The Stamford Bridge crowd rose as one. 'Stand up for the Special One,' they sang. On the touchline, a rare emotion from Jose Mourinho. He looked genuinely humbled, almost tearful as the love swept over him.
He
clenched a fist, punched his heart twice, gave several gestures of
thanks. At least they believed in him, still. Them; and Willian.
What
a player he is turning out to be this season. Heaven knows where they
would be without him. Willian has been one of those little pockets of
resistance as chaos and lethargy engulfs Chelsea. It is not so much that
he never stops running, more that the only time he stops running is to
size up a goal from range.
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Cesar Azpilicueta, Ramires, Kurt
Zouma, Baba Rahman,
Willian, Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic (L-R)
celebrate Chelsea's winning goal
Brazil international Willian runs towards the stands
at Stamford Bridge to celebrate scoring the winner
against Dynamo Kiev
Willian gets the
ball up and over Dynamo Kiev's wall to
score a sublime free-kick and
seal a 2-1 victory for
Jose Mourinho's side
Aleksandar Dragovic runs towards Dynamo
Kiev's travelling supporters at Stamford Bridge
after making it 1-1 in the 77th minute
Former Basle defender Dragovic strikes a
pose after scoring Dynamo's equaliser but
they would not remain on level terms for long
Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic
failed
to gather a Dynamo Kiev cross, allowing
Dragovic to power the
ball into the back
of the net
Chelsea boss Mourinho watches on from
the touchline during his side's crucial
Champions League clash on Wednesday night
MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, GROUP G TABLE, REMAINING FIXTURES AND MATCH ZONE
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Begovic6,
Azpilicueta 6.5, Zouma 6, Terry 6.5, Rahman 7.5, Ramires 6.5, Matic 7,
Willian 8 (Cahill 92), Fabregas 6.5 (Hazard 79), Oscar 7.5 (Pedro 79),
Costa 6.5
Subs not used: Blackman, Kenedy, Remy, Loftus-Cheek
Goals: Dragovic OG 34, Willian 83
Dynamo Kiev:
Shovkovskiy 7, Vida 6.5, Khacheridi 6.5, Dragovic 6, Antunes 6,
Sydorchuk 6 (Garmash 45mins, 5.5), Rybalka 6, Yarmolenko 6.5, Buyalsky
6.5, Gonzalez 5.5, Kravets 6 (Junior Moraes 56mins, 6)
Subs not used: Rybka, Veloso, Petrovic, Morozyuk, Gusev
Goals: Dragovic 77
Booked: Gonzalez, Antunes, Buyalsky
MOTM: Willian
Referee: Pavel Kralovec (Czech Republic)
*Ratings by Bob Treasure at Stamford Bridge
REMAINING FIXTURES
Chelsea
Maccabi Tel-Aviv vs Chelsea, November 24
Chelsea vs Porto, December 9
Dynamo Kiev
Porto vs Dynamo Kiev, November 24
Dynamo Kiev vs Maccabi Tel-Aviv, December 9
He
did not just win the game, he may even have preserved Mourinho as
Chelsea's manager. It is the Champions League that invariably does for
the man in the tracksuit at this club. Roberto Di Matteo, Luiz Felipe
Scolari, Mourinho the first time, all went because Roman Abramovich
feared failure in Europe's biggest tournament.
So
when Dynamo Kiev equalised with 12 minutes remaining, Mourinho's race
looked close to run. He may have staggered into the international break,
but maybe not through it. Now, he will hope Chelsea have braved the
worst.
They
could qualify for the last 16 with a win over Maccabi Tel Aviv later
this month. More importantly, they finally have a victory of character
on which to build, a springboard. It was not a pleasant occasion for
Chelsea — but it was, ultimately, a positive one.
Cesc Fabregas
lifts Willian into the air after the
Brazilian's cross was headed into
his own net
by Dynamo Kiev defender Dragovic
Dragovic misjudges his clearance and
heads the ball
beyond goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskiy in the
34th
minute at Stamford Bridge
Dragovic (right, on the ground) watches on helplessly
as his header nestles into the back of the net to give
Chelsea a 1-0 lead
Austria international Dragovic is left
dejected on the
Stamford Bridge turf after turning the ball into his
own net during the first half
There
were seven minutes remaining when Willian stood over a free-kick, 28
yards from goal on the left. Mourinho was in dice-throwing mode by then.
Having dropped Eden Hazard from the starting line-up, he introduced him
from the bench in a desperate attempt to conjure a revival.
Few
were optimistic. This is a team, and a manager, desperately short of
magic dust right now. Then Hazard drew the fateful foul. Willian stepped
up. He curled the ball up and over the wall and past goalkeeper
Olexandr Shovkovskiy. It may one day be viewed as a turning point. At
least someone in the dressing-room still loves the boss.
Yet
it was heart-stoppingly close. Throughout Chelsea's dismal season, one
man who has emerged blameless is goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. Crisis has a
way of creating collateral damage, however, and on Wednesday night
catastrophe claimed him.
In
one minute of turmoil, Begovic piled error upon error. There were 12
minutes remaining and Kiev were growing ever more threatening when he
cracked. John Terry headed the ball gently back into his hands, and he
spilled it for a corner. Then, when the ball came in, he collided with
Nemanja Matic, allowing it to run to Kiev centre half Aleksandar
Dragovic, who lashed the ball into the unguarded net.
Costa takes a tumble inside the Dynamo Kiev penalty
area after being put under pressure from Dragovic
and Yevhen Khacheridi
Replays appeared to show that Costa was not
touched by an opponent as he sprinted towards
Dynamo Kiev's goal
Costa (left) was left exasperated after being
denied a penalty by referee Pavel Kralovec as
Matic and Fabregas also appeal
Chelsea
boss Mourinho reacts in disbelief
after seeing his side denied what he
believed
to be a clear penalty in first-half added time
Yet
all will be forgotten, thanks to Willian. Chelsea are still in
recovery, of course, and Saturday's opponents, Stoke, will have seen how
vulnerable they still look under pressure, but there is a reserve of
spirit for Mourinho to draw on, at last.
Players
here were beginning to find a familiar level, in defence at least.
Terry was good. Kurt Zouma solid, with one outstanding tackle to thwart
Artem Kravets on goal. Baba Rahman provided quick thinking and good
attacking impetus. Cesar Azpilicueta was his usual seven out of 10.
The
bigger worry was in front of goal. At the opposite end, this was often a
nervy, unconvincing display. Chelsea were the better team, but never
safe; in charge, but not in control. They had some good chances but
lacked the certainty, the killer instinct of old. This is a team that is
being challenged in ways it never expected. The players toil and sweat
to the game's conclusion. When Dynamo Kiev attacked there was a feeling
of dread, as if disaster could strike at any moment, and Chelsea never
looked capable of taking the game away from them completely.
It
was a similar contest to Manchester United's win over CSKA Moscow on
Tuesday. Chelsea saw lots of the ball but forced few saves from
Shovkovskiy. The best came from a shot by Oscar after 65 minutes,
brilliant and one-handed. It was a rare strike on target. Even Chelsea's
first goal came courtesy of an opponent.
Mourinho
at least had the good grace to look a tad sheepish as the fans sang his
name that time. It was hardly a move off the training ground, Dragovic
succeeding where Chelsea's forwards failed in the first-half. Here, at
last, was a player willing to have a go in front of goal. A pity it was
his own net that was the target.
Chelsea midfielder Oscar (second from
right)
has an effort at goal early in the first half at
Stamford Bridge
as Willian watches on
Brazil international Willian gets ahead of his
marker to head towards goal but his effort
was well saved by Shovkovskiy
Mourinho had the support of his family on
Wednesday night, with son Jose Jnr, wife
Matilde and daughter Matilde all watching on
The
impressive Rahman had switched the play, left to right, to find Willian
on an overlap. His cross was dangerously placed but to no one in
particular, although Dragovic did not know that. Fearing a Chelsea
forward breathing down his neck, he dived and diverted his header past
Shovkovskiy.
Until
that point it was a familiar tale. Plenty of possession, plenty of
pressure, but an absence of quality in the area that matters most.
Mourinho looked as frustrated as the locals at times. He turned to his
coaches, bemoaning the absence of a striker at a vital moment, or a poor
final ball.
Chelsea
with their dander up would have had this game closed out by half-time,
but it is a different team this season, and woefully short of
confidence. Diego Costa, never averse to beating up a centre half, looks
like a bully who has received an unexpected slap. He has lost that
swagger, the willingness to risk a miss. At no time was this more
apparent than the penalty incident in first-half injury time.
Oscar knocks the ball forward as Chelsea looked
to get their season back on tack following a series
of underwhelming results
Summer signing Rahman sprints down Chelsea's
left side as Dynamo Kiev forward
Andriy Yarmolenko chases back
Goalscorer Willian (right) takes on Dynamo Kiev's
Serhiy Rybalka during a tight opening period in west
London
Put
clear by Cesc Fabregas, Costa got the advantage over two chasing Kiev
defenders but seemed strangely reluctant to shoot. Inwardly, Stamford
Bridge pleaded, but Costa wanted more guarantees. The penalty. Feeling
the merest touch from Dragovic, he threw himself forward, theatrically.
This final exaggeration lost the case. Referee Pavel Kralovec rightly
waved play on, much to Costa and Mourinho's consternation. Terry was
still pleading fruitlessly when the whistle blew for half-time. He will
regret that when he sees the replay. The contact was insufficient to
justify a fall. Costa should have shot. Instead of more histrionics or
another declaration of war on official incompetence, Mourinho should ask
the player about his reluctance.
It
wasn't the only incident of its type. Oscar and Fabregas got into good
positions without taking the initiative and it made for a hugely tense
evening. Chelsea are not in the sort of form that affords comfort in a
slender lead.
On
the bench, Mourinho took huge regular swigs from a water bottle and
scowled. It is Chelsea, his Chelsea, but not as he knows them. Willian's
goal was the lone flicker of recognition. It was not much, but it will
have to do for now.
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