Chelsea went down a goal early against Cardiff City but fought back with a second half surge to pull away for a big victory over the Bluebirds. Eden Hazard scored twice, Samuel Eto'o opened his Chelsea account and Oscar added a fourth goal in the rout.
Chelsea vs. Cardiff City: Final score 4-1, The Blues overcame
The Blues overcame an early deficit to pull away from the Bluebirds in the second half thanks a flood of goals.
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Cardiff's day got off to a glorious start in the 10th minute when a miscommunication between Petr Cech and David Luiz on a back pass allowed the Bluebirds to jump in front. Everything started when Jordon Mutch pressured Ramires, forcing him to send a back pass towards his keeper. It appeared that Luiz was expecting his goalkeeper to collect the ball and Cech was expecting the opposite. As a result the ball rolled into space where Mutch -- who never stopped chasing the ball -- ran onto it and beat a late arriving Cech to make it 1-0.
John Terry just missed on a chance to pull the Blues even in the 17th minute when his free header on a corner kick went just wide of the far post. Terry made a late run on the ball sent into the area and was not picked up. Cardiff had the post covered and the shot probably would have been cleared off the line but it was still the best early chance for Chelsea.
The Blues really cranked up the tempo after the goal and put Cardiff under tremendous pressure that finally payed off in the 33rd minute.
As goalkeeper David Marshall casually bounced the ball after picking it up, Samuel Eto’o cleverly stuck his foot out and knocked the ball free to Eden Hazard. Hazard returned the ball to Eto’o who was tackled hard from behind before he could loose his shot, but Hazard was right there to clean up and even the match at 1-1.
Chelsea continued to dominate play in the second half and broke through in the 66th minute. Hazard found Eto’o in a pocket of space in the Cardiff area and the striker took two quick touches to give himself an angle before firing a low shot past Marshall. It’s Eto’o’s first goal for Chelsea since joining in the summer.
Jose Mourinho, for reasons know only to him, exploded at the fourth official and match referee in the 70th minute. The referee wasted no time sending Mourinho off and the head coach retreated into season ticket seats just behind the Blues bench, much the to delight of the fans in the section.
Cardiff responded well to going behind and if not for an superb save by Cech on Kim Bo-Kyung in the 75th minute, the Bluebirds might have evened the match right back up. Kim got free on the left side of the area and fired a low shot towards the far post that Cech deflected wide.
Three minutes later Chelsea sealed the victory when Oscar beat Marshall with a rising shot that curled up and around the extended arm of the Cardiff goalkeeper to make it 3-1.
Chelsea added a fourth in the 83rd minute when Hazard dribbled in from the left and fired his own low shot that Marshall was late getting down to cover. The ball skipped off the goalkeeper’s hand and into the back of the net.
Chelsea: Cech, Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry, Bertrand (Torres 64’), Ramires, Lampard, Willian, Mata, Hazard, Eto’o
Goals: Hazard (33’, 83’), Eto’o (66’), Oscar (78’)
Cardiff City: Marshall, Taylor, Caulker, Turner, Theophile-Catherine, Whittingham, Medel (Kim Bo-Kyung 56’), Gunnarsson (Getede 81’), Mutch, Cowie, Odemwingie (Frazier 67’)
Goals: Mutch (10’)
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