[1]Following on from our weekend victory at Wigan Eden Hazard again made an impressive impact in our 4 -2 win against Reading at Stamford Bridge last night.
Roberto Di Matteo fielded a strong team including a recovered Ramires but with the absence of David Luiz through a knee injury.
Reading packed the midfield and looked initially to sit back but in what finally turned out to be an exciting end to end game Hazard was involved inside two minutes. He raced onto a pass from Mata on the left hand side, but the shot across goal just rolled wide.
Five minutes later we went closer as a move involving Torres and Ivanovic set up an attack for the returning Ramires who shot on goal but the Reading keeper palmed the ball away.
Reading launched a counter-attack from Federici’s save but lone striker Pavel Pogrebnyak shot wide before Torres got his first chance of the match.
He showed some excellent trickery to deceive Jem Karacan and Kaspars Gorkss to make space in the penalty area but his effort was blocked and flew to safety.
It was more skill that created the chance for the opening goal as Hazard had his standing leg tripped in the box by Gunter leaving match official Lee Mason with the easy decision to award the penalty.
Step up Frank Lampard who drilled low and powerfully to Federici’s right. He dived the right way but had little chance of keeping it out. This was Lampards 188th Chelsea goal.
The lead lasted little more than five minutes when Garath McCleary exchanged a quick one-two with Danny Guthrie before finding Pogrebnyak who beat Gary Cahill to head into the top corner beyond Cech.
Just before the half hour mark Reading were in front after a John Terry foul gave away a free kick around 20 yards from goal.
Guthrie blasted low and hard at Cech who unusually for him spilled the ball and could only watch as it trickled into his net.
We had chances to equalise before the interval but Hazard fired over from distance before crossing for Torres, who nodded just wide, while Alex Pearce was inches away from extending the visitors’ lead, but luckily could not connect with an Ian Harte free kick.
We wasted no time attempting to get back into the game after the break as Torres pulled back to the edge of the box for Ivanovic but his shot sailed over the bar.
Roberto Di Matteo handed Oscar his Stamford Bridge debut in place of Ramires and he was immediately among the action nicking the ball away from Karacan, who upended the Brazilian and picked up a yellow card.
With over an hour played we carved out a second half opening and after some pinball in the box following an Ivanovic pass the ball fell to Hazard but his shot was blocked by Pearce when Federici may well have been beaten.
Di Matteo made another change replacing John Obi Mikel with striker Daniel Sturridge but it was a defender who would pull the scores level in the 70th minute.
Cahill’s long range effort bounced in front of the outstretched palms of Federici, who pushed the shot into the bottom corner.
The equaliser gave us the impetus to press for a winner with Juan Mata going close beating Federici but curling the ball past the post and it was Mata again with ten minutes remaining scuffing wide after an Ivanovic cross fell into his path.
Just moments later we scored the winner as Ashley Cole darted onto a pass inside the box and squared for Torres who got ahead of the resolute Reading backline and tapped into an empty net.
There were suspicions of offside surrounding the goal but in any case we took all three points as Federici came up for a corner and left his goal exposed, allowing us to break through with Hazard, who gifted Ivanovic an open goal in the dying moments.
After the game Roberto Di Matteo commented on Eden Hazard:-
‘He certainly had an impact on our team, and with Juan Mata as well he linked up very well. He is finding his feet very quickly.’
Next up for the Blues another home fixture on Saturday against Newcastle.
Gill Reeves – CSG disabled rep.
Stats from the BBC website: [2]
Chelsea
• 01 Cech
• 02 Ivanovic
• 03 Cole
• 24 Cahill
• 26 Terry
• 07 Ramires (Oscar – 57′ )
• 08 Lampard
• 12 Mikel (Sturridge – 68′ )
• 17 Hazard
• 09 Torres
• 10 Mata (Meireles – 84′ )
Substitutes
• 22 Turnbull
• 34 Bertrand
• 05 Essien
• 06 Romeu
• 11 Oscar
• 16 Meireles
• 23 Sturridge
Reading
• 01 Federici
• 02 Gunter
• 05 Pearce
• 17 Gorkss
• 23 Harte
• 04 Karacan – Booked (Le Fondre – 71′ )
• 08 Leigertwood
• 11 McAnuff
• 20 Guthrie
• 07 Pogrebniak – Booked (Hunt – 77′ )
• 12 McCleary (Robson-Kanu – 86′ )
Substitutes
• 21 McCarthy
• 06 Mariappa
• 24 Cummings
• 16 Tabb
• 19 Robson-Kanu
• 09 Le Fondre
• 10 Hunt
Ref: Mason
Att: 41,733