Chelsea battle to tough victory over Norwich
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 02/03/2016 at 00:25 GMT
Premier League, Carrow Road – Norwich City 1 (Redmond 68) Chelsea 2 (Kenedy 1, Costa 45)
Diego Costa celebrates scoring the second goal for Chelsea with Bertrand Traore.
Image credit: Reuters
A Kenedy goal after just 39 seconds at Carrow Road spurred Chelsea on to a tense 2-1 victory over Norwich to leave Alex Neil's Canaries in deep trouble.
Kenedy’s goal was the fastest in the Premier League this season, the Brazilian receiving the ball from Eden Hazard on the left flank before cutting inside to arrow his left-footed shot past John Ruddy.
Diego Costa grabbed a controversial second just before the break in an offside position, but Chelsea then went into defensive mode and Nathan Redmond set up a big finish, shooting low past Thibaut Courtois from Wes Hoolahan’s neat pass.
Norwich upped the tempo and created the better chances in the final quarter of the match. Cameron Jerome squandered a couple of glorious opportunities to get on the scoresheet and Courtois saved a late effort from point blank range as Chelsea held out for the victory that sees them rise to eighth in the table.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2016/03/01/1806420-38125691-2560-1440.jpg)
Diego Costa celebrates scoring the second goal for Chelsea with Bertrand Traore.
Image credit: Reuters
The Canaries now face a relegation scrap for survival, defeat sending them below Newcastle United and 19th on goal difference.
TALKING POINT
A limp linesman proved costly for Norwich. Diego Costa was at least a yard offside for Chelsea’s goal right on half time. Who knows whether Chelsea would have gone more defensive had it not stood, but it turned out to be a killer decision.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Nathan Redmond (Norwich City): Scored the goal to put the Canaries back in with a shout and created more chances after that by running at a Chelsea defence that seemed frightened by his pace.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2016/03/01/1806324-38123771-2560-1440.jpg)
Chelsea's Brazilian striker Kenedy (L) celebrates scoring the opening goal in the first minute of the English Premier League football match between Norwich City and Chelsea at Carrow Road in Norwich, eastern England, on March 1, 2016
Image credit: AFP
PLAYER RATINGS
Norwich City: Ruddy 6; Bennett 6, Martin 7, Klose 6; Pinto 6, Tettey 6, Howson, Brady; Redmond 8, Hoolahan 7, Jerome 6. SUBS: Mbokani 6, O'Neil 7.
Chelsea: Courtois 6, Azpilicueta 6, Cahill 6, Ivanovic 6, Kenedy 7, Fabregas 6, Matic 6, Hazard 6, Oscar 6, Traore 7, Diego Costa 7. Baba Rahman 6, Mikel 6, Willian 7.
KEY MOMENTS
1’ – GOAL! Norwich City 0-1 Chelsea: Kenedy receives the ball on the left from Hazard before cutting inside and arrowing a left-footed shot past Ruddy and into the far corner.
45+2’ – GOAL! Norwich City 0-2 Chelsea: A definite hint of offside about this one as Diego Costa latches onto Traore’s flick and lifts his shot past the advancing Ruddy to put the Blues further ahead.
53’ – GREAT CHANCE JEROME! He simply must score. Martin heads it across goal and he puts it over only five yards out.
68’ – GOAL! Norwich City 1-2 Chelsea: Nathan Redmond gives Norwich a lifeline, shooting low to the left past Courtois from Hoolahan’s neat ball.
78’ – O’NEIL DOES A TERRY BUTCHER: It’s a nasty clash of heads between Robert Brady and Gary O’Neil and there is blood everywhere, Brady bleeding from the mouth and O’Neill from his forehead. Both go off for treatment and O’Neill comes back on with a bandage reminiscent of Terry Butcher against Sweden, just he doesn’t continue to bleed as much.
90+4’ – GOOD SAVE COURTOIS: Redmond shoots past the left post as Chelsea players again back off in numbers. One last chance from the corner and Courtois saves from point blank range!
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2016/03/01/1806350-38124291-2560-1440.jpg)
Diego Costa celebrates scoring the second goal for Chelsea
Image credit: Reuters
KEY STATS
Kenedy's goal after 39 seconds is Chelsea's quickest goal since Eidur Gudjohnsen needed 27 seconds to score scored v Arsenal on 21 Feb 2004 (2-1 defeat).
Diego Costa scores his second goal outside of London this season. The first came in the 3-2 victory at West Bromwich Albion on 23 August, his first PL goal of the campaign.
Chelsea are unbeaten in 12 PL matches (W6-D6), since the 2-1 defeat at Leicester City in José Mourinho's final fixture as Blues manager. It is the longest current active unbeaten run in the PL.
Guus Hiddink has lost just one of his 24 Premier League matches as a manager (W16 D7 L1).
Chelsea win three successive Premier League matches for the first time since April 2015.
MATCH IN A TWEET
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article