A thundering Diego Costa header in the 26th minute provided the difference on Sunday at Stamford Bridge as West Londoners Chelsea were 1-0 winners over East Londoners West Ham United in Premier League action.
The Blues have added 2 English nationals to their Youth Academy, Hakeeb Barker (age 15, 39-51 OVR, 69-93 POT), Reise Murphy (age 16, 49-65 OVR, 74-94 POT) as well as Brazilian Luciano Caldeira (age 15, 50-66 OVR, 69-93 POT). Chelsea has also agreed to a new contract with Cesar Azpilicueta. The new deal will pay the defender 90,000 pounds per week and keeps "Dave" with the club through the 2019-20 campaign.
Following the international break, 4th placed Chelsea (4-1-2) will clash with West London rivals Queens Park Rangers (3-2-2) who are currently 6th in the table. Of interesting note in the EPL table through 7 games this season, the league's only unbeaten side are West Bromwich Albion who are ninth in the league with 1 win and 6 draws. 17th placed Arsenal are the competition's lone winless club at 0-5-2.
Around the Grounds
10/4 - EPL
Arsenal 0:1 Everton
Chelsea 1:0 West Ham
Liverpool 1:2 Manchester City
Newcastle United 0:2 West Brom
QPR 0:1 Manchester United
Spurs 2:1 Hull City
Sunderland 0:1 Aston Villa
10/10 - IF
Egypt 0:1 USA (simmed)
USA Goal: Donovan 74'
10/14 - IF
USA 3:0 Ivory Coast
USA Goals: Zardes 7', Zusi 46', Bradley 65'
Rumors have begun to swirl in the media that midfielder Andre Schurrle is unsettled at Chelsea and is considering a move away from the West London club.
Neither the club nor Schurrle have confirmed the reports to date.
Schurrle, 24, won the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 with Germany and has been with the Blues since 2013.
In the dying embers of stoppage time, Marco van Ginkel scored his 3rd goal in just 4 appearances this season (his first of each in the Premier League) to lift Chelsea to a 2-1 win against West London rivals QPR. Striker Loic Remy sustained a right knee injury (MCL) and is expected out 3 months. Chelsea have a big Champions League match ahead on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge against Roma. The Blues are level atop Group F with Roma at 6 points (2-0-0) though Chelsea have a +6 to +4 goal differential advantage.
Around the Grounds
10/17 - EPL
Chelsea 2:1 QPR
Everton 4:0 Stoke City
Hull City 1:2 Cardiff City
Leicester City 0:0 Liverpool
Manchester City 1:1 Manchester United
Norwich City 0:2 Spurs
West Ham 1:1 Sunderland
10/18 - EPL
Aston Villa 0:0 Newcastle
Southampton 1:0 Arsenal
West Brom 1:0 Watford
10/20 - UCL
CSKA Moskva 3:1 Ajax
Bayern Munich 3:0 Zenit
FC Porto 1:2 FC Basel
Manchester City 1:1 Bayer Leverkusen 04
Manchester United 1:1 Juventus
Marseille 1:0 Celtic
PSG 1:1 Inter
Sevilla FC 4:0 FC Kobenhavn
A pair of penalties inside 20 minutes from kickoff doomed Chelsea to a 2-1 loss to Roma in Champions League Play as Rome seized control of the group at the halfway mark of the stage.
Chelsea (5-1-2) will now play Sunderland (2-3-3) twice in a five day span. First will be Saturday's Premier League clash at the Stadium of Light followed by Wednesday's Capital One Cup Round of 16 tie at Stamford Bridge.
Around the Grounds
10/21 - UCL
Atletico Madrid 1:1 VfL Wolfsburg
Besiktas JK 4:1 RB Salzburg
Chelsea 1:2 Roma
FC Barcelona 1:1 Spurs
Fenerbahce SK 2:0 Brondby IF
LOSC Lille 2:1 Standard Liege
Real Madrid 1:0 Borussia Dortmund
SL Benfica 2:1 Dinamo Moskva
10/22 - UEL
Arsenal 1:1 1899 Hoffenheim
Everton 3:1 RSC Anderlecht
Liverpool 4:0 SC Braga
Newcastle 1:0 FC Twente
UEFA Champions League Group Tables
Group A
Manchester United 7 points, +4
Sevilla FC 6, +4
Juventus 4,0
FC Kobenhavn 0, -8
Group B
Bayern Munich 6, +3
Marseille 6, +1
Celtic 4,0
Zenit 1, -4
Group C
PSG 5, +2
Inter 5, +2
FC Basel 5, +1
FC Porto 0, -5
Group D
CSKA Moskva 5, +2
Bayer Leverkusen 04 5, +1
Manchester City 3,0
Ajax 1, -3
Group E
Standard Liege 6, +1
Atletico Madrid 4,0
LOSC Lille 4,0
VfL Wolfsburg 2, -1
Group F
Roma 9, +5
Chelsea 6, +5
Fenerbahce SK 3, -3
Brondby IF 0, -7
Group G
SL Benfica 7, +2
Real Madrid 6, +1
Borussia Dortmund 4, +2
Dinamo Moskva 0, -5
Group H
FC Barcelona 5, +1
Besiktas JK 4, +2
RB Salzburg 4, -2
Spurs 2, -1
Rumors continue to swirl that Andre Schurrle is unsettled at Stamford Bridge and is homesick for his native Germany. German side Bayern Munich are said to be among the club's that have taken notice and are preparing to make a swoop for the attacking midfielder should Chelsea decide to sell in January.
CFC Goals: Costa 15', Silva 68', Hazard (PEN) 74'
CFC Assists: Matic 2, Costa
CFC Bookings: Matic (Y) 8', Costa (Y) 33'
In a back-and-forth Premier League match on Saturday, Chelsea were disappointed to come away with just a draw in a 3-3 result at the Stadium of Light as Sunderland pulled level in the 87th minute despite being a man down. The sides will face one another again on Wednesday at Stamford Bridge. Wednesday's match is a cup tie in the Capital One Cup's Round of 16.
Around the Grounds
10/24 - EPL
Arsenal 3:2 Hull City
Cardiff City 2:2 Norwich City
Manchester United 3:1 Leicester City
QPR 1:1 Manchester City
Spurs 1:0 West Brom
Stoke City 2:1 Southampton
Sunderland 3:3 Chelsea
Watford 0:3 Aston Villa
10/25 - EPL
Liverpool 1:2 Everton
Newcastle United 3:1 West Ham
10/27 - COC R16
Brighton & Hove 2:0 Hull City
Charlton Athletic 0:1 Manchester United
Ipswich Town 1:0 Arsenal
Norwich City 0:1 Southampton
Spurs 2:1 Wolverhampton
Highlights from the Capital One Cup Round of 16 between Chelsea and Sunderland:
Chelsea / Sunderland
Shots 13/8
On Target 6/1
Possession 53/47
Tackles 9/22
Fouls 2/2
Yellow 1/1
Red 0/0
Offsides 0/1
Corners 4/2
Shot Accuracy % 46/12
Pass Accuracy % 79/82
CFC Goals: Silva 62', Costa 90'
CFC Assists: Costa, Hazard
CFC Booking: Oscar (Y) 5'
After coming on for Branislav Ivanovic in the 72nd minute, Chelsea Captain John Terry went from goat to hero on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge, with a helping hand from Diego Costa. The Blues were clinging to a 1-0 lead in the 86th minute when Terry put an attempted clearance past Thibaut Courtois into the Chelsea net for an equalizing Own Goal. However, Costa answered with a 90th minute go-ahead goal and Terry cleared another potential equalizer off the Chelsea goal line deep into stoppage time to preserve the 2-1 result.
The Blues will face West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on December 2nd in the Quarter Finals of the competition after the Hammers took down Queens Park Rangers 2-0 in the Round of 16. But up next, Chelsea (5-2-2) close out October with a Halloween visit from Newcastle United (3-2-4) on Saturday in Premier League action.
Around the Grounds
10/28 - COC R16
Chelsea 2:1 Sunderland
Reading 1:2 Aston Villa
West Ham 2:0 QPR
Chelsea fell behind the Magpies twice but fought back and eventually got a 75th minute winner from Conner Wickham after Lucas Piazon had scored twice in the first half. The result went to the Blues, 3-2 winners over Newcastle United.
Chelsea will return to Champions League action on Tuesday, November 3rd as they open the new month with a trip to Turkey to face Fenerbahce SK whom they beat 4-1 at Stamford Bridge on September 15.
Around the Grounds
10/31 - EPL
Aston Villa 2:2 Spurs
Chelsea 3:2 Newcastle
Everton 1:0 Manchester United
Hull City 1:1 Stoke City
Norwich City 0:0 Arsenal
West Brom 2:1 Cardiff City
West Ham 2:2 Watford
11/1 - EPL
Leicester 1:2 Manchester City
Southampton 2:0 Liverpool
Sunderland 1:2 QPR
Highlights from Match Day 4 of the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League: Fenerbahce vs Chelsea:
Fenerbahce / Chelsea
Shots 8/15
On Target 2/6
Possession 44/56
Tackles 20/15
Fouls 6/1
Yellow 2/1
Red 1/0
Offsides 1/2
Corners 0/3
Shot Accuracy % 25/40
Pass Accuracy % 75/75
CFC Goals: Schurrle 3', Fabregas (PEN) 45', Costa 76', E. Hazard 79', T. Hazard 87'
CFC Assists: E. Hazard, Costa, Schurrle
CFC Booking: Salah (Y) 87'
Chelsea were easy winners in Turkey on Tuesday night in Champions League action, dispatching Fenerbahce SK 5-2. The Blues (6-2-2) will return to domestic action on Saturday when they visit Watford (2-3-5) in a Barclays Premier League clash at Vicarage Road.
Around the Grounds
11/3 - UCL
Besiktas JK 0:3 Barcelona
Fenerbahce SK 2:5 Chelsea
LOSC Lille 1:2 Atletico Madrid
Real Madris 2:0 Dinamo Moskva
Roma 3:0 Brondby IF
SL Benfica 0:2 Borussia Dortmund
Spurs 3:1 RB Salzburg
VfL Wolfsburg 1:1 Standard Liege
11/4 - UCL
Bayer Leverkusen 04 2:0 Ajax
CSKA Moskva 1:2 Manchester City
Bayern Munich 2:0 Celtic
FC Porto 1:1 Inter MIlan
Manchester United 1:0 FC Kobenhavn
Marseille 1:0 Zenit St. Petersburg
PSG 4:0 FC Basel
Sevilla FC 2:1 Juventus
11/5 - UEL
Everton 3:1 FK Austria
FC Utrecht 0:2 Arsenal
Liverpool 4:0 Aberdeen
PAOK 1:1 Newcastle
Watford / Chelsea
Shots 11/7
On Target 6/2
Possession 51/49
Tackles 30/16
Fouls 3/1
Yellow 0/1
Red 0/0
Offsides 1/1
Corners 2/4
Shot Accuracy % 54/28
Pass Accuracy % 74/73
CFC Booking: Hazard (Y) 90'
With several of the "big guns" watching from the bench, Chelsea were scoreless draw victims at Vicarage Road on Saturday against Watford. Jose Mourinho chose to rest many of his key players for Wednesday's clash with league-leading Spurs, but he did bring Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas on late in an unsuccessful attempt to steal the points.
Chelsea (6-3-2) will host Tottenham (9-1-1) Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge. Trailing Spurs by 7 points this is a crucial match for Chelsea, should they expect to contend for the league title.
Around the Grounds
11/7 - EPL
Arsenal 1:1 West Brom
Cardiff City 1:1 Aston Villa
Liverpool 1:1 Hull City
Manchester City 0:1 Everton
Manchester United 1:2 Southampton
Newcastle 2:1 Sunderland
QPR 1:1 Leicester City
Spurs 2:0 West Ham
Stoke City 1:1 Norwich City
Watford 0:0 Chelsea
11/10 - EPL
Southampton 0:3 Manchester City
West Brom 1:0 Stoke City
West Ham 2:1 Cardiff City
Chelsea / Spurs
Shots 11/16
On Target 6/4
Possession 49/51
Tackles 14/20
Fouls 1/4
Yellow 0/1
Red 0/1
Offsides 1/3
Corners 4/1
Shot Accuracy % 54/25
Pass Accuracy % 73/76
CFC Goals: Costa 16', Costa 45', Costa 56', Costa 85'
CFC Assists: Fabregas 2, E. Hazard, Salah
Diego Costa exploded for 4 goals to take the lead atop the Premier League's scoring chart with 10 goals on the season as Chelsea were runaway winners over table-toppers Tottenham on Wednesday night at Stamford Bridge, 4-1. The points move Chelsea to third in the table, 4 points behind Spurs and 2 behind Everton as the international break calls.
Following the break, Chelsea (7-3-2) will visit Cardiff City (3-4-5). The Bluebirds are currently 13th in the league with 13 points from 12 matches.
Around the Grounds
11/11 - EPL
Aston Villa 1:2 Arsenal
Chelsea 4:1 Spurs
Everton 0:0 Leicester City
Hull City 1:1 Manchester United
Newcastle 2:1 QPR
Norwich City 0:2 Liverpool
Sunderland 2:1 Watford
11/14 - IF (simmed)
USA 3:1 Belgium
USA Goals: Altidore 13', Dempsey 35', Marshall 89'
11/18 - IF (simmed)
India 0:0 USA
Note: Chelsea have signed 16-year-old England National John Clarke (46-62 OVR, 68-92 POT) to their youth squad.
Chelsea were easy winners over Cardiff City on Saturday, 4-0. The Blues will visit Roma on Wednesday night in a critical UEFA Champions League Group F match. Roma (4-0-0) are 3 points clear of Chelsea (3-0-1) but are level on goal difference meaning a win for the West Londoners would vault them to the top of the group table. Both clubs look comfortable to advance to the knockout rounds.
Around the Grounds
11/21 - EPL
Arsenal 3:1 West Ham
Cardiff City 0:4 Chelsea
Manchester City 1:1 Hull City
Manchester United 3:1 Norwich City
QPR 3:2 Everton
Spurs 1:1 Sunderland
Stoke City 0:0 Aston Villa
Watford 1:1 Newcastle
11/22 - EPL
Leicester 0:1 Southampton
Liverpool 0:2 West Brom
11/24 - UCL
Ajax 1:1 CSKA Moskva
Bayer Leverkusen 04 0:1 Manchester City
FC Porto 0:0 PSG
Inter 3:0 FC Basel
Juventus 3:0 FC Kobenhavn
Marseille 2:2 Bayern Munich
Sevilla FC 3:1 Manchester United
Zenit 0:1 Celtic
Highlights of Match Day 5 in the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League - Roma vs Chelsea:
Roma / Chelsea
Shots 11/10
On Target 5/4
Possession 48/52
Tackles 18/10
Fouls 4/2
Yellow 1/0
Red 1/0
Offsides 0/2
Corners 4/2
Shot Accuracy % 45/40
Pass Accuracy % 77/80
CFC Goal: Costa 90'
CFC Assist: Wickham
Despite being a man up for the entirety of the second half Chelsea were unable to claim the 3 points and the top spot in Group F and, instead, needed a late Diego Costa equalizer to secure second place in the group and assure themselves a spot in the Champions League Round of 16. With the 1-1 result, Match Day 6 has become completely irrelevant in Group F.
Roma (13 points) have secured the top spot by virtue of earning 4 points against Chelsea. The Blues (10 points) will finish 2nd in the group. Fenerbahce SK (6 points) will finish 3rd and will drop down to the Round of 32 in the UEFA Europa League. Brondby IF (0 points) will crash out of Europe after their final group stage match with Chelsea.
In the draw with Roma, full back Filipe Luis suffered a hyper-extended knee and will miss about 3 weeks. Luis has appeared in just 6 of the Blues' 21 matches this season and the cup tie with Roma was just his second appearance after missing time with a broken toe.
Rumors of Andre Schurrle's departure from the West London club have remained persistent. Schurrle is said to be unsettled at Stamford Bridge and, per reports, is drawing interest from his native Germany in the form of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund as well as from Merseyside's Everton FC.
Chelsea (8-3-2) will play Arsenal (3-7-3) on Saturday at The Bridge in a London Derby in the Premier League.
Around the Grounds
11/25 - UCL
Borussia Dortmund 1:1 Dinamo Moskva
Brondby IF 0:3 Fenerbahce SK
RB Salzburg 1:2 Besiktas JK
Roma 1:1 Chelsea
SL Benfica 0:2 Real Madrid
Spurs 1:0 Barcelona
Standard Liege 1:1 LOSC Lille
VfL Wolfsburg 1:0 Atletico Madrid
Chelsea / Arsenal
Shots 8/14
On Target 2/8
Possession 48/52
Tackles 14/13
Fouls 1/3
Yellow 1/1
Red 0/0
Offsides 0/0
Corners 1/6
Shot Accuracy % 25/57
Pass Accuracy % 85/86
CFC Goals: Ramires 7', E. Hazard (PEN) 78'
CFC Assists: Kalas, van Ginkel
CFC Booking: Piazon (Y) 66'
Ramires scored on a brilliant chest-volley in the 7th minute and Eden Hazard converted from the spot in the 78th as Chelsea were 2-1 winners over Arsenal on Saturday at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues won 4 and drew 2 in November, across all competitions, and will open a busy month of December on Wednesday night when they host East London side West Ham United in the Quarter Finals of the Capital One Cup. Chelsea were 1-0 winners over the Hammers in a Premier League match at The Bridge on October 4.
Around the Grounds
11/28 - EPL
Aston Villa 1:1 Liverpool
Chelsea 2:1 Arsenal
Hull City 0:1 Leicester City
Newcastle 0:3 Spurs
Norwich City 1:1 Manchester City
Southampton 2:1 Everton
Sunderland 2:3 Cardiff City
Watford 2:1 QPR
West Brom 0:2 Manchester United
West Ham 1:2 Stoke City
12/1 COC Quarter Finals
Brighton & Hove 0:2 Ipswich Town
Manchester United 2:1 Aston Villa
CFC Fixture List for December 2015:
12/2 COC - West Ham
12/5 EPL - Stoke City (away)
12/8 UCL - Brondby IF
12/12 EPL - Manchester United (away)
12/15 EPL - Liverpool
12/19 EPL - Manchester City
12/26 EPL - Leicester City (away)
Highlights of the Quarter Finals of the Capital One Cup, Chelsea vs West Ham:
Chelsea / West Ham
Shots 24/13
On Target 10/5
Possession 56/44
Tackles 12/29
Fouls 1/4
Yellow 0/1
Red 0/0
Offsides 2/1
Corners 15/4
Shot Accuracy % 41/38
Pass Accuracy % 80/80
CFC Goal: E. Hazard 113', Costa 120'
CFC Assist: Costa
It took 120 minutes at a snowy Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night but Chelsea were 2-0 winners over West Ham in the Quarter Finals of the Capital One Cup, with both goals coming in the second half of Extra Time. Chelsea have drawn to play Manchester United in the League Cup Semis on January 13th and 27th with the first leg in West London. In the other semi final, Premier League leaders Tottenham will play Ipswich Town who are currently 24th in the Football League Championship.
The Blues lost right back Branislav Ivanovic in the 60th minute to a broken ankle. The 31-year-old Serbian national is expected out 3 months.
Expect Manager Jose Mourinho to use a lineup of substitutes and reserves in Saturday's match away to Stoke City, after playing his regular XI in the 120-minute match with West Ham.
Around the Grounds
12/2 - COC Quarter Finals
Chelsea 2:0 West Ham (ET)
Spurs 2:0 Southampton
12/3 - UEL
1899 Hoffenheim 1:1 Arsenal
FC Twente 1:1 Newcastle
KRC Genk 2:2 Liverpool
Vitesse 0:1 Everton
Editor's Note: That last match is WHY I play FIFA. That game was so much fun and so frustrating all at the same time. I had most of the ball and had a TON of chances (including 15 - yes 15 - corners) but I could not convert until the 113th minute. I think I had more space in the box than I can ever remember having in FIFA but great goalkeeping, timely blocks, poor finishing and missed passes kept the game in doubt until Diego Costa's absolute garbage goal in the 120th minute. Good stuff and VERY satisfying game.
Stoke City / Chelsea
Shots 14/7
On Target 5/2
Possession 50/50
Tackles 18/14
Fouls 3/2
Yellow 0/0
Red 0/0
Offsides 1/1
Corners 1/2
Shot Accuracy % 35/28
Pass Accuracy % 82/76
CFC Goal: Wickham 45'
CFC Assist: Schurrle
A lineup comprised of subs and reserves almost earned Jose Mourinho maximum Points at Britannia Stadium on Saturday but, ultimately, Chelsea drew 1-1 with Stoke City. Reserve defender Nathan Ake was lost for 3 weeks with a sprained knee, in the first half.
Chelsea will host Brondby IF on Tuesday night in a completely meaningless Match Day 6 tie in the Group Stage of the UEFA Champions League. Brondby were 3-0 losers to the Blues in the first meeting and are on pace for a historically poor group stage having lost all 5 matches to date by conceding 13 goals while failing to score a single one.
Around the Grounds
12/5 - EPL
Manchester United 1:3 Aston Villa
QPR 0:2 Southampton
Spurs 4:0 Watford
Stoke City 1:1 Chelsea
12/6 - EPL
Arsenal 2:1 Sunderland
Cardiff City 0:1 Newcastle
Everton 1:2 Hull City
Leicester City 1:1 Norwich City
Liverpool 4:1 West Ham
Manchester City 3:0 West Brom
Chelsea were 3-2 winners on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge behind a goal from Bertrand Traore and a brace by Victor Moses. Todd Kane made his season debut and professional debuts were made by Ryan Blackman and Michael Barcham, both of whom are 16 years old. Despite his early heroics, Traore was forced from the match in the first half after suffering a sprained ankle which will sideline the 20-year-old reserve forward for 3 weeks.
The Blues finished 2nd in Group F and have, unluckily, drawn to play Spanish giants Real Madrid in the Round of 16 with the first leg scheduled for February 16th in West London.
Up next, Chelsea (9-4-2) will visit Old Trafford to face Manchester United (5-5-5) at the Theater of Dreams in Premier League action this Saturday.
Note: Chelsea have added 16-year-old England national Liam Green (42-56 OVR, 67-91 OVR) to their youth squad.
Around the Grounds
12/8 - UCL
Atletico Madrid 3:0 Standard Liege
Besiktas JK 1:1 Spurs
Borussia Dortmund 0:2 Real Madrid
Chelsea 3:2 Brondby IF
Dinamo Moskva 0:0 SL Benfica
Barcelona 2:0 RB Salzburg
Fenerbahce SK 0:2 Roma
LOSC Lille 0:0 VfL Wolfsburg
12/9 - UCL
Celtic 0:2 Marseille
CSKA Moskva 0:2 Bayer Leverkusen
FC Basel 0:2 FC Porto
FC Kobenhavn 2:1 Sevilla FC
Inter Milan 1:1 PSG
Juventus 3:2 Manchester United
Manchester City 1:1 Ajax
Zenit 0:2 Bayern Munich
12/9 - EPL
Newcastle 1:1 Arsenal
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Draw:
Bayer Leverkusen vs Marseille
Roma vs Manchester City
Real Madrid vs Chelsea FC
Sevilla FC vs Borussia Dortmund
PSG vs Standard Liege
Bayern Munich vs Tottenham Hotspur
Barcelona vs Inter Milan
Atletico Madrid vs Juventus
List of clubs who will exit the Champions League and enter the Round of 32 of the UEFA Europa League:
Manchester United
Celtic
FC Porto
CSKA Moskva
VfL Wolfsburg
Fenerbahce SK
SL Benfica
Besiktas JK
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