Chelsea vs Stoke: Cole crushes Potters
Ashley Cole spared the blushes of Chelsea's #130million attack as the European champions spluttered to a 1-0 victory against Stoke to go three points clear at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
Roman Abramovich looked on as the Blues unleashed the #80m trio of Eden Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata for the first time behind #50m man Fernando Torres.
But the quartet were nowhere near being the 'Barcelona in blue shirts' the club's billionaire owner craves until the 85th minute, when Cole finished a brilliant move to snatch a barely-deserved win.
It could easily have been a fourth straight match without a victory for Chelsea as Torres flopped once again and Jonathan Walters hit the crossbar for Stoke, who arguably had the better of the chances.
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That would have cranked up the pressure on Blues boss Roberto Di Matteo, who shrugged off Thursday's visit of Abramovich to the club's training ground the morning after the club's opening Champions League game against Juventus.
After his gamble at picking Oscar in that 2-2 draw paid off spectacularly, Di Matteo was emboldened enough to leave out John Terry and Frank Lampard.
But despite Chelsea enjoying more of the ball, Torres, Hazard, Oscar and Mata played like the strangers they were for most of the afternoon.
Torres did nod a Mata corner over the top but, otherwise, the Champions League winners were guilty of taking too many touches, making one pass too many and allowing Stoke to smother.
The visitors should have made them pay in the 20th minute when an unmarked Walters thumped a header from Glenn Whelan's free-kick against the crossbar.
Branislav Ivanovic was lucky to avoid a yellow card for a shameful dive in the box but no referee could have failed to book Charlie Adam for rugby-tackling Ramires.
Torres is rarely upstaged when it comes to embarrassing moments and he duly added another to his collection with an air-shot after Mata's wonderful dink put him one-on-one with Asmir Begovic.
At the other end, Michael Kightly almost redirected Geoff Cameron's fizzing cross past Petr Cech while Chelsea's half was summed up when David Luiz smashed a wild shot high into the Shed End.
The home side were not exactly booed off at the break but a flat atmosphere certainly greeted them after the restart.
That changed when Chelsea were denied the latest in a catalogue of recent penalty claims when Oscar went down under Ryan Shawcross' challenge.
It may not have been a spot-kick but did not deserve the acting award that followed - a booking.
That sparked Chelsea and Oscar to life and the Brazilian tested Begovic with a low shot before Mata blazed wide following a defensive mix-up.
Stoke settled and Peter Crouch, Walters and Adam all had sighters before Di Matteo withdrew Hazard for Victor Moses just past the hour mark.
The Potters responded by sending on Michael Owen for Adam but Chelsea almost cut them open when Mata was thwarted by a brilliant Shawcross tackle.
Oscar was becoming more and more of a threat and his deflected grass-cutter was well saved by Begovic before he sent another mid-range shot narrowly wide.
Matthew Etherington replaced Kightly and Cameron Jerome came on for Crouch as Stoke sensed more than a draw.
Etherington dragged wide after John Obi Mikel, of all people, should have done better than squander what was a fine pass by Torres.
Mikel departed for Lampard for the final nine minutes and, four minutes later, Chelsea finally had the breakthrough.
It was the first piece of Barcelona-esque football of the entire afternoon as some lovely build-up ended when Mata's delightful back-heel found Cole, who lifted the ball beyond Begovic.
A brilliant last-ditch Etherington tackle prevented Moses having a chance to make it 2-0 on the break.
Terry came on for Mata and a late Luiz tackle on Walters ensured the game ended with some bad blood between the sides, with Etherington also involved in a minor altercation with Ivanovic before the final whistle.
Comments
by PeterPotter
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 5:14PM
“UmBongo, from what ive read of most of your posts, that is definitely the pot calling the kettle black!”
by UmBongo
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 4:58PM
“I know Pulis gets some stick for not attacking away from home but he chose a crazy time to make a decision like that. I'm sorry, but he did.
I am hopeful we will pick up our first win of the campaign against Swansea.
If people could stick to posting relevant posts and not ramblings of their obviously somewhat damaged psyche it would probably make for better reading.”
by PeterPotter
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 2:34PM
“AMOODY, if you ask Pulis, it's the players fault! a good worker always blames his tools right ?”
by AMOODY_72
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 9:41AM
“Michael Owen is a proven world class goalscorer, when the ball comes in the box he comes alive. He never was and never will be a midfielder, or someone who will look to drop deep and get involved in the game all the time, the way someone like Rooney does. I don't care if he stands still for 89 minutes as long as he takes the chance when it comes along. Having achieved what he has done for 15 years, by being an out and out goalscorer, why does Tony Pulis decide then to put him on in midfield. Another blatant inept piece of management by Pulis who clearly is looking out of his depth now. I would like to ask all the Pulis lovers on here, who or what they believe, is the real reason, why we have not won in ten games, not won an away game since January and only won four matches since Christmas. If is it not the managers fault, then whose fault is it?”
by boothernender
Tuesday, September 25 2012, 8:14AM
“I will happily own up to an inability to type well Peter. At the time Owen came on Stoke were looking like they might score so I don't see why bringing Owen on bothers some. Ineptness in the White House, has there ever been anything else ? I can't comment on the Johnny thing as it's just weid, crystal meth must be an evil drug.”
by JohnnyJohnson
Monday, September 24 2012, 10:28PM
“Peter Potter do you know who you are talkin too? Like Freddie Parrot face used to say with his lisp. I am thsick thsick thsick of it. Of course I have spelt my name incorrectly as in Boothentender on purpose to foil you all. You don't ask adypearce if its him or you do not ask DJofthen if he is a DJ so Peterpotter do you want a row is that why you asking me if I am a Johnny?”
by Obama4prez
Monday, September 24 2012, 10:27PM
“Reflecting back on the game the Owen substitution for Adam made no sense at all - we were comfortable at 0-0 and just needed a fresh pair of legs in midfield but Pulis puts Owen on as the fresh legs (???) - that cost Stoke a point really as there was no cover when Cole pranced down the wing and then drifted into the box unnoticed - Pulis did the same back in 2008 when we led 1-0 with 5 minutes to go at the Bridge - brings on Dave Kitson - who could not score in a br***el - when again fresh legs in midfield were required. We lost that 2-1 - Pulis continually displays an ineptness not seen since George W Bush was in the White House - he's that bad !!!
And the Owen sub would have been great if only Etherington had shot straight through defenders because there was Owen waiting for the scraps in the 6 yard box where he belongs NOT running around the midfield chasing shadows - Pulis what football coaching class did you take ????”
by PeterPotter
Monday, September 24 2012, 10:16PM
“yikes. sorry about the over post, don't know what happened there.”
by PeterPotter
Monday, September 24 2012, 9:56PM
“apparently boothernender is saying that he doesn't know how to type not spell and also doesn't like anybody else saying things he doesn't like. touchy sort int he ?
We are 5 games into our 5th season in the Prem and Tony Pulis still has not figured out how to get his team to score goals because for one thing ,Walters would not still be playing if he did. I hope we don't give anybody a good hiding, because as the law of averages go, if we score 5 goals in a games we won't score again for 4 games !”
by PeterPotter
Monday, September 24 2012, 9:55PM
“apparently boothernender is saying that he doesn't know how to type not spell and also doesn't like anybody else saying things he doesn't like. touchy sort int he ?
We are 5 games into our 5th season in the Prem and Tony Pulis still has not figured out how to get his team to score goals because for one thing ,Walters would not still be playing if he did. I hope we don't give anybody a good hiding, because as the law of averages go, if we score 3,4,5 goals in a games we won't score again for 4 games !”