Bolton 2-1

Independent:

Blues given a fright before Oscar pounces to see off stubborn Bolton

Chelsea 2 Bolton Wanderers 1

Fringe players make heavy weather of third round clash

By SAM WALLACE


For most of the game Jose Mourinho's touchline demeanour could best be described as impassive, but there was no disguising the nature of his team's performance - they were making heavy weather of it.

Not exactly a weak Chelsea team with nine internationals including a World Cup winner among them, but this was certainly not Chelsea-Max. Oscar's second half winning goal means that they are safely through to the last-16 of the Capital One Cup where they will face League Two Shrewsbury Town, and a draw that has - away tie aside - been very kind to them.

It was a chance for Mourinho to give a run-out to his peripheral players such as Mohamed Salah, Filipe Luis and Loic Remy, but that they did not win by more was a source of frustration for their manager. This is not a good Bolton team, currently just outside the Championship relegation zone and with manager Dougie Freedman's position in peril. Chelsea should have been comfortable.

Only Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta remained in the team from Sunday's draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and, having taken the lead through debutant Kurt Zouma, Chelsea dominated the game and missed countless chances. Against the odds, Bolton managed to fashion an equaliser through captain Matt Mills and even after Oscar scored the second on 55 minutes it remained tight to the end.

At the start of the night, Mourinho had been kept waiting by the tunnel longer than he likes to greet Freedman and it set the tone for the evening for the Chelsea manager - one of persistent annoyance and frustration.

Chelsea were in control and yet nothing was certain until the final whistle with Bolton's threat from set-pieces a problem all night. There were times when Andre Schurrle appeared to be playing Bolton on his own and his luck - 12 shots, no goal - was encapsulated by a late effort that hit the post and bounced back to Bolton goalkeeper Andrew Lonerghan, who had a good game.

Poor old Bolton, shackled with huge debts and going nowhere fast rallied in the latter stages when Mourinho sent on Didier Drogba, Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matic to steady the ship. Later Steve Holland, Mourinho's assistant admitted that a lack of height in the team was a worry at set-pieces and Drogba and Matic were introduced to remedy that.

Bolton had one attempt on goal in the first half, and one goal to show for it. All in all, a remarkable return in a half in which there were times when they seemed like they might just assume the brace position and hope for the best.

With a first team squad with as much quality as the one at Mourinho's disposal, there are fewer opportunities for giving the academy kids a game. He gave a debut to Zouma and a start to the promising Under-21s Dutch midfielder Nathan Ake.

Otherwise, the club's best Under-21s players Andreas Christensen and Lewis Baker had to settle for a place on the bench. There was a first game of the season for Petr Cech, given a warm reception by the home crowd.

Zouma's goal was forced in from close range after Cahill saw his header blocked by Craig Davies. It came to Zouma via Remy and from then on it looked like it would be easy for Chelsea. Lonerghan led something of a charmed life in goal for Bolton, however, and then a remarkable equaliser.

Liam Feeney's free-kick from the right was headed in by Mills who had got between Cahill and Zouma. The header was impressive but it went across Cech and into the right-hand corner of the goal. He should have done much better.

Holland said: “The players' mentality was excellent right from the kick-off. Their approach to the game, the quality with which they played, was very good. At half-time we couldn't have asked for much more, other than a bit more detail in the two penalty boxes”. As for Schurrle, Holland said he “reflected the mentality of the team”.

“When you think not much more than two months ago he was playing in a World Cup final, now he's playing in the third round of the Capital One Cup and showed a really committed performance.”

Freedman said that his plan had been to get to the last ten minutes with his team in contention and try to put pressure on Chelsea with set-pieces. “For their manager to bring on the players he did was a credit to our team,” he said. “I thought it was a good performance, very solid and committed.”

What turned out to be the winner from Oscar came ten minutes after the break when he turned sharply and hit a right-foot shot from outside the area low and inside Lonerghan's right-sided post. No less than they deserved but it was a slog to get there.

Man of the match Schürrle.

Match rating 5/10.

Referee G Scott (Oxford)

Attendance 40,988.


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Guardian:

Oscar goal sees off Bolton Wanderers as Chelsea cruise into the last 16

Chelsea 2 - 1 Bolton

Russell Kempson at Stamford Bridge


José Mourinho has a special affinity with the League Cup, having won it in his first season in charge of Chelsea in 2005. It announced his arrival on the English stage and, that season, his side also lifted the Premier League title.

Two years on Mourinho and Co did it again. This time, they completed another “double” by going on to claim the FA Cup as well. Small wonder the Portuguese views the competition with such affection.

At Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, Chelsea began their campaign to win the trophy for the third time this century with a comfortable win against lowly Championship opponents Bolton Wanderers. The scoreline masked a brutally one-sided third-round tie in which Chelsea had 28 attempts on goal, 10 on target. Bolton mustered three attempts as they focused desperately on not caving in completely.

André Schürrle was the most wasteful from a remarkable 13 efforts on goal and he was often thwarted in an all-action personal duel with Bolton’s goalkeeper Andy Lonergan. Three times Lonergan spectacularly denied the German – clawing one free-kick just over, tipping another on to the crossbar and scrambling a third close-range effort on to a post. But Schürrle’s persistence was admirable, considering it was not that long ago that he was appearing on the grandest stage of all in Brazil.

“André’s performance reflected the mentality of our team,” Steve Holland, the Chelsea assistant first-team coach, said. “Two months ago he was playing in the World Cup final; tonight he was in the third round of the Capital One Cup. He was a good example of what was best about us.

“I was very happy with the display of the team. You hope motivation is not a problem, it sometimes can be but everyone was determined to put in a performance. We want to do well in this competition.”

A Chelsea second XI, though also including Petr Cech, Oscar, Loïc Rémy and Gary Cahill, opened in machine-gun fashion, spraying Lonergan from all angles.

Kurt Zouma, the 19-year-old French centre-back on his competitive debut, made the breakthrough, lashing home after a corner. When Bolton equalised six minutes later, their captain, Matt Mills, nodding in a Liam Feeney free-kick, it was so unexpected as to be laughable.

Chelsea regained the lead early in the second half, Oscar guiding in a low drive from 30 yards, and held on despite a late Bolton flurry. “We knew we would have to ride our luck a bit,” Dougie Freedman, the Bolton manager, said. “And we had a good go towards the end.”

Shrewsbury Town now await a visit from Chelsea in the last 16. Mourinho can already sniff a third League Cup triumph.


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Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Bolton Wanderers 1, Capital One Cup: Oscar rescues wasteful Premier League leaders

By Jon West, Stamford Bridge

Oscar hits second-half winner after Matt Mills cancels out Kurt Zouma's opener

A trip to Shrewsbury Town of League Two turned out to be the reward for this victory, which really should have replicated some of Chelsea’s spectacular Premier League successes.

Jose Mourinho’s side, the line-up altered nine times from the draw at Manchester City on Sunday, may have triumphed by a single goal but that scoreline does not do justice to the scale of their attacking ambition, or their wastefulness.

The home side ended up hanging on as Bolton Wanderers, fourth from bottom in the Championship, finally applied some pressure themselves. But the final whistle confirmed Chelsea had launched no fewer than 28 shots to the visitors’ three.

André Schürrle must have been responsible for half of those, with the German denied on a number of occasions by Andy Lonergan, including one in the second half that squirmed under the Bolton goalkeeper but rebounded back to him off a post. Earlier Lonergan had made a much better save, tipping Schürrle’s shot on to the bar.

“André’s performance reflected the mentality of the team – he was dangerous throughout the game and a really good example,” Steve Holland, one of Mourinho’s three assistants, said. He was right, up to a point. The point where the ball left Schürrle's boot in fact.

Bolton were breached from a 25th-minute corner. Gary Cahill saw his header blocked by a defender, Loic Remy – making his first Chelsea start – nodded it back towards goal, where a colleague rammed it into the roof of the net. That man was the defender Kurt Zouma, the teenager named after a Jean-Claude Van Damme character in the film Kickboxer, who was finally making a debut following a £12.5?million transfer from St Etienne in January.

The lead lasted six minutes as Bolton levelled from a free-kick launched long into a crowd of players by Liam Feeney and headed past Petr Cech by Matt Mills, the captain. It was Bolton’s first attempt at goal and for a long time their only one.

The winning goal turned out to be Oscar’s in the 55th minute. The Brazilian retrieved a blocked effort from Remy, turned and launched a low left-footer that eluded Lonergan. Inevitably, more Chelsea chances came and went, with the irrepressible Schürrle usually involved.

Bolton sent on Chung-Young Lee and the South Korean’s skills upgraded their attacking threat levels from nonexistent to occasional. Jermaine Beckford only just failed to connect in front of goal and Chelsea had to defend stoutly in stoppage-time. “We were always going to have to ride our luck,” Dougie Freedman, Bolton’s manager, said. “In the last 15 minutes we gave it a right go.”


Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Cech; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Zouma, Luis; Ake (Matic 91), Mikel; Salah (Hazard 80), Oscar, Schurrle; Remy (Drogba 72). Subs not used Schwarzer, Ivanovic, Christensen, Baker.

Bolton Wanderers (4-5-1) Lonergan; Herd, Mills, Dervite, Moxey; Feeney (Spearing 68), Pratley, Medo, Danns (Mason 83), C Davies (Lee); Beckford. Subs not used Kenny, McNaughton, Ream, Clayton. Booked Pratley, Herd.

Referee G Scott (Oxfordshire).


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Times:


Chelsea make hard work of dispatching underdogs Bolton Wanderers

Rory Smith


In this one sense, at least, Bolton Wanderers proved a little more obdurate than Brazil. André Schürrle scored twice against the host team at the World Cup this summer. The overriding image from Chelsea’s unnecessarily arduous victory in the Capital One Cup was the German toiling in vain to do similar against Dougie Freedman’s altogether less imposing side.

José Mourinho’s Chelsea team made it through to the fourth round, but that they were left hanging on as Bolton mounted an unlikely siege in the dying minutes at Stamford Bridge was, in no small part, Schürrle’s fault.

Chelsea should have been out of sight within 20 minutes. That they were not owed little to Bolton’s resilience and more to Schürrle’s profligacy.

The Germany forward alone had seven chances in the opening exchanges, the best of them a header cleared from the line by Matt Mills and a free kick, which Andy Lonergan tipped on to the bar. Schürrle was not the only culprit — Mohamed Salah and Oscar might have done better, too — but he was, by some distance, the worst.

Still, 25 minutes in, when Kurt Zouma stabbed home his first goal for the club, pouncing after Gary Cahill and then Loïc Rémy had failed to convert Salah’s corner, the Barclays Premier League leaders looked for all the world as though they would ease away from opponents languishing near the foot of the Sky Bet Championship. Freedman’s side, after all, had mustered just one win this season. It did not quite work out like that.

Bolton had only one chance; it came on the one occasion they made it out of their half for more than a few seconds. Liam Feeney swung in a free kick, Mills rose highest and planted a header low, into the corner of the net. It was hard to avoid the suspicion that Petr Cech — making his first appearance of the season, having been usurped by Thibaut Courtois — might have done rather better with it a couple of years ago.

Chelsea kept coming. Lonergan denied Nathan Aké, from fully 30 yards, before the break and Oscar, from substantially closer, after it. The Bolton goalkeeper could not hold out for long. When the visiting team allowed the Brazilian the time and space to turn, 30 yards from goal, a moment later, he made Bolton pay. His shot arrowed into the corner, beyond Lonergan’s reach.

The chances continued. Rémy should have made it safe, Schürrle fired one effort wide after a brilliant, jinking run, then saw another — rather less elegant — attempt clip a post. Bolton, though, lacked the nous to carve out another chance. Chelsea had done enough, just.


Chelsea (4-2-3-1): P Cech — C Azpilicueta, G Cahill, K Zouma, Filipe Luís — N Aké (sub: N Matic, 90min), J O Mikel — M Salah (sub: E Hazard, 80), Oscar, A Schürrle — L Rémy (sub: D Drogba, 72). Substitutes not used: M Schwarzer, B Ivanovic, N Matic, A Christensen, L Baker.

Bolton Wanderers (4-2-3-1): A Lonergan — C Herd, M Mills, D Dervite, D Moxey — M Kamara, D Pratley — L Feeney (sub: J Spearing, 68), N Danns (sub: J Mason, 83), C Davies (sub: Lee Chung Yong, 52) — J Beckford. Substitutes not used: P Kenny, K McNaughton, T Ream, M Clayton. Booked: Pratley, Herd, Spearing.

Referee: G Scott.


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Mail:

Chelsea 2-1 Bolton:

Oscar and debutant Kurt Zouma spare Andre Schurrle's blushes as Blues book fourth-round spot

Don't worry Andre Schurrle, you have scored in a World Cup semi-final. That memory should keep the Germany forward sane when he reflects on all the opportunities he wasted against Bolton last night.

The more he tried, the more he looked to the heavens. The final shot count for Schurrle was 12, four times as many as Bolton managed during the entire 90 minutes.

Thankfully for the 23-year-old, Kurt Zouma and Oscar were more accurate as the Blues booked a Capital One Cup last-16 trip to League Two Shrewsbury. It should have been a much smoother ride for the west London club, though.

‘Andre’s performance reflected the mentality of the team,’ said Steve Holland, Chelsea’s assistant coach.

‘Not much more than two months ago he was playing in the World Cup final, tonight he was playing in the Capital One Cup. He showed a real committed performance — full of drive all night. He looked our most likely source throughout the game. He was an example of what was best about our performance.

‘A combination of some missed chances, a bit of bad luck and some very good goalkeeping meant that we were still at the limit right at the end of the game.’

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho fielded an understrength side, giving goalkeeper Petr Cech his first appearance of the season.

Mourinho also gave Loic Remy a full debut after his move from Queens Park Rangers, while there were starts for youngsters Nathan Ake and Kurt Zouma.

Bolton manager Dougie Freedman also made five changes from the side that started their Championship defeat by Wolves on Saturday.

Chelsea began as if they meant business, possibly prompted by Mourinho’s wardrobe choice — the Portuguese opting for a suit rather than the tracksuit he favoured during this tournament last season.

Or perhaps it was the fact Freedman kept him waiting for the customary pre-match handshake. Whatever it was, Chelsea came flying out the blocks and could have been four up inside 17 minutes.

Schurrle had enough chances to have scored a hat-trick before the game was a quarter of an hour old. He was denied twice inside the first five minutes; his free-kick tipped wide by Andy Lonergan before a header was cleared off the line by Matt Mills.

Mills again denied Schurrle, this time with a well-timed challenge as the World Cup winner met Cesar Azpilicueta’s cross after 14 minutes.

Then Remy fluffed a chance to break the deadlock with a poor header before Schurrle squandered another chance.

He was getting closer, though, his 20-yard free-kick being tipped on to the bar by Lonergan.

The goal finally arrived in the 25th minute, but from an unlikely source. Bolton defender Dorian Dervite blocked Gary Cahill’s header from Mohamed Salah’s corner only for the ball to drop to Zouma and the French centre back slammed home his first goal for the club.

Relief swept through the crowd but seven minutes later Bolton snatched a shock equaliser. Liam Feeney’s deep free-kick looked more hopeful than accurate but Mills rose above Jon Obi Mikel to head home from 14 yards.

The goal did not alter the flow of the game, however, as Chelsea — and Schurrle, looked to regain the lead.

The German missed two more chances before Ake thumped a long-range drive well over the bar just before the break.

Schurrle, inevitably, was involved in their first chance of the second half but Oscar’s header from the German’s free-kick was well saved by the over-worked Lonergan in the 51st minute.

Five minutes later, Chelsea made the vital breakthrough as Oscar thumped a 25-yard drive past Lonergan after good work by Remy.

As if to rub salt into Schurrle’s wounds, he then saw his 80th-minute drive from 15 yards tipped on to a post by Lonergan, who gratefully held on to the loose ball. It was just one of those nights for Schurrle.


Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech 6; Azpilicueta 6.5, Zouma 7, Cahill 6.5, Luis 7; Mikel 6.5, Ake 7 (Matic 90); Salah 7 (Hazard 79), Oscar 7, Schurrle 6.5; Remy 6 (Drogba 73).

Subs: Ivanovic, Matic, Schwarzer, Christensen, Baker.

Manager: Mourinho 7


Bolton (4-5-1): Lonergan 7.5; Herd 6, Mills 6.5, Dervite 6, Moxey 5, Feeney 5 (Spearing 68, 5), Danns 5 (Mason 82), Pratley 5, Kamara 5, Davies 5 (Lee 52); Beckford 5

Subs: Clayton, McNaughton, Ream, Kenny. Booked: Pratley

Manager: Freedman 6


Referee: Graham Scott (Oxfordshire) - 6


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Mirror:

Chelsea 2-1 Bolton: Kurt Zouma debut goal and Oscar winner take Mourinho's men through

By John Cross

The Special One says he loves the League Cup - the first trophy he won with the Blues in 2005 - and he's into its last 16 despite Matt Mills' defiant equaliser

No wonder his middle name is Happy.

Kurt Zouma was all smiles after scoring on his debut to help secure Chelsea's this League Cup victory and set up a trip to League Two side Shrewsbury in the last 16.

Chelsea's £12m defender Zoumaopened the scoring before Oscar grabbed a second half winner to finally see off brave Bolton.

Zouma, who has the best middle name in football, also earned glowing praise from Chelsea's assistant boss Steve Holland.

Holland said: "Zouma has been waiting patiently for his chance. If you can also be a threat in the opposition's penalty box that's a big bonus. He fed on to a second ball from a corner, showed really good instincts and got a goal which I'm sure he'll always remember on his first appearance.

"I think Jose (Mourinho) has shown he is happy to play him and he's a big strong boy who has quality and experience from playing in the French league. We were very happy with the performance from the team tonight. It's a game where you hope motivation isn't a problem but it can sometimes be.

"Players that aren't playing regularly in the league suddenly get an opportunity in a different competition. The players' mentality was excellent right from the kick-off. Their approach to the game, the quality with which they played was very good.

"A combination of some missed chances, a bit of bad luck and some very good goalkeeping meant that we were still at the limit right at the end of the game."

Blues boss Mourinho declared his love for this competition – then made nine changes. Gary Cahill and Cesar Azpilicueta were the only ­survivors from Sunday’s starting line-up at Manchester City.

But that was testament to the strength of his squad, as in came Petr Cech for his first start of the season, and France Under-21 international Zouma.

Mourinho highlighted his ­affection for the League Cup in his programme notes – it was the first trophy he won for Chelsea in 2005.

Under the heading “This ­competition is very dear to us it holds a lot of great memories” – he outlined how important it is as a platform for success.

We've only just begun: Mourinho and Chelsea lift the League Cup back in 2005

Holland insisted Chelsea will not take the draw with Shrewsbury lightly. He added: "You always want to play at home so that's a shame. Last season we had an experience of League One opposition at Swindon and the year before we were six minutes from going out of the FA Cup at Brentford.

"So we will show them the same respect in terms of preparation that we will for the games with Aston Villa, Sporting Lisbon and Arsenal in the next week or so."

Chelsea went ahead after 25 minutes when Cahill's header was blocked by Jermaine Beckford, Loic Remy helped the ball on and Zouma lashed home from close range.

Bolton fought their way back into the contest and Liam Feeney's free-kick was headed in by skipper Matt Mills to give them a 32nd minute leveller.

Chelsea deserved their win and Oscar's low 25-yard shot after 55 minutes put them through.

Andre Schurrle had 12 shots and still could not find a goal while Bolton's late pressure also failed to pay off.

Bolton boss Dougie Freedman said: "Our keeper was fantastic, we had a game plan and we stuck to it. The aim was always to still be in the game with ten or 15 minutes left but we just couldn't find another goal."


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Star:

Chelsea 2 - Bolton 1: Blues through to fourth round thanks to Oscar and Zouma strikes

CHELSEA new-boy Kurt Zouma bagged a goal on his full debut to help the Blues secure a place in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.

By Chisanga Malata

Jose Mourinho's side started the game brightly, and immediately put the Championship side on the back-foot.

Andre Schurrle nearly put the Blues in-front with a stunning free kick, but Potters keeper Andy Lonergan was equal to his attempt.

The German international rattled the post minutes later, and it seemed that the Blues wouldn't be able to break Dougie Freedman's side down.

But they eventually beat Lonergan in the 25th minute when Zouma got on the end of a cross from Loic Remy.

Their lead didn't last long, and just six minutes later Matt Mills levelled the score with a towering header.

Mourinho's men began to pile on the pressure on their opponents, and were rewarded for their efforts in the 55th minute when Oscar restored their lead and booked the Blues a place in the fourth round of the cup.


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Express:


Chelsea 2 - Bolton 1: 'Happy' Kurt Zouma fires Chelsea into last 16 of Cup

A MAN named Happy helped wipe the scowl off Jose Mourinho’s face last night – as his team scrambled unconvincingly into the fourth round.

By: Tony Banks


Kurt Zouma, the French teenager Chelsea captured from Saint-Etienne last season for £12million, has the middle name Happy. And when he scored on his debut at Stamford Bridge there were smiles all round.

But this turned into anything but a smooth ride for Mourinho’s team, when Championship strugglers Bolton levelled through Matt Mills.

In the end though, Oscar’s 25-yard drive booked a trip to Shrewsbury. Mourinho’s assistant Steve Holland said: “Kurt has waited patiently for a chance to play.

“Jose was happy to play him. Kurt is only 19 but he has plenty of experience and I thought he was immaculate in everything he did. The bonus of course is that he scored a goal he will always remember.”

This was the first trophy Mourinho won in England, way back in 2005, and he has fond memories of it – though he still made 10 changes to the line-up who drew at Manchester City on Sunday.

Andre Schurrle could have scored four times by the time Chelsea did break the deadlock.

First Bolton keeper Andrew Lonergan tipped away a free-kick, then the German saw a header hacked off the line.

Lonergan pushed another free-kick on to the bar – and finally Schurrle curled a shot just wide.

Bolton cracked when Loic Remy’s prod was rifled into the roof of the net by Zouma for his first Chelsea goal.

But astonishingly, six minutes later and against the run of play, Bolton were level. Liam Feeney swung in a free-kick and Mills rose above John Obi Mikel to nod in off the post.

Chelsea soon recovered their poise and 10 minutes into the second half they regained the lead.

This time Oscar picked up a loose ball 25 yards from goal and drilled it low past Lonergan. Holland added: “We needed an individual to produce that quality to win us the game, and Oscar is capable of that.”

Schurrle went close yet again as his 12th shot of the night was pushed on to a post. But it was a patchy Chelsea display that had the Special One fidgeting uneasily for long spells.


CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Cech; Azpilicueta, Zouma, Cahill, Luis; Ake (Matic 90), Mikel; Schurrle, Oscar, Salah (Hazard 80); Remy (Drogba 72). Goals: Zouma 25, Oscar 55.

BOLTON (4-4-2): Lonergan; Herd, Dervite, Mills, Moxey; Feeney (Spearing 68), Danns (Mason 83), Pratley, Medo; Davies (Lee 52), Beckford. Booked: Pratley, Herd, Spearing. Goal: Mills 31.


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