LFL: CHELSEA

This will go down as one of our games to be remembered for a very long time. Despite going down to an early Chelsea goal we were by no means cowed and battled on to soon get the equaliser. Once again we put up a very impressive defensive display and remained dangerous on the break. We weren't prepared to settle for a draw and won it in clinical style in added-time. We're second in the league!

BEFORE

We've played some strong sides already but this afternoon's game will be our toughest test so far and if we can get a point from it, I'll be very happy. The loss of Alderete was a big blow but at least Reinildo will be back from suspension and finally we have considerable strength in depth. Chelsea are currently in fifth position, two places above us, but their form has been very similar to ours except that they've scored more and we've conceded less. It'll be interesting to see if Guiu plays some part in the match as he'll no doubt want to show us what we're missing. It's very hard for me to get a ticket for an away game these days so it'll have to be some kind of audio this afternoon. Match prediction: 1-1.

I got the team news an hour and a quarter before kick-off and Reinildo was in for Alderete while Geertruida replaced Rigg, who was on the bench. There were many negative comments online about Traore getting a start over Talbi or Mayenda but Le Bris clearly has his reasons. Guiu was making his first Premier League start for them. I couldn't get any commentary via the club site but managed to get the game on BBC 5 Live.

THE MATCH

I was glad to hear we were playing in red and white. We made a bright start with Ballard having a headed attempt after a minute or so but we were soon behind when in their first real attack Garnacho shot home from an angle on the left through Roefs' legs. It was cruel, as we had started so well.

Shortly afterwards Cucurella missed a good chance but we were fighting back and weren't cowed. We were awarded a free-kick about eight yards outside their box and when Le Fee took it, his effort wasn't far wide of the post. Chelsea won the first corner in the twelfth minute and after a couple of blocked shots it resulted in a second corner. Garnacho shot into the side-netting and the pressure was relieved, for a short while at least. Cucurella and Neto were sounding a constant threat down the wings. In the twenty-second Mukiele took one of his characteristic long throws to the near post and in a crowded box Isidor poked it over the line to put us level. There was a great roar from our fans and their subsequent singing was coming over loud and clear. One all, game on.

On the half-hour a great pass from Xhaka reached Isidor and his shot was narrowly wide. Our shouts for a corner went unheeded. The commentators were full of praise for us. With around ten minutes to the break it was sounding like an even enough contest and we'd done well to battle back after conceding that early goal.

Chelsea won another corner in the thirty-sixth but it came to nothing except for Pedro rolling around clutching his head. Another Chelsea corner soon followed and Roefs was there to block a Garnacho shot. In the dying minutes Traore had a rather weak shot on target and Sanchez in goal dealt with it comfortably. Roefs palmed a powerful shot over the bar for another Chelsea corner, which we managed to get clear. Three minutes of added-time were announced and it remained 1-1 as the whistle went. It sounded like a very competitive game. 

As we kicked off again there were no changes to either side and we were playing towards our fans in the Shed End. We started the half strongly and were doing most of the pressing. We won our first corner but it only led to a break by Chelsea that was nipped in the bud by a Le Fee tackle. Chelsea made the first change of the game in the fifty-eighth when they brought on Estevao for Garnacho. Estevao is apparently a real whizz-kid so I knew he'd be a handful. He soon won a corner when his shot was deflected and we finally got the ball away. Cucurella went down in our box when Roefs was going for the ball and connected with him, but the incident passed unpunished. Talbi came on for Traore and with twenty-five minutes to go things were feeling good. I could still hear our fans singing loudly.

With twenty minutes on the clock a point or maybe more was looking quite possible but the tension was mounting. The Chelsea fans must also have been getting edgy as they no doubt expected three points today. Roefs made a couple of comfortable saves from Fernandez. Commentator Steve Sidwell said a couple of our players were starting to look quite tired so  I expected further changes before too long. Acheampong made a great block from a Xhaka shot while the latter really should have passed instead. We brought on Rigg and Brobbey for Le Fee and Isidor in the  seventy-fifth. With ten minutes left I had to get up and start pacing around. We were going for the winner, as of course were Chelsea, so it was going to be a barnstorming finish. We were awarded a free-kick in a decent spot with two minutes left and though nothing came of it, I was happy enough with the ball being up their end. Chelsea won a corner but couldn't make anything of it.

Six minutes of added-time were announced and overall I wished there wasn't as much. I was wrong to wish that, as in the ninety-third Brobbey did very well to set up Talbi and he slotted it into the corner for a perfect finish. There was a mass exodus from the home fans but a great roar from our lot. It ended 2-1, with our fans going berserk.