2. Delaney’s stupidity costs the Eagles dear
Although the Eagles started and finished the game with a flourish, a moment of madness from Damien Delaney cost the home side any hope they had of getting back into the game. After going behind to Oscar’s early goal, it looked as though it was going to be another one of those games for Chelsea, who were looking imperious from the start. But Cesar Azpilicueta’s red card on the 39th minute gave the home side some hope. But that vanished just a few minutes later, as Delaney’s stupid foul on Remy earned him a second yellow and subsequent red.
Although both teams were lucky to end the game with 10 men each, the home side would’ve felt that they could given the Blues a run for their money, had they had the extra man. For once it became 10v10, the visitors simply took control in the second half and any sense that the home side were going to mount a comeback was lost after the sending off as it sucked the momentum out of their play. While they might not have won the game with 11 men, they would have certainly given the league leaders a close fight and not faded into oblivion in the second half.