THAT PUTS JOSE ON THE SPOT
Chelsea crash out after Butland’s save foils Hazard in shootout drama
Jack butland last night made an amazing penalty save from Eden Hazard to send chelsea out of the capital One cup and tighten the noose around Jose Mourinho’s neck.
the belgian stepped up after nine penalties had been successfully converted in the shoot- out with the sides deadlocked after extra time. He had to score to keep the holders in the competition but butland reached out high to his left and swiped the ball over. loic Remy had scored a stoppage-time equaliser to send the tie into extra time. Mourinho appeared to be edging ever closer to the exit door at chelsea after Jonathan Walters sent Stoke into the lead with a stunning 52nd-minute volley.
but Mourinho took the gamble of switching to a back three and Remy, on for the injured diego costa, scored a minute into second-half stoppage time. the Frenchman struck from a corner, seizing on kurt Zouma’s flick and driving the ball into the roof of the net.
It certainly lifted Mourinho. a strangely muted figure for much of the game, he was far more animated when he called his players into a huddle before the start of extra time, perhaps knowing the next 30 minutes could settle his fate.
Stoke were without Phil bardsley in the added half-hour after he was shown a second yellow card for a rash challenge on kenedy in the dying moments of normal time.
Mourinho might have worn the look of a condemned man as he sat on the bench moments before kick-off but his side actually started well.
they played with real confidence on the ball. their movement and passing were excellent, and in costa they seemed to have a real threat. after forcing a corner with one effort, he brought a fine save from butland with another.
there was certainly no shortage of commitment from these chelsea players and the courage Gary cahill displayed in putting his head in the path of one particularly vicious strike was a measure of that. no sooner was the England defender knocked to the floor than he was back on his feet again.
at the opposite end butland again had to excel, this time to divert a fine effort from Oscar over his crossbar. a crunching tackle from John terry, one you could hear above the crowd from even the highest point in this stadium, provided further evidence that these players had not entirely given up on their manager.
Willian, lively in partnership with Oscar and Hazard, tested butland with a teasing cross. chelsea were dominating even if Marc Muniesa did cause a little anxiety in chelsea’s ranks with an overhead kick that was deflected on to the roof of the net.
after 28 minutes Ramires really should have scored, bursting clear in pursuit of a neat pass from baba Rahman and rounding an advancing butland only to send his shot into the side-netting.
On the bench Mourinho remained emotionless and almost motionless, in stark contrast to the animated figure of Mark Hughes.
One imagines Mourinho’s heart sank, however, when he saw costa hobble off in the 33rd minute. He was holding his ribs after a collision with charlie adam and an earlier tussle that, it has to be said, did not look terribly bruising.
With Remy on in his place, chelsea looked less menacing. One break saw them attacking with numbers but the ball from Remy was so poor the opportunity was quickly gone.
Hazard nevertheless forced butland to make another save, while terry diverted a ball from Willian past the Stoke goalkeeper only to have the effort rightly disallowed for offside.
credit to chelsea’s fans. they were here at the britannia in good numbers and with the game approaching the interval they burst into a chorus of their beleaguered manager’s name.
they were suitably happy, too, when just in front of them asmir begovic made a quite brilliant save to deny Walters. Stoke had not created much but one decent move concluded with Walters meeting a ball from Mame diouf and very nearly beating his former Stoke team-mate on the turn. begovic gathered bravely and so spared his side what would have been a crushing blow so close to the break.
begovic, however, had no response to Walters’ stunning strike — a marvellous volley hit on the turn after receiving a pass from Glenn Whelan with his back to goal.
Mourinho responded by switching to a back three and sending on kenedy. It looked like a last throw of the dice from a man expecting to lose his job — and one that appeared to have failed until Remy’s late intervention.
JOSE MOURINHO’S position as Chelsea manager hangs by a thread today after the holders were knocked out of the Capital One Cup 5-4 on penalties by Stoke following a 1-1 draw.
After nine successful penalties Eden Hazard saw his effort brilliantly saved by Jack Butland to ensure another night of misery for the Portuguese coach (below). To add to the pressure surrounding Mourinho and his club, Diego Costa was taken to hospital for tests on a rib injury which forced him off after 33 minutes. Jonathan Walters fired Stoke ahead after 52 minutes but Loic Remy struck late to force extra time.