Chelsea 2-0 Newcastle Utd: Saving Up the Bus Fare
Genius & Possessed
By Since66
August 26 2012
Two wonderful second-half saves from Petr Cech not only secured three valuable points for Chelsea to keep them clear at the top of the Premier League, but the saves banished the memories of the howler against Reading on Wednesday night.
Three games, three wins, eight goals scored and two clean sheets and a penalty per game of which there was one yesterday created by Fernando Torres after he was clipped by Utd debutant Anita midway through the first-half.
With Super Frank rested to the bench, the crowd around me and to be honest yours truly muttered under bated breaths; ‘please not Mata, not Mata’ and this continued until the man of the moment, Eden Hazard picked up the ball and carefully placed the ball on the spot in front of the travelling Geordies at the Shed End of Stamford Bridge.
Penalty emphatically despatched.
Hazard duly celebrated and deservedly so after being the creator of so much so far in the first week of the 2012/13 season.
Hazard’s work was not complete as in stoppage time at the end of the first-half, he received the ball from Torres at the edge of the area, Hazard then produced a stunning a back-flick into the path of the rejuvenated Spaniard and Torres duly smashed the ball into the top corner with the outside of his boot.
Torres played like a man possessed. He was all over the pitch working for the team and really looking like the same Torres of two years ago that cost Chelsea £50m.
Torres is now the main man. The main striker, numero uno at the club, a position and responsibility which he will thrive on and with three goals in his last four games and the striker of old is now returning back to his best.
After the game, the best left-back in the world, Ashley Cole, praised the efforts of Torres and Hazard.
Cole said, “We have lost Didier Drogba who was a big powerhouse up front for us so sometimes we used to knock the ball up to him, but now we have signed a few smaller players so we have to get the ball down and play a bit more, and the second goal was a fantastic team goal.
“We had maybe 10 or 15 passes and we stayed patient and in the end it was a great finish by Fernando.”
Of Hazard Cole said, “I had to mark Eden when England played Belgium and I saw how dangerous he was.
“I said to the boys after the game this player is going to do well in the Premier League and so far he has. He deserves a lot of credit for the great start we have had and hopefully he can keep doing it throughout the season.”
With Chelsea in Super Cup action next Friday night against Atletico Madrid in Monaco, followed by almost two weeks International break, Chelsea’s next league game is against QPR on 15th September, followed by Stoke City on Saturday 22nd September.
A month should be plenty of time to save up the bus fare!!
Chelsea: Cech (c), Ivanovic, Luiz, Cahill, Cole, Mikel, Meireles (Lampard 87), Mata (Ramires 66), Hazard, Bertrand, Torres.
Goals: Hazard pen 21, Torres 45
Booked: Torres 39
Newcastle United: Krul, Simpson (R Taylor 63), S Taylor, Coloccini, Santon (Marveaux 73), Ben Arfa, Cabaye (Perch 76), Anita, Gutierrez, Ba, Cisse.
FIRST LONDON CLUB TO WIN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
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