Chelsea 3 Norwich 1: Drogba-Torres combination fails again but it's no Mata for Blues in late show at the Bridge

By Rob Draper
Last updated at 11:01 PM on 27th August 2011
Come the final whistle it was hard to find fault with Chelsea. Juan Mata had scored a fine debut goal, Romelu Lukaku had looked a vibrant, muscular addition to the side and manager Andre Villas-Boas had secured another home win.
Indeed, for 20 minutes yesterday, Chelsea looked like a side in control.
That was the final 20 minutes, when Norwich has been reduced to 10 men and Didier Drogba, who suffered a serious head injury in a collision with John Ruddy, and Fernando Torres, one goal in 22 games and counting, had been withdrawn.

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MATCH FACTS

Chelsea: Hilario, Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry, Cole, Ramires, Mikel, Lampard, Drogba (Anelka 67), Torres (Lukaku 83), Malouda (Mata 67).

Subs not used: Turnbull, Ferreira, McEachran, Alex.
Yellow cards: Bosingwa, Torres
Scorers: Bosingwa (6), Lampard (82), Mata (90+11)

Norwich: Ruddy, Barnett, De Laet, Whitbread (Pilkington 30), Naughton, Hoolahan, Bradley Johnson, Crofts, Tierney, Holt, Chris Martin.

Subs not used: Rudd, Russell Martin, Morison, Jackson, Pilkington, Fox, Bennett.
Yellow cards: Crofts, Naughton
Red cards: Ruddy
Scorers: Holt (63)
Referee: Mike Jones.
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Given the potential gravity of Drogba's concussion it would be churlish to dwell once again on the incompatibility of his partnership with Torres.

Better to focus on how good Lukaku, Mata and Nicolas Anelka looked as a front line. That told the story.

When Mata snaffled up the third goal, smashing the ball past substitute goalkeeper Declan Rudd in the 10th minute of injury time, it epitomised the difference.

True, it took a loose ball by a tired Ritchie De Laet to allow Mata in.

He seized the ball deep on the right-hand side of the area and the energy with which he pursued it was in stark contrast to that of Drogba and Torres earlier in the game.
Equally, Lukaku, a heavyweight boxer of a player, looked athletic and spritely, complementing Mata and Anelka with well-timed runs and a desire to please.

Villas-Boas attempted to speak up for the seemingly doomed partnership but ended up also conceding their weakness.
'They showed some quality and some of the technical actions were chipped balls, which were not very precise technically,' he said.

'Mata found some good spaces today for a player with only two training sessions. He showed some quickness and the team helped him find the spaces. Lukaku and Nico (Anelka) coming on helped the fluency of our team. In the first-half we had technical mistakes in passing and control, which didn't give us the correct fluency.'

[caption

New boy: Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku warms up

The requirement for a midfield creator in the mould of Luka Modric looks ever more pressing.

Anelka was outstanding, the highlight being the delightful through ball for Ramires to run on to, which exposed Norwich's defence and led to the decisive penalty in the 81st minute.

At that stage of the game, Chelsea were playing on the break. It was Norwich who were on the offensive, buoyed by a superbly-executed volleyed goal by Grant Holt.

Steve Morison might have given them the lead 13 minutes later, had he not delayed his strike and allowed John Terry to make a saving tackle.

Close watch: Ramires challenges Norwich's Bradley Johnson

'We could have been 2-1 up,' said manager Paul Lambert. 'I thought we were excellent and I couldn't have asked for anything more. The penalty changed the game.'

When Chelsea opened the scoring on six minutes, with a Jose Boswinga strike from 25 yards, it seemed a comfortable afternoon was ahead.

Norwich's back five, a formation inspired by Lambert's days in the Bundesliga, were allowing Chelsea space in midfield and Boswinga simply exploited their inability to close down the ball.

Portuguese Man-o-War: Bosingwa lets fly

Yet Norwich began to threaten even before they changed formation after half an-hour because of a hamstring injury to Zak Whitbread.

Holt got in behind the defence but could only flick the ball at Hilario and Wesley Hoolahan played in Chris Martin who was denied by the keeper.

When Kyle Naughton swung in a cross in the 63rd minute, Hilario came but never collected and Branislav Ivanovic, colliding with his keeper, headed out weakly and Holt turned the ball in with exquisite skill.

Fork in the road: the assistant referee removes a pitchfork left on the pitch

Shortly afterwards came the collision between Ruddy and Drogba, which looked accidental but saw the Ivorian crash to the ground, unconscious.
Norwich continued to press until that quick Chelsea breakaway on 81 minutes.
Anelka played in Ramires, who, racing towards goal, was felled by Ruddy.

It was a clear red card, though it didn't require Chelsea fitness coach Jose-Mario Rocha to stride into the opposition's technical area in a frenzy, provoking a shoving match with Lambert and his staff.

Long way down: Drogba and Norwich goalkeeper John Ruddy collide

Down and out: Drogba was knocked unconscious and had to be stretchered off

Lampard drove the penalty home and Norwich couldn't recover, although Morison did have one decent chance.
Ivanovic missed an open goal and it was left to Mata to apply the dream finish.
Chelsea got there eventually. It was, however, a struggle.

Spot on: Lampard wheels away after slotting home Chelsea's second of the day

 

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