Irish Daily Mirror

IF LUCKS COULD THRILL

- BY NEIL MCLEMAN @Neilmclema­n

ARRIZABALA­GA

No chance with goal. Little else to do

AZPILICUET­A

Quiet game for right-back. More defensivel­y-minded under Sarri RUDIGER

Has developed into the rock of the Chelsea defence

LUIZ

Out-thought and out-paced for Townsend goal

ALONSO

Provided assist for third goal in rare foray forward

KANTE

No longer in the centre of things with Jorginho now the cog JORGINHO

Escaped booking for clumsy tackle on Zaha. Subbed off BARKLEY

Could not continue his recent scoring streak. Subbed off PEDRO

Fine finish to cap hard-working display down the right

MORATA

Double strike to win game but should have scored more WILLIAN

Good set-piece deliveries but quiet in open play. Subbed off SUBS:

Kovacic (Barkley 64) Fabregas (Jorginho 80) MOTM Several solid saves – including

Luiz header. Not at fault for goals WAN BISSAKA

Athletic display. Did well against Willian down the right

TOMKINS

At fault in failing to cut out freekick for Morata’s second goal SAKHO

Also culpable for second goal. Poor distributi­on from the back VAN AANHOLT

Tried to push forward but largely restricted to defensive duties MCARTHUR

Excellent pass for goal. Usual solid performanc­e in midfield MILIVOJEVI­C Booked

Played enforcer’s role. Finally booked for foul on Fabregas KOUYATE

Big physical presence in the middle but lacks creativity MEYER

Two chances in the first half for the recalled German. Subbed off TOWNSEND

Super finish for first Premier League goal of the season ZAHA

Fought losing battle against Chelsea back four

SUBS:

Ayew (Meyer 71)

Schlupp (Mcarther 80)

Hazard (Willian 64)

MAURIZIO SARRI claimed he was “lucky” to make a record-equalling start to Premier League management – and have Eden Hazard on the bench to save his side yesterday.

For 12 nervy second-half minutes, Crystal Palace threatened to grab an unlikely point after Andros Townsend’s fine strike showed the Eagles are not totally reliant on Wilfried Zaha.

But Chelsea’s multi-millionpou­nd side lacked a spark at slumbering Stamford Bridge until the Blues boss sent on the inspiratio­nal Hazard. A minute later he won a freekick and sent in a set-piece delivery for Alvaro Morata to score his second goal.

Pedro slotted home a third five minutes later (celebratin­g with Marcos Alonso, far right) to see Sarri equal Frank Clark’s 1994 record of staying unbeaten in his first 11 Premier League games while in charge of Nottingham Forest. Sarri also overtakes Jose Mourinho’s run of 10 games without defeat at the start of his Blues reign in 2004.

“I’m very proud to be the coach of this team,” he said. “The record is not one of the coach, but of the team. I was lucky. I have very good players and, in the last two months, we were able to win without a great level of organisati­on from the tactical point of view. I was lucky, I think.”

But Sarri still maintained his team have a long way to go to close the gap on Manchester City. And the first hour showed they are still a work in progress all over the pitch. Without a central striker, Palace deployed the mobile Zaha and Townsend up front and Max Meyer had two shooting chances in the opening quarter.

Morata opened the scoring with a clinical finish after 32 minutes (below, left) when Pedro’s first cross was cut out when he was offside – and he retreated to get back into the game to fire home from his fellow Spaniard’s second cross.

Willian had a strike disallowed for offside and Morata then missed a header, but Chelsea only led 1-0 after enjoying 78 per cent of firsthalf possession. The Eagles made them pay after the break when Townsend exchanged passes with James Mcarthur to race past David Luiz and fire home his first league goal of the season.

“We need to improve from a tactical point of view,” Sarri said. “In the first 15 minutes of the second half we were not compact. When we can’t cover the ball in the opponent’s half we are in trouble. So we need to improve.”

Sarri called for the cavalry after 64 minutes. Even when not fully fit as he recovers from a back injury, Hazard lifts his team-mates and the whole crowd.

“We were a little bit in trouble, so we needed some quality and personalit­y,” Sarri added. “We were lucky we had Eden on the bench.

“I spoke with the doctor and he said Eden was able to play no more than 30 minutes.

“We were lucky. Immediatel­y, he was able to change our match. Hazard is Hazard – he’s able to do this very often.”

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