Crystal Palace 1 Chelsea 2, Premier League: Jose Mourinho's side remain top after dominant victoryCrystal Palace vs Chelsea, Premier League match report – Hosts out-thought, out-paced and above all out-played by a Jose Mourinho side that purred at Selhurst Park
It was, according to Jose Mourinho, a matter of “big balls”. And he wasn’t referring to the scale of the object being kicked around the Selhurst Park pitch.
Asked what was the difference in his team’s performance compared to last season, when they had been embarrassed at Crystal Palace, the Chelsea manager reached for a reporters’ notebook and gleefully wrote out the two words in capitals.
“In that game last March they were better than us,” he added, by way of elucidation. “Today, from minute one to minute 94 we imposed our game, we were always in control. I think we played very, very well.”
He was right there. Rarely can a scoreline have given as inadequate summary as this.
There was nothing close, tight or even about Chelsea’s 2-1 victory. The only area of the game in which Crystal Palace matched their visitors was in the production of red cards: both sides ended the game with 10 men. The difference was that Chelsea looked as if they had at least half a dozen more than their ever spirited opponents.
“Ten against 10 is easier than 11 against 11,” claimed Mourinho. “We spoke about that at half-time. The way my players demonstrated that fact was magnificent.”
As it always is, Selhurst Park was noisy in its anticipation of this derby. The welcome from the home fans as Mourinho and his team took the field was not exactly friendly. A banner was flourished in the home stand that read: “Roman’s dirty money is a disease that has plagued our game."
But it was not money alone that made the difference here. Abramovich’s source of income may not be one which withstands the most vigorous of ethical analysis, but never mind where the cash has come from, there is no question his manager has spent it well. For 90 minutes in south London his expensively acquired assets gelled to perfection.
Quick, fluid and intelligent in their running, the Chelsea midfield spent the second half of this game so dominant in possession, two Palace subs waited for a good 10 minutes on the touchline attempting to come on as their visitors played keep ball.
Chelsea had started as they intended to go on. With Willian, Oscar and Eden Hazard endlessly switching position, and behind them Cesc Fabregas ceaselessly prompting, the visitors had Palace immediately on their heels.
After five minutes, Damien Delaney, who was to have a most uncomfortable afternoon, fouled Willian.
A free-kick was awarded some 30 yards out, but Oscar was hardly concerned by such a distance. He bent his kick perfectly up and over the wall, past Julián Speroni into the goal.
Palace came immediately back. Less subtle in their movement, relying largely on pace they may have been, but they refused to be cowed. Briefly in the first half speed threatened to be enough. On 11 minutes, Fraizer Campbell harried Gary Cahill, flicked the ball ahead of Thibault Courtois but pushed it over bar.
Three minutes later, the Palace man’s pace again discomforted Cahill, leaving him stranded as the forward dashed goalwards. Campbell shot left-footed across Courtois, but the ball skimmed past the far post.
The frantic pace and growing passion came to the boil just before half-time. César Azpilicueta was sent off by Craig Pawson for a miscontrolled two-footed slide on Mile Jedinak.
“The point is not to worry if fair or not fair,” Mourinho said of the sending-off. “The point is to think quick and make decisions.”
He did that, sending on Felipe Luis for Willian and quickly rearranging his midfield.
Unfortunately for the home side’s hopes, however, their superiority in numbers lasted but four minutes. Delaney, already booked for a challenge on the electric-heeled Loïc Rémy, again attempted to slow the player by tugging at his shirt. It drew a second yellow card from the referee’s pocket.
As a very angry Palace fan in a black jacket was evicted from crowd, as the challenges flew in, each soundtracked by baying howls from the crowd, Mourinho was already making his way to the dressing room, plotting how best to exploit the circumstance.
His organisational rearrangement bore immediate fruit. Fàbregas, the wellspring of so much of the visitors’ endeavour, was the first to seize advantage of the extra spaces available.
Five minutes into the second half, he exchanged passes with Hazard and Oscar before striding into the Palace area and firing low past Speroni. It was a lovely strike, indicative of Chelsea’s team work.
“The second goal was a scandal it was unbelievably good,” purred Mourinho.
His counterpart Neil Warnock, meanwhile, was less impressed. Semaphoring his anger, he implored his team to get forward. Perhaps spotting their manager’s rising agitation on the touchline, Palace were not about to give up.
Chelsea’s domination of the ball may have been almost total, the home side may have been pushed deeper and deeper, relying increasingly on hoof and hope, but Campbell got due reward for his unceasing endeavour when he tapped home Wilfried Zaha’s cross as injury time beckoned.
It was never going to be enough. Sensing the meaning of the win, the Chelsea fans had spent the last 20 minutes of the game chanting: “We are top of the league.”
As they did so they were bathed in unseasonably warm sun. They cannot have been alone in taking it as a symbol of Chelsea’s shining season.
