Super-sub Schurrle inspires Blues turn-around

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Second-half substitute Andre Schurrle netted an equaliser and then set up Fernando Torres' winning goal, as Chelsea came from behind to beat relegated Cardiff City.

The home side opened the scoring against the run of play when Craig Bellamy's shot took a massive deflection off of Cesar Azpilicueta to wrong-foot Mark Schwarzer.

But the Blues, who dominated the game from start to finish, were able to make their supremacy count when Schurrle entered the fray to offer José Mourinho's men the cutting edge that they were missing.

The German was first on the spot after David Marshall pulled off a fabulous save to deny Cesar Azpilicueta what would have been his first league goal for the Blues as he tucked home the rebound to equalise.

He then supplied Fernando Torres the opportunity to give the Blues the lead, which the Spaniard duly took on what is widely being touted as his possible last game for the Stamford Bridge side.

With Cardiff's relegation already confirmed and Arsenal facing the improbable - but not mathematically-impossible - task of overturning the Blues' vastly superior goal difference, this end-of-season game was actually fiercely contested by both sides.

Mourinho was able to call on a mix of youth and experience as Ashley Cole captained the side in the absence of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Petr Cech, whilst youngsters Tomas Kalas, John Swift and Nathan Ake all featured; Kalas named in the starting eleven after his excellent full début at Anfield two weeks ago.

With Manchester City crowned champions and Liverpool and Arsenal also winning, the result confirms the Blues end the season in third place, a respectable four points behind the league winners. Arsenal, once again, must compete in a qualifier to assure themselves of Champions League football next term.

At the end of a topsy-turvy season that has seen some incredible highs and some demoralising lows, it was perhaps fitting for the Blues to fall behind but then battle their way to victory.

The story of Chelsea's season has been their inability to break down the league's weaker sides, but this turn-around - completed in three second-half minutes thanks to the intervention of Schurrle and Torres - means that the Blues at least finish the season on a relative high.

Though the Blues ultimately fell just short in both the Premier League title race and their quest to win a third European competition in as many seasons, the foundation for the future has most certainly been laid through investment in young talent and the return of the Special One.

Finishing a mere four points behind by far and away the league's strongest squad - having beaten them home and away - and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League is a positive indication of progress. Not at all bad for a team in transition.

The way that Mourinho's charges started this game was positive, and with news of an unlikely opening goal for Newcastle at Anfield filtering through, there was the possibility of a second-placed finish should results go Chelsea's way.

But Bellamy's deflected effort - totally against the run of play - served only to knock the Blues' confidence, and it took until the second half for Chelsea to regain their composure and again assert their dominance on the game.

Both Mohamed Salah and Eden Hazard were wasteful, and the lack of incision provided by the attacking duo meant that Fernando Torres was ploughing a lone furrow for the umpteenth time in his Blues career.

Whilst the Chelsea performance was industrious, the visitors were distinctively lacking a cutting edge up front - but that was supplied with the introduction of Schurrle, who oversaw an impressive turnaround to lead the Blues to a final points tally of 82; their highest return since winning the league in 2010.