Friday, September 5, 2014

Maximum points maintained

An absolute cracker of a match at Goodison Park saw Chelsea continue our impressive start to the season with another win, this time 6-3 against Everton.
Our 100 per cent record was extended in the Premier League, making us one of only two teams to have won all their matches so far, and another potent attacking display took us to a total of 11 goals in those three games, fully five more than the next best in the division.
It's hard to imagine a better start to a match than the Blues enjoyed in Liverpool on Saturday, as it took us just 35 seconds to take the lead. Another fine passing move straight from the kick-off ended with Cesc Fabregas playing Diego Costa through on goal, with Everton's first touch of the ball coming as goalkeeper Tim Howard failed to prevent the Spanish international's powerful low shot finding the back of the net.
The Blues fans had barely finished their celebrations when they were back on their feet, this time Branislav Ivanovic getting his name on the score sheet after confidently converting Ramires's pass, putting us two goals ahead in less than three minutes.
The home side gradually regrouped as the first half went on and found themselves a lifeline just before the break when Kevin Mirallas headed in Seamus Coleman's cross, but the the real excitement was saved for the second period.
The half started with a flurry of chances as Howard denied John Terry and Diego Costa as tempo increased to a breathless pace and on 67 minutes we were two up again, when Coleman diverted Eden Hazard's low cross into his own net.
That sparked an incredible 10 minutes that saw five goals, with the two teams exchanging blows. It was Everton's Steven Naismith who found the net next, before Nemanja Matic responded almost instantly be scoring his first-ever Chelsea goal with a low drive from the edge of the box that went in off the post.
It was then Samuel Eto'o's turn, as the former Blues striker pulled a goal back with a clever header from a set-piece, but then Matic turned provider with a swift one-two to allow Ramires to jab the ball past Howard and make it 5-3.
Thibaut Courtois finally broke the spell with an excellent save to prevent his fellow Belgian international Mirallas scoring a second and Filipe Luis was introduced for his Blues debut to sure things up at the back in the final minutes.
As it was, another substitute, John Mikel Obi, helped to kill the game off at last, racing on to Muhamed Besic's errant pass and neatly teeing up Diego Costa with a back-heel. The striker's finish was even better, wrong-footing a defender and the goalkeeper with a quick step-over before slotting home his fourth goal of the season, leaving Jose Mourinho satisfied after seeing his team provide such an entertaining attacking performance despite conceding three goals.
After all that excitement perhaps it is a good thing that the Chelsea supporters have a week off to recover, as the international break means our next match isn't until 13 September, when we take on Swansea City at Stamford Bridge.
There will be no such rest for many of the Blues players, though, as they head off on international duty for the first matches since the World Cup.
Andre Schurrle and his Germany team-mates were in friendly action against Argentina last night in a repeat of July's final. They begin their European Championship qualifying campaign against Scotland on Sunday.
Gary Cahill and Petr Cech also have their first qualifying games for that tournament, as England take on Switzerland on Monday and the Czech Republic face the Netherlands a day later. Diego Costa, Fabregasand Cesar Azpilicueta – the last of those fresh from signing a new five-year contract with Chelsea – are in Spain's squad for their opening qualifier with Macedonia on Monday.
New signing Loic Remy could get a close look at some of his Chelsea team-mates in action, as he is in France's squad to face that Spanish side tonight, before playing a second friendly versus Ivanovic andMatic's Serbia on Sunday. Courtois is also in friendly action tonight, as Belgium host Australia.
There is also qualifying action getting under way in Africa, as Mikel's Nigeria and Mohamed Salah's Egypt begin their journey to January's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
There is no competitive action for Brazil, although new boss Dunga has called up Ramires, Oscar, Willianand Filipe Luis for their friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador.

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