Chelsea Show Guts in Late Victory over Everton

STAMFORD BRIDGE, LONDON — We saw history repeat itself in more ways than one as Chelsea defeated Everton on Wednesday evening.

Much like last season when the Toffees travelled to west London, Jose Mourinho’s side had to slog their way to three points.

The home side dominated for large parts, were unfortunate not to score on more than one occasion and had to put up with facing a team determined to avoid defeat.

Everton dug in for the long haul, but by hook or by crook, Chelsea got the reward their efforts deserved.

Last season it was Frank Lampard’s late free-kick; this time out it was Willian’s exquisite strike in the 90th minute.

And if this win was a mirror image of the previous drama, it was also a reminder of why Mourinho’s previous Chelsea teams were so admired.

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

They had it all: the will to win, the determination, ambition and, importantly, guts.

Chelsea could have let their heads drop as the clock ticked down at Stamford Bridge, but they didn’t. They battled, scrapping their way to victory when it seemed a point was all they would be getting.

“We found a different Everton and it’s not a critique, but a compliment. It was a defensive Everton, very well organised, very compact, very dangerous on the counter-attack with long balls to [Romelu] Lukaku to attack the space. They made it difficult for us,” Mourinho told BBC Sport's Sam Sheringham at the final whistle. 

“We didn’t have Diego [Costa], we didn’t have Oscar, we didn’t have [Cesc] Fabregas; so all of these players through the middle who have great responsibility with the dynamic of our game were not there,” he continued. “We tried everything and the spirit was really amazing. In the end, the pressure was really strong.”

Indeed it was, and come May, should Chelsea achieve their title ambitions, it will be results like this that got them there.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Watching Mourinho’s men thrash Swansea City 5-0 recently was a highlight of the campaign. The way they went about their business, scoring the goals they did to kill off the opposition that day, really impressed.

The scoreline against Everton didn’t capture the same imagination, yet the performance was more impressive.

When things are going to plan, we learn little about players. To play in the Premier League, to play for Chelsea, it’s a given a certain level of talent will be in a player’s repertoire.

It’s when the script needs a rewrite that we learn most about teams. It’s when the cart has been knocked off course that we see players earn their reputations, getting things back to where they need them to be.

Right now, Chelsea are living up to theirs.

They might not have the official tag just yet, but these players are champions: Mourinho’s rebuilt them as winners, and don’t the rest of the Premier League know it.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

He wasn’t playing, but to understand the character and spirit Chelsea have these days, we need to look at Diego Costa.

“The suspended player,” as he has become known of late, was serving the last match of his three-game ban, yet he would have needed an ice bath and recovery shake at the final whistle.

Sitting behind the dugout, Costa kicked every ball and felt every challenge in the 90 minutes.

He lived this game like he was out there, willing his teammates onto victory regardless of whether he was a part of it or not.

Costa watched this game like a fan.

That’s a rare quality in any player, especially one who has barely been at a club for six months.

What it represents is the sense of togetherness at Stamford Bridge right now. Dare we say it, but Mourinho’s perceived siege mentality has pulled his players closer together.

So much so, Chelsea players avoided their media duties in the mixed zone after the game, exiting Stamford Bridge by other means as they headed off into the night for a team-building event.

Nothing was going to get in their way, something Everton found to their detriment.

When he scored with that wonderful strike late on, Willian was mobbed by every last one of Chelsea's outfield players.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

It was reminiscent of Demba Ba’s celebration against Paris Saint-Germain last April.

That goal secured passage into the semi-final of the Champions League, though. In contrast, Willian’s gave Chelsea just three more points. There was nothing definitive up for grabs—it was just another league game.

Chelsea didn’t see it that way, however. Every point from now until the end of the season is going to put them back on top.

Chelsea want to wrestle the title from Manchester City, and they’re showing they have the substance to take it from their clutches.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.