Chelsea Give QPR a Lesson in Character and Concentration in Fortunate Derby Win

LOFTUS ROAD, LONDON — On such hard-fought results championship titles are often clinched.

On Sunday, Chelsea were woeful for almost the entire 90 minutes against local rivals Queens Park Rangers, frustratingly unable to break open a well-organised defence and, perhaps knocked from their usual rhythm by the intensity of the derby, increasingly resigned to a share of the points the longer the game went on.

But a mishit kick from QPR goalkeeper Robert Green with less than two minutes remaining presented Eden Hazard with almost his first chance of the game to run into open space, and the Belgian would ultimately make the most of that slice of good fortune to lay the ball off for Cesc Fabregas to side-foot a shot at goal.

Fabregas had been anonymous all match, and this would be Chelsea’s first shot on target of the entire contest. But the Spaniard's measured effort crept inside the near post as Green watched in despair, and from almost nothing, Jose Mourinho’s side had secured another three points to continue their march toward glory.

“They gave us a very difficult game,” Mourinho said afterward, agreeing with the suggestion his side had been “fortunate.” “One point is okay, three points we are delighted.”

Now the Blues are just four wins away from securing the Premier League title, although it might not even require that many.

The Portuguese added: “Every time I was champion I remember a couple of matches that my team win in the last minute. It is like a little light that shines for the teams that are going to win it. It is very important.”

For QPR, in dire straits at the opposite end of the table, the late goal was as bitter a pill to swallow as they have had all season. Victory was perhaps always asking a bit much, but a point would have been fully warranted—and would have moved them within a point of safety with six games remaining.

“He’s the master,” QPR boss Chris Ramsey noted, when told of Mourinho’s “fortunate” remarks. “If he’s saying it, you know he’s probably feeling it.”

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For almost the entire 90 minutes at Loftus Road this was the Chelsea of last season—the one that struggled against the lesser sides and, unable to break down the likes of Crystal Palace, Aston Villa and Sunderland, fell to defeats that ultimately cost them the title.

Diego Costa was injured, Fabregas seemed inhibited by a protective mask (or, at least, the injury underneath it) and, as a consequence, the visitors lacked any sort of creative spark.

This was a draining London derby, the sort to add weight to Mourinho’s pre-match claims that it was harder for capital sides to win the league simply because of the number of rivalry games they had to contend with.

The two teams switched ends prior to kick-off—presumably at QPR captain Joey Barton’s behest, although Mourinho later suggested Petr Cech had proposed the move to keep the mid-afternoon sun out of Thibaut Courtois’ eyes—and that meant John Terry started with his back to the most vociferous section of home supporters, who rained down insults upon him (and others, but Terry—for obvious reasons—bore the brunt of the onslaught).

That set the tone for the contest, the game devolving into one where physicality and determination smothered any attempts at creativity or individual brilliance on the pitch, and off it, the stands reverberated to the call and counter-call of offensive chants from the two sets of supporters.

That suited QPR perfectly, especially as they had seemingly allowed the uneven grass at Loftus Road to grow out slightly, preventing passes from being zipped around at speed and making close control an unpredictable affair.

That certainly harmed the visitors more than the hosts, who started with the combative Karl Henry in a left-wing role. Hazard, Chelsea's best player all season, was nullified.

"It was very difficult to play,” Fabregas said afterward. “The pitch was very dry, it was windy and not the circumstances we want to play football.”

Chelsea toiled but, with Loic Remy ruled out due to a knock sustained in training (he should be back next week), the less mobile presence of Didier Drogba restricted their attacking threat. QPR defended diligently—until, that is, Green’s fluffed late clearance.

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Afterward, Ramsey refused to blame his goalkeeper for the mistake, instead pointing out that his defenders still had plenty of opportunity to deal with the danger. Green, though, dropped to his haunches at the final whistle and stayed there, motionless, for almost a minute—only half-heartedly acknowledging the attempts from some lingering supporters to raise his spirits as he wandered down the tunnel.

"I’m not blaming Robert Green, it wasn’t one of his best kicks but we had a lot of time to defend that properly and we didn’t,” Ramsey said. “I’m not blaming Robert Green for the goal ... had he not been in the form that he has been, I don’t even think we would be in a battle [to stay up]. 

“When the ball goes out wide, and we’ve got maybe eight players behind the ball, you have to defend that better."

It was the same old frustrations for Ramsey, who has seen lapses in concentration cost QPR dearly all season.

“The reason we are in this predicament is because the goals have been so soft," he continued. "I would have been more accepting if they had done us with that clever movement, but the way we let that goal in there at the end was easily one we could have defended miles better than we did.

“All that running that everybody does has now gone to waste.”

It was a disheartening blow, one compounded by the fact Fabregas—having whipped off his mask—decided to rub salt into the wounds and make a point of celebrating in front of the section of QPR fans who had been giving his team-mates abuse all afternoon.

Some might suggest that fans, if they are going to dish it out, should be able to take it when it comes back at them with interest, but Fabregas’s action only enraged them further, with coins and other objects hurled at the celebrating players—as one fan even tried to get on the pitch to let the Spaniard know exactly how he felt.

Neither manager condoned those actions, although they paid tribute to both sets of players for remaining within the spirit of the game even as tensions rose.

“The game was correct,” Mourinho said. “Correct on the pitch, correct in the stands, hopefully correct outside. But it is not easy, because it is a big game. The referee helped—I think both teams deserve credit because in a very emotional game, they were all correct.”

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QPR now have two weeks off, as their scheduled opponent next weekend, Aston Villa, are playing in an FA Cup semi-final. Their next league game is another London derby, this time against West Ham United, where they will hope to learn the lessons of this late loss.

“I’d rather have another game [right now],” Ramsey said. “I’d rather go back to 80 minutes [of this game].

“We’ve got West Ham now, the next game here, and all I can ask the players is to give the same.”

Chelsea, meanwhile, remain seven points clear at the top (with a game still in hand); giving the chasing Arsenal little realistic hope of overhauling them now. Perhaps increasingly confident in his side's position, Mourinho was slightly dismissive of another of his London rivals' recent push.

“It is not normal for a team to be top of the league since day one,” Mourinho said, when asked about the Gunners applying pressure. “I think that this is the team that deserves all the credit.

“Good runs are good runs, but we have had good runs since day one. Nobody should be disappointed. But now we need 11 points.”

Chelsea could have played better on Sunday (indeed, they could hardly have played much worse), but they secured the result in the end. It may have been fortunate, it may have been undeserved—but it was the sort of thing champions do when the pressure is really on.

“It was vital, we are playing for the most important trophy of the season,” Fabregas concluded. “We were up there from the first day, so we want to continue there. It was a fantastic time to score and this shows the character of the team.”

Perhaps that is the one lesson QPR can learn from the afternoon. Still well in the fight for survival, and as character pushed Chelsea closer toward their ambitions, character might be the key to QPR somehow achieving theirs.

All quotes obtained first-hand unless otherwise stated.