Cardiff Denied At Least A Point By Offside Goal – For Warnock It’s A Kick In The Teeth. Burnley, Southampton, and Brighton Share Luck. Highlights. Manager Comments. Player Ratings And Stats.
By Marc Gingell
With VAR next season this result would not be the same. But, as much as this system is needed, it will take some emotions away from the game. Neil Warnock, boiling over on the touchline, makes a game like this interesting to watch.
| 31.03. 14:05 | Cardiff City Stadium | Cardiff | 1-2 | Chelsea | REF: C Pawson |
| ATT: 32,657 | Víctor Camarasa 46′ | César Azpilicueta 84′ | |||
| Ruben Loftus-Cheek 90+1′ | |||||
Cardiff Take The Initiative
With no score at half time Cardiff soon put Chelsea on the back foot with a well-taken goal from Víctor Camarasa. Harry Arter sent a hopeful cross in from the right which Camarasa met first time and the ball flew passed Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. Cardiff were well worth their lead and Chelsea didn’t look threatening.
César Azpilicueta – Two Yards Off-Side
Cardiff continued to battle with Icelandic midfielder Aron Gunnarsson seemingly everywhere on the pitch putting in tackles and blocks. Eden Hazzard, who started on the bench, came on but could do nothing to breach the determined and disciplined Cardiff rearguard.
Chelsea needed help and it came from the officials in the 84th minute when César Azpilicueta, clearly two yards offside, headed in a cross from the right.
Warnock And His Staff Rage On The Touchline
The action on the touchline, already at boiling point by that decision, went into overdrive a few minutes later when Chelsea’s Antonio Rüdiger took out Kenneth Zohore. As the last man, it had to be a red! Rüdiger stayed on as referee Craig Pawson went for his yellow.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Cardiff, who’d battled so well, were now wilting and Chelsea took advantage as Ruben Loftus-Cheek managed to get in front of his marker and head the winner in the 90th + 1 minute.
Chelsea Get Lucky
Chelsea were lucky and keep their chances of a top-four spot alive but that’s only their second Premier League away win of 2019. The other one came at Fulham where they were also lucky to escape with three points! Chelsea are performing like a mid-table team and those teams don’t make the Champions League.
Burnley, Southampton, and Brighton, all watching on 33 points, must have been relieved with how the game ended. But Cardiff deserved more.
Mr. and Mrs. Warnock
It was interesting to note that Mr. Warnock, who if England had a winge team he might be captain, kept quite cool during his post-match press conference. But the reason for that could be because he has a deal with Mrs. Warnock. If Mr. Warnock is fined, for any kind of outbursts, he has to pay the same amount to Mrs. Warnock.
However, after the Chelsea game, Mrs. Warnock would have been quite happy if Mr. Warnock had decked all four officials and waved the deal. Instead of standing on the pitch, hands on hips, looking slightly camp!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC5F6Fk3JmA
Player Ratings
Cardiff: Etheridge (6), Peltier (6), Morrison (8), Manga (7), Bennett (7), Arter (7), Gunnarsson (7), Camarasa (8), Murphy (7), Hoilett (6), Niasse (6)
Subs: Mendez-Laing (N/A), Zohore (N/A), Ralls (N/A)
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga (6), Azpilicueta (6), Rudiger (6), Luiz (6), Alonso (6), Jorginho (5), Barkley (6), Kovacic (6), Pedro (6), Higuain (5), Willian (6)
Subs: Hazard (7), Loftus-Cheek (8) Giroud (N/A)
Man of the match: Sean Morrison
Opta Stats
- Cardiff City are only the third team in Premier League history to lose four consecutive matches against a particular opponent despite opening the scoring each time, after Leeds United v Newcastle (Jan 2002) and West Ham v Arsenal (Apr 2014).
- Chelsea have now scored 18 goals in the final 15 minutes of Premier League matches this season, no club in the competition has managed more (also Liverpool).
- Six of the eight Premier League points Chelsea have won from losing positions this season have come home and away versus Cardiff.
- Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s winner was his fourth Premier League goal of the season on his 17th appearance; one more than he managed in his previous 46 matches in the competition (3).
- Ruben Loftus Cheek’s goal for Chelsea was their first 90th-minute winner in the Premier League since Frank Lampard scored against Everton back in February 2014.
- Cesar Azpilicueta is the 14th different player to score for Chelsea in the Premier League this season – only Man Utd (15) have had more different scorers in 2018-19.
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