Unlikely hero Mikel breaks Rams’ resistance

Derby County 0 Chelsea 2

With 66 minutes gone and the scores still level, John Obi Mikel marked his 300th Blues appearance with only his fourth goal in eight years at the club to break Derby’s stubborn resistance.

A second from Oscar soon followed to land the visitors a home time with Stoke in the FA Cup fourth round.

“The game was difficult,” said Mourinho. “At half-time I think the players got the message we needed to play with more intensity. It’s job done against a good Championship team.”

A straight-forward enough passage was not without its controversy, however, as Ramires was booked for diving — the second successive match a Chelsea player was cautioned for simulation. Ironically, the card came from none other than Andre Marriner, the referee who received widespread criticism when, despite minimum contact from Steven Reid, he awarded the Brazilian a controversial last-gasp penalty against West Brom in November which enabled the Blues to rescue a point.

“I didn’t watch it on TV but Marriner was so close so if he made that decision it was because it was right,” said the Blues’ boss

Yet in typical Mourinho fashion, the master of the mind games reiterated that none of his players are divers.

“I maintain that. We are doing well, let’s see if the others do the same as us,” he added. “In other clubs there are divers but they are not booked. In the last two games we have had two of the best referees in this country and Europe, Martin Atkinson and Marriner. It is a big difference. Let’s see when Ramires and Oscar dive again.”

This was not the script Steve McClaren, the Derby head coach, had dreamt of in what was his first taste of the big time back on English soil since his disastrous spell in charge of England. McClaren’s young Rams acquitted themselves well given the opposition, though, and with this only a third defeat in their 15 matches since McClaren’s arrival, they have every chance of renewing acquaintances with ‘the Special One’ in the Premier League next season.

“I couldn’t be more proud of them,” McClaren said. “We played against one of the best teams in the Premier League and Europe, but we dealt with them. We started and finished well — it was just a five minute period that killed us. Apart from the result I could not be more delighted.”

Indeed, the Rams had succeeded in restricting their opponents. Aside from Ramires striking a post as half-time neared, Chelsea offered little. But such is the embarrassment of riches at his disposal, Mourinho introduced £82m worth of firepower in Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres. It was, however, his midfielder enforcer, Mikel, he had to thank for Chelsea’s 66th-minute opener.

Willian was the creator, swinging in the most inviting of free-kicks from the left and the Nigerian timed his leap to perfection, crashing home a powerful header.

Mourinho said: “There was a smile on my face when I saw it was Mikel. For some reason Essien gave him the armband when he came off — it must have made him believe he was a goalscorer!”

That was the spark the visitors required. Five minutes later they had their second. Torres found Oscar on the edge of the area, dancing left and right before drilling a shot which squeezed past Lee Grant at his near post.

Ramires’ luck was out as his strike deflected up off Jake Buxton and onto the crossbar, yet that would have been harsh on Derby.

DERBY (3-5-2): Grant 5; Wisdom 7, Buxton 7, Keane 7; Forsyth 6, Eustace 7 (Bennett 70, 5), Hughes 7, Hendrick 6, Dawkins 6 (Bailey 83); Ward 7 (Sammon 69), Martin 6.

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Schwarzer 7; Azpilicueta 7, Cahill 7, Luiz 6, Cole 7; Essien 5 (Hazard 56), Mikel 7; Ramires 6, Oscar 7 (Baker 87), Willian 7; Eto’o 5 (Torres 64, 6).

Referee: Andre Marriner.