LONDON: Eden Hazard’s late penalty ensured Chelsea maintained a four-point lead at the Premier League summit following a hard-fought 2-1 victory at home to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.
Hazard’s spot-kick settled the west London derby, but Jose Mourinho’s side were made to work for the points after Charlie Austin’s 62nd-minute effort had cancelled out Oscar’s outstanding opening goal.Cesc Fabregas was the architect of the 32nd-minute move that led to Chelsea taking the lead.
This was by no means the comfortable victory many had predicted for Chelsea against a side who started the day rooted in the bottom three.
But Chelsea’s power ultimately proved too much for Rangers, with Hazard’s pace and trickery allowing him to draw a foul from Eduardo Vargas before he dispatched the decisive penalty.
Harry Redknapp’s QPR received a timely boost at the start of the week when Austin’s double secured victory over Aston Villa to lift the Loftus Road club off the foot of the table. That was only their second league win of the season, but Redknapp maintains that their performances have deserved more.
And the way the visitors started the first half suggested the manager’s insistence his players can drag themselves away from the relegation zone is not misplaced.
Chelsea’s outstanding form this season means Mourinho’s side are starting to acquire a fear factor. But after surviving a lively opening, the visitors demonstrated their willingness to take the game to their hosts and created a number of openings that could have given them an unexpected lead.
As expected, Costa returned to the Chelsea line-up after missing four matches with a combination of a groin and hamstring injuries, and the Spain forward immediately made his presence felt. Mourinho was growing more animated on the touchline as his side appeared to be in danger of running out of ideas.
But before the nerves could really set in for the home side, they were gifted the chance to reclaim the lead when Eduardo Vargas clumsily challenged Hazard on the left-hand edge of the Rangers area. This time referee Jones pointed to the spot and Hazard finished the job, converting confidently from 12 yards. (AFP)