Old guard keep lucky Blues in hunt

THERE has been a lot of talk of evolution at Chelsea in recent months, but to see Frank Lampard and John Terry celebrating wildly in front of the Matthew Harding Stand at the end of this fortunate, hard-fought victory was to be reminded that some things never change.

This has been the season where the arrivals of Fernando Torres, David Luiz and Ramires were meant to usher the elder guard, Jose Mourinho’s men, towards the exit door.

It hasn’t worked out that way. Instead, the new Chelsea looks exactly the same as the old version; never-say-die, physically robust and in possession of enough outrageous good fortune that marks them out as potential champions.