CHELSEA CRUISE INTO LAST 16:
Referee errors help, but manager has his Chelsea boys flying
ANTONIO Conte is writing his own script. When Chelsea lost to Burnley on the opening day of the Premier League season you got the impression it was the beginning of the end.
But four months later, Conte — thanks to a routine win over Qarabag last night — has guided his team to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Back among Europe’s elite — exactly where Roman Abramovich expects his expensively assembled squad to be.
Of course nine points behind domestic leaders Manchester City is a far from ideal position to be in going into December.
But Chelsea’s title defence has been far from a disaster.
All in all, this is very unlike Chelsea. What happened to the second-season managerial curse?
A season of success followed by one of failure, eventually leading to the manager’s sacking? We’ve seen the movie enough times to know the ending.
Questions continue to linger over Conte’s job security and his relationship with the real decision makers at Stamford Bridge.
But maybe, just maybe, Conte can become the one that sticks.
He is consistently delivering. Those above him in the Chelsea food chain will do well to remember that.
Here in Baku, the Blues were indebted to two hugely debatable penalties and the controversial sending-off of Qarabag skipper Rashad Sadygov.
But, make no mistake, Chelsea would have won this game no matter what. In the end it was four — Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas’s penalties supplementing Willian’s brace.
But it should have been double that goal tally, Chelsea squandering a host of chances against the Azerbaijan champions.
The big news before kick-off saw the recall of David Luiz to the Chelsea starting XI following a training-ground flare-up with his manager which saw the Brazilian miss the last two games.
Only time will tell if Luiz can work his way back into Conte’s domestic plans but, for now, the defender is off the naughty step.
Luiz was one of four changes from the side who brushed West Brom aside so emphatically on Saturday, Conte clearly keeping one eye on Saturday’s showdown against Liverpool.
Not that the new faces would have filled Qarabag with any more optimism as seasoned internationals Willian, Antonio Rudiger and Pedro were the other three replacements. Still, in the opening 15 minutes, it was hard to tell which team were overwhelming favourites.
Buoyed by the exuberant home support, Qarabag started brightly, showing no sign of an inferiority complex.
They were unlucky not to take a 14th-minute lead as Michel rattled the bar from close range after Chelsea’s back four parted like the Red Sea. The decibel levels soared. Qarabag — on the biggest night of their history — sensed one of the greatest Champions League shocks.
Five minutes later the cheers turned to jeers. The boos were aimed at Portuguese referee Manuel De Sousa, who had just awarded Chelsea a 20th-minute penalty after Willian fell in the box under pressure from Sadygov.
The home side were incensed. Television replays suggested they had a case.
But if they were livid at the penalty, then you only imagine their fury at De Sousa when he brandished a red card.
The Qarabag skipper couldn’t believe it, as he stared ahead with his hands on his head.
His team-mates were taking a more proactive approach, angrily remonstrating with the official.
The injustice was all too much for manager Gurban Gurbanov, who called all his players to the touchline for an impromptu team talk.
Perhaps they were praying for a miracle as they huddled together.
Not that Hazard was bothered, sending Ibrahim Sehic the wrong way to put Chelsea ahead.
The Olympic Stadium fell quiet.
The home crowd knew this was over as a contest. The sense of injustice made it even more difficult to swallow for the Azerbaijan fans.
Hazard and Luiz both went close with headers to double Chelsea’s advantage before the Blues eventually scored a second nine minutes before the break.
Willian took the glory, coolly slotting past Sehic but Hazard’s audacious flick to set up the Brazil international was exquisite.
Pedro and Hazard were thwarted by Sehic soon after the restart, though the misses didn’t matter. The die was cast with De Sousa’s 20th-minute intervention.
Conte soon turned his attentions to Anfield, bringing off Marcos Alonso, N’Golo Kante and Hazard for Gary Cahill, Danny Drinkwater and Alvaro Morata, respectively.
The second half was dying a death, until De Sousa’s third controversial ruling of the night.
Willian, jockeyed by Gara Garayev, looked to be going down a blind alley — only for De Sousa to spot the slightest of shirt pulls. The protests weren’t as vociferous this time — Qarabag players more bewildered than angry.
Fabregas, after being asked to retake his first successful effort, fired past Sehic to make it 3-0 before Willian completed the scoring in the 85th minute.
It was a scoreline, and more importantly a performance, that pleased Conte.
‘This group is showing great character,’ the Italian said.
‘From the start we faced a lot of problems this season. Our answer was positive, almost always positive.
‘These players show me every day great commitment, great will, desire to fight.
‘We are a really good squad. There is a great compactness between us. I think it will be very important for the present and the future.’ FK QARABAG (4-2-3-1): Sehic 5; Medvedev 5, Sadygov 5, Rzezniczak 5, Agolli 5; Almeida 6, Garayev 6; Gurrier 5 (Yunuszada 82min), Michel 6.5, Madatov 5 (Diniyev 45, 5); Ndlovu 5, (Quintana 85). Subs not used: Kanibolotskiy, Amirguliyev, Ismayilov, Sheydaev. Booked: Medvedev, Rzezniczak. Sent off: Sadigov. Manager: Gurban Gurbanov 5.5. CHELSEA (3-4-3): Courtois 5; Azpilicueta 6.5, Luiz 6.5, Rudiger 7; Zappacosta 6.5, Fabregas 7, Kante 7 (Drinkwater 75min, 6), Alonso 6.5 (Cahill 58, 6); Pedro 6.5, Hazard 8 (Morata 65, 6.5), WILLIAN 8.5. Subs not used: Caballero, Bakayoko, Christensen, Sterling. Scorers: Hazard 21 pen, Willian 36, 85, Fabregas 73 pen. Booked: Alonso. Manager: Antonio Conte 7. Referee: Manuel De Sousa (Portugal) 3. Attendance: 67,100.