Everton 0-1

Independent:

Everton 1 Chelsea 0
Steven Naismith leaves Jose Mourinho fuming with decisive strike

Tim Rich

Jose Mourinho stood on the touchline on a piece of grass that carried the slogan he and Chelsea’s owner, Roman Abramovich, have always lived by.
Stung by the criticism that accompanied their removal of Nil Satis Nisi Optimum from the club badge, Everton ensured that the Latin for “only the best will do” is plastered everywhere around Goodison Park, including by the dug-outs.
This was not the best and it would not do for a man who deals purely in silverware or for an owner who fired the man who brought him the European Cup on the grounds that, frankly, Roberto di Matteo was not famous enough.
Mourinho is the ultimate managerial celebrity and he would argue that this was both a game Chelsea should have won and that, once they were behind, he tried everything in his power to drag them level – an early double substitution and then the gamble of replacing Ashley Cole with Fernando Torres.
He moaned: “If they don’t have a killer instinct, then they will have to get one. When you have an easy match in which to score goals, then you have to score them. Before they scored, we had easy chances.”
Having given him his debut, Mourinho excluded Samuel Eto’o from criticism, saying: “Samuel has been a killer all his career.”
Chelsea have seldom relished their games at Goodison. It was here, in the old stadium’s narrow corridors, that Carlo Ancelotti, the one Chelsea manager of modern times who could match Mourinho’s achievements, was fired. The man himself had never lost here – until now. Mourinho has claimed to have mellowed but his pledge to be nicer to Arsène Wenger may not survive a glance at the league table.
The more Chelsea lumbered forward, the more they were exposed to Everton’s counterattacks. David Luiz was fortunate not to be shown a red card by Howard Webb when he hauled down Kevin Mirallas andlate on Leighton Baines, the man Roberto Martinez had somehow managed to keep from Manchester United’s clutches, sent a free-kick slamming against the post.
This was Martinez’s first League win since succeeding David Moyes and it was a profoundly impressive one tactically and for its impact on a crowd who may have started to judge his appointment sceptically.
In honour of their new manager, Everton had designated this as a Spanish-themed evening with paella and sangria available in the Goodison fan zone and Julio Iglesias on the loudspeakers. During the bitter years of General Pinochet’s dictatorship his torturers used to play the one-time Real Madrid keeper’s songs at maximum volume over and over again to unsettle their victims.
The last chords to Begin the Beguine had not long died away when you sensed that this might be an evening that would stretch and break Everton as surely as any of the general’s thumbscrews.
Chelsea took command and the only question appeared to be whether, of the men who accompanied Mourinho in his second coming, it would be Samuel Eto’o or Andre Schurrle who opened the scoring.
Soon after the interval, Schurrle wheeled away apparently convinced he had equalised only for the ball to strike the side netting.
That Martinez was allowed to deliver his half-time team talk with his side improbably ahead was down to a close-range header from Steven Naismith and some wonderful tackling from Gareth Barry.
Of the three signings Martinez took to Goodison on deadline day, Barry was the most famous and provoked the least comment. In part it may have been because at 32 he is regarded as a footballer who already belongs to yesterday. He is the kind of midfielder whom you would take if you required a gritty, goalless draw in Ukraine but he was not considered for that even by Roy Hodgson. From the moment Manuel Pellegrini took over, Manchester City gave the impression that, naturally, he was someone they no longer needed.
Everton, however, certainly did, partly because one of the jobs Marouane Fellaini did very well was to break up attacks, although, like Barry, he conceded plenty of yellow cards in doing it.
Twice, Barry swept the ball from Juan Mata’s feet and then denied the evening’s other debutant, Eto’o a certain goal. It began with a move that summed up much of the play as David Luiz began a long, sweeping run that finished with the ball punted aimlessly forward. Phil Jagielka then passed it back to his goalkeeper and panic broke loose.
Tim Howard, who is sporting the shaven head and luxuriant beard look that would get him a game in any Taliban Select XI, passed straight to Schurrle, who picked out Eto’o facing a more-or-less empty net. Then came Barry’s block.
The waste was punished with the final move of the first half and it was one that Chelsea misjudged badly. Leon Osman’s cross to Petr Cech’s far post should have been cut out by Ashley Cole but it was John Terry who moved to intercept and was beaten to the ball by Nikica Jelavic. His header across the goal was met by another from Naismith at point-blank, unmissable range.

Everton: (4-2-3-1) Howard; Coleman, Jagielka, Distin, Baines; Osman, Barry; Naismith (Stones, 88), Barkley, Mirallas (Deulofeu, 90); Jelavic (McCarthy, 68).

Chelsea: (4-2-3-1) Cech; Ivanovic, Terry, Luiz, Cole (Torres, 70);  Ramires, Mikel, Hazard, Mata (Oscar, 60), Schurrle (Lampard, 60); Eto’o.

Referee: Howard Webb
Man of the match: Barry (Everton)
Match rating: 7/10

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

Observer:

Everton inflict first Premier League defeat on José Mourinho's Chelsea
Paul Wilson at Goodison Park

Everton gained their first win of the season at the expense of Chelsea, unexpectedly inflicting a first league defeat since José Mourinho's return to London in a manner that must have had the coach pining for the direct attacking football he once used to advocate.
Mourinho for one would not have been expecting to lose here, and the sheer number of talented midfielders at his disposal meant Everton were second best in many areas of the pitch and never exactly comfortably in front. Yet playing with pride and a sense of purpose that supporters were pleased to see has survived from the David Moyes era, Roberto Martínez's side refused to be overawed and simply made more of their chances. Chelsea created more than enough opportunities without managing to match the home side's attacking conviction, which by the end, with Goodison rocking noisily as of old, was considerable.
"We had chances and chances but we didn't score," Mourinho said. "If you don't score you can't win, and what you create means nothing. Artistic football is no good without goals. Better to win the match by creating little but scoring once, then you have three points."
Everton hardly deserved that dig, but they will cope. With Ramires setting up the first opening of the game for Samuel Eto'o after just five minutes Chelsea attacked confidently and looked to have too many tricky ball carriers for the home defence to deal with, never more so than when Juan Mata skipped elegantly away from attempted tackles by Leon Osman and Sylvain Distin and was only stopped by the solid presence of Gareth Barry providing extra security in his own penalty area. Everton were almost being forced to play on the counter, though that suits them quite well, and Nikica Jelavic brought the first save of the game from Petr Cech with a header from a Steven Naismith cross that the striker would have preferred to have been whipped across a little earlier.
Eto'o put his first serious shot into the top tier of the Gwladys Street stand, which takes some doing and amused the locals no end, before missing the best chance of the first half from much closer to goal. When Tim Howard was put under pressure from a backpass and gave the ball straight to André Schürrle, it appeared all Eto'o had to do was tap the latter's square ball into an empty net. Fortunately for Everton, Barry arrived just in time and one debutant was foiled by another, the Manchester City loanee just managing to get a foot in to block the shot and hear his name chanted appreciatively by his new public. "Schürrle's pass was too slow," moaned Mourinho. "A faster pass and Eto'o would have scored."
In keeping with the pattern of the game Everton broke straight down the field and set up the next chance, Kevin Mirallas turning up on the right to pick out Naismith with an accurate low pass, only to see a snatched shot miss the target from a promising position. Perhaps realising that Everton could actually have taken the lead despite being outplayed for most of the first half, Chelsea stepped up their efforts before the interval, creating chances for Ramires, Schürrle and Branislav Ivanovic without making their evident superiority count.
They were left regretting that when Everton scored with virtually the last action of the half, taking a lead they barely deserved but proving that Chelsea's defence remains vulnerable to anyone willing to have a go. They switched off twice, first to allow Ross Barkley and Osman to find some space on the right and then when the latter's cross was reached by Jelavic beyond the far post. It appeared Jelavic was too wide and too close to the goal line to present a direct threat, but what he could still do was reach the ball and keep it in play, and Chelsea could only stand and watch as a header back across goal was easily turned past Cech by Naismith. Cue Spanish dancers on the pitch at half time, not in honour of the goal but of the new Everton manager, who probably found his interval team talk went with a swing as a result of Naismith's timely intervention.
Eto'o looked in good nick for a player supposedly nearing the veteran stage, though he might have reacted more quickly at the beginning of the second half when Howard failed to hold an Eden Hazard shot and he could not quite fasten on to the rebound.
Again Everton were soaking up a lot of Chelsea pressure, though the visitors were no longer playing as neatly and imaginatively as they had in the first half. They resorted to more crosses, which Distin and Phil Jagielka found fairly easy to deal with, especially as Eto'o was not always in the middle as a target.
Mourinho introduced Frank Lampard and Oscar after an hour for Mata and Schürrle, shuffling his midfield options and keeping Fernando Torres on the bench until 20 minutes from the end. Willian was in attendance did not in the squad. Chelsea still subsided quite limply as the game neared its conclusion and, though they had begun rather tentatively, by the end Everton looked the team in charge, and almost had a second when Leighton Baines struck the bar with a free-kick.
"It wasn't the greatest performance but we showed our character," Martínez said, sounding uncannily like Moyes. "The way we defended was immense. We were more dominant in our previous three games, but this will give us more confidence."
With Barkley visibly growing in confidence and Romelu Lukaku still to come, Martínez is up and running, though there must be more than a few Chelsea fans wondering if it was really such a good idea to let Lukaku out on loan.


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

Telegraph:

Everton 1 Chelsea 0:

Jason Burt

Jose Mourinho has accused Chelsea of lacking a “killer instinct”. For such an accusation to come from a manager for whom that quality is a given, it was damning – and one that will reverberate. This could turn out to be a watershed moment for some Chelsea players.
“Artistic football without goals is not good,” Mourinho continued after this 1-0 defeat, the first he has ever suffered at Goodison Park. On six previous visits he has gained four wins and two draws but the Happy One was understandably unhappy. He demands efficiency, not fluffiness.
Mourinho went on to list some of his team’s misdemeanours – detailing just four of the many misses they racked up.
“The first cross, Ramires cross, Eto’o open goal,” he said. “He just needed to head it. It’s a goal. Schürrle just needs to give a quick five-metre pass. It’s a goal. The other – Schürrle in front of [Tim] Howard in the first half. He just needs to pass the ball into the goal. Over the bar. The second half – Ivanovic cross and Eto’o. It’s always a goal. He’s scored hundreds of those in his career. Just touch. These details are not about sharpness – it’s about a killer instinct.”
And that sharpness is something felt in the gut of the player – it cannot be coached. But then neither will Mourinho countenance its absence for long – Schürrle and Juan Mata were hauled off less than an hour in.
“In the first half it was quite easy, they [Everton] didn’t press a lot and I think when you have quite an easy match to score goals you have to score. It’s difficult to accept when you don’t score,” Mourinho said, and while he complained about referee Howard Webb’s failure to award a penalty, after Oscar was challenged in the area, it was, in the end, a deserved victory for Everton.
For their new manager, Roberto Martínez, it will fuel belief, especially in the way he wants his team to play. There were performances of “character” all over the pitch, he said, but debutant Gareth Barry was simply outstanding in his calm efficiency, while 19-year-old Ross Barkley is the most exciting young English prospect in the Premier League.
He played a key role in Everton’s goal, although it also owed much to errors by Petr Cech and an out-of-sorts Ashley Cole. Barkley dipped his shoulder on the edge of the area, eking out space to slip a pass to Leon Osman, who stood a cross up to the back post. Nikica Jelavic, just, managed to head back across goal. The ball evaded Cech and there was Steven Naismith to head into the net from three yards. It was on the stroke of half-time.
By then, though, Chelsea could have been out of sight. Eto’o, who was making his debut, inexplicably headed back across goal in the first five minutes. Soon afterwards Howard, also inexplicably, passed straight at Schürrle but his ball to Eto’o was too slow and Barry threw himself in to divert the shot over.
Howard then pushed out a curling Ramires shot before Schürrle, with yet another one of the chances Mourinho alluded to, side-footed over, Branislav Ivanovic missed with a header and Mata floated a shot wide.
After seeing the second half begin with a host of further missed chances, Mourinho indulged in some tactical jiggery pokery.
He rang the changes – including bringing on Fernando Torres for Cole – with David Luiz, Ivanovic and John Obi Mikel all changing positions, with the result that the encounter was even more frenetic. It meant Mikel was all over the place. In more ways than one.
Although Torres, inevitably, fluffed a late chance, miscuing a shot, it was Everton who came closest as they continued to profit from Barkley’s ability to run with the ball. Leighton Baines lined up a free-kick, clipping the top of the crossbar.
Chelsea poured forward but simply could not find the breakthrough, reduced, after their tiki-taka approach, to slinging the ball into the area. It was meat and drink to the Everton defence as they politely ignored Martínez’s entreaties to play the ball out.
“The way we reacted, the way we defended, was immense,” Martínez said afterwards. And it was. It was the kind of result and display which will galvanise unbeaten Everton around him.
For Mourinho it was the kind of result he will use as a spur for contests to come. “If they don’t have it, they have to get it,” he said of that “killer instinct”. “But I think they have it,” he added. He did not seem convinced. Again.

Match details

Everton (4-4-1-1): Howard 6; Coleman 7, Distin 7, Jagielka 7, Baines 7; Naismith 7 (Stones 89), Osman 5, Barry 9 Mirallas 6 (Deulofeu 90); Barkley 8; Jelavic 5 (McCarthy 66).
Subs: Robles (g), Heitinga, Oviedo, Gueye.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 5; Cole 4 (Torres 69), Terry 6, Luiz 5, Ivanovic 6; Mikel 5, Ramires 6; Hazard 7, Mata 7 (Oscar 57), Schürrle 6 (Lampard 57); Eto’o 6.
Subs: Schwarzer (g), Essien, De Bruyne, Cahill.
Booked: Ivanovic, Luiz, Mikel, Hazard.

Referee H Webb (South Yorkshire).

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Mail:

Everton 1 Chelsea 0: Naismith leaves Eto'o in the shade as Toffees stun Mourinho
By Rob Draper

There are few better places to watch the defeat of one of the major English clubs than Goodison Park.
The old stadium seemingly magnifies the noise tenfold, the roar of the crowd growing ever more frantic as Evertonians anticipate a famous victory.
Saturday was just such an evening. Everton, with Ross Barkley outstanding and Leon Osman, Gareth Barry and Steven Naismith to the fore, were excellent. Chelsea, despite an array of chances, looked strangely vulnerable amid the cacophony of noise.
It will be a while before we can question Chelsea’s transition under Jose Mourinho but it is fair to say seven points from four games and a UEFA Super Cup defeat, albeit on penalties, was not the start he would have anticipated.
This does not look like Mourinho’s Chelsea at present. They lack the authority of old, with neither overwhelming strength nor ruthlessness under pressure. They look a team with an identity crisis, caught between the manager’s requirements and the owner’s vision.
‘Artistic football without goals is not good,’ said Mourinho as he listed the litany of chances his team missed, debutant Samuel Eto’o and summer signing Andre Schurrle bearing the brunt of his criticism.
He offered no easy excuses for the slackness in defence and finishing. ‘I don’t think it’s a question of sharpness,’ he said before identifying the lazy ball from Schurrle on 28 minutes and the delay from Eto’o that allowed Barry back to block in front of an open goal after Tim Howard’s mix-up with Sylvain Distin.
‘Perhaps it is not having the killer instinct. If they don’t have it they have to get it but I think they have it.
‘My team are always my team. Winning, losing, playing badly, they are always my responsibility. Later they will have more the identity of the manager and it’s easier to do that after five months than after four weeks.’
By contrast, we might be witnessing the first signs of what Roberto Martinez’s Everton could look like.
They appear to have lost little of the steel of the David Moyes era but have added a refined edge that allows them to contest possession with the best. Yesterday they did concede chances but they looked distinctly the better side.
‘We had all the attributes that you have to have in a winning side,’ said Martinez. ‘I thought we were a 10 in that respect. It was one of those victories that helps fans to understand it’s going to take a bit of time to be as good as we can be but we can still win games in the process.’
Barry was singled out for praise — ‘no Englishman plays that role as well as Gareth’ — as was Barkley — ‘the more you’re watching him, the more you’re falling in love’.
But Chelsea had all the early chances, the opening one for debutant Eto’o, a close-range header that cleared the bar. ‘It just needed a header and Goal!’ said Mourinho, unimpressed.
There was the miss Mourinho lamented on 28 minutes then Schurrle skied an opportunity on 38 minutes.
‘He just needed to pass the ball to the goal,’ said Mourinho. Ramires was blocked by Howard before Branislav Ivanovic headed Juan Mata’s free-kick over on 41 minutes.
But Everton took their chance, with Petr Cech and Ashley Cole at fault in the build-up. ‘We are not speaking about young kids,’ said Mourinho. But then Barkley’s quick feet fed Osman, whose cross picked out Nikica Jelavic at the far post. The Croat somehow kept the ball in as he headed across for Naismith, celebrating his 27th birthday, to direct home a close-range header.
Chelsea charged forward in the second half, with Schurrle’s chip nestling in the side netting. Then Eto’o met a cross tamely with his chest, allowing Howard to collect.
‘Eto’o scored hundreds of goals in his career like this,’ said Mourinho. ‘He appears at the near post and Goal! But it wasn’t a good touch.’
Mata was withdrawn on 57 minutes, bringing his total playing time in five games under Mourinho to just over two hours, and Schurrle followed, with Oscar and Frank Lampard asked to provide more incision. Oscar might have earned a penalty when sandwiched by two defenders. ‘If that is not a penalty, what is a penalty?’ asked Mourinho.
James McCarthy replaced Jelavic for his Everton debut on 65 minutes. Mourinho adjusted accordingly, bringing on Fernando Torres to play two up front and a back three.
But Everton thrived. A Mirallas free-kick was pushed wide by Cech before David Luiz wrestled Mirallas to the ground on 82 minutes. The defender was a long way out but only the covering run of John Obi Mikel could have convinced referee Howard Webb that a goalscoring opportunity had not been denied.
When Leighton Baines crashed a late free-kick against the bar, the only real question was whether Everton would add to their lead.

Everton (4-2-3-1): Howard 6: Coleman 8, Jagielka 7, Distin 7, Baines 8: Osman 6, Barry 8: Mirallas 7 (Deulofeu 90mins), Barkley 9, Jelavic 6 (McCarthy 66mins 6): Naismith 7 (Stones 89mins).
Subs not used: Robles, Heitinga, Oviedo, Gueye.
Goal: Naismith 45+1

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 7: Ivanovic 6, Luiz 5, Terry 7, Cole 5 (Torres 69mins 4): Mikel 5, Ramires 6: Schurrle 6 (Lampard 57mins 6), Mata 5 (Oscar 57mins 5), Hazard 7: Eto'o 5.
Subs not used: Schwarzer (GK), Essien, De Bruyne, Cahill.

Booked: Ivanovic, Hazard, Luiz, Mikel.
Ref - Howard Webb 7

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Mirror:

Everton 1-0 Chelsea: Birthday boy Steven Naismith secures memorable win for dogged Toffees

Anthony Clavane

Steven Naismith won’t forget his 27th birthday in a hurry, popping up to score his first goal of the season against Chelsea at Goodison Park.
Naismith led the line brilliantly for Scotland in Macedonia on Tuesday night — and yesterday the striker capped another superb performance with a vital strike.
The mood at Goodison was ­buoyant as Everton chalked up their first league triumph of the Premier League season.
New signings Gareth Barry and James McCarthy were excellent in their first appearances for the home side as Martinez’s men soaked up Chelsea pressure ­before hitting the visitors on the break with the kind of high tempo, in-your-face football that has served them so well in the past.
Naismith scored in the last ­meeting between the clubs — a 2-1 Chelsea win at Stamford Bridge in May — and yesterday evening he appeared to be galvanised by his promotion up the international pecking order.
He had several chances to score before he finding the net on the stroke of half-time to give the ­Toffees the lead.
First he headed Naismith’s cross straight at Petr Cech. Then he made a fine run down the right but his angled shot was again ­comfortably collected by Cech.
Leon Osman and Kevin Mirallas combined well before Mirallas picked out the Scot at the near post — but scuffed his shot wide. The ­impressive Ross Barkley found Osman whose cross to ­Nikica Jelavic was headed back across goal — and there was the birthday boy to nod the ball in.
Naismith said: “The spirit is the same from the previous regime. We’ve a great team spirit and it showed today.
“There’s been a drastic change to the way we played last season. But now we’ve got our first win let’s hope we can go on from here.”
The first half was dominated by the battle of the new boys — ­Samuel Eto’o and Barry. Eto’o looked sharp, strong and full of movement — but Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin had the measure of him.
Barry was superb and linked well with new England star ­Barkley. Clearly, Martinez (below) wasn’t missing Marouane Fellaini.
Eto’o’s first touch in English ­football was an excellent ­opportunity to open the scoring, but he placed his header from Ramires’s cross over the bar. Juan Mata then went past two players before Barry made a fine sliding tackle to keep him out.
Barry made an even more ­crucial intervention after half an hour’s play.
Eto’o was gifted a great chance after Tim Howard found Andre Schurrle with an ­appalling ­clearance, but the ­England ­midfielder made a ­brilliant saving tackle.
Howard quickly made amends with a fine diving save to deny Ramires after Eto’o set up the ­Brazilian.
Just after the interval, Schurrle missed a sitter. Put through for a one-on-one with Howard by Ramires, he lifted the ball over the keeper but into the side netting.
Mourinho made a double ­substitution — Frank ­Lampard and Oscar coming on for Mata and Schurrle — followed by ­Fernando Torres for Ashley Cole.
But the Merseysiders held on — and could have added another if David Luiz had not brought down Kevin Mirallas. Referee Howard Webb, much to the crowd’s ­disapproval, booked rather than sent off the defender.
This was Everton’s first league win of the season — they had drawn all three of their previous Premier League matches — and it was fully deserved.

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Express:

Everton 1 - Chelsea 0: Feast of Steven is Jose Mourinho's unhappy day

WHEN Jose Mourinho returned as Chelsea manager, the self-styled ‘Special One’ declared he was now the ‘Happy One’.

By: Richard Jolly

Not yesterday. Not when he suffered his first Premier League defeat for six years. Not when his wasteful team missed chance after chance. And not when a star-studded side, whose substitutes alone cost £130million, were beaten by a goal from a man signed on a free transfer. Mourinho was the ‘Unhappy One’.
Because as Steven Naismith celebrated his 27th birthday with a vital strike, Roberto Martinez marked his first league victory as Everton manager by claiming a major scalp. The criticism of the Spaniard was that he doesn’t win enough matches but, time and again, he has triumphed in big games. This was huge. It kick-started his reign as Everton proved there was life after David Moyes and Marouane Fellaini.
However, following on from the Super Cup loss to Bayern Munich, it is now a stuttering start to Mourinho’s second spell. It was also more Merseyside heartbreak for the Portuguese, who lost two Champions League semi-finals across Stanley Park at Anfield.
It was more trouble at Goodison Park for Chelsea managers. Carlo Ancelotti was sacked in its cramped corridors and the end was nigh for Andre Villas-Boas after he lost to Everton.
Mourinho’s team were the architects of their own downfall, conceding when they seemed at their strongest. After 10 minutes of Chelsea domination, it came as a shock. Leon Osman chipped a cross to the back post where Nikica Jelavic, who can’t buy a goal himself, managed to set one up.
He headed the ball into Naismith’s path for the Scot to touch it over the line. Only starting because Steven Pienaar was injured in training, Naismith made the most of his sudden promotion to go from reserve to match-winner.
But the game should have been decided by Mourinho’s newest striker. Given the task of replacing Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto’o performed an uncanny impression of the misfiring Spaniard in front of goal.
Excellent in every other respect, the finishing touch eluded the triple Champions League winner. Reunited with Mourinho, the debutant could have made an instant impact. Four minutes into his Chelsea bow, the unmarked Cameroonian was found by Ramires. The cross was unerringly accurate. The header wasn’t, Eto’o missing the target.
Half an hour in, he seemed to have an open goal. Aiming to find Phil Jagielka, Tim Howard passed straight to Andre Schurrle. The German squared the ball unselfishly to Eto’o, near the penalty spot.
It appeared a formality he would score. Instead, Gareth Barry, hurtling into the box, slid in to deflect his shot over.
At fault then, Howard made amends by tipping Ramires’ shot wide. Schurrle spooned an effort over. Branislav Ivanovic met the recalled Juan Mata’s free-kick with a thumping header that flew into the crowd.
Then, when Chelsea seemed the likelier scorers, Everton broke and Naismith swooped.
The Chelsea pressure continued. Schurrle’s chip landed in the side netting before Mourinho flung on Frank Lampard, Oscar and Torres. Martinez handed James McCarthy his debut, shoring up the midfield. Alongside the £13million man, the Everton newcomer Barry was superb on his first start.
And with the man Everton kept out of Manchester United’s clutches, Leighton Baines, hitting the bar, it made for an ideal occasion.


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Star:

Everton 1 - Chelsea 0: Steven Naismith KO's Jose Mourinho

STEVEN NAISMITH was the ­surprise Everton hero as ­Samuel Eto’o fired blanks on a ­disastrous Blues debut.

By Jeremy Butler

Striking superstar Eto’o has three Champions League winners medals and pockets a whopping £7million a year.
But at Goodison Park he looked more like a park player struggling to recover from a night on the booze and fags.
And while the Cameroon striker blew chance after chance to get off the mark, Scot Naismith netted the clincher as Jose Mourinho suffered his first defeat since returning to English football.
Eto’o spent his week telling anyone who would listen how much he cherished his friendship with Mourinho (below).
But sticking away one of the numerous opportunities Chelsea created would have been a better way to show his loyalty.
The worst miss came as early as the fifth minute when Ramires’ sweet cross from deep allowed the striker to get ahead of Phil Jagielka – but he ­angled his header well wide of the target.
It was the first of many and Eto’o’s ­misery was complete when he failed to capitalise on a Tim Howard clanger – ­although Everton’s players were slapping their own new signing Gareth Barry on the back for denying the Cameroon star.
Howard inexplicably gifted the ball to Andre Schurrle when trying to pass out from the back and the German cut a ball into the path of Eto’o.
He looked odds on to roll his effort into an empty net until Barry charged across the box and got a foot in to deflect the Chelsea man’s effort into the stands.
Everton’s own hitman, Nikica Jelavic, had earlier failed to convert a decent headed chance.
He had to hold off the powerful ­Branislav Ivanovic to reach Naismith’s ball through but was unable to get enough power on his effort to beat Petr Cech.
Kevin Mirallas then drilled in a low cross that Naismith cracked wide from ten yards out.
Howard redeemed himself following his earlier mistake by pushing a ­well-taken Ramires volley around the post.
But Chelsea let the home side off the hook again when Schurrle clipped the ball over. Mourinho, never one to hide his emotions, threw his hands up in the air.
His mood hardly improved when Ivanovic headed over a ­free-kick in the 40th minute.
And he must have gone ballistic at half-time after Chelsea had shipped a sloppy goal seconds before the interval.
Leon Osman had too much time in the box to aim a cross to the far post, where the unmarked Jelavic headed it back into the danger zone.
The ball found Naismith six yards out and he had the simple task of nodding past an exposed Cech.
Chelsea then flew out of the blocks as they attempted to rescue the game.
Ramires fed Schurrle in the 48th minute, with the German lifting the ball over Howard – only to see it fade off ­target and drop into the side-netting.
Eden Hazard powered in a shot that flew back off Howard’s chest to Eto’o but once more the striker was wayward with his finish.
The striker’s confidence was not ­dropping though and he cheekily chested the ball goalwards as the visitors dominated – but Howard was alert to the danger.
But Chelsea’s high ­energy game dropped off the pace and Mourinho, desperate to spark his team, hauled off Ashley Cole and stuck on ­Fernando Torres.
It was Everton that came closest to scoring, though, with Cech ­doing well to smother a Mirallas ­free-kick at the foot of his post and Leighton Baines clipping the bar with a free-kick in ­stoppage time.
Martinez said: “It feels ­really good to win because it was a special game, a special opposition and a very good performance.
“It was one of those performances where, as a manager, you are very proud.”
Mourinho felt his side could have won and said: “We had 21 shots, risked everything but a team who misses chances deserves to lose.”

Bayern Munich 2-2 aet 4-5 pens

Independent:

Bayern Munich 2 Chelsea 2 (aet; Bayern win 5-4 on penalties)
Bayern's Super Cup revenge from the spot cruel on 10-man Chelsea

By MATT MCGEEHAN

Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich twice came from behind to beat Jose Mourinho's 10-man Chelsea and win the European Super Cup in a penalty shootout at the Stadion Eden in Prague.

Chelsea thought they had handed Mourinho a first trophy of his second spell as boss when Eden Hazard netted in extra time after Franck Ribery had cancelled out Fernando Torres' opener.
The dismissal of Ramires for a second bookable offence left the Blues exposed and Javi Martinez tucked in with the final kick of an astonishing game, forcing penalties.
The 2012 European Cup final between the sides had been decided on spot-kicks in Chelsea's favour and on this occasion, shooting towards the boisterous Bayern end, 20-year-old substitute Romelu Lukaku saw his effort saved as the Germans claimed a 5-4 shootout success.
It denied Mourinho a first European Super Cup and a maiden trophy of his second spell at Stamford Bridge.
There had also been personal pride at stake for former Internazionale and Real Madrid boss Mourinho, who had won three of his previous 15 encounters with Guardiola's Barcelona. But the Spaniard remains his nemesis.
The Chelsea manager was steadfast in his belief that Chelsea deserved to lift the trophy.“The best team clearly lost the match,” said the Portuguese.
“The best team played with 10 men for a long, long period in the game. They played against the champions of Europe and they were the best team. (But) we have reasons to be proud and to believe in the future.”
Mourinho thought the decision to send off Ramires, who picked up a second booking for a foul on Mario Gotze in the closing stages of the second half, was a touch harsh given the context of the game.
He said: “I'd prefer to say no, even if you say yes. Rules are rules but there is a very important rule which is common sense, which is the passion for the game. When a referee takes this decision, I'm not sure he's in love with football.”
On Torres' performance, Mourinho added: “He's working fantastically since the first day, so I hope he gets confidence in matches like this one. He had a very good match.”
Torres will have competition this season from Samuel Eto'o, who signed for the Stamford Bridge club on a one-year deal on Thursday.
Chelsea have also been linked with Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney but when asked if he plans on strengthening his squad before the transfer deadline day on Monday, Mourinho replied: “No, I don't think so.”

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Guardian:

Bayern Munich defeat Chelsea on penalties in Uefa Super Cup

• Bayern Munich 2-2 Chelsea (aet; Bayern win 5-4 on pens)
• Ribéry 47 Martínez 120; Torres 8, Hazard 93

Daniel Taylor at the Eden Arena

It came down to penalties, just as it had in the Champions League final a couple of seasons ago, only this time there was no happy sense of déjà vu for Chelsea and the players in blue were on their knees rather than dancing round the pitch and pretending to drink from the trophy.
They have made an art form of winning these occasions, sometimes against all the odds, and they can take great dignity from defeat considering the backs-to-the-wall operation they put up against formidable opponents. Javi Martínez's equaliser to take the game to penalties arrived, cruelly, in the final seconds of stoppage time at the end of the additional 30 minutes. The difference this time, unlike in Munich, was that Bayern's penalty-taking was flawless.
David Alaba, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm, Franck Ribéry and Xherdan Shaqiri all beat Petr Cech on a bittersweet night for the Chelsea goalkeeper in which he was at fault for Bayern's first equaliser but then produced a series of stunning saves during the late, unremitting onslaught.
David Luiz, Oscar and Frank Lampard all finished their penalties with great confidence. Ashley Cole's somehow crept in after striking the inside of the post and flashing across the goalline, and then it was Romelu Lukaku's turn. His effort was not struck with great conviction and Manuel Neuer dived to his left to win the first trophy of Pep Guardiola's reign at Bayern. José Mourinho will have to wait a little longer for the first of his second spell at Chelsea.
Mourinho will not enjoy losing out to his old adversary and there was something agonising about the way Javi Martínez denied Chelsea just at the point of the match when it was looking like another success story for the durability that has become the team's trademark in Europe.
The Europa League winners had lost Ramires to a red card four minutes before the game went into extra-time and, at that stage, a lesser team would have crumpled. Chelsea simply shook their heads clear and braced themselves for a siege. Eden Hazard put them into a 2-1 lead, in a rare breakaway three minutes into the first period, and the drama was unrelenting as Bayern pinned them back in search of an equaliser.
Once again we saw this great Bayern team trying desperately to navigate a way past a goalkeeper and defence operating with a thou-shall-not-pass mentality. On the sidelines Mourinho could be seen furiously gesturing towards the Chelsea supporters to turn up the volume.
In the opposite dugout it was rare to see Guardiola so animated, kicking the advertising boards, screaming to the skies. This might not be the competition they crave the most but both teams gave everything. It was an epic night and, by the end, it was difficult not to feel for Chelsea even if, on the balance of play, Bayern deserved their glory.
The huge banner showing off the five trophies Bayern accumulated last season needs to be updated now. "Oana Basst No Nei," read the accompanying message from Bavaria. Translation: "Room for one more."
Yet amid all the late drama it was also true that Chelsea could have won the match in more orthodox fashion. They had taken the lead through Fernando Torres's crisp right-foot finish, confidently putting away Andre Schürrle's eighth-minute cross. Brilliant as Cech was, he will be aggrieved by the soft way he let Ribéry's shot beat him three minutes into the second half.
Ramires saw red for a foul on Mario Götze, having already been booked for a challenge on Ribéry, but Chelsea could still have spared themselves extra-time. Branislav Ivanovic turned a late header against the crossbar and David Luiz had an even better opportunity shortly afterwards.
If Bayern did have a weakness, it was in defence, as demonstrated by the way they opened up for Hazard to come in from the left, step inside Lahm and Jérôme Boateng and lash a shot past an obliging Neuer. Chelsea had to defend with great togetherness and try to catch refined opponents on the counter-attack. Most of all it was a night for their defenders to excel. Cole, once again, rose to the big occasion. David Luiz showed why Chelsea have repelled Barcelona's advances. Gary Cahill epitomised their efforts with two saving tackles to block near-certain goals for Thomas Müller in the first half, then Shaqiri towards the end of extra-time. Cech's night was undermined by his slow reflexes for Ribéry's goal. That apart, however, this was a marvellous performance from the goalkeeper.
Mourinho will also reflect on the chance Oscar spurned, clean through after Dante's mistake, with the score at 1-1. For long spells, though, Bayern demonstrated why they are such feared opponents. Ribéry, in particular, was irrepressible. They also had three substitutes in Javi Martínez, Shaqiri and Götze who were able to influence the game. Javi Martínez is not a bad player to bring off the bench. Twice denied by Cech, he finally got the better of him from Dante's lay-off in a crowded penalty area.
After that it was a display of exceptional accuracy from 12 yards until we reached the point when Shaqiri had made it 5-4. John Terry had come on in extra-time to add another defender to an already desperate rearguard action. But he declined the opportunity to take one of the spot-kicks. Instead it was left to Lukaku and the striker finished the night with his head in his hands.

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Telegraph:

Bayern Munich 2 Chelsea 2 (aet); Bayern win 5-4 on pens

By Henry Winter, at Eden Stadium

The first rule of football is: do not play games with German goalkeepers at penalty shoot-outs. They are too good, too experienced. When Romelu Lukaku placed the ball on the spot on Friday night, Manuel Neuer retreated into his goal, the net on his back.
As Lukaku stepped back, Neuer advanced to the line, dominating the centre of the goal, so imposing, the outcome inevitable. Lukaku tried to be clever. Perhaps he felt he could be Didier Drogba, whose emphatic penalty had beaten Neuer to settle the 2012 Champions Leaguefinal in the Allianz.
Lukaku tried to deceive Neuer with his run-up, with his side-footed address of the ball but the keeper guessed correctly, held his ground and a poor kick carried inexorably towards him as if bidden.
Lukaku should have done what David Luiz did for Chelsea’s first penalty; absolutely no messing around, no games, just a fierce run-up and the ball drilled hard and fast to one side of Neuer, who could not react in time.
Lukaku gave Neuer a chance. The German international saved easily, Bayern prevailed and once again Pep Guardiola had outwitted Jose Mourinho, who has now beaten the Spaniard only three times in 16 attempts.
As Lukaku held his head in his hands, Neuer darted to his left to console Petr Cech and then celebrated with his jubilant Bayern colleagues.
This was only the Super Cup, only the early-season loosener between the winners of theEuropa League and the Champions League, but this contained all the gravitas of a major final, all spiced with fabulous goals, endless commitment, even a red card.
Both sides gave everything. It meant everything to both managers.
Guardiola delivered two impassioned talks at the end of normal time and then extra-time. Mourinho kept gesturing to Chelsea fans to make even more noise, although they were never going to compete with the deafening Bavarian choirs, who ended the night singing “Football’s Coming Home’’ after Lukaku’s miss.
Lukaku was inconsolable. Michael Essien, showing experience and compassion, man-marked the distraught young striker for 15 minutes afterwards. Demba Ba embraced him, so did Eden Hazard. Bayern’s centre-halves, Daniel van Buyten, Jerome Boateng and particularly Dante demonstrated their class by leaving their jubilant colleagues to have a quiet few words with Lukaku.
Dignity in victory should be a staple in sport but sadly it so often fails to surface in football. In truth, and this may be something that needs addressing internally at Cobham, some famous Chelsea names were slow to console Lukaku.
Maybe they were angry with his style. Maybe they were just awash with frustration at this denouement. They had gone so close, gone to within seconds of victory, playing with only 10 men for 35 minutes after Ramires was deservedly dismissed. But then Javi Martínez equalised at the end of extra time with a finish of admirable composure.
They left empty-handed but there were so many positives for Chelsea to take home, from the memory of the exceptional, almost unbelievable goalkeeping of Cech, who made three astonishing saves, to the magnificent resistance of Gary Cahill, Branislav Ivanovic and Luiz, to Oscar, lithe of frame but so big of heart. The Brazilian tracked back and tackled and chased and closed down, doing all the dirty work as well as playing some beautiful passes.
And Frank Lampard? For two hours the 35-year-old was everywhere, mocking Old Father Time, frustrating Bayern, surging upfield and converting his penalty unerringly.
Ditto Ashley Cole. For 120 minutes, the England left-back faced Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben, and occasionally Thomas Müller and eventually Mario Götze, four horsemen of a footballing apocalypse, but he never slowed, never stopped believing. Like Lampard, Cole took his penalty with utter nervelessness. They did not deserve to finish as losers.
Chelsea had started so well. Guardiola had predicted the shape of Mourinho’s tactics, praising him pre-match as the “master of quick, quick counter-attacks’’ and Chelsea confirmed the Bayern coach’s theory after eight minutes. They raced upfield via Ivanovic’s throw-in, Torres’s linkwork, Eden Hazard’s dribble, André Schürrle’s first-time cross and then Torres’s unstoppable finish. They covered 80 metres in 13 seconds, totally catching Bayern cold.
But Bayern have so much class. They have Ribéry. Chelsea failed to settle quickly enough after the restart. Bayern fans were taunting Chelsea with a fairly caustic chant. Ribéry had been trying long-rangers all night and this one worked, flying past Cech, who was caught napping. Ribéry celebrated by rushing across and embracing Guardiola. Bayern fans somehow increased the noise.
Back came Chelsea, Ramires winning a corner off Dante after good approach work by Schürrle. From Lampard’s corner, Luiz flicked on and Ivanovic headed against the bar. Neuer was then equal to Schürrle’s follow-up.
Chelsea countered again, this time through Oscar, who was fouled, giving Lampard a chance to lift a free-kick into the box. Luiz met it powerfully but was denied by Neuer. Ramires was then dismissed, earning a second yellow, for going in studs-up on Götze. Chelsea had a chance to prevent extra-time when Luiz had a free-kick but his shot crashed into the wall.
Drawing on their resilience, Chelsea scored in the first half of extra-time. Hazard’s run was good but the marking of Philipp Lahm, now at right-back, and then Boateng was really poor. Neuer was embarrassed by Hazard’s shot. Mourinho tightened the team, preparing his 10 men for the inevitable siege. Oscar was now right, John Obi Mikel and the superb Lampard central with Hazard left. Torres made way for Lukaku.
Chelsea’s defending was remarkable. Ivanovic headed out. Cahill stood tall in the face of a Martínez strike. Lampard blocked from Götze. Cech then pushed away a header from Mario Mandzukic and then from Martínez.
Cech continued to perform miracles, but was then beaten by the calmest finish from Martínez, setting up that shoot-out.
The kicks were of the highest order until the last. David Alaba scored the first before Luiz then slammed in his kick. Toni Kroos coolly slotted his low, Oscar drove his in before Lahm confidently steered his away from Cech.
The Bayern fans whistled as Lampard stepped up but he held his nerve. Then came Ribéry, who made no mistake. Cole’s penalty needed a post, and he held a silencing finger to his lips towards the Bayern fans. Xherdan Shaqiri’s kick was almost saved by Cech. But then up stepped Lukaku.


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Mail:

Bayern Munich 2 Chelsea 2 (aet, 5-4 on pens):
Lukaku's misses decisive penalty as Guardiola continues hoodoo over Mourinho with Super Cup win

By MARTIN SAMUEL

The centre half scored. So did the little Brazilian No 10. And the central midfielder. Not to mention the left back. The striker missed. The irony will not be lost on Jose Mourinho, once the fury has subsided.
He will know how close he was here. To a first trophy in his second coming as Chelsea manager; to  getting an early one in on Pep Guardiola.
There were seconds in it, no more. Chelsea were leading 2-1 with extra time injury time already being played.
They repelled attack after attack, massed defensive ranks soaking it up as they always do. They were down to 10 men, as they so often are at moments like this. It was a familiar script. And then, deviation.
The ball fell to Dante, he prodded it to Javi Martinez and his low shot beat Petr Cech at his near post. For the first time, the UEFA Super Cup was to be decided on penalties.
There is history here, animosity, too. It runs deeper than Pep Guardiola versus Jose Mourinho. Chelsea killed Bayern Munich’s dream at their home final in 2012. That isn’t forgotten in a hurry.
As one would expect from teams packed with Brazilians and  Germans, the penalties were exceptional. England held its end up surprisingly well, too.
Ashley Cole was fortunate to score off the inside of a post, Cech got a hand to the penalty of Swiss international Xherdan Shaqiri.
The rest were close to  perfect: David Luiz, Oscar and Frank Lampard for Chelsea, Jerome Boateng, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm and Franck Ribery for Bayern Munich. And with the score at 5-4 to the European champions, Romelu Lukaku stepped up to keep Chelsea in the game.
He failed, that is the politest way to put it. His effort was soft and lacking in confidence, Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer guessed right and got much of his body behind the shot.
After all the debate around the worth of strikers this last week, it was no great advert for the  goalscorers’ union.
The match itself was, though. Chelsea looked an entirely different team from their conservative, toothless appearance at Old Trafford, all false nines and stout defence.
Yes, the back four were the stars here, too — particularly Gary Cahill and Luiz in the centre — but that was due to a numerical disadvantage caused by the dismissal of Ramires.
Before that, Chelsea had caught the eye with blistering counter-attacking football and the cutting edge provided by Fernando Torres.
He put the Europa League champions ahead after eight minutes and one cannot help thinking he may have been a better bet to take that final penalty, had he not been swapped for Lukaku six minutes into extra time.
Mourinho could not be blamed for that. Chelsea were leading, Torres was tiring and Lukaku is a physically imposing figure. Yet there is something special about Torres in Europe.
The man who took Chelsea’s opener is unrecognisable as the problem child whose £50million transfer has suited him like a lead weight.
From the start, Chelsea worried Munich’s back line and Guardiola’s deployment of Kroos as a forward sweeper in what was, at times, a five-man defence was an indication of the respect for that threat.
Torres will have been doing a lot of thinking this week, too. There was the team sheet at Manchester United that did not include his name, or that of any front-line goalscorer at the club. Then in came a true rival in Samuel Eto’o. Yet if Torres had a point to prove to Mourinho, he did so after just eight minutes.
Eden Hazard carried the ball through the centre and in doing so left Rafinha, the right back, in his wake. The Brazilian made some panicky attempts at matching his stride, but to no avail.
Hazard fed Andre Schurrle and his cross was met first-time by Torres with a  simply ferocious shot that  beat Neuer in Bayern’s goal. It was a brilliant start, a brilliant finish — Mourinho’s Chelsea at their best.
Yet Chelsea could not possibly have it their own way for long against this level of opposition and so it proved. Stung by the early deficit, Munich pressed and Ribery was soon showing why he was crowned UEFA’s Footballer of the Year for  2012-13.
It was a trademark Ribery approach that did the damage, receiving the ball high on the left, he cut inside and unleashed a shot that defeated Cech at his near post.
Then, the moment that tilted the balance of power. Ramires, already booked for a trip on Ribery, was shown a second yellow card for a two-footed tackle on substitute Mario Gotze.
No matter, at first at least, because Chelsea scored. No striker required this time, Hazard in the Ribery role,  cutting in from the flank and beating Neuer who was inexplicably slow to react.
And so, the minutes ticked away, Munich laid siege, Chelsea resisted. We thought we knew how this one ended. Instead, Munich gave us a twist.
No twist in the managerial head-to-head, though. It is still just three wins for Mourinho against Guardiola over 16 matches.
Moral victories don’t count.

Man Utd 0-0

Independent:

Manchester United 0 Chelsea 0

Rooney outshines van Persie in a big player stalemate

Sam Wallace

Chelsea show steel to put goal within touch
If this was to be the first instalment in a long fight for the prizes of English football, then David Moyes v Jose Mourinho Part I will not trouble the historians of our 21st century game for too long. They came, they saw, they barely had a chance worthy of the name.

Yes, it was intriguing, never more so than in the selections of both managers: Wayne Rooney in for Manchester United; Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku both on the bench in Mourinho’s striker-less formation. There was a good deal of the simmering resentment between these two clubs boiling to the surface in the stands but for those match-defining moments? That did not take much of our time.
Moyes made good on the promise that he would select Rooney who emerged from one of the biggest sulks in modern football history to contribute a performance that while not match-winning, showed why United can hardly let him go. He looked sharp and got stronger the longer the game went on; in fact he outshone Robin Van Persie.
As for Mourinho, he as good as said he settled for a point before the game and while United had the better chances – and that was not saying much - the way in which Chelsea restricted them, led by an outstanding performance from John Terry, was a sign of their manager’s defensive organisation. Listening to Mourinho talk about his attacking players it seemed that he selected them more on the basis of what they could do defensively.
He calls them his “kids” and he said he picked Kevin De Bruyne to shut down the attacking threat from Patrice Evra. Andre Schurrle was obliged to scurry around closing down United’s defence. Mourinho conceded that with 75 minutes played he took the decision that his side could not win the game and opted against bringing on Juan Mata for that reason.
Afterwards Moyes said that his side had simply missed “the final cross or the final pass ... the moment of individual brilliance” that might have changed the game. He was right that his side were by far the more attacking, as you might expect of a United team at home. Yet for United it was a concern that Michael Carrick was composed but there were too few really telling forward passes from either him or Tom Cleverley in central midfield.
If Rooney’s inclusion was a statement about how Moyes saw the future of one of the key players at his club then equally there was one from Mourinho on the resources at his disposal. His decision to leave both Torres and Lukaku on the bench – while Demba Ba did not even travel with the squad – was a resounding judgement on his striking options.
Mourinho has said all summer that he believes in Lukaku, whom he tried to sign at Real Madrid, even if he does not think he is ready yet. As for Torres, who came on for De Bruyne on the hour, this was another low in his ever dwindling Chelsea career. The only consolation for him is that Ba is closer to the exit door 
Afterwards, Mourinho joked that Torres, should stop having his £50m transfer fee thrown at him. “If you like the numbers you have to remember he scored a goal that won the Uefa Cup [Europa League] so that means some millions. He scored a goal against Everton that puts Chelsea in the Champions League, that also means some millions. So it is not 50, maybe it is 20 now ... he did his job. I’m happy with Fernando, no problem.”
As the game opened up when legs tired there was greater potential for mistakes and it was United who offered the more. Yet it was still shots from a distance or a goalmouth scramble that saw Van Persie’s shot strike the substitute John Obi Mikel. Watching from the directors’ box, after that painful defeat to Cardiff City on Sunday, Manuel Pellegrini will not have seen anything that his Manchester City cannot live with on their good days.
As far as the intrigue went, that was happening around fringes of the game. In the first half, Mourinho waved to the United fans who goaded him, having made his entry into the stadium and then sought out both Ryan Giggs and Moyes for an embrace. The new United manager, he emerged later than the rest of his players and was treated to a warm reception from the Stretford End.
There was no doubting the warmth of the feelings from the majority of the home fans towards Rooney. In the first half he only got on the ball occasionally but he looked like the one player who might be on the same wavelength as Van Persie. On 29 minutes he took a pass from Cleverley and manoeuvred himself sharply to make room for a shot which, when it came, was weak. As the United fans began singing Rooney’s name, so too did those in the away end.
The quality, however, was low. In Mourinho’s 4-2-1-3 formation it was Andre Schurrle who had to adapt to the centre-forward’s role and, while he can cover the yards, it would be overstating the case to say that he caused United’s defence problems.
United struggled to get behind Chelsea on either wing but their biggest concern was how rarely Van Persie got the ball in promising circumstances. He managed to pick the ball up on a fast turnover of possession by United on 23 minutes and drifted left to get his shot away, but that was the wrong side of the post.
It was harder to recall a decent chance for Chelsea. Oscar had a shot on target on ten minutes and another later in the first half, neither of which caused David De Gea any problems. Martin Atkinson did his best to keep his yellow card in his pocket, excusing a challenge on Van Persie by Ashley Cole and another by Antonio Valencia on Oscar that both merited a booking. De Bruyne finally copped it for a trip on Van Persie when Atkinson felt he had no other option.
The concern for United was how few chances they created – and with a home crowd urging them to attack in the last 15 minutes they made heavy work of prising open Chelsea. One of their best chances fell to Danny Welbeck, made by Rooney’s aggression in the final third of the pitch. But when the ball was presented to the United attacker he could not keep his shot on target.
Otherwise it was very fragmented from United. Rooney looked ever stronger, sliding in to tackle Ramires on the United goalline out by the corner flag, and then emerging with the ball. He had a sharply struck shot pushed round the post by Cech with 13 minutes left. Earlier United had a debatable penalty appeal for a Frank Lampard handball rejected.
At the start of the game, Ferdinand and Terry had shaken hands – for the first time before a game since the acrimonious episode involving Ferdinad’s brother Anton. Given what was at stake in the game that was to follow it barely merited a footnote at the time. After 90 flat minutes it still feels like we are waiting for this new old rivalry, under new management, to re-ignite.

Match details
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): De Gea; Jones, Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra; Carrick, Cleverley; Valencia, Rooney, Welbeck; Van Persie.
Substitutes not used: Anderson, Giggs, Smalling, Lindegaard (gk), Young, Kagawa, Buttner
Young/Valencia 66, Welbeck/Giggs 78

Chelsea (4-2-1-3): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Lampard, Ramires; Oscar; De Bruyne, Hazard, Schurrle.
De Bruyne/Torres 60, Schurrle/Mikel 87, Azpilicueta/Hazard 90
Man of the match: Terry
Booked: De Bruyne, Torres

Rating: 5
Attendance: 75,032
Referee: M Atkinson

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Guardian:

Manchester United draw with Chelsea in frenzy of activity but no goals
Daniel Taylor at Old Trafford

Maybe the game arrived too early in the season to be a classic. José Mourinho's return to Old Trafford certainly never brought the drama that had been anticipated. No knee-slides in that crisp, dark suit and only a few sporadic moments when David Moyes's first home game as Manchester United manager looked as if it could turn into one of the nights of his life. For the most part the two men just stood there, hands in pockets, watching two teams slug it out without managing to create a single clear-cut chance.
A game played at this speed, with all the surrounding politics and intrigue, can never be described as entirely dull but the stalemate was disappointing given the weight of expectation that had accompanied the occasion. Some goalless draws have everything but a goal. This, however, was not one of them. It was the first 0-0 stalemate in 77 Premier League games at Old Trafford, stretching back to April 2009, and it will quickly be forgotten compared with some of Mourinho's previous visits.
For Chelsea, perhaps the greatest encouragement is that Mourinho's presence already appears to be having therapeutic effects on John Terry, who was superb alongside Gary Cahill at the heart of their defence. They had to be because Wayne Rooney was as prominently involved as anyone on a night when both sets of supporters could be heard serenading him. However scrambled his emotions, playing for a club he wants to leave against the team he wants to join, nobody could doubt Rooney's commitment on the night and, on this evidence, it is clear why Mourinho wants him and United will not let it happen. The sight of him chasing down Ramires in the last few minutes, filling in as a temporary left-back and then pulling off a perfectly executed sliding tackle, spoke volumes. The only downside was that his link-up play with Robin van Persie was noticeable for its absence.
Mourinho's assertion afterwards was that United's crowd had been so supportive, describing it as "very English"; his guess was that Rooney would probably now decide to stay in Manchester and, if not, should say so within the next 48 hours. He ignores the fact that United have made it absolutely clear they would never agree to sell him to a major domestic rival. Yet, whatever the reasons, it is clear why Mourinho craves another striker and has Samuel Eto'o lined up as a Plan B. Chelsea, for all their gifts, look short in attack and started this match without an orthodox centre-forward.
Their manager explained it on wanting to "go for mobility". In other words, Mourinho felt Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand might be vulnerable to the pace and movement of Andre Schürrle, Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Oscar. It all seemed a sad reflection of the decline of Fernando Torres, a player who used to terrorise Old Trafford in Liverpool's colours. Demba Ba, too, clearly has a lot to ponder after not even making the squad. But this tactic – the false No9 or call it what you will – remains the speciality of Spain and Barcelona, not Chelsea. Schürrle and De Bruyne, in particular, were only on the edges. Mourinho's first observation after the match was that the breakaway pass, when they had the chance to counter-attack, was "not the best".
The same applied to the home side. At times the game was played at a speed more reminiscent of ice hockey and that, in turn, led to carelessness when maybe it needed someone to put his foot on the ball and start orchestrating matters with a little more subtlety. The pity for Chelsea was that Juan Mata was not fully fit and started on the bench. United played with the greater sense of adventure and the more attack-minded line-up but they, too, lacked their usual composure on the ball.
Instead it was too quick to be pretty. United, on the balance of chances created, had the slight edge but neither side could put together a sustained threat to the opposition goal. Antonio Valencia did not seem to have the confidence to believe he could get past Ashley Cole. Hazard seldom explored whether he could trouble Phil Jones. Daniel Welbeck, playing on the left of United's attack, worked diligently but the composure he had shown with his two goals at Swansea was sorely lacking when he had a couple of chances inside the first 15 minutes of the second half. This, ultimately, was the disappointment for both sides: neither Petr Cech nor David de Gea had to make a save that could be rated as more than six out of 10.
United thought they might have won a second-half penalty when Tom Cleverley cracked a shot from the edge of the penalty area and it struck Frank Lampard's hand from point-blank range. Lampard had a point afterwards when he said he did not know how he could be expected to get out of the way, but so did Moyes when he called for the rule-makers to let everyone know what should be given in those circumstances. The referee, Martin Atkinson, waved away the appeals when other like-for-like offences have already been punished this season. Moyes referred specifically to the handball penalty Tottenham Hotspur won at Crystal Palace on the opening weekend.
The new manager had been given a rousing welcome and can reflect on a satisfying start to his new job. Mourinho, with seven points out of nine, can do likewise. And next time these sides meet, it is safe to assume there might be a touch more drama and excitement.

http://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2013/aug/26/jose-mourinho-david-moyes

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Telegraph:

Manchester United 0 Chelsea 0
By Henry Winter, at Old Trafford

This was a game of little creative merit, the first supposed show-piece of the new £3billion television deal that must have tempted the broadcasters to rifle through their wallet to check whether they had kept the receipt.
This game, the first goalless draw in the Premier League at Old Trafford since May 2009, deserved only a one-star rating but that one star was Wayne Rooney.
John Terry was named man of the match, and the centre-half undeniably manned the Chelsea barricades with typical organisation and obstinacy, but Rooney was a poor game’s sole redeeming feature.
He was the best striker on view, and would have scored but for Petr Cech’s agile reflexes in keeping his 200th clean sheet. Rooney was the most creative player in view, dropping off Robin van Persie, sweeping the ball wide or teeing up Danny Welbeck for a missed chance.
At one point, Rooney was even the best left-back on view, tracking back to near the corner-flag to dispossess Ramires. At the end, Jose Mourinho left Old Trafford with the point he set out for but how the Chelsea manager would have loved to have returned home with the outstanding Rooney.
Mourinho even set his team up without a centre-forward, almost advertising the vacancy to Rooney.
“Wayne Rooney, we’ll see you next week,’’ chanted the Chelsea fans who were in good humour throughout, particularly enjoying an important point at the home of one of their main rivals for the title. Chelsea’s coveting of Rooney has been one of the sagas of the summer.
This game demonstrated why Mourinho wants him, giving a cutting edge to Chelsea’s attack.
Mourinho’s selection indicated a total lack of belief in Fernando Torres, who came on only after an hour and did little, barring heading wide and collecting a caution. It showed an unwillingness to risk the promising but raw Romelu Lukaku.
It highlighted that he does not particularly rate Demba Ba, who did not even make the bench. Samuel Eto’o is a possible option but is no Rooney. It wasn’t a team-sheet from Mourinho; it was a statement.
Yet David Moyes also made a statement, reminding everyone that he does value Rooney, starting him, keeping him on for 90 minutes, knowing that a player who loves football as much as Rooney would give everything. Yet even Rooney’s formidable influence could not break down Chelsea.
Mourinho, who has yet to lose to Moyes in seven Premier League games, played cautiously, flooding midfield. It was classic Mourinho, the end justifying the means, carrying echoes of his Inter Milan side’s defensive game-plan at Camp Nou in 2010 (albeit without the errant sprinkler after the final whistle).
He even left Juan Mata, Chelsea’s best player over the past two seasons, on the bench. After Torres, Mourinho’s final two substitutions brought on John Obi Mikel and Cesar Azpilicueta to lock down the game and guarantee the point.
Manchester United fans would not have accepted such tactics. Moyes was far more adventurous, starting with Rooney and Robin van Persie with Danny Welbeck and Antonio Valencia wide. United still lack a dominant creative presence in the centre for all Michael Carrick’s occasional composed delivery.
If Mourinho left the happier, Moyes can take heart from the reality that Old Trafford preferred his more adventurous approach. The former Everton manager knows he has much to prove to United supporters but at least this indicated attack-minded tendencies in keeping with the club’s traditions.
This was the Chosen One versus the Special One, the Scot in suede shoes versus the Portuguese showman who had apparently coveted the chance to become Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor. “Jose Mourinho, you wanted this job,’’ chanted the Stretford End who unveiled a banner for Moyes.
United’s new manager had welcomed Mourinho warmly, declaring that Chelsea have appointed a “great coach” but the gloves were off. The pair were in dispute over Rooney, and now embroiled in a tense game which was a disappointing war of attrition in the first half, partly caused by Mourinho’s tactics.
Space was at a premium. The match screamed out for a leader, somebody prepared to take a risk, take opponents on. Rooney tried. Ramires and Frank Lampard, Mourinho’s central midfielders, began dropping even deeper to combat the man in the United No 10 shirt.
He started by trying to dribble Gary Cahill, drawing cheers from United fans, and immediately chants of his name from the Chelsea fans.
Chelsea, their line led by Andre Schurrle, so needed a striker of Rooney’s class. Oscar sent in a snap-shot that David de Gea held. The game then staggered back down the other end. Terry athletically intercepted a Rooney cross. Van Persie hit the side-netting.
It was not particularly appetising fare for a sold-out audience or some distinguished guests. The great and the good of the game were here, Manuel Pellegrini and Roy Hodgson swapping phone numbers, Roberto Martinez watching on, doubtless realising why United are pushing for Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines. The game craved a focal point, a forward.
Hernan Crespo, here on television duty, could have brought a cutting edge to his old Chelsea team. Even at 38.
The game meandered along. Tom Cleverley wafted a left-footed shot over. Rooney glided past Ivanovic and Ramires. De Bruyne was then cautioned for a challenge on Van Persie, the yellow card a slight surprise as Martin Atkinson had just allowed Valencia to get away with a nasty foul on Oscar.
Defences continued to dominate. Nemanja Vidic dispossessed Oscar with all the nonchalance of a burly policeman taking a water-pistol off a tiny kid. Carrick and Patrice Evra did combine to send Rooney across the edge of the 18-yard box, the England striker eluding Ramires again before slipping the ball into the area for Welbeck, who wasted the opportunity with a shot over.
Another England player, Cleverley, then let fly with a volley which crashed into Lampard. Cleverley appealed loudly for a penalty but Atkinson waved play on. The referee then dismissed Ashley Cole’s claim that Phil Jones had tugged his shirt as he darted past.
Rooney, inevitably, came closest to breaking the deadlock, taking a pass off Welbeck, and bringing a magnificent save from Cech.
A Van Persie volley thudded into Mikel. Still Rooney gave hope, dribbling forward, almost scoring. Mourinho departed with a smile, with catcalls from the Stretford End, but without Rooney.

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

Mirror:
 
Manchester United 0-0 Chelsea: Blues target Rooney proves his worth to champions even in disappointing stalemate

By David McDonnell 
  
Cheered by the Old Trafford fans and the best player on a night of few chances, it's hard to see the striker leaving now

Say what you like about Wayne Rooney, but there is no doubting his passion, commitment and professionalism.
Rooney may have become disillusioned with life at Manchester United and had his head turned by Chelsea, but that did not stop him giving his all here for his current employers.
And the unstinting support from United fans towards Rooney, reminding him he is still wanted and revered, may just have convinced the forward he would be mad to turn his back on Old Trafford.
Jose Mourinho said as much after the game, admitting he was stunned by the reaction of United's fans to Rooney, having indicated his desire to leave for the second time in under three years.
Mourinho said afterwards he wanted Rooney to make it clear whether he wants to stay at United or leave, only then will Chelsea decide whether to submit a third bid, in the region of £40million, for the forward.
If Rooney is still intent on leaving United, he did not let that show in a charged display that would surely have earned him the man-of-the-match award had it not required him to speak to the Sky TV cameras afterwards.
Given the sensitivity of his current predicament, interviews with Rooney are clearly off limits, but the 27-year-old's performance was the most eloquent expression of his enduring value as a player.
Rooney's pre-season has consisted of 45 minutes in a practice match behind closed doors at United's training ground, 67 minutes for England and a 28-minute cameo role in a 4-1 win at Swansea.
As such, he was clearly not match-fit or as sharp as the other players on the field, Moyes indicating after he only expected Rooney to play 60 to 70 minutes.
But Rooney lasted the full 90 minutes and was unquestionably United's most dominant threat going forward, out-performing Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck.
Rooney was handed his first start for United since April 28 and any apprehension he may have had over his reception was eased when his name was cheered as the teams were read out prior to kick-off.
The selection of Rooney, who had recovered sufficiently from shoulder and hamstring problems to start, was a proverbial two-fingered gesture to Chelsea from Moyes, to show then up close just what they were missing out on.
The easy option for Moyes would have been to leave Rooney on the bench or out completely, given the ongoing saga with Chelsea, but his selection from the start was a masterstroke from the United boss.
Moyes banked on Rooney's professionalism and personal pride to produce his best form for United, despite his inner turmoil over his future - and so it proved.
All that was missing from Rooney's ebullient display was a goal. He had Petr Cech at full-stretch to keep out a rasping long-range effort 13 minutes from the end and tried an audacious over-head kick in added time.
United fans sang Rooney's name with gusto, their Chelsea counterparts joining in and adding "Wayne Rooney, we'll see you next week", clearly confident of getting their man, despite two failed bids.
The game produced few genuine chances in the first-half. Van Persie flashed an angled shot into the side netting in the 22nd minute, while Rooney prodded a meek shot from the edge of the area straight at Cech.
With Chelsea's players adhering to Mourinho's defensive-minded approach, it was United who did most of the pressing throughout, although they were unable to make the decisive breakthrough.
Mourinho, whose starting line-up contained no recognised striker, threw on Fernando Torres on the hour, the Chelsea manager's stated pre-match philosophy of going for "mobility", with four attacking players and no target man, not having worked in terms of yielding a goal.
United felt they should have had a penalty in the 62nd minute when a Tom Cleverley shot struck Frank Lampard's right arm, but referee Martin Atkinson saw no transgression.
Ashley Cole went to ground 10 minutes later at the other end, claiming Phil Jones had pulled at his shorts, but TV replays showed the Chelsea defender was optimistic to say the least with his appeal.
If one moment summed up Rooney the player, it came in the 75th minute when he raced back to his own touchline to dispossess Ramires with a perfectly-timed tackle, before clipping the ball forward to Van Persie.
The extraordinary show of commitment earned Rooney a deserved standing ovation from United's fans.
Such a reception may yet see Rooney have a change of heart for the second time in three years and turn his back on a fresh start, this time at Chelsea.

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

Express:

Rival bosses Jose Mourinho and David Moyes draw comfort from result

THEY probably won't admit it, but neither David Moyes nor Jose Mourinho will have been too unhappy with this result.

By: Richard Tanner

At this early stage of the season, it was simply a game they didn't want to lose.
Manchester United's first goalless draw for 119 matches ensured that Moyes didn't lose his first home match as their manager, while Mourinho maintained his excellent record against them.
When they meet again at Stamford Bridge in January, the stakes will be higher, but all that can be drawn from last night's encounter is that there is little to choose between the teams and both will be challenging hard for the Premier League title.
Moyes will have been greatly encouraged though by the performance of Wayne Rooney. Despite Chelsea's persistent interest, his commitment matched his quality.
And he was cheered throughout by United fans so eager for him to stay at Old Trafford.
When he raced back to dispossess Ramires near the corner flag and then sent Robin van Persie away with a pass, the roar from the crowd was as loud as if he had scored the winner. United had more of the ball and the better chances, with Danny Welbeck missing the best of them, but Chelsea were superbly organised and resilient.
There was a minute's applause before kick-off for former United players Jack Crompton and Brian Greenhoff who passed away during the summer.
Among the crowd for an early showdown between two of last season's top three, were England boss Roy Hodgson and Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, whose side face United next month.
As expected, Moyes gave Rooney his first start since Chelsea won at Old Trafford on May 4, despite Chelsea apparently waiting for the game to finish before submitting a third offer.
Any fears of a negative reaction from United fans however were dispelled when his name was announced to loud cheers and chants of "Rooney, Rooney" as the players did their warm-up.
United had more possession in the early stages, but had to wait until the 23rd minute before they threatened a goal when Michael Carrick won the ball off Ramires and Van Persie's shot rattled the side netting.
Van Persie couldn't climb high enough to get any power or direction on his header from Patrice Evra as United attempted to build up some attacking momentum. Then Rooney, receiving the ball from Tom Cleverley, made room for a shot that he fired tamely straight at Petr Cech.
United were quick to close down Chelsea with some fierce tackling. After a late challenge on Oscar, Antonio Valencia received a lecture form referee Martin Atkinson.
But it was Kevin De Bruyne who picked up the first caution for a foul on Van Persie.
To add injury to insult, De Bruyne was left with blood trickling from a split lip after Van Persie attempted to fend off his challenge with his forearm.
Mourinho was furious that Valencia had escaped and De Bruyne had not and made his feelings known in his typically theatrical fashion to fourth official Mike Dean.
chelsea, manchester united, david moyes, jose mourinho, draw, tie, frank lampard, wayne rooneyBut Valencia found Lampard blocking his path

Any fears of a negative reaction from United fans however were dispelled when his name was announced to loud cheers and chants of "Rooney, Rooney" as the players did their warm-up
The two teams had shown each other too much respect in a cautious first half, but United cranked up the tempo in the second half in a bid to make the breakthrough with Welbeck heavily involved in their attacking work.
He linked well with Evra, but the United left-back was blocked as he surged into the area.
Welbeck then curled a shot high and wide and wasted the best chance of the game so far after 55 minutes, lofting his effort into the Stretford End.
United had appeals for a penalty dismissed by referee Atkinson when Cleverley's shot crashed against Frank Lampard, who was turning away from the ball.
Rooney underlined his growing confidence by spinning away from Gary Cahill to try his luck from 25 yards, but Cech fielded the shot comfortably.
Valencia had worked hard, but had blown hot and cold and Moyes decided to replace him with Ashley Young.
Cole appealed for a penalty after an excursion into United's penalty area, but he went down far too easily after brushing against Phil Jones and referee Atkinson got his second big call of the night spot on.

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

Star:

Chelsea 0 - Manchester United 0: Jose Mourinho ruins David Moyes' party

DAVID MOYES discovered last night just how tough an opponent Jose Mourinho will be as the Scot bids to retain the Premier League title for United.

By David Woods

Wayne Rooney, Manchester United, ChelseaAn all-star display couldn't ensure any thrills in the rivals clash
For all his talk promising free-flowing, adventurous football, this was a stark reminder of how Mourinho can be the ultimate party-pooper by making teams tougher to beat than a hard boiled egg.
Do not forget in his first season with the Blues – when they won the title in 2004-5 – Chelsea conceded just 15 goals.
This was a game where Mourinho set out first and foremost not to lose.
It was not exactly “parking the bus” – the famous criticism the Portuguese coach once made of a Tottenham team who drew 0-0 at Stamford Bridge.
But it was a million miles away from cavalier stuff, with Mourinho keeping ­playmaker Juan Mata on the bench and starting with young, fit and ready to run and run Andre Schurrle as his solitary man up front.
It was a case of ‘Schurrle you can’t be serious’ when the team was revealed.
But Mourinho has already instilled a defensive discipline in his team, with each and every player knowing last night that they had never to forget their duty to make sure it was always a thick blue line United had to breach. It was not pretty, but it sure was effective as United were involved in a 0-0 for the first time since they went to Newcastle in April 2011.
Mourinho’s penultimate substitution saw holding midfielder John Obi Mikkel come on for an exhausted Schurrle in the 87th minute, and the Nigerian almost immediately got his body in the way of a Robin van Persie volley.
In stoppage time he sent on right-back Cesar Azpilicueta for Eden Hazard. ‘The Special One’ was certainly taking no chances.
Before kick-off Moyes received a rapturous welcome on his Old Trafford debut.
But just like his predecessor and fellow Scot, Sir Alex Ferguson, he discovered Mourinho is the master when it comes to denying the opposition.
David Moyes' first match at home provided no real dramaDavid Moyes' first match at home provided no real drama
In March, Mourinho’s Real Madrid ensured no fairytale ending to Fergie’s amazing career by dumping United out of the Champions League.
Sadly in this encounter, there was no wizard like Cristiano Ronaldo. Even the sub-plot involving Chelsea’s United target Wayne Rooney could not add any real thrills to this encounter as Mourinho’s tactics thwarted the champions.
Rooney played well without being sensational, forcing Petr Cech into his one and only serious save in the 77th minute, when he made the Czech keeper dive full length to his right to keep out a 25-yard right-foot cracker.
Chelsea’s best chances fell to Oscar, the player who marked the start of the new Mourinho era by scoring the first goal of his second coming, against Hull nine days ago.
But the Brazilian shot twice straight at David De Gea and also screwed another half-chance wide, by connecting with the wrong side of his right boot.
For United, Rooney, Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley failed to make any great connections with other attempts.
At half-time the only real talking point was the fact John Terry and Rio ­­Ferdinand HAD shaken hands, having seemingly put the Anton Ferdinand race storm incident behind them at last.
But overall there was a lack of excitement in a game which was supposed to signal the Premier League season catching alight.
In truth, it was as flat as the Old ­Trafford pitch.
The Theatre of Dreams was more like the Theatre of Yawns and although the second half was better, it was no spectacle.
Fernando Torres did came on for Chelsea just after the hour, but he never threatened and always seems now to be on the verge of losing control of the ball if he runs at defenders.
Hazard was on target from nearly 30 yards but, once again, his shot proved no challenge for De Gea.
But Gary Cahill did produce a decent strike from 35 yards to force De Gea to spring to his left and collect.
There were a couple of shouts in the second half for penalties – for a Frank Lampard handball and a supposed pullback of Ashley Cole by Phil Jones.
But there was to be no drama and no delight for either set of fans as the game drew to a close.
Mourinho is a winner and will do pretty much whatever it takes to stay at the top.
And this draw will send out a grim warning that anyone wanting to beat his Chelsea will have to do it the hard way.

Aston Villa 2-1

Independent:
Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1
Blues top as Branislav Ivanovic escapes red card to deny Villa
Sam Wallace
 
There were times when maintaining Chelsea's unbeaten home league record during his first spell at Stamford Bridge was as easy for Jose Mourinho as walking his Yorkshire terrier around Holland Park. Tonight was a reminder that in the Premier League of 2013, life will be different.

Chelsea are top of the league with six points from their first two games in the space of four days, which is a position that Mourinho will not want to concede easily, especially come the game at Old Trafford on Monday. But they were made to work damn hard for it tonight by a fine Aston Villa performance that stretched Chelsea all the way and might even have merited more.
The winning goal was headed past Brad Guzan by Branislav Ivanovic on 73 minutes, a fine finish, albeit with a touch of offside about it. Yet minutes earlier, the Chelsea right-back had caught Christian Benteke, Villa’s goalscorer, with a flailing elbow. It was by no means a clear-cut red card but may have earned a dismissal from some referees.
Extensive petitioning by John Terry and Frank Lampard followed and referee Kevin Friend opted to show Ivanovic the yellow rather than the red. When the ball struck Terry’s raised arm in the penalty area in injury-time at the end of the game, Friend did not react and the Villa bench were incensed.
For Lambert there were no doubts. “We have been ‘done’ by two big decisions”, said the Villa manager. On Saturday it could be said that he benefited from the performance of Anthony Taylor in the win over Arsenal but this is the Premier League and life moves on quickly. Tonight Villa left London convinced that with a different referee they might still be unbeaten.
Upon such decisions are games decided and this was a real beauty; it shaped up to be a hard night for Villa at first but this young team held their own in impressive style. Three academy graduates in the starting XI; three more signed from Football League clubs. Paul Lambert’s team are maturing nicely.
As for Mourinho, after the blitz of Hull in the first half on Sunday, this was the dogfight that tested his team’s mettle. Afterwards he blamed himself for not making more changes from the Sunday's side – he made only two – but praised the resilience of his team. Certainly, in the difficult moments they dug out a result and they relied heavily upon Petr Cech when the pressure was intense.
“The team fought very hard and sometimes you have to win because you play fantastic football, “Mourinho said. “Sometimes when you don’t do that you have to play based on other things and tonight other things gave us the game.” Against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Monday, Mourinho’s side will have to be more polished, and they will also have to demonstrate the fight they showed against Villa.
At times in the first half, certainly in the opening stages, Villa struggled to contain a Chelsea side that looked determined to build on the solid work of their first half performance against Hull City on Sunday. In those opening stages of the game, Chelsea worked their opponents hard all over the pitch. It was relentless and Villa did well to stay in touch.
They could not prevent the breakthrough, an own goal by Antonio Luna on six minutes after Oscar’s pass into the left channel unzipped the Villa defence and let Eden Hazard in on goal. His shot was actually well-saved by Guzan but the goalkeeper succeeded only in pushing it against Luna, running towards his own goal, from where it was deflected into the net.
Weaker teams would have allowed themselves to be steam-rollered. With Juan Mata back in the team the three little maestros at Chelsea’s creative heart last season were re-united. And they passed the ball beautifully at times but the problem was Demba Ba, who took Fernando Torres’ place. Ba scarcely made an impression on Villa’s defence which had to be reshuffled when Ciaran Clark picked up a bad cut to his head and Jores Okore was sent on to replace him.
For the whole of that first half, Lambert’s young team worked the full press on Chelsea. It is hard going to shut down a team as sharp as this one but they made an excellent job of it. As for Chelsea, they tried to get Ba into the game with the long balls over the top hit by Terry or Gary Cahill. But Ba is no Didier Drogba and he could not make it stick.
As for Villa, they had two good chances and they took the second. The first fell to Andreas Weimann who did not get a clean connection on a header at the back post when Luna had got free down the left and crossed for him. It was the first time that Ivanovic had let anyone in behind him but when he did for the second time, Villa scored.
Gabby Agbonlahor, who worked hard all half without much chance to run with the ball, saw his chance to take on the Serb. A frustrating player at times, Agbonlahor only has three England caps but on his day he can take on the best of them. Having got behind Ivanovic he found Benteke with a fabulous cut-back. The Villa centre-forward needed one touch to take the ball onto his left and another to sweep it past Cech and in off the post.
In the absence of any deal for Wayne Rooney on the horizon, Benteke looks exactly the kind of striker that Mourinho could do with. Less so, Ba whose distinctly unimpressive evening came to a close on 64 minutes when he was replaced by Romelu Lukaku, a change that might have been made much earlier. Later, when Mourinho was asked about Benteke he described him as ‘a great player for a certain style of football’, which is no compliment at all.
Mourinho also substituted Mata and introduced Andre Schurrle. By that point there was a case for saying that Villa were on top. They had certainly created the better chances at that point. Agbonlahor had curled a Matt Lowton pass across goal just over. Weimann should have done better with a back-post volley from Benteke’s cross.
There are never more than a few chances to put Chelsea away when they are at home and those passed Villa by. Then came a game-changing two minutes when Ivanovic first caught Benteke with an elbow and was only booked by referee Friend. Then, within two minutes, the Serbian was the most decisive when Lampard struck a free-kick into the box and it was the Chelsea right-back who connected with a powerful header past Guzan. He looked offside when the ball was struck.
The Terry handball, and a fine save from Cech from Weimann followed. Chelsea had hung on which, on a difficult night, is a sign of a team who, whatever the circumstances, will not give up the fight easily.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Lampard; Mata (Schurrle, 65), Oscar (Van Ginkel , 84), Hazard; Ba (Lukaku, 65). Substitutes not used Schwarzer (gk), Mikel, Schurrle, De Bruyne, Azpilicueta.

Aston Villa (4-3-3): Guzan; Lowton, Vlaar, Clark (Okore, 43), Luna; El Ahmadi (Tonev, 82), Westwood, Delph; Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor. Substitutes not used Steer (gk), Bennett, Bacuna, Helenius, Stylla.

Referee K Friend (Leciestershire)
Man of the match Delph
Match rating 8

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

Guardian:
Chelsea go top but Branislav Ivanovic's winner has Aston Villa raging

Chelsea 2
Antonio Luna 6 o.g.,
Branislav Ivanovic 73
 
Aston Villa 1
Christian Benteke 45 +2:49
 
Amy Lawrence at Stamford Bridge

There could have been red cards, instead there were scarlet faces. José Mourinho and Paul Lambert threatened to overheat as tempers flared and controversy swirled around Chelsea's match-winner, Branislav Ivanovic.
The Serbian defender tilted an intriguing contest towards the blue corner with a solid header in the 73rd minute. The fact that he courted dismissal on either side of the goal as he challenged Christian Benteke – first with an arm in the face and then with a high kick – left Villa cursing.
Lambert was unequivocal in his view that the referee had cost his team not once, but twice, as Chelsea also benefited from a benevolent nod from the official in stoppage time, after John Terry's raised arm met Fabian Delph's cross. "It's easy to sit here with sour grapes. We've been done by two big decisions," he said. " They are game-changers."
Naturally Mourinho disagreed, welcoming the referee's interpretation of events wholly. He even went so far as to come over almost nostalgic at the sight of Lambert's explosive touchline theatrics. "Paul has a certain type of personality – he reminds me of myself 10 years ago when I was complaining every decision, when I wanted to coach my team and at the same time have a whistle at my lips. He's a young manager, very intelligent, he will change."
Some sympathy for Lambert was understandable, as Villa played energetically and broke dangerously enough to merit more reward than the moral satisfaction to have improved enormously on their last showing here, which ended in a club record 8-0 nightmare.
The expectancy of home dominance is part of life under Mourinho at Stamford Bridge and all went according to plan early on. Chelsea eased into the lead in the seventh minute. Oscar's vision split Villa open – his superb pass took three opposition players out of the game – enabling Eden Hazard to pelt into the box. The Belgian's cross was tricky for Brad Guzan, who could only palm the ball straight into the chest of the onrushing Antonio Luna.
Once they were in front Chelsea looked in the mood to suffocate Villa with endless, mesmerising possession. It was pedestrian and soporific, as they mustered a few half-chances but nothing else of note in the first period to test Guzan seriously.
For all Mourinho's talk pre-match about his wish to see more "intensity" from his team, and a hunger to "destroy" teams, Chelsea played the first half as if they were content to pootle along in first gear.
Villa found a Mourinho-drilled Chelsea a tougher nut to crack than a shaky Arsenal, so eking a path back into the game was a tougher challenge than they had last weekend, when they also needed to recover from an early setback. But recover they did.
Undaunted, they chipped away patiently and slowly began to drag some of the initiative away from Chelsea. The equaliser came in first-half stoppage time, as their two most influential attacking figures combined again. Gabriel Agbonlahor was able to dart away down the left flank, and his pass fell to Villa's master marksman. Christian Benteke cushioned the ball with his right foot and placed it with his left. Petr Cech, seeking his 200th clean sheet for Chelsea, would have to wait.
Chelsea trod a thin line as they probed in search of some end product. On the hour Agbonlahor took aim with a wonderful chance on the break. His curling shot arced just over the crossbar. Then Andreas Weimann connected fiercely with Benteke's cross and Cech pulled off a vital save. It was a head-in-hands moment for the watching Lambert, who sensed another improbable mission days after the opening day win across London.
Mourinho acted, withdrawing Demba Ba and Juan Mata – neither of whom looked to have done much to endear himself to the new coach – and passing the baton to the trickery of André Schürrle and the hulking brawn of Romelu Lukaku, who showed his potential when he grazed the side-netting.
With 20 minutes to go fortune turned Chelsea's way. Ivanovic took a huge risk as he caught Benteke in the face with a raised arm. Lambert fumed on the touchline but the referee chose yellow instead of red.
A couple of minutes later Lampard swung in a free-kick and – inevitably – the name on the shirt of the man who thundered in to plant a bullet header past Guzan was none other than … Ivanovic.
Chelsea still needed Cech to protect the win courtesy of another fine save with his legs from Weimann's effort. It was hard luck for Villa while Chelsea amble on, not entirely convincingly but with six points to take into the match at Old Trafford.
A brighter Chelsea with more attacking force will need to be in action then.

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

Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1

By Henry Winter, Stamford Bridge

Jose Mourinho’s love-in with Chelsea continues after a second date at the Bridge but he did need a couple of winks from Lady Luck.
Two poor pieces of officiating by the referee, Kevin Friend, understandably enraged the visitors, Aston Villa. Branislav Ivanovic should have been dismissed for an elbow a minute before heading the winner. John Terry should have been punished for a handball in the last minute.
An animated Paul Lambert went in to see the referee afterwards. The Football Association’s newly tweaked retrospective disciplinary process may be scrutinised after this, especially the Ivanovic decision, although it would be a surprise if the FA acted.
It was a pity that the focus should inevitably be on some hapless refereeing as this was a really good game, particularly in the second half when Villa showed why they have grown so much under Lambert, why Mourinho’s barbs about Villa’s “didn’t play a lot’’ style afterwards were a nonsense (and will have Barcelona fans reminding him of Inter Milan’s visit to the Nou Camp in 2010).
Fabian Delph, arguably man of the match along with Petr Cech, was a nimble, ball-playing presence in midfield, eclipsing Frank Lampard.
Gabby Agbonlahor is enjoying a fine calendar year, Andi Weimann hardly lacks technique while Christian Benteke is the type of prolific frontman Chelsea crave — and why they are going back in for Wayne Rooney on Tuesday.
Mourinho also noted Lambert’s disputing of every decision. Mr Pot? Please meet Mr Kettle.
Lambert handled Mourinho’s jibes well, focusing on praising his players. Rightly so. With a fraction of Chelsea’s budget, Villa look a force. Four days after winning at Arsenal, Villa really rattled Chelsea . But for Friend’s mistakes and Cech’s shot-stopping, Villa could have won here.
There must be a concern for Mourinho over how Chelsea tailed off, as against Hull City on Sunday, although they perked up when Romelu Lukaku came on to replace the disappointing Demba Ba.
Lukaku has to start. He offers more energy, focus and a goal threat than Ba or Fernando Torres currently. The past two games confirm why Mourinho still pursues Rooney.
For all these issues, Chelsea are top with six points and the club are united under Mourinho.
Chelsea’s returning idol wrote emotionally in his programme notes about the “unique” and “fantastic” reception the fans had given him before the Hull game, a match attended by his family who saw exactly why he “wanted to come back”.
On Wednesday night, the romance rolled on, particularly when Chelsea fans savoured the build-up to their sixth-minute goal.
It was the speed and accuracy of Chelsea’s one-touch passing that unhinged Villa’s defence.
Ashley Cole started the move, tucked in on the left, drilling the ball quickly to Lampard, who turned it immediately on to Oscar. The Brazilian was starting in the centre of Chelsea’s creative trident, although occasionally switching with the right-sided Juan Mata. Oscar picked out Eden Hazard, infiltrating in from the left.
The Belgian tried to work the ball around Brad Guzan, but the American parried the ball out. Unfortunately for Villa, the ball cannoned into Antonio Luna and back in past Guzan.
Villa rallied midway through the first half. Lambert has them playing with belief, their 4-3-3 system both compact and bold. Gone are the nerves of last season, the thumpings as experienced against Chelsea .
Karim El Ahmadi sent a shot wide while Benteke kept trying to get past Terry but the Chelsea captain was equal to the heavyweight task for 44 minutes. Terry’s enduring determination was shown when throwing himself in ahead of Benteke, then El Ahmadi. It made his later lapse so strange.
Chelsea almost added a second when Mata, Hazard and Lampard set up Oscar, whose shot went wide. Ciaran Clark then departed, his forehead accidentally sliced open by the studs of Ba. Jores Okore, a Chelsea fan who turned down the club, came on at centre-half and eventually settled well alongside Ron Vlaar.
Villa equalised just before the break, Agbonlahor getting the better of Ivanovic and cutting the ball back to Benteke, who finally had escaped Terry. Benteke controlled Agbonlahor’s pass instantly, then swept it left-footed past Cech.
The second half was a mix of flair and brimstone. Agbonlahor curled a shot over. Weimann was denied at the near post by Cech.
Controversy then gate-crashed the Bridge. Ivanovic jumped aggressively at Benteke, catching the striker in the neck with his elbow. Friend deemed it worthy only of a yellow, a lucky escape.
Chelsea fans thought back to Benteke’s elbow on César Azpilicueta last May, the Belgian receiving only a yellow (although later dismissed for placing his studs in Terry’s chest).
Shortly afterwards, Ivanovic leapt to head in Lampard’s free-kick, further sending Villa into meltdown. Lambert and Mourinho exchanged contrasting views.
The temperature was really rising now. Benteke tried to wreak some retribution, flying into Ivanovic as they contested an aerial ball. As Ivanovic fell, he flicked out a foot and caught Benteke, who was bemused when Friend then cautioned him.
Villa had been expecting justice to prevail and for Ivanovic finally to receive his marching orders, this time with a second yellow. They shook their heads in disbelief when it was Benteke who was punished.
Lambert was livid. Mourinho was calmer, chatting with the fourth official, Stuart Attwell. He blew out his cheeks as Villa kept pressing. Only a wonderful save with his feet by Cech denied Weimann.
In the final minute, Agbonlahor headed down Delph’s free-kick, Terry clearly handled, Friend waved play on and Villa’s frustration was complete.
They returned north fuelled with indignation but also surely buoyed by a realisation that they can live with the big teams. Chelsea need to sustain their excellence over 90 minutes, particularly with Monday’s trip to Old Trafford pending.

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

Mail:

Chelsea 2 Aston Villa 1:

Rattled Mourinho and Lambert square up on touchline as Ivanovic header wins it for Blues (but should Serb have seen red?)

By Neil Ashton

Jose Mourinho’s truce with the Barclays Premier League lasted just one game. This didn’t quite reach the depths of his poke in Tito Vilanova’s eye when in charge of Real Madrid but it was close enough for discomfort.
First the Chelsea boss was shaken by Christian Benteke’s equaliser and he then steamed into Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert.
Mourinho knows Chelsea got lucky. They won this re-arranged fixture when Branislav Ivanovic, who could easily have been sent off for elbowing Benteke, powered the winner beyond Brad Guzan.
By then Stamford Bridge had been treated to Mourinho’s full repertoire: flailing arms, three touchline rows with a purple-faced Lambert and countless run-ins with fourth official Stuart Attwell.
‘Paul has a certain personality on the touchline and a certain way of behaving with comments,’ claimed Mourinho. ‘He reminds me of me ten years ago, but with experience he will change.’
It was vintage Mourinho, spiky and unabridged. He doesn’t care who he upsets, so long as his team are winning. Even Rui Faria, Mourinho’s faithful assistant, jumped off the bench to confront Lambert during another ugly touchline exchange.
Villa should have had two penalties, decisions scandalously overlooked by referee Kevin Friend who failed to spot the nudge on Andreas Weimann, or John Terry’s handball in the closing minutes.
‘We’ve been done by two big decisions,’ claimed Lambert. ‘Ivanovic should have been sent off.’
Mourinho responded, labelling Villa a physical, long-ball team who constantly boot balls up to Benteke. It was unfair and inaccurate.
Lambert and Villa deserve sympathy, heading back to Birmingham without a point when they might have won all three.
When two teams play like this, with exuberance and energy, taking on lung-busting runs and responding to the demands of their passionate fans, you don’t want the game to end.
At times Stamford Bridge was caught in a trance, mesmerised by Eden Hazard’s ability to pick out Juan Mata with a fading 40-yard crossfield pass.
Chelsea went ahead through the sweetest of moves involving Frank Lampard, Oscar and Hazard, who was denied the credit for the goal when Antonio Luna deflected the ball beyond Guzan.
There was the effort of Gabby Agbonlahor down the left for Villa, providing the outlet that earned his team two penalties at Arsenal on Saturday. He provided the killer pass, an angled cut-back into the path of Benteke to score Villa’s equaliser at the end of the first half. This is the Agbonlahor of 2006, the man who nearly earned a move to Chelsea under Mourinho first time around. He was awesome.
Under Lambert he has remodelled his game, a real team player as Villa respond to their manager’s intensity and enthusiasm on the touchline.
The equaliser provoked some intense celebrations from Lambert and his coaching staff. Mourinho was in the technical area, the knot on his tie slipping further down his shirt as the game wore on.
He has put himself under this pressure, demanding the killer touch from his team ahead of Monday’s game against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
There will be rotation, as Fernando Torres discovered when he didn’t even make the bench after starting Sunday’s opener against Hull.
Demba Ba got his chance, but Chelsea are a striker light. The Senegal forward is good, just not good enough for a club with Premier League and Champions League aspirations.
In another era it would be easy to conclude that Ba was picked as a message to Abramovich, a reminder that they need another forward before the transfer window closes. They will be back for Wayne Rooney, with one last attempt after Monday’s clash at Old Trafford.
Ba was eventually replaced by Romelu Lukaku and it wasn’t a moment too soon for Chelsea’s increasingly restless fans. By then Agbonlahor could have put Villa in front with a swirling effort on the hour and a Weimann volley went wide of Cech’s post.
‘Come on Chelsea’ the home fans shouted as Ron Vlaar and Jores Okore - who came on after Ciaran Clark went off with a head injury - stopped almost everything. They were unlucky to be beaten in the air by Ivanovic, scoring with a header to prompt another icy glare towards Lambert from Mourinho.
Two games into his return to Chelsea, he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chelsea: Cech 7, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 7, Terry 8, Cole 6, Ramires 6, Lampard 6, Oscar 6 (Van Ginkel 84min), Mata 6 (Schurrle 65), Hazard 7, Ba 4 (Lukaku 65).

Subs: Mikel, De Bruyne, Schwarzer, Azpilicueta.
Booked: Ivanovic

Goal: Luna (og) 7, Ivanovic 73.

Aston Villa: Guzan 6, Lowton 6, Vlaar 7, Clark 6 (Okore 43), Luna 7, El Ahmadi 7 (Tonev 82), Westwood 7, Delph 7, Weimann 6, Benteke 7, Agbonlahor 7.

Subs: Bennt, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Sylla.

Booked: El Ahmadi, Westwood, Benteke

Goal: Benteke 45

Attendance: 41,527

Referee: Kevin Friend

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

Mirror:

Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa: Cries of ref justice as returning Mourinho make it two wins from two
 
Ivanovic nets decisive goal just after red-card let-off and late Terry handball goes unpunished to leave visitors feeling robbed

Darren Lewis

Forget this idea that he returns as the Cuddly, Happy One.
Forget the idea returns to the Premier League a more calm, considered, less-confrontational boss to the one that quit these shores back in September 2007.
When the heat was on in this compelling contest all that went right out of the window.
Welcome back Jose. We thought we'd lost you.
Sparks flew on the touchline as the Chelsea boss clashed first with the fourth official then Paul Lambert with the Blues struggling to contain the Scot's tenacious Aston Villa team.
And Mourinho will be reflecting on his six Premier League points well aware that he emerged from this face-off very much the Lucky One.
Aston Villa were robbed. Pure and simple.
Referee Kevin Friend bottled it and denied them a 93rd-minute penalty when John Terry handled Gabby Agbonlahor's header.
Friend also produced a 70th-minute yellow when Villa felt, justifiably, it should have been red for a forearm smash by Branislav Ivanovic on Christian Benteke.
Minutes later, the Serb scored the winner.
Referees are living in cloud cuckoo land if they don't believe they deserve criticism for the kind of decision-making that cost Villa the points here.
Why on earth should bosses stay silent when faced with the kind of ineptitude that rendered the efforts of Lambert's men meaningless?
The Villa boss came out fighting afterwards, and rightly so.
It will be nothing short of a disgrace if Lambert is cited by the FA for speaking his mind on the issue.
Even Chelsea fans will know that the referee had a shocker.
Villa were excellent. Chelsea, not so much.
The Europa League holders had been charged by Mourinho with replicating the ruthlessness with which Manchester City dismissed Newcastle on Monday.
And when a helpless Antonio Luna turned a deflected Eden Hazard shot into his own net after just five minutes, the floodgates did indeed look set to open.
Mourinho and his men soon found, however, that this Villa vintage is nothing like the timid, relegation-haunted side eaten alive 8-0 on this same pitch last season.
They were organised, efficient and stunned the Bridge into silence when Benteke netted on the stroke of half-time.
The Belgian, who tormented Chelsea before being sent off at Villa Park in the penultimate game of last season, lasted all 90 minutes this time around.
And when his chance came, he took it with aplomb.
First, he killed a cross from Agbonlahor with his left foot in the box, then he totally ignored the advancing Terry to let fly.
The effort smacked the inside of the Cech's near post and, with the Chelsea keeper beaten, nestled in the back of the net.
What a bit of business from Lambert to keep him from the clutches of big-spending Spurs this summer.
What a bit of business to keep the free-scoring frontman committed to the cause.
Benteke has now scored 17 league goals in 2013 - three more than any other player in the Premier League.
He also looks set to fill his boots again this season.
It all made for a tense and enthralling second half.
Mourinho may be undefeated in 61 matches here at the Bridge but he has failed to win any of his last four against the Villa.
Agbonlahor and Andy Weimann could have extended that sequence but failed to find the target with good chances and the Blues' defence all over the place.
Then Chelsea got lucky. Big time.
Friend was most definitely Villa's foe when he decided to only caution Ivanovic for that challenge on Benteke.
From Frank Lampard's free-kick three minutes later, Ivanovic headed home.
Even then, Villa had chances late on to earn themselves a point.
Cech was forced into a top save from Weimann with four minutes left and did even better from Agbonlahor in added time.
As it is, the Special One lives to die another day.
On this occasion he would very much prefer to be a lucky general.

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

Express:

Chelsea 2 - Aston Villa 1: Branislav Ivanovic has so sweet a taste for Jose Mourinho

IT WAS never going to be easy all the way. This one was a grind, a battle from start to end. But Jose Mourinho will not care – his Chelsea are top of the table.

By: Tony Banks

After the glory and glamour of their opening day victory over Hull, the Special One’s team had to work for this. And they needed their share of the luck.
An early own-goal by Antonio Luna seemed set to signal another romp – but Paul Lambert’s men hung in and levelled through the excellent Christian Benteke.
Branislav Ivanovic could have been sent off for a foul on Benteke as Chelsea struggled to contain the young Belgian.
But then Ivanovic headed home a Frank Lampard free-kick – and the Blues had edged it.
This was a game that gave them the chance to set down a marker after beating Hull by establishing an early lead in the table.
Victory would also give Mourinho’s troops the psychological advantage of a three-point lead over title rivals Manchester United when they go into Monday’s showdown at Old Trafford.
Mourinho sprang a surprise when he left Fernando Torres out of his side in favour of Demba Ba, and did not even name the Spaniard on the bench, as he also brought Juan Mata back into his side.
Villa’s last trip to Stamford Bridge, in December last year, ended in the humiliation of an 8-0 defeat – the heaviest in their history.
At that stage manager Lambert’s young side looked doomed for the drop. But a late rally from the youngsters to whom he stayed faithful staved off relegation.
Chelsea had begun against Hull with a ferocious half-hour blitz – and they were off and running again early on last night. Villa strung five men across the midfield to try to stifle Mourinho’s men, but they were undone after just seven minutes.
Lampard found Oscar, whose clever pass put Eden Hazard away behind the defence. The Belgian’s shot was pushed away by keeper Brad Guzan, but it bounced straight back into the net off the chest of luckless Luna.
Oscar fired a low shot wide and then the Brazilian cut an effort over the angle as once again Chelsea dominated possession.
Villa’s only worthwhile effort was a 30-yard-drive from Karim El Ahmadi which flew well wide. It was clear though, that this was not going to be another Hull. Villa were sitting deep and looking to catch Chelsea on the break. Mourinho’s team were finding it hard to break them down.
Ba offered more muscularity and sheer pace than Torres up front, but whether he offered the cutting edge that Mourinho is looking for to complete this team was debatable.
Jose Mourinho, Chelsea, Branislav Ivanovic, Christian Benteke, Paul Lambert, Aston VillaVan's the man: Ivanovic heads in Chelsea’s winner
This was a game that gave Chelsea the chance to set down a marker after beating Hull by establishing an early lead in the table
But in first-half injury-time, with their first serious attack, Villa were level. Gabby Agbonlahor burst down the left and crossed, and Benteke had far too much room as he took a touch and cracked his shot low into the corner off the post.
It was the first hiccup of the glorious new era. How would Mourinho and his team react? The answer was, not spectacularly.
The three wizards, Hazard, Mata and Oscar, enjoyed plenty of possession. But they kept running into blind alleys as Villa funnelled back and covered diligently. Mourinho’s team badly lacked any width.Hazard wasted a golden chance as the ball fell to him, but Villa went closer still when Luna’s ball went all the way across the area and Agbonlahor’s shot skimmed an inch over the crossbar.
Then Andreas Weimann met Luna’s cross unmarked at the far post, but Petr Cech pulled off a crucial save.
Ivanovic was lucky to stay on the field after his elbow felled Benteke. But three minutes later the big Serb broke the deadlock.
Substitute Romelu Lukaku was fouled, and when Lampard swung in a free-kick, there was Ivanovic to bullet home his header. Mourinho was then involved in a furious touchline row with Lambert after Ivanovic caught Benteke with a high kick. But it was the Belgian who was booked for dangerous play.
Twice Cech saved Chelsea as he pulled off superb blocks from Weimann and then the Blues somehow survived when John Terry appeared to handle in his own area – to Lambert’s fury.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 7; Ivanovic 7, Cahill 7, Terry 7, Cole 6; Ramires 7, Lampard 6; Mata 6 (Schurrle 65, 6 ), Oscar 7 (Van Ginkel 84,6), Hazard 8; Ba 6 (Lukaku 65, 6). Booked: Ivanovic. Goals: Luna 7 og, Ivanovic 73.

Villa (4-5-1): Guzan 6; Lowton 6, Vlaar 7, Clark 6 (Okore 43, 6), Luna 6; Weimann 6, Delph 7, Westwood 6, El Ahmadi 7 (Tonev 82,6),Agbonlahor 6; Benteke 7. Booked: El Ahmadi, Westwood, Benteke, Guzan. Goal: Benteke 45.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire).

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

Star:
Chelsea 2 - Aston Villa 1: Fury as Branislav Ivanovic escapes red card and hits winner

BRANISLAV IVANOVIC survived a red-card offence to leave Aston Villa feeling blue.

By Adrian Kajumba

The Serbian defender swung out an arm at Christian Benteke, escaped dismissal, and moments later headed home Frank Lampard's free-kick for a 72nd-minute winner.
Villa were right in the game at that point thanks to Benteke.
Just a few days after his double downed Arsenal, Big Ben was at it again in the capital.
The Belgian powerhouse bagged a brilliant first-half equaliser to wipe the smile off Jose Mourinho's face.
Mourinho's men had earlier made the perfect start to their bid to kick off their title bid with two wins out of two.
Antonio Luna's own-goal had gifted Chelsea an early lead.
But they were pegged back when Benteke struck on the stroke of half-time. Chelsea kicked off under orders from Mourinho to start destroying their
opponents after taking their foot off the gas in their 2-0 win over Hull.
That was the last thing Villa needed to hear after their traumatic visit to the Bridge last season.
Paul Lambert's youngsters were taught a lesson they would never forget when they were on the wrong end of an 8-0 Christmas stuffing.
Benteke scores his third in two games in the leagueBenteke scores his third in two games in the league

“Chelsea were rampant and Oscar went close from 25 yards as Villa were having trouble getting out of their half.”
But on the eve of Villa's Bridge return Lambert claimed the thrashing last December helped turn his boys into men.
And a return to the scene of their biggest top-flight defeat held no fears for revitalised Villa after their fine start to the campaign.
Villa piled more misery on crisis club Arsenal by humiliating them 3-1 on their own patch to suggest brighter days are ahead after their brush with relegation last season.
Mourinho also had a pre-match message for Eden Hazard, telling the flying winger that he might be a top talent but is not yet a top player.
The Special One's words sparked an immediate response from the Belgian as Chelsea burst out of the blocks.
He was in the mood from the off and played such a big part when the Blues took a seventh-minute lead.
Ashley Cole and Lampard worked the ball to Oscar on the edge of the box after Villa struggled to clear a Hazard cross.
Oscar spotted a gap in the Villa defence and threaded an inch-perfect pass through it to put Hazard in on goal.
Brad Guzan did brilliantly to parry Hazard's effort that seemed to be heading for the far corner but could only palm the ball onto unlucky left-back Luna who could do nothing as the ball deflected off him into his own net.
Chelsea were rampant and Oscar went close from 25 yards as Villa were having trouble getting out of their half.
Villa finally halted the one-way traffic after 20 minutes when they threatened for the first time.
Chelsea teammates celebrate with IvanovicChelsea teammates celebrate with Ivanovic
Chelsea switched off at a free-kick allowing Fabian Delph to set Luna free down the left.
His cross found Andreas Weimann but his poorly directed header hit Cole and Chelsea cleared.
Villa suffered another blow just before half-time when defender Ciaran Clark was forced off with a head injury and replaced by debut-making summer signing Jores Okore. Chelsea were heading towards the break on top but the half ended on a high for the visitors when Benteke hauled Villa level with a goal out of the blue.
Their looked to be little danger when Gabby Agbonlahor received the ball down the left with his route to goal blocked by Ivanovic.
Yet the in-form striker has pace to burn and put his foot on the gas to speed past the Serbian and crossed for Benteke, who took a touch to buy himself a yard away from John Terry before smashing the ball past Petr Cech.
The first-half pattern continued after the break with Chelsea asking most of the questions. But Villa only had a couple of desperate penalty appeals from Demba Ba and Juan Mata to worry about before Hazard swept an effort well wide from Ivanovic's throw in.
Villa posed problems on the break and Chelsea had two escapes. Agbonlahor curled inches over after Delph dummied Matt Lowton's pass across goal, and Cech stuck out a leg to deny Weimann with a brilliant save from close range.

CHELSEA: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Lampard, Oscar, Mata, Hazard, Ba. Subs: Mikel, Schurrle, De Bruyne, van Ginkel, Lukaku, Schwarzer, Azpilicueta.
ASTON VILLA: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Clark, Luna, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor. Subs: Bennett, Okore, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Sylla, Tonev. Referee: Kevin Friend.

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

Birmingham Mail:
Chelsea v Aston Villa    

Gregg Evans

Villa were robbed a share of the spoils at Stamford Bridge as Branislav Ivanovic’s late second half goal secured another win for Chelsea.
The Serbian was fortunate to be on the pitch when he thundered in the winner after elbowing Christian Benteke just a minute before his 75th-minute winner.
A further blow for Villa came in stoppage time when John Terry appeared to handle Gabby Agbonalhor’s header only for referee Kevin Friend to wave play on.
It meant that Benteke’s stunning first-half strike - which levelled the scores at the break after Antonio Luna’s early own goal -eventually counted for nothing.
Just like on Saturday Villa conceded after six minutes.
Oscar split the claret and blue backline into two by playing in Eden Hazard down the right.
The Belgian cut inside and saw his shot saved by Brad Guzan but it cannoned off the head of Luna - Villa’s hero at the Emirates - and into the net.
Unfortunately for the Spaniard he could do nothing about it and was left counting his unlucky stars.
Lambert cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines.
Desperate for his side to push forward he almost played every pass, header, cross and tackle in his own mind.
But it had little effect early on.
Chelsea were dominant and looked as though they could step it up a gear if they needed to.
Ramires, Oscar and Frank Lampard dominated the midfield areas yet they didn’t create too much.
Oscar had three shots from outside the box that either went high or wide and that was about it until just before half time.
Andreas Weimann had a decent chance for the visitors when Luna found him unmarked towards the back post but Ashley Cole did well to block his header.
Villa were handicapped once again when Ciaran Clark went out with a gash to his head on 41 minutes.
It followed Nathan Baker dismissal through injury against Arsenal at the weekend and meant that Jores Okore came on for his debut.
The Danish defender’s first involvement was a foul, then he was easily turned by Demba Ba, only for the striker to shoot feebly at Brad Guzan,
What happened next was like a bolt out of the blue.
Villa ploughed forward on a rare attack with Agbonahlor down the left.
His pace and trickery caught Ivanovic off guard and one quick look up found Benteke in the box.
The bustling Belgian had no right to score from where he was, but he unleashed an unstoppable effort which
flew in via Petr Cech’s right-hand post to send Villa’s travelling army wild.
After the interval they returned with their tails up and were inspired by Lambert’s relentless energy in the dugout.
Just past the hour mark his side had two glorious chances to take the lead.
First, on 61 minutes Matt Lowton found Agbonlahor lurking outside the penalty box with no-one around him.
The in-form forward raced onto his pass and smashed a curling strike at Cech, but it went just inches over the bar.
Less than two minutes later Villa had another chance to race into the lead.
Benteke collected the ball from deep and cut inside.
He spotted Andreas Weimann at the back post and floated a delicate cross into his path.
Weimann slid and volleyed towards goal but Cech got down well to tip it around the post.
By this stage Jose Mourinho had seen enough and immediately threw on forwards Romelu Lukaku and Andre Schurrle.
It didn’t have the immediate effort but it certainly proved be a game-changing move as Chelsea found a spark.
It came after a fiery altercation with match-winner Ivanovic and Benteke.
The Serbian defender lifted his elbow towards Benteke’s head causing the Villa hitman to crumble on the floor.
Replays suggested that he was lucky to stay on the pitch as he escaped with just a yellow card - much to Lambert and the rest of the Villa team’s anger.
Within a minute, the right-back headed in Lampard’s deep free-kick at the back-post to add insult to injury.
Lukaku fired into the side-netting as the hosts found gaps in the Villa defence, but it was Villa who finished strong.
Benteke set up Weimann with a flick on, only for the forward to be denied by the Cech’s legs.
Then in stoppage time Agbonlahor’s header crashed off Terry’s hand in the penalty area but Friend waved play on and Chelsea held firm.

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