SITTING PRETTY!
Chelsea’s ticket row forgotten as Zouma
OLIVIER GIROUD’S suitors can forget about signing him in January – because at this rate Frank Lampard is being left with no choice but to give him all the game time he craves.
The Frenchman’s four-goal heroics against Sevilla in midweek made it all but impossible for the Chelsea boss not to hand him his first Premier League start of the season here.
And he struck the goal that began the Chelsea fightback, cancelling out one-time Blues forward Patrick Bamford’s early opener, before Kurt Zouma bagged the strike that sent his side to the top of the league table.
Zouma has now scored six goals in his last three starts and when you add in the two he scored for France in their Nations League win against Sweden last month, it’s easy to understand why confidence is coursing through his veins.
He could have had a couple more as well in what was an exciting game between these two ambitious sides.
But he was inches nches wide with a header in n the opening couple of minutes and Timo o Werner then got t in the way of another effort that looked to be heading in.
Hakim Ziyech, , after good work rk from Mason Mount, ount, Kai Havertz and Thiago Silva in the build-up, had also forced a good save from Illan
Meslier in those early exchanges but, in a flash, it was Leeds who took the lead. Edo Edouard Mendy star started to come to m meet Kalvin Phill lips’ curling pass forward but then changed his mind and it was Bamford who nipped in, went round him and slotted home. What a start it was for the Marcelo Bielsa’s (above) visitors and what a way for
Bamford to si lence the 2,000-strong crowd after just four minutes.
This was the first match at the Bridge since March 8 at which fans could be present.
But the shine had been taken off that return by Chelsea charging £75 for a West Stand lower tier seat – a move described by the Supporters’ Trust as “clear exploitation of supporter loyalty”.
The happy few had been noisy too, the ground coming to life again after nine months – it was just a shame there weren’t
another 40,000- odd snarling Londoners and Yorkshire folk in here as well.
Then it really would have been a fixture that felt like a proper throwback to a time long before anyone imagined a competition called the Premier League.
Bamford’s poise deserted him with a wayward effort after 85 minutes, but no surprise that Leeds weren’t giving up the hunt.
Still, the game should have been put well beyond their reach as the clock ticked down.
Tammy Abraham nearly wrapped up the night’s work with just three minutes left on the clock.
Werner had put the ball behind the Leeds defence and found Abraham, but the England striker put his shot wide.
Werner set up Christian Pulisic deep in stoppage time and there was no mistake this time.
Whatever the Blues fans paid for their tickets last night they can say they were there when Lampard’s men sent a message to any title rivals.
It’s crowded at the top of the table – but right now Chelsea have the best seat in the house.