Chelsea 1 - 1 StokeMame Biram Diouf strikes late to earn Stoke deserved draw at Chelsea
Home team scorersBertrand Traore 39
Away team scorersMame Diouf 85
As preparations for their biggest match of the season go, this was far from ideal for Chelsea. The hosts dropped two points late on and deservedly so against opponents who for the majority of this contest showed great aggression, intent and quality. Watching on, Paris Saint-Germain will feel they can get the job done when they arrive here for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday.
Certainly if PSG reform like Stoke did here, and Chelsea do likewise, then it is all but certain the French champions will build on the 2-1 lead they earned when the two sides met in Paris last month. Indeed the only thing that prevented Mark Hughes men from winning was a failure to take their chances and it would have been a total injustice had they not departed from west London with at least a point.
That looked likely until five minutes from the end with Chelsea clinging onto the lead they had taken on 39 minutes through Bertrand Traoré’s excellent strike and looking set to secure what would have been a fourth win in succession. But the visitors continued to exert themselves against jittery and sluggish opponents and got the goal their efforts deserved when Mame Biram Diouf struck with a header after Thibaut Courtois could only parry Xherdan Shaqiri’s right-wing cross into his path.
Bojan, on as a late substitution, came close to earning all three points, and Stoke’s first win here since 1974, with a shot in stoppage time, but Chelsea survived to remain undefeated in the league under Guus Hiddink. At least they have that to brighten their spirits ahead of the now very daunting prospect of facing PSG here on Wednesday.
Prior to this contest, Hiddink had said it was “difficult to put a break on Costa”. Well a break was found in the shape of a minor tendon strain, with the Spain forward’s absence a blow for Chelsea given he had scored or assisted 12 goals in his last 10 league appearances, well and truly rediscovering the form that had made him such an integral part of their title-winning success last year.
In Costa’s place came Willian in one of three changes made by Hiddink to the team that won 2-1 at Norwich on Wednesday, with Traoré playing as lone forward. And it was the 20-year-old who could have opened the scoring here after just only four minutes after being picked out with a deep cross by César Azpilicueta. But positioned only eight yards away from goal, Traoré completely mistimed his volley, thrashing at air instead of at the ball.
Going behind so early would have been harsh on Stoke who started the brighter of the two sides, the confidence of a team who had won their previous three matches in succession clear to see. They pressed Chelsea high up the pitch and having consistently regained possession, used it quickly and accurately, with their creative trio of Shaqiri, Ibrahim Affelay and Marko Arnautovic causing Chelsea plenty of concern in and around their penalty area.
And the visitors should have scored the goal that the quality of their approach deserved on 21 minutes but having connected with Affelay’s left-wing cross on the stretch, lone striker Diouf could only send his resulting shot from by the six yard area over the bar. Diouf, who was one of two changes made by Mark Hughes to the Stoke team that beat Newcastle in midweek, should have at least hit the target.
Arnautovic should have done better himself with an effort at the far post on 37 minutes and Stoke were made to pay for their lack of a cutting edge shortly after when Traoré gave the hosts the lead. Having collected Nemanja Matic’s pass, the player turned into space before rifling shot from outside the area into the far corner of the net. The goal was Traoré’s fourth of the season and against the run of play somewhat, but the majority of those in attendance here did not care a jot.
If Stoke were deflated by conceding so close to half-time they did not show after their break. Their approach play remained aggressive and confident with no one in black and green more intent on getting the score back on level terms than Arnautovic. Having forced Courtois into a reaction save on 46 minutes, the Austrian then forced Gary Cahill into an important interception having swiftly turning Azpilicueta.
The Chelsea centre-half had to repel another advance from Arnautovic on 70 minutes, prior to which Courtois was called upon to make an excellent low save to keep out Shaqiri’s drive and it was no exaggeration to say the hosts were hanging on to their slender lead. Hiddink appeared to recognise that by taking off bringing Ruben Loftus-Cheek on for Eden Hazard on 62 minutes and reverting to a 4-3-3 formation in order to shore up his midfield.
Chelsea did have chances themselves and arguably should have had a penalty when Marc Muniesa appeared to bundle Oscar to the turf on 70 minutes. The referee, Mark Clattenburg, did not see it that way, however, and soon after Diouf rubbed salt into Chelsea’s wounds.
Guardian