Chelsea give returning fans something to shout about as they go top of Premier League
Chelsea's Kurt Zouma (centre) scores his side's second goal of the game during the Premier League win over Leeds. Picture: Mike Hewitt/PA
Chelsea's fans were finally allowed back into Stamford Bridge after a nine-month absence and were rewarded by seeing Olivier Giroud score his first league goal of the season on his first Premier League start as the Blues returned to the top of the table.
Although Frank Lampard is warning the fans not to get carried away, there is no denying the fact that Chelsea finished the day top of the table for the first time in over two years, and look genuine contenders for the Premier League title.
Lampard said: “It's still early December and there is a long way to go. There are matches on Sunday that could change it again.
“We've got to keep our feet on the ground. We're in a good patch but we have to keep it going over the course of the season – that is what the best teams do. We are still a work in progress, and consistency is our next challenge. But in terms of character and performance, on lots of levels, I'm absolutely delighted."
And Lampard admitted the fans played their part. “It's amazing what 2,000 can do.
The clamour for Giroud to start was too much for Lampard to resist, after the Frenchman scored all four goals in the 4-0 rout of Seville in the Champions League last Wednesday. Yet he had not started a league game nor scored in the competition until the visit of Leeds, in front of 2,000 lucky Chelsea supporters.
Stamford Bridge buzzed with excitement and anticipation but the Blues fell behind inside five minutes to a goal from Patrick Bamford, who has found at Leeds the opportunities he was rarely given as a young striker at Chelsea.
Giroud cheered the home supporters when he equalised in the 27th minute, however, and Kurt Zouma powered home a header after an hour to put Chelsea ahead, and Christian Pulisic made it 3-1 in stoppage time to put the Blues back above Tottenham at the top of the table.
It was a triumphant return for those fans lucky enough to witness and a well-deserved win for Chelsea, who had enough chances to win comfortably.
Timo Werner was denied time and time again by Illan Meslier in the Leeds goal as well as hitting the bar from barely a yard out, Giroud missed with his head and his feet, and Kai Havertz headed over.
But in the end they did enough to win and give Lampard revenge over Marcelo Bielsa, who had sent spies to watch Derby County train when the Chelsea manager was in charge at Pride Park two years ago.
Those supporters who got one of the 2,000 tickets created a terrific atmosphere inside Stamford Bridge but there was near silence when Bamford opened the scoring four minutes into his return to Stamford Bridge. The Leeds striker, who rarely had a chance at Chelsea, ran on to a superb pass from Kalvin Phillip and took the ball past Edouard Mendy before shooting into the net after four minutes.
But Giroud equalised after Hakim Ziyech released Reece James on the right, and when full-back sent in a low cross, the Frenchman slid in to score at the near post with his left foot. Ziyech had to leave the field moments later with a hamstring injury, but Pulisic caused Leeds problems before converting a Werner cross in stoppage time. That made it 3-1, after Zouma had thumped home a header from Mason Mount's corner for his fourth goal of the season, and the crowd went home happy, with their side back at the Premier League's summit.
“I'm happy for the fans and they can think about us winning the league, that is their right. But my job is not to get caught up in the mess, in the talk, and keep our feet on the ground. We can improve and we will have to if we are to keep it going with the best teams in this league.”
He praised Giroud, adding: "He's a top player, with the clinical nature of his finishing - he's in that area all the time. He maybe should and could have had another goal or two himself."
And the French striker said: “We really wanted to win for the fans and carry on the good momentum.
"Leeds were one of the best teams I have faced for a few months. Physically they run everywhere so it is hard.
“It's a great feeling to win tonight. I feel good and confident. We work hard in training, we have faith in our gameplan and get better and better. The confidence is here and we want to keep that."
Mendy 7; James 7, Thiago Silva 7, Zouma 7, Chilwell 7; Kante 8, Havertz 6 (Kovacic 67), Mount 8; Ziyech 6 (Pulisic 29), Giroud 7 (Abraham 79), Werner 6.
Meslier 8; Ayling 7, Koch 6 (Llorente 9), Cooper 6, Alioski 6 (Rodrigo 69); Raphinha 6, Klich 6, Dallas 6, Phillips 7, Harrison 6 (Poveda-Ocampa 57); Bamford 7.
Kevin Friend
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
