Final whistle
verdict: Brilliant and
beautiful
First-half goals from Diego
Costa and Eden Hazard
ensured the Blues maintained
our 100 per cent home record
in the Barclays Premier
League, with the victory
against 10-man West
Bromwich Albion extending
our lead over second-placed
Southampton, who play Aston
Villa on Monday, to seven
points.
It was a dominant Chelsea
display from the very first
whistle, with the performance
of Baggies goalkeeper Ben
Foster a key factor in keeping
the score down, particularly
before the break.
Diego Costas 11 goal of the
season, a fine volley from an
Oscar cross, broke the
deadlock after 11 minutes,
with Hazards close-range
finish 14 minutes later, his
sixth of the campaign,
extending our advantage.
The visitors cause wasnt
helped shortly afterwards
when Claudio Yacob was
shown a straight red card for
a foul on Diego Costa.
Jose Mourinho was delighted
with the performance of his
side, especially before the
break.
The first half was brilliant,
beautiful, he said. The quality
of our football was high,
another dimension. We were
playing so well, so fast and
fluid. We made the pitch wide,
creating spaces to play. We
scored two goals and should
have scored more than that, it
was fantastic.
In the second half it was
different; we decreased the
intensity of our ball circulation
and made it easier for them to
occupy the spaces. I also have
to say they did very well, they
made the decision to be very
well organised defensively,
compact with two lines,
leaving one player up, and
they got a result which I think
gives them stability and
confidence.
He explained why there was
a drop in intensity in the
second half
Sometimes I have to realise
there are reasons for things;
national team matches, players
who had to play two matches
in a row coming back, travel,
we didnt train properly, the
players knowing they have to
play in Germany on Tuesday so
the intensity went down.
They knew the points were
not at risk. The objective was
to get the three points. Many
times Im upset but not today.
You have to think first about
the points and we did that
very well. If you ask me would
I have liked to kill the game in
the first half, 3-0 or 4-0, yes I
would. I would have liked to
score more goals in the
second half and give the
crowd more of what we did in
the first half, but it wasnt
possible.
They did really well, you could
feel it from the beginning. I
can stimulate and motivate but
the reality is its up to them
and they were fantastic.
Mourinho was asked about
the atmosphere in the
stadium
There is no comparison. I
dont want to speak about it,
for good and for bad. They
pay me to coach and win
matches, not to be critical of
the crowd, so I feel sorry for
my comments a couple of
weeks ago. But the reality is
that today the difference today
was amazing.
On comparisons with his
previous Chelsea team
I cannot compare teams that
won everything with teams
that have won nothing. This
team have won nothing. The
other team finished a couple
of years ago, we have John
and Didier and nothing else.
These guys have to win if they
want to be seen as a great
team, its not about playing
beautiful football or being
autumn champions. They have
to win titles. But when I use
beautiful in relation to the
football we played in the first
half I think we all agree.
West Brom manager Alan
Irvine, meanwhile, praised the
Blues.
Theyre a really good team
and it will be extremely
difficult for anybody who
comes up against them, he
said.
In the form theyre in at the
moment youd certainly put
them as favourites (for the
title), but theres a long way to
go and this is a tough league.