Chelsea 4-1 Cardiff City - Match Reports, Reaction and Video

Match reports

The Sunday Telegraph, Ben Findon: “Chelsea overcame a defensive mix-up to cash in on a controversial goalkeeping incident and a fine display of finishing, eventually subduing Cardiff City to move into second place. Perhaps it was all too much for Jose Mourinho, sent to the stands by referee Anthony Taylor for dissent after stepping beyond his technical area to harangue the official who had appeared to warn Branislav Ivanovic for time-wasting. Mourinho could, at least, admire his side’s newly-acquired predatory instincts alongside some delighted fans in the East Stand as Oscar and Eden Hazard applied a blue sheen to the score.”

The Observer, Dominic Fifield: “[W]hile he cares not a jot at having his wrist slapped, Mourinho may reflect that the time had come regardless to ditch the Happy One tag adopted upon his appointment in the summer. This was management with a snarl, outraged as he was at perceived time-wasting by his opponents and too much dawdling by his own team. Cardiff City had impressed up to the interval as Chelsea rather drifted until Taylor allowed Eden Hazard’s opener, mystifyingly, to stand. The home manager would have been infuriated by his own side’s lack of focus and while they did improve after Oscar’s introduction, it took another bold switch to three at the back to produce a lead.”

The Independent on Sunday, Patrick Barclay: “Yes, Jose Mourinho was in trouble again, banished to the stands – he eventually chose a vacant seat in the fifth row, directly behind the Chelsea dugout – for troubling the referee, Anthony Taylor, and fourth official Trevor Kettle on questions of time-wasting. But it was how his team extricated themselves from difficulty that carried more significance, even if this, too, involved controversy. They, nevertheless, moved above Liverpool on goal difference and stayed nicely tucked behind the Premier League leaders, Arsenal, by coming from behind to beat Cardiff, Samuel Eto’o scoring his first for the club and Eden Hazard, challenged only by Oscar’s cameo for man-of-the-match honours, collecting a double.”

The Official Chelsea FC Website: “On an eventful afternoon at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea came from behind with Samuel Eto’o scoring his first Chelsea goal which was added to by Oscar and Eden Hazard deep into the second-half, the Belgian’s goal his second of the game. The winger had equalised with what was an unusual strike, Eto’o having caught the goalkeeper out as he was about to clear up pitch, and to add to the talking points Jose Mourinho was sent to the stands in the second half. Chelsea have now scored 11 goals in the last three games. Oscar now has five goals for the season.”

Goal videos

10’ Mutch 0-1 33’ Hazard 1-1 66’ Eto’o 2-1 78’ Oscar 3-1 82’ Hazard 4-1 Match of the Day highlights

Steve Holland’s reaction

‘It was a good response from the players to come back from that. When you’re playing opposition who play, as they’re quite entitled to, with so many players behind the ball and make it difficult for you, if you give them that break it gives them belief and creates anxiety in your own performance, so it wasn’t a good start for us, but the players responded very well.’ More here

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