Afterthoughts: Chelsea 2-1 Hull City

Well first of all I am back in the land of the living after the weekend I just had at and around Chelsea (needed a day to recover) so in this time its a bit too late for me to write a detailed match report so I am just going to go forward with my afterthoughts on what a lot of people would look at on paper and think that's a straightforward three points for the blues. But weren't we all wrong bigtime!

Credit to Hull who came to Stamford Bridge with a game plan to defend and remain solid and say to Chelsea "Come and break us down!". You ask anyone in the league if you are playing against a well organised and disciplined two banks of four then it will be difficult and Phil Brown has a hard working side at his disposal. So it was never an easy game for Chelsea. Remember last season (alright albeit towards the end of Scolari's reign) they did the same and frustrated us with a 0-0 draw at the Bridge.

I thought we started off well and should of been at least two goals up early on in the game, give it a couple of weeks into the new season and Didier would hammer that volley into the top corner of the net let alone the Matthew Harding!. But its just typical that with all of our possession, and some half chances we had created that the villain of the piece Steven Hunt pops up unmarked and taps in from 6 yards!.

This of course endeared himself to the blues fans even more than we already loved him! But once this went in it was a case of here we go again!. Within ten mins Didier stepped up and well and truly made up for those earlier misses with a great free kick. I must admit whenever we have a free kick in that position you always look to Lampard first, but since he has been copying the Ronaldo style he hasn't scored that many, so when Didier lined the ball up it wasn't really a surprise. What a great free kick and we were back on level terms. Keeper had no chance!

Second half again was all about Chelsea's possession of the ball, with Mikel off and Essien moved to the holding role (where he looks much more comfortable), Ballack on for Malouda and Deco on for Mikel we looked much more balanced. We had untold pressure on their back four with corner after corner, but it just seemed that we weren't going to break them down. Myhill made a good save from Bosingwa, Kalou on late for Anelka should of scored with a header from 6 yards, Kalou and Deco had curling efforts to the far corner that went wide, but we were really dominating the game.

Don't get me wrong Hull had the odd chance and the closest they came to scoring was when Carvalho deflected a cross which nearly caught Cech out but he scrambled back on his line and tipped the ball over. With a couple of long injury breaks in the second half the sight of 6 minutes added time lifted the supporters again and just when you think its not going to be our day something happened that can only be described as a fluke. Didier himself has even admitted to it. But we had possession of the ball again, half cleared and the Didier found himself with the ball at his feet so took the ball wide left and "dinked" a cross come shot over Myhill from the tightest of angles to seal the much deserved win for Chelsea.

Yes it was a cross, yes it was a fluke, but they say in this game that you always need a bit of luck if you are going to be successful so we will take that one all day every day!!



Overall I thought we played far to slow at times and there wasn't enough urgency about our play. Again the 4-diamond-2 formation will be discussed over and over again, but it does take time to bed in and for the players to settle down. Essien still looks wanting on the right for me, Lampard was ineffective on Saturday behind the front two like he was in the Community Shield so this is something that I am sure Carlo will work on. But for now, we have three points and we move onto tonight's game away at Sunderland!

KTBFFH & Carefree everyone!