Everton 1-0

Independent:

Willian fires in vital deflected goal as Blues leave it late to maintain seven-point lead over Manchester City
Chelsea 1 Everton 0

Sam Wallace

It was unstoppable here, and when Willian scored in the penultimate minute of normal time the reaction on the Chelsea bench and among the players was that of a club who knew they had passed an important milestone. They had broken Everton at last and for Mourinho it prompted a march onto the pitch at the final whistle to shake the hands of his players rather than his usual scoot up the tunnel.
The night was not without its controversy and you could see in Mourinho's reaction to questions about the behaviour of Branislav Ivanovic that despite the glow of victory he was also spoiling for a fight. The Serb had rushed into a melee just before the goal and locked an arm around the neck of the substitute James McCarthy before thrusting his forehead into the player but was not punished by referee Jonathan Moss.
It had begun with a foul by Gareth Barry on Willian, the second yellow card of the Everton midfielder's night. Ivanovic's reaction was extreme and it was clear that the Chelsea manager saw the potential consequences when he announced in his post-match press conference that he would walk out if he was asked another question on the subject. He did just that during a BBC interview minutes earlier when the subject of Ivanovic came up.
Mourinho will doubtless point to the elbow that Robin Van Persie thrust at James Tomkins last weekend and by Friday he will probably have searched out a couple more examples. But the reality remains that this incident will, at the very least, be studied by the Football Association. It will not want another battle with Chelsea and Mourinho but it may have no choice.
Roberto Martinez had no hesitation in saying that Ivanovic should have been sent off. “If you want to be on top of the law, that's a red card,” he said. Even more galling for the Everton manager was that the Chelsea full-back was then central to the goal that ensued. It was his header from the resultant free-kick that Tim Howard punched towards Willian who drilled the ball in via a deflection off Steven Naismith.
The same Everton midfielder might have had a penalty against him in the first half for handball. Mourinho later claimed that Barry should have been sent off earlier, before half-time in fact. So the argument goes round and round with every team nurturing its own set of grievances and the FA pitched into the middle to make sense of it all.
As Manchester City ran away with victory against Stoke City, Mourinho was facing a cut in his club's lead at the top of the league to five points. In fact, he needed his goalkeeper Petr Cech, reinstated at the expense of Thibaut Courtois to save him in the second half with a brilliant instinctive stop from Romelu Lukaku before Chelsea went on to get all three points.
Everton also had a strong goalkeeping performance from Tim Howard, straight back into the team at the expense of Joel Robles. But Martinez's team are in are in a bad place at the moment and have just one win in nine league games.
As Mourinho said, Cech had two saves to make all game but both were vital. The first was the only chance the away team had before the break when Ross Barkley and Naismith worked the ball to Lukaku who should have done better with his shot. In those early stages, Chelsea almost overwhelmed their visitors but instead they failed to make the breakthrough that reflected their good work.
The Everton midfielder Muhamed Besic was booked within five minutes for a foul on Eden Hazard, a “soft” one according to Martinez who said that the low threshold set the standard for the rest of the game.
With Diego Costa sat in the stands for the third and last game of his FA ban it was clear again that the side lacked that cutting edge. Loic Remy took his place in the team and did little to reassure Mourinho. The first booking for Barry came when he thrust himself head-first into Cuadrado's midriff. Mourinho claimed Barry should have had another for a later foul on Hazard.
There was another appeal for Chelsea on 27 minutes when the young English centre-back John Stones wrapped an arm around the waist of Remy in the box and prevented the French striker from challenging properly for a cross from the right.
At half-time, Martinez took no risks with Besic and replaced him with McCarthy. Nemanja Matic had run the game from his position in front of the back four in the first half, but McCarthy prevented the Serb having as much of the ball after the break.
There was a good run and cross from Hazard just before the hour and whenever he was on the ball, it looked like there were possibilities for Chelsea. He had earlier drawn Seamus Coleman out of position and forced the full-back to foul him for a booking. Yet Hazard was on the ball too little for Chelsea. Matic struck a free-kick after the hour that Howard saved. Willian hit a shot over.
On 68 minutes Bryan Oviedo got the ball over from the left and Lukaku, completely unmarked in the six-yard area, had a clear sight of goal with his left foot. This was Cech's moment. The goalkeeper reacted instantaneously to block the ball with his foot and Chelsea escaped.
Mourinho has seen enough and unleashed Didier Drogba and Cesc Fabregas but it was not until the final moments of the game that they got their breakthrough. There was a goal for Matic disallowed when the ball took a touch off Ivanovic in an offside position. An increasingly fractious game eventually caught fire with Barry's red card and the ensuing chaos that saw Ivanovic put his arm around McCarthy's throat.
The goal came from a clearing punch from Howard that fell to Willian in the left channel. The Brazilian hit his shot low and hard and at the last moment Naismith thrust out a foot that put enough on the ball to take it past the Everton goalkeeper. The home bench erupted. These are the kind of win that every team that wants to be champions must produce.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Cuadrado, Hazard, Willian; Remy.
Subs: Drogba/Remy 70, Fabregas/Cuadrado 70, Cahill/Willian 90
Everton (4-2-3-1): Howard: Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Oviedo; Besic, Barry; Lennon, Naismith, Barkley; Lukaku.
Subs: McCarthy/Besic ht, Gibson/Barkley 74, Mirallas/Lennon 74
Referee: J Moss
Man of the match: Matic
Rating: 6
Booked: Chelsea Azpilicueta, Ramires, Fabregas Everton Besic, Barry, Coleman, McCarthy
Sent off: Barry

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Guardian:

Chelsea’s Willian leaves it late to take the three points from 10-man Everton
Chelsea 1 - 0 Everton
Daniel Taylor

Every season there are standout moments when everything falls into place for the team who will eventually finish at the top of the league. For Chelsea this seemed as if it could be one.
The clock was turning into its 90th minute when Willian let fly with his right boot. A seven-point lead was in danger of being whittled down to five and in the moments preceding the goal it was clear how the frustration had got the better of one of José Mourinho’s players.
Branislav Ivanovic is likely to get a three-match ban for that loss of control when he grabbed the substitute James McCarthy by the neck, then rammed his head into his opponent, as the two sets of players argued over the challenge from Gareth Barry that brought the Everton player’s second yellow card to end his night prematurely.
The referee, Jon Moss, also booked McCarthy, Ramires and Cesc Fàbregas for their parts in the confrontation and both teams stand to face a separate FA charge for not controlling their players, but the most important detail came next.
Fàbregas aimed the free-kick into the penalty area and it was Ivanovic who headed it on. Tim Howard punched the ball clear but Willian was lurking 20 yards from goal. His shot was struck with power, from the outside of his boot, but it was the deflection off Steven Naismith that helped it into the bottom corner and had Mourinho talking of a “beautiful” win.
The relief was considerable because Chelsea might have been behind at that stage but for a sensational save from Petr Cech to prevent Romelu Lukaku scoring against his former club midway through the second half. Everton had defended diligently, with John Stones excelling in front of the England manager, Roy Hodgson.
Howard had produced a series of fine saves and, however stroppy Mourinho was when it came to answering questions about Ivanovic, nobody should think it particularly spoiled his mood.
“I don’t remember a team to be champions without a couple of victories in the last minute,” he said. “In my case every time I won the league title I had a couple of matches where we won in the last minute. This was the first time this season.”
It was a breathless finale that also featured Nemanja Matic, the game’s outstanding performer, slashing the ball past Howard in the 86th minute only for his celebrations to be cut short because it had taken a deflection off Ivanovic, in an offside position, on the way to goal.
Chelsea’s manager was even moved to describe it afterwards as being “fantastically well disallowed”, though his praise for the referee went only so far. Barry, he said, should have been sent off in the first half.
Mourinho being Mourinho, the oddity was that he forgot to mention it might have been a much more straightforward night if the referee had seen Naismith use an arm to lever the ball away from Juan Cuadrado inside the penalty area, with only four minutes gone.
By now Mourinho’s issue with the Premier League’s referees and what he perceives to be a “campaign” against his club is familiar. He goes too far, undoubtedly, but this was one of the more justifiable grievances to go into his increasingly thick file of complaints.
Cuadrado slipped in seamlessly on his first full start, interchanging positions with Willian, and was full of quick, direct running. Yet there were also times when Chelsea missed Diego Costa, serving the final game of his three-match suspension, and Everton actually had the best chance of the first half when Aaron Lennon and Ross Barkley combined to set up Lukaku.
Mourinho had left out Thibaut Courtois because he had seen signs of fatigue in the last two matches. Cech is a remarkable man to have in reserve and reminded everyone why his manager still regards him among the top three goalkeepers in the business.
It was certainly a brilliant reflex save to turn Lukaku’s later chance over the bar, from almost point-blank range, after Bryan Oviedo’s low cross had picked out the former Chelsea striker. Lukaku will feel he ought to have scored but Cech deserves the acclaim and must have played his way into Mourinho’s thoughts for the Champions league tie against Paris St-Germain next Tuesday.
On the balance of play the victory was deserved, yet it also seemed harsh on Everton. Too often this season Roberto Martínez’s team have been undermined by their defending.
Phil Jagielka played here more like the assured competitor of old and Stones’ performance was epitomised by one of the game’s outstanding moments to take the ball off Loïc Rémy with a sliding tackle. Higher up the pitch, there was also an assured performance from Barkley.
Chelsea, however, had most of the second-half momentum. After the hour there was a burst of pressure that involved Howard making as many saves in the space of five minutes as he had done throughout the entire match to that point.
The American, playing his first game since Boxing Day, showed in those moments why Martínez had brought him straight back into the team at the expense of Joel Robles. He was finally beaten by a deflection and the point was not lost on Martínez that Ivanovic played a part in the “hurtful” late goal.

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 1 Everton 0: Willian seals it at the death for Chelsea
By Henry Winter

Chelsea persevere against stubborn Everton to grab crucial win for Premier League title race

These are not the performances of which memories are made but these are the results upon which titles are built. This was a night when Chelsea showed their perseverance, pounding away at an Everton defence in which Tim Howard and John Stones excelled, eventually breaking through a minute from time through Willian.
Chelsea’s hunger for the Premier League could be seen in all of their contributions; short of their creative best, lacking the cutting edge of the suspended Diego Costa, Chelsea kept going, kept hunting the goal as news came through that Manchester City were winning at the Britannia.
Willian ensured that Chelsea remain seven points clear of City with 13 games remaining. At the final whistle, Chelsea’s players celebrated loudly and were joined on the pitch by Jose Mourinho. They all knew the significance of this result, that this was another game successfully ticked off, another step towards the title. Willian took the headlines but Petr Cech took the players’ salute at the final whistle.
They were quick to congratulate a second-choice keeper still so good he would get in most Premier League clubs’ starting XI. Thibaut Courtois, Mourinho’s regular keeper this season, was on the bench and Cech certainly impressed. He made two saves from Romelu Lukaku, one in each half, both with his left foot. The second was particularly remarkable as it was at point-blank range, the 32-year-old stretching out his foot to clear after 68 minutes. An Everton goal then could have changed the outcome and given City more hope.
This was Cech’s fifth Premier League appearance of the season, guaranteeing a medal should Chelsea progress to the title. He has been on the field for 426 minutes in the Premier League this season and not conceded a goal, against Arsenal (replacing Courtois after 24 minutes), Hull City, Newcastle United, Swansea City and Everton.
Cech was one of the few on the field who was not embroiled in a fracas late on when Gareth Barry tripped Willian and received a second yellow to go with his first-half one for fouling Juan Cuadrado. Barry is due an unscheduled break now as his first yellow, his 10th of the season, brought an automatic two-game ban for the matches against Leicester City and Arsenal.
His sneaky stopping of Willian’s darting run infuriated Chelsea, and their players piled in. Branislav Ivanovic grabbed James McCarthy around the neck, appearing to bring his forehead towards the Everton player. A charitable interpretation would be that Ivanovic’s momentum ensured his head carried on towards McCarthy but Everton were aggrieved, and the Football Association could ask Jonathan Moss, the referee, to look at the incident again. It was a particularly strange action by Ivanovic as it was a free-kick to Chelsea and the clock was ticking down.
Mourinho was in no mood to discuss the incident afterwards. He was annoyed that Barry had not departed earlier, as he easily could have done for impeding Eden Hazard shortly after fouling Cuadrado. Chelsea should also have been awarded a first-half penalty when Steven Naismith handled.
It was 89 minutes of frustration for Chelsea but they kept going, kept looking for a way through. They were repelled for so long because Howard, returning to the side after six weeks out with a calf problem, produced some magnificent saves and Stones gave another display of composed centre-half play, reading moves well, intercepting danger decisively. He was so committed to keeping Chelsea out that he gave Bryan Oviedo a withering look when the full-back conceded a cheap corner from a Nemanja Matic cross. With Roy Hodgson watching, Stones again showed why he is England material.
This was one of those nights when Chelsea laboured without Costa to finish off their moves. Loïc Remy started but failed to trouble Howard.
Cuadrado impressed many Chelsea fans on his home debut. Light on his feet, quick to get forward, the Colombian enjoyed a promising 69 minutes, dribbling down the right, cutting inside, and linking well with Ivanovic, Willian and Hazard. Where Cuadrado also caught the eye was in his work ethic; after failing to convince Moss that Naismith had handled, he immediately went chasing the loose ball.
Chelsea were largely in control, with Matic dominating midfield. ­Willian, playing the central role off Remy, cleverly made a yard of space for himself and a curled a right-footed shot wide of Howard’s goal. Down the other end, Cech saw off Everton’s first attack of note.
Aaron Lennon briefly burst into life, passing to Ross Barkley, who was striding through the middle. Barkley passed to Lukaku, who advanced down the inside-right channel, but his low shot was repelled by Cech’s left foot. Back came Chelsea, with Cuadrado breaking through and shooting across Howard from right to left but wide.
Roberto Martínez made a switch at the break, removing Muhamed Besic for McCarthy, who had just received a lengthy pep talk from Duncan ­Ferguson. Everton really needed Lukaku to emulate Ferguson in his combative pomp, imposing himself on defences.
Lukaku was struggling to escape John Terry and Kurt Zouma, who put in one masterful challenge on the Everton striker, much to the delight of the home fans. Hazard then sped past Naismith and Bryan Oviedo but Howard saved, echoing his work for the United States against Belgium in the World Cup (although Hazard’s side eventually prevailed).
Then Matic whipped a free-kick over the Everton wall, but Howard was again equal to the challenge, stretching out his left hand to save. Howard then denied Willian.
Yet the save of the half came from Cech. McCarthy swept the ball first time to Oviedo on the left and the full-back transferred it low into the box. Lukaku met it strongly but
Cech showed all his enduring ­excellence to save.
The siege of Howard’s goal intensified. Willian drilled in a free-kick from the right that was punched out by Howard. He was beaten by a Matic drive but it was deflected off the offside Ivanovic. Then came that scuffle, which concluded with cautions for McCarthy, Ramires and Barry, who eventually departed.
Depleted in numbers if not spirit, Everton were finally breached. Ivanovic headed into the box, Howard punched clear but the ball fell to ­Willian, who returned it venomously, the ball flying via a slight deflection off Naismith between Howard and his left-hand upright.
Chelsea’s celebrations at the final whistle said it all. This was not a pretty win but it was a big win.

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Mail:

Chelsea 1-0 Everton: Willian leaves it late to break down 10-man Toffees after Gareth Barry sees red
By Neil Ashton

There was a moment, less than a minute into Jose Mourinho’s post-match appearance, when the threat was real and the mood was menacing.
‘One more question I leave, so I’m more concerned with my reaction, so one more question and I will have to go,’ claimed Chelsea’s manager. Mourinho was back in Campaign mode, driving the Chelsea battle bus towards another ridge in the road. He left us with another cliffhanger.
Because this is Chelsea, because this is Mourinho, the repercussions and the recriminations will last for days. How sad that is.
Mourinho had just been asked about the moment in the 88th minute when Gareth Barry’s dopey challenge on Willian caused an almighty rumpus in front of the two technical areas.
In real-time Mourinho jumped out of his seat, followed wearily and predictably by the concertinaed figures of coaches Rui Faria, Steve Holland, Christophe Lollichom and Silvino Louro. Ramires was waving an imaginary card at referee Jonathan Moss, for which he was booked, and Chelsea’s bench were demanding the return of capital punishment down there.
Scenes like that make you want to cough up blood. What followed was the ugly side of the game, with players from Chelsea and Everton puffing out their chests and pretending they are all hard as nails. For the FA the focus this morning will be on Branislav Ivanovic, the Chelsea defender who was accused on social media of biting Everton substitute James McCarthy. The video is inconclusive.
Instead he is likely to be charged with violent conduct for shoving his head into the side of McCarthy’s left ear before Chelsea’s captain John Terry and Didier Drogba could eventually drag the doofus away. Lovely player and all that, but even the great players lose it from time to time.
‘Don’t make me laugh, don't make me laugh,’ scoffed Mourinho when he was asked by television after the game for his verdict on the events.
This is classic Mourinho territory, with every defence mechanism under the sun kicking in as he contemplates the prospect of a three match ban for his right-back.
What we do know is that the referee, who sent off Barry for a second booking for his chop on Willian, could not possibly have seen the incident between Ivanovic and McCarthy.
It was only two weeks ago, here at Stamford Bridge, when Michael Oliver failed to spot Diego Costa stamping on Emre Can during their 1-0 victory over Liverpool in the Capital One Cup semi-final.

That was enough to send Mourinho nuclear and there is likely to be another mushroom cloud hanging over Stamford Bridge if the FA decide to punish Ivanovic. A retrospective three-game ban, which includes the Capital One Cup final against Tottenham, awaits.


The problem for Everton, on reflection, is that they failed to re-organise quickly enough to cope with the inevitable ball into the box after Barry had made his way down the tunnel.
Cesc Fabregas, on as a substitute for Juan Cuadrado, launched the free-kick into the box for Ivanovic to head towards Everton keeper Tim Howard.
The mistake Howard made was to punch it towards danger, into the feet of Willian idling on the edge of the Everton penalty area.
His corkscrew winner is a mere footnote.
A minute later, after Moss had signalled the end, Mourinho marched across the turf at Stamford Bridge to throw his arms tightly around Petr Cech in a bear hug.
Without Cech between the posts against Everton, who knows whether Willian would have gone on to score Chelsea’s winner in front of the Matthew Harding Stand.
On another night - and goodness knows the public deserves a well-earned rest from Chelsea’s disciplinary problems - we would be talking about Cech’s masterful performance.
They won this game, their 18th in the league this season, because Cech twice saved brilliantly, one in each half, from the feet of Romelu Lukaku. For the first, he threw out a left leg to deflect Lukaku’s effort wide of his post when Ross Barkley had split the Chelsea defence with a measured pass beyond Kurt Zouma and Terry.
He had to be on his game again in the second half when Lukaku, unmarked six yards out, should have put Everton in front. Cech’s save was breathtaking. Thibaut Courtois will be sweating, he has to be ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League clash with Paris St Germain in the Parc des Princes. It is no longer clear cut.
‘He touched the ball twice, he was a spectator,’ claimed Mourinho and it was difficult to argue.
‘This is what we need - competition with Petr and Courtois. The focus must be permanent and also a keeper can be tired - it can affect your nervous system.
‘Petr worked hard and I believed he was the best option for the team became John Terry was ill in the morning. I wanted leadership.’ Mourinho has redefined the term at Chelsea, braying at everyone and anything after maintaining their seven point lead over Manchester City.
His team could easily have been ahead in the first half, particularly when Stephen Naismith’s bizarre ball juggling act in the Everton penalty area went unpunished. It should have been awarded.
Instead we are sitting in the Court of Mourinho again, a place where the Portuguese coach sits as judge and jury. But what of the law? As we have discovered, Mourinho makes that up as he goes along.

MATCH ZONE BY SAMI MOKBEL
Petr Cech was preferred to Thibaut Courtois in Chelsea’s. Jose Mourinho probably wouldn’t call it a dropping, but that’s what it seemed like. Courtois took his place on the bench, suggesting there was no injury to the Belgian. With the Champions League clash against PSG on the horizon, on Tuesday to be exact, it’ll be interesting to see who the Special One plumps for. Mourinho has enough time to think about his decision with Chelsea without a game this weekend following their shock FA Cup exit to Bradford.
Ray Wilkins was at the Bridge to watch the club he served as a player and coach. He was sat just behind the dug-outs. Perhaps it rekindled memories of his bygone days in the Blues technical area under Luiz Felipe Scolari, Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti.
If Jose Mourinho told his charges to keep a particular eye on Everton midfielder Steven Naysmith, here’s why. Ahead of the encounter, the Scotland international had scored in three of his last four Premier League appearances against the Blues. It would had been Naysmith’s handball in the first-half that caught Mourinho’s eye, though.

Chelsea: Cech 7.5, Ivanovic 6.5, Zouma 7, Terry 7, Azpilicueta 6.5; Ramires 6.5, Matic 7.5; Cuadrado 7 (Fabregas 70, 6.5), Willian (Cahill 90+2) 8, Hazard 6.5; Remy 6.5 (Drogba 70, 6).
Subs not used: Luis, Ake, Courtois, Loftus-Cheek.
Manager: Mourinho 7
Booked: Azpilicueta, Ramires, Fabregas
Goal: Willian 89

Everton: Howard 7.5; Coleman 7, Stones 7.5, Jagielka 6.5, Oviedo 7; Naysmith 6.5, Besic 5 (McCarthy 46, 6.5), Barry 7, Lennon 6.5 (Mirallas 74, 6); Barkley 6 (Gibson 74, 6); Lukaku 6.5
Subs not used: Robles, Kone, Garbutt, Alcaraz.
Manager: Martinez 6.5
Booked: Besic, Barry, Coleman, McCarthy
Sent off: Barry

Attendance: 41,592
Referee: Jon Moss
Man of the match: Willian

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Mirror:

Chelsea 1-0 Everton: Willian breaks 10-man Toffees' resolve with dramatic late winner
John Cross

Roberto Martinez's men must have thought they'd weathered the storm but Willian's deflected strike snatched all three points after Gareth Barry's dismissal
Titles are won on nights like these.
Chelsea simply refused to give up even if they had to wait until the last minute before Brazilian playmaker Willian fired in the dramatic winner.
And it could not have been more typical Chelsea as it finished with a red card, a row and Jose Mourinho complaining about TV coverage.
This time it was BT rather than Sky as Mourinho did not appreciate questions as to whether Branislav Ivanovic should have been sent off.
Ivanovic appeared to head butt James McCarthy in the mass brawl as Gareth Barry was dismissed for a second yellow card after conceding the free kick which led to Willian's winner.
Chelsea rarely do things the easy way but the other side is their sheer resilience, never-say-die spirit and their refusal to settle for a draw is why they sit seven points clear of Manchester City.
City have reeled them in before but, from being level on points on New Year's Day, Chelsea have rediscovered a winning mentality and desire which was typified by their victory at Stamford Bridge.
Even when Chelsea are not at their best - and Petr Cech, Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard aside they certainly didn't hit top gear last night - they still get their job done.
Cech justified his surprise selection ahead of Thibaut Courtois with a stunning point blank save from Romelu Lukaku. Cech is now just three behind David James' Premier League record of 170 clean sheets.
Hazard also never stopped running as he showed a desire which drove Chelsea forward and kept them going even when Everton were defying them at every turn.
Everton keeper Tim Howard almost single handedly kept Chelsea at bay with a string of stunning saves and it looked as if they had survived until the last gasp drama.
Howard was brilliant all night as Chelsea went close early on through Matic, Willian, Juan Cuadrado and Loic Remy while Steven Naismith was lucky to escape after a clear handball in his own area.
But after Chelsea failed to find the early breakthrough, the more solid Everton's defence became and Lukaku was their outlet as he also forced a fine save from Cech in the first half.
Despite Hazard's determination and Matic dominating midfield, they toiled and laboured. In fact, Everton should have taken a 68th minute lead but Lukaku's close range shot was blocked by a stunning reflex save with Cech's feet.
On came the big guns as fit-again Cesc Fabregas and Didier Drogba were introduced as Chelsea went in search of a winner. They thought they had it after 86 minutes when Matic's shot hit the net but it was flagged offside after hitting Ivanovic on the way through.
It boiled over when Barry saw red for a trip on Willian and Ivanovic then appeared to put his head into the back of the McCarthy's head as an ugly brawl broke out.
But referee Jon Moss did not take any action and you just knew that Ivanovic would play a part in the winner. Fabregas lumped the resulting free kick into the box, Ivanovic headed on, Howard punched the ball away and Willian lashed it home through a crowd of players from 20 yards.
The whole stadium went crazy as Chelsea celebrated the 89th minute winner as if they had won the Premier League already and, in truth, last night was one hell of a step towards doing exactly that.

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Express:

Chelsea 1 - Everton 0: Willian strikes late to snatch all three points for Mourinho's men
Tony Banks

Willian scored a deflected goal to claim all three points for Chelsea
Jose Mourinho’s side were stuttering and stumbling until the Brazilian let fly with a low shot from the edge of the area that flew past the defiant Tim Howard.
But Chelsea last night owed a massive vote of thanks to veteran goalkeeper Cech.
The 32-year-old was recalled in place of the dropped Thibaut Courtois, and he produced two saves right out of the top-drawer to stop Blues old boy Romelu Lukaku. Had it not been for the Czech, Everton could have won this game long before Willian’s precious strike.
Mourinho sprang a surprise as he dropped Courtois for the first time since the Belgian came back to the club in August  after erratic displays at Aston Villa and against Manchester City.
Cech came in, and £26.8million January signing Juan Cuadrado made his full debut – with the injured Oscar dropping out.
Chelsea started strongly as Nemanja Matic strode through two tackles to shoot just over, and Everton were lucky when Steven Naismith appeared to clearly handle Willian’s cross, but got away with it.
The Brazilian curled a shot just over the angle as Chelsea got into their rhythm. But then Lukaku, on his first visit back to Stamford Bridge since leaving permanently in the summer, showed his power as he pounced on Ross Barkley’s pass and forced Cech to save with an outstretched foot.
Everton keeper Howard produced an equally good save to keep out Loic Remy’s flashing header. But as Chelsea poured forward the chances kept coming, and the Frenchman then skidded a shot just wide of the post.
Then Eden Hazard’s low shot was well saved by Howard at the second attempt as the pressure continued to mount. Everton boss Roberto Martinez’s ensured his side mostly had 10 men behind the ball as they fought off the siege.
The Colombian Cuadrado showed speed going forward but kept running into blind alleys, as did too many of his colleagues. He got into good positions, but then took one touch too many.
Hazard was one who became more direct, and he fired in a shot that Howard had to parry away. But the American World Cup hero produced an even better stop when he tipped Matic’s free-kick round the post. He was there again when Willian curled in a shot from the left.
But Everton were then foiled by the save of the night. As Chelsea failed to clear a corner, Bryan Oviedo fired in a low cross, and when Lukaku shot from five yards, somehow Cech once again saved with an outstretched leg. The old man had fully justified his recall with two pieces of brilliance.
Even when Matic’s shot was deflected in, Branislav Ivanovic was offside. It was that kind of night. Gareth Barry’s sending off for two yellow cards at the death looked likely to make little difference.
But from the free-kick Howard punched clear, and Willian met the ball on the edge of the area. It may well be a crucial moment in this season’s title race.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Cuadrado (Fabregas 70), Willian (Cahill 90), Hazard; Remy (Drogba 70). Booked: Azpilicueta, Ramires, Fabregas. Goal: Willian 89. NEXT UP: Paris Saint-Germain (a), Tue CL.
EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Oviedo; Besic (McCarthy 45), Barry; Lennon (Mirallas 74), Naismith, Barkley (Gibson 74); Lukaku. Booked: Barry, Besic, Coleman, McCarthy. Sent off: Barry 88. NEXT UP: Young Boys (a), Feb 19 EL.
Referee: J Moss (West Riding).

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Star:

Chelsea 1 Everton 0: Willian strike keeps Blues marching on
David Woods

Up until the 89th minute, the American keeper had looked set to thwart Chelsea almost single-handedly, topped by a couple of super-saves.
He was matched, though, by the returning Petr Cech, who produced two excellent stops himself, both with his feet from Romelu Lukaku, after coming in for the axed Thibault Courtois.
Cech’s performance led boss Jose Mourinho to walk 30 yards to congratulate him at the end of this tight tussle.
Willian’s goal came just after Gareth Barry was sent off for tripping him, having picked up a caution in the first half for felling Eden Hazard in similar circumstances.
The dismissal sparked some fiesty scenes with rival players squaring up to each other en masse and Branislav Ivanovic face into face with James McCarthy.
Despite all the posturing, referee Jonathan Moss was able to calm things down before showing red to ex-England star Barry.
When it came to beating Howard, it took a deflection off Steven Naismith, after Brazilian Willian shot from 20 yards, sending the ball into the bottom left corner of the stranded keeper’s goal.
The Chelsea bench went bonkers, all except for Mourinho, who immediately pointed to Gary Cahill, telling him to get ready to come on, with Willian being replaced.
Some might say Chelsea won ugly, but, in fairness, they tried to play football throughout.
But Roberto Martinez’s Toffees proved harder to chew this time round, having been thrashed 6-3 at Goodison in August.
There was a full debut for Chelsea’s £26m Colombian Juan Cuadrado, who looks set to fit in well.
But it was former Chelsea striker Lukaku, who had the first serious chance, in the eighth minute.
Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon - making his full debut on loan with the Goodison outfit - picked out Ross Barkley.
And his clever pass into Lukaku’s path allowed him to drive in a fierce low shot which Cech somehow deflected over his bar with an ankle.
Howard clutched a Hazard shot at the second attempt and then forced Howard to beat away at his near post with a snapshot.
The bearded stopper did even better soon after to hurl himself to his left to beat away a curling free-kick from Nemanja Matic.
He maintained his fine display with another impressive leap to his left, to knock clear a Willian bender, again with one hand, before it could sneak inside a post.
Not to be outdone, Cech proved he was no back number, with a sensational reflex save in the 69th minute.
Bryan Oviedo sent in a low ball from the left and Lukaku sidefooted with his left towards goal from six yards. Somehow Cech twisted his body to block with his left foot. Lukaku could not believe it.
Howard was beaten by a Matic drive just before the goal, but it was correctly rubbed, having taken a deflection off the offside Ivanovic.
Sadly for Howard the next deflected shot did count, much to battling Everton’s despair and the delight of the home faithful,
They went away all talking about how important king Willian’s goal will be if Chelsea win the league, with nearest rivals Manchester City winning 4-1 at Stoke.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Cuadrado (Fabregas 70), Willian (Cahill 92), Hazard; Remy (Drogba). Subs: Courtois, Luis, Ake, Loftus-Cheek.
EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Oviedo; Besic (McCarthy 46), Barry; Lennon (Mirallas 74), Barkley (Gibson 74), Naismith; Lukaku. Subs: Robles, Kone, Garbutt, Alcaraz.
REFEREE: Jonathan Moss.

Aston Villa 2-1

Independent:

Branislav Ivanovic hands Blues vital three points in close affair at Villa Park

Aston Villa 1 Chelsea 2

Simon Hart  

There was no hiding what this victory, his first in six visits to Villa Park, meant to Jose Mourinho. The Chelsea manager walked straight on to the pitch at the final whistle, punched the air and began waving his arms as if to conduct the away fans singing on the opposite side.

Back on his bogey ground, Mourinho had seen Aston Villa raise their game and end a goal drought stretching back to December yet Chelsea, missing the suspended Diego Costa and injured Cesc Fabregas, still took the points thanks to Branislav Ivanovic’s second-half winner.

In the process, Chelsea capitalised on Manchester City’s slip-up against Hull City and moved seven points clear. Mourinho tried to played down their advantage – “There are 42 points to play for and a lead of seven is nothing in this country,” he said – but it felt like his third Premier League title had just moved a touch closer.

At Stamford Bridge earlier this season Mourinho tried to shake the hands of Paul Lambert, Villa’s manager, and a distinctly unimpressed Roy Keane before the final whistle. There was no handshake yesterday, only some barbed comments from Chelsea’s manager about Villa having one of “the best squads”, “very good players” and a “fantastic stadium”. Everything, in other words, but a good manager.

Mourinho was responding to a first-half row between Lambert and Rui Faria, Chelsea’s assistant coach, which saw the Scot jabbing a finger at the visiting bench as tempers rose following a spot of Didier Drogba play-acting.  Hazard opened the scoring with a lovely finish

Lambert had his own dig back, saying: “Jose is a great manager, I would love to learn from him as football manager but I wouldn’t like to learn things off the pitch from somebody in his dugout.”

If this unseemly sideshow was typical Mourinho, this victory was typical Chelsea as they showed both quality and character to record their seventh away win of the campaign. They took just eight minutes to take the lead. Oscar did the hard work with a run from the halfway line before pulling the ball back for Willian, who crossed towards the six-yard box and Eden Hazard put just enough on the ball to steer it past Brad Guzan.  Jores Okore ended Aston Villa's 11-hour wait for a goal

Chelsea were briefly knocked out of their stride by Villa’s explosive start to the second period. Tom Cleverley had already seen a shot deflected just over when Jores Okore struck Villa’s first Premier League goal in precisely 660 minutes. The impressive Carles Gil was the creator, showing lovely footwork to escape Oscar before crossing to the far post, where Okore buried a header.  Ivanovic fires home a beautifully struck left-footed volley   New signing Juan Cuadrado came on for the final 10 minutes

Yet Chelsea upped the tempo again, and after Willian had twice gone close Ivanovic delivered the decisive blow. Cesar Azpilicueta capitalised on Okore’s failure at his near post by lifting the ball into the middle where Ivanovic, with a swing of his left leg, sent a fierce diagonal drive past Guzan.

It was a fourth straight League defeat for Villa ahead of Tuesday’s six-pointer at Hull, but they will take some positives from their high-energy display – not least the performance of the Spaniard Gil, their January signing from Valencia.  Jose Mourinho's team now have a seven point lead


Aston Villa (4-5-1): Guzan; Hutton, Okore, Clark, Cissokho; Gil, Cleverley (Sinclair, 74), Westwood, Delph, Weimann (Cole 80); Agbonlahor (Benteke, 68).

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian (Cuadrado, 80), Oscar (Mikel, 73), Hazard; Drogba (Remy, 64).

Referee: Neil Swarbrick.

Man of the match: Ivanovic (Chelsea)

Match rating: 7/10


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


Telegraph:


Aston Villa 1 Chelsea 2, Branislav Ivanovic strikes to put Jose Mourinho on the road to the title

Full-back's brilliant half-volley ended home side's valiant comeback as they ended their 11-hour goal drought at last

By  John Percy, Villa Park


Jose Mourinho conceded the Premier League title at Villa Park last season but this was a potentially seismic afternoon for Chelsea.

Mourinho has frequently seen his team unravel on trips to Spaghetti Junction in recent years yet this victory, a first win here in six attempts for the Chelsea manager, felt like a defining moment.

Branislav Ivanovic underlined his enduring excellence with the crucial goal and despite Manchester City’s late equaliser against Hull, even Mourinho had to smile barely 24 hours after his sullen teenager act at Cobham.

He now holds a seven-point lead over Manuel Pellegrini and this was a deafening statement from his players, doing all the talking required after his self-imposed vow of silence.

Aston Villa did end their embarrassing drought, scoring a first league goal in 11 hours, but there are other statistics that remain grim reading for Paul Lambert, such as two wins from 20 games.

Mourinho now only has Newcastle to cross off his list after finally ending his wait for a win at Villa Park and the title is in sight, even if he is remaining cautious.

“In another country I would say the lead is fantastic but in this country it is nothing,” he said. “Seven points means seven points but you have 14 matches to go.

“We are speaking about 42 points to play for and I think it’s nothing. This was a very important victory but we have to focus on ourselves and win the next game.

“Was I surprised about City’s result? I’m surprised about nothing, every team can take points but I didn’t care about it. Somebody told me after the game, I did not think about it. We will go step by step.”

Mourinho has usually viewed trips to Villa with a sense of dread. His first spell in charge was brought to an abrupt end in 2007 when he was sacked shortly after a 2-0 defeat, while last March he wrote off Chelsea’s title hopes after Fabian Delph’s late winner.

Villa are proving accommodating hosts to many opponents, however, on a day when Lambert marked his 100th league game in charge by dropping Christian Benteke, despite the club’s chronic goal shortage.

It took only eight minutes for Chelsea to expose Villa’s defensive frailties. Oscar broke clear of Jores Okore on the halfway line, advancing towards the penalty area to find Willian whose low pass was turned in by Eden Hazard.

It was ruthlessly simple and Villa supporters must have been fearing a long afternoon. Fans in the North Stand attempted to provide Lambert’s players with assistance by holding paper arrows pointing to the goal.

Villa did respond, with Gabriel Agbonlahor heading Ashley Westwood’s cross narrowly over the bar but in the first half they had the cutting edge of a plastic spatula.

These encounters have become notoriously fractious in recent years and at times it threatened to boil over as the tackles rained in. Lambert and Mourinho have also clashed in the last three meetings and the Villa manager exchanged words with the Chelsea bench late in the first half, later revealing he had been annoyed by a comment believed to have been made by coach Rui Faria.

“I would love to learn off him [Mourinho] as a football manager but I wouldn’t want to learn things off the pitch from someone in his dugout,” said Lambert after the game.

He was celebrating three minutes into the second half, however, after Villa had a ‘eureka’ moment and rediscovered the art of goalscoring. The impressive Carles Gil beat Oscar on the right with an exquisite drop of the shoulder and his cross found Okore at the far post unmarked, with the Dane waiting to head home.

“We’re Aston Villa, we’ll score when we want”, chanted a stunned Holte End.

The game was threatening to drift away from Chelsea but they regained their lead after yet another defensive calamity. This time it was Okore who contrived to needlessly give the ball away and Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross back into the box found Ivanovic, who hooked an excellent half-volley into the corner. What a signing he has proven to be, an absolute bargain at £9million.

Juan Cuadrado, the £26.8million signing, was introduced as a substitute with ten minutes to go and Chelsea coasted to a vital win without any late scares. Their first league title in five years is in sight.

Villa are slipping ever closer to the relegation zone after four successive defeats and suddenly their trip to Hull City on Tuesday night has taken on mammoth proportions.

Lambert said: “Our season will not be defined with what happened against Arsenal and Chelsea, it is about from now on in. I thought we deserved something from the game but we conceded a very poor goal.”


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


Observer:

Aston Villa end famine but Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic ruins their day

Aston Villa 1 - 2 Chelsea

Daniel Taylor at Villa Park


It ended with Chelsea moving seven points clear at the top of the Premier League and maybe even the semblance of a smile from the man who came back to English football insisting he wanted to be known as the Happy One. José Mourinho’s scowl has felt like a permanent attachment in recent times but this felt like a significant moment in the Premier League title race and it was not straightforward seeing off an Aston Villa side that had at least paid attention to the photograph of an empty goal splashed across the front of the Birmingham Mail. “Memo to Villa,” it read. “This is what a goal looks like.”

Paul Lambert’s side certainly needed the reminder, bearing in mind the moment when Jores Okore headed in Carles Gil’s cross to make it 1-1, three minutes into the second half, brought up the 11-hour mark since their last top-division goal 43 days earlier. So, hallelujah, Villa have finally managed to equal the number of league goals Bournemouth have scored in Birmingham this season.

Unfortunately for Villa, there have still been only two occasions all season when they have scored twice in a league game and Chelsea had enough time and self-belief to restore their winning position through Branislav Ivanovic’s decisive strike.

Ivanovic is establishing himself as the ultimate odd job man – a full-back, centre-half, attacker, motivator and goalscorer all wrapped into one – and this was his fifth goal in his past six starts against Villa. There was still a third of the match to play but Villa had resorted to type and Christian Benteke’s introduction, having been dropped from Lambert’s starting XI, had little impact.

Mourinho brought on Juan Cuadrado, the £23m acquisition from Fiorentina, during those moments and Manchester City’s inability to beat Hull City at their own ground ultimately made it a hugely satisfying win for the leaders. True, they might have made easier work of it bearing in mind Eden Hazard opened the scoring with a superbly worked team goal after only eight minutes. They did, however, show title-winning qualities in their response to Villa’s first league goal in 2015 and, on the balance of play, they were clearly the better side.

Mourinho tried to argue that seven points amounted to “nothing” in a league where “nothing surprises me”. They missed Diego Costa at times and it was a difficult day for Didier Drogba, a month short of his 37th birthday and struggling to remind us of the player of old, barring those moments when he was flinging himself to the ground in pretend agony.

Yet Mourinho was twirling his hand in the air after the final whistle and his celebrations indicated he knew what an important victory this might be.

Early on, it had looked like it would be a much more routine win when Drogba played the ball forward and Oscar, running through the inside-right channel, eluded Okore then played it inside for Willian. Hazard had anticipated the next pass, darting in front of Alan Hutton, and Willian delivered it with just the right amount of weight for his team-mate to turn a first-time shot past Brad Guzan.

The frustration inside Villa Park manifested itself in some voluble dissent aimed towards Tom Cleverley. Lambert could be seen taking exception to something that Rui Faria, Mourinho’s assistant, had said in the opposite dugout and was suspicious to learn that the Chelsea manager had described Villa’s squad as “one of the best” in the country, with a “very good bench and lots of solutions”. There is history here and Lambert, with two wins in 20 league games since signing his new contract, did not appreciate the flattery. “That’s his opinion,” he said. “Maybe he is trying to put pressure on me.”

If nothing else, Mourinho was guilty of serious exaggeration, especially given the way Willian, Oscar and Hazard endangered the home defence. Villa’s scoring drought had gone on so long there were supporters holding up posters with arrows to show the way to goal. Gil, a £3.2m signing from Valencia, looks like he might be a bargain and it was a beautiful little drop of the shoulder to fool Oscar before his cross picked out Okore at the back post.

Unfortunately for Villa, Lambert’s players could not follow the crowd’s instructions again. Chelsea found some new impetus and when César Azpilicueta’s perseverance created the chance for Ivanovic he let fly with a left-foot shot that was still rising as it flew into the net.


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

Mail:

Aston Villa 1-2 Chelsea:

Eden Hazard and Branislav Ivanovic ensure Blues extend Premier League lead to seven points despite Jores Okore finally ending home side's 11-hour goal drought

By Laurie Whitwell


The jokes can finally end. Aston Villa have scored in the Premier League. At the eleventh hour. Literally.

After 660 minutes of trying and failing to get a goal, Paul Lambert’s side found a way past one of the best defences in world football.

Carles Gil shimmied round Oscar and delivered an inch-perfect cross. Jores Okore rose at the far post and nodded the ball past Thibaut Courtois.

Still, it was not enough to stop Chelsea. Suppose that is another punchline of sorts. You wait 11 hours for a goal and still get beat. It is tough being a Villa fan these days.

Jose Mourinho enjoyed his first victory at Villa Park at the sixth attempt thanks to a thunderous response by Branislav Ivanovic.

As a defender, perhaps he felt personally slighted that English football’s worst attack had got the ball over the line against him.

Twenty minutes after Villa stunned their supporters into jovially singing ‘We score when we want’ the Serbian went down the other end and won the three points for Chelsea.

In the 68th minute, Cesar Azpilicueta advanced down the left and was only partially stopped by Okore. The Danish defender then failed woefully with a clearance, allowing Azpiliceuta to dig out a cross.

Fabian Delph missed the ball but Ivanovic did not, striking a magnificent half-volley with his left foot into the net before Brad Guzan had time to think.

Mourinho, who had remained in his seat throughout, stood up to celebrate. The travelling fans clambered over themselves to do likewise with the mound of Chelsea players cheering in front of them.

An important victory clinched on the path to what Chelsea hope is a first Premier League title since 2009-10.

The win had appeared certain when Eden Hazard continued his fine form by opening the scoring in the eighth minute.

Oscar ran down the right and played the ball across to Willian, who took a touch and fed a delightful pass into the area. Hazard galloped on to it and swept a first-time finish into the corner.

Given Villa’s impotence in attack - sharing the lowest goal total of any team from the Premier League era at this stage of the season - that seemed to be that.

Lambert had made the call to drop Christian Benteke following his poor showings in recent weeks, even if the Belgian was the last to score in a claret and blue shirt in the 1-1 draw with Manchester United on December 20.

Gabby Agbonlahor started instead, in the aim of giving more mobility and speed for counter attacks. It nearly went right when he connected with Delph’s cross, only to head over.

He had not heeded the signs carrying arrows held aloft by some fans. Handed out by a betting firm known for their ambush marketing before kick-off, the idea was to point the way to goal for their players.

Gradually though, Villa found a foothold and produced a few moments to worry John Terry and his fellow defenders.

Shortly before interval it became tetchy on the sidelines when Didier Drogba fell to floor holding his head after an aerial duel with Ciaran Clark. Lambert removed his coat and exchanged words with the rival dugout.

At Stamford Bridge earlier in the season the Villa manager was infuriated by Mourinho’s attempts to shake his hand before the final whistle. Here, the Portuguese stayed in his seat.

Three minutes after the interval, Villa found that longed-for breakthrough. It really was some skill by Gil, who enjoyed another good game since his £3.25million move from Valencia.

But Villa sunk deeper after their goal, inviting Chelsea pressure. Willian twice went close with slapped shots from range, the second requiring the slenderest of fingertips from Guzan to divert wide.

Another blue attack reasserted the visitor’s authority.

As soon as Chelsea retook the lead, Benteke emerged - replacing Agbonlahor. He had been readying himself in any case but was unable to alter the course of the match.

At the end Mourinho strode across the turf he had finally conquered and beckoned to his supporters to keep making noise. Much more of this and the title will be theirs.


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


Mirror:

Aston Villa 1-2

Ivanovic emerges as late hero as Blues go seven points clear
 
By James Nursey
 
The Serb struck a superb winner at Villa Park to put Mourinho's men back in front after Jores Okore had finally ended Villa's goal drought

Jose Mourinho saw Chelsea avenge their costly defeat here last season as Branislav Ivanovic was the Londoners' hero again.

Right-back Ivanovic scored the extra-time winner in the Capital One Cup semi-final against Liverpool recently.

And he struck the decisive goal in the 66th minute here with a superb and vital goal as title rivals Man City dropped points.

It was extra sweet for the visitors as it was Mourinho's first win at Villa Park in six trips.

It erased nightmare memories of their trip here last March when they lost 1-0 and had two players plus boss Mourinho sent off.

But this clash always looked likely to end more favourably for Chelsea.

They took the lead in the eighth minute after a well-work goal.

Oscar instigated the danger with a good run and pass down the right flank, it found Willian who intelligently teed up Eden Hazard to find the bottom corner.

Villa, who dropped Christian Benteke, had a good spell before the break but did not level until the second half.

Defender Jores Okore headed in the equaliser in the 48th minute at the back post from Carles Gil's clever cross after skinning Oscar.

Villa fans then finally found their voice after seeing their side end an 11-hour goal drought in the top-flight.

But it was Chelsea who re-took the lead after both Okore and Fabian Delph failed to clear for the hosts.

Ivanovic ruthlessly despatched it with a clinical shot on the bounce into the corner with his left-foot.

Mourinho was then able to bring on new signing Juan Cuadrado off the bench for the final 10 minutes as Villa crashed to a fourth successive League loss after a ninth game without a win in the Premier League.


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

Express:


Aston Villa 1 - Chelsea 2: Mourinho lifts Villa hoodoo and opens gap on Manchester City

THE Grumpy One was suddenly transformed into a party animal as Jose Mourinho smashed his Aston Villa jinx to take a giant stride towards another Premier League title.

The Portuguese, a man of war for the past weeks, waltzed onto the pitch at the final whistle - one which had seen him fail to win on the five previous occasions – to celebrate a formidable seven point lead at the top of the table.

Arms aloft he waved to the Chelsea fans in the knowledge that barring a collapse the championship will be theirs come the end of May, probably a lot sooner than that at this rate.

A niggly Mourinho insisted on the eve of this trip to the Midlands that Manchester City weren’t true champions because they had flouted Financial Fair Play rules.

He added that Manuel Pellegrini’s team should have been docked points. Who needs UEFA when you’ve got teams like Hull City to place a spoke in City’s wheels?

In the meantime Chelsea, without being spectacular, are free wheeling to more title glory.

By contrast Aston Villa are embroiled in a relegation scrap even if they ended their near 11 hour goal famine.

It’s a pity some of the Villa players don’t display the same fighting spirit of their manager Paul Lambert who, clearly upset by some words uttered from the Chelsea bench, took off his coat and threw it down in the technical area in a challenge straight from a Saturday night out in his native Glasgow.

Afterwards Lambert insisted the protagonist hadn’t been Mourinho, but one of his side-kicks, although there was once again no handshake with his opposite number. “He was half way down the pitch by the time I got to his dug-out.”Lambert explained.

They are more than half way to the title after what looks being a defining afternoon.

Chelsea’s opening goal had been a lesson to Villa in the art of scoring with the minimum of effort and fuss.

Didier Drogba when he isn’t playing the Equity card, rolling on the ground in mock agony at the slightest of touches, can still be a useful Chelsea asset.

His ball sent Oscar down the right. An incisive pass from the Brazilian was immediately swept into Eden Hazard’s path by Willian and in a flash Chelsea were in the lead.

Villa’s crestfallen crew could only look at each other fearing the worst as the Holte End grumbled and looked towards Lambert as their scapegoat.

To Villa’s credit, despite being devoid of confidence, they more than matched their illustrious visitors with their passing and movement.

But the staple diet of any football club at any level is goals. Finally the first since before Christmas – almost 11 hours of impotency – arrived for Villa from an unlikely source.

When a corner was headed back to Carles Gil the Spaniard’s quick feet responded with a neat side step to outwit his marker and a perfect delivery was set up for central defender Jores Okore to power a header past Thibaut Courtois.

Okore disappeared into the Holte End, now transformed into a celebrating sea of claret and blue, to the inevitable cost of a yellow card.

The last thing Mourinho wanted was to be the fall guy in Villa’s redemption. When in need call on Branislav Ivanovich.

The man mountain who has come up with so many important strikes including the League Cup semi-final extra time winner against Liverpool was at it again here. Cesar Azpilicueta’s persistence in a crowded penalty area was rewarded with a flick towards the adventurous Ivanovich whose searing volley was too good for Brad Guzan.

Cue a rare smile from Mourinho.


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

Star:


Aston Villa 1 - Chelsea 2: Ivanovic winner keeps Blues top

Grumpy Jose Mourinho almost had a smile on his face as he finally broke his Villa Park hoodoo.

By Harry Pratt


Until yesterday the Chelsea boss had failed to secure a victory here in his five previous attempts.

And when Paul Lambert’s hosts ended their mind-numbing goal drought – on exactly 11 hours – to make it 1-1 early in the second half, it seemed moody Mourinho’s Midlands curse was strike again.

Yet just when the Portuguese coach – sent off here last season – was probably preparing another rant at the world, Branislav Ivanovic appeared from nowhere to produce an absolute scorcher.

The Serbian full-back’s first-time left-foot volley after 66 minutes could not have been hit more sweetly. It simply roared into the far corner.

And that moment of a class was sufficient to bag Mourinho’s league leaders a second away win on the spin – and widen the gap in the title race.

With Manchester City only drawing at home to Hull, this result put Chelsea SEVEN points clear of their nearest challengers.

Mourinho continued to play down his chances of landing the Premier League for the third time in his two spells at the Bridge.

He said: “In any other country it would mean a lot but over here a lead of seven points is nothing. Anything can happen in this league.

“Nothing surprises me in England. I didn’t care about what Man City were doing.

“When you are top you don’t need other teams to drop points. If they do, great – but when you’re top you just focus on yourselves.”

You had to feel for his opposite number, though. Lambert saw his troops give everything – yet still come away with nothing. They remain in 16th place but are only two points clear of danger.

Their one consolation is that after six-and-a-half games of firing blanks, they have at least rediscovered what it feels like to find the back of the net. Those shocking goal stats compelled Lambert, in his 100th Villa game, to axe his one-time £25million-rated Christian Benteke.

Chelsea were without their main hitman, too, as top scorer Diego Costa was serving the second of his three-match stamping ban.

But it made no difference to the visitors. For within eight minutes they were ahead from their first genuine assault of the afternoon.

Oscar held off Aly Cissokho, slipped in fellow Brazilian Willian, whose cross was perfect for Eden Hazard to sweep home his 13th of the campaign.

Villa’s only effort of the half was a header from Gabby Agbonlahor. And there was plenty of spirit in the technical area after 37 minutes when Lambert took off his coat – and offered the entire Chelsea bench to see him outside later. Mourinho never moved.

Nor did his Chelsea defence three minutes into the second half when Villa equalised. New Spanish ace Carles Gill waltzed down the right and crossed to the far post, where Jores Okore rose to head in.

But with 43 minutes remaining, Chelsea had plenty of time to restore order. Immediately, they went from cruise control into overdrive.

And after a flurry of close chances, they deservedly regained the lead through Ivanovic’s blistering effort.

Lambert was dejected but said: “There are a lot of positives to take and we didn’t deserve to lose.”

As for his spat with the Chelsea bench, Lambert seemed to point the finger at Mourinho’s assistant Rui Faria.

The Scot said: “Jose’s a great manager who I can learn a lot from – but I wouldn’t want to learn things off the pitch from somebody in his dugout.”


Aston Villa: Guzan 8; Hutton 7, Okore 8, Clark 7, Cissokho 6; Cleverley 6 (Sinclair (74th) 6), Westwood 7, Delph 7, Weimann 7 (Cole 80th), Agbonlahor 6 Benteke (68th) 6); Gil 9

Chelsea: Courtois 7; Ivanovic 8, Terry 7, Cahill 6, Azpilicueta 6; Ramires 6, Matic 7, Willian 7 (Caudrado 80th), Oscar 7 (Mikel (73rd) 6), Hazard 7; Drogba 5 (Remy (63rd)

STAR MAN: Branislav Ivanovic

Ref: N Swarbrick

Man City 1-1

Independent:

Frank Lampard's return proves a non-starter but Blues nearly come undone to battling City
Chelsea 1 Manchester City 1:
Sam Wallace

Frank Lampard shared a joke with the Chelsea bench, he even managed to persuade a reluctant Jose Mourinho to shake hands with him beforehand and then, with 13 minutes left of the match he came on and Stamford Bridge prepared to have their hearts broken all over again.

Not this time for Lampard, not even for the man who has scored more times for Chelsea than any other in their history. Over 13 years he scored all kinds of goals at Stamford Bridge, in all kinds of games but in this, surely his last outing at the club that has defined his career, he did not add the postscript that Manuel Pellegrini will have hoped for.
When he came on at last there was some booing from the home fans but it was easily drowned out by clapping and cheers, and - one notable felt-pen and cardboard anti-Lampard placard aside - that was the mood. “The Chelsea fans showed complete class at the end,” Lampard said later. “I enjoyed this.”
The gap at the top of the table between the leaders Chelsea, and Manchester City in second place remains five points. It was City who looked the most likely to score in the second half having equalised through David Silva soon after Loic Remy’s opening goal, and it was them who pushed the most in those closing minutes.
For much of the second half, there was a risk averse mood to the game until in the closing stages Pellegrini seemed to sense that the energy Chelsea had expended mid-week against Liverpool was telling. He sent on Lampard first, then Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic while Mourinho’s substitutions were much more with containment in mind.
At the final whistle, Mourinho punched the air, a clear indication of his feelings at securing a point with a team that was without the suspended Diego Costa and the injured Cesc Fabregas. The Chelsea manager boycotted his post-match press conference and sent none of his staff either, the blue swivel chair sitting empty. There will be a fine from the Premier League but that seems the least of his worries.
Frank Lampard applauds the Chelsea fans as well as the Manchester City supporters Frank Lampard applauds the Chelsea fans as well as the Manchester City supporters 
There were strong performances on both sides, notably Nemanja Matic and Fernandinho, although it came to a close with neither side really creating the second half chance that might have won the game. Lampard, speaking afterwards, said that it was a better result for his former club.
“There were more chances for City in the game,” he said. “Chelsea had a big old game in midweek and the draw probably suits them in the long run… we know what that lead is. But there are lots of points to play for.”
Pellegrini weighed his words more carefully but there was no doubt that he believed his team were the more attacking. “I don't know what happened with Chelsea, from the first minute we came for the three points.” Later he added: “I think both teams have a clear style of play. Everyone wants to play in the way they think is better. He [Mourinho] has a style. You analyse the style of Chelsea. I analyse just the style of my team.”
Chelsea already had the door half open on 41 minutes when Eden Hazard crossed from the left side having been picked out by Branislav Ivanovic’s left-footed ball from the right that the winger slotted across the box. Running towards his own goal, Vincent Kompany could have got there first but perhaps sensing that any touch might have deflected it past Joe Hart he decided against extending his legs and, coming in behind, Remy scored easily.
Remy scores to put Chelsea ahead Remy scores to put Chelsea ahead 
Until then Chelsea had seen less of the ball in attacking positions than the visitors and at times felt hemmed in. Yet Mourinho’s teams are generally comfortable on the back foot and although there were some close shaves it also felt like they were biding their time to break out.
Sergio Aguero should have scored on 32 minutes when a ball from very deep from Kompany caught out John Terry who turned towards his own goal, stretched and missed it. Coming from the right channel, the Argentine shot wide. Minutes earlier, Hazard left a ball on the edge of the area for Oscar but his shot was lame.
The goal from Remy, in the side in place of Costa, was the swift switch of play from one wing to another that Chelsea had been looking for all half. But they were not on top for long. In the final minute of the first 45, Bacary Sagna won the ball and played it wide for Jesus Navas. He crossed to the centre of the area where Thibaut Courtois should have taken the ball easily.
Courtois should have taken the cross before Silva's goal Courtois should have taken the cross before Silva's goal 
For reasons that were hard to discern, the Belgian goalkeeper, usually so composed in his decision making, essayed a risky punch that spun wildly off his knuckles and landed in the path of the most dangerous striker on the pitch. Aguero’s shot was drilled low. Silva was lurking in the area and guided the ball in past the defenders on the line.
Fitfully, Mourinho burst into outrage on the touchline but Mark Clattenburg handled him well – the patient dismay of a teacher dealing with an unusually difficult pupil. Through all the bravado, the Chelsea manager was delighted with a point.

Line-ups:
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian (Droba, 80), Oscar (Loftus-Cheek, 90), Hazard; Remy (Cahill, 87).
Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart; Sagna, Kompany, Demichelis, Clichy; Fernando, Fernandinho (Lampard, 77); Navas, Silva (Jovetic, 89), Milner; Aguero (Dzeko, 84).

Referee: M Clattenburg
Man of the match: Matic (Chelsea)
Match Rating: 6

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

Observer:

David Silva seizes point for Manchester City as Chelsea are checked
Chelsea 1 - 1 Man City
Daniel Taylor at Stamford Bridge

José Mourinho was not willing to offer his verdict on this tense struggle between the two teams at the top of the Premier League. Apparently it was the fault of Jamie Redknapp and all the other rotters in the media that Diego Costa was suspended and Mourinho, in turn, was applying his own ban. It is a siege mentality at Stamford Bridge right now and it is tempting to think they might have boarded up the pressbox and dismantled the television gantry if Manchester City had made the most of their superiority.
As it turned out, Costa was not too badly missed bearing in mind his replacement, Loïc Rémy, scored Chelsea’a goal. Yet they did badly miss Cesc Fàbregas given the way City’s midfield operated with the greater control. It was a strangely dishevelled performance from the league leaders and City had enough of the ball to feel like they ought to have darkened Mourinho’s mood even more.
 
Manuel Pellegrini’s side could not add to David Silva’s equaliser but they should head back to Manchester feeling encouraged by the pattern of the game and what it said, after 87 minutes, when Mourinho signalled for Remy to come off and brought on Gary Cahill to strengthen their lines of defence. In that moment Chelsea’s manager had virtually abandoned the idea of going for a winner and settled on keeping out a late City onslaught.
His team survived but when a game between first and second ends this way it does serve as a reminder that City, as their fans like to sing, will fight to the end of this title race.
They were certainly the more rounded team and it was unusual, to say the least, to see Chelsea with home advantage being pinned back into their own half. On other occasions there was a level of carelessness that must have startled Mourinho. Silva’s goal was a calamity for Thibaut Courtois but it was not the only occasion when normally dependable players made individual mistakes in and around their penalty area and it was strange to see such an accomplished group of footballers being so generous.
 
Chelsea, to give them their due, did start to cut out the defensive lapses as the game went on but they needed to because their opponents were throwing everything at them in those stages and, if anything, seemed encouraged by the message that Mourinho’s Rémy-Cahill switch sent out.
Jesús Navas had their first effort saved by Courtois after only 17 seconds and Pellegrini was entitled to be disappointed his side could not be more ruthless bearing in mind they had a number of chances at 0-0 and the best of the play in the second half without being able to put together a really inviting opportunity.
Chelsea had set out like a team that was reluctant to blur the lines between adventure and leaving themselves open to the counterattack and, by the end, it was a full-on backs-to-the-walls operation. “Boring, boring Chelsea,” the away end sang, along with various other uncomplimentary chants about Mourinho’s tactics. Yet City should also feel aggrieved with themselves because, on the balance of play, there is no doubt it was a missed opportunity.
 
At one point early on, Nemanja Matic lost the ball to Fernandinho and was fortunate the Brazilian’s shot was deflected behind for a corner. Sergio Agüero had a chance not long afterwards that originated from James Milner dispossessing Branislav Ivanovic and Pellegrini will also reflect on that moment, just after the half-hour, when John Terry misread the trajectory of a long ball from Vincent Kompany. Agüero was free but pulled his shot wide and, despite their dominance in the second half, City did not get a chance of that nature again.
Chelsea opened the scoring with virtually their first attack of real penetration and the goal was a personal ordeal for Bacary Sagna given that Pellegrini had trusted him with the job of subduing Eden Hazard on the left of Chelsea’s attack. Sagna might be marginally quicker than City’s usual right-back, Pablo Zabaleta, but the Argentinian is a better natural defender and it showed when Ivanovic picked out his team-mate.
 
Sagna had switched off and Hazard returned the ball, first-time, across the six-yard area. Kompany withdrew his leg at the crucial moment, perhaps fearing that he might turn the ball into his own goal, and in hindsight he probably should have taken the risk with Rémy lurking behind him to fire past Joe Hart.
What followed was unusual bearing in mind Chelsea’s reputation – Bradford City aside – as the best team in the country at holding on to a lead. On this occasion it lasted only four minutes and featured the first major mistake from Courtois since his return to his parent club from Atlético Madrid. Milner’s presence might have distracted the goalkeeper as he came to punch Navas’s right-wing cross but it was not a valid excuse for completely missing the ball. Agüero, as usual, was loitering with intent and swung his left foot at the ball. The shot was going wide but Silva was there to apply the decisive touch inside the six-yard area.
After the interval, it was rare to see Chelsea being pinned inside their own half. Milner and Navas impressed on the wings. Fernandinho and Fernando made Yaya Touré’s absence not feel important and Mourinho became so agitated it required a tête-à-tête with Mark Clattenburg on the touchline. Mourinho seems permanently dissatisfied with the refereeing kingdom but Clattenburg officiated the game impressively and it was not his fault – or the fourth official Jon Moss – that Chelsea did not pass the ball with more authority.
Pellegrini sent on Frank Lampard to face his old club but Mourinho had ensured there were an awful lot of bodies to get through.

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

Telegraph:

Chelsea 1 Manchester City 1
Summit meeting ends in stalemate
Jason Burt

Jose Mourinho is quickly, typically, developing a siege mentality inside Stamford Bridge and he replicated that out on the pitch here as Chelsea withheld Manchester City’s determined attempts to slice their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
As the contest appeared set to play itself out all eyes turned to Frank Lampard. Eventually he did come on, with 14 minutes to go, with surely the script prepared. It seemed inevitable that on his final appearance at Stamford Bridge, after all he has achieved at this arena, all the goals and honours and “Super Frankie” accolades – the banner returned – that he would break Chelsea hearts while wearing City blue.
At the end the 36-year-old toured the pitch one last time, accepting the applause and warm chants but it was only after a draw, even if it felt a win-win for him. Mourinho had shaken hands with Lampard as he sat on the substitutes bench but he then shackled him on the pitch with Gary Cahill deployed in the dying minutes as a holding midfielder as Chelsea bolstered their defences even further. There was no way Lampard was going to be permitted a sniff at goal.
“It was strange but I knew it would be different. I enjoyed it,” Lampard said later and he had appeared nervous. “It is a special place for me here and I am coming back with a very good team. I think City maybe edged it.” He was right, they did edge it.
Mourinho carried that sense of grievance into the game – refusing to speak to the media because of the way the so-called ‘stamping’ ban on Diego Costa was analysed, discussed, “campaigned” for, reported. This game drew a record number of rights holders and broadcasters including a crew from Kazhakstan – what did they make of it all?
Mourinho maintained his silence afterwards. How long will this last? Presumably until he feels he has made his point. He did not even offer up his assistant Steve Holland.
This was about gaining a point – and ensuring that City did not claim all three. Chelsea were ahead, briefly, and must have harboured ambitions of stretching their advantage to eight points and with it surely snuffing out the challenge of the champions. But eventually they settled for maintaining the status quo. It was another step towards the title for Mourinho, even if City captain Vincent Kompany felt moved to declare: “Experience tells us that five points is nothing. It gives us enough confidence to push on.”
City played well enough to have won and will come away believing they should have done. Chelsea had just three shots –“ and not one in the second half – which represented the lowest total they have recorded in a Premier League match since 2003/04. The clearer opportunities, and there were not many, fell to the visitors.
But this was about game-management for Mourinho. He was without the suspended Costa and the injured Cesc Fabregas. The midfielder’s creativity was sorely missed.
Mourinho had to use players who had been pushed into extra-time only last Tuesday in that intense Capital One Cup tie against Liverpool.
 
Mourinho harnessed that sense of grievance and he rode it out. He was full of gestures and gesticulations and the officials – referee Mark Clattenburg chief among them – were left in no uncertain terms as to his mood. He turned to the fourth official Jon Moss imploringly, disapprovingly. He turned to the stands. He looked at the heavens – and he cajoled his players to the point they required as tiredness gripped their legs.
The Chelsea fans responded. They chanted “Diego”, they aimed some abuse at Jamie Redknapp, the Sky pundit regarded as the witch-finder general, and they verbally sparred with the City supporters. They also nursed that sense that officialdom was against them.
Mourinho also had to contend with that rarest of things: a mistake by Thibaut Courtois. It came at a critical point – just after Chelsea had taken the lead with an accomplished goal and just before half-time. It came as Chelsea claimed the ball had gone out of play for a throw-in – it had not fully – and that Jesus Navas was offside. He was not. Branislav Ivanovic had played him on.
It came as the Spaniard swung in a cross and James Milner jumped. Courtois flapped at the ball and it fell to Sergio Agüero who steadied himself and fired low and goalwards. Ivanovic had recovered to cover the goal but the shot was going wide until David Silva reacted sharply to divert it into the net. Mourinho turned on his heels in disgust. Courtois looked stunned.
It drew City level. They had fallen behind to the one piece of incisive play Chelsea could sustain and inevitably that involved Eden Hazard, who was even more responsible for providing that cutting edge in Fabregas’s absence.

The Belgian broke away. The ball was ferried crossfield to Willian. He held off Martin Demichelis and a chance was created for Ivanovic to cross, picking out Hazard who superbly volleyed the ball low back across goal for Costa’s replacement Loïc Rémy – preferred to Didier Drogba – who fired past Joe Hart from close range. It was an accomplished creation but was Kompany again caught out? The defender had pulled out of intervening for fear of scoring an own goal.
Before that Ivanovic – perhaps feeling the effects of a deep cut to his foot sustained against Liverpool – was caught out twice, with Fernandinho’s eventual shot deflected wide. Then Courtois saving smartly from Agüero after the striker fashioned space for a powerful drive. Agüero was then allowed to run clear of John Terry only to screw his shot narrowly wide. City manager Manuel Pellegrini held his head in his hands at that one.
He knew chances would be difficult to eke out – effectively later accusing Mourinho of parking the bus – and into the second half there would not be another opportunity as clear as that one. Fernandinho headed down into the turf, allowing Courtois to tip the ball over the bar. The Brazilian midfielder then shot weakly at the goalkeeper.

But Chelsea would not be breached. Nemanja Matic, as ever, was outstanding.
Terry was imperious while Cahill’s replacement, Kurt Zouma, the 20-year-old French defender who was outstanding. Zouma has strength and growing composure and above all pace to burn and it feels like it could be a long way back into the team for Cahill.
There would be no late drama. With the substitutes on, Drogba and Edin Dzeko among them, there was one last chance as Milner finally managed to find some space – only to fall between sending in a cross and a shot. The ball flew past the far post and the draw was taken.
“The last few games we’ve dropped our standards a bit but that was more like it,” Lampard said. “It keeps it bubbling. I don’t think either team can be too upset with the result.” Mourinho is bubbling also.
He remains upset and will continue to develop that sense of grievance as he attempts to hold off City’s challenge.

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

Mail:

Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City
Jose Mourinho's side remain five points clear as league leaders claim vital point at Stamford Bridge

By Rob Draper

So there will be no title decided in January. Innate caution won the day over decisive risk taking. In short, the spectacle did not fit the billing. Not even the return of Frank Lampard to Stamford Bridge for the final 15 minutes of the game — the reaction was generally, though not exclusively, warm — could inject the necessary drama or create the fantastic finale.
Chelsea and Manchester City both live to fight another day. The winter slog continues and the warm spring of title celebrations still seems some way off. In the end, Manuel Pellegrini had more to lose, though it was his side which created the better chances and it was they who sought the winner in those final anxious minutes.
Jose Mourinho was, of course, content. ‘What we have, we hold,’ might well be his mantra and a five-point lead going into February will suit just fine. The statistics will show they recorded just three shots, their lowest at home since 2003-04 and none in the second half. All will be forgiven if the title returns.
Mourinho is still not talking to the press, but we didn’t need his words to confirm what his intentions are in the coming months. There will be no rash dash for the line. When he can, he will entertain; when he is challenged, he will revert to type.
For Pellegrini the only victory he could claim was moral. ‘I think both teams have a clear style of play,’ he said. ‘Everyone wants to play in the way they think is better.
‘You analyse the style of Chelsea and I analyse the style of my team. I’m very proud of the way we played away against the leaders, where normally Chelsea wins.
‘We tried to win the game from the first minute, I’m very proud about that. And I think we created the chances, especially in the second half, to deserve more than the three points. I’m not happy about a point but I’m happy about the performance.’
He would not be drawn into a philosophical discussion of Mourinho’s football. ‘I’m not saying we’re more attacking,’ he added. ‘I’m saying both teams have a clear style.’ But that is not strictly true. Chelsea have scored 52 goals this season. When they wish to attack, they can; Saturday was not such an occasion.
Nevertheless it left Pellegrini convinced he can still win the League. ‘I said before the game that it was very important but not the final so we still have time to recover those five points. And if we continue the way we did today it will be easier.’
It wasn’t that the football was bad, though the individual errors which characterised the first half will have embarrassed some stellar reputations, Vincent Kompany and Thibaut Courtois among them. For much of the game the problem was both sides were good, just not in the way that excites you and grabs your senses. There was much for coaches to admire in midfield: solidity, tracking back, good team shape. There was a wild moment towards the end, when James Milner swept a shot across goal, when you could believe that a dramatic conclusion was imminent. Yet chances were few, the Milner moment notable for its rarity rather than its clear-cut nature.
The opening exchanges set the tone: tetchy and tight. When the chances and goals came, it was individual errors, calamitous ones from seasoned pros, which were to blame.
It started on 24 minutes, when Branislav Ivanovic lost possession to Milner, a mistake which required Courtois to parry a shot from Sergio Aguero. Then it was Kompany losing out to Loic Remy, who crossed for Oscar, whose shot forced a Joe Hart save.
On 32 minutes, Chelsea, busy appealing for a penalty, were caught out by a long ball which saw John Terry slip and Aguero break clear. The Argentinian should have scored but pulled the ball wide.
And on 42 minutes Chelsea would prise City open with a quite delightful lofted ball from Ivanovic which found Eden Hazard in space on the far left. The Belgian delivered an exquisite first-time volleyed cross but for some reason Kompany, perhaps fearful of turning it into his net, appeared half-hearted as he slid in to block. As such, he let the ball through to Remy, who had the simplest task in turning it in. Kompany punched the ground in frustration, acknowledging his error.
From such positions Mourinho’s team rarely surrender. Yet three minutes later they had. This time it was Courtois who had the aberration, flapping at a Jesus Navas cross. Perhaps he was distracted by Milner, but the ball fell to Aguero, who shot and saw David Silva turn his strike into the net.
Thereafter, the game reverted to type. The highlight of the day was referee Mark Clattenburg giving Mourinho the kind of look primary school teachers reserve for their naughtiest pupils as the Chelsea manager protested another decision.
City sat in Chelsea’s half in the second half without threatening much. There was a Fernandinho header into the ground which bounced upwards, requiring Courtois to tip the ball over on 56 minutes and a shot on 68 minutes from the Brazilian but Courtois collected that easily enough.
The principal excitement came when Lampard returned, trotting on to a mixed reception with 15 minutes to go. Even he could not produce a denouement on such an auspicious occasion and perhaps because of that he was greeted warmly from all around the ground when the final whistle went. For Lampard alone it was a day not to forget.

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

Mirror:

Chelsea 1-1 Manchester City: Silva cancels out Remy opener as Blues maintain five-point gap at the top
 
By Dave Kidd
 
Jose Mourinho's men were on the back-foot for the large part at Stamford Bridge as the absence of big-hitters Fabregas and Costa was felt

David Silva earned Manchester City a point to keep the Premier League title race alive – but Manuel Pellegrini's men left Stamford Bridge feeling they should have cut Chelsea's lead to two points.
With his former Atletico Madrid understudy, Diego Costa, controversially banned, it was left to the Argentine to produce a leading-man peformance and set up David Silva for the equaliser after a Thibaut Courtois blunder on the stroke of half-time, to swiftly cancel out Loic Remy's opener.
As Jose Mourinho continued his sulk in the wake of Costa's three-match ban for stamping on Liverpool's Emre Can in the Capital One Cup semi-final and Frank Lampard returned to the Bridge for a cameo appearance as a 77th-minute sub, it was Chelsea who ended up the happier with a point.
City did most of the attacking but Chelsea maintain their five-point lead as the Premier League's top two largely cancelled each other out – despite the visitors showing most of the attacking intent.
Courtois had been busy within 30 seconds of the start, pushing out a Jesus Navas shot after a slick City move.
And he was forced into a fine save from Aguero after Branislav Ivanovic's dozy pass was cut out by James Milner and the Argentine striker wriggled free to shoot.
Kurt Zouma, again preferred to Gary Cahill, made a crucial tackle to deny Aguero a clear sight of goal.
But Chelsea had their moments and when the shaky Vincent Kompany gifted possession to Loic Remy, he squared for Oscar to test Joe Hart from range.
Aguero then beat Terry to a long and shot wide across goal.
So it was against the run of play when Chelsea seized the lead on 41 minutes, Ivanovic lofting a ball from right to left, Eden Hazard producing a cushioned first-time centre for Remy to tap home when Kompany did not react quickly enough to cut out the danger.
But Chelsea's lead barely lasted two minutes – with Courtois, so commanding in both legs of the Capital One Cup semi-final victory over Liverpool – suffering a brainstorm.
Navas crossed from the right and Courtois, seemingly distracted by a City runner, misjudged and flapped. Aguero drilled at goal as Silva prodded home.
After the break, Courtois had to be alert when a downward header from Fernandinho bounced up and forced him to tip over.
Lampard made his arrival in the 77 minute to a mixture of applause and boos from the home fans
But Milner drove wide across the face of goal as Mourinho attempted to shut up shop, bringing on defender Cahill for striker Remy in the dying minutes.

Teams
Chelsea: Courtois, Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta, Ramires, Matic, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Remy
Subs: Cech, Ake, Drogba, Cahill, Christensen, Loftus-Cheek, Brown
Manchester City: Hart, Sagna, Demichelis, Kompany, Clichy, Fernando, Fernandinho, Navas, Silva, Milner, Aguero
Subs: Caballero, Kolarov, Boyata, Zabaleta, Lampard, Jovetic, Dzeko

Next three league fixtures
Chelsea: Aston Villa (A), Everton (H), Burnley (H)
Manchester City: Hull (H), Stoke (A), Newcastle (H)

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

Express:

Chelsea 1 - Man City 1: Honours even as Mourinho's men maintain five point lead
TWENTY FOUR different TV companies transmitting this battle of the titans to a record 175 countries.

By John Richardson

An estimated global audience of 650 million but not one word from a chastened Jose Mourinho – well at least to the assembled media.
‘The Silent One’ was ready for war – something fourth official Jon Moss quickly discovered as the Portuguese berated him at every opportunity.
Referee Mark Clattenburg must have wished he was at another Ed Sheeran concert as he was forced to have words with the Chelsea boss.
It had been a siege mentality brilliantly executed by the Stamford Bridge boss which had reached its zenith with the three match ban of Diego Costa and also involved the Chelsea fans taking a verbal pop at Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp who, according to Mourinho, had been part of the conspiracy against his side.
Even his programme notes had been condensed to a few paragraphs, claiming the football world was lined up against his club as he said: ‘We also remember the moments when the gods of football were against us’.
What no one can dispute is that Mourinho and his teams usually deliver when it matters.
Without being anywhere near their best and without their striking talisman Chelsea were able to maintain the status quo at the top of the Premier League table, this draw maintaining the five point gap.
Chelsea knew they couldn’t afford to keep looking to the back of the dug out at Costa and the injured Cesc Fabregas.
It was all about the here and now, and two goals in three minutes ensured that half-time arrived with this fascinating game on the boil.
Chelsea struck first through Loic Remy’s third league goal of the season but it was Eden Hazard who was the real architect of Manchester City’s demise at the back.
There was plenty to do when Nemanja Matic’s ball arrived close to the by line but a brilliant volleyed cross begged Remy to finish from inside the six yard box.
But City are not going to give up their title without a fight and didn’t take long to respond although earlier there had been more controversy, an assistant referee ruling that Hazard had taken the ball over the touchline for a City throw.
Chelsea believed it was yet another miscarriage of justice and were left cursing even more when David Silva took advantage of disarray at the back to level the scores.
Thibaut Courtois’ attempted punch from a Jesus Navas cross only fell to Aguero on the edge of the area.
With little fuss he shot goalwards and Silva was able to apply the vital clinical touch, the ball evading Branislav Ivanovich on the line.
Chelsea were deflated and struggled to rediscover their rhythm with City looking the more potent as Mourinho grew more and more exasperated.
By comparison the taciturn Manuel Pellegrini was a beacon of calm, especially with his side carrying the greater threat.
Navas was a constant source of danger although City’s executor in chief Aguero wasn’t at his sharpest in front of goal.
Earlier he had been presented with a golden chance to display his finishing prowess but the striker’s finish was unusually wayward.
Mourinho didn’t know who to moan at, his absent defenders or the officials who he claimed had missed a hand ball from Martin Demichelis just seconds earlier.
Thankfully all parties proved that a senseof humour hadn’t been completely lost as Mourinho kicked a loose ball at James Milner after a free-kick had been awarded in front of the technical area.
‘An accident’ protested the Chelsea boss as he apologised all round. Milner simply smiled.
But there was a grimace when you know who was preparing to enter a throbbing coliseum. Surely Frank Lampard who endured a mixture of cheers and boos wasn’t going to write another incredible script?
Not this time. But City went so, so close but in the end they couldn’t do a Bradford City.

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

Star:

Chelsea 1 - Man City 1: Blues hold on for point as Jose Mourinho stays silent
JOSE MOURINHO kept his vow of silence last night, again refusing to talk about his club.


By Tony Stenson

Just as well. He would need to explain how his side continue to excite and frustrate.
How they let slip a lead and continue to have Man City breathing down their necks when they were running away with the title.
How they struggled at the end – and parked the bus as City went for broke and were all over them.
Not forgetting how Arsenal and the pack are not far behind. Arsene Wenger led a crop of managers chuckling at the result.
Mourinho would also have needed to explain why his keeper Thibaut Courtois, considered one of the world’s finest, fluffed a cross like a Sunday league keeper to witness City wipe out Chelsea’s lead within a minute.
And his appalling touchline behaviour, where he was constantly brought to book by the fourth official for leaving his area and was eventually spoken to by referee Mark Clattenburg.
He was lucky not to be sent to the stand.
Mourinho has gone in for this monk-like existence because he feels the world is against his club.
Total rubbish, of course, but it often deflects what is happening on the field.

Chelsea, after their blistering start to the season, are looking fragile on occasions and relying far too heavily on Eden Hazard.
There were long periods of midfield snapping, chances being wasted and top stars not fulfilling their potential.
All this in front of the biggest TV audience ever to watch a Premier League game, with crews from around the world tuned into to what was billed as the title decider.

City were never overawed by the occasion and but for sloppy finishing could have broken the Stamford Bridge hoodoo and inflicted a first league defeat in 11 games.
They were on top in the final stages as Chelsea battened down the hatches.
Mourinho gave notice of his vow of silence by writing just seven paragraphs in the Chelsea programme.
He was not keen to hold a welcoming hand to City and their manager Manuel Pellegrini – he has previous there and is still smarting from when the City boss called Chelsea “a small team”.
It led to a frantic game, tackles going in, skirmishes bristling but overall it lacked quality.

Oscar wasted a 29th-minute chance by shooting tamely into the hands of Joe Hart on one of the rare occasions Chelsea found space in City’s defence.
After Chelsea were twice denied penalty appeals for handball, City broke clear and Sergio Aguero shot wide with only Courtois to beat in the 32nd minute.
Chelsea produced the best moment of the first half and deservedly took the lead.
Hazard and Loic Remy broke clear, brought Willian and then Branislav Ivanovic into the act and from his pass, Hazard crossed for Remy to score in the 42nd minute.
But within a minute City were level.
Navas crossed and Courtois fluffed his clearance, his punch going to Aguero whose shot was turned in by David Silva.
It was obvious the absence of Diego Costa, who has scored 17 times in 19 Premier League appearances, was a major blow for Chelsea.
It meant Frank Lampard’s introduction was a footnote to the Mourinho show.
Lampard said: “The last few games we’ve dropped our standards a bit but that was more like it.
“It keeps it bubbling. I don’t think either team can be too upset with the result.”