CHELSEA YAENDELEZA UBABE ENGLAND

Another masterclass from the impressive Eden Hazard and another win for Chelsea, who sit top of the Premier League on Sunday morning having won all three of their opening fixtures. But what may disturb the Londoners’ main title rivals more is the fact that Fernando Torres is scoring goals again.

The £50million purchase from Liverpool two seasons ago has endured a public goal drought since, although he ended last season with 11 in all competitions. But last night he produced a sensational strike to make it three goals in four games, after also scoring in the Community Shield defeat by Manchester City.

Double act: Hazard (centre) and Torres (right) were instrumental for Chelsea

MATCH FACTS

Chelsea: Cech; Ivanovic, Cahill, Luiz, Cole; Mikel, Meireles (Lampard 87); Mata (Ramires 67), Hazard, Bertrand; Torres.

Subs not used: Turnbull, Essien, Romeu, Oscar, Sturridge.

Goals: Hazard (pen) 22, Torres 45.

Booked: Torres.

Newcastle: Krul; Simpson (R Taylor 64), Coloccini, S Taylor, Santon (Marveaux 74); Ben Arfa, Cabaye (Perch 77), Anita, Gutierrez; Ba, Cisse.

Subs not used: Harper, Williamson, Amalfitano, Obertan.

Referee: Phil Dowd.

Attendance: 41,718.

If his goal on Wednesday against Reading was clearly from an offside position, there was nothing fortuitous about his effort on Saturday, scored with the outside of his right boot from the edge of the penalty box, after a clever back-pass from Hazard, that sent the ball spiralling into the top corner of the net.

It was a creation of the old and the new, with Hazard, who is already suggesting that he may be the best signing of the summer, the incisive provider for Torres.

And with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich happy to spend £80m to launch an assault on the title to add to their Champions League and  FA Cup triumphs in May, Chelsea appear to be a serious proposition.

And so the team that won ugly previously is turning it on - a necessity with the departure of the physical Didier Drogba in the summer and the arrival of smaller, technical players such as Hazard.

Penalty: Torres is tripped by Vurnon Anita

‘Didier was a big powerhouse, but now we’ve got to get the ball down more and play,’ said Ashley Cole. ‘Fernando found it hard to get enough games under his belt last season but he has returned from the European Championship confident and we’re all benefiting from it.

‘And Eden deserves a lot of credit. In three games he has won us two penalties, had two assists and scored a goal. I’m proud he’s in our team.’

Spot on: Hazard coolly places his penalty

Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo said: ‘Fernando was important to us last season, even if he didn’t score the goals he wanted to. But it’s good to see him scoring now and his goal tonight was fantastic.

‘We’re trying to change our style a bit this season and adapt to our new players like Eden. We knew all about his qualities, having watched him last season and seeing him in training, but you never quite know how quickly a player from a different league will adapt to the Premier League. Eden has found his feet very quickly. He’s a wonderful player for us.’

Stunner: Torres netted on the stroke of half-time

His counterpart at Newcastle, Alan Pardew, is another member of the Hazard fan club. ‘He has made a difference to Chelsea that’s for sure,’ said Pardew. ‘He has a nonchalance about him that marks him out to be a great player. As for Torres, his goal tonight was classy. It’s good news for Chelsea.

It is only three games into the new season but Torres seems hellbent on ensuring that his wish - to be top after 10 games if his team are serious about regaining a title they last won in 2010 - comes true. His club appear to be in tune with him.

It was Newcastle who inflicted a rare defeat on Chelsea last May, with Papiss Cisse scoring one of the goals of the season. The Toon also started well last week with a win over Tottenham, even if Pardew’s push on a linesman is likely to result in a touchline ban.

Nightmare start: Pardew (centre) saw his side go 2-0 down before half-time

They also managed a draw against Atromitos in Athens in the Europa League, less than 48 hours before running out at Stamford Bridge, a disadvantage Pardew was quick to point out. ‘It has proven beyond doubt that players cannot play to the same level twice in less than three days,’ he said.

At first there was little to choose between the teams but, in the 21st minute, Hazard scored the first of what will be many for his new club, drilling home a penalty into the corner of the net after Torres was felled by the outstretched leg of Vurnon Anita.

Frank Lampard would probably have been the man to have taken the spot-kick, but he was on the bench, being saved for Friday’s European Super Cup against Atletico Madrid in Monaco. Instead, he sat and watched Chelsea’s £32m signing from Lille hand the Londoners the lead.

Booked: Torres was shown a yellow card for diving

Behind Lampard, who was given just a few minutes run-out at the end of the game, sat club captain John Terry, out with a neck injury.

Torres continued to be in the thick of it, too, thinking he was through on goal only to be felled - seemingly - by Fabricio Coloccini’s challenge. Instead, referee Phil Dowd booked the Spaniard for a dive. The striker may have been furious at the time but he was smiling two minutes into first-half stoppage-time when he saw his fabulous shot fly past the outstretched hand of Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul and into the net.

Well beaten: Newcastle could not get back into the match

Hazard’s assist simply added to his remarkable recent stats that read: 14 goals, 14 assists and seven penalties won in his last 21 league games in France and now England.

Newcastle knew they needed a quick reply after the break but, although they increased their efforts, they barely troubled Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal, until Ba’s low shot six minutes from time, as the inevitability of Chelsea’s win became apparent.

Two beauty: Hazard and Torres fired Chelsea to the top of the Premier League

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2193384/Chelsea-2-Newcastle-0-Eden-Hazard-Fernando-Torres-star.html#ixzz24cKIwSgn

Sunday, August 26, 2012