Scunthorpe 2-0

Independent:

Diego Costa and Ruben Loftus-Cheek see off dogged League One visitors
Chelsea 2 Scunthorpe 0
Jack Pitt-Brooke Stamford Bridge

The previous weekend Guus Hiddink rediscovered Chelsea’s attacking verve. Yesterday, he rediscovered their youth policy. The veteran manager, trying to rebuild from the debris of the second Jose Mourinho era, guided Chelsea into the fourth round of the FA Cup with a routine win over Scunthorpe United.

The first goal was scored by Diego Costa, looking as sharp now as he did last season. But the second, more significantly, was the first senior career goal for Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The 19-year-old midfielder (right) was meant to be one of Mourinho’s projects this season but was swiftly discarded when results went wrong. Yesterday, he was given 45 minutes, his longest spell in almost three months. He justified his introduction with the goal that sealed victory.

“We are determined to go on and get silverware at the end of the season,” said Hiddink, who won the FA Cup in 2009 with Chelsea and would love to do the same again, albeit with a very different squad. “We brought on youngsters in the second half, and that is good for them. Ruben came in and scored a beautiful goal, not just in its execution. That was good to see.”

Kenedy and Bertrand Traoré also came on later in the second half and, for the first time in months, the path into the first team for these young players became clear again. “If you have this academy, with investment in young players, you must give them some credit to develop,” Hiddink explained. “That is one of the objectives of the club.”

What Chelsea wanted to do from the start was continue with the same expansive, attractive football they had played at Crystal Palace the previous Sunday. That was better than any Chelsea performance in 2015 and, while this was not quite on that level, they are making gradual steps in the right direction again.

The key to this has been Hiddink trying, with his approachable, avuncular style, to coax some form out of Chelsea’s best attackers. Eden Hazard pulled a groin muscle at Palace and so was out yesterday, and will be for at least another week, but Costa, Oscar and Cesc Fabregas were all back together, trying to find a way through the scurrying yellow shirts.

Chelsea, led by those three, started well enough that they should have put the game to bed long before Loftus-Cheek’s intervention. Costa and Oscar were stretching Scunthorpe with their movement, creating the space in which Fabregas could play his natural game.

It took only 13 minutes for Chelsea to take the lead, with a goal which spoke of the confidence returning to their play. After passing the ball patiently in midfield, Branislav Ivanovic whipped in a cross from the right. Costa, sharper and stronger than the Scunthorpe defence, darted in between Scott Laird and Jordan Clarke and got the decisive flick to send the ball into the bottom corner. “It was a beautiful goal,” Hiddink said. “So focused, so concentrated.”

At that point Chelsea should have killed the game, as they raised their tempo to a level the League One side could not live with. Fabregas obliged Luke Daniels to palm a 20-yard shot over the bar before Pedro, running on to Gary Cahill’s perfect long ball, forced an even better save from a tight angle. When Oscar dummied a pass, ran in behind, took the return ball from Costa and curled his shot just wide of the far post it felt as if Chelsea were on the brink of a dominant performance.

But in reality that failure to score a second goal almost cost them. Scunthorpe grew in confidence and Chelsea spent the end of the first half, and the start of the second, trying to repel counter-attacks and balls into the box that might have made for an upset.

What Chelsea needed, then, was a burst of purpose, an injection of energy, to take the game away from Scunthorpe. That is precisely what they got from Loftus-Cheek, brought on at half-time for Oscar. With his first touch, a few seconds in, he took the ball in midfield, breaking through tackles, making up ground and laying the ball out to Pedro.

Loftus-Cheek could not stem all the Scunthorpe danger, and there was a penalty appeal which was not awarded. But just when the game was starting to open up, Loftus-Cheek emphatically closed it down. Willian ran down the left and fed the overlapping Cesar Azpilicueta, who drove a cross towards the near post, beyond Costa. Loftus-Cheek peeled away and met the ball with a powerful finish into the bottom corner.

Scunthorpe’s overall performance, given the imbalance in resources, was certainly one to be proud of. Once they had survived Chelsea’s early onslaught, they knew how to cause problems, largely thanks to Luke Williams’ selfless running. He forced Asmir Begovic’s first save and was stopped just before the break only by a perfectly timed Kurt Zouma tackle.

The closest the visitors came to a way back into the game was a very plausible penalty appeal just before the second goal. Kevin van Veen drove forward with the ball and, just inside the box, collided with Ramires. Van Veen went down, and while there was contact, referee Craig Pawson decided it was not a foul. Scunthorpe were furious and even after the final whistle, substituted captain Stephen Dawson was still in his ear, offering his own interpretation of events.

Mark Robins, the Scunthorpe manager, was just as forthright in his post-match press conference. “It was nailed on,” he said. “We are disappointed with that. You need the rub of the green – and we didn’t get it.”

With four minutes left, Clarke hammered a 20-yarder against the crossbar, via Begovic’s fingertips. A late goal would have done justice to Scunthorpe’s efforts. They had to make do with a sporting invitation into the Chelsea dressing room for a post-match celebration instead.

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Guardian:
Chelsea see off Scunthorpe United with Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s first goal
Chelsea 2 - 0 Scunthorpe
FA Cup Stamford Bridge

David Hytner at Stamford Bridge

Roman Abramovich was all smiles from his lofty perch at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea owner has long wanted to see some sort of return from the club’s Academy in which he has invested heavily and here, at last, was something to cheer.

Chelsea were 1-0 up against a game Scunthorpe United team but they were not safe and the League One minnows had complained bitterly at the non-award of a penalty on 53 minutes for a trip by Ramires on Kevin van Veen.

Enter Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The 19-year-old midfielder, the only recent Stamford Bridge youth product in Guus Hiddink’s match-day squad, had come on as a half-time substitute. And in the 68th minute he made his mark to make sure Chelsea would be in the draw for the FA Cup fourth round.
His first goal in professional football was a poacher’s finish, guided home low with his left foot following César Azpilicueta’s cut-back, after decent Chelsea approach work, and how Abramovich enjoyed it. It remains a source of frustration inside the club’s Academy that the pathway to the first team appears as little more than a mirage and, as such, Loftus-Cheek carries great responsibility. He handled it here.

Scunthorpe, too, handled the occasion. After being overrun for the first quarter of the game, having shown Chelsea too much respect, they found a way into the tie on the back of their whole-hearted commitment. And if the referee, Craig Pawson, had seen Ramires’s challenge on Van Veen in another way, they might have fashioned a different ending.

Ramires had tracked the Scunthorpe attacker to the very edge of the Chelsea area and he clipped his standing foot. Down went Van Veen and he appeared to make the most of it, but there was contact. Pawson was unmoved. Scunthorpe were incensed. “It was a nailed-on penalty,” Mark Robins, the Scunthorpe manager, said.

Chelsea had been dumped out of this competition at this venue by League One opposition last season – Bradford City’s 4-2 win left its scars – but at full-time they could play the role of the magnanimous big brother. John Terry, the non-playing Chelsea captain, invited the Scunthorpe players into the home dressing room for the exchange of both shirts and compliments.

“We had a good celebration in our locker room,” Hiddink said. “They made us shiver during the game. It was their final, a big day for them and it was for us, too, because we wanted to go into the next round.”

Hiddink won the FA Cup during his previous caretaker spell at Chelsea in 2009 and the competition seems like the club’s best chance of silverware this time . They made a strong start here, with Diego Costa giving them the lead, but they did not have it all their own way despite Hiddink fielding a strong starting XI.

Robins had strung five across midfield and initially his team struggled to escape their half. But they stabilised after the first quarter of the game and even after Loftus-Cheek’s goal they refused to lie down.

Van Veen banged a free-kick just past the near post, Neal Bishop saw a shot blocked by Willian and, when Robins’ team had recycled the play, the right-back Jordan Clarke exploded a drive from the corner of the area that Asmir Begovic turned on to the woodwork. With the last kick of the tie Bishop stabbed a shot wide.

Costa’s eighth goal of the season – and his fourth in three games since José Mourinho’s sacking – came when he deftly volleyed home from Branislav Ivanovic’s cross. Luke Daniels, the Scunthorpe goalkeeper, saved from Cesc Fàbregas and Pedro before the midway point of the first half. Oscar also curled narrowly wide.

Scunthorpe showed plenty of fight, not least Bishop and the captain, Stephen Dawson. Bishop kicked Fàbregas from behind on the half-hour and when the Chelsea man turned round to remonstrate, the Scunthorpe midfielder pushed him in the chest. Bishop had another shoving match in the second half with Costa.

Scunthorpe enjoyed a fistful of what-if moments before the interval. Dawson had a ferocious shot repelled by Cahill’s head – “Gary is very British,” Hiddink said – while Luke Williams, the lone striker, quickened the pulses of the travelling supporters.

He worked Begovic from outside the area and, when he capitalised on a Cahill error to streak away into the area, Kurt Zouma came across to make a full-blooded slide challenge. Van Veen’s dangerous cross in the 45th minute also had just too much on it for Bishop.

Loftus-Cheek, such an imposing physical presence, played as the No10 in place of Oscar – who had a slight toe injury – and he was guilty of catching Bishop with a lunge shortly after he came on.
But it was another clumsy challenge that made for one of the loudest talking points.

With each replay Scunthorpe fans were more and more convinced that Pawson ought to have penalised Ramires. Bishop and Dawson continued to mix it in midfield but it was Loftus-Cheek who put the tie beyond them and their team.

Man of the match Diego Costa (Chelsea)

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Telegraph:

Chelsea 2 Scunthorpe United 0, match report: Diego Costa and Ruben Loftus-Cheek secure FA Cup victory

Jeremy Wilson

Jose Mourinho oversaw such a spectacular collapse at Chelsea this season that, beneath all the defeats, rants and controversies, perhaps the most depressing element of his second tenure at the club became almost buried. It was an apparent reluctance to follow through on the very obvious desire of the club finally to see some of their best homegrown talent being given regular first-team experience.

One of the brightest young prospects is Ruben Loftus-Cheek and, having played only a handful of minutes since being substituted by Mourinho at half-time of the win against Aston Villa back in October, he delivered a performance here to suggest that he is now ready for a sustained opportunity. His first ever Chelsea goal not only sealed the club’s path into the FA Cup fourth round but, judging by the celebrations and ear-to-ear smile, was clearly also a source of huge personal delight to owner Roman Abramovich.

Loftus-Cheek is now 19 but joined the club at the age of eight and, following FA Youth Cup wins in 2012 and 2014, a Premier League Under-21 title in 2014 and last year’s Uefa Europa League triumphs, is part of an emerging group of Chelsea players who are regarded as the outstanding young crop in the country. His development has coincided entirely with an academy investment by Abramovich that is now estimated at well beyond £100 million and it is obvious that one of the priorities for the next manager will be to continue integrating these players into the first-team. The last home-grown Chelsea regular remains captain John Terry.

“That’s one of the objectives of the club,” said Guus Hiddink, the interim manager. “It’s normal if you have this academy with that investment in young players. I’m starting to know the young players better and see the possibilities they have but it’s difficult to know when to bring them on. You don’t want to give them too much responsibility for the result at this stage of their careers. It was a beautiful goal.”

Hiddink won the FA Cup in his one previous entry into the competition and, in only resting Terry and Thibaut Courtois from what might have been his strongest starting team, underlined Chelsea’s “determination” to end this most traumatic of seasons with a trophy. Their purposeful start here was rewarded in the 13th minute when Branislav Ivanovic’s cross bounced between Scott Laird and Jordan Clarke. The two Scunthorpe players hesitated monetarily, with Diego Costa stabbing out his foot to get the final touch ahead of Laird and put Chelsea into the lead. Chelsea then twice threatened to further extend their advantage, only to be denied by two excellent Luke Daniels saves.

First Cesc Fabregas had a shot from outside the area tipped over and then Pedro forced an outstanding save after running onto a simple long ball by Gary Cahill. It looked as if Chelsea might canter to victory but their League One opposition soon settled into a rhythm and posed plenty of first-half threat. Cahill bravely headed a fierce Stephen Dawson shot to safety and then Kurt Zouma made a vital tackle on Paddy Madden.

Scunthorpe might also have won a penalty early in the second-half when Ramires tripped Kevin van Veen, although there was some doubt over whether the first contact was inside the area. Replays suggested it was just inside. “Watching live it looked like it could’ve been a penalty but, seeing the replays, it was nailed on,” said Scunthorpe manager Mark Robins. “We’re disappointed - you need the rub of green and we didn’t get it.”

With Dawson and Costa then repeatedly clashing, there was never even the slightest hint of Scunthorpe being overawed by the fixture although Chelsea’s additional quality did again tell. A sweeping move that began with Fabregas releasing Willian was brilliantly finished when César Azpilicueta overlapped down the left and then crossed for Loftus-Cheek to convert clinically at the near-post past Daniels. With Eden Hazard out for at least another week and Nemanja Matic rested after becoming dizzy when he was hit on the head by a ball in a freak training ground incident on Saturday, Loftus-Cheek also has a good chance of being involved in the Premier League fixture against West Brom on Wednesday. “

Just to come on and play 45 minutes was amazing,” he said. Scunthorpe, though, were still not completely finished by the second goal and, after Van Veen had rippled the side-netting with a freekick, Jordan Clarke also had a thunderous late strike tipped onto the post by Begovic. It was too late to salvage something from the game but Scunthorpe’s performance certainly won Chelsea’s respect, with Terry later inviting their players into the home dressing-room to exchange shirts.

“Some of their staff thought this had similar flavour to Bradford last year,” said Robins, referring to Chelsea’s shock 4-2 defeat against Bradford. “I’m proud. It’s been tough times for people of Scunthorpe and the steel industry but to have a healthy thriving football club is something we’re going to get. The week has been brilliant for Scunthorpe as a town and club.”

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Mail:

Chelsea 2-0 Scunthorpe: Ruben Loftus-Cheek comes on to score his first Blues goal after Diego Costa opener in FA Cup victory

By MATT BARLOW FOR THE DAILY MAIL

It was the identity of the goalscorer that tempted Roman Abramovich on to his feet rather than the fact Chelsea had finally conquered Scunthorpe.

A goal against third-tier opposition in the FA Cup third round will not stand as eternal proof that the millions invested by Abramovich into a lavish academy system is about to pay dividends.
But it was a start. The Russian owner beamed with delight - and that is not something you see every day.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek came off the bench and his first senior goal settled nerves at Stamford Bridge and banished memories of last year's humiliation at the hands of Bradford.
The tie really should not have been in the balance after Diego Costa opened the scoring in the first half, but Chelsea had somehow allowed Scunthorpe back into it.

The League One visitors deserve credit. They fought hard, and returned to North Lincolnshire nursing complaints about a penalty call which went against them when only one down.
'It was nailed on,' said manager Mark Robins, after watching replays of a trip by Ramires on Kevin van Veen.

'We're disappointed with that. You need the rub of the green and we didn't get it.'
Scunthorpe's players were still disputing it with referee Craig Pawson at the final whistle, but it was not given and Loftus-Cheek stepped up to seize his moment.

The 19-year-old midfielder has long since been identified within the club as someone capable of bridging the gaping void between the academy and the first-team.
No-one has done it since John Terry, and the burden of expectation has not helped his development since Jose Mourinho promoted him to the first-team squad on a permanent basis last summer.
Loftus-Cheek was in and out, both praised and heavily criticised by Mourinho, not helped when he was late for the team bus on a post-season tour.

The chance of an unbroken run in the team, promised when Chelsea were at a low ebb in October, ended within 45 minutes, when he was hauled off at half-time against Aston Villa.
This was his first significant appearance since and it did not start well.
Eager to impress, having replaced Oscar, who came off at half-time with a sore toe, Loftus-Cheek's first impact on the game was a late tackle on Neal Bishop, who did not make nearly so much of it as others might.

The teenager escaped without a caution, and made a more pleasing contribution with his goal, a skilful finish with a hint of Frank Lampard about it, arriving late in the penalty area and sweeping a low cross from Cesar Azpilicueta past goalkeeper Luke Daniels.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich was at Stamford Bridge to watch his side's FA Cup win over League One Scunthorpe

It was his first goal, on his 11th appearance and, according to statistical wizards, converted with his first recorded shot on target.
'One for one, 100 per cent, I'll try to keep that going,' smiled Loftus-Cheek. 'I was just happy to come on and play 45 minutes and help the team.'

Hiddink is a soothing presence, the perfect balm after the abrasive manner of Mourinho. The Dutchman explained that it was 'normal' for the owner to expect to see his youngsters develop when he invests so much in the youth system.
'It is not said, but it is an automatic consequence of the academy,' said Hiddink. 'It is one of the objectives of the club.'

Chelsea's interim manager also sent on youngsters Kenedy and Bertrand Traore once his side had a two-goal cushion but he started out with a strong and experienced team, something which seemed to intimidate Scunthorpe in the opening phase.
Chelsea full-back Cesar Azpilicueta was forced to play wearing a mask after suffering a double fracture to his cheekbone

The visitors started poorly and went behind in the 13th minute, when Costa applied a glancing touch with his left foot to deflect a cross from Branislav Ivanovic inside the post.
It was a fourth in three games for Costa, who seemed at ease with his team-mates after the drama of his training ground bust-up with Oscar.

Chelsea ought to have killed the tie at this point, but Scunthorpe 'keeper Daniels was alert to make saves from Cesc Fabregas and Pedro.
Gradually, however, Scunthorpe grew in confidence, perhaps realising that the Barclays Premier League champions were vulnerable at the back without Terry, and threatened an equaliser either side of the interval.

Gary Cahill blocked a fierce half-volley from Stephen Dawson with his head and Asmir Begovic made a smart save, low to his left to deny Luke Williams. Kurt Zouma also produced an elaborate slide tackle to thwart Williams, who was lively.
Robins will have been disappointed not to see his team cause more problems from a succession of set-pieces.

Even after Loftus-Cheek made it 2-0, Scunthorpe refused to quit. Van Veen whipped a free-kick into the side-netting and Begovic tipped a screamer from Jordan Clarke on to the woodwork four minutes from time.

Bishop dragged the final chance wide in a stoppage-time scramble, before Terry extended a hand of friendship and invited the visitors into the home dressing room to have their keepsakes signed.
The rebuilding process continues for Chelsea. Having avoided more embarrassment they are in the fourth round of a competition they are out to win, and they are unbeaten in five games since Mourinho's exit.

Costa is back in the groove, and the owner was present to see Loftus-Cheek find the net and spark hope that his club may yet produce a star of its own.

MATCH FACTS

CHELSEA 4-2-3-1: Begovic 6; Ivanovic 6.5, Zouma 6.5, Cahill 6, Azpilicueta 6.5; Ramires 6, Fabregas 6; Willian 7, Oscar 6 (Loftus-Cheek 46 min, 6.5), Pedro 6 (Kenedy 71, 6); Costa 6.5 (Traore 85)
SUBS NOT USED: Courtois, Terry, Baba, Mikel
BOOKINGS: Ivanovic
MANAGER: Guus Hiddink 6.5

SCUNTHORPE 4-5-1: Daniels 6.5; Clarke 5, Mirfin 6, Wallace 6, Laird 5; Madden 5, Dawson 6 (King 79), Ness 5, Bishop 6, Van Veen 6 (Wootton 81); Williams 6.5 (Adelakun 79)
SUBS NOT USED: Anyon, Wiseman, McAllister, Canavan
BOOKINGS: Dawson
MANAGER: Mark Robins 6
MOtM: Willian
REF: Craig Pawson 5
ATT: 41,265
*Player ratings by Matt Barlow at Stamford Bridge

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