they have lost only once in their last 18 games.

And Chelsea were supremely fortunate to get a 0-0 yesterday because Leicester were clearly the superior team here.

They were more intelligent, more diligent and far more spirited. On another day they might have won by a couple of goals as their recent progress under manager Claude Puel was plain to see.

A key factor in that has been the revitalisation of Riyad Mahrez, who has found his dancing feet and precision passes.

Mahrez was the conductor of Leicester’s attacking orchestra, on song from the start. They created and spurned a series of early chances as Shinji Okazki scooped over the bar from close range and Jamie Vardy flicked an effort into the side-netting.

There should have been a goal when Mahrez waltzed to the touchline and crossed low across the face of goal --- but no team-mate could find a touch. Moments later Marc Albrighton shot inches wide.

Chelsea’s crowd were noisily frustrated, both by the dominance of Leicester and the poverty of their own side.


Morata was caught offside far too often; a player trying too hard for his own good. Cesc Fabregas was wayward in his passing and Tiemoue Bakayoko simply anonymous.

They had but one effort in the opening period, a fierce drive from Fabregas tipped over the bar by Kapser Schmeichel just before the break.

Whatever words of wisdom or anger Conte delivered to his team, the pattern remained the same in the second half; Leicester superior and creating the opportunities to score.

When Mahrez had a shot deflected just wide it prompted a double substitution, with the rare sight of Hazard being withdrawn, correctly, in an attempt to improve the team



Nothing helped Chelsea, not even the dismissal of Leicester left back Ben Chilwell in the 68th minute after a second yellow card for a lunging studs-showing challenge that caught Victor Moses on the shin.

Nobody could complain about that decision, but Leicester kept their discipline and organisation to comfortably hold out for a draw, the very least they deserved from the match.

Chelsea were restricted to long range shots. The only threat was deep into injury time when Schmeichel pushed away a curling free-kick from Marcos Alonso.


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



Sun:


YOU BLUE IT

Chelsea 0 Leicester 0: Watch highlights as Blues squander huge chance to go second in the Premier League with goalless draw against ten-man Foxes

Ben Chilwell saw red in the second-half for two quick yellow cards, with Claude Puel's men clinging on by the end

By Andrew Dillon


EDEN HAZARD was substituted for the fourth game in a row as Chelsea’s wobbling front line struggled again.

The Belgian superstar revealed only this week that he is set to sign a new deal at the club once his compatriot and Blues 'keeper Thibaut Courtois does first.

But the £200million-rated midfielder was hauled off by frustrated boss Antonio Conte with more than half an hour left of an ineffective performance.

Hazard, 27, still has two-and-a-half years left on his £200,000-a-week deal with the Premier League champions but knows Real Madrid and most of the top sides would jump at the chance to sign him.

He took a long look at the Stamford Bridge scoreboard as he trudged off the field this afternoon to make a note of the time at which he was hooked.

It was the 58th minute of a game in which Chelsea were under the cosh from Leicester, in particular winger Riyad Mahrez. And they barely mounted an attack in response.


Hazard was also taken off early in Wednesday Carabao Cup semi final against Arsenal and in the Premier League match against the same opposition a week earlier.

Hazard was left out altogether from the weekend stalemate in the FA Cup at Norwich which replays on Wednesday.

Chelsea keeper Courtois was forced to make a drastic one-handed save from Wilfred Ndidi and striker Jamie Vardy shot into the side netting inside the first ten minutes.

Leicester had to play the last 22 minutes with ten men after left back Ben Chilwell was sent off for being booked twice - in four minutes.


Chilwell got his first yellow for fouling sub Willian and then lost his composure and put his studs into the shin of Victor Moses in the 68th-minute for the second.

Cesc Fabregas had a shot tipped over by Kasper Schmeichel in the first half.

Ultimately though, as Chelsea ramped up the pressure late in the game, the Foxes were able to cling on to a creditable draw.



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


Star :

Chelsea 0 Leicester 0: Foxes give Blues big scare and hold on with 10 men

A family of four are giving Chelsea problems off the pitch – and yesterday their progress on it was held up by 14 players from Leicester.

By Paul Hetherington

And Leicester’s 14 men - including substitutes - also frustrated Chelsea for long periods in this entertaining match - and not through being negative.

The Foxes had 12 shots in the first half alone - the highest number by a visiting team at The Bridge for 15 years.

They ended the match with ten men following the sending off of Ben Chilwell, but it would have been unjust if they had left Chelsea empty handed.

It’s now three matches without a goal for Chelsea, who missed the chance to climb above Manchester United and go second in the table.

Storm clouds seem to have been gathering at Chelsea all season, despite last season’s title triumph.

And after their initial purposeful start, they could have been blown away by Leicester’s response.

In the space of four early minutes, the Foxes were close to scoring on three occasions.

On the first occasion, Shinji Okazaki sliced Chilwell’s inviting delivery across the face of the goal, then Jamie Vardy’s first-time effort from the full back’s fine pass travelled wide.

Leicester were then back again and Thibaut Courtois had to dive full length to keep out Wilfred Ndidi’s header.

The danger had not disappeared, though, and Victor Moses blocked Aleksandar Dragovic’s follow-up effort.

Chelsea finally threatened through Cesc Fabregas, but Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel was down quickly to make a smart save.

Leicester’s slick movement continued to cause Chelsea problems and Gary Cahill made a fine block from another Vardy effort.

The Chelsea crowd weren’t liking what they were seeing at that stage and murmurs of disapproval grew in volume.

The champions weren’t helped, either, when skipper Cahill had to be substituted in the 33rd minute with a hamstring problem.


Alvaro Morata got the crowd going with a fine run, but Leicester were always a threat and a Riyad Mahrez cross whistled across the face of the goal without anyone managing to get a touch.

Chelsea, at least, always had hope when Fabregas was involved and his second fine effort of an open match was turned over the bar by Schmeichel.

It was a surprise, therefore, when Fabregas was one of the players substituted by a clearly-unhappy Antonio Conte in the 58th minute.

That was just a minute after Leicester and their fans felt they should have had a penalty when Mahrez went down in the box.

But replays indicated that the Leicester winger had actually made contact with Andreas Christensen, rather than the other way round.

The Foxes were also unhappy when Chilwell was sent off in the 68th minute for a foul on Moses - his second yellow card in five minutes.

The busy N’Golo Kante, playing against the club with whom he made his reputation, tried to find a way through for Chelsea.

But his on-target strike was beaten down by Schmeichel.


Leicester ended the match reduced numerically, but not in resolve.

And their defence, with England’s Harry Maguire again impressive, stood firm.

But Schmeichel had to go full length to keep out a Marcos Alonso free kick in the fourth minute of added time.

Chelsea: Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6, Cahill 6 (Christensen (33rd) 7), Rudiger 5; Moses 5, Fabregas 6 (Pedro (58th) 5), Kante 7, Bakayoko 6, Alonso 6; Hazard 5 (Willian (58th) 6); Morata 6.

Leicester: Schmeichel 7; Amartey 6, Dragovic 7, Maguire 8, Chilwell 6; Mahrez 7, Ndidi 7, James 6 (Iborra (90th)), Albrighton 6; Okazaki 6 (Fuchs (73rd) 5); Vardy 6 (Gray (82nd)).



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

Arsenal 0-0

Telegraph:

Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0, League Cup semi-final first leg: VAR in the spotlight in London derby stalemate


Jason Burt


The ‘VAR’ was used but this was more a ‘Very Average Response’ as Chelsea and Arsenal played out a goalless stalemate in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

The Video Assistant Referee was called upon, to help adjudicate on two penalties claims, one for each side, and it was correct that neither was given even if the sight of the official Martin Atkinson pressing his finger to his ear added to the fans’ confused frustration.

Instead it was an encounter which also left Arsenal supporters wondering if Alexis Sanchez will be at the club for the second leg, in a fortnight’s time, after he started on the substitutes’ bench and with a January move to Manchester City appearing increasingly likely.

Arsene Wenger later denied that was the case while confirming that Jack Wilshere, his captain for the night, had suffered yet another injury to add to Arsenal’s worrying roll call of absentees. However the midfielder’s apparent ankle strain, received in blocking a shot, should not keep him out too long. It is hoped.

Wenger watched the match from the press box – serving the second game of his three-fixture ban – and was, frankly, more entertaining that what happened out on the pitch, at times. It was a close-by study for reporters on the agonies that a manager goes through as he slammed his desk, kicked the seat in front of him and failed to stifle the odd shout over decisions or his players not being in position even if he was 25 yards away.


By the end Arsenal commendably kept Chelsea at bay and there was also a sense that there is too much of a familiarity about these two teams now. This was their fourth meeting of the season, their fourth draw, but this was a far cry from the thrilling 2-2 draw at the Emirates last week.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte marched onto the pitch to speak to Atkinson at the final whistle – having drawn an imaginary ‘TV’ with his hands, presumably calling for another video referral – but later said he had only questioned an offside call.

There were chances. But, crucially, both Chelsea and Arsenal are carrying strikers at present who are suffering from a lack of confidence which was evidenced in the opening two minutes when Alvaro Morata was put through by Eden Hazard only to snatch at the chance and prod the ball into the side-netting.


Then, with Arsenal’s first, and best, opening, superbly fashioned by Wilshere, who was their most positive, influential player, as he lifted the ball through, Alexandre Lacazette had the chance to run at goal but slashed wildly at his shot from just inside the penalty area and struck it high over the cross-bar. He had to do better.

Arsenal will, of course, come away the happier and rightly so. It is all to play for but they are at home and after going out of the FA Cup so pitifully last Sunday, away to Nottingham Forest, this was a performance that showed the resolve and determination they so sorely lacked.

It was a different XI, also, although Alex Iwobi – accused of partying late too close to the Forest game – surprisingly kept his place while Sanchez, expected to start, was benched before he came on in the second-half but to little effect.

Chelsea will feel they created enough opportunities to have won, maybe even to have put this tie to bed, but it is three draws in a row for them in all competitions and further evidence as to why they are looking for another striker during this window with Morata needing a rest, and back-up, and little faith in Michy Batshuayi who also came on as a late substitute and headed over the one opening that came his way. Neither could Conte turn to new signing, Ross Barkley, who was not deemed fit enough.


Chelsea struck the post in the first-half, from a Victor Moses shot, although goalkeeper David Ospina will have felt he had it covered, and did so again late on when Cesc Fabregas’s cross was deflected onto the outside of the goal-frame.

The first penalty claim came when Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois beat out Iwobi’s powerful shot, after a mistake by Antonio Rudiger who unwisely tried to pass the ball out of his own area to Danny Drinkwater only for it to be intercepted. The rebound fell to Ainsley Maitland-Niles and he attempted to burst past Moses, going down.

There were chants of “VAR” from the Arsenal fans but the penalty appeal was rejected after Atkinson clearly – with his hand to his ear – consulted with Neil Swarbrick, the official back at the television headquarters.


In the second-half Chelsea laid siege.

Marcos Alonso flicked on a cross to Andreas Christensen who headed over, at full stretch, from a couple of yards out. He should have scored. The ball bounced off Morata at close-range from another corner before the striker ran at goal and struck a powerful 25-yard shot that Ospina turned away. Then Morata hit the side-netting again as the goalkeeper rushed out.

It continued. Mustafi cut out Moses’ goal-bound shot for a corner, Christensen headed wastefully wide once more, Hazard elected to pass when he had to shoot and then Chelsea questioned whether they should have had a penalty as Fabregas went over under Danny Welbeck’s challenge and again Atkinson delayed, pressing his hand to his ear, but again it was not given.

It remains on the edge.



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


Mail :


Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal: Jack Wilshere limps off injured but Gunners hold firm to keep Carabao Cup semi-final in the balance after first leg at Stamford Bridge


By Martin Samuel for the Daily Mail


By the time this tie is decided, Arsene Wenger will be back where he belongs. This cannot have been the most comfortable evening for him, hustled into the press box, flanked by minders, courtesy of his touchline ban.

Wenger is so experienced at being barred from the dug-out that he even knows his preferred view from the naughty chair here.

He didn't like the second tier last time — too complicated getting down to the dressing rooms. Told the proximity of the team area to the press box, he opted for that instead, taking his place alongside people who had variously told him to quit, stand down or that his era at Arsenal had run its course.


A goalless draw at Chelsea was not the most defiant riposte, but nor was it the white flag some had expected when Arsenal's best player, Alexis Sanchez, was named on the substitutes' bench.

The sight of Chelsea's creative heart, Eden Hazard, being replaced by Tiemoue Bakayoko with 10 minutes to go including stoppage time was therefore a victory of sorts for Wenger; a concession by Antonio Conte that Plan A had failed.

Indeed, while Chelsea had the better chances and the best of the play, this felt like a more pleasing night for Arsenal. Some of the scorelines between these teams in recent years — Chelsea 6 Arsenal 0, Arsenal 0 Chelsea 3, Arsenal 1 Chelsea 4 — would have negated the worth of a second leg. Instead, going level to a rematch at the Emirates, Arsenal are right in this.

Much will depend, of course, on the team Wenger is able to field. Will Sanchez be in the pale blue of Manchester City by then; will Jack Wilshere be fit having left the field injured after 57 minutes here?

He walked off, which we might take as a good sign had Wilshere not once announced he was fine after completing 59 minutes of an England friendly against Denmark, only to discover he had a fractured left foot. You never know with him.

Here, he suffered a problem with his left ankle after blocking a cross from Danny Drinkwater. He had treatment, tried to continue, sat down on the pitch, walked off.


The Chelsea supporters jeered him, heartlessly and with scant concern for the bigger picture. Wilshere had just been getting into his stride again and that is good for England, as well as the player and Arsenal.

He was excellent in the first half, and few of his countrymen can play with his vision and speed of thought in midfield. He was a step above his opposite number Drinkwater, who was withdrawn soon after, too, but for different reasons.

Chelsea had the best of it, not least in the second half when they came out with renewed purpose. Andreas Christensen should have scored with a free header at the far post, after David Ospina had come for the ball and found his way blocked, while Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso came close with shots. The fact remains, though, this was a good result for Arsenal.

Perhaps it would do a number of managers good to observe a game from the press box, if only to dispel a few myths about their character. You know how we imagine Wenger has this benign, rose-tinted view of his players? Nothing they do is wrong, it's always the fault of the referee? It isn't like that.

The first shows of emotion — palms slammed down on the blue table, a whack on the metal bar that houses the strip lighting — were invariably in reaction to mistakes by Arsenal. A tame, short free-kick when something more imaginative was called for; some sleepy defending.


Later, he warmed to a familiar theme with cries of 'What?' every time Alvaro Morata or Hazard went down. Those seated in front of him reported the sort of kicking to the framework of the seats that Tony Adams and Steve Bould meted out to strikers, certainly once Wenger noticed he could see every incident replayed on the press-seat television monitors.

For a while, the Chelsea fans forgot his presence, too. When they remembered they mocked him. 'Arsene Wenger, we want you to stay,' they chorused, trying to get a glimmer of recognition or reaction. Neither came. What did they expect, these noisy boys? Do they think somebody who has taken charge of more Premier League games than every other manager in the top flight put together gets distracted by a bit of shouting?

Wenger stayed laser-focused throughout. The intensity with which he studied the game was almost startling. He will never be able to use that excuse about not having seen a controversial incident again, though. He plainly does not miss a thing, the crafty sod.

Not that there was too much to absorb in comparison to the last meeting of these teams. That was a metaphorical roller-coaster ride, a 2-2 draw that could have seen 10 goals shared.

Here, chances were limited. In the second minute, Hazard found Morata, who ran out of pitch and hit the side-netting.


From there it was 20 minutes before either side mustered a shot at goal — an underwhelming effort from another big-ticket signing. Wilshere put Alexandre Lacazette through but his shot was hopeless — rash, wild and high. The opposite of what Wenger, or any manager, would have wanted from a marksman.

Chelsea dominated from there, with Moses shooting on sight around Ospina. He came close twice and Christensen should have done better with two headers.

This was another match with the safety net of the video referee but its worth came largely in confirming what had not happened, rather than what had.

So, a tussle between Calum Chambers and Cesar Azpilicueta, which ended with the Chelsea man on the turf while waiting for an Arsenal corner, was judged worthy of a conversation with the pair, no more. And Ainsley Maitland-Niles's fall after a challenge by Moses was viewed as the result of evasive action rather than contact.

Then, with two minutes to go, Cesc Fabregas fell under pressure from Danny Welbeck. Play continued, the ball went out for a corner, then Martin Atkinson delayed delivery. Clearly, he was getting a steer remotely. The fans waited in anticipation. Wenger looked on intently but without emotion.

His monitor had told him long ago that Welbeck got a touch on the ball. As Atkinson was also informed, eventually. Handy place to be sometimes, the press box.


Chelsea starting XI: Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6, Christensen 6, Rudiger 6.5; Moses 6.5, Kante 7, Fabregas 7, Drinkwater 6 (Willian 68, 6), Alonso 6.5; Hazard 7.5 (Bakayoko 84), Morata 6.5 (Batshuayi 87)

Subs not used: Eduardo, Luiz, Zappacosta, Pedro

Booked: Kante

Goals: n/a

Manager: Conte 6.5

Arsenal starting XI: Ospina 6; Chambers 6, Mustafi 6.5, Holding 6; Wilshere 7 (Elneny 57, 6), Xhaka 5.5; Bellerin 6, Maitland-Niles 5.5; Iwobi 5.5, Welbeck 7; Lacazette 5.5 (Sanchez 66, 6)

Subs not used: Macey, Mavropanos, Mertesacker, Nelson, Walcott

Booked: Xhaka, Elneny

Goals: n/a

Manager: Wenger 7

Ref: Martin Atkinson

Attendance: 40,097 



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