Derby County vs. Chelsea: Winners and Losers from Capital One Cup Game
Chelsea beat Derby County, 3-1, on Tuesday night, eliminating the Rams from the Capital One Cup quarter-finals.
Eden Hazard opened the scoring with a lovely goal, and then Filipe Luis doubled the lead with a wonderful free-kick from outside the box. Craig Bryson pulled one back as the Rams responded, but Jake Buxton's sending-off ended the comeback hopes.
Andre Schurrle's late goal iced it.
Here, B/R picks its winners and losers from the spectacle. See if you agree with our assessment!
Winner: Eden Hazard, Who Was Decisive Once Again
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Eden Hazard is now a consistent match-winner, and in becoming that player, he is making the leap to world-class status. It was always a case of when, not if, with the Belgian.
His goal to open the scoring was fantastic, taking enough touches to steady himself and draw the opponents toward him before firing into the corner past goalkeeper Lee Grant.
He wasn't Man of the Match, but he was a decisive factor.
Loser: Andre Schurrle, Who Underperformed
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Chelsea's attack clicked after 20 minutes on Tuesday, with Eden Hazard scoring, Cesc Fabregas pulling the strings and Didier Drogba a menace in the air.
That just left Andre Schurrle, given a chance to oust Willian on the right wing, who unfortunately looked lost for most of the match. Not to exaggerate, but he ruined most moves in the first half, over-complicating things, running into blind alleys and making the wrong runs.
He leeched a goal at the end, tapping home from close range. It does not excuse.
Winner: Cesc Fabregas, Who Was Man of the Match
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Cesc Fabregas returned to the setup after missing the victory over Hull City due to suspension, playing in the No. 10 role in the absence of Oscar.
He was epic throughout, settling instantly and beginning to pull the strings. He played Filipe Luis through for an early chance, then created three more, totalling one assist and 95 total touches, per WhoScored.com, over the course of the game.
No matter where he plays—deeper or more advanced—he's just brilliant.
Loser: The Referee and His Crew
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Referee Jon Moss and his linesman combined to make a pretty terrible decision late in the game, sending off Jake Buxton amid a flurry of confusion.
A hopeful ball was played over the top for Buxton and Loic Remy to contest, and initially, it was felt that Lee Grant—Derby's goalkeeper who had rushed out to claim the ball—had seen his momentum carry him outside the box.
But after consultation, Moss sent off Buxton for denying a goalscoring opportunity. He and Remy tussled, but the Frenchman didn't even appeal for a foul. Odd decision.
Derby manager Steve McClaren was quoted by Henry Winter of the Daily Telegraph as saying:
"There was a little tussle between the two players and we can’t believe Buxton was sent off. We thought it would be Lee Grant.
It was a huge surprise, a big decision and a poor decision. It might not have changed the result but it robbed us in the last 15-20 minutes when we were on top.
We can appeal it but whether it will do any good, I’m not sure.
"
Winner: Filipe Luis, Who Scored a Pearler
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What a way to open your account with your new club!
Filipe Luis has found it tough early on at Chelsea, but has shown exceptional patience and taken any chance Jose Mourinho has handed to him. He started against Derby after playing well against Hull City at the weekend, and crowned the performance with a dazzling free-kick strike.
Even Leighton Baines would be proud of this one!
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