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Chelsea labored to an unimpressive 1-0 victory over minnows MOL Vidi at the Stamford Bridge in the Europa League, though it pulled them to the top of group L with 6 points. Beleaguered striker Alvaro Morata broke his duck to score on the night and prove to be the difference-maker for his team.
The Blues were touted to run riot against the Hungarian outfit, who are making only their second ever appearance in the competition. But it was anything but, as manager Mauricio Sarri had also rested a host of first-teamers for the nickel-and-dime affair.
Videoton held its own in the first-half by crowding the area and keeping their mighty rivals at arm's length, but their resistance was finally broken in the 70th minute when Morata delicately chipped over the goalkeeper to break the deadlock.
Chelsea took another step towards the round of 16, but the fans certainly wouldn't have been convinced with the scoreline. All the major talking points:
#1 Run amok, Alvaro Morata gets a goal!
The sheer respite on his face after scoring said it all. He even shed a tear after that, but Alvaro Morata was a man with a breather. Finally. With a grand total of zero goals in the last 16 games, he was walking on eggshells with his future increasingly coming under scrutiny. But a goal today would do a world of good for the hard-pressed player.
Things were not supposedly breaking for him even today, when he blasted a shot in the side post after going one-on-one with Tomas Tujvel early in the first-half. He then missed two more half-chances, but his persistence finally paid off when he was able to latch on to Willian's back-header pass with a fine finish from close range. Technically its a tap-in, but any goal scored by Morata today would make headlines. Such has been the plunge in his career this year: Only 5 goals in 32 appearances in 2018.
And for him, the frosting on the cake was that it also turned out to be the winner as Chelsea couldn't find another one in the final 20 minutes. So that's double the reward. Stop crying now, Alvaro. You deserved it.
#2 Videoton frustrate Chelsea with watertight defense
Normally the best way for a small team to avoid a battering at the hands of a highly superior side is to keep things tight at the back by pushing back bodies and crowding the area. It may not guarantee a favourable result, but at least avoid embarrassing scorelines. And that's exactly what Videoton did with great success.
Set out in a 4-3-2-1 shape, almost the entire team, apart from the forwards, dropped deep to deny the hosts any space to create something when on the ball. This forced Chelsea into an excruciating kneading of the ball around the park for large spells that might have bored you to sleep. In fact, they threaded together 695 passes with an accuracy of 91%, only to come up with just a solitary goal. But that's a testament to Videoton's stubbornness.
To add more perspective, they faced 27 shots, but only 5 were on target. The Hungarians were difficult to break from the open play as close man-marking and compact defense frustrated Chelsea. In the second instance when they were beaten, Videoton were made to pay: Cesc Fabregas sent in a cross from over the top that Willian raced behind the backline to head back for Morata to tap in.
It was a great move by the Blues, but an encouraging performance by the visitors, nevertheless.
#3 Ruben Loftus-Cheek sparkles in season's first start
Of the seven changes that Sarri made to the line-up from the previous game, Loftus-Cheek was one of the new starters and co-incidentally, this was also the first time he did so under the new manager. He was increasingly becoming a fringe player at the club having participated in only 33 minutes of action this season so far. But in the first real opportunity to make a point, the 22-year old takes them with both hands and hammers it home.
He was everywhere. A beacon of unceasing energy, Loftus-Cheek was a battering ram with his inch-perfect passes and buccaneering runs. He shrugged off challenges with ease, while that surging run past three defenders in the first half was a moment of pure magic. It also raised a legitimate claim for a penalty as he was brought down in the area. But that didn't stop him. He then took the mickey out of another defender with another exquisite show of skill, before firing at the target.
Besides laying a key pass, he was also involved at the back as he registered one tackle and one clearance too. Such was his all-round game. And when he was taken off in the 67th minute, the whole Stamford Bridge was on its feet applauding the youngster.
#4 Roland Juhasz was a rock in Vidi's defense
The skipper led by an example and made a big impression on a big night for him. He stood tall against Chelsea's glamorous names with his tackles and clearances. The 35-year old Hungary international was particularly at his obdurate best in the first half when he denied the hosts two big chances from Morata and Willian.
On both occasions, he unhesitatingly threw his massive frame in their way to avert the danger for just a corner. In fact, he made four clearances and three successful tackles, both of which are among the highest in the game. Juhasz was a true leader at the back, who was also seen rallying his troops during the testing phases of the match.
His only blotch on another memorable evening was when he was beaten by Morata for the goal. Johasz stood right behind him when the Spaniard readied himself to take the shot but pulled a blank expression when he pinched it over.
#5 Chelsea are favourites, but need to do better
Chelsea are the frontrunners in this year's race for the Europa League title. Having made a near-perfect start to the Premier League campaign, the 2013 champions have also picked up the maximum points from their group so far. So everything's fine isn't it? Except, it isn't. Chelsea's performance in both the European games so far have been sedated rather than splendid despite the obvious gulf in class between them and the rest.
PAOK were there for the taking; Vidi were supposed to be in for a shellacking. But a pair of 1-0 wins in both games is just outrageous, and the fans are demanding more from the team. Tougher tests are set come along from the round of 32, and the Blues have to be more clinical and more organised. Today's pressing comprised mainly of hopeful punts in the box - that isn't how champions play. Even the passing, was labored most of the time as the hosts simply knocked it around with the hope of Vidi opening up.
With the strongest possible XI, maybe the results would be better. And that's exactly the fans are hoping right now.
