Chủ Nhật, 13 tháng 3, 2016

Romelu Lukaku brace puts Everton in FA Cup semis with win over Chelsea

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku produced two moments of magic to knock his former club Chelsea out of the FA Cup.
The Belgium international beat the combined defensive might of Cesar Azpilicueta, Jon Obi Mikel, Branislav Ivanovic and Gary Cahill to score a brilliant individual opening goal.
He then finished off the visitors with a clinical right-footed strike to give his side their first visit to Wembley since the 2012 semifinal, which they lost to near-neighbours Liverpool.
Lukaku was deemed surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge by Jose Mourinho but since moving to Everton in a £28 million deal he has scored 63 goals in 118 appearances and has 25 this season alone -- the first player to achieve that feat for Everton since Gary Lineker in 1985-86.
Romelu Lukaku guided Everton to a win over his former club Chelsea in Saturday's quarterfinal.
Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri, attending his first match since acquiring an £85m 49.9 percent stake in the club, has pledged to provide the cash to keep their star players and he would be well advised to make the big striker an offer he cannot refuse as soon as possible.
Almost single-handedly Lukaku inflicted Guus Hiddink's first domestic victory since taking over in mid-December and to compound matters for the Dutch caretaker boss, striker Diego Costa was sent off late on after a clash with Gareth Barry which may invite further scrutiny.
The Spain international pushed his face into Barry's neck, seemingly intent on biting him, but appeared to withdraw at the last moment.
The players then embraced but Costa was still shown a red card -- and Barry followed moments later for a second booking.
While there had been no indication in the preceding 77 minutes of the brilliance which Lukaku produced, the late flurry of yellow and red cards was entirely predictable.
Diego Costa clashes with Gareth Barry following his red card.
There were more fouls than shots in a scrappy, over-physical first half which surprisingly saw only two bookings.
It was absolutely no surprise Costa was one, cautioned for jumping into Barry in retribution for the midfielder's foul on him earlier which the Chelsea striker felt should have warranted a yellow card.
Pedro's heavy touch took the ball out of play after he skipped past Robles but it was not until the 44th minute there was a save of any note as Joel Robles tipped over Willian's free kick.
Costa came closest to breaking the deadlock just before the hour but having skipped past Ramiro Funes Mori and Robles, his shot from the acutest of angles rolled along the goal line and past the far post.
Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois denied compatriot Lukaku after Cleverley's incisive through-ball but was powerless to deny him when he stepped up a gear 12 minutes from time.
When he picked up the ball wide on the left there appeared little danger but Lukaku set off with such drive and determination Chelsea's defenders just could not handle him. Having weaved his way past four players, he confidently stroked home.
His second, from the other side of the penalty area, was less spectacular but equally clinical.
Chelsea knew the game was up but Costa's decision to clash with Barry was patently ridiculous, considering what had gone before.
His red card was swiftly followed by another after Barry's foul on Cesc Fabregas, but it could not dampen Everton's celebrations as Chelsea's last hope of silverware went the same way as Costa.

Red-carded Costa denies biting rival as Chelsea exits FA Cup

Diego Costa told Chelsea he didn’t bite an Everton opponent in a confrontation that led to the fiery striker being sent off on Saturday as his team was knocked out of the FA Cup.
Chelsea had just been humiliated by former striker Romelu Lukaku scoring twice in a five-minute span, including a breathtaking solo goal, when Costa was sent off in the 84th minute of Everton’s 2-0 win in the FA Cup quarterfinals.
Reacting to a challenge from Gareth Barry, Costa thrust his head at the Everton midfielder before appearing to sink his teeth toward Barry’s neck in a biting motion. Having already been shown a yellow card for a 10th-minute foul on Barry, Costa was dismissed for the first time in two seasons at Chelsea after being booked again.
There was no immediate reaction from Barry to suggest he had been bitten. More than four hours after the incident, Chelsea insisted there was no bite.
“Diego spoke to club officials after the game and expressed regret over his reaction to the challenge from Gareth Barry that led to his red card,” Chelsea said late Saturday on Twitter. “But Diego was also very clear that he did not bite him at any point during that altercation.”
Everton also ended with 10 men after Barry himself was shown a second yellow card three minutes later for catching Cesc Fabregas.
“Diego Costa had a fighting spirit and I would like to praise the referee (Michael Oliver),” Everton manager Roberto Martinez said. “The sending off of Costa was right.
“The sending off of Gareth Barry was right and the referee never allowed those emotions to stop the fluency. Whatever happens with Diego Costa I am sure the two players shook it off.”
The FA Cup exit followed Chelsea being eliminated from the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday.
Any hopes of defending the Premier League trophy were extinguished long ago, with Chelsea currently 10th with nine games remaining and highly likely to miss out on European football next season.
Manchester City doesn’t look like it will be succeeding Chelsea as Premier League champions after being held 0-0 at relegation-threatened Norwich on Saturday to stay fourth, nine points behind surprise leader Leicester.
The late dismissals at Goodison Park overshadowed Lukaku’s superb goals which left Chelsea to rue offloading the Belgium striker in 2014 for 28 million pounds (then $47 million), having spent most of his career on loan away from Stamford Bridge.
Lukaku’s first goal came in the 77th minute after Ross Barkley slipped the ball through to him on the left wing. Lukaku slalomed past two players before cutting inside past defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic and striking low past compatriot Thibaut Courtois.
The Belgium goalkeeper was beaten again in the 82nd when Lukaku put the ball through his legs for his 25th goal of the season — a tally greater than Chelsea’s strikers combined.
So, unlike in 2009, Guus Hiddink will not be ending this interim spell as Chelsea manager by lifting the FA Cup.
And Jose Mourinho’s permanent successor will have to rebuild the squad by attracting players to a team likely out of Europe. At the same time, Chelsea is still dealing with the legal fallout from Mourinho’s rift with its former team doctor on the opening day of the season as Eva Carneiro’s constructive dismissal case heads to a public tribunal hearing.
Relegation was the immediate threat to Chelsea when Hiddink replaced Mourinho in December but the champions’ Premier League status is not under threat.
“My first task was to get us, as soon as possible, out of this relegation zone which we surprisingly did well within a few weeks from the 16th place to 10th,” Hiddink said. “But then it is difficult, as I said before, to achieve the Champions League places and maintain two roads to have success which is the FA Cup and which was the Champions League. They are gone now and that’s a pity.”
Bournemouth looks like staying for a second season in the top flight after beating Swansea 3-2 to move 13 points clear of the relegation zone with eight games to play.
Steve Cook grabbed the winner after Max Gradel netted his first goal for the south-coast club and Joshua King only his second.
Swansea had leveled twice, first through Modou Barrow and then Gylfi Sigurdsson. But the Welsh club is now only two places and eight points above the drop zone.
Norwich remains in the relegation zone despite drawing with Manchester City, but above Newcastle and Aston Villa.
In Saturday’s third Premier League game, Graziano Pelle scored twice as Southampton beat Stoke 2-1, leapfrogging the hosts in the standings to seventh place. Southampton had Sadio Mane sent off in second-half stoppage time for an elbow on Erik Pieters.

Chủ Nhật, 27 tháng 12, 2015

Chelsea draws 2-2 as Oscar misses late penalty

LONDON: Guus Hiddink was unable to inspire Chelsea to victory in his first Premier League match back in charge at Stamford Bridge, with Oscar missing a late penalty in the 2-2 draw with Watford on Saturday. 

With both sides hunting all three points, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard was tripped by Valon Behrami after a marauding run into the penalty area in the 80th minute. 

Oscar stepped up but slipped in his run-up and blazed high over the crossbar. 

“We wanted to win today,” Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic told Sky Sports. “It’s not a good result for us, we are sad, we wanted three points. Oscar has to keep his head up because these things can happen. I’m sure he will score the next one.” 

Chelsea is 15th in the Premier League standings after the draw, while Watford is seventh but moves level on 29 points with Manchester United, which occupies sixth on superior goal difference. 

Diego Costa scored both of Chelsea’s goals but picked up his fifth yellow card of the season for a foul in the 88th and will be suspended for his side’s next match, against Man United, on Monday. 

“Diego Costa showed his best today,” said Hiddink, who was interim manager of Chelsea in 2009. “It is a pity.” 

Costa put Chelsea ahead in the 32nd minute, with an instinctive volley after John Terry won a header from Willian’s corner. 

But three minutes before halftime, Watford captain Troy Deeney hauled his side level with a penalty, sending Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois the wrong way after Matic was penalized for handball. 

Watford, heading into the match with four straight wins, was galvanized by the equaliser and soon forced itself into the lead. 

Odion Ighalo was allowed to turn and run at goal by Gary Cahill in the 56th minute, and his left-footed shot deflected off the defender and looped beyond Courtois. 

But Chelsea kept pushing to get back into the game, and Watford’s lead was short-lived. 

Costa notched his second with a composed finish that conjured memories of the striker in action for Chelsea last season, when his 20 goals propelled the club to the league title. 

There were claims of offside from the Watford defence as he ran through to reach an ambitious pass by Willian, before taking one touch to control before lashing across Heurelho Gomes and into the far corner. 

Both sides were unhappy to settle for a point, but the best chance either had for victory was Oscar’s spot kick. 

“It was tough to play against Chelsea but I’m very happy with the point,” Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores said. “I think the team has enough confidence for the future, it’s amazing for the story of Watford.”

Cesar Azpilicueta issues rallying cry ahead of Leicester v Chelsea

On the bench the Chelsea boss can turn to Cesc Fabregas if he needs to throw on another midfielder, while Pedro Rodriguez and Loic Remy are attacking options for the Portuguese.
In the heart of the defence, Kurt Zouma's pace and mobility has seen him named alongside John Terry, who brings experience to the centre of the backline.
Leicester City now lie second on the English Premier League table but could go back to the first position if they win their match against Chelsea today and Chelsea could drop further down on the table if they lose against Leicester City.
Blues boss Jose Mourinho trusts in Diego Costa to lead the line, with Eden Hazard, Willian and Oscar lining up to support the Spain worldwide.
Leicester, meanwhile, have picked two strikers to face the stuttering champions, with Leonardo Ulloa set to partner Jamie Vardy, who has scored 14 goals in 15 domestic games this season.

Chủ Nhật, 18 tháng 10, 2015

Diego Costa at the double to get Chelsea winning again

Diego Costa eased Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho's concerns as Aston Villa's hapless defenders heaped more misery on Tim Sherwood at Stamford Bridge.

Costa returned from suspension to score one and force another as the Premier League champions won 2-0 and their fans sang "we are staying up" - something which cannot be said with any certainty of Sherwood's Villa.
Diego Costa (centre) celebrates after capitalising on Brad Guzan's mistake

Diego Costa (centre) celebrates after capitalising on Brad Guzan's mistake

Mourinho was the subject of the first managerial vote of confidence of Roman Abramovich's 12-year ownership following the October 3 loss to Southampton, which left the Blues 16th.
And the Russian billionaire was present as the Villa clash began with the home crowd voicing their support for the self-proclaimed Special One.
Mourinho laughed that Costa had "found the reasons for the bad results" - and maybe the striker named himself as the solution before his return from a three-match absence for violent conduct.
Costa was a nuisance against Arsenal, his most recent match, but scarcely needed to be against Villa, who were responsible for their own undoing.
Brad Guzan's woeful clearance and Joleon Lescott's poor control allowed Willian to nick in before he centred and Costa netted his third of the season.
If Chelsea had not had much luck to date, as Mourinho has said, they received more good fortune when a Costa shot looped in off Alan Hutton to complete the victory.
The visiting congregation had lauded Sherwood, who was appointed in February and responded with applause, but it is clear Villa are in trouble.
Villa were just the visitors Chelsea were hoping for in the midst of their crisis, having had one win in 13 prior league games at Stamford Bridge while conceding 30 times in the previous eight visits.
They were equally as accommodating on this occasion after an open start when they looked as likely as Chelsea to score.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, making his first league start, was deployed out of position in the advanced 'number 10' role, with Cesc Fabregas deeper.
Loftus-Cheek fluffed one pass intended for Costa and next saw a deflected shot bobble wide.
Hutton next benefited from a slip by Baba Rahman, whose first league start was hardly memorable, before firing into the feet of Asmir Begovic.
Villa's best chance fell to Rudy Gestede, who scooped Jordan Ayew's cross over with the outside of his right boot.
Guzan had looked uncertain with the ball at his feet and Willian reacted quickest when the goalkeeper's pass put Lescott under pressure. It was a simple finish for Costa.
The striker next wanted a penalty when charging through between Kieran Richardson and Lescott, but referee Roger East ignored his appeal.
There was no reaction from a seated Mourinho, who is appealing against the £50,000 fine and suspended one-match stadium ban meted out by the Football Association after he said referees were "afraid" to give Chelsea a penalty in the wake of the Southampton loss.
Nemanja Matic was sent on at half-time for Loftus-Cheek and lasted longer than the 28 minutes he did as a half-time substitute against Southampton.
Fabregas was pushed further forwards and played a diagonal pass to Costa, who ran at Richards and Hutton before a shot ricocheted in off the Scot.
Costa might have had his second but mis-timed his leap to meet a Fabregas cross.
A Grealish foul on Cesar Azpilicueta prompted a frank exchange between coaches Rui Faria and Mark Robson, while Costa was involved in minor altercations with Richards and Ashley Westwood as the clock wound down in a welcome routine home win.
TWEET OF THE MATCH
"In the relegation 6 pointer, Chelsea have gone ahead against Villa. Costa back in the goals."
- Gary Lineker @GaryLineker
https://twitter.com/GaryLineker/status/655391512788934656
PLAYER RATINGS
Chelsea
Asmir Begovic: 6 (out of 10)
Cesar Azpilicueta: 6
Baba Rahman: 5
John Terry: 6
Kurt Zouma: 6
Ruben Loftus-Cheek: 6
Cesc Fabregas: 7
Pedro: 7
Diego Costa: 7
Willian: 7
Ramires: 6
Subs
Matic: 6
Hazard: 6
Loic Remy: 6
Aston Villa
Brad Guzan: 4
Alan Hutton: 5
Kieran Richardson: 5
Micah Richards: 6
Joleon Lescott: 5
Carles Gil: 6
Idrissa Gana: 6
Ashley Westwood: 6
Jordan Ayew: 6
Rudy Gestede: 6
Jack Grealish: 6
Subs
Jordan Amavi: 6
Adama Traore: 6
STAR PLAYER
Diego Costa: Scored one - his third of the season - forced another and was a central protagonist for Chelsea. He benefited from Cesc Fabregas being allowed the space to play.
MOMENT OF THE MATCH
Chelsea's second goal - an own goal from Alan Hutton - was met with a chorus of "we are staying up". The Blues fans have kept their sense of humour amid the woeful start.
VIEW FROM THE BENCH
Eden Hazard and Gary Cahill, captain of England in his most recent game, found themselves on the substitutes' bench as Baba Rahman and Ruben Loftus-Cheek made their first league starts. Rahman was exposed and Loftus-Cheek replaced at half-time by Nemanja Matic, who lasted longer than he did at Southampton. Villa made four changes, with Jack Grealish among those restored, but despite some opportunities, did not have the resources to breach Chelsea.
MOAN OF THE MATCH
Diego Costa: He went down all too easily in search of a penalty when running between Richardson and Lescott. Costa enjoys the physical game and should be able to stay on his feet unless he is genuinely felled. He also had a Greco-Roman wrestle with Ashley Westwood as neither would allow the other to return to their feet off the ball. There was a sly kick from Costa, too.
WHO'S UP NEXT
Dynamo Kiev v Chelsea (Champions League, Tuesday October 20)
Aston Villa v Swansea (Barclays Premier League, Saturday October 24)
Copyright PA Sport 2015, All Rights Reserved

Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Five things we learned

Willian just gets better and better; Jose Mourinho is still the man for the big decisions and three more things we learnt on Saturday afternoon.

Willian - Chelsea vs Aston Villa: Five things we learnt

Willian is undoubtedly one of Chelsea's best

And so with Hazard dropped to the bench, Mourinho needed another one of his creative attacking triumvirate to step up to the plate, linking play and providing opportunities to the returning Diego Costa. Playing alongside Loftus-Cheek and Pedro, Willian was particularly impressive. His perfectly weighted free-kicks, which he routinely drops into the dangerous ‘no man’s land’ between goalkeeper and last defender, posed a frequent headache to the Villa backline, whilst his sheer energy—coming on a weekend directly after twice representing his country in South America—was hugely impressive.
Willian played a part in both of Chelsea's goals
He had a hand in the first goal, too, being the primary beneficiary of Joleon Lescott’s failure to bring under control Brad Guzan’s errant pass out from the back, and calmly strode forward with the ball before serving the chance up on the plate for Diego Costa to convert. He also set up Fabregas late on in the second half, who should have perhaps done better with his opportunity. There is no doubt that Eden Hazard is still the main man at Chelsea, but Willian’s value to this team appears to be growing with every performance.

Mourinho still nails the big decisions

Much has been written about Mourinho in the past few days and weeks, with his confrontational behaviour—whether on the touchline, in press conferences, or at glossy book launches in Waterstones—frequently catching the attention of the media spotlight. And, naturally, much of this attention has centred on the question of whether he has ‘lost it’: whether he has somehow lost the managerial attributes that helped to forge his reputation.
Mourinho at his Aston Villa press conferenceJose Mourinho is not afraid to drop the big names  Photo: REX
This Chelsea team still requires some tactical tweaking—in particularly down the flanks—and Mourinho’s man-management ability is far from universally lauded, but reassuringly for Chelsea supporters, his propensity, and willingness, to put his neck on the line where the big decisions are concerned remains unaffected. Not every manager would have dropped the PFA Player of the Year to the bench in favour of a 19 year old, the same that not many managers would be willing to sub off their club captain or a player of Nemaja Matic’s stature, but Mourinho made the call, and was validated by the three points. If Hazard, who was given a relatively anonymous five minute run out at the end of this contest, benefits from the rest and returns a better player, the decision will emerge even smarter.

Stamford Bridge may have lost the fear factor

Chelsea’s utterly imperious home form under Jose Mourinho has been the bedrock of their domestic success, and even in the stop start domestic campaign of two seasons ago, Stamford Bridge remained a fortress. But this season, that has changed. Premier League teams have begun to sense there is an opportunity to win points at this famous old ground, and Mourinho even acknowledged this in his pre-match press conference, telling journalists that “teams think they can come here and get a result- we need to change that.”
Stamford Bridge - a bastion of hospitality
Fortunately for Mourinho, Villa were ultimately unable to do that today, hampered as they were by a Brad Guzan howler and a desperately unlucky deflection. But the manner in which they started this contest — aggressively, confidently, and on the offensive — suggests that Mourinho was correct in expressing such a sentiment. Only by winning comprehensively again and again, can Chelsea restore that all important fear factor. That long process begins now.

Ivanovic cannot simply be switched with Azpilicueta

Along with Willian, Cesar Azpilicueta has been one of the few bright points of Chelsea’s disappointing start to the season. His accomplished performances belie the fact he is rarely deployed by Mourinho in his preferred right-back position, and so it was an exciting prospect for Chelsea fans to finally see ‘Dave’ (as he has affectionately been nicknamed) on his favoured flank.
Cesar Azpilicueta challenges Jack Grealish
The Spaniard put in a typically assured performance, most catching the eye when raiding forward for the home side. However, his switch to the right obviously opened up a gap on the left, which Mourinho decided to plug with the inclusion of summer signing Baba Rahman. And Rahman remains unconvincing, frequently troubled by Carles Gil, as well as suffering the ultimate Premier League indignation of being skinned by 30-year old Alan Hutton. His early display negated the good progress made by Azpilicueta, and demonstrated precisely why the troubling form of Ivanovic will not simply be solved by a direct switch for Azpilicueta, as many have been clamouring for.

Aston Villa’s greatest enemy…is Aston Villa

A fantastic early opportunity for John Terry aside, Aston Villa largely got the better of Chelsea in the opening exchanges, and Gestede should have opened the scoring for the away time after some bright work from Jack Grealish and Ayew. But the chance inexplicably went begging, before Guzan’s disastrous decision to role-play being a ‘sweeper-keeper’ whilst Willain was ominously breathing down Joleon Lescott’s neck.
The opening goal was nothing short of a disaster. It was needlessly sloppy from Guzan, and the Villa keeper then struggled along until half-time, chased down by Chelsea runners and troubled by the Villa defence’s baffling habit of playing the ball to his right hand side, when he is a left-footed player. The second goal was more unlucky than it was sloppy, but by then the damage was long since done. Tim Sherwood can recover from this defeat, and few were seriously expecting Villa to get anything out of this game despite Chelsea’s poor run of form. But fail to win either one point or three against Swansea next time out, and his position could well be in jeopardy.

Chelsea wins on Rahman’s Premier League debut



Baba Rahman Chelsea Training
Abdul Baba Rahman marked his English Premier League debut with a clean sheet for his Chelsea side.

The Ghanaian was handed the start at the back of the Chelsea defence by Jose Mourinho in place of the injured Branislav Ivanovic.

Cesar Azpilicueta was shifted to right back with Abdul Baba Rahman taking over the left full back position in the game against Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Ghana international Jordan Ayew was also given a start by manager Tim Sherwood playing in support of the Aston Villa frontline.

Baba Rahman started the game with some nervousness making a couple of mistakes in the early stages but grew into the game gradually with nothing much to do.

The former Kotoko player will certainly need more time to get into the form at Augsburg that put him on the international radar but did his decent part in the 2-0 victory to Chelsea.

First half goal from Diego Costa and a second half own goal by Alan Hutton sealed the deal for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Abdul Baba Rahman played in the full duration of the game with Jordan Ayew getting replaced by Adama Traore in the 67 minute after receiving a yellow card booking.