This was a statement performance, a perfect performance, the
kind that showed no one will want to be paired with Chelsea as they joined
Liverpool and Manchester City in Friday’s quarter-final open draw. They were
too quick, too slick, too good for currently the best side in Spain and it was
capped by two fine breakaway goals. “I am pretty sure no one will want to play
against us. There is no need to be afraid and we will take what we get,” Tuchel
stated.
So aligned a performance was it that Tuchel was able to
bring on two left-backs in injury-time with one of them, Emerson Palmeiri,
scoring with his first touch as he drilled a low shot past the shell-shocked
Jan Oblak after he and another replacement, Christian Pulisic countered. So astonishing
was N’Golo Kante’s energy levels that he actually overtook Pulisic as they ran.
Having played 94 minutes.
In the stands there were some remarkable scenes of
celebration led by Thiago Silva who – clearly – is a nervous watcher of
matches. “Unbelievable team effort from the guys on the pitch, the guys on the
bench and even the guys in the stands,” Tuchel acknowledged. “I could feel we
totally wanted it … We enjoyed the battle. The guys were totally on and sharp,
we were super hungry to go through.” They were.
The tannoy boomed the customary Madness song One Step
Beyond. This certainly felt like one big step forward. It was a big step
forward also for the forwards Tuchel selected with Timo Werner’s pace a
constant threat and Hakim Ziyech scoring with Kai Havertz continuing to show he
is improving. And that is without mentioning Chelsea’s rock solid defence, which
coped with the late loss of Andreas Christensen through illness, their midfield
tenacity led by Kante and their overall intensity that simply did not dip.
Tuchel was demanding throughout.
Havertz ➡️ Werner ➡️ Ziyech! ⚽️
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 17, 2021
A swift Chelsea attack! 💨💨
All three summer signings combine and it's a dream goal for any Blues fan 🙌 pic.twitter.com/HFGN4jgBpo
The sequence since he took over in January is now 13 games
unbeaten – the longest run for any new Chelsea manager – and incredibly just
two goals conceded and while they are back in the Champions League places in
the Premier League they are also now in the last eight for the first time since
2014.
It may have been different had Atletico been awarded a
penalty just before the opening goal when Cesar Azpilicueta clearly pulled back
Yannick Carrasco after the Chelsea captain under-hit a back-pass. Maybe Chelsea
were saved by Carrasco’s theatrical fall but it should have been a spot-kick
and probably a red card. “I was a little bit frightened,” Tuchel admitted while
Atletico coach Diego Simeone even drew a TV screen in the air but the VAR did
not intervene.
There was a dismissal, late on, and another dramatic
reaction as Stefan Savic elbowed Antonio Rudiger in the chest as they waited
for a corner. Both had already been warned by the Italian referee Daniele
Orsato and he had no hesitation in sending Savic off as Rudiger writhed on the
turf.
Having led Paris Saint-Germain to last year’s final Tuchel
remains on track for a repeat. He again impressively juggled his line-up as did
Simeone who was able to strengthen his team by bringing back Carrasco, Kieran
Trippier, Jose Gimenez.
But so in control were Chelsea that he was forced to
regularly switch formations and even made three substitutions before an hour was
played including taking off Luis Suarez who looked like the player Barcelona
sold last summer rather than the one who has been a force this season. It is
now 25 games since he scored an away goal in the Champions League.
The pace was ferocious. Atletico tried to hit Chelsea hard
and press high with Koke the on-field general urging them forward but they
barely laid a glove. “They were the better team. We tried to press, we were not
able to attack the way we wanted to,” Simeone lamented.
From bad to worse for Atletico Madrid...
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 17, 2021
Stefan Savić receives a straight red for violent conduct against Antonio Rüdiger 🟥🤬 pic.twitter.com/sz7jnwqA2f
Chelsea capitalised on their luck at not conceding a penalty
when, soon after, Havertz stretched to reach the ball and sent Werner away down
the left. The forward sprinted on, with Atletico defenders struggling to keep
up, and had the awareness to pick out Ziyech who side-footed under Oblak and
into the net. Ziyech had his first goal since October and Chelsea had a
cushion. “He did it with Ajax and played in a (Champions League) semi-final and
for that reason he played today,” Tuchel said.
Not that Chelsea rested and it was all the more impressive
given they were missing key players such as the suspended Mason Mount. Ziyech
nimbly tricked substitute Mario Hermoso and released Werner who forced Oblak
into a smart one-handed save down to his right early in the second-half. The
goalkeeper also did well to tip over Ziyech’s curling, dipping shot from the
area’s edge before Werner ran through again only to shoot high into the
side-netting.
Atletico’s only hope was Joao Felix and he finally forced
Eduard Mendy into an alert save before Chelsea broke one last time to end any
doubt. After Emerson’s goal there was another parry from Mendy to deny Felix
and Chelsea had another clean sheet and a big, big win as their wildly jubilant
celebrations – on the pitch and in the stands – showed. - The Telegraph
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Loved reading this thaanks
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