Arsenal 0-0

Telegraph:

Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0: Gunners claim moral victory from London derby as they end five-match losing streak at Stamford Bridge

Matt Law

It may not have been a first Premier League win away against one of the so-called ‘big six’ since January 2015, but Arsenal will claim a moral victory from this London derby after giving their travelling fans encouragement they might not have to suffer a season of embarrassment.

Arsene Wenger’s men should really have secured a proper victory, as they squandered the best opportunities and had a man advantage for the final minutes after David Luiz was sent-off. But the Arsenal supporters who stayed behind to applaud their team are just relieved not to be going to work to face the same old jokes.

The fact a goalless draw was achieved at Stamford Bridge without the injured Mesut Ozil will not have gone unnoticed by those aware that Arsenal’s last significant away win came against Manchester City without the German. Ozil has often been accused of not turning up for the big games even when he has been on the pitch and it was clear that Arsenal were not carrying any passengers against Chelsea, as Danny Welbeck, Alex Iwobi and Alexandre Lacazette forced the Blues defenders to look backwards and sideways with their passing.

An Arsenal defence that has so often been bullied into submission by Diego Costa also stood up to the test with Shkodran Mustafi getting the better of Costa’s replacement, Alvaro Morata, who was eventually booked for letting his frustration get the better of him.

The commitment of Alexis Sanchez may well be questioned once again as he appeared to find record signing Lacazette’s contender for miss of the season funny from the substitutes’ bench, but this was not a performance that will see the attitude of Arsenal’s players come under the spotlight once again.

Sanchez was dropped back down to the bench, where Olivier Giroud also started, after playing 90 minutes in the Europa League victory over Cologne. With Sanchez and Giroud both watching from the sidelines during the first half, the responsibility to threaten Chelsea’s goal fell to Welbeck and Lacazette, and the pair missed the best chances of the game.

Welbeck headed over the crossbar from Hector Bellerin’s cross, while Lacazette could not believe he did not find the back of the net four minutes before the break. Aaron Ramsey went on a brilliant, winding run into the penalty area, which took him past Cesar Azpilicueta, and the Welshman’s shot rebounded off the post. Lacazette looked to have the simple task of tucking the ball into the net, but instead lifted it over the bar from four yards.

While Wenger and the rest of the Arsenal bench held their heads in their hands, Sanchez could be seen slapping the back of David Ospina with a big smile on his face.

Conte decided Eden Hazard was not yet fit enough to start his first game of the season for Chelsea, while Costa, who has previously enjoyed facing Arsenal, was still nowhere to be seen. That left Morata flanked by Pedro and Willian, and it was Pedro who failed to take Chelsea’s best and only clear opportunity. Having seen an early shot saved by Petr Cech, Pedro was sent through on goal by Cesc Fabregas in the 21st minute. It seemed certain the former Barcelona man would give the home side the lead, but Cech managed to keep the ball out with an outstretched hand.

Chelsea struggled to create chances and impose themselves on Arsenal, which was highlighted by the fact Cech’s most significant action of the first half, other than saving from Pedro, was controlling a back pass from Nacho Monreal that could have easily resulted in an own goal.

Morata has three goals for Chelsea, all with his head, but needs time to acclimatise to the physical nature of the Premier League. The ball rarely stuck to him when it was played into the former Real Madrid man’s feet and more often than not he was left on his backside by Mustafi. Morata had been getting increasingly annoyed by being knocked to the floor by Mustafi, but the striker earned a booking when he attempted to give the Arsenal defender a taste of his own medicine.

Mustafi went closer to breaking the deadlock than Morata, but saw a header ruled out for offside after he had already started his celebrations in front of the Arsenal fans, one of whom had made it on to the pitch.

In terms of who blinked first in looking for some magic from the bench, it was Wenger as he replaced Lacazette with Sanchez with just under 25 minutes remaining. But it only took three more minutes for Conte to send on Hazard in place of Willian.

Hazard almost conjured what would have been a special winner. The Belgian collected a pass from N’Golo Kante and danced around Granit Xhaka before cutting in to fire a shot towards goal that was well held by Cech.

But Chelsea’s hopes of snatching a late winner were effectively ended, when Luiz was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Sead Kolasinac. It was Chelsea’s third successive red card against Arsenal and fifth in their last eight games, stretching back to last season’s FA Cup final.

A more confident Arsenal may have pounced on the chance to take all three points, but this was their first point at Stamford Bridge in six years and these days Wenger’s men are more than happy to simply avoid a beating.



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Mail:

Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal: David Luiz loses the plot and sees red as bad blood spills over in stalemate


By Matt Barlow for the Daily Mail

The prospect of a tense struggle, low on goals first appeared when the team-sheets confirmed this London derby would begin without Eden Hazard, Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud.

With Diego Costa also absent, presumed sulking in Brazil, it meant four players who between them scored 72 in the Premier League last season had been omitted.

None of them were technically injured but caution was the name of the game, as if an amnesty on flair had been agreed.


By the end, Sanchez, Hazard and Giroud were on all – Costa was still missing naturally – caution had been thrown to the wind and the contest had descended into a shapeless mess of ill tempers and squandered chances.

Expensive summer recruits such as Alex Lacazette and Alvaro Morata has proved to be too easily shackled. Back-three were back-fives and these defensive units were firmly on top.

All of which seemed to be too much for David Luiz, who, although already booked, lost his rag and launched himself over the ball and into a needless challenge on Sead Kolasinac.

The pair had been engaged in a niggling row, moments earlier, when Luiz blocked a run by the Bosnian wing-back and Antonio Conte claimed Sanchez had been winding up his Brazilian centre-half.


Nevertheless, as Kolasinac gripped his shin and writhed in pain referee Michael Oliver flashed a straight red for violent play.

A second yellow would have been impossible to dispute but the key difference is a longer suspension.

Luiz, slave that he is to entertainment, had already been booked by Oliver for a high boot, kicking Laurent Koscielny in the face while attempting an over-head kick.

Liverpool's Sadio Mane might be wondering why he wasn't dismissed at this point.

The straight red card came later and it means the champions will be without Luiz, their defensive keystone, for the three games: Nottingham Forest, Stoke away and, crucially, Manchester City.

He is the fourth Chelsea player dismissed this season, including Pedro in the FA Community Shield, and the fifth in eight games, stretching back to the Victor Moses dive in the FA Cup final.

Three of the five against Arsenal, which is a reversal of fortunes from the days when wind-up artist Costa was parading in Chelsea blue.

The Luiz flashpoint served to trigger a breathless closing sequence. Every tackle drew an exaggerated reaction, every decision was challenged and the crowd came to life.

There were no goals, however, and Arsenal left with a point from Stamford Bridge for the first-time for nearly six years.

It was no more than they deserved. Wenger's team had looked far more solid without Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, who was ruled out by a knee injury.

Against his instincts, the Arsenal boss sacrificed creativity for the work-rate of Danny Welbeck and Alex Iwobi and his team dominated in midfield, where Aaron Ramsey was outstanding.

Ramsey created the best chance for the visitors, moments before half-time, with a powerful run into the penalty box and a shot which beat Thibaut Courtois and struck a post.

The rebound spun at an awkward height towards Lacazette who could not adjust in time and screwed his effort wildly off target.

Cameras caught Sanchez, laughing on the bench and slapping David Ospina on the back.

Ospina did not appear to share the joke. Nor did Wenger. Having suffered early in the game, Arsenal were on top and the champions were hanging out for the sanctuary of half-time.

Hector Bellerin's pace caused problems for Marcos Alonso. Welbeck headed one chance wide from one Bellerin cross and Lacazette turned another on target only to be foiled by Courtois.

Kolasinac tested the goalkeeper from long range and Granit Xhaka fired a 30-yarder narrowly wide.

Chelsea's best chance fell to Pedro, released by a passed clipped over the top by Cesc Fabregas, midway through the first-half. Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech stood firm, held his nerve and made a vital block.


Pedro did not return after the break. Conte said he had hurt his ankle and sent on Tiemoue Bakayoko which gave Chelsea more muscle in the centre of the pitch, where his team had been overwhelmed before the interval.

Chelsea performed with more purpose and menace. Willian and Hazard forced saves from Cech.

Arsenal lost Welbeck with a groin injury as the rhythms of the game were disrupted by stoppages and substitutions.

Shkodran Mustafi who excelled in the centre of Wenger's back-three, nullifying the threat of Morata, thought he had grabbed a late winner when he met a free-kick swung into the goalmouth by Xhaka.


Mustafi danced away in delight but a flag was up and replays confirmed it was the correct decision.

The game was destined to be goalless which did neither team much good.

Chelsea trail three points behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal, for all the encouragement of a point at the Bridge, are six points adrift after five games.

Wenger's team continue to labour away from home against their top-six rivals and a fine point could not halt a run of nearly three years without such a victory.


Chelsea (3-4-2-1): Courtois 6.5, Azpilicueta 7, Cahill 6.5, Luiz 6, Moses 6.5, Kante 8, Fabregas 7, Alonso 6.5, Willian 6.5 (Hazard 69, 6), Pedro 6 (Bakayoko 46, 7), Morata 6 (Christensen 88).

Subs not used: Caballero, Rudiger, Zappacosta, Batshuay.

Manager: Antonio Conte 6.5

Bookings: Luiz, Morata

Sent off: Luiz


Arsenal (3-4-2-1): Cech 7, Koscielny 8.5, Mustafi 8, Monreal 7, Bellerin 6.5, Ramsey 7.5, Xhaka 5.5, Kolasinac 6.5, Welbeck 6.5 (Giroud 72, 6), Iwobi 6 (Elneny 79, 6), Lacazette 6 (Sanchez 65, 6).

Subs not used: Mertesacker, Ospina, Walcott, Maitland-Niles.

Manager: Arsene Wenger 7

Bookings: Bellerin, Kolasinac, Elneny


Referee: Michael Oliver



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


Guardian:

David Luiz sees red as Arsenal hold Chelsea in stalemate at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 0 - 0 Arsenal


Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge


By the time this contest erupted three minutes from time it is safe to assume both managers may actually have accepted the whole occasion fizzling out as a goalless non-event. Chelsea had been surprised by the visitors’ tenacity and refusal to wilt and had only generated the upbeat tempo that can set them apart in sporadic bursts. A point almost felt like a bonus. Arsenal, saddled with that wretched recent record both against the recent top six and here in particular, would have been delighted merely to check a five-match losing streak in this corner of the capital. A draw represented progress.

Yet, given the rather frazzled nature of the latter stages, this game was never likely to pass off entirely without incident. Frustration had been mounting all afternoon, with David Luiz and Sead Kolasinac’s duels increasingly spiky and played out all over the field. Alexis Sánchez’s introduction seemed to raise the locals’ hackles even more. Then, three minutes from time, the Brazilian centre-back became preoccupied trying to shield the loose ball from the Chilean as Sánchez grappled at him from behind. In darted Kolasinac to thump the ball in-field, with David Luiz, flustered, diving in and catching the Bosnian on the base of his left shin.

The defender had already been booked earlier in the period, for an overhead kick that connected with Laurent Koscielny inside the Arsenal penalty area, but Michael Oliver flourished a straight red to spark a melee on the touchline. Antonio Conte led the protests, barking his fury at the official having strode, incensed, into Wenger’s technical area.

The Italian has already endured the absence of Gary Cahill for three games this term and Cesc Fàbregas for one, as ramifications of the chaotic opening day loss to Burnley. Now he will be without the linchpin of his defence for games against Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup, Stoke City and, most significantly, Manchester City at the end of a draining month.

The flashpoint provided the snarl at the end of the stalemate, leaving Chelsea’s head coach reflecting upon a disciplinary record of five red cards in his side’s last eight domestic matches, taking into account those shown to Pedro and Victor Moses in recent meetings with these opponents at Wembley. The more damning statistic is probably three dismissals in five Premier League games, the same number as in their previous 73 fixtures.

Conte described that as “strange” and spoke of a need to work on discipline and decision-making in the same way he makes his players address tactical or physical deficiencies, although he added there was a need, too, “to be more lucky with the refereeing decisions”. Had Oliver spotted Sánchez’s perceived fouls, he argued, then it might never have come to this. Even so, David Luiz should have known better.

His rush of blood did not cost Chelsea the point. Arsenal’s profligacy arguably cost them their chance to take all three, so dominant had the visitors been through most of the first half once they had survived Pedro’s burst unchecked on to Fàbregas’s pass. Petr Cech saved the visitors on that occasion but, from then on in, Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey exerted a stranglehold on midfield that had not been in the pre-match script. Shkodran Mustafi was commanding at the heart of the visitors’ backline and Cech was inspired when required against his former club. There were times when Chelsea were crying out for the brawn of Diego Costa just to bully the Arsenal rearguard into submission. As impressive as Álvaro Morata has been, this was an education.

Arsenal should have forged ahead in that first half, when Tiémoué Bakayoko was still kicking his heels on the home bench and the visitors commanded the centre. Twice around the quarter-hour mark they sliced Chelsea apart down the champions’ left. First Alex Iwobi liberated the galloping Héctor Bellerín only for Danny Welbeck, who would later depart with a groin problem, to plant a header wide. Seconds later it was Ramsey who picked his moment cleverly to send Bellerín beyond Marcos Alonso to the byline, with Thibaut Courtois eventually smothering Alexandre Lacazette’s attempt to guide in a shot at the near post.

Both chances were impressively created and the fact they had been passed up felt wasteful. But it was another, squeezed out four minutes from half-time, which had those on the visitors’ bench cursing. Yet again it was Ramsey, revelling in central midfield, who cut Chelsea open, easing away from Fàbregas and then swerving beyond César Azpilicueta and David Luiz in the penalty area to poke a shot on to the far post. Courtois was helpless, Cahill caught on his heels, yet Lacazette’s awkward attempt to convert the rebound flew high and wide of a gaping goal.

Chelsea improved, at least, after the interval, with Bakayoko impressive in their midst and Eden Hazard offering a fine cameo from the bench, but Arsenal were steeled where, in previous years, they have obligingly succumbed. They thought they had finally prised apart the hosts when, 15 minutes from time, Xhaka’s free-kick was nodded home by Mustafi only for an offside flag to choke the celebrations.

This visit would not yield a first win here since 2011 but the visitors still departed encouraged. “With the attitude and determination, it was vital for us to come out with a solid performance,” Wenger said, memories of that thrashing at Liverpool still raw. “We did that.”



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Independent:

A good point for Arsenal from a bad game as 10-man Chelsea inexplicably fall flat at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea 0 Arsenal 0: Luiz's late lunge on Sead Kolasinac was one of the few talking points from a surprisingly low key affair

Miguel Delaney


A good point for Arsenal, but from a bad game, that was only otherwise notable for some bad misses and one bad challenge from David Luiz. The Chelsea centre-half’s late red card for a rash challenge on Sead Kolasinac was the main piece of action from this mostly dull 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge, and he will now miss the champions’ home match against Manchester City. Few, however, will mind missing the highlights of this match - not that there were many beyond a handful wasted opportunities.

A surprisingly flat Chelsea meanwhile wasted the chance to beat an Arsenal that did not start Mesut Ozil or Alexis Sanchez, but there was still the odd feeling that Arsenal could have got something more. They at least didn’t get beat, for the first time in this fixture since 2011. That is a positive.

Arsenal did not have Ozil or Sanchez but did seemingly have a plan - something that did make a big change from previous visits to Stamford Bridge.

They were even the better team for much of the first half. Although Chelsea had more of the ball, it was Wenger’s side that had the better of the chances and should probably have been ahead. Sure, Alvaro Morata headed wide when in front of goal and Pedro squandered a one-on-one, but those misses still weren’t as stunning as Alexandre Lacazette’s. The French striker somehow put the ball over the bar from just four yards out, after Aaron Ramsey bundled through the Chelsea box to hit the post. Danny Welbeck had earlier headed wide from a similarly close position, if not so presentable an opportunity, and it summed up the generally low technical quality of the game up to then.

Arsenal’s tactical discipline nevertheless raised questions over the superior organisation of the sides without their two stars, and whether this was a glimpse of the future.

They just didn't really maximise that momentum.

Chelsea did rally in the second half and began to take control, but they struggled to create proper chances. Eden Hazard didn’t start the game, as he is still recovering from the ankle injury suffered at the start of the summer, but Conte did eventually bring him on and the champions finally started to look a bit freer in attack and more like themselves.

They almost took the lead when the Belgian burst through the backline with a jinking run, but his firm shot was well held by Petr Cech.

Wenger had finally brought on Sanchez by that point, but he couldn’t really get into the game. Arsenal did have the ball in the net on 76 minutes, after Shkodran Mustafi had headed in a set-piece but his celebrations were disrupted by the offside flag. Wenger’s side were struggling to get any kind of flow then, as Tiemoue Bakayoko and N’Golo Kante disrupted pretty much every move.

It said much that the French manager also brought on Olivier Giroud, but Arsenal couldn’t really get the ball to him because by then they couldn’t get the ball. Cesc Fabregas was starting to assert control - until David Luiz lost control.

The sweeper was running with the ball down the right on 88 minutes, and trying to shake off Alexis Sanchez only to lose the ball and then go in rashly on Kolasinac. The left-back was writhing in pain on the ground, leaving Michael Oliver no option but to show the red card.

Arsenal almost took advantage of the extra man straight away, but Nacho Monreal’s shot was blocked.


There was a bit of spike to the game at that point - but still no special quality, still nothing to elevate it, leaving both sides to play out an ultimately flat draw.

After the exhibition by Manchester City at Watford, it wasn’t exactly a performance to strike fear. Both just struck out.

FK Karabakh (Qarabag) 6-0

Telegraph:

Chelsea 6 Qarabag 0: Davide Zappacosta marks full debut with goal as half-strength hosts run riot

Matt Law

Diego Costa may not be in Chelsea’s Champions League squad as he still tries to engineer a move back to Atletico Madrid, but the Stamford Bridge crowd do at least have a new Costa of sorts to chant the name of.

The transfer deadline day signing of Davide Zappacosta from Torino was most notable for the similarity between the right wing-back’s name and that of Chelsea’s AWOL striker.

Certainly, nobody was expecting Zappacosta to help make up for the loss of last season’s top scorer in terms of goals.

But Zappacosta marked his Chelsea and Champions League full debut with an accidental strike that had Stamford Bridge singing his name and helped the club thrash Qarabag on their return to European competition.

He may not have meant it, but Zappacosta will cherish his mishit Champions League cross that flew into the Qarabag net. The 25-year-old may also be surprised to learn that the goal puts him within one of Costa’s tally for Chelsea in the competition.

Sources in Spain claimed that Costa arrived in Madrid on Tuesday in an attempt to hasten a move to Atletico, but at least Zappacosta is already settling into life in West London.

He turned provider at the end to set up Maksim Medvedev’s own-goal, as Chelsea, who had five different scorers in Pedro, Zappacosta, Cesar Azpilicueta substitute Tiemoue Bakayoko and Michy Batshuayi, ran riot in the final 19 minutes.

Spare a thought for visiting captain Rashad Sadygov. Earlier in the day he had overseen a 5-0 defeat to Chelsea for the club’s Under-19 team in the UEFA Youth League in his other job as Qarabag’s youth coach.

Sadygov left that game early in order to prepare for the senior side’s first-ever appearance in the Champions League and suffered an even heavier loss than the club’s youngsters.

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte made five changes to the team that won at Leicester City and gave Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard a rest ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Arsenal.


Pedro was one of the players asked to start his second game in four days and the Spaniard did not show any signs of fatigue, as he gave Chelsea a fifth-minute lead.

Conte had recalled Willian and it was the Brazilian who collected a short corner and teed up Pedro to curl the ball into the net from the edge of the penalty area.

Any notion that Conte was taking it easy against Qarabag was quickly dispelled as he celebrated Pedro’s opener in his usual enthusiastic and slightly manic style.

But he was soon remonstrating angrily at his assistants after Batshuayi, who Conte tried to replace with Fernando Llorente in the final days of the transfer window, was slow to react to Willian’s saved shot and eventually scuffed the ball into the side-netting.

It is only 16 years ago that Qarabag could not afford kit or travel costs for domestic games and their qualification for the Champions League was celebrated like a public holiday in Azerbaijan.

Qarabag manager Gurban Gurbanov would have been encouraged with how his team had reacted to going behind early, but they were left with a mountain to climb once Zappacosta marked his Stamford Bridge bow with a stunning, if highly fortunate, goal on the half-an-hour mark.

The right wing-back, who was preferred to Victor Moses, advanced down the flank before sending the ball over Qarabag goalkeeper Ibrahim Sehic and into the net.

Zappacosta admitted afterwards that he had mishit his attempted cross, but neither the Italian nor the majority of the Stamford Bridge crowd cared.

And five minutes later Zappacosta almost had a second goal as he fired a shot inches wide of the post.

Marcos Alonso tried his own version of Zappacosta’s goal from the left side towards the end of the first half, but the Spaniard shanked his effort straight into the Qarabag supporters.

It took Chelsea just 10 minutes of the second half to effectively kill the game, as Azpilicueta netted his first-ever Champions League goal.

Cesc Fabregas will be concerned that his appearance against Qarabag could mean that he misses out on a start against his former club Arsenal, but the midfielder did not let it impact on his performance.

Having pulled the strings in the middle of the pitch, Fabregas sent over a superb ball for Azpilicueta to head into the net unmarked.

If Qarabag hoped that Chelsea would take their foot off the gas with a three-goal advantage, then they were mistaken as Conte sent on Hazard and Bakayoko.

Hazard was quickly involved, as he laid the ball off for Willian to fire a shot against the top of the crossbar and Bakayoko grabbed his first Chelsea goal with just under 20 minutes remaining.

A cross from Hazard was not dealt with by the visiting defence and Bakayoko reacted to prod the ball into the net for Chelsea’s fourth.

It got even worse for Qarabag, as Batshuayi got off the mark for the season with a goal that should lift his confidence and earned a full-time hug from Conte.

There was still time for Zappacosta to complete a memorable personal evening by turning provider. He bustled his way down the right and crossed for Batshuayi, but Qarabag defender Medvedev bundled the ball into his own net ahead of the former Marseille man.


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Mail:

Chelsea 6-0 Qarabag:

Eden Hazard returns to action as Davide Zappacosta rocket helps Antonio Conte's side to open Champions League account in style

Sterner tests await, that is certain, but Chelsea made an emphatic return to the Champions League and may have discovered a new cult hero.

Davide Zappacosta marked his home debut with an outrageous goal. In truth, it was a fluke and yet it lifted Stamford Bridge and stunned Qarabag, the minnows from Azerbaijan.

Never mind Diego Costa, still AWOL amid reports he was in Madrid inching towards a move to Atletico, all hail Zappacosta with his striking surname and apparent mastery of the cleverly-disguised cross.

His strike was the second of the night and he was still charging up the flank to create the sixth for Michy Batshuayi in the closing minutes.

Pedro Rodriguez soothed Antonio Conte's nerves with a fifth-minute opener and Cesar Azpilicueta nodded in the third, soon after the interval.

Tiemoue Bakayoko, on as a substitute, scored his first Chelsea goal with the help of a deflection and Batshuayi helped himself to a couple as the visitors from Azerbaijan wilted.

More importantly for Conte, here was a fourth successive victory since the shock defeat against Burnley. The Premier League champions are gathering momentum, a commodity he values highly.

Since transfer window closed, Chelsea are looking once again like the ruthless machine they were last year: intense and focused on whatever task is to hand, revved-up by a high-energy manager on the touchline.

Conte claimed there were risks involved in resting five players against a team with nothing to lose on their Champions League debut.

With Atletico Madrid and Roma to come, he was aware no cheap points could afford to be surrendered at this stage.

Ahead of the game he explained about the energy-sapping sequence of seven games in 21 days which culminates against Manchester City.

As it turned out, Qarabag made it easier for him. They made a bright enough start, twice getting in behind Marcos Alonso in the first two minutes before Chelsea took a grip and refused to let go.

Ibrahim Sehic, in goal for the visitors, began what was to be a busy shift with saves from Alonso and Batshuayi.

Then he was beaten for the first time by Pedro, who swept a first-time strike inside the post when Willian collected a short corner and found him on the fringes of the penalty area.

Willian forced another save from Sehic and Batshuayi was unable to convert the rebound before Zappacosta introduced himself to his new public at Stamford Bridge.

Half an hour had gone when the athletic wing-back, signed from Torino on deadline day, strode across the halfway line, shrugging off two challenges as he went.

He glanced up to check his options – Batshauyi and Pedro were up in support - and then he bamboozled Sehic with a mishit cross which swerved over the head of the goalkeeper and into the net.

The Italian admitted afterwards: 'I'm really happy. It was a dream debut, scoring at Stamford Bridge. I'm happy for myself, but mainly for the victory to get us going well in the Champions League. To be honest I wanted to cross it, but I caught it well and it ended up in the goal. The aims are to go as far as possible.

'We're working hard to get out the group and into the next round. It's an open group and they've welcomed me well. I hope it continues!

Fluke or not, the unlikely scorer wheeled away and basked in the reaction as Chelsea fans sang: 'Zappacosta, he scores when he wants'.

Victor Moses, his rival for the role on the right, was jokingly cuddled by Willy Caballero and David Luiz amid much hilarity on the subs' bench.

When the ball came Zappacosta's way again, the home crowd encouraged him to go for goal. This time he could not oblige but any trace of tension was gone.

No-one expected Qarabag to find a way back into this, including the visitors, it seemed. With a remarkable back-story, they have made impressive progress from the brink of extinction and are in Group C for the experience.

On this evidence will take a few beatings. Chelsea cruised through the second-half and Azpilicueta celebrated his first Champions League goal with a simple header.

Willian rolled a free-kick short to Cesc Fabregas who was afforded all the time he needed to find his fellow Spaniard with a clipped pass from the outside of his right boot.

Azpilicueta nodded it past Sehic from eight yards. It was the cue for Conte to start making changes and replace those who will be central to his plans against Arsenal on Sunday.

Arsene Wenger's team will play on Thursday in the Europa League in what promises to be a tougher test against Cologne. You can almost hear the excuses, already.

Willian rattled the bar with a dipping shot and Bakayoko's goal came from a cross by Eden Hazard and some heavy-legged defending in the penalty area.

Batshuayi got in on the act with his first goals of the season, both from close-range. Chelsea made the right impression as they returned to the Champions League and Conte's squad kept plenty in the tank for Arsenal.


CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois 6; Azpilicueta 6 (Rudiger 74, 5), Christensen 6, Cahill 6; Zappacosta 7.5, Fabregas 7, Kante 7 (Bakayoko 63, 6), Alonso 6; Willian 7, Pedro 6.5 (Hazard 58, 6); Batshuayi 7.

GOALS: Pedro 5, Zappacosta 30, Azpilicueta 55, Bakayoko 71, Batshuayi 76, 82

BOOKING: Cahill

UNUSED SUBS: Caballero, Rudiger, Morata, Moses, Luiz

MANAGER: Antonio Conte 7.

QARABAG (4-4-1-1): Sehic 5; Medvedev 5, Huseynov 5, Sadygov 5 (Madatov 70, 5), Rzezniczak 5; Garayev 5 (Diniyev 70, 5); Henrique 6 (Elyounoussi 77), Michel 5, Almeida 5, Guerrier 5; Ndlovu 5.

UNUSED SUBS: Kanibolotskiy, Amirguliyev, Ismayilov, Yunuszada.

MANAGER: Gurban Gurbanov 5

MOM: Zappacosta

REFEREE: Tasos Sidiropoulos (GRE) 6

ATTENDANCE: 41,150


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

Guardian:

Pedro sets Chelsea on their way to 6-0 stroll against Qarabag
Chelsea 6 - 0 FK Karabakh

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge


This was a mismatch that probably proved very little in terms of Chelsea’s prospects in this year’s Champions League, but a stroll that felt hugely welcome in September’s cluttered and treacherous schedule. Antonio Conte had been braced to chop and change his lineup in the hope of negotiating a successful passage through seven games in 21 days. In the end, the head coach could offer breathers to those upon whom he leans most, safe in the knowledge this game had been won by the half-hour.

There will be few confrontations as gentle as this in the competition. Qarabag were debutants at this level and an Azerbaijan club who have endured 24 years in exile from their original home in Aghdam are still fiercely proud to be competing in the elite at all. But they were outclassed here from the outset. Atlético Madrid and Roma, goalless in Italy while Chelsea prospered, will provide far sterner tests in Group C, but those are concerns for another day. The Premier League champions had loathed life on the outside looking in on Europe last season, but could bask in the ease of a win on their return.

More significantly, with Alvaro Morata and David Luiz not required, and Pedro, César Azpilicueta and N’Golo Kanté withdrawn long before the end, they will still be fresh for Sunday’s visit of Arsenal.

“It was a good start, a perfect start, for us to play our first game back in the Champions League,” Conte said. “To score many goals, to finish the game with a clean sheet … I saw a lot of positive things. Now we have to continue, to rest tomorrow and then to start to think about the next game, a tough game against Arsenal.

“I wanted to give an opportunity to Michy [Batshuayi] and also to [Andreas] Christensen. If you play in the Champions League, it means the coach trusts you. My message tonight was this. I trust all my players, not only with words but with facts. It would be crazy to think we could play with only 13 players like last season, so we have to improve all these players to try and create a good competition, a positive competition, between them.”

No one let him down, with Batshuayi skimming home his goal from distance late on and, moments later, forcing Maksim Medvedev to convert into his own net from Davide Zappacosta’s low centre. Christensen, who has featured for Borussia Mönchengladbach at this level, was never flustered. Neither was this team.

Two of the home side’s number departed savouring their first Chelsea goals. Tiemoué Bakayoko’s was slammed home from close-range once Qarabag’s resistance had crumbled completely, fatigue gripping after the runaround they had endured. Michel and Badavi Huseynov had rather cramped each other’s style at Eden Hazard’s cross, the ball bouncing off the Spaniard into the France midfielder’s path. The finish was simple.

Zappacosta admitted good fortune had assisted his own reward on the half-hour. The Italian collected from Thibaut Courtois deep inside his own half, burst beyond two retreating opponents on the touchline and having glanced towards the centre to spy a team-mate, flung over a cross that ended up veering over the unsuspecting Ibrahim Sehic.

The goalkeeper had taken a step off his line in anticipation of collecting a cross, but the ball ended up flying over his dive and into the far corner. Zappacosta, a £23m arrival from Torino on transfer deadline day, celebrated with gusto in front of the Shed end, the home support rejoicing in a familiar chant in the absence of Diego Costa.

“I was really pleased with his performance,” Conte said. “He already knew very well my style and idea of football, so he was prepared to play. But it’s not easy to change your sporting life totally in one week. His answer was really good.”

Qarabag, with their sprinkling of Brazilian, Haitian, Spanish and South African attacking talent, had been overwhelmed from the outset, punctured by Pedro’s wonderfully curled finish five minutes in and defensively demoralised by the pace and invention of Chelsea’s attacks.

Willian, a figure revived after last term’s lull in form, tormented Wilde-Donald Guerrier, Cesc Fàbregas prompted from the centre, Kanté was his customary blur of energy, while both wing-backs sprinted into enemy territory with glee.

Even Azpilicueta scored a first goal in this competition, easing unchecked on to Fàbregas’s arced centre to nod beyond the exposed Sehic. “Chelsea are my favourites for the tournament,” the Azerbaijani coach, Gurban Gurbanov, said. It was impossible to judge that from this rout, but an upbeat tone has been set.

Trickier occasions than this lie ahead.


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

Independent:

Chelsea return to the Champions League with a bang as they hit Qarabag for six

Chelsea 6 FK Qarabag 0: Pedro, Davide Zappacosta, Cesar Azpilicueta, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Michy Batshuayi all scored as Chelsea thrashed the champions of Azerbaijan

Miguel Delaney

Chelsea match their biggest ever win the Champions League to get on their way, but that was much because Qarabag must be one of the worst ever sides to visit Stamford Bridge in the competition. The gap was that big that this really was academic, and all about the numbers racked up. You could tell it was the Azerbaijani side’s first ever game in the competition proper, and it meant Antonio Conte could make five changes to his starting line-up and still see them rack up six goals to equal the number put past Maribor in 2014-15.

While routs like this are very difficult to read into, Davide Zappacosta enjoyed a particularly productive debut and a first goal for the club, with Tiemoue Bakayoko also getting his when he eventually got on the pitch for it to eventually finish 6-0.

This really was never in any doubt.


Conte’s decision to significantly change his team was almost immediately justified, as Chelsea so quickly went into the lead.

Even though Qarabag had actually started the game quite brightly and like they were going to bring the game to the English champions, their defence clearly couldn’t take too much pressure. They pretty much buckled the moment that Chelsea went forward.

Within three minutes, Ibrahim Sehic had to beat away a Marcos Alonso snapshot, after his backline just seemed to part in front of the goalkeeper. Within another minute more, it was 1-0, as Pedro enjoyed even more space in front of goal.

Standing unmarked at the edge of the box, the forward was free to pick his spot when Willian played the ball out to him from a short corner, and curled the ball just beyond the goalkeeper’s grasp for a supreme opener.

Chelsea were on their way and already in such control that Cesc Fabregas was trying sumptuous little flicks and backheels at 1-0.

You could have said that was a dangerous game to play until they at least had the second, but that wasn’t too long in coming, even if wasn’t quite from such an orchestrated move. There were doubts whether it was even intentional, not that Davide Zappacosta would have cared.

The new wing-back was making his first appearance for the club, and got a debut goal to add to it it, as his suspected cross from deep flew into the net on 30 minutes. Just before Zappacosta swung his leg, he did seem to be looking at - and aiming for - where Michy Batshuayi was standing, his eyes never actually on the goal, but if the delivery was wayward the run was anything but.

That was deserving of the goal itself, and should be hugely exciting for Chelsea. Zappacosta outstripped two Qarabag players on the right flank, one of his touches so exhilaratingly taking the move on and one of his markers out, before putting himself in the position to deliver.

The only frustration up to that point - at least judging by Conte’s reactions on the sideline - was that Batshuayi was putting himself into good positions but not really offering good touches, given the number of times he fumbled a move. Had he been as slick as he was on the night at West Brom last season when he scored the title-winning for Chelsea, this really could have been 5-0 by half-time.

It was all the more frustrating because Conte had seemed to rest Alvaro Morata to boost Batshuayi, and this should have been the sort of game where he added to his tally.

Chelsea did eventually add to their tally on 54 minutes, with even more creativity. Fabregas was of course central to the latter, and to the goal. Receiving the ball at the corner of the Qarabag area, he delightfully flicked forward a cross with the outside of his foot, allowing Cesar Azpilicueta to nod home for 3-0.

Moments later, to add a bit more misery to this wet evening for Qarabag, Eden Hazard was introduced for his second sub appearance since returning from injury.

Chelsea were just enjoying themselves. That Roma and Atletico Madrid drew in the other game will only have added to that, on a night that was all about just adding to the score.


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


Mirror:

Chelsea 6-0 Qarabag: Antonio Conte's men run riot to get Blues off to perfect start - 5 talking points

The win leaves Chelsea top of Group C with Atletico Madrid, their opponents on September 27, held at Roma

Chelsea announced their return to the Champions League with a ruthless display to crush Qarabag.

New boy Davide Zappacosta produced the pick of the Premier League champions’ six goals, capping a 70-yard sprint with a cross-shot which embarrassed keeper Ibrahim Semic on 30 minutes.

Pedro had earlier given Chelsea a fifth-minute lead with a fine strike from the edge of the box.

Cesar Azpilicueta headed in a third ten minutes after the break.

Tiemoue Bakayoko stroked home the fourth with 19 minutes left while Michy Batshuayi weighed in with late strikes on 76 and 82 minutes.

Antonio Conte had made five changes to the side victorious at Leicester last Saturday with Eden Hazard, Alvaro Morata, David Luiz, Victor Moses and Bakayoko dropped to the bench.

The win leaves Chelsea top of Group C with Atletico Madrid, their opponents on September 27, held at Roma.


1. Strength in depth

So what was all that about Chelsea’s squad looking a bit thin? No Hazard, no Bakayoko, no Rudiger and no Morata. Yet still the Premier League champions were able to win with authority on their return to the Champions League.

Willian even hit the bar.

The naysayers will pipe up that it was only Qarabag of Azerbaijan. Yet had Chelsea lost they’d have been been having a pop at the people tasked with bringing in the reinforcements to enable the club to compete on the European and domestic stage.

As it is, this was a display to increase competition for places and to even allow Hazard and Bakayoko to enjoy late run-outs. Arsenal with their shambolic defence might be in a bit of trouble if the Blues are this sharp on Sunday.


2. Conte proves his worth

In many ways the talented Italian is a victim of his own success. Guardiola and Mourinho get top players to gel. Conte actually improves players.

He coaches them into fulfilling their potential. Last season he defied the doubters to turn a Chelsea team seemingly at the end of it’s shelf-life into title challengers.

Look at what he has done with the likes of Alonso, Moses and Luiz, all players about whom fans and pundits initially had grave reservations.

At centre-half today young Andreas Christensen also looked to have benefited from the Conte coaching masterclasses. His was a composed, intelligent performance - in stark contrast to his uncertain return from a loan spell in Germany during pre-season.


3. Batshuayi toils... but gets his reward

A tough night for a striker whose flurry of goals at the end of last season did little to impress either his critics or, more importantly, Antonio Conte of his quality.

The Italian turned away in frustration in the 19th minute when Batshuayi reacted far too slowly after Willian’s shot had been parried by Qarabag keeper Ibrahim Semic.

The Belgian’s touch was largely ponderous and lacking in confidence. Perhaps he was trying too hard. He earned a boost late on when his pressure resulted in the visitors losing their composure to allow him to fire home the fifth and sixth.


4. Alonso impressive

Ever since Chelsea’s ultimately ill-fated pursuit of Alex Sandro, Marcos Alonso appears to have stepped up another gear.

Solid defensively with that fearsome left-foot, he has been even more of an asset to the Champions than he was last season.

Early in this contest he twice looked as though he would add to the two goals he scored against Spurs last month, Qarabag keeper Ibrahim Semic saved the first, skipper Rashad Sadygov blocked the second.

In a dominant display to justify their favouritism for this contest, Alonso was among Chelsea’s best players.


5. Fabregas shows his class

Last season Conte was prepared to listen to offers for him. Fabregas didn’t want to go. On his performances since it is a good job that Chelsea have held on to him.

Granted, the 30-year-old, assist-maker supreme isn’t quite the force he was in his heyday. But he has never lost his ability to pick a pass or to pull defences apart.

Here he shone like a diamond against a Qarabag side that will soon be in the Europa League - if they are lucky.

Fabregas was involved in the first goal and picked out Cesar Azpilicueta to head the third with a peach of a ball into the box.

There is life in the old dog yet.


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


Star:

Chelsea 6 Qarabag 0: Davide Zappacosta strike lights up the bridge as Blues cruise to win

CHELSEA’S return to the Champions League saw Stamford Bridge treated to a stunning goal from Davide Zappacosta.

By David Woods

How the Italian scored from 30 yards out on the right touchline only he really knows, but it was a strike to remember, however he did it.

There seemed no danger in the 30th minute as he burst down with purpose and zest, but when the £23m signing from Torino connected with the ball it flew across goal-wards.

It may have been meant as a cross, but the sheer power and late dip on the ball saw it whizz over keeper Ibrahim Sehic and flash into the net.

Boss Antonio Conte was thrilled on the touchline and so was his fellow Italian after his first goal for the Blues.

In their debut game in the Champions League group stage, Azerbaijan side Qarabag were never going to have things easy at the home of the champions of England.

And with Arsenal the visitors to Stamford Bridge in the league on Sunday, their limited threat seemed like providing a gentle reintroduction to Europe’s top club competition for Chelsea.

Marcos Alonso was on target in the fourth minute with a shot Sahic beat away.

A minute later the west Londoners went ahead. Following a short corner from Cesc Fabregas, Willian strode in from the right and, unmarked, smacked a curler from the just on the ‘D’ which Sehic could only claw into the net.

Pedro’s last appearance in the Champions League was in the 2015 final when he came on in the 89th minute of Barcelona’s 3-1 victory over Juventus in Berlin, picking up his third Champions League medal following successes in 2009 and 2011.

Willian had a goal-bound effort tipped away by Sahic and when Michy Batshauyi missed the target with the follow-up Conte did not look best pleased.

Pedro Henrique was on target in the 37th minute for Qarabag after cutting onto his left foot, but Thibaut Courtois was able to gather easily.

Home fans amused themselves, by shouting “shoot!” every time Italy international Zappacosta received the ball out wide following his goal.


With record signing Alvaro Morata on the bench this clash provided a chance for Batshuayi to show his strengths, but the Belgium struggled to make an impact in the centre of Chelsea’s attack.

On a chilly night, Conte wore a coat and a blue baseball cap, but, typically, with his men 2-0 and looked in complete control, he still did not look relaxed.

He did seem a bit more chilled, though, in the 55th when Cesar Azpilicueta scored his first ever Champions League goal.

It was an all-Spanish affair, with Fabregas picking out his run with a super ball using the outside of his right boot and the defender glanced home powerfully and ran to celebrate with countryman Morata, who was warming up on the touchline.

In the 58th minute there was a big cheer when Eden Hazard continued his comeback by coming on for Pedro, having returned to action for the Blues, after an ankle problem, for 12 minutes of the 2-1 win at Leicester on Saturday.

Zappacosta had a great chance to claim his second in the 64th minute but this time screwed his shot, a half-volley, well wide. On a party night at the Bridge, no-one was too bothered.

Willian, who was buzzing all match, was unlucky soon after smashing a shot against the bar. Substitute Tiemoue Bakayoko was more fortunate, slotting in after a terrible mix-up in the Qarabag defence in the 72nd minute.


CHELSEA (3-4-3): Coutois; Azpilicueta (Rudiger 75), Christensen, Cahill; Zappacosta, Kante (Bakayoko 63), Fabregas, Alonso; Willian, Bathsuayi, Pedro (Hazard 58). Subs: Caballero, Morata, Moses, Luiz.

QARABAG (4-1-4-1): Sehic; Medvedev, Huseynv, Sadygov (Madatov 70), Rzezniczak; Garayev (Diniyev 70); Henrique (Elyounoussi 77), Michel, Almeida, Guerrier; Ndlovu. Subs: Kanibolotskiy, Amirguiliyev, Ismayilov, Yunuszada,

REFEREE: Tasos Sidiropoulos (Greece).


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Express:

Chelsea 6 - Qarabag 0: Antonio Conte's side thrash Group C minnows

ANTONIO CONTE has spent the summer insisting Chelsea are not yet ready to win the Champions League.

By TONY BANKS

He was just as pessimistic in the build-up to the new campaign this week. Maybe this result will cheer the Italian up a bit.

Chelsea had to win this opener against the Group C whipping boys, and they duly did, as Pedro, Davide Zappacosta, Cesar Azpilicueta, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Michy Batshuayi all netted on a night when Conte’s team could have had a hatful.

It was Qarabag’s first venture into the Champions League – indeed Azerbaijan’s first venture into the competition as a country.

The club from the war-torn western region of the state have seen their home base Aghdam turned into a virtual ghost town by the conflict with neighbouring Armenia. They actually play their ‘home’ games 440km away in the capital Baku, their own Imarat Stadium now reduced to rubble by the bombing and shelling.

Their fans know them as the ‘Barcelona of the Caucasus’, and a win over Copenhagen in the last qualifying round marked Gurban Gurbanov’s side down as one not to be totally underestimated. But still, it was a game that simply had to be won by Conte’s team.

Chelsea’s last outing in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge had seen them lose 2-1 to Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16 in March 2016 – when David Luiz, now normally at the heart of their defence but last night on the bench, had a storming game to shut them out. It seems a long time ago now.

Some 366 souls made their way from Azerbaijan to London, watching their team face a strong Chelsea side. Predictably, it did not turn out to be a successful trip.

Marcos Alonso forced a save from Ibrahim Sehic early on, then the goalkeeper had to dive at Batshuayi’s feet to keep him out, but it did not take long for Chelsea to break through.

Willian fed Pedro on the edge of the area and the Spaniard crashed his drive past Sehic.

Batshuayi then hit the sidenetting when he should have scored and Sehic made a great save from debutant Zappacosta’s header, as Chelsea penned their opponents in. But the new £23million full-back had his moment on the half-hour. Bursting down the right, Zappacosta raced past two men and then cracked a glorious drive over Sehic from 35 yards.

It was almost certainly meant to be a cross that the goalkeeper horribly misjudged but Chelsea will not worry about that. Zappacosta was off the mark and straight away an instant hero with the Stamford Bridge fans.

Chelsea were attacking at will, with Willian running the show against a Qarabag defence clearly struggling to cope with the Premier League side’s pace and movement.

There was no holding back Zappacosta, as he burst down the right again and drilled a shot just wide of the far post. Chelsea had been in total control right from the off – and showed no signs of letting up against the Group C minnows.

Qarabag’s few attacks produced the odd long-range shot that Thibaut Courtois, a spectator for most of the proceedings, dealt with comfortably. A third had to arrive, though, and the inevitable happened when Cesc Fabregas chipped the ball in and Azpilicueta

stooped to nod home only his sixth Chelsea goal from six yards out.

Zappacosta tried his luck again from the edge of the area but his effort flew high and wide, after another piece of Willian trickery had once again opened up the Qarabag defence.

Another new boy, substitute Bakayoko, grabbed the fourth goal when his shot deflected in off Michel. And at last Batshuayi found his range, as he fired home the fifth, before Maksim Medvedev scored an own-goal in the closing minutes.

With much tougher tests to come in this group, it was a win that was necessary. It even, almost, had Conte smiling at times.


CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Cahill; Zappacosta, Kante (Bakayoko 62), Fabregas, Alonso; Willian, Batshuayi, Pedro (Hazard 58). Booked: Cahill.

Goals: Pedro 5, Zappacosta 30, Azpilicueta 55, Bakayoko 71, Batshuayi 76,Medvedev 82 og.

QARABAG (4-1-4-1): Sehic; Medvedev, Huseynov, Sadygov, Rzezniczak; Garayev; Henrique, Michel, Almeida, Guerrier; Ndlovu.

Referee: T Sidiropoulos (Greece).


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


Sun:

SIX OF THE BEST Chelsea 6 Qarabag 0: Davide Zappacosta scores stunner on full debut as Blues run riot to kick-start their Champions League campaign

Pedro, Cesar Azpilicueta, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Michy Batshuayi ensure Blues are off to winning ways

By Justin Allen & Richard Forrester


DAVIDE ZAPPACOSTA scored on his Chelsea debut – while Tiemoue Bakayoko came off the bench to open his account in an easy win at Stamford Bridge against Azerbaijan minnows Qarabag.

It was the first game back in the Champions League for the Blues after a season out of Europe and they were barely tested by the woeful visitors.

Pedro curled in a sensational opener for Chelsea as the Blues scored six for the first time under Antonio Conte

Marcos Alonso twice had chances to put Chelsea in front early on – first he had an effort parried away by keeper Ibrahum Sehic and then had a drive blocked by a defender.

But there was no denying the Blues when Willian teed up Pedro and the Spaniard fired home from the edge of the box.

Gary Cahill – back in the Chelsea line-up after his red card at Burnley last month 0 only took 14 minutes to get into the referee’s bad books again … this time booked for a poor challenge on Pedro Henrique.

Qarabag keeper Sehic then pulled off a good save from Willian’s low driven effort and Michy Batshuyi did not quite get to the loose ball in time to slot home.

Cesc Fabregas almost created a second when he dinked a delightful ball over the top of the defence and Davide Zappacosta headed against the bar. The linesman had his flag up for offside but it was only by an inch.

Then came a moment of pure fluke.


Zappacosta raced down the right flank, bypassing two Qarabag players, before smashing the ball past Sehic from 30 yards.

To the untrained eye, it looked a brilliant strike – but watching it back on TV replays he clearly went to cross and mis-hit it, sending the ball flying into the net.

Chelsea wrapped it up when Fabregas layed a lovely chip over the visitors’ defence for Cesar Azpilicueta to head home.

Eden Hazard entered the fray in the 57th minute as he continues his comeback from injury.

Eden Hazard managed to get some minutes under his belt on his return to full fitness

Willian then rattled the crossbar after the Qarabag defence dropped off and invited him to shoot.

Bakayoko added a fourth in the 71st minute after the woeful when Bakayoko punished Qarabag for failing to clear a Hazard cross

And Michy Batshuayi grabbed No5 five minutes later, having all the time in the world to fire home from 16 yards.

Moments later it was six of the best when Batshuayi's strike was bundled into the net by the Qarabag defender.

Leicester City 2-1

Mail:

Leicester City 1-2 Chelsea:

N'Golo Kante strikes against former club after Alvaro Morata bags first Premier League goal away from Stamford Bridge

By Matt Barlow

Three wins on the spin and another goal from Alvaro Morata and Chelsea's summer crisis faded a little further into the distance.

True enough the Premier League champions did not have things all their own way at Leicester.

There were times when their nerves jangled in this high-energy duel but they survived the scares, defended like they really meant it and proved clinical in front of goal.

Record-signing Morata took his goal tally to three in three starts up front, Eden Hazard returned from injury with a classy cameo from the bench.

Tiemoue Bakayoko is looking stronger and fitter in tandem with N'Golo Kante, last season's Footballer of the Year, who scored Chelsea's second goal and was typically flawless in the heart of midfield.

Jamie Vardy, who looks back to his best, Craig Shakespeare's merchant of menace, pulled one back from the spot but Leicester could not summon the equaliser.

Antonio Conte marched across the pitch, punching the air after the final whistle as he was serenaded by travelling fans.

Once again, Conte is the king and his team have the power.

They stalk the Manchester clubs at the top of the table as if the internal strife generated by missed transfers, the exiling of Diego Costa and an opening-day defeat at home against Burnley never happened.

'The mentality was very strong and positive,' said Conte. 'We must be satisfied. It is a good day for the team, and for Alvaro.

'It is always important for the striker to score and, for me, very important to see he is improving and more involved in our idea of football.'

Shakespeare could not have asked much more of his team and it might have been different had Islam Slimani finished a glorious chance, moments before Morata broke the deadlock.

Morata had been denied by Kasper Schmeichel in the opening minutes and was let down by his own touch when Cesc Fabregas split Leicester's defence with a clipped pass.

Chelsea's record signing then saw two efforts blocked by Wes Morgan before he struck after the game had swung from one end to the other and back again.

First, Leicester launched a blistering counter-attack, when Kante was dispossessed by Slimani.

Riyad Mahrez carried the ball at speed to the edge of the Chelsea penalty box, feigned to release Vardy and pulled a reverse pass into the path of Slimani, who had continued his run.

There was only Thibaut Coutois to beat but the goalkeeper was composed, stayed on his feet with eyes and the ball and denied Slimani with a firm right hand.

The ricochet hit the Leicester striker and bounced behind for a goal kick. Seconds later, Chelsea were celebrating.

Cesar Azpilicueta delivered a curling cross from deep on the right and Morata peeled away into Morgan's blind-spot to apply a clinical header at the back-post.

'The big moments are not going our way,' said Shakespeare, having taken only three points from a daunting first four games which included fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United.

For Morata, it was a third goal since his £75million move from Real Madrid, all of them headers, and he has a fine understanding with fellow Spaniard Azpilicueta.

This goal threw the game open. Leicester careered forward and Shakespeare made a double-change at half-time 'to get his dribblers on the ball' but they could not prevent Chelsea easing further ahead.

Kante was the unlikely goal hero and appeared slightly embarrassed when his low drive from 25 yards found the net, via a slight deflection and a bump into the foot of a post.

There was little pace on the shot but it evaded Morata and Harry Maguire who may have hindered Schmeichel's view and was perfectly placed in the corner.

'It's always a pleasure to score but I keep it inside,' said Kante of his muted celebration. 'I want to respect my old team. I had an amazing year here but when I come I try to win and today was important.'

Two down but Leicester refused accept the inevitable and were back in the contest when Vardy read a back-pass from Azpilicueta and beat Courtois to it before he was tripped.

Over went the England striker and referee Lee Mason made the right call despite protests from Chelsea.

Vardy slammed in the penalty, his 11th goal in 17 Premier League appearances under Shakespeare, and the home crowd detected a chance to get something out of the game.

Andy King, on at half-time, headed wide and the champions were hustled from their stride by Leicester pressure.

Conte sent on Davide Zappacosta, signed from Torino on deadline day, for his debut, and Eden Hazard, his first appearance for his club since breaking an ankle on international duty in June.

The changes made a difference. Zappacosta almost scored and Hazard restored control with his quality in possession, drew the sting from the fight-back and Chelsea took the points.

LEICESTER (4-4-2): Schmeichel 6; Simpson 6, Morgan 6, Maguire 6.5, Fuchs 6; Mahrez 6, Ndidi 6.5, James 6.5 (Iheanacho 78), Albrighton 5 (King 46, 6); Slimani 4 (Gray 46, 6), Vardy 7.

GOAL: Vardy pen 62,

BOOKINGS: Ndidi

SUBS NOT USED: Hamer, Chilwell, Amartey, Ulloa.

MANAGER: Craig Shakespeare 6.

CHELSEA 3-4-2-1: Courtois 6.5; Azpilicueta 6, Luiz 6, Rudiger 6; Moses 6 (Zappacosta 73, 6), Kante 7.5, Bakayoko 7, Alonso 6; Pedro 6 (Willian 63, 5), Fabregas 6 (Hazard 78); Morata 7.

GOALS: Morata 41, Kante 50

SUBS NOT USED: Caballero, Christensen, Drinkwater, Batshuayi.

MANAGER: Antonio Conte 6.5

REF: Lee Mason 6

MOTM: N'Golo Kante

ATT: 35, 923

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

Independent:

N'Golo Kante comes back to haunt Leicester as champions Chelsea take all three points at the King Power
Leicester City 1 Chelsea 2: A second-half Jamie Vardy penalty not enough for Foxes as goals from Kante and Alvaro Morata see Blues home

Tim Evershed

A rare N’Golo Kante goal on his return to Leicester City gave champions Chelsea victory over their predecessors at the King Power Stadium.

Kante struck five minutes after half-time with a low shot that appeared to take City keeper Kasper Schmeichel by surprise as it came though a crowd of players to find the bottom corner.

It was the French midfielder’s third Premier League goal doubling the visitors’ lead after Alvaro Morata’s first-half header had opened the scoring for Chelsea. Jamie Vardy pulled a goal back for Leicester who fell to their third defeat of the season.

Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare responded to a loss at Old Trafford with one change. Islam Slimani coming in for Shinji Okazaki to partner Jamie Vardy up front in a 4-4-2 system.

The champions also made one change with Tiemoue Bakayoko replacing Willian in midfield. More significantly Blues boss Antonio Conte was able to name Eden Hazard amongst his substitutes. The Belgian winger missed the start of Chelsea’s season after breaking his ankle while training with his national team in June.

Recent signing Danny Drinkwater was also on the bench enjoying a mixed reception on his immediate return to the East Midlands.

Chelsea started the brighter of the teams with Morata forcing Schmeichel into a save in just the second minute. Behind the Spanish striker Cesc Fabregas was linking well with Bakayoko and Victor Moses while Marcos Alonso was making inroads on the left flank.

The Spanish wing back almost picked out Morata with a cross from a tight angle but Leicester captain Wes Morgan intervened at full stretch to clear the danger.

It was midway through the first half before the home got a clear sight of goal. Jamie Vardy raced onto Riyad Mahrez’s through ball and dragged his shot past the far post.

At the other end Morgan was again called into action as Kante won the ball and his set Morata away. The Leicester captain slid in to send the Spaniard’s shot out for a corner.

An uncharacteristic mistake from Kante, who gave the ball away from a short corner, almost cost his side as Mahrez broke. The Algerian charged towards the Chelsea goal ignoring the run of Vardy to pick out Slimani, his weak shot was swatted away by Courtois.

And a minute later City were made to pay as Cesar Azpilicueta’s looping cross was met by Morata who guided a powerful, downward header past Schmeichel and into the bottom corner of the Leicester goal.

Leicester tried to hit straight back with a flurry of half chances from a corner but ran into some committed Chelsea defending. And it was Victor Moses who had the final say of the half as he stung Schmeichel’s hands with a long-range shot.

Shakespeare reacted by bringing on Andy King and Demarai Gray at the break with Marc Albrighton and Slimani making way.

Within five minutes of the restart the home side had fallen further behind. Kante was allowed time and space 25 yards from goal.

The two-goal lead lasted for quarter of an hour when a penalty offered the home side a route back into the match. Vardy seized on Azpilicueta’s weak back pass and was brought down by Courtois, who gave referee Lee Mason no choice but to point to the spot. The England forward converted the chance with a viciously struck penalty straight down the middle of the goal.

Shakespeare brought on £25 million striker Kelechi Iheanacho off the bench as his side searched desperately for an equaliser. But it was Chelsea who went closest to another goal as Hazard picked out Willian whose shot rolled inches wide of the home goal.


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


Observer:

Chelsea hold on as N’Golo Kanté goal edges them past Leicester City

Leicester 1 - 2 Chelsea

Stuart James at the King Power Stadium

After spending the international break reading up on how to improve his understanding of English football’s vocabulary, Antonio Conte swapped a book and the Italian sunshine for three points and grey skies in the Midlands, as Chelsea continued their resurgence with a third successive Premier League victory.

These are still early days, but it feels as though normal service has been resumed with the Premier League champions, as the memories of that chaotic defeat at home against Burnley on the opening weekend of the season begin to fade. Chelsea are up to third in the table, winning matches without playing at their best and, on the evidence of what we have seen so far, will not be losing any sleep about Diego Costa’s absence when Álvaro Morata is in this sort of form.

The Spaniard scored for the third time since his club-record transfer from Real Madrid, expertly guiding a header beyond Kasper Schmeichel to set Chelsea on their way, and N’Golo Kanté marked his return to his former club with a rare goal as Leicester slipped to a third defeat in four matches.

Chelsea did not have everything their own way, however, and there were a few anxious moments for Conte and his players to endure after Jamie Vardy converted a penalty shortly after the hour mark to bring Leicester back into the game. A spell of late Leicester pressure ended with Vardy stretching every sinew but not quite managing to get a touch to a cross from the substitute Andy King that flashed across goal.

Chelsea should have been out of sight by that point. Davide Zappacosta could easily have marked his debut with a goal, but dragged a low shot inches wide of the far upright and Willian, another second-half substitute, ought to have scored in the closing stages when he had only Schmeichel to beat.

In the end, that profligacy never mattered as Chelsea held on for a win that Conte seized on as evidence that the champions are heading in the right direction. “It’s very important to follow our way and this way is to work,” the Chelsea manager said. “Despite our bad start against Burnley, and then a bit of difficulty, to do three wins in a row is important.

“The mentality was very strong, very positive, until the penalty because we were in total control. After the penalty, Leicester tried to put a bit of pressure but, despite this, we created many chances to improve our scoreline. We must be satisfied with that.

“We are trying to involve new players with the old players of last season and this is a process. We need time.”

Morata seems to be adapting quicker than anyone and is proving lethal in the air. His three Chelsea goals have been scored with his head and there was something particularly impressive about the way he steered César Azpilicueta’s superb centre into the bottom corner after drifting away from his marker, Wes Morgan. “A good day for the team and a good day for Álvaro,” said Conte.

The Chelsea manager also saw positive signs in the performance of Tiemoué Bakayoko, who lined up alongside Kanté in a midfield that overpowered Leicester in the first half. Leicester, though, still had their chances, in particular just before Morata’s goal, when Chelsea were hit on the counterattack as Riyad Mahrez released Islam Slimani. The Algerian was one-on-one with Thibaut Courtois, but the Chelsea goalkeeper came out on top, blocking the striker’s shot with his right hand. “The big moments aren’t going our way,” said Craig Shakespeare, alluding to that opportunity.

Leicester had only themselves to blame for Chelsea’s second, which arrived five minutes into the second half and just after Shakespeare had made a couple of substitutions to try to change the game. Kanté, who is not exactly renowned for his goalscoring ability, had so much time and space to look up and strike a 30-yard shot, which took a slight deflection and almost seemed to find the far corner of the net in slow motion.

To their credit, Leicester never surrendered and the home team got their reward when Vardy dispatched a penalty after he had been tripped by Courtois. But they had left themselves too much to do.

“We showed a lot of character and resilience,” said Shakespeare. “But we couldn’t quite find that breakthrough once we got the penalty.”

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

Telegraph:

Leicester City 1 Chelsea 2: N'Golo Kante nets against former club as Alvaro Morata continues tidy start

Matt Law

Three successive victories and three goals for record signing Alvaro  Morata. For a club that supposedly messed up the transfer window,  Chelsea could be far worse off.

Antonio Conte’s men had to hang on to this latest win at times,  following Jamie Vardy’s penalty, but there are signs that some of  Chelsea’s summer business will prove to be very wise indeed.

Add in the fact that Eden Hazard returned from injury as a late  substitute against Leicester City and it is clear that Conte’s squad  is more than capable of making sure the Premier League title is not a  contest between the two Manchester clubs.

Morata netted for the third time with his head in Chelsea colours and,  in Europe’s top leagues, only Andrea Belotti has scored more headed  goals than the Spaniard since August last year.

Diego Costa’s absence and possible return to the club next week still  casts a shadow over Chelsea off the pitch, but, on it, Morata is  proving there is plenty of life after last season’s top scorer.

And midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko showed signs at the King Power Stadium  that Nemanja Matic will not be missed quite as much as those inside  Manchester United would have you believe.

Bakayoko was a powerful presence in the centre of the pitch and looks  like he can form a formidable partnership with N’Golo Kante, who  netted a rare goal against his former club.

Morata versus Wes Morgan looked like being a key duel in the early  stages of the game. The Spaniard had a shot saved by Kasper  Schmeichel, but twice lost out to the Leicester defender in the space  of three minutes.

First, Morgan got a foot to a Morata shot to keep it away from goal  and the Jamaica international frustrated the 24-year-old again by  blocking what looked to be a goalbound effort.

But Morata finally got the better of Morgan in the 41st minute to open  the scoring for the visitors with a header from Cesar Azpilicueta’s  cross.

Morata’s goal came barely a minute after Leicester had squandered  their best chance to take the lead. Islam Slimani robbed N’Golo Kante  on the edge of the Foxes penalty area and released Riyad Mahrez  towards goal. The Algerian played the ball back to Slimani, but the  striker’s shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois.

Most of Slimani’s first-half touches had provoked groans from the home  crowd and it was no surprise that he was replaced at the break by  Demarai Gray. Andy King was also sent on for Marc Albrighton.

But Leicester’s substitutes did not have the desired immediate impact,  as Chelsea doubled their lead through Kante. The midfielder produced a  shot from 25 yards more in hope than expectation, but his daisy-cutter  caught out Schmeichel and nestled in the corner of the net.

Kante almost looked too embarrassed to celebrate at his old home,  where he had only scored once for Leicester.  It looked as though Chelsea were cruising to a comfortable victory,  but there was a lifeline for Leicester just after the hour mark.

Under pressure from Gray, Cesar Azpilicueta tried to poke the ball  back to Thibaut Courtois but Vardy nipped in and the Belgian tripped  the England international.  Referee Lee Mason had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Vardy  fired the ball into the net to enliven what had been a relatively  subdued home crowd.

As Chelsea attempted to slow Leicester’s momentum, Conte handed a  debut to transfer deadline day signing Davide Zappacosta, who replaced  Victor Moses at right wing-back.

The Italian lost his first challenge with Christian Fuchs, but Vardy  could not quite get on the end of the left-back’s high cross.

Conte made his final change with 12 minutes remaining, as Hazard made  his comeback from injury to make his first Chelsea appearance of the  season.

Minutes after stepping on to the pitch, Hazard produced a brilliant  pass to set up Zappacosta but his shot bounced just wide of the post  with Schmeichel beaten.

And Chelsea felt they should have had a late penalty from which to  make the victory safe, when another Morata header hit the arms of  Harry Maguire.

The Chelsea players and Conte appealed loudly, but Mason this time  allowed play to continue and the visitors managed to hold on to their  one-goal advantage.


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

Express:

Leicester 1 - Chelsea 2: Morata and Kante goals sink Foxes but no Drinkwater appearance

HIS name is still making headlines at Chelsea for all the wrong reasons.

By HARRY PRATT

But the message from Antonio Conte’s Premier League champions was delivered loud and clear: Life goes on without Diego Costa.

And who better to ram home that point at the King Power Stadium than the £60million hitman signed in the summer to replace unwanted Costa?

Certainly, Chelsea boss Conte, at the centre of the ugly feud with the club’s Spanish rebel, was jumping for joy when Alvaro Morata struck before half-time.

The former Real Madrid ace, 24, is more renowned for rattling in goals with his silky sharp-shooting feet.

Here, however, it was all about his ability to lose his marker Wes Morgan and then rise majestically to power in a sensational header. Indeed, Morata’s third goal in four games for the Londoners was one Costa has made a career out of burying.

So for the second season running at Leicester, Chelsea made light of not having Costa in their ranks.

Back in January Conte had axed the ex-Atletico Madrid forward for the first time following a training ground bust-up.

Many suspected that might seriously harm Chelsea’s title chances. Yet it did nothing of the sort as they beat Claudio Ranieri’s then champions in comfortable fashion.

This visit looked like being equally straightforward when a rare N’Golo Kante effort, against his former club, doubled the lead after half-time.

But Jamie Vardy’s reply from the penalty spot meant Conte and his team were forced to scrap until the end to record a third straight victory.

After, Conte hailed the impressive form of his top scorer and the way his side have recovered from their opening day debacle against Burnley.

He said: “Yes, it’s a good day for sure – for the team and for Alvaro.

“It’s always important for your striker to be scoring goals but even more important for me is the way he is becoming more involved in the way we play our football.

“Despite our bad start and some difficulty, to win three games in a row is impressive and important.”

Leicester’s Craig Shakespeare was keen to stay upbeat after this latest reverse – their third in a row. He said: “Performance wise, I thought we were good and we went to the end.

“When you go 2-0 down to a side of Chelsea’s calibre you can easily lose by three or four. But we fought back.”

Chelsea condemned their fans for ‘unacceptable’ racist chants during the win at Leicester.

A song celebrating Morata included antisemitic references aimed at rivals Spurs.

A spokesman said: “Both the club and the player request the supporters stop singing that song.”

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

Sun:

Leicester 1 Chelsea 2:

Alvaro Morata and N’Golo Kante goals sink Foxes as Eden Hazard makes return from injury at King Power

Spanish striker Morata put Blues ahead before Kante doubled lead but Jamie Vardy penalty made for nervy ending

By Andrew Dillon and Anthony Chapman

N’GOLO KANTE scored his first Premier League goal since October to seal his old club’s fate and lift Chelsea into second place.

The pint-sized midfielder scores rare but spectacular goals and lived up to his reputation again with a 35 yard screamer in the 50th minute.

It certainly took City keeper Kasper Schemichel by surprise as he was left stranded as the low shot dribbled past his right hand and into the bottom corner of the net.

It's Kante's first league goal since a dazzling solo effort in the 4-0 hammering of Manchester United last season and it was enough to see off a second half fightback from Leicester.

Alvaro Morata had earlier headed Chelsea ahead with his third goal since making a £68 million move from Real Madrid in the summer.

But modest Kante, who drives a mini, will be the one grabbing the limelight for once with his incredible finish which secured three points for the defending champions.

And they sit just one point behind Manchester City for now at least as they get into gear after a shaky start to the season.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte had another Leciester old boy on the bench in Danny Drinkwater but brought on new left back Davide Zappacosta.

Eden Hazard also came on with 12 minutes left for his first appearance of the season as Chelsea's campaign seems to be finally gaining some momentum.

Conte's squad is now brimming with talent and is surely strong enough to handle the rigours of Premier League football and a return to the Champions League which starts on Tuesday with the visit of Azerbaijani's Qarabag to Stamford Bridge.

City boss Craig Shakespeare was forced into a double substitution at half time as his side looked like being overrun.

He brought on Andy King and unsettled winger Demarai Gray to give more bite in midfield but City gave themselves a glimmer of hope from the penalty spot.

Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois legged over Jamie Vardy in the 61st minute and the Leicester striker thumped home a shot from the spot to set up a tense final half an hour.


FACTS, STATS, GOALS AND LOLS

Leicester have now lost 12 of their last 14 games against Chelsea in all competitions
Chelsea have now won six of their last seven away matches against the Foxes
Leicester have only kept one home Premier League clean sheet against Chelsea in 11 matches
It’s Chelsea’s first away win in September for four seasons
The Blues have won 14 of their last 18 away matches in the Premier League
Leicester have now lost 10 of their 15 league matches against the established ‘top six’

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

Mirror:

Leicester City 1-2 Chelsea: Alvaro Morata and N'Golo Kante secure points for Blues

Jamie Vardy halved the deficit to set up a nervy finish but Antonio Conte's side held on

BY JAMES NURSEY

N'Golo Kante's stunning long-range strike earned Chelsea the points and condemned his former side Leicester to defeat.

Alvaro Morata broke the deadlock with his third goal of the season for the Blues after a super Cesar Azpilicueta cross.

The Blues doubled their lead five minutes into the second half through N'Golo Kante, who drilled a low shot from range into the bottom left corner.

Thibaut Courtois gave Leicester a lifeline by tripping Jamie Vardy inside the box and the England striker buried the penalty by striking it powerfully down the middle.

Chelsea rode their luck late on but saw the game out for a third straight victory.


1. ALVARO MORATA ON FIRE

Real Madrid fans must be wondering if their club messed up selling Alvaro Morata after he continued his fine start in Chelsea colours.

Madrid have failed to win their opening two matches at Bernabeu for the first time since 1995 following today's draw with Levante.

But Spanish international Morata can't stop scoring for Chelsea following his £60million summer signing from the Spanish giants. Here he made it three goals in four Premier League matches with a clinical first half header after also scoring as a sub on international duty with Spain in their win over Italy.


2. N'GOLO KANTE SHOWS HIS CLASS

N'Golo Kante was deservedly crowned PFA player of the year last term as he won back to back titles after swapping Leicester for Chelsea.

Leicester players and fans appreciate his talents as much as anyone. And the midfield dynamo underlined his class back at the King Power with a fine low right-foot shot into the bottom corner from outside the box in the 50th minute to make it 2-0.

Ironically it was Wilfred Ndidi, bought to replace Kante, who failed to close him down quick enough as the French ace despatched a fine low finish. Kante also showed his class by not celebrating out of respect to his old club


3. ANTONIO NOT A WOLLY WITH A BROLLY

Blues boss Antonio Conte caught the eye with his touchline theatrics – especially when it started raining heavily.

The Italian donned a baseball hat and a Chelsea overcoat, as well as holding a fluorescent bib. It was quite a sight and at times he appeared to be directing traffic not his players.

But his players got the message loud and clear as Alvaro Morata headed his side infront.


4. Mahrez back on the grid

Riyad Mahrez's location on deadline day remains as mystery as he chased a transfer.

But the 2016 PFA player of the year was most definitely back at the King Power after being given permission to leave Algeria's camp in the international break in an ill-fated bid to get a big-money move.

It was like the title-winning days when Mahrez picked out Vardy with a defence-splitting pass in the 25 minute but the striker's first-time right-foot shot went wide. Mahrez also picked out compatriot Islam Slimani in the first half but the striker's effort was saved


5. Maguire a good investment

Craig Shakespeare said in the build up to this game that the £17million Leicester paid for centre-back Harry Maguire already looks a bargain.

He was referencing some of the other fees being offered elsewhere close to the deadline for other players with just 12 months left on their contracts.

Had City bought Maguire in August rather than June they could have expected to pay a lot more. Maguire has quickly earned an England call-up and looks at home in the Foxes' defence - often stylishly bringing the ball out from the back.



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


Star:

Leicester 1 Chelsea 2: Alvaro Morata and N'Golo Kante on target

HIS name is still making headlines at Chelsea for all the wrong reasons.

But yesterday the message from Antonio Conte’s champions was delivered loud and clear: life goes on without Diego Costa.

And who better to ram home that point than the £60million hitman signed to replace him?

Certainly Chelsea boss Conte – at the centre of the ugly feud with the club’s Brazil-born rebel forward – was jumping for joy when Alvaro Morata struck before half-time.

The ex-Real Madrid ace is more renowned for rattling in goals with his sharp-shooting feet.

Here, however, it was all about his ability to lose his marker Wes Morgan and then rise majestically to power in a sensational header.

Morata’s goal was the type Costa has made a career out of, and it meant for the second season running that Chelsea made light of not having the wantaway forward in their ranks at the King Power Stadium.

In January Conte axed Costa for the first time following a training ground bust-up.

Many suspected that might seriously harm their title chances, yet they beat Claudio Ranieri’s then-champions comfortably.

This visit looked like being equally straightforward when N’Golo Kante doubled the lead against his former club after half-time.

But Jamie Vardy’s reply from the penalty spot meant Conte’s side were forced to scrap until the end to record a third straight victory, which keeps them right in touch at the top.

In contrast, Foxes boss Craig Shakespeare has now seen his men lose three on the spin.

And despite it still being early days, hovering just above the relegation zone on three points is not a position he or the club’s big-spending owners will expect to be in for much longer.

Both managers had spent the build-up attempting to disguise their unhappiness over their respective club’s late transfer business.

Conte – reportedly fuming at the failure to land Fernando Llorente, Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – claimed he was delighted with the squad at his disposal.

One of those who did arrive on time, was Danny Drinkwater from Leicester.

The £35million England midfielder also featured heavily in Shakespeare’s pre-match chat as he expressed his “disappointment” at the departure. Given the strong benches, the overall picture did not look too bad for either.

Shakespeare again left £25million hitman Kelechi Iheanacho out of his starting line-up.

Conte did likewise with Drinkwater, Eden Hazard, Davide Zappacosta and Willian.

With Vardy leading the line in typical livewire fashion, Leicester set the pace.

But they had to wait until the 25th minute to carve out a genuine opportunity, when Matty James slipped in Vardy who fired wide.

Chelsea were far from convincing, but that changed in the closing stages of the first half.

Seconds after Islam Slimani was denied by goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, the Blues struck with a lightning counter-attack.

And it was an opener made in Spain as Cesar Azpilicueta swung in a pin-point cross for compatriot Morata to nod in quite beautifully.

If that was frustrating for Leicester, their mood nosedived five minutes into the second period as Kante delivered a killer blow.

His 25-yard drive lacked pace but was deadly accurate, creeping through a crowded area and past Kasper Schmeichel’s despairing dive.

That should have been game, set and match but Vardy gave Chelsea something to think about when scored from the spot after he was tripped by Courtois in the 61st minute.

Shakespeare said: “When you go 2-0 down to a side of Chelsea’s calibre you can easily lose by three or four. But we fought back, got a penalty but just couldn’t get another goal.

“We knew our first six games would be tough. But we dug in and that’s a credit to my players.”

Everton 2-0

Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Everton 0: Clinical champions cruise to comfortable win

Sam Wallace

As is his way on the touchline when the sun glares and the temperature rises, Antonio Conte did not even loosen his trademark black tie while he watched his team run all over Everton, to all extent and purposes a manager and a team in complete control of their destiny.

The champions were doing what champions do, brushing aside a team nursing ambitions of a top-six finish, and demonstrating the ruthlessness you would normally associate with Chelsea when there is a trophy to defend. Of course, the great collapse of 2015 under Jose Mourinho changed that certainty about the modern Chelsea but three games into their defence of the Premier League, Conte’s team now have two straight victories over good opposition.

It has been a summer of recriminations and blame at Chelsea, of targets missed and questions over those allowed to leave, but it was hard to detect that discord over 94 minutes in which Roland Koeman’s team were not even permitted a shot on target. Afterwards Conte reiterated his belief that there must be new additions before the window closes on Thursday night although anyone who does arrive will have his work cut out getting into this side.

That opening day aberration against Burnley is fading from memory with a game that was closely controlled from start to finish and all but over by the 40th minute when Alvaro Morata added the second to Cesc Fabregas’ first. In 90 minutes of striving, and a whole summer of rebuilding, Koeman was left staring into a fierce bank holiday sun wondering if the squad that he has at his disposal is quite what he thought it was.

Both clubs are still in flux as far as the August window goes but you would not known it to look at Chelsea where the parts of the machine worked as efficiently as they had all last season, turning it into a game corralled in Everton’s half for much of the first period. Come the end of the international break Chelsea might have added the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Danny Drinkwater to the squad, and Conte is adamant that the schedule in September alone will test his resources.

He acknowledged that “the club is working very hard” at giving him further options but it came with a reminder. “Don't forget when we start, next month, in September we have to play seven games,” he said. “I need to rotate my players because it's very difficult to play seven games in a month with some players. I think the club is working very hard to strengthen the squad. They know very well our situation. But, I repeat, I'm ready in every case to continue to work with this group of players.”

Koeman made much of the fact that this was his team’s third game in seven days, encompassing trips to the Etihad Stadium; to Split in Croatia and then Stamford Bridge. He has a list of absentees that includes Morgan Schneiderlin, Yannick Bolasie, James McCarthy, Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman and then had to drop Kevin Mirallas for what the manager suggested was another bout of the Belgian’s familiar complaint, that being a rank bad attitude.

Koeman could at least call upon Muhammad Besic, whose father was shot in a gun attack in his home country of Bosnia on Saturday, and the midfielder came on at half-time for Tom Davies who gave the ball away once too often for his manager’s liking. But Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson struggled to have an effect and ahead of those two, Sandro Ramirez found it hard going.


Everton will also address these difficulties over the next few days, balancing what is realistic in terms of signings with those who will come back in the coming weeks and months. There was mention after the match of Diego Costa as a potential signing with Koeman largely uncommitted on that subject – although whether Chelsea’s estranged centre-forward is the answer to Everton’s problems is one the club probably need more than four days to decide.

They scarcely asked a question of Chelsea until briefly in the latter stages when Idrissa Gueye struck a shot that Thibaut Courtois judged serious enough to push away for a corner – although even that one was not officially judged as on target. Everton will have to cope with commitments in Europe these next three months. Tired or not, the team lacked any ambition to take the game to Chelsea.

The first goal came when Fabregas hit his shot first time with the outside of his right boot from Morata’s knockdown, the persistence of the striker getting him to the ball at the second time of asking. It was Morata who got up the highest to head in the second five minutes before half-time when Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross from the right found him unmarked.

Moments before then, a foul on Victor Moses and Chelsea’s subsequent command of possession had convinced referee Jonathan Moss to play the advantage, much to Conte’s disgust. At that point he, to put it mildly, lost the plot, taking ten strides down the touchline to confront fourth official Andre Marriner who had to point out mid-rant that the club’s record signing had just doubled the lead. It was the only thing Chelsea’s manager had got wrong all afternoon.



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


Mail:

Chelsea 2-0 Everton: Alvaro Morata and Cesc Fabregas score first-half goals as Antonio Conte's men cruise to a routine victory at Stamford Bridge

By Ian Ladyman for the Daily Mail

If Antonio Conte's view that he has not been allowed to recruit sufficiently this summer needed underlining ahead of deadline day on Thursday then this Chelsea performance will not help him.

So complete a victory was this, so perfectly executed, that it was at times like watching Chelsea from last season. You could be fooled in to thinking that they do not need anybody else.

This was not the Chelsea that lost so haphazardly here to Burnley on opening day and it was not the Chelsea that won against the odds and against the flow of the game against Tottenham at Wembley a week ago.


No, this was Chelsea of 2016-17, a performance of such dominance and completeness that it was reminiscent of the manner in which Conte delivered what was an unexpected Premier League title last time round.

The winning margin was two goals but it could have been more. Everton, listless after a heavy week at home and in Europe, were barely competitive and created one chance - wasted by the unimpressive Sandro Ramirez - all afternoon.

Chelsea dominated the ball and dominated the chances. In Cesc Fabregas and the Brazilian Willian they had the game's best two players.

They scored twice in the first half - beautifully through Fabregas and routinely through Alvaro Morata - and may have added to that had they been a little bit more clinical on a day of baking late summer temperatures in west London.


Conte's bench still looks thin, even with Gary Cahill and Eden Hazard to come back. This is Conte's worry, a lack of cover after the summer departures of Nemanja Matic and John Terry and the fractious absence of Diego Costa.

This relative lack of depth when compared to some of his team's rivals is what Conte fears will get Chelsea in the end and he may well be right. Last season was largely injury free and that is unlikely to happen again.

But here on Sunday, Chelsea were on cruise setting from almost the first moment to the last and it must be said that their response to that embarrassing first game defeat has been impressive. Conte may be badgering his employers for more behind the scenes but on the field at least his team are doing their best to give off an impression of continuity and calm.

Last week's win at Wembley was earned on the back of hard work and, it must be said, a little fortune. If that game was played again in a similar pattern, the result would no doubt be different.

Here at sunny Stamford Bridge, however, Chelsea were simply the better team. They were the better team by a long way.

Perhaps the last thing Everton needed after a game at Manchester City last Monday and a Europa League game on Thursday, was a game at the defending champions in unremitting heat like this. Certainly they looked leggy and short on ideas and against this background they spent the first 45 minutes chasing Chelsea shadows and, before long, the game.

Chelsea had looked rather patched up at Wembley last week. Here, they looked more balanced, with David Luiz at the heart of a recognisable back three and Fabregas and Willian able to build on the back of a platform built by N'Golo Kante.

From the beginning, it was far too much for Everton, who had played so well with 10 men at City. They may lost have a man early here, as it happened, as Idrissa Gana Gueye was booked for a late lunge at Fabregas that may have earned him a red.


Even with 11 they were struggling as Gueye and young Tom Davies were overwhelmed in the centre of the field. Fabregas, Willian and the masked Spaniard Pedro simply had too much room to play and Chelsea threatened at regular intervals before eventually taking the lead just before the half hour.

Pedro had sent one over-head kick over the bar after a cut back from Morata while Luiz and Willian both brought low saves from Jordan Pickford with shots that they may have struck slightly better just after the 15-minute mark.

Everton couldn't get a foothold in the game. They couldn't get hold of the ball in the midfield and when they did seek an outlet with a ball up to lone striker Sandro Ramirez, the Spaniard was outnumbered and couldn't keep it. Wayne Rooney and Gylfi Sigurdsson were supposed to operating either side in support but too often found themselves sucked deep in to their own half in search of the ball.

Chelsea looked as though they would score at any time and when they did break through it was a lovely goal. Fabregas worked hard to link up with Willian down the right and when played a one-two with Morata he dealt with an awkward dropping ball beautifully by striking it on the half volley with the outside of his right foot across Pickford and in to the far corner of the goal.

It was a beautifully constructed and finished goal and one that already looked as though it would be enough to finish Everton. As it happened, Chelsea scored again in the 40th minute as referee Jon Moss played an advantage to allow Cesar Azpilicueta to cross for Morata to head in from 10 yards.

It was a routine finish from the Spaniard but Pickford's role in the goal must be mentioned. The young goalkeeper advanced for the cross when he may have stayed on his line, making Morata's job a good deal easier than it may have been.

Amusingly, Conte had been initially furious at Moss' initial decision to play an advantage after a foul on the edge of the penalty area. Luiz would certainly have fancied a shot at goal from 18 yards. What this meant, though, was that the Chelsea manager was still raging at the fourth official when Morata headed home. Referee Moss did his best to catch Conte's eye as Chelsea celebrated but, strangely, the Italian didn't seem interested in acknowledging what had been the correct call from the official.

Nevertheless, at half-time this looked pretty much over. Everton had not managed to trouble Thibaut Courtois once in the Chelsea goal and when they emerged to create their first opportunity of the day in the 50th-minute Ramirez couldn't take it.

This was the former Barcelona player's second Premier League star and he seems still to be settling. The chance provided for him by a strong Rooney run down the inside left channel was a good one and a solid strike would have given Courtois a problem. But Ramirez pulled across the top of the ball and it was going well wide by the time it struck the covering Antonio Rudiger.

One felt that really had to go in for Everton to gather some unexpected momentum. Sure enough, play was soon focussed on the other end of the field and after Pickford erred in allowing a low cross from Azpilcueta to pass in front of him Chelsea almost scored from the resultant corner. The ball was cleared but Fabregas recovered it, poked it past Rooney and got the run on Phil Jagielka as he entered the penalty area only to snatch at his shot and shank it somewhat in to the side netting.

This was not turning in to Pickford's best afternoon. He made another routine save from Victor Moses on the hour but the young keeper had made mistakes also.

Ramirez made way for young Dominic Calvert-Lewin soon after that and it was a like for like replacement up front. Ramirez had run hard for an hour but largely to little effect. As for Rooney, the frustration was building and midway through the second half he was booked.

Later, he was seen taking a free-kick when he may have been better loitering with intent in and around the penalty area. After making such an excellent star to his second Everton spell, this was all reminiscent of his latter days at Manchester United. Too much effort for too little result. For Chelsea, the opposite was true.

Chelsea: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Rudiger, Moses (Christensen 88), Fabregas, Kante, Alonso, Pedro (Bakayoko 75), Willian, Morata (Batshuayi 77)

Subs not used: Caballero, Kenedy, Musonda, Tomori

Goalscorer: Fabregas 26, Morata 39

Bookings: Moses, Azpilicueta

Everton: Pickford, Keane, Williams, Jagielka (Lennon 83), Holgate, Davies (Besic 46), Gueye, Baines, Rooney, Sigurdsson, Sandro (Calvert-Lewin 62)

Subs not used: Martina, Stekelenburg, Lookman, Kenny

Bookings: Gueye, Rooney



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


Guardian:


Cesc Fàbregas and Álvaro Morata on target as Chelsea dispatch Everton


Chelsea 2 - 0 Everton


Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge


Chelsea enter the final week of the transfer window with much still to achieve in the market but momentum well and truly regained on the pitch. Confrontations with Everton have tended to bring the best out of Antonio Conte’s charges and the visitors, even with their ranks strengthened over the summer, were swept aside almost at will yet again by a team the Italian is desperate to reinforce. Conte must hope performances this dominant do not undermine his insistence with the board that strengthening is still desperately required.

In truth, a glimpse at Everton’s toils would actually justify his urgency. The champions benefited here from Everton having been overwhelmed as much by an onerous schedule as the home side’s persuasive football. The demands of taking on Manchester City, Hajduk Split and Chelsea within seven days proved beyond Ronald Koeman’s team, with weariness creeping into legs, fatigue into minds and sluggishness into approach play. Everton did not muster a single shot on target all afternoon and always appeared utterly incapable of retrieving the two‑goal deficit shipped before the break.

Chelsea bypassed them far too easily for comfort with Koeman, rendered ruddy in the searing afternoon sunshine, left to bemoan a lack of movement or incision. They will improve, particularly if the Dutchman secures the two players he feels are imperative – one at least must be a striker – before the cut-off. Chelsea want rather more than two new faces, with interest maintained in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Danny Drinkwater and the visitors’ Ross Barkley, currently in rehabilitation from a torn hamstring. A trio of England internationals would add further depth to the squad with Champions League football a few weeks away. Yet at least the first-team is functioning efficiently again after that unexpected stutter against Burnley on the opening afternoon. Normality has been resumed on that front.

This was a more imposing performance than that which defeated Tottenham Hotspur on the counterattack at Wembley the previous Sunday. Chelsea found their upbeat tempo early and did not allow the rhythm to waver until the lead felt impregnable with Willian, a figure rejuvenated after last season’s regular interruptions, forever driving them forward and too much creation and energy in midfield for Everton to combat. It never threatened to become a repeat of last season’s 5-0 mauling in this arena, a home win inspired by Eden Hazard’s slippery movement, but it was still not much of a contest.

Jordan Pickford had already thwarted a series of Chelsea efforts before Everton eventually cracked, their concentration fractured at a quickly taken free-kick. Willian found Cesc Fàbregas who exchanged passes with Álvaro Morata, the striker eventually nodding down his return, the midfielder’s finish crisply dispatched low across the goalkeeper with the outside of his right boot.

The lead did not check Chelsea’s intent. Victor Moses was duly crunched on the edge of the penalty area five minutes from the break; the referee, Jon Moss, opted to play an advantage Conte did not instantly recognise. The Italian was still berating the fourth official when Willian lost the ball and still, in the confusion which ensued, while César Azpilicueta crossed and Morata eased beyond a static Phil Jagielka to steer a header past Pickford. It was the record signing’s second goal for his new club, and reward for another afternoon of industry.

Conte revealed post-match that, after speaking with Roberto Martínez, Hazard will link up with the Belgium squad and potentially make his return from ankle surgery in the World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar on Thursday. “The player is happy to go and stay with the national team,” the head coach said. “He’s the captain. But the most important thing is to continue to work very hard to improve, then have the possibility to bring him to the bench after the international break and start to think he’s a new player for Chelsea this season.”

Everton had issues with their own Belgian forward Kevin Mirallas, whose absence from the matchday squad was apparently due to a poor attitude. “He is struggling to deal with moments of disappointment,” Koeman said. “I expect from everybody to be part of the team. If somebody is showing that he is disappointed and his attitude is not the same, then I make decisions.” In contrast, Mo Besic’s second-half appearance here came despite his father, Meho, having been shot, in the hand and leg, at the family home near Srebrenik. “I spoke to him on Saturday evening and he’d spoken to his father,” the Dutchman said. “He said he was ready and committed. After the game he will talk to his family to see what he needs to do.”

That contributed to a difficult build-up, though they would still have expected to muster more of a threat than this. Sandro Ramírez latched on to Wayne Rooney’s slipped pass but saw a shot deflected behind by Antonio Rüdiger, and Ashley Williams guided a header just wide of Thibaut Courtois’ post, but that was as close as Everton came to a response. Their own pursuit of a forward would appear to be just as pressing as Chelsea’s search for senior bodies.




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Independent:

Chelsea turn on the style to show why they're champions - and why they should be favourites to win the title again

Chelsea 2-0 Everton: This was timely reminder that the Premier League champions remain a supreme team and new look Everton still have work to do

Miguel Delaney


If the worry for Chelsea in the first week of the season was what they would be able to do without actual signings, the worry for everyone else after this game is how good they will be when they actually get them - as well as a fully fit Eden Hazard. This 2-0 win over Everton, after so much talk about lack of transfers and so much previous discussion about an abundance of problems, was a timely reminder of something that is much more of a football fundamental: Chelsea remain a supreme team.

It was both a display of why they are of course defending champions, but also why they should remain outright favourites for this season’s title. They were that good. There is the obvious caveat Ronald Koeman’s much-talked-up Everton are recovering from a midweek Europa League trip to Croatia after also claiming a draw at Manchester City, but Chelsea were in little mood to cut them any slack. Had it not been for some of the finishing, in fact, this could have been an even more emphatic win than last November’s 5-0 in the same fixture.

That was the match when Antonio Conte’s side properly proclaimed themselves as England’s best team for the first time, and this was one of their best performances in some time, certainly much closer to that victory than the opening-day defeat to Burnley.

Given some of the circumstances surrounding that near-farcical 3-2 loss two weeks, it also flips so much debate. The problems of that game now take on a different complexion.

Chelsea came up with a win as convincing as this without Hazard, without Tiemou Bakayoko starting and with three signings still expected to come. That is ominous. There is also the argument that Alvaro Morata still has a lot of adapting to England and this team to do. Some of the striker's touches here indicated that, and yet he still set up the opening goal and scored the next, to make it two goals and two assists in three matches so far. Quite the return for someone adjusting, quite the prospect.

Chelsea would have been 1-0 up much earlier had Morata not fluffed a simple pass to a completely free Pedro early on, but it was rendered irrelevant on 27 minutes when he headed a loose ball in the box onto Cesc Fabregas, who then elegantly swerved it around Jordan Pickford with the outside of his right foot from an angle. The Spanish playmaker was particularly brilliant in directing so much, while David Luiz dominated the pitch behind him. The pace of Pedro, Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso running through and around all of that, then, greatly enlivened the game.

It all meant Chelsea had simply been bombarding Everton at this point, Pickford having to batter away a number of efforts. So much of it was down to how Conte had them pressing Ronaldo Koeman’s side so high, but there are some questions to be asked about the Dutch coach’s own approach, given it was the same ‘pragmatic’ - and ultimately impotent - way he had them set up here last season. It was overly defensive, very dull, and so conspicuously slow, really reminding everyone that Everton still haven’t actually replaced Romelu Lukaku.

That was never more obvious in the second half when Wayne Rooney did well to burst through and tee up Sandro with a nice through ball, only for the striker to send a shot towards the by-line. Or, at least it might have made the byline, had he actually got anything like a connection on it.

It still would have felt little more than a consolation for Everton, as Chelsea were in full command and 2-0 up, with Morata having already nodded in Cesar Azpilicueta’s fine cross on 40 minutes.

Again, Koeman’s approach is understandable on the basis of the week Everton had, but less understandable on the basis of their signings. Good individual players as they all are, it does feel as if having Gylfi Sigurdsson, an admittedly revitalised Rooney and Sandro in the same attack is overkill, given that their overly notable lack of pace takes the sting out of any attack.

Koeman could do with more pace there. Chelsea meanwhile looked right back up to speed, with the promise of much more to come.