CHELSEA FANS

I want this one a lot

Jose Mourinho has a strong desire to secure the league title this season for those at Chelsea yet to experience such success.

The Blues manager is of course a serial winner of championships 
having finished top of the pile in four European countries, including 
England in 2005 and 2006 during his first spell at Stamford Bridge. With
 his team able to add a third Premier League to their manager’s 
collection should they beat Crystal Palace today, Mourinho has put into context where that would sit with the previous triumphs.

‘The titles in Portugal were big because Porto was coming from a very
 difficult moment, finishing fifth the season before when in Portugal in
 the last 20 years, the title was normally shared by two teams [Porto 
and Benfica].

‘In Spain it was fantastic because that was a period of real 
dominance by Barcelona, and Real Madrid had to do it with 100 points and
 we had to win in Barcelona’s stadium near the end of the season.

‘The ones in Chelsea were fantastic because it was the beginning of 
Mr Abramovich’s era with no title before that. Now, for me, it is a 
great feeling because it is my club, because of the league and because 
we are not any more the rich club. We are a top club but a club that 
lives from the work everyone does in this club.

‘It would mean a lot because we have lots of young players and it 
would be the first title for them, people that don’t know what it is to 
be a champions, so I want this one a lot and if we clinch the title, at 
that moment I will be much more happy for them than for myself.’

Mourinho will also be pleased if Chelsea do complete the task as he knows where silverware such as this can lead.

‘When they have the taste of success, the big players want more. 
There are people who are happy with just one victory but the big ones 
don’t get tired of winning. So I hope really that these players get a 
good taste which is maybe why the Capital One Cup was important for the 
group. We won a trophy and enjoyed Wembley, enjoyed the happiness of the
 supporters.’

No one at Chelsea is taking anything for granted however, especially 
as today’s opposition is a side managed by one of the few Premier League
 managers in Alan Pardew to have won games against a Chelsea side 
managed by Mourinho.

‘I have experience of his Newcastle when it was one thing for them to
 play against Chelsea and one thing to play against other teams,’ notes 
the Blues boss.

‘Maybe it because Alan is a Chelsea fan. He told me a lot of times 
that as a kid he was born near and he grew up as a Chelsea fan, but 
obviously he is a professional and he wants to win.

‘The reality is that when Alan’s teams play against Chelsea, they 
play a different match, so I am waiting for that, I am waiting for a 
Palace going with everything.’

Looking briefly beyond the climax to this season, part of the reason why Mourinho
 has used the fewest number of players of any Premier League club this 
season is the relatively early exit from the Champions League. That 
prevented a schedule as testing as two fixtures against the likes of 
Barcelona mixed in with our big domestic encounters with Manchester 
United and Arsenal.

As plans are put in place for next season with the aim of going 
further in Europe while staying top of the league, he anticipates new 
additions.

‘We need a couple of players to give more strength in depth to the 
squad. With some of the young boys we have, I have said already that Ruben Loftus-Cheek
 will be a Chelsea squad player but the others after a fantastic year of
 preparation for them, training with us, playing with the young people, 
probably for them the next good step will be to go on loan and to be 
replaced by two players.

‘We keep the same number of players because we don’t want more than 
that, but we keep a more uniform group in terms of experience, to give 
us that little extra in case we progress in the Champions League.’

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I want this one a lot

Jose Mourinho has a strong desire to secure the league title this season for those at Chelsea yet to experience such success. ...

Ji So-Yun won the PFA Women’s Player of the Year award

0 Chelsea Ladies, news 11:30 AM

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After an impressive start to the season 
that has seen them win six games out of six in all competitions, Chelsea
 Ladies were handed more good news at the weekend when midfielder Ji 
So-Yun won the PFA Women’s Player of the Year award. 
 
Speaking to the official Chelsea website, the South Korean reflects 
on a special personal achievement before stressing it should be the 
starting point for her and the team to achieve greater success this 
campaign. 
 
‘I feel delighted to have won the award and I must thank all the 
staff and players who work with the team for helping me to win,’ she 
said. ‘It means a lot to me that other players have voted me the best 
player and it encourages me that I’m doing well. 
 
‘It is an unforgettable memory for me which I’ll have for the rest of
 my life. To win in England, the birthplace of football, makes it very 
special for me.’ 
 
Ji’s win was the first time an Asian footballer, male or female, has 
picked up a PFA award and she reports that the news has gone down 
extremely well back in her home country. 
‘It’s an honour to be the first Asian player to win this award in 
England,’ says the attacker. ‘It’s particularly meaningful to be 
acknowledged outside of Korea so it means a lot to me and hopefully I 
can use it as a springboard to improve and work harder. 
 
‘The response back home in South Korea has been huge and everybody is
 very happy for me to have won the award. For Chelsea to win both the 
women’s and the men’s Player of the Year awards with Eden Hazard and myself means a lot to everybody and is a great achievement for the club. 
 
‘We were sat at the ceremony on the table next to the first team so 
we were all supporting and cheering each other. I hope we have more 
opportunities to get together and mix with the other male players again 
in the future.’ 
 
 
 
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The 24-year-old was presented with the award by Emma Hayes and she 
reflects that her club manager has played a significant role during her 
time in England. 
 
‘Emma played a big part in me coming to the club,’ states So-Yun. ‘I 
liked her vision of how the team should move forward in the future and 
her direction was very important to me. She’s helped me to adapt to 
English life and settle down here so she’s been a huge influence on me.’ 
 
The player pipped her team-mate Eni Aluko, who was runner-up in the 
players’ vote, to the big prize. Both players also featured in the PFA 
Women’s Team of the Year. 
 
‘I was quite surprised that Eni didn’t win it. She’s a great striker 
and she deserves it but I’m sure she’ll win it in the future,’ explains 
So-Yun. ‘She was happy for me and said congratulations afterwards. The 
important thing now is for the team push on and become winners together 
as well.’ 
 
The quest for collective silverware continues in the coming days, 
with a semi-final tie in the FA Women’s Cup against Manchester City 
preceded by a home league meeting with Arsenal tomorrow evening 
[Thursday]. 
 
‘We’ve been training hard and we’re expecting a tough match in what 
is a big game for us. Arsenal are a very good team at the top of the 
table with us so it is important that we get a good result. We’re trying
 our best to finish as strongly as possible before the summer break,’ 
she explains. 
 
Chelsea Ladies versus Arsenal takes place on Thursday 30 April at Staines Town FC, kick-off 7.30pm. <a href="https://sales.webticketmanager.com/clfc" target="_blank">Tickets are currently available to purchase online</a>, priced £5 for adults and £3 for seniors and juniors. 
 
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Ji So-Yun won the PFA Women’s Player of the Year award

After an impressive start to the season that has seen them win six games out of six in all competitions, Chelsea Ladies were handed...

Match report: Leicester City 1 Chelsea 3

0 news 12:12 AM

The title could be Chelsea’s as soon as Sunday afternoon after Jose Mourinho’s men came from behind to beat Leicester.

The first-half display at the King Power Stadium on a damp Wednesday 
night was one with plenty of good football played but without the 
penetration to make it count, and our nerve came under examination when 
the home side took the lead just before half-time and against the run of
 play.

However Didier Drogba’s seventh goal of the season soon after the resumption kick-started a superb second-half display. John Terry became the joint-highest-scoring defender in Premier League history when he netted his 38th in the competition from close range to give his side the lead and the best strike of the game from Ramires made the vital three points safe.

With the lead at the top extended to 13 points, the league table makes pleasant reading indeed.

<h3>
Team news</h3>
Thibaut Courtois was not 100 per cent fit so Petr Cech was in goal and Drogba, who came on at half-time at Arsenal, continued up front bringing even more title-race experience to the starting line-up.

Oscar was okay to be named among the subs after being wiped out by the Gunners’ keeper three days ago. Willian played in the no.10 role with Cesc Fabregas deeper and Ramires wide on the right.

The defence was the familiar one that was unchanged for the fifth game running.

Despite injury concerns leading up this game, including the in-form 
Jamie Vardy, Leicester were unchanged from their win at Burnley.

<h3>
First half 
 
 </h3>
For the third game running the Blues came up against a side in peak 
form, albeit one from the other end of the table than Man United and 
Leicester, and there was confidence in some of the home team’s play 
early on, even if they did defender in numbers.

Branislav Ivanovic did well in an early chase with Vardy, with an offside flag halting the Foxes no.9 soon after.

A shower of rain shortly after kick-off had made what was otherwise a
 smooth carpet of a pitch a touch slippery and footings were lost, but 
after eight minutes Chelsea began to play ourselves into the game. Some 
neat passing around the Leicester area led to Cesar Azpilicueta firing into the danger zone but his ball was blocked.

Up the other end, Leicester topscorer Leonardo Ulloa couldn’t control
 Esteban Cambiasso’s superb ball over the top of the Chelsea defence.

On 15 minutes, there was the first showing of Chelsea on the counter-attack, Willian’s raid down the left and well-judged ball behind the initial attackers setting up Drogba who had held his run. However his attempt at goal from that distance was too ambitious. Moments later Fabregas was played in behind the defence on the left but his square pass was just too far in front of Ramires.

Injury forced former Chelsea schoolboy Andy King off before 20 
minutes were played. Matty James replaced the midfielder and their 
problems were compounded when another former Blue, Robert Huth, was lost
 to injury midway through the half, Ritchie De Laet his replacement. 
Nigel Pearson’s substitution possibilities for later in the game were 
suddenly much reduced.

The visitors were looking confident and pulled the Leicester defence one way then the other before Drogba turned under pressure and shot wide. The Foxes backline, which was five-men strong, had done well on that occasion.

Ten minutes before the interval, Paul Konchesky was shown a yellow card for going through the back of Ramires,
 hardly the first time the former Charlton and West Ham defender has 
been booked against the Blues, but from the free-kick sent over from the
 flank, Kasper Schmeichel made comfortable catch.

The fact the Leicester wing-backs were not getting forward often was 
limiting their attacking threat, but on 40 minutes Chelsea were suddenly
 making saves and blocks all over the shop as the ball pinged around our
 area.

Cech did well to keep the ball out by pushing it onto the post after Ramires allowed Konchesky to reach a high ball first. Marc Albrighton had a goal-bound effort blocked before we eventually cleared.

Stoppage time at the end of the half was extended when Hazard needed 
treatment after a collision with Cambiasso, and it was in the final 
moments before the whistle that the home side took the lead.

It was Vardy out on the left who crossed low past Terry and Cahill but Azpilicueta
 was still favourite to cut the ball out. That was before he slipped on 
the turf moistened by more rain which allowed Albrighton to fire a shot Cech couldn’t keep out. It was the first time he has been beaten in his league action this season.

<h3>
Second half</h3>
<h3>
 </h3>
The Blues have only been behind once at half-time in our previous 49 games this season, and we weren’t for long in this one. Ivanovic very smartly used his strength to get in behind the defence after a long throw and cut the ball back. Drogba,
 just up on his feet from an injury, beat De Laet to it and drilled the 
ball into the net from 10 yards out before being buried under a pile of 
yellow shirts. We were level three minutes into the half.

The 37-year-old almost had a second soon after but shot over, and the search for the lead continued when Willian, continuing on from his excellent showing on Sunday, flew down the right and sent a great ball across goal which the sprinting Fabregas could only send wide with his left knee.

It was all Chelsea now and after a perfectly weighted ball by Fabregas, Drogba flashed a shot just wide of the far post. Willian
 curled a 20-yarder over before at the other end, James had a shot 
deflected worryingly close but wide after what had looked to be a push 
on Ramires. That was the last time the home side truly troubled us.

The threatening balls kept being played into the Leicester area with Hazard, Fabregas and Willian pulling plenty of the strings but we reached the 75-minute mark with the scores still level.

The home side made their final substitution with Riyad Mahrez on for Vardy. Mourinho had yet to make any of his.

Ramires had a shot deflected wide and finally the pressure told. Fabregas, as usual,sent the corner over and Gary Cahill
 with great dexterity got a header on target. Schmeichel on the floor 
made an equally good one-handed save but all to no avail as Terry was 
right there to shin the ball over the line.

We had only 11 minutes left to hold on for the win but all the tension was taken out of the match when just four minutes later Ramires lashed us 3-1 ahead, catching Fabregas’s pass on the edge of the area with his left foot as sweetly as he could have wished.

The remainder of the match was fun, especially for those fans in the 
Chelsea section. ‘Boring, Boring Chelsea’ and ‘Are you watching 
Arsenal?’ were among the songs sung.

There will be plenty of people round the world watching Chelsea play 
at Stamford Bridge when we host Crystal Palace this weekend, that is for
 sure!

Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry (c), Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic; Willian ( Zouma 84), Fabregas ( Mikel 90), Hazard (Cuadrado 87); Drogba.  
Unused subs Courtois, Filipe Luis, Ake, Oscar. 
Scorers Drogba 48, Terry 79, Ramires 83.

Leicester (3-5-2): Schmeichel; Wasilewski, Huth (De Laet 24), 
Morgan (c); Albrighton, King (James 19), Drinkwater, Cambiasso, 
Konchesky; Ulloa, Vardy (Mahrez 77). 
Unused subs Schwarzer, Hammond, Wood, Kramaric. 
Scorer Albrighton 45+2 
Booked Konchesky 36.

Referee Mark Clattenburg 
Crowd 32,021

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Match report: Leicester City 1 Chelsea 3

The title could be Chelsea’s as soon as Sunday afternoon after Jose Mourinho’s men came from behind to beat Leicester. The first...