Clinical Chelsea add to Moyes misery

Article by Robert Wake

Chelsea ended any realistic chance the champions had of successfully defending their title with an ultimately comfortable victory, which owed much to superior organisation and a display of clinical finishing from Samuel Eto’o. Make no mistake, this was not a Chelsea team performing at the peak of their powers, but nevertheless, a team increasingly of the Mourinho mould getting the job done. Upon seeing the team line-up, many, myself included, questioned the selection of Eto’o in preference to Fernando Torres, but, as so often is the case, Jose knew best.

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United started brightly, and Cech had to be alert to save from Ashley Young and Danny Welbeck as the opening exchanges were dominated by the visitors. However, Chelsea took the lead against the run of play with their first meaningful attack. Eto’o collected the ball on the right side of United’s area, cut inside a tame challenge from Phil Jones, and hit a speculative shot goalwards that took a key deflection off Michael Carrick to send it arcing over De Gea and into the top corner. Suddenly Chelsea were in the ascendancy, and Oscar might have done better with an acrobatic volley that looped over the bar. As half-time approached, the Blues struck a decisive second. Willian’s corner was only cleared as far as Ramires who slipped an intelligent pass to Gary Cahill who in turn crossed for an unmarked Eto’o to convert from close range.

The game was over as a contest 4 minutes into the second half. Cahill met Willian’s corner with a thumping header that De Gea did well to keep out, but Eto’o reacted quickest in the 6 yard box to poke the ball home to seal his hat-trick. For the remainder of the game, Chelsea were happy to cede possession to their broken opponents, withdrawing Oscar and Willian for Mikel and new signing Matic, while Eto’o left the field to a standing ovation to be replaced by Torres. Javier Hernandez, who had earlier replaced the ineffective Young, pulled a goal back on 78 minutes, converting Jones’ cross from close range. There was to be no grandstand finish though, and United’s frustration boiled over in the closing minutes. Firstly Nemanja Vidic was perhaps harshly shown a straight red card for a late tackle on Hazard, before Rafael was extremely lucky to only see yellow for a horrific two-footed, airborne lunge at Cahill. David Moyes cut a forlorn figure on the touchline, while Mourinho wore the expression of a man who understood that one challenger had just been effectively removed from the title race.

Chelsea; Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, Luiz, Ramires, Willian (Matic 86), Oscar (Mikel 68), Hazard, Eto’o (Torres 78)

Goals: Eto’o 17, 45, 49

Manchester United; De Gea, Rafael, Evans, Vidic, Evra (Smalling 49), Valencia, Carrick, Jones, Young (Hernandez 57), Januzaj, Welbeck

Goal; Hernandez 78

Sent Off; Vidic 90+2

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