Match ends, Chelsea 2, Queens Park Rangers 1.
ChelseaChelsea2QPRQueens Park Rangers1
- Chelsea stay four points clear at top of table
- Costa returns after four-game absence
- QPR's Austin scores his fifth league goal of season
- Hoops have lost four of last five league games
Leaders Chelsea moved nine points clear of title rivals Manchester City as a sublime finish by Oscar helped overcome a determined QPR at Stamford Bridge.
The Brazil midfielder lashed home a first-time low, angled drive with the outside of his boot from 12 yards after being set up by Cesc Fabregas.
Charlie Austin levelled when back-heeling Leroy Fer's shot into the net.
But Eden Hazard's penalty, after the Belgian was fouled by Eduardo Vargas, won it for Chelsea.
Premier League champions City will reduce the gap to six points if they beat neighbours United in the Manchester derby on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho's side head to Slovenia for Wednesday's Champions League group game against NK Maribor unbeaten in 15 games in all competitions this season.
They also have Diego Costa leading the attack again, the Spain international showing flashes of his best form against QPR on his return from a four-game absence.
Chelsea, though laboured, dominated possession and would have won by a more handsome margin but for several saves from Robert Green.
| Ex-Tottenham striker & BBC pundit Garth Crooks: |
|---|
| "Who did Cesc Fabregas replace at Chelsea? For all his goals, nobody is talking about Frank Lampard any more. Fabregas is not only laying goals on but transforming Chelsea's style of play. They are strong and formidable but they are also easy on the eye. No wonder Roman Abramovich stood up and applauded. Not even at Inter Milan or Real Madrid did a Jose Mourinho side play football like this." |
Their winner came with 15 minutes remaining, Hazard sending goalkeeper Green the wrong way from the spot after Vargas's foul.
It was hard on tireless QPR, who thought they had secured a point when Austin provided a moment of inspiration to divert Fer's shot, which was going wide, past Thibaut Courtois in the 62nd minute.
The main talking point of a highly competitive London derby was Oscar's goal-of-the-season contender in the 32nd minute.
It came soon after England international Green asked referee Mike Jones for the floodlights to be switched on as he was struggling to see clearly.
But he could do nothing as Oscar beat home with an early shot after Fabregas wrong-footed Yun Suk-young, his ninth assist in 10 league games since his £30m summer move from Barcelona.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho:
"My team didn't play well or well enough or so well as I was expecting. I was expecting more."
On Oscar's goal: "The goal is not impossible in a very talented boy.
"For 90 minutes I think he was our best player. Not for the goal, but for the dynamic, for the intensity, for the transitions. He was always sharp."
QPR manager Harry Redknapp:
"It's difficult to come here because Chelsea have so much talent, so much ability, so much strength.
"I felt we deserved something for how hard we worked. When you work that hard and don't lie down against the best team in the country, for that we deserved a point.
"We have to work as hard as that every game if we're going to pick up points and get out of trouble."
Line-ups
Chelsea
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 13Courtois
- 2Ivanovic
- 24Cahill
- 26Terry
- 3Filipe Luís
- 4Fàbregas
- 21Matic
- 22WillianSubstituted forDrogbaat 64'minutes
- 8Oscar
- 10E HazardSubstituted forSantos do Nascimentoat 90+3'minutes
- 19Diego CostaSubstituted forSchürrleat 78'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Cech
- 5Zouma
- 6Aké
- 7Santos do Nascimento
- 11Drogba
- 14Schürrle
- 17Salah
QPR
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Green
- 14Isla
- 22Dunne
- 4Caulker
- 13Yun
- 24Vargas
- 20Henry
- 30Guimaraes Cordeiro
- 23HoilettSubstituted forZamoraat 60'minutes
- 10FerSubstituted forTraoreat 84'minutes
- 9Austin
Substitutes
- 3Traore
- 6Hill
- 7Phillips
- 11Wright-Phillips
- 19Kranjcar
- 21Murphy
- 25Zamora
- Referee:
- Mike Jones
- Attendance:
- 41,486
Match Stats
Home TeamChelseaAway TeamQPR
- Possession
- Home65%
- Away35%
- Shots
- Home18
- Away7
- Shots on Target
- Home8
- Away1
- Corners
- Home13
- Away2
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away12
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Chelsea 2, Queens Park Rangers 1.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. Ramires replaces Eden Hazard.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Steven Caulker.
Post update
Attempt missed. Eduardo Vargas (Queens Park Rangers) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Bobby Zamora following a set piece situation.
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Foul by Nemanja Matic (Chelsea).
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Charlie Austin (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Hand ball by Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers).
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Attempt missed. Didier Drogba (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Oscar.
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Eden Hazard (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Charlie Austin (Queens Park Rangers).
Substitution
Substitution, Queens Park Rangers. Armand Traore replaces Leroy Fer.
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Foul by André Schürrle (Chelsea).
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Bobby Zamora (Queens Park Rangers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt saved. John Terry (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Cesc Fàbregas with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Mauricio Isla.
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Attempt saved. André Schürrle (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Cesc Fàbregas.
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Attempt blocked. Charlie Austin (Queens Park Rangers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. André Schürrle replaces Diego Costa.
Post update
Offside, Chelsea. Eden Hazard tries a through ball, but Diego Costa is caught offside.
