You had to be there...

Match Review: Chelsea 0-1 QPR

Most Rangers fans made the journey to Stamford Bridge fearing the worst, but it’s a funny old game football. At a scandalous £55 per ticket (plus booking fee) and with a shocking run of form, the fact that the Shed was filled with 3,000 away fans spoke volumes for blind optimism and loyalty over level-headed analysis. But against all the odds (there were shorter odds for Chelsea to win 6-0 than QPR to win 1-0), they were rewarded.

Rangers opened with a 4-1-4-1 formation with Derry recalled to play just in front of the back four and, interestingly, Taarabt was pushed furthest up front. Armand Traore was out of the picture after his inept defensive performance against Liverpool on Sunday and the back four read Fabio, Hill, Nelsen, Onuoha. In midfield Esteban Granero was preferred to Samba Diakite who was another really off the ball against Liverpool whilst the woeful Shaun Wright Phillips was dropped at the expense of Junior Hoilett. Meanwhile Rafa made several changes for Chelsea, although with FA and Capital One Cup games coming up before their next EPL fixture it looked more like a case of over confident complacency rather than a genuine need for resting through rotation.

The teams emerge

Four minutes into his full league debut the Bosnian-come-German Marin (how many 'dual nationality' players have they claimed to be theirs now?!) should have been sent off for a two footed, off the floor and out of control scythe through M’Bia. Stunningly, referee Mason (who you will remember sent off Derry for not touching Ashley Young at Old Trafford last year) only produced a yellow. Equally stunningly M’Bia was not badly hurt. Retribution on Marin was later quietly dished out by both Derry and Hill.

QPR defended with determination and the few chances that came Chelsea’s way were as a result of mistakes. On 15 minutes Hoilett pulled up and was replaced by Wright-Phillips and a minute later Chelski did their emotionally disturbed ‘clap for Di Matteo’ thing.

Chelsea continued to huff and puff with a few long range efforts, particularly from a frustrated Branislav Ivanovic, but Hill and Nelsen snuffed out anything closer in. On 34 minutes there was an embarrassing dive in the box by Bertrand when he was several yards away from the nearest opponent. Boltonian whistleblower Mason was again deficient and no booking resulted.

Towards the end of the first half SWP had a run and shot and twice didn’t run and didn’t shoot when Taarabt threaded him decent passes to move on to. David Luiz (hereafter Sideshow Bob) had a pot shot that Cesar had to save with his legs after it deflected off Frank (‘one more to overtake Kerry Dixon’) Lampard.

Special abuse was saved for the warming up Ashley Cole and the half time appearance of ‘Suave Marv’ aka 60’s and 70’s centre back Marvin Hinton. I don’t think anyone had anything in particular against 72 year old Marv, it was more a case of his chaperon for the obligatory walk round the pitch being the personification of a smugly irritating annoying Johnny-come-lately, glory hunting tit.

The second half was more of the same, only better. Chelsea had a flurry of corners which Cesar dealt with positively, Ivanovic heading one excellent chance over. On 53 minutes Cesar saved well from the otherwise anonymous Torres. Moses should have got a touch to Marin's cross but this was to be the debutante's last involvement as he was then swapped for Hazard as Rafa began to realise more guile was needed. QPR for the first time began to string some coherent attacking moves together. Granero hit a curler to give Turnbull some catching practice. Shortly afterwards, Mackie was played through by Taarabt and he looked odds-on to score before Gary Cahill stretched out and conceded a corner. From said corner, Derry had a free header which should have troubled Turnbull more.

Home frustration grew as Lampard put the ball in from an offside position (still one more needed eh, Frank!) All the Rangers back four were now playing like men possessed with blocks and deflections keeping Chelsea out. To the delight of the Chelsea fans, their talisman Juan Mata was introduced by Rafa for Moses with sixteen minutes to play. But then, against all hopes and expectations, one of those ‘I was there’ moments happened. A partially cleared Rangers corner fell to Taarabt just outside the box. He made the sweetest lay-off into the path of SWP that since the match we have watched again and again. Time stood still as SWP hit a low 20 yard drive that arrowed into the corner of the goal. Delirium and confusion broke out in the away end, bodies everywhere. Stop the clocks at 21:20 02/01/13. Had he really done that? 969 days since his last EPL goal, you diminutive beauty, you. All is forgiven! You still owe the outstanding Fabio a beer for covering your defensive duties, though.

Ramires came on for Lampard (who, Chelsea fans, I believe still requires one more goal to overhaul Kerry Dixon). The game was now frantic. You could see the vein in Clint Hill’s neck bulging with effort. Admirable Nelsen screamed for more concentration and effort. Derry was everywhere putting out fires and Mbia and Sideshow Bob enjoyed a tussle that, although rarely legal, was sufficiently good natured that you could still see them sharing hair conditioner in the showers afterwards. Even Granero put a shift in - I noticed he went over to Joe Jordan for a word in his ear during the first half and from that moment he returned a more determined man who got stuck in, something he hasn't done since the very start of his QPR career.

On 86 minutes I called it as a pen from where I was sitting but thankfully it was a free kick that was given instead, dead centre in the D, 2 yards outside the box. D wanted Sideshow Bob to take it and blast, C wanted Mata to chip straight into Cesar's arms. Thankfully D got his wish as Wrecking Ball Luiz simply smashed it into the 9 man wall.

Supporting their local team: Bristol and Bath blues, Norwegian blues, etc. Many already gone home early in a huff

Two time wasting R's substitutions later and it was all over. Man hugs all round. Everything that QPR hadn't been 3 days earlier against Liverpool, they were today. Solid, committed, intelligent and playing like a team. The questions remain whether they can repeat this level of intensity and dream of survival but, for the moment, who cares? Chelsea 0 QPR 1. Two clean sheets against Chelsea. A first away win since November 2011. A first win away at Chelsea in my lifetime. Simply unbelievable.



Man of the Match: Playing in an unfamiliar striker's position, Taarabt's ability to keep the ball and hold the ball up was played upon by Harry Redknapp and it proved to be an incredibly inspired move. He showed his quality in his passing and the lay-off for the goal and gave QPR an outlet all game. His patience and perseverance with the inept Shaun Wright-Phillips also deserves some serious credit. Well done that man, we'll need more of this if we are to pick up more points this year away from home.