Chelsea show gritty side to win at Stoke

Nemanja Matic is a vital player for Chelsea and produced a commanding display against Stoke in the Blues 2-0 victory over Stoke on Monday night

Chelsea moved three points clear at the top of the Premier League table on Monday night with a 2-0 win at Stoke’s Britannia Stadium.

Goals from John Terry and Cesc Fabregas were enough to give the Blues all three points in the Potteries.

Chelsea may have quality, but their win at Stoke also showed that the league leaders can also do the ugly things right.

The win means the Blues will be top at Christmas and hold a three point advantage over champions Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

Outstanding

Defensive midfield duo Nemanja Matic and John Obi Mikel were outstanding protecting the Chelsea defence at Stoke. Matic was arguably man of the match as he consistently repelled the Stoke attack and made crucial tackles.

The big Serbian looks like he could turn out to be one of Jose Mourinho’s best ever signings. He seems to have every quality needed in the perfect central midfielder. He has brains, brawn and skill, which is a rare combination in modern defensive midfielders.

He is the sort of player Arsenal have been missing for the last decade. The likes of Diego Costa, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Cesc Fabregas may do the fancy stuff, but Matic is without doubt one of the Blues most important players.

Jose Mourinho’s success with the Blues the first time round was based around having a very good defensive midfielder Claude Makelele anchoring his midfield. Matic is arguably an even better all-round player than the Frenchman.

It would be unfair to praise Matic and not his midfield partner John Obi Mikel. The Nigerian is much-maligned by Chelsea fans, because at times his technique ability is not as good as some of his teammates.

However, against teams like Stoke the Blues needed his physical presence and he did a disciplined job alongside Matic in the centre of the park. Between them the duo won 16 tackles during the game, which was far more than opposition defensive midfield pair Geoff Cameron and Steven N’Zonzi managed, as the Potters duo managed just three between them.

Tactician

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is very clever in his tactical awareness. It is not rocket science to realise that Stoke will provide a big physical battle and that it was probably wiser to select someone of the stature and skills of Mikel, rather than the more flamboyant choice of Oscar.

These are the little decisions that help contribute to teams winning titles. Teams do not tend to win titles if they cannot adapt their approach. The selection of Mikel in place of Oscar was a sign that Mourinho is always prepared to adapt his approach.

It has been proved down the years that Mourinho can be a master tactician and this victory was just another example of how a little change to a system can bring a win.

Hard

Chelsea’s squad may contain a team of talented players, but a key to their success so far this season has been how hard they work. The likes of Oscar, Fabregas, Willian, Hazard and Costa despite their obvious talent put a shift in for the team, fans and their boss.

Spanish playmaker Juan Mata was a hero at Chelsea. In fact he was the club’s Player of the Year when Mourinho decided to sell him to Manchester United for £30million.

The deal was questioned by many at the time, but the reason now seems clear. The former-Valencia star was not prepared to put the work in to be in Mourinho’s starting eleven. I doubt many Blues fans will be questioning the deal now, especially with the success of summer signing Fabregas.

Champions

Most teams that win titles can grind out results at places like Stoke and can battle as well as win games with quality. The current Chelsea team seems to have the right balance of skill and hard work and I would be very surprised if the Blues do not claim the Premier League title at the end of the season.

Will Chelsea’s combination of grit and skill be enough to win the title?