Dominant Performance as Chelsea Brush Maccabi to the Side

Goals from Willian, Oscar, Diego Costa and Fabregas help sweep Maccabi Tel Aviv to the side as Chelsea start their European campaign with three points.

Chelsea dominant the whole match and they made a strong start. Willian was sent through on goal and attempted to round the keeper but was brought down. Penalty Chelsea and it was a perfect chance to settle the nerves evident from the players and supporters. An out of form Eden Hazard stepped up and sent the ball into Row Z. A penalty can be the easiest form of gaining confidence, however missing one can destroy it.

Chelsea did open their European account this year through Willian in the 15th minute. The Brazilian international whipped a dangerous ball into the box and even though no player got a touch on it, the ball found its way into the back of the net. In the opening 20 minutes the goal scorer was probably Chelsea's brightest player. He was the only player willing to take the Maccabi defence on and he was able to beat them more often than not. Unfortunately for the Blues, he was subbed off before the 25 minute mark with a hamstring injury.

Maccabi Tel Aviv didn't create many goal scoring opportunities but they had a glorious one from a set piece free kick. It was a tremendous delivery and found the head of Eran Zahavi who failed to even hit the target. The Israeli really should have done better, if he had left it, there was a Maccabi player free and arguably with a better angle to head the ball. The Israeli champions didn't get many opportunities, so aspirations of coming away from Stamford Bridge with any points briskly died when they failed to capitalise.

On the stroke of half time, substitute Diego Costa was fouled in the box and another penalty was awarded by the German official. This time Oscar stepped up and cooly slotted the penalty into the bottom left corner, showing Hazard how it should be done. Two goals up at half time and the West Londoners were coasting. For the second half Chelsea need to continue to starve the visitors of possession and keep piling on the pressure. It paid dividends when Chelsea pressed from the front as they received possession in the danger zone. More of this and as Maccabi Tel Aviv tire then more opportunities will arise.

The second half represented more of the same. Chelsea dominated and didn't really give their visitors a sniff of the ball. They eventually sealed the game up with a superb volley from just inside the box. It was a terrific piece of skill and something that he needed to do to get him off the mark for Chelsea in Europe. Chelsea were now content to keep the ball without making many more headways into scoring more goals. They were more concerned about preserving the clean sheet and who can blame them?

Despite this Chelsea were getting more opportunities through Baba Rahman and Hazard and it was only a matter of time before the fourth goal was scored, much to the testament of the Tel Aviv performance. Unpredictably, it did come and was on the counter. Chelsea broke with four against two and even though Loic Remy's shot was saved, Cesc Fabregas was on hand to finish the move. Chelsea were in cruise control for the remainder of the match, just the way Mourinho would have wanted ahead of welcoming Arsenal at the weekend. It was a case of job well done, but secretly they will be delighted with the result and performance.

It was the new boys that stole the light tonight and two of them in particular have stuck their hand up for inclusion against Arsenal. Baba Rahman was impressive down the left and looked a real threat as he got forward at every stage. The summer signing will be pleased with his debut and Jose will have no second thoughts about this signing so far. Similarly, Ruben Loftus-Cheek was instrumental for the 75 minutes that he was on the pitch. He was effective at breaking up the Maccabi as well as making surging runs forward from midfield. These runs caused problems for the defence and Mourinho must include him on Saturday afternoon, particularly with his midfielders being in such bad form.

Mourinho got the win he wanted but there will be concern shown to Willian who had to retire from the game prematurely despite being one of the best players on the pitch. Looking at the Arsenal game, Jose will have some decisions to make selection wise and will look to get one over the ol' enemy.

Season Review

Another English season draws to a close. Chelsea were crowned deserving champions, while QPR, Burnley and Hull face the disappointment of playing in the Championship next season. Let's look at the key performances that made this season so special.

The Champions

Chelsea record their fourth Premier League title and third under Jose Mourinho. Being honest, they were never really troubled in their victory with the competition dying in various stages of the league season. At the beginning of the season, Chelsea played some nice football to build up a bit of a lead. With Jose the master of defence, the title wrapped up once Mourinho deployed his conservative tactics. The whole Chelsea team did their bit this season. John Terry and Gary Cahill formed a formidable partnership at the back, while the void left by Frank Lampard was quickly forgotten with the signing of Cesc Fabregas. Nemenja Matic was the rock in the Chelsea midfield and played a vital role in Chelsea's success, the extra man in front of the defence repelled so many attacks, as well as launching some of his own.

The Runners up

Manchester City just weren't good enough when it mattered to challenge for the title, and at one stage, looked like it was possible that they were going to finish as low as fourth. City need a massive clear out of all the deadwood in the squad. Yaya Toure hasn't been the same player since the cake-gate scandal of 2014, and neither has Vincent Kompany. With an average age of 29, youth will be the starting point for the manager at City in the summer. While they do need to bring in players, splashing the money will not solve the void. Elaquim Mangala, Fernando are examples of money being spent poorly last summer while Stefen Jovetic and Alvaro Negredo were bought the season before but have sunk into the abyss through injuries and poor form. On loan at Valencia, I doubt Negredo will ever feature in a Manchester City shirt ever again, particularly with the arrival of Wilfried Bony in January. Now, City are in pursuit of Liverpool's Raheem Sterling in order to bring the average age down, among other young English hotshots.

Relegation

In my season preview, I tipped Aston Villa, Sunderland and Crystal Palace to make the drop, and I couldn't be further from the truth, with Palace breaking into the top 10. As for the unlucky contingent of Hull, QPR and Burnley, over the course of 38 games, they were the 3 teams that deserved to be relegated. Hull saw themselves hit 10th position at the end of October, but this took a turn for the worst and culminated in an 18th placed finish with 35 points. For Burnley, they were the favourites for the drop when the season commenced (except mine!) and they fulfilled everyone's prediction. As for QPR, they flirted with the danger zone for too long and were eventually sapped into a battle that they could not win. QPR where heavily reliant on Charlie Austin, who grabbed 18 goals - the fourth best in the league - which shows where the London side would be without their star man. Similarly, Burnley relied on the prowess of Danny Ings who netted 11 times this year. With Ings already sealing a move to Liverpool and Austin looking ever more likely to leave QPR, it could be a struggle to get back into the top tier of domestic football for both sides.

The Golden Boot

With 26 goals, Sergio Aguero leads the way for the first time since his arrival in England. Even with missing the majority of December due to a ligament injury, Aguero was able to help Manchester City secure their 2nd place spot. English protege, Harry Kane, came in behind with 21 goals, which isn't a bad way to introduce yourself to the English nation. A roaring start sent the young Spurs man on his way and he collected a staggering 12 goals in the winter months as his performances help secure notable wins over Chelsea and Arsenal. Diego Costa achieved third place despite only featuring in 26 games. We know Costa is a goal scorer, so when he features for a whole season, it'll be scary to see what the adopted Spaniard can do.

The Race for Europe

Arsenal and Manchester United completed the top 4, leaving Tottenham, Liverpool and Southampton to content with the Europa League. Arsenal finally broke their duck of being unable to break into the top 4, with thanks to world class performances from Alexis Sanchez. I've always said that if Arsene gets his summer signings spot on, then the team from North London could be in for a very special year. United achieved their goals, nothing more but nothing less. After spending £150m in the summer, a fourth spot was the bare minimum in terms of expectations. The wait for Champions League football continues for a another year at White Hart Lane. It will be an interesting summer for Mauricio Pochettino as he aims to clear out the deadwood in the Spurs squad. Liverpool endured a testing spell after selling their superstar for £80m last season and will be glad that this is over. Having already dabbled in the transfer market to buy Danny Ings, Adam Bogdan, James Milner and Joe Gomez, Brendan Rodgers needs to have his signings spot on,

Notable Mentions

I purposely didn't mention Southampton under the previous heading as I want to focus on them now. Having sold key individuals last summer, many tipped them to struggle, with some thinking they will be doing well to survive relegation. Ronald Koeman took over as manager, and his signings have secured a memorable season for the southern side. Sitting inside the top 5 for a large chunk of the season, they surprised many people and fully deserve their season in Europe next year,

Both Swansea and Stoke achieved their highest position in the Premier League, finishing 8th and 9th respectively. Garry Monk is quietly building a strong squad off the back of the sale of Wilfried Bony for £28m. This year, Swansea became the first ever side to record away wins at both Manchester United and Arsenal in the same season. Having represented Swansea in 4 tiers of the English leagues, and also as a manager in the Premier League, Monk's regard for the club cannot be questioned, as he aims to push on for European spots in the next seasons.

A similar story is shaped at Stoke by Mark Hughes. His work at the Potters has largely gone under the radar. Largely inconsistent in the opening stages of the season, they recorded just one win in the month of November and also went on a 3 game losing streak at the end of March. Hughes has been shrewd in the transfer market and has acquired talent through former Barcelona man Bojan Krkic, who delivered performances until he ruptured his cruciate ligament against QPR and ruled him out for the rest of the season. Like Monk, Hughes is building a squad and will hope to maintain performances having sealed another 3 year contract at the start of the calendar year.

It has been a very intriguing year with many talking points occuring. Chelsea rule victorious while QPR get the wooden spoon along with Burnley and Hull. We can only hope for more thrills and spills to this calibre in the incoming season.

Capital One Cup Final 2015

The first competitive piece of silverware in the New Year is up for grabs on Sunday as Tottenham take on the high flying side of Chelsea.

While the Capital One Cup may not mean much for many people, both Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino will be looking to for their first silverware of the season. Mourinho has not won a trophy in his second spell as Chelsea manager, and Pochettino will be looking to win Tottenham's first trophy since the 2008 League Cup campaign. Both teams will be quietly confident going into this match and have a lot to prove.

An added incentive is that both sides were knocked out of the FA Cup in the early stages. Chelsea will be looking to win this trophy as a small consolation for being royally dumped out in the 4th round of the FA Cup. Mourinho came under criticism for not offering the appropriate value to the trophy by fielding a second-string side. He will certainly not show Spurs a lack of respect.

Similarly, Spurs were stunned by a 90th minute Schlupp winner for Leicester City in the FA Cup. Like this competition, it was earmarked as one that they had the potential to win and to not make it past the 4th round will be a major disappointment. Other than that, Spurs are having a decent season, particularly after a stuttering start in the league. This trophy would give Daniel Levy and the fans the much needed confidence in their manager.

Route to the Final
Chelsea's 3rd round tie saw Kurt Zouma net on his debut while Oscar scored the winner to secure an unconvincing victory over Bolton Wanderers. As for Spurs, they recovered a goal deficit to win 3-1 at home to Nottingham Forest thanks to Harry Kane, Ryan Mason and Robert Soldado. An 81st minute own-goal was enough to break Shrewsbury hearts and send Chelsea through in the fifth round, while Spurs coasted past Brighton by two goals. A stylish performance from Spurs obliterated Newcastle in the quarter finals with Bentaleb, Chadli, Soldado and Kane all registering on the score sheet. Likewise, a confident performance from the Blues as they brushed Derby to the side and moved on to a semi final clash with Liverpool.

In the semi finals, both Chelsea and Tottenham faced scary situations. Spurs had a considerably easier tie on paper, facing Sheffield United but scraped through 3-2 on aggregate. Spurs took a slim 1-0 lead into the second leg after an Andros Townsend penalty inside the last 20 minutes. At Bramall Lane, Spurs looked comfortable and a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Christian Erikson, at halftime was deserved. Things got hairy in the last 15 minutes when 2 Che Adams goals sparked a comeback from United. As he has done so much this season, Erikson saved Spurs' blushes with an 88th minute goal to send the North London side to Wembley.

A tactical master-class from the 'Special One' secured Chelsea's appearance at Wembley. A 1-1 first leg draw at Anfield gave Chelsea the away goal that would prove beneficial if the tie went to extra time. Sterling's second half equaliser cancelled out Eden Hazard's 18th minute penalty. The second leg was an interesting affair. Chelsea edged the possession stats, but there was nothing to separate the sides. Scoreless after 90 minutes saw Liverpool having to score a goal to prevent exiting on away goals but it was Branislav Ivanovic who rose highest to nod in a Willian free kick and send Liverpool packing and ensure Mourinho's men booked a final clash against London rivals Tottenham.

My Prediction
Chelsea will be without Nemanja Matic for the final after his sending off against Burnley at the weekend. Remembering back to the New Years' Day fixture between the sides, Chelsea missed Matic's presence in the middle of the park and went on to lose 5-3 at White Hart Lane. It would be very bizarre if Mourinho was to prepare for this encounter by not using the events that occurred in January. It would be likely for John Obi Mikel to fill this role, with Fabregas alongside him. The threat posed by Harry Kane will need to be neutralised, particularly as he netted two goals that day and has been in great form this season. He can turn a match on it's head in a moment so Terry and co. will need to be aware throughout the game.

As for Spurs, it's obvious that Diego Costa and Eden Hazard will be the threat to watch out for. Hazard has created 8 goals this season, and finishing 11 of his own in all competitions. As for Costa, he has had a terrific debut season at the Bridge, scoring 17 goals to aid Chelsea's cause. Both scored a goal apiece the last time the sides met, so Spurs will know that they need special attention. Newbie Juan Cuadrado is a speed merchant who will pose problems for defenders. It will be an interesting battle between Kyle Walker and Cuadrado, if they play, to see who will come out on top. Although he is not your stereotypical fullback, Cesar Azpilicueta is one of the best right backs in world. He can defend but also whip a mean delivery into the box and is probably one of Chelsea's most underrated players.

This match is difficult to predict as both sides will be gunning for the win. It's easy to side with Chelsea as they have the players and a world class manager, however Spurs possess a youngster in top form. Chelsea will definitely repair the mistakes made in the last encounter. I'm going to sit on the fence and say that the match going to penalties with Chelsea edging out their London opponents. It will be a cracking final.

Transfer Target #3 - Diego Costa

Diego Costa has been attracting interest from several Premier League clubs throughout the last couple of seasons, most notably Chelsea and Arsenal.

The attacker began his career with Portuguese club Braga before transferring to Atletico in 2007 for €1.5m and 50% of the player's rights. Costa spent 2 years going out on loan with several clubs including Braga, Celta and Albacete. During those years he made 72 appearances, scoring 14 goals.

Up until then, Diego Costa was yet to make an appearance for Atleti and, on the 8 July 2009, Real Valladolid and Atletico Madrid struck deal which saw goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo travel in the other direction. A clause was inserted including a buy-back option which was activated at the end of the 2010 season.

Upon his return to Colcherones, Costa scored 8 times in 39 appearances as an under-study to Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan. However, the 2011/2012 season saw him sidelined for the first half after a cruciate ligament rupture. In January 2012, he was eased back to recovery with a loan move to Rayo Vallecano. During the loan spell, he was credited with 10 goals in 16 appearances. Solid enough considering his comeback from a long-term injury.

The loan spell foresaw what a vital asset he would be in the following season for Madrid, where he guided his team to third position in the table and a Copa del Rey win with 20 goals in 44 appearances in a competitions.

The Brazilian, who has chosen to play for Spain, has been in tremendous form for Athletico Madrid this season, netting 19 goals in 18 Liga BBVA appearances this season. Diego Costa will not come cheap, as he extended his contract to Atleti until 2018 last summer, meaning that the Madrid team will command a hefty fee from Chelsea or Arsenal to acquire his services.