Cahill’s all gold, just like Terry, as he hits late Chelsea winner
GARY CAHILL never imagined he’d be “Captain, Leader, Legend” at Chelsea, but if he keeps doing impersonations of John Terry he might just end up as that.
Terry is sliding from the picture at Stamford Bridge, but his tradition is being upheld by his successor as skipper.
Three minutes from time, with two points slipping away despite a dominant performance, Cahill stabbed in a winner from inside the six-yard box as Terry has done so often in a Chelsea shirt.
The goal put Antonio Conte’s team 13 points clear at the top and they will be champions barring disaster.
It had been Cahill who had conceded the penalty that got Stoke back in this game after Willian’s early opener.
That’s also typical Terry – make a mistake then bust a gut to make up for it
They say that titles are won on cold, windy days at places like Stoke, when you’re without your best player, you’re not quite at your best and their keeper has a blinder.
This was exactly that. No Eden Hazard through injury, Lee Grant playing out of his skin after an early error, total domination of the second half, but until Cahill’s goal the Champions-elect were dropping points here.
Conte repeated his usual “the title race isn’t finished” mantra afterwards, but the total that would guarantee that is dropping by the week.
“We have now played two games away at West Ham and Stoke and they were important wins at this stage of the season,” he said.
“Now we need to take 21 points to be sure to win the League.”
Chelsea’s strength all season has been their ability to put away teams outside the top five. It’s now 21 matches and they’ve won 19 of them.
The first 13 minutes were notable only for start of the running battle between Diego Costa and almost every Stoke defender.
Stoke boss Mark Hughes, himself a robust centre-forward in his playing days, denied that his players had targeted the Spaniard’s temper.
“It was more like he targeted us,” he said. “I played in that position many years and he’s an outstanding striker. But he’s got elements to his play that he doesn’t need.
“He went over too easily on numerous occasions and stayed down.
“You can look after yourself, but you don’t need all the rest of it. That takes away from his performance and image as player.
Unsurprisingly, Conte took a different view. He said: “It’s not simple after you receive a yellow card so early in the game.
“He showed great commitment for the team and not for himself and that’s what I want from my players.
“In the past he has received two yellow cards and hasn’t finished the game, but he is disciplined now.”
Chelsea took the lead after Marcos Alonso won a free-kick and Willian squeezed it past Grant at his near post. The keeper was culpable, but he certainly made up for it later.
Costa picked up a yellow after diving when challenged by Martins Indi and at that point there was no-one in the stadium who thought he’d still be on the pitch at the end. Ironically it was Stoke full-back Phil Bardsley who was dismissed for two yellows, though that wasn’t until stoppage time.
A brilliantly worked free-kick just after the half-hour saw Grant save superbly from Alonso, and in the 34th minute Bruno Martins Indi had a headed goal disallowed after the linesman spotted some pushing.
Four minutes later, though, Cahill nudged Walters as they chased a high ball and the Republic of Ireland striker blasted in the penalty.
Bardsley picked up his first yellow for another foul on Costa, who was operating at boiling point, clearly not something that had gone unnoticed by Stoke’s players.
Chelsea took charge from the early stages of the second half and when Erik Pieters fouled Pedro when he was through on goal, Anthony Taylor gave a yellow. Alonso struck the bar with the free-kick.
Grant saved well from Pedro and by that stage Stoke’s only real threat was coming from corners.
As it happened, it was from a corner that Chelsea won it. Fabregas slung it over, David Luiz won the header, Pieters scuffed his clearance straight to Cahill and he slammed it in from close range.
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