Stoke City 0-4 Chelsea: Walters Own Goals Boosts the Blues

Not a good day at the office for Stokes Jonathan Walters. Two brilliant headed own goals in the space of seventeen minutes gave Chelsea the cushion to sail through the difficult waters of The Britannia yesterday and completely demolish the proud unbeaten home record of the rugby playing, lump it long delilahs. Then with a couple of minutes left, Walters, bravely or stupidly, stepped up to blast Stokes opportunity of a consolation goal way over the bar from the penalty spot.

Super Frank, putting the speculation of his future right behind him, produced a performance that would have had SAF salivating in his wine, should the speculation of Super Frank going to Utd be true.

Not only that Super Frank became Chelsea’s 2^nd all-time top goalscorer when he converted a 65^th minute penalty after Mata became the meat in Huths and Shawcross’ sandwich.

Eden Hazard rounded off a lovely day with a 30 yard pearler that fizzed past Begovic’s outstretched right-arm to crash high into the net, right in front of the brilliant supporting away end.

Things may have been different if Kenwynne Jones had not spurned a great chance to put the hosts 1-0 up in the early minutes and the scoreline maybe have been worse for City had Begovic not pulled off some super saves to deny Super Frank on a couple of occasions, Ba and Ashley Cole (who could also find himself at Utd).

‘Captain, Leader, Legend,’ ‘One England Captain’ JT came on as a second-half substitute as did Mr Reliable, Paulo Ferreira.

Petr Cech started the game, but Gary Cahill was absent as he became the father of a baby boy.

Super Frank said after, “It was very important to get out attitude right for this one. It was a freezing cold day, it was blowy and Stoke have been unbelievable at home this year.

“You know what you get with them, they are physical and quite rightly so. They play to their strengths.

“But we were right on our game today and barring the first 15 to 20 minutes when they put us under pressure, we completely dominated and were brilliant.”

Stoke City: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross (c), Huth, Wilkinson, Whelan, Nzonzi, Walters, Adam (Whitehead 78), Etherington (Kightly 85), Jones (Jerome 78).

Booked: Wilkinson 37

Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta (Ferreira 82), Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole, Lampard (c), Ramires, Hazard, Mata (Terry 79), Bertrand, Ba (Torres 70).

Goals: Walters og 45, og 62, Lampard (pen) 65, Hazard 72

NEXT UP: Southampton (h), Wednesday 16^th January 2013, K.O.7.45pm

Also on the same night, the U18s begin their defence of the FA Youth Cup with an away-tie at Charlton Athletic, k.o. 7pm.

COME ON CHELSEA

TWITTER: @WVOMChelsea