I was very pessimistic about this game. Chelsea seemed to be coming into some sort of form and we have numerous injuries. In the first half, Chelsea were far the better team. We defended well but then easily lost possession and we were penned back in our own half for most of the first 45 minutes. Madueke hit the bar for Chelsea and Palmer was playing well for them. When we did have an opportunity on the break we wasted it, apart from a chance for Hickey but he ran at speed on to a bouncing ball so was unable to control it and shoot. We were fortunate to go into the break 0-0. The second half started more of the same but this time not only did we defend really well we were much more assured in keeping the ball after we had broken up their attacks. We passed well out of the back and our counter attacks had a lot more substance. From one of these counter attacks their keeper made a great save from Janelt then soon afterwards another attack saw Mbeumo shoot just wide from a cross. They had a half chance with a ball across our 6-yard box that they that should have touched in. Then in the 58th minute, from another one of our breaks, Pinnock heads in at the far post from a great cross by Mbeumo. Although Chelsea tried their best to get an equaliser we defended well. With time nearly up, Mbeumo raced away and found Yarmoliuk in space but their keeper made another good save. There was 6 minutes of added-on time and I was praying that Chelsea wouldn’t do what Man U did to us a few weeks ago. In the 96th minute Chelsea had a corner and as a last ditch attempt to equalise, their keeper came up for it. We headed the corner clear and the ball was booted forward to Maupay with Mbeumo close by and no Chelsea keeper anywhere to be seen. Despite Maupay having a head start their keeper ran back caught up with Maupay near the edge of their penalty area. Fortunately, the ball rolled into Mbeumo’s path and he passed it into the empty net. Why Maupay didn't hit it into the empty net seconds before is one of life’s greatest mysteries. We win 0-2 at Stamford Bridge and that is two wins in a row and two clean sheets, and for the first time this season I had some confidence in Flekken, our keeper.
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