Jose Mourinho’s Special Ones: 4 players who performed well against Fulham
Chelsea went four points clear at the top of the Premier League thanks to a second-half hat trick by Andre Schurrle against Fulham.
After looking off the pace throughout the first half, the Blues eventually coasted to three points against a Fulham side struggling with the prospect of relegation. This came just over 48 hours after the visitors returned from their 1-1 draw with Galatasaray in Istanbul.
The ability to win games when not playing at your best is an important credential for any title winning side and Chelsea proved their worth with a victory against their London rivals.
Here we take a look at the Blues’ top four weekend performers.
Nemanja Matic – 32 Performance Score
Nemanja Matic
Nemanja Matic was as assured as ever during Chelsea’s trip to Craven Cottage, showing, once again, that he has the talent and potential to thrive in the Premier League.
Sitting just in front of the back four he contributed with an impressive nine Defensive Actions – just one less than both John Terry and Gary Cahill. His ability to read the game and quell opposition attacks saw him make three interceptions and six clearances in total. He further assisted by winning eight headers from central midfield.
However, his passing let him down in this tie. Recording an accuracy of just 78%, he misplaced a number of his attempts to move the ball forward. This often resulted in the breakdown of Chelsea’s fast-flowing counter attacks.
Fernando Torres – 51 Performance Score
Following on from his decent midweek performance in Turkey, Torres put in a decent shift on the club’s return to South London.
His best moment of the match came during the build-up to Schurrle’s third goal. Torres picked out the German’s run with a delightful through-pass, before he lifted the ball over the onrushing Fulham goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
He hit the target with three of his four attempts on goal, only to be foiled by Fulham shot stopper Maarten Stekelenburg on each occasion. But this match will be most remembered for the glaring opportunity he missed. Served on a plate to him by a fantastic piece of skill from Eden Hazard, he headed against the back of Kieran Richardson, who did enough to see the chance go wide.
Eden Hazard – 79 Performance Score
Eden Hazard provided the inspiration behind another three points for Chelsea. Much like the rest of the team, the Belgian had a quiet first half before springing into life in the second period.
The 23-year-old playmaker fashioned an impressive seven key passes, assisting two goals, as he continues to stake his claim as the most creative player in Europe. He played two fantastic through-balls to Andre Schurrle for his opening strikes and the German ghosted in behind the Fulham defence on both occasions, finishing each move with great efficiency.
However, the Belgian’s contribution did not end here. He caused the Cottages trouble all afternoon with his dribbling ability, pace and spatial awareness. From eight attempted take-ons he completed an impressive six – taking the ball past an opponent 75% of the time.
Andre Schurrle – 106 Performance Score
Andre Schurrle
After an encouraging midweek display against Galatasaray Mourinho remained faithful to the 23-year-old by keeping him in the line-up, and he did more than repay his manager.
Three goals in 16 second-half minutes saw him walk away with the most clinical record of any Chelsea striker this season, as he converted an impressive 60% of his shots on goal. He was provided with three fantastic assists for each strike and he took each chance with absolute perfection.
Mourinho’s decision to change the German from provider to receiver at half time proved a stroke of genius in terms of the final result. His Squawka Performance Score of 106 points saw him scoop Saturday’s Man of the Match award – a well-deserved accolade to cap an impressive display.