Cech wondersave keeps Chelsea seven clear

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Brazilian winger Willian scored a superb late winner as Chelsea beat Everton to maintain their seven-point lead over Manchester City - but his side were indebted to a stunning Petr Cech save.

With Manuel Pellegrini's side quite comfortable disposing of Stoke City this evening, there was a growing degree of anxiety inside Stamford Bridge as the Blues haplessly tried to break down a resolute defensive performance from the Toffees.

But with mere minutes to go, Branislav Ivanovic had a goal correctly ruled out for offside before Gareth Barry was shown a second yellow card for cynically bringing Willian down.

Amidst the resultant mêlée Chelsea were able to compose themselves, and scored the goal their dominance of the match deserved when Willian himself hit a looping ball on the half-volley and into the bottom corner of Tim Howard's goal - sending the Stamford Bridge crowd into raptures.

It is tough on Everton who defended extremely well throughout, limiting the Blues to predominantly long-range efforts that Howard was able to match with a commanding goalkeeping performance on his return to Roberto Martinez's starting eleven.

But it was his opposite number, Petr Cech, who deserves all the plaudits for a quite miraculous save when he denied former Blues forward Romelu Lukaku a certain goal.

After both Nemanja Matic and Willian had fired efforts from distance just over the frame of the bar inside a very strong opening five minutes for the Blues, it was Cech who made the first crucial intervention of the match when he managed to divert a Lukaku drive over the bar with an outstretched foot.

Howard was in fine form himself and produced a good save to push away Loic Remy's powerful header, but in a cagey, cat-and-mouse first half that settled down into a rhythm of constant Chelsea pressure played out to a relatively staid conclusion.

Juan Cuadrado, making his first start for the club, was pulling out all the party pieces with a number of audacious drag-backs and flicks - but despite a number of neat interchanges between the Colombian and his fellow attackers, the Blues struggled to impose themselves throughout an increasingly frustrating encounter.

The best chance they managed to muster came about when a wonderful cross by Cesar Azpilicueta was misjudged by Hazard, who would surely have diverted the ball home with even the slightest touch from close quarters.

Whilst the reverse fixture ended up being such an open game it turned into an all-time Premier League classic, this clash was promising to result in a tense conclusion, and with Everton a combination of defensively impenetrable and threatening on the counter-attack, José Mourinho was looking an increasingly worried figure on the touchline.

Matic - hugely impressive throughout - then forced a good save out of Howard from a free-kick, but even the additions of Didier Drogba and Cesc Fabregas failed to bring about an immediate change in Chelsea's attacking fortunes.

Everton were visibly growing in confidence and but for a frankly outrageous save from Cech they would have taken a lead that their effort and endeavour would certainly have merited.

Brian Oviedo fired in an excellent cross from the left wing that Lukaku did well to steer towards goal, but the Czech goalkeeper, rotated back into the starting line-up, instinctively stuck out a long leg to turn the ball away from danger. Lukaku looked on in disbelief, and it was upon that moment that the outcome of this match was ultimately decided.

Howard continued to frustrate with an inspired performance of his own as this time he did well to hold onto a relatively tame Willian effort, but he looked to have been beaten by a deflected Matic drive which the linesman - correctly - adjudged to have flicked off the shoulder of the offside Ivanovic. 86 minutes were on the clock.

Moments later, with Chelsea clearly frustrated in having been denied a late breakthrough, tempers were frayed when Barry - already on a yellow card - unceremoniously dumped the marauding Willian to the ground with a trip. In the subsequent brawl that followed Ramires, Fabregas, and Everton's James McCarthy were all yellow-carded, but the man advantage now offered Chelsea a final chance to find the breakthrough.

And they duly did, in the style of true champions-elect.

Howard punched clear a Fabregas corner, but Willian, on the volley, sent the looping ball into the bottom corner from fully 25 yards with aplomb to spark mad scenes of celebration as the Blues maintained their crucial seven point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

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[Badboy 1,526]

This is a wonderful piece Alex and Cech was my man of the match closely followed by Zouma who had Lukaku in his pocket the whole game !

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Thanks for reading mate

[CHOULO19 24,332]

One of your best match reports, and that's saying something by your standards!

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Very cute of you to say so Choo Choo

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Very cute of you to say so Choo Choo

Cute??! This is why I'm never nice to anyone...

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Great one!

[Heisenberg 1,824]

Brazilian winger Willian scored a superb late winner as Chelsea beat Everton to maintain their seven-point lead over Manchester City - but his side were indebted to a stunning Petr Cech save.

With Manuel Pellegrini's side quite comfortable disposing of Stoke City this evening, there was a growing degree of anxiety inside Stamford Bridge as the Blues haplessly tried to break down a resolute defensive performance from the Toffees.

But with mere minutes to go, Branislav Ivanovic had a goal correctly ruled out for offside before Gareth Barry was shown a second yellow card for cynically bringing Willian down.

Amidst the resultant mêlée Chelsea were able to compose themselves, and scored the goal their dominance of the match deserved when Willian himself hit a looping ball on the half-volley and into the bottom corner of Tim Howard's goal - sending the Stamford Bridge crowd into raptures.

Bioshock fan in disguise.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Bioshock fan in disguise.

Who, me?! Never played it!

[Heisenberg 1,824]

Who, me?! Never played it!

You missed a wonderful story Alex, play Infinite, a great mindfuck actually, mixed with characters that will stick in your mind forever.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

You missed a wonderful story Alex, play Infinite, a great mindfuck actually, mixed with characters that will stick in your mind forever.

I like games with a good storyline (for me its the most important thing, bollocks to the graphics, they're a secondary aspect), so for me you can never beat something like an Assassins Creed or GTA game. I'll see if I can get it somewhere! Thanks for the recommendation.