Premier League - Sturdy Norwich deny Chelsea
Norwich City kept their first Premier League clean sheet of the season as they held Chelsea to a 0-0 draw at Carrow Road.
A fine defensive performance, combined with another nightmare outing by Fernando Torres, helped Paul Lambert's side frustrate the visitors.
Central defenders Zak Whitbread and Daniel Ayala were immense, while goalkeeper John Ruddy made some fine saves.
It might have been three points rather than one for Norwich, but Mark Clattenburg missed what looked a clear handball by Raul Meireles at the edge of the Chelsea box.
Andre Villas-Boas chose not to hand new signing Gary Cahill a debut, and could not even find room on his bench for the former Bolton man.
In an attacking change from last weekend's win against Sunderland, Daniel Sturridge replaced Oriol Romeu to make his first appearance of the year.
The young England player has been arguably Chelsea's most influential attacker this season, but struggled to get involved in a pedestrian encounter.
Norwich boss Paul Lambert restored David Fox and Grant Holt to his side. Holt and strike partner Steve Morison have contributed 15 goals between them this season for an unexpectedly potent Norwich side that have scored more goals than anyone outside the top five.
The strikers linked up well on 11 minutes when Morison played Holt through, and the latter dodged David Luiz before hitting a left-foot shot just wide.
A looping Holt header tested Petr Cech, who also showed good reflexes to adjust and gather a deflected Bradley Johnson shot.
Lambert's problems have been at the other end, with Norwich failing to keep a single Premier League clean sheet this season.
However, they were well-organised, keeping nine men behind the ball whenever Chelsea threatened to break them down.
Neither side showed much appetite for confrontation - there was not a single foul in the first half. A triumph for fair play, perhaps, but it also made for sterile fare.
Chelsea's best moment came on 27 minutes courtesy of two much-maligned players.
David Luiz produced some sumptuous juggling skills to carry the ball out of defence, and when the counter-attack found Torres he stabbed an innovative shot towards the far corner with the outside of his right boot. It took a fine save from Ruddy to tip the ball behind for a corner.
Frank Lampard went off late in the first half with an apparent calf injury, though he was able to watch the rest of the game from the bench.
Chelsea ratcheted up the pressure in the second half, but struggled to pose much of a goal threat.
David Luiz struck a long shot high and wide, before Torres missed a gilt-edged chance.
A low Sturridge cross came to the Spaniard eight yards out. Although two defenders were closing him down, there can be no excuse for the striker's hesitant toe-poke wide.
He has now failed to score in 11 consecutive Premier League appearances, breaking his previous worst run from last spring.
Juan Mata brought a sharp save from Ruddy around the hour mark, before referee Clattenburg somehow missed a clear handball by Meireles.
Whether it should have been a penalty or a free-kick is unclear, but Clattenburg's decision to wave play on can only mean he did not see the infringement.
Ruddy showed safe hands to deny Ramires and Mata again, and ensure Chelsea were held at bay.
Torres was replaced late on by Romelu Lukaku - despite some encouraging touches, the Belgian substitute could not unlock Norwich.
Comment 83 - 102 of 102
BTW Sonic - yes, Norwich did play well - and well done to 'em - but not brilliantly, and we should have won. I think the Chelsea fans on here are just hacked off with the huge drop-off in form from 18 months ago, hence the criticism of the team as opposed to congratulation the oppo.
HATE this lazy journalism. Torres did not have a nightmare, he just didn't score (though admittedly he fell away as the game went on). Sturridge our best player this season? By what criteria? I think he's greedy and wasteful, he SHOULD be much better than he is given his age and experience, though in fairness I'm sure he'd prefer to play central striker.
Also, why could it have been "three points for Norwich" over the Meireiles handball when it was clearly outside the box?
Overall I agree with many of the comments - there is just not enough passion, concentration, commitment or flair in the team at the moment. I'll stick with the boys through thick and thin, but expectations have changed since Roman arrived - and this is just not good enough.
have to agree with comfort lads comment, not a good season for chelski as a fan for 20 years I am losing faith
you have to question AVB management,Torres is the only one that looked like scoring
Sturrage contribution to the game was pathetic yet he takes torres off he is not a good reader of the game when he does that
Seems like a Chelsea notice board. Seems most of you blaming your manager when the truth is NORWICH were playing the correct formation with a TEAM that would die for their Manager and Supporters and played brilliantly. Were denied a stone wall penalty. Seems hard for some people to realise what a hard working team NORWICH are with the whole team including subs costing less than a single Chelsea player. Instead of saying Chelsea were poor try saying NORWICH were very good. It won't hurt I promise. Come on you Yellows.
More lazy critism of Frank Lampard!
Even in his prime he was blamed for poor England form and had to put up with various other nonsense.
This was partly due to biased pundits and media, but also from irresponsible remarks from so-called experts who should know better.
A check of the record books will give a more accurate impression. Also, the player is still scoring goals and has much to offer.
It is a pity that club bias and petty rivalry makes so many fans talk such nonsense.
I have lost count of the number of times I've chalenged people to back up their complaints about Frank with facts, but have only been met by angry silences.
As a die hard Norwich supporter I was very pleased with thier performance yesterday and feel that the match with Chelsea was a good test for us. Obviously I wanted Norwich to win,but in saying that,it was a very good result as it could have gone either way.
norwich denied by chelsea.
Great performance from Norwich!
AVB has come to Chelsea at the worst time in recent years, he's inherited a squad of players in long term poor form or players which have past their best (lampard)
However he has been pro active and signed a great potential future aspect for the club and is looking well into long term plans for Chelsea's future. Yes he may not be getting the wins like his predessesors have been, but he is earning points and I am sure they will sneak into the champions league qualification next year...
By then let's hope he has been given the chance, money and time to build his own squad; then we can compare him to morinho! that's what he got when Chelsea were winning silverware remember....
p.s. I'm a newcastle fan!
the caption should read "NORWICH DENIED BY CHELSEA" - after all,chelsea lose out on two points but don't forget norwich.Strage though it seems there are other clubs than the big four or five and occasionally they do draw matches with lower opposition
Having lived and worked in Norwich for twelve years,I have been priviledged to see some fine games and fairness of good opposition play from the norwich fans something that is severly missing from some other teams supporters.That said I have supported chelsea man and boy DO YOU rememberthe second division walking from the train station wearing our colours to ayresome park, thats what you call a chelsea supporter ther are thankfully still a lot of those loyal knowledgeable fans there unfortunately overshadowed by the fashionable supporter.Chelsea could have ruled the premiership BUT shot themselves in the foot due to the owners arrogance, regardlessof any morons opinions of MOURINHO before any comments check his head to head with the two most succesful premier league managers THE KING MESSIAH IS HEAD AND SHOULDERS ABOVE THE REST HE WILL BEAT BARCELONA TO THE TITLE THIS YEAR,Well one final comment although paul lambert hasnt exactly got charisma, he has a football brain and by god what a job that man has done and continues to do GO PAUL GREAT JOB well deserved Norwich you desrve your premiership status.Finally A.V.B.will get fourth and sneak into champions league and next season will improve no worse than grant scolari andancellotti load of overated has beens.WATCH THIS SPACE GO A.V.B.
93=WRONG!! --(and with little knowledge of football)
Chelsea =big club with a fair haul of trophies, decent history, a mixture of loyal and plastic fans (like most other big clubs) and able to potentially gain from the big investment needed by any team looking for serious sucess.
93(roy)==bitter fan of rival team who might be a wind-up merchant, but if not, has revealed a complete lack of awareness in regard to football matters!
TRUTH!!
What a shame? Good on you Norwich for a superb performance. Torres, the pretty boy, showing his super skill as usual. He was flopping at Liverpool when Chelsea for some unknown reason bought him.
chelsea r a small club with rich owner with plastic fans.
Donney.Question for you.I know your not a Jock,what are you though?
Geordie?
Mackem??
Monkey Hanger?
Smoggie?
I see you on Glasgow Rangers threads giving it Loyal,so why are you slagging Chelsea?
A mixture of frustration and ignorance in these comments. As usual, we find the muppets who don't know about football, claiming we were mid-table before Roman. A quick history check will show the truth. A claim that we would end up in Blue Square is pathetic.
Unlike many old-timers?!-I welcome new fans, but there is a danger with that, if impatience creeps in.
For me, AVB seems suspect tactically and his selections and substitutions baffle me. Romeu should start and be an automatic choice as our shape looks better when he plays. As much as I like 433, perhaps a formation change is needed to accomodate our present squad?
I am a bit cross that AVB is living a charmed life and is being given a freedom denied to Carlo, in regard to team building. I worry that AVB is taking us to many steps backwards in his drastic team re-building.
i really hope he proves me wrong, but I do fear that the board have made another big mistake. I at least hope that AVB has had a very severe bollocking about some of the mistakes he's made, but again I stress, I hope he proves me wrong.
There are a lot I deluded comments here. There's also a lot of people forgetting that the spine of this team comprises the same players Mourinho and Ranieri brought in. That's a team who in large part is in excess of 8 to 10 years old and whose avg age is 30+. With that in mind, AVB can only do so much and should be focussing on rebuilding the team for the next gen. Keep it in perspective people.
AVB - you are just out of your depth. How long is the Russian going carry on before he realizes he has made another great mistake. Going wide with just Bosingwa and Cole makes no sense at all.
As a Chelsea supporter all my life this team now reminds me of the Chelsea of old not knowing if were going to score or win a game a mediocre team at best but I will always be true Chelsea not like some of the moaners who have only supported them since the Russian ruble arrived , Yes I do get annoyed at the results but I would happily have it this way for a few years so all the plastic fans who jumped on the Chelsea bandwagon when we was winning things will go support some other team Man city anyone
The problem is not Torres its the way the team is set up . Everytime he was in in there box he had 3or4 Norwich defenders on him and no support or someone to play off .Sturridge was wide and barely got close to Torres. The rest of the midfield are sat so deep there barely having to break sweat . If you have a world class striker you have to have a plan to give some decent service. Think Messi would struggle in this Chelsea team he would have to beat 4 defenders for every goal.AVB as a ready made excuse in Torres and by subbing him it highlights that point . Poor manager.
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