Chelsea snap three-match skid with narrow win over Norwich
It took over an hour for the goal to arrive,
but a bright Chelsea performance, at times
reminiscent of the team which dominated
the Barclay's Premier League a year ago,
paid off in a welcome 1-0 triumph over
Norwich City Saturday at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues snapped an unprecedented
Roman Abramovich-era three match league
losing streak when Diego Costa's goal ended
Norwich's resistence in a contest that was
dominated in every way by Jose Mourinho's
Blues. Under pressure because of their
dreadful lack of form in a title-defense
season, Chelsea finally looked a relaxed,
confident side against visitors who actually
had started the day a place above them in
the league table.
Chelsea moved 15th in the table with the
win, but they remained 14 points off the top
of the table and probably face a struggle to
finish in the top four. That's the price of a
first three months when performances have
been flawed and results missing, but this
Saturday afternoon was filled with positives.
Cesc Fabregas and Eden Hazard, in
particular, were always eager to get
involved, probing with their passes and
running at defenders. Kenedy, the young
Brazilian, was given a start at left back and
immediately influenced things with his
attacking runs and Willian was his usual
active, unpredictable self. Costa, short of
goals this season, also seemed eager to
chase opportunities and it was no surprise
when he eventually opened the account.
Mourinho will undoubtedly take heart from
all that ahead of a Tuesday Champions
League journey to Israel to play Maccabi Tel
Aviv, but he will still be concerned by the
fact that all of Chelsea's possession and
creativity did not produce the bag full of
goals it should have.
Some of that was down to tenacious
Norwich defending -- the visitors chased
everything -- but there continues to be a lack
of belief in the final move at Stamford
Bridge. Chelsea, active from the start,
moving quickly and full of ideas, too often
ran out of invention in the final third.
Norwich City had a first half penalty shout
when Robbie Brady went down under some
pressure from behind by Willian but referee
Craig Pawson must have felt the attacker
fell too easily and had no interest in an
award. Otherwise, they spent much of the
match defending in depth, living on the edge
at times. Asmir Begovic was largely a
spectator in the Blues' goal.
The first half was largely Chelsea's until the
final five minutes when both teams had
chances. Sebastien Bassong might have put
Norwich ahead in the 42nd minute but John
Terry produced a vital block, then keeper
John Ruddy was excellent at the other end
when Costa had the Blues' best look of the
half after Kenedy's set-up pass.
The scenario did not change after the break,
Chelsea continuing to hammer away,
Norwich left to defend a range of attacks as
the Blues used the width of the field
effectively.
The breakthrough finally came just after the
hour when Costa timed a perfect run to
Cesc's smartly-taken free kick on the
halfway line. The striker collected with room
to hold possession in the box, then stepped
to his right to create a better angle before
easily slotting the ball beyond Ruddy's reach.
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