Another test passed...wouldn't say we were that great, Fabregas and Kante aside...feared the worst when Llorente headed in the equaliser - what a nice signing he would have been if we had pulled it off last month - got lucky with a penalty decision and Pedro's goal...but just imagine again how our rivals must feel...another game won and the games are running out for them to catch up...highlight of the day was getting a proper chance to say thanks to lamps...about time!

Just finished reading the match thread after getting back from the game, in parts I thought I'd been to a different game. Apart from the poor goal we conceded we were always in control. We could've moved the ball quicker to break down their 11 behind the ball, but we never rushed or got frustrated. Watching live, Kante's work rate at closing down and winning back possession was superb. Also a couple of instances where players were out of position he was there to make it look effortlessly. Pleased for Cesc and Pedro with their contributions. Another game ticked off towards our big goal!!!! 

Normally I am all for a  bit of realism in regards to our performance. But I am cheesed off this evening.

We dominated the game. Won the ball back quickly, played with intent and limited them to what I can recall 0 chances.  Costa wasn't great but that aside it was one of our better recent performances. Can't believe I'm hearing it was a hard test/we didn't play great.

This was a far more assuring performance than Bournemouth at home, hull at home, stoke at home. All of which we seem to have got more credit for. 

64% possession, with hardly any chances conceded and plenty created. What more can we do?

 

 

Who cares if people saw it differently...top of the League, we are ALL having a laugh!

13 minutes ago, The Brit said:

Who cares if people saw it differently...top of the League, we are ALL having a laugh!

 

Great to see us win a very tough game, goal was really poor to concede defence switching off and a great response to get the win! Thought Fabregas was flawless could have had a hat-trick with better finishing and don't think he made a misplaced pass, Kante was as always everywhere his energy is immense. Probably my only game at the bridge for the season, should be another league title though! 

4 hours ago, jamie#8 said:

Normally I am all for a  bit of realism in regards to our performance. But I am cheesed off this evening.

We dominated the game. Won the ball back quickly, played with intent and limited them to what I can recall 0 chances.  Costa wasn't great but that aside it was one of our better recent performances. Can't believe I'm hearing it was a hard test/we didn't play great.

This was a far more assuring performance than Bournemouth at home, hull at home, stoke at home. All of which we seem to have got more credit for. 

64% possession, with hardly any chances conceded and plenty created. What more can we do?

 

 

Yup, that's what I want from a top team like chelsea, the dominance.. Conte is now going more to my preferred direction so credit to him..

10 hours ago, Ernie_blue said:

Anyway to put the best passer in the prem down.

Some people can't work out with Fab in the team you lose the ball less which puts less pressure on the defence. Plus at home do Chelsea really need two DMs? You just need one sitting.  What Fab gives you going forward is quality and would be too hard to replace.

A top team like us never need 2 DMs especially when we have kante, be that home or away games.. You're spot on with what cesc would give us, the control.. However, cesc is only 1 of the main reasons for that, the other reason is we have to believe, from the manager to the players, that we're the top team and play like one, sometimes we give too much unnecessary respect to the other teams thus affecting our own game.. It's not like that we don't have the quality coz we do and plenty of it..

Btw love this combination of kante sitting with cesc dictating the play, it has been what I wanted from day 1..

 

Gotta feel bad for bournemouth. They might get relegated bcoz conte wud rather have Ake on our bench than helping them. Their dramatic fall since his departure shows how good he was for them.  I am still quite miffed as to why he was brought back and his education was halted. A full season at centre back for bournemouth wud have done him a world of good. Having him and Christensen both at chelsea will be great.. It will also be a good middle finger to those who say we dont have homegrown talent because technically they are both homegrown 

13 hours ago, Bloo said:

Good result.

Sod the penalty shout - they should've had a goal disallowed after that disgusting foul at their place back in September that cost us 2 points.  Karma!

This! 

Having not seen the full game and only MOTD highlights it looks like we played well and were the better team overall. We could have scored way more in the game but we thankfully got enough goals to see the game off. 

MOTM for me was Fabregas, just looked phenomenal (where's the MOTM thread?)

They were unlucky not to get a penalty though, Azpi handballed it clear as day, we got lucky there.

But I feel we should have had a pen for the foul on Costa. The commentator said he was looking for it but the Swansea player didn't get the ball.

A win. Delighted at any Chelsea win.

Gets the momentum going in the League after our draw up at Burnley.

Good couple of goals by us, poor defending for their equalizer.

Fabregas looked like he'd a very good game. Took his goal well too.

47 minutes ago, Bobbywoodhogan said:

Having not seen the full game and only MOTD highlights it looks like we played well and were the better team overall. We could have scored way more in the game but we thankfully got enough goals to see the game off. 

MOTM for me was Fabregas, just looked phenomenal (where's the MOTM thread?)

They were unlucky not to get a penalty though, Azpi handballed it clear as day, we got lucky there.

But I feel we should have had a pen for the foul on Costa. The commentator said he was looking for it but the Swansea player didn't get the ball.

Yeah, but I don't feel bad about this at all considering how jammy they have been against us in our meetings this season. Completely robbed at their place and a free kick that shouldn't have been today.

31 minutes ago, Zero said:

Yeah, but I don't feel bad about this at all considering how jammy they have been against us in our meetings this season. Completely robbed at their place and a free kick that shouldn't have been today.

Oh don't worry, I don't feel sort for them, I'm just saying I thought it was a penalty. But as I said below I felt we should have had one aswell.

29 minutes ago, Bobbywoodhogan said:

Oh don't worry, I don't feel sort for them, I'm just saying I thought it was a penalty. But as I said below I felt we should have had one aswell.

that pen is debatable. MOTD Jenas said no way that's a pen.

16 minutes ago, mojo said:

that pen is debatable. MOTD Jenas said no way that's a pen.

I also don't think it's given that Swansea should have been awarded a penalty. The distance was very short and Azpi had his arm in a natural position. If such situations are penalties, then we would get the problem of people deliberately aiming at peoples' arms in order to win penalties.

The Azpi handball looks a slam dunk pen in slow motion, but then when you look at it in normal speed not so much.

Azpi's arm was already in the position before the ball was struck at it, from point blank range too. Having said that, if it was at the other end I'd have wanted the pen.

I thought the Kante foul was soft for the free kick that they score from, so maybe it evened itself out.

3 minutes ago, Blue Exile said:

The Azpi handball looks a slam dunk pen in slow motion, but then when you look at it in normal speed not so much.

Azpi's arm was already in the position before the ball was struck at it, from point blank range too. Having said that, if it was at the other end I'd have wanted the pen.

I thought the Kante foul was soft for the free kick that they score from, so maybe it evened itself out.

It is one of those situations that look really blatant and most referees will give them I think. But if you think about it, I think Swarbrick made the correct decision.

Edited February 26, 20179 yr by Zero

It was a 50/50 call that went for us, same as the 50/50 for their free kick went for them and the 50/50 Costa penalty shout went against us. 

If you give that as handball the ref would be giving out 4 penalties every game. His arm was there doing a job holding him off, before the ball was hit onto it.

1 hour ago, Blue Exile said:

The Azpi handball looks a slam dunk pen in slow motion, but then when you look at it in normal speed not so much.

Azpi's arm was already in the position before the ball was struck at it, from point blank range too. Having said that, if it was at the other end I'd have wanted the pen.

I thought the Kante foul was soft for the free kick that they score from, so maybe it evened itself out.

Never a foul. I reckon the ref gave the free kick because he couldn't believe that Kante won the ball back fairly in that siituation, which he did of course. But to be fair to the ref, how many players are there who are capable of doing what Kante does week in week out?

Not that it's the only factor by any means, but the loss of Kante goes a hell of a long way to explaining why Leicester are in the position they are now, and why we're sitting pretty at the top of the table.

Hell of a player, even better than Makelele, in my ever so 'umble.

2 hours ago, Zero said:

Yeah, but I don't feel bad about this at all considering how jammy they have been against us in our meetings this season. Completely robbed at their place and a free kick that shouldn't have been today.

Good point...classic case of decision evening themselves out when you think cahill was blatantly fouled for their opening goal in sponny 2-2 draw in September...and i still don't know why Kante was penalised for the free kick yesterday...watching it live and on tv replay, it just looked like he nicked the ball away like he always does...although that doesn't excuse the woeful defending that followed

Edited February 26, 20179 yr by The Brit

An important result for us, dropping points for this home game would have opened the door a crack. Great midfield play, Fab superb and I hope Matic is getting praised for his impact.