Stoke 0 Chelsea 2: Jose Mourinho reserves special praise for Eden Hazard after victory

Mourinho said it was a 'clean game' other than Bardsley's reckless tackle

Chelsea's Eden Hazard is fouled by Phil Bardsley of Stoke

Jose Mourinho paid tribute to his team’s battling qualities in their 2-0 victory over Stoke City tonight, praising Eden Hazard in particular who was the subject of the game’s worst foul from full-back Phil Bardsley.

Chelsea beat Stoke with goals from John Terry and Cesc Fabregas in either half with Mourinho selecting a more defensive midfield pairing of John Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic to combat the opposition. Mourinho said it was a “clean game” other than Bardsley’s reckless tackle on Hazard in the first half.

The Chelsea manager said: “It was a very good game, and we adapted well to their style of play. To score a goal at the beginning is important, but not so much in this stadium as the crowd is always behind them.

“At the time it looks to me like a red card, but I don’t know. What I do know was that if it was a bad tackle, it was the only one. The game was clean, the game was good. The game was aggressive, but the game was good. The referee kept the game under control and the players were good. There were fair fights, long balls and lots of duels, but the game was perfectly fair. If it was a red card it was an isolated incident.

“Hazard did a lot, and we needed him without Oscar as we lost one creative player [in order to accommodate the extra holding midfielder]. He gave his body to the game, put himself in lots of creative situations and the kid was fantastic. It was a difficult fight for the kid, but also difficult for Bardsley, as the kid was fantastic.

“One moment showed clearly what he [Hazard] is. Bardsley was injured, and a few minutes after that tackle it was Eden who put the ball out of play [so Bardsley could have treatment]. I wouldn’t do it for a player who kicked me a few minutes before! It shows the kid is fantastic.”

He added: “It’s a victory that means a bit more than the three points. Not just because it was difficult, but because to win here you need more than just your quality. The players were together, the players were a team and coped with Stoke’s difficult style. Our creative players were not afraid to take responsibility. Our defensive players were very, very solid. It’s only possible to win at Stoke with a great team performance.”

Cesc Fabregas celebrates wrapping up victory with Chelsea’s second goal (AP)

Mark Hughes bemoaned his team’s failure to defend the corner from which Terry scored within two minutes. He also said that Peter Crouch had to go off in the second half after his neck seized up before the break.

On Bardsley’s challenge on Hazard, Hughes said: “At the time it happened I just thought it was a mistimed challenge and maybe Hazard was a bit too quick. I haven’t seen it again. If you are telling me it was a bit unfair … the referee thought [it was a booking] but he didn’t give a free-kick, the ball was out of play already.”