Newcastle 3-0

 

 

Independent:

Chelsea 3 Newcastle 0 Jose Mourinho falls in love as Eden Hazard lights up the Bridge

The Chelsea manager waxes lyrical about the Belgian, after his hat-trick sinks Newcastle

Michael Calvin  
 

It’s not Valentine’s Day yet, and the love affair between Jose Mourinho and Eden Hazard is approaching unbridled, lilac-scented Mills & Boon infatuation. Who needs Belgian chocolates when you have a Belgian footballer with pretensions to be the best on the planet?
 
Chelsea moved to the top of the Premier League courtesy of Hazard’s first hat-trick for the club. Mourinho, who had set the tone by suggesting Hazard was the natural successor to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, was in no mood to temper his praise.

“Eden has had a big evolution” he said. “He is playing with consistency and ambition. His level today was not different from other performances this season, other than the fact he scored. You can’t hide at the top of the League, but individually he is in a very good moment.”

Hazard has been reprogrammed, recalibrated. He acknowledges he has been transformed into a more tactically aware, team-focused player by a manager who is “very close” to his players. A lot closer than the Newcastle defence got to him at Stamford Bridge, when he became only the fourth player to score three times in a Premier League match this season.

Hazard had effectively decided the game by half-time, with two goals of similar quality but distinctive style. He completed only his second senior hat trick – the first was for Lille – 18 minutes after the interval by calmly converting a penalty given at the behest of linesman Darren Cann, who noticed Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa rugby tackling Samuel Eto’o in an off the ball incident.

Hazard has now scored 12 Premier League goals, 14 in total, this season. Chelsea have overhauled Arsenal with little apparent effort, and will approach Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Manchester City with impressive resolve and jaunty confidence.

You get what you pay for, and the value of investments is relative. If anyone can appear a bargain at £32 million, Hazard can. Mourinho was irritated by Chelsea’s initial diffidence, but visibly relaxed once when the Belgian began and finished the move which led to them taking a 27th-minute lead.

He advanced with trademark pace and control after a sharp turn, feeding Branislav Ivanovic on the right with a diagonal pass before sweeping in the full back’s squared return ball. Chelsea’s second goal, six minutes later, was simply sumptuous.

It started from a corner, conceded when Moussa Sissoko wasted Newcastle’s best chance of the match with a heavy touch which allowed Petr Cech to parry his shot. It flowed the length of the pitch through David Luiz, Willian and Hazard before the Belgian continued his run on to a back-heeled flick by Eto’o.

The sidefooted finish was a formality. “Real class” acknowledged Newcastle manager Alan Pardew. “He is at the top of his game. This is a great platform for him, but his work rate, in fact everything about him, was excellent.”

As for Mourinho, the fire is back in the old rascal’s eyes, even if his analogies require a little work. All that nonsense about horses, milk and the comparative sizes of nags in the Premier League is just Mourinho clearing his throat. He promised, with a smile, “the horse is dead”.

It was an indication of Newcastle’s limited threat that he indulged himself beforehand, by borrowing one of Fergie’s most under-rated weapons – theatrical sympathy. His friendship with Pardew ensured he was respectful, rather than scornful after another extension of the pantomime season at St James’ Park.

The travelling fans massed in the right hand corner of the Shed, singing songs of unrequited love and loyalty. At the risk of spoiling a fine romance with cold, hard statistics, a summary of the respective clubs’ transfer dealings over the last five years explained the venom directed at Newcastle owner Mike Ashley.

The sale of Yohan Cabaye means Newcastle are £45m in profit, the most in the Premier League. Only Manchester City have amassed a bigger deficit than Chelsea, who have suffered a net loss of £282m.

Mourinho was able to introduce Egypt international Mohammed Salah, at £15m the latest player to embody the largesse of Roman Abramovich, for the last 12 minutes. He has City where he wants them, on the back foot.

He scents weaknesses, not just in the way he imposed himself tactically in last Monday’s coaching duel at the Etihad, but personally. If Manuel Pellegrini really is serious about taking the Chelsea manager on in psychological warfare, he is using a peashooter against a tank.

Mourinho, the master of the subliminal statement and the coded message, is in his element. Despite dismissing Chelsea’s status as new title favourites, he knows the League is winnable. So do his players. Love is in the air, down at the Bridge.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Matic, Lampard; Ramires, Willian (Salah, 78), Oscar, Hazard (Schurrle, 85); Eto’o (Ba, 71).

Newcastle (4-4-1-1): Krul; Debuchy (Yanga-Mbiwa, 40), Williamson, S Taylor, Santon; Dummett, Anita (Marveaux, 85), Sissoko, Ben Arfa (Gosling, 64); Sammy Ameobi; De Jong.

Referee Howard Webb.

Man of the match Hazard (Chelsea).

Match rating 7/10.

 

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Times:

Eden Hazard hat-trick takes Chelsea top of the Premier League

Alyson Rudd 

Chelsea 3 Newcastle 0

Eden Hazard scored a long overdue hat-trick for Chelsea to underline the seriousness of their title challenge as they move to the top of the Barclays Premier League table. The more José Mourinho dismisses their title ambitions, the more likely it seems that his club will be the one to top the league at the end of the season.

And still Chelsea keep it contained, keep it minimal. They never really tore into Newcastle, they rarely go full pelt at anyone, and so the overwhelming sense was that they have plenty in reserve for the FA Cup and Champions League while causing the sweat to fall from the brows of those who felt absolutely certain Manchester City or Arsenal were in pole positon in the league.

The start was cautious but confident. Tim Krul saved with his feet from Hazard’s low drive in the clearest of the home side’s early chances but the Newcastle goalkeeper was increasingly exposed and Hazard was increasingly dangerous. Then in the 28th minute the Belgium midfielder produced a stinging strike that hit the bottom left-hand corner of Krul’s net.

Newcastle tried to stay lively. Petr Cech saved at the feet of Moussa Sissoko — and it proved a timely intervention as his defence lost concentration from the man who received an award before kick-off in honour of breaking Peter Bonetti’s club record for clean sheets.

You snarl at Chelsea at your peril, however. The home side retorted with crisp, cruel simplicity and a second strike from Hazard. A back-heel from Samuel Eto’o was at the heart of a goal that began with quick thinking from David Luiz in his own penalty area.

A Frank Lampard free kick brought the best out of Krul and from the resultant corner - a poor one - Newcastle gave away a penalty when Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa hauled Eto’o to the ground. At last Hazard had his hat-trick, and having shown his nerveless side with a penalty, he was allowed to receive the plaudits from the supporters when taken off seven minutes from the end.

The defeat felt inevitable for the visiting team, who are struggling to absorb the loss of Yohan Cabaye and found their resources stretched by injuries to Cheik Tioté, Papiss Demba Cissé and Yoan Gouffran as well as the suspension of Loïc Rémy. As soon as Davide Santon, the side’s most elegant defender, hobbled off in the first half, Alan Pardew was reduced to damage limitation.

A few weeks ago, the Newcastle manager had a surfeit of talented French players at his disposal but he is now suffering the ill effects of a tame policy in the transfer window. It was a strategy that cost Joe Kinnear his job as the club’s director of football.

We almost witnessed the comedy goal of the season when a hoofed ball upfield by Luiz caught a stumbling Krul off guard but Newcastle were saved that particular embarrassment. This season is rapidly turning into a campaign of small mercies for the North East club and into one of enormous promise for Chelsea — no matter what their manager might tell us.

 

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Telegraph:

 

Chelsea 3 Newcastle United 0

By Jim White, Stamford Bridge

When it comes to little horses, there aren’t many better in the Premier League than Eden Hazard. As Arsenal were flattened on Merseyside, and Manchester City laboured in East Anglia, Jose Mourinho’s Belgian magician was sealing the points for Chelsea which put them top of the table. His three goals destroyed a lame Newcastle United.

It may have been the first game John Terry has missed in the league this season (he was suffering from a muscle strain) but Chelsea were hardly inconvenienced. Frankly they could have had Laurel and Hardy playing in the centre of their defence when they had Eden Hazard in front of them. The Belgian, these days sporting a proto-Amish beard, was in magnificent form, continuing his challenge to Luis Suarez to be considered the player of the season.

His first goal came in the 26th minute. Frank Lampard – enjoying a characteristically strolled return to Chelsea’s midfield - pushed the ball forward to him as he lurked in front of the Newcastle area. In a blur of limbs, Hazard flicked it past Williamson then in one fluid movement played it out to Branislav Ivanovic. When the full back pulled the ball back from the edge of the area, Hazard had timed his run perfectly to whip the ball beyond Tim Krul.

There was more to come. The Newcastle fans barely had time to chant their regionalist disquiet with the club owner Mike Ashley (something about him being cockney and overweight, in paraphrase) before Hazard was again on the scoresheet. It was a belter of a goal, one which summed up Chelsea’s counter attacking agility. From a Newcastle corner, David Luiz broke quickly away from defence, played the ball forward to Willian, who, within a couple of pacey strides, laid it into Hazard. The Belgian approached area, passed to Eto’o who returned the ball immediately via a delicious back heeled pass. Hazard duly slotted home.

After half time, the pattern continued. Chelsea almost had a third when a hit and hope clearance from David Luiz bounced over Tim Krul as he slipped and almost landed at Oscar’s feet in front of goal. It was a comedy moment, though Krul wasn’t laughing. He twisted his ankle as he slipped in the attempt to intercept and required extensive patching up.

Not that Chelsea took pity. Within a couple of minutes of his injury, the substitute Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa had needlessly hauled down Eto’o in thepush-and-shove during a Chelsea corner. It may have been well away from the action, but Howard Webb’s lynx-eyed response was rightly to award a penalty. Lampard relinquished his normal responsibilities to allow Hazard majestically to record his hat trick.

He was granted a suitable ovation in the 85th minute when he was substituted by Andre Schurrle. There was, you assume, a large glass of milk supplied by Mourinho awaiting in the dressing room by way of celebration.

 

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Observer:

Chelsea top table after Eden Hazard hat-trick defeats Newcastle

Dominic Fifield at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea's "little horses" have galloped clear of the pack. If that win at Manchester City on Monday had served notice that this team are contenders, despite José Mourinho's protestations to the contrary, then the follow-up was impressive in its slick and efficient delivery. Newcastle may be a side who feel horribly stretched at present but they were dismissed almost at will, their players diminished in the mere presence of Eden Hazard.

The Belgian is irresistible, a world-class talent whose potential to develop further is frightening. Take his second goal, reward plucked at breakneck pace to knock the stuffing from the visitors' challenge, with team-mates having tapped into Hazard's wavelength. Newcastle had actually been mustering at a corner, aspiring to force parity through Moussa Sissoko, when a save by Petr Cech and a heavy touch from Vurnon Anita resulted in the ball squirting out of the area for David Luiz to hook down the left flank, Willian to gather and, eventually, Hazard to collect.

He cut inside, slipped a pass to Samuel Eto'o, who backheeled a return behind a panicked Paul Dummett, and there was Hazard to dart in behind the defender and finish first time with his right foot. Even Alan Pardew, helpless as he surveyed the wreckage, could only admire the speed at which his team had been cut to shreds.

"Class," was the Newcastle manager's assessment. "His performance here was like that against Hull, at City, at Southampton, at home to United and Liverpool," said Mourinho. "He's basically playing the same way. The only difference was the hat-trick." It was almost as if his plunder was an aside, glitzy decoration for all the skill and effort. "He's playing really well: big evolution; consistency; ambition. Fantastic."

When one witnesses such brilliance, those oft-stated aspirations to emulate Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi do not seem quite so outlandish. "These players are the best on the planet," Hazard had told the BBC earlier in the day. "They score one, two, three goals every game. It's something you've got to aim for."

He did that here, registering the second hat-trick of his career and his first in English football, to swell his tally for the season to 14. Mourinho, having eked industry from such a creative force, has since urged him to be more ruthless. The 23-year-old is taking the advice on board.

He now has six goals in his past eight Premier League appearances, his first here having been just as sumptuous: an exchange with the marauding Branislav Ivanovic down the right, with the finish swept across Tim Krul and into the far corner from just inside the area.

He was untouchable, tormenting first Mathieu Debuchy and, once the Frenchman had retired with a calf injury, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, although he did not scorch just Newcastle's beleaguered right-backs. Centre-halves were pulled out of position and neither Davide Santon nor Anita could cope with his movement. "He has a great platform on which to perform," said Pardew, "with their back four so tough behind him."

The solidity here came in the absence of John Terry, who missed his first Premier League minutes of the season with a muscle twinge. The clean sheet means this team have conceded two goals in their past 11 games, even if Newcastle had been offered glimpses of goal.

Luuk de Jong, on his full debut, almost registered a first club goal since April after peeling away from David Luiz, only for Cech to flop down on the effort in the goalmouth. The goalkeeper would later react smartly to thwart Sissoko, once he had evaded Ivanovic, while both Sammy Ameobi and Sylvain Marveaux missed presentable opportunities late on. Pardew hopes to restore Papiss Cissé to the side against Tottenham Hotspur in midweek, though the Senegalese must rediscover the bite that has eluded him in recent times.

Chelsea always felt comfortable, not least because Newcastle retained their propensity to self-destruct. Yanga-Mbiwa summed that up. Frank Lampard had just seen a free-kick tipped over when the veteran's corner was cleared, only for Howard Webb to be alerted to the defender's wrestling of Eto'o to the floor at the far post. Hazard ambled up for the spot-kick and slid it easily home and Chelsea, with Manchester City scoreless in Norwich, were top. This team had only previously spent 10 days at the summit this season – compared with Arsenal's 130 and City's 24 – and, with West Bromwich Albion awaiting on Tuesday, Mourinho was not quite ready to make his side contenders just yet. "We are playing well, with players in a good moment individually and getting results," he said.

"Now we are top of the league and that is something we cannot hide – but no change." Are his team still "little horses" in a thoroughbred race? "It's time to kill the horses," came the response. The metaphor has run its course. Chelsea have plenty more still to give.

 

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Mail:

Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle: Hazard hat-trick sends delighted Blues top of the league

By Joe Bernstein

It was the electric Eden Hazard show at Stamford Bridge as his brilliant hat-trick sent Jose Mourinho and Chelsea top of the league.

Following his man-of-the-match performance at Manchester City on Monday night, the 23-year-old Belgian was unstoppable once again.

Hazard has acknowledged he needs to score a bucketload of goals to be compared properly to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Well, this was a good start as he took his season’s tally to 14 and underlined why Chelsea now value him at three times the £32million they paid for him.

Hazard has the X-factor that lifts fans from their seats every time he gets the ball.

His first two goals were pure class; the first an instant finish from Branislav Ivanovic’s pass, the second the culmination of some wonderful Chelsea team play.

Even his hat-trick goal, delivered from the penalty spot, had a unique swagger and style to it, leaving Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul frozen on his line. Hazard slid to his knees in celebration after completing his first treble since his last game for Lille in 2012.

Mourinho had insisted Chelsea are still a ‘little horse’ in terms of winning the title in his comeback season but this morning they are in the lead, ahead of rival trainers Arsene Wenger and Manuel Pellegrini.

Irritated by the first equine-based question after the game, Mourinho drew laugher as he said: ‘It’s time to kill the horse!’

But he then continued to try and dampen title expectations. ‘We are top of the league, it’s something we can’t hide. But I say the same, and I feel the same,’ he opined.

Beaten manager Alan Pardew was a little more positive about their prospects. ‘I have played against Chelsea under Mourinho many times. This team is as good as he’s had and they’ve got a good chance,’ he said.

Newcastle, missing goalscorers Loic Remy and Yoan Gouffran from the team that beat Chelsea 2-0 in November, were not at the races and Chelsea were able to give their skipper John Terry the day off without any side-effects.

The visitors contained Chelsea for 27 minutes until Hazard took the game by the scruff of the neck.

His turn and surge near the halfway line allowed Ivanovic to gallop forward from right back. Hazard gave him the ball and hardly broke stride as he steered the return pass low past Krul.

It was his 12th goal of an outstanding season and first at Stamford Bridge in 2014 but he didn’t need long to improve both statistics.

Newcastle had just squandered their best chance of the first half — stand-in skipper Moussa Sissoko taking a heavy touch when in on goal — when Chelsea broke with devastating effect.

Brazilians David Luiz and Willian started the move with incisive passes that found Hazard breaking free down the left. Hazard played a short pass to Samuel Eto’o, who cleverly back-flicked a return and the Belgian curled a low finish into the corner.

‘There is a big evolution in his game, he is playing with consistency and ambition,’ said Mourinho.

‘But this performance was no different to the way he  played against Hull, City, home to United, Southampton. The only difference is the three goals.’

By half-time, Newcastle’s only ambition was damage limitation, particularly with defender Mathieu Debuchy limping off with a calf injury to add to their growing casualty list.

Krul embarrassed himself after the re-start, slipping as he came out to gather a long punt by Luiz and was relieved the ball drifted just past the post.

But it proved a brief stay of execution. Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa wrestled Eto’o to the floor at a corner — ‘I don’t why my player grabbed him,’ admitted a perplexed Pardew — and regular penalty-taker Frank Lampard graciously stood aside for Hazard.

Hazard’s eyes suggested he would put the ball to Krul’s right. Instead he slotted to the keeper’s left. Krul was so confused he still had not moved as the net rippled.

Hazard received a deserved ovation as Mourinho took him off near the end to rest him for future matches and West Brom will not be looking forward to seeing him on Tuesday.

Hazard started the day on television outlining his ambition to one day be mentioned in the same breathe as Messi and Ronaldo.

‘There are lots of tough, young players out there,’ he said. ‘Yes, I think I’m up there with the best but I hope people will eventually take away the word “young” because that would mean I’ve moved up another level.

‘I have to work extremely hard to get to their level. Those players are on another planet because they score two or three goals every game.

‘I hope to be like them one day.’

Chelsea: Cech 6, Ivanovic 7, Cahill  7 Luiz 7 Azpilicueta 7, Matic 7, Lampard 7, Willian 7 (Salah 78) Oscar 7, Hazard 9 (Schurrle 84), Eto'o 8 (Ba 71).

Subs not used: Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Schwarzer.

Goals: Hazard 27, 34, 63.

Newcastle: Krul 5, Debuchy 5 (Yanga-Mbiwa 40, 5) Williamson 5, Steven Taylor 5, Dummett 5, Anita 6 (Marveaux 84), Santon 5, Ben Arfa 5 (Gosling 64), Sissoko 5, Sammy Ameobi 5, De Jong 4.

Subs not used: Haidara, Elliot, Shola Ameobi, Armstrong.

Booked: Yanga-Mbiwa, Sammy Ameobi, Sissoko.

Man of the match: Eden Hazard

Ref: Howard Webb 6.

Att: 41,387.

 

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Mirror:

Chelsea 3-0 Newcastle United: Eden Hazard hat-trick sends Blues to the top of the Premier League

By Steve Stammers

The Belgian netted a treble for Jose Mourinho's men who take advantage of Manchester City and Arsenal dropping points to top the league
 

So much for Jose ­Mourinho’s assertion that Chelsea’s status in the title race is that of the small horse.

His team went top of the Premier League at a canter with an emphatic win over depleted Newcastle at Stamford Bridge.

And in Eden Hazard, they have a genuine thoroughbred. The Belgian was a class apart and left the visiting defenders demoralised and bemused, then went home with the match-ball for his first hat-trick for the club.

Earlier in the day, Arsenal took a ­spectacular tumble at their own Becher’s Brook up in the Grand National territory of Merseyside.

But the Blues looked potential champions as they won almost as they liked – in racing parlance, with a double-handful.

True, they were up against opponents who appear to be in a state of constant flux.

The last thing manager Alan Pardew needs at the moment is sympathy but when Yohan Cabaye – his most influential player – is sold in the winter window and the squad is boosted by a striker in Luuk de Jong who looks less than half-fit, then you have to feel for him.

With Loic Remy banned and Fabricio Coloccini and Cheick Tiote injured,  the Magpies looked lightweight in key areas.

And Chelsea are currently the last team you want to face when so many first-choice players are absent. They have a ruthless streak that has been the ­hallmark of Mourinho teams from Milan to Madrid.

Newcastle’s effort and industry kept them in the game for 27 minutes.

Then Hazard made his telling impact. Oscar had fired just wide a minute earlier but there was no reprieve when Branislav Ivanovic crossed from the right and Hazard produced a devastating finish.

What Newcastle needed was luck – but if it wasn’t for bad luck, Pardew wouldn’t be having any at the moment.

And when he needed his powerhouse Moussa Sissoko to show composure, in the 33rd minute, the France star’s touch deserted him. He was through on goal but knocked the ball a fraction too far. It gave Petr Cech a crucial moment to sprint from his line and block.

From the corner, Chelsea cleared their lines and Willian gave Hazard possession. He swapped passes with Samuel Eto’o and guided the ball past Tim Krul.

“A goal of real class,” admitted Pardew. “But it could have been different if we had taken that chance just before.”

Mourinho agreed, saying: “Instead of 1-1 it became 2-0 and that is why I congratulated Petr Cech. It was a big save.”

Just when Pardew thought matters could not deteriorate further, they did.

His influential right-back Mathieu Debuchy hurt his calf and had to come off before half-time and was replaced by Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. However the French defender was to play an unwitting part in ensuring Hazard secured his third goal.

Krul escaped embarrassment when he slipped going for a long ­clearance from David Luiz and was relieved to see the ball bounce wide. But after 63 minutes came Yanga-Mbiwa’s moment of madness.

A corner from the left held little threat but at the far post, Eto’o was left in a heap on the ground because of Yanga-Mbiwa’s illegal ­challenge.

West Ham supporters might ­question the judgement of referee Howard Webb after the Andy Carroll affair but Chelsea fans have no such reservations, as the official pointed to the spot and Hazard beat Krul with the spot-kick.

“I don’t know why Mapou fouled like he did,” said Pardew.

There are a number of issues at Newcastle these days that defy belief. Just one more to baffle long-suffering fans.

 

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Express:

Eden Hazard hat-trick gives Chelsea win at a canter

THE little Hazard plundered a hat-trick and the little horse jumped to the top of the Premier League. It was a rich day indeed for Chelsea and their maestro manager Jose Mourinho.

By: Jim Holden

Whatever you think of his endlessly provocative comments, there can be no doubting that Mourinho fashions winning football teams and inspires excellence from gifted players.

A wonderful hat-trick scored by Eden Hazard yesterday was happy proof of that, all the goals scored with panache and precision.

It lifted Chelsea above both Arsenal and Manchester City in the Premier League table yesterday and gave the lie to Mourinho’s comment a few days ago that his side are the ‘little horse’ in the title race.

“It’s time to kill the horse,” joked Mourinho afterwards. He knows well enough that Chelsea are serious title contenders and now favourites with the bookmakers.

Nevertheless, he wants to lower expectations, saying: “Today we are top of the league and we can’t hide that – but I look to fifth place. I want to be far from fifth, because when we have a Champions League position under control only then will it be time to look at Arsenal and City and see where they are.

“At the moment we are playing well and getting results. But as for being favourites – well, I don’t bet.” What he has done is invest tremendous faith in the talent of Hazard and that is clearly paying off as the little winger lit up the afternoon with two outstanding goals in seven minutes midway through the first half.

There are those who believe the Belgian is a luxury player. Well, not on this evidence. Even if you don’t subscribe to manager Mourinho’s claim that Hazard is the third-best player in the world, he must be heading that way.

Hazard began the first goal with a clever trick to work some space in midfi eld and sent Branislav Ivanovic thundering down the right flank. The return pass was into the Newcastle area where he swept the ball into the net with a first-time shot on the run.

The next goal was more elegant and dynamic still. Chelsea zipped forward on a counter-attack and Hazard passed into the box where Samuel Eto’o responded with a delicate back-heel. It was inch-perfect for Hazard to steer home again.

His first hat-trick for Chelsea was completed in the 63rd minute from the penalty spot after a linesman had spotted the Newcastle defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa making a ridiculous rugby tackle on Eto’o at a corner.

Too often these offences aren’t punished but Hazard slotted home the goal and thanked skipper Frank Lampard for the courtesy of giving up penalty duty for a day.

David Luiz almost scored from inside the Chelsea half when a long ball forward bounced comically over Newcastle keeper Tim Krul but then drifted wide of the goal.

Towards the end Chelsea gave a debut to new £15million signing Mohamed Salah and twice he was swiftly in position to mark the occasion with a goal. The first shot he chipped wide of the post and he was then denied by a save from Krul.

It would have been the icing on the cake for Chelsea but ending the day on top of the table was sweet enough for the fans leaving Stamford Bridge with a spring in their step.

 

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