GIF by BR UK
Samuel Eto'o scored his first goal for Chelsea as the Blues overcame a first-half deficit on the way to a 4-1 victory at home to Cardiff City on Saturday in the Premier League.
Cardiff went ahead in the first half through Jordon Mutch, but EdenHazard scored twice, Eto'o and Oscar tallied once apiece for Chelsea, who finished the match with manager Jose Mourinho in the stands. The victory took Chelsea up to second, two points behind early leaders Arsenal.
Following a Cardiff goal kick in the 10th minute Ramires attempted to pass back to Luiz, who allowed the ball to run, expecting Cech to collect. But Cech wasn't expecting it, and Mutch nipped in and slotted home for a shock 1-0 lead for Cardiff.
Chelsea were stunned and only leveled the score via a mistake on Cardiff's part.
In the 33rd minute, Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall held the ball in his own box and began bouncing it without noticing Eto'o behind him. With Marshall unaware, Eto'o stole the ball away on a bounce, directing it into the path of Hazard.
Hazard squared back to Eto'o in the middle, but Eto'o fluffed the chance. The ball trickled back to Hazard, who put the ball in the net. Cardiff were furious, but referee Anthony Taylor was unmoved.
After an even start to the second half, Cardiff brought on the lively Bo-Kyung Kim, leading Mourinho to make a change of his own. The Portuguese manager brought Oscar on for Juan Mata and introduced striker Fernando Torres in place of full-back Ryan Bertrand.
It was a gamble, with Chelsea playing three at the back, but it paid off quickly. In the 66th minute, Eto'o put Chelsea ahead with his first Premier League goal, burying his shot at the near post following Hazard's final pass.
Moments later, Eto'o was replaced by Cesar Azpilicueta as Chelsea returned to four at the back. Mourinho was then sent to the stands after remonstrating with Taylor, but it made little difference for the hosts.
Chelsea made it 3-1 in the 78th minute following a giveaway by Aron Gunnarsson. Ramires tipped the ball to Oscar, whose swerving shot beat Marshall from the edge of the box. The Blues looked menacing by then, and Hazard completed the scoring with a low shot from the left in the 82nd minute.
It was a solid second-half performance by Chelsea, but not quite the rout the scoreline would suggest. For Cardiff, meanwhile, it was a tough result amid the ongoing distraction at the heart of the club's management.
There remains no explanation for the removal of Iain Moody as manager Malky Mackay's head of recruitment. Moody's interim replacement was 23-year-old Kazakhstani Alisher Apsalyamov, who is thought to be a friend of Cardiff owner Vincent Tan's son.
The situation had no effect on Saturday's outcome, but for Cardiff, it's the latest setback in a troubling time.
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