Chelsea 1-0 Norwich: Diego Costa nets winner as Jose Mourinho’s struggling side claim a much-needed win at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea move above Norwich in the Premier League after their narrow win at Stamford Bridge
Diego Costa scored the winner after 64 minutes following a quick free-kick from Cesc Fabregas
Jose Mourinho returned to the dugout following his stadium ban during the last game against Stoke City
Norwich had opportunities of their own but failed to find their killer touch as they suffered defeat
Mourinho and Costa were engaged in an animated conversation on the sideline before his strike

Published:
16:53 GMT, 21 November 2015

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Updated:
17:27 GMT, 21 November 2015

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When the celebration came from Diego Costa, it was almost weary. Certainly it was more relieved that ecstatic.

Moments before he had eventually found the net, his manager Jose Mourinho had come off the bench to engage in an animated conversation with his star striker.

‘Just side foot it!’ seemed to be gist. Or at least get into the box. Whatever it was, Mourinho’s frustration seemed to be growing. Even the Chelsea fans’ faith might have been wavering. Loic Remy was warming up and Costa’s time seemed limited.

Diego Costa (left) fires homes the winner as he helped Chelsea claim a much-needed three points at Stamford Bridge

The striker is congratulated by Willian and salutes the crowd following his fine individual goal

His team-mates rush to celebrate with him as relief went all around Stamford Bridge after he broke the deadlock

Jose Mourinho looks on as his side clinched a vital three points against a rugged Norwich side

Up until the 64th minute, it was simply one of those afternoons that wasn’t happening for the man who scored 20 goals for the club last season. Chelsea have had multiple problems this season, but Costa’s form, the failure of Radamel Falcao and unwillingness to trust Loic Remy has been chief amongst them.

To put it into context, Costa has now scored seven goals in his last 27 appearances for Chelsea; he scored seven in his first four games for the club.

So when the quick free kick from Cesc Fabregas came for Costa from deep and was controlled by the Brazilian-born player, who cut inside Ryan Bennett, there was a moment when you wondered, whether even this clear chance might be spurned.

And then Costa opened up his body, struck the ball with the kind of confidence he had radiated last season and before then at Atletico Madrid, and the ball curled around John Ruddy’s out-stretched hand. The ripple of the net told Costa that his six-game wait for a goal was over. And then there was that celebration: Costa simply stood, arms raised, apparently thankful his ordeal was over.

The Spaniard, goes for a loose ball inside the Canaries box but the away side cleared their lines

The striker looks to the referee but his appeals went unanswered as Chelsea continued to be frustrated in the opening 45

Kenedy, who was given the nod at left back, attempts to get away from Dieumerci Mbokani during the first half

Zurt Zouma (right) flattens Norwich’s Robbie Brady as the two sides cancelled each other out during the first period

MATCH FACTS, PLAYER RATINGS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE FROM STAMFORD BRIDGE

CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Begovic 6.5, Ivanovic 6, Zouma 7.5, Terry 7.5, Kenedy 6.5, Fabregas 7.5, Matic 6.5, Pedro 6.5 (Oscar – 83), Willian 7 (Ramires – 87), Hazard 8 (Azpilicueta – 93), Costa 7

Subs not used: Traore, Remy, Cahill, Blackman

Manager: Mourinho 7

Goals: Costa 64

Booked: Willian

NORWICH (4-2-3-1): Ruddy 7, Wisdom 5.5, Bennett 5.5, Bassong 6, Olsson 5.5, Redmond 5.5, O’Neil 6, Mulumbu 6 (Dorrans – 73) 6, Brady 6.5, Howson 6 (Hoolahan – 73) 6, Mbokani 5.5 (Jerome – 73) 6

Subs: Whittaker, Rudd, Lafferty, Odjidja-Ofoe

Manager: Neil 6

Booked: Mulumbu, O’Neil, Olsson, Bassong

Referee: Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)

MOM: Hazard

Attendance: 41,582

Updated Premier League table

Diego Costa’s second half goal is shown using Sportsmail’s brilliant Match Zone service. Click here for more from the clash at Stamford Bridge.

All around relief was order of the day; for Costa, for Mourinho and for Chelsea. Norwich may be among their prey in Premier League terms but they did actually start the day above them. And there was enough wariness in Chelsea’s performance to suggest that they too, like Crystal Palace, Southampton and Liverpool, might be able to win here

That said, there is a renewed energy about Chelsea and a crispness in their build up, characterised by the continuing return to form by Eden Hazard. At times he dazzled, playing in his favoured No 10 position. There was the cross for Fabregas on 10 minutes, the incisive run inside his man to find Willian on 15 minutes, whose shot was parried by John Ruddy, and a lovely break and pull back on 37 minutes.

But therein lies the problem. Hazard was good but no-one was capable of completing his work; certainly not Costa, until that 64th minute finish.

Nathan Redmond (centre) looks to escape the attentions of John Terry and set up a counter attack for Norwich

Nemanja Matic looks to nick the ball from Brady after the winger skipped past the challenge of Branislav Ivanovic

Blues owner Roman Abramovich looks on as his side look to recover from their poor start to the Premier League season

Defensively there are still issues aplenty for Chelsea. They were evident as early as 20 minutes, when Nathan Redmond’s pace running at the back four and Dieumerci Mbokani’s persistence almost carved a goal. The space permitted the Norwich players was striking.

Again, on 33 minutes they broke and this time Willian clumsily crashed into Robbie Brady inside the area, a clear penalty, which referee Craig Pawson declined to award. Conspiracies, it seems, cut both ways. Six minutes later and Costa would fall under another clumsy challenge from Sebastien Bassong. This time the Chelsea bench were up appealing for the penalty though it was a more marginal call. Again, it was declined.

Yet Chelsea’s problems were epitmosied in a passage of play in the 42nd minute. So lax were they defending that Bassong appeared at far post with a chance to open the scoring. John Terry heroically dived at his feet and blocked the chance.

Matic waltzed past a number of Norwich players late on but his shot was saved and the away side managed to clear

Chelsea fans flew a French flag inside Stamford Bridge to show their support following the terrorism attacks in Paris

Zouma attempts an audacious flick at the near post from Cesc Fabregas’ corner but the chance came to nothing

Up the field swept Chelsea and Kenedy, an inventive if not a defensive left back, swung the ball to Costa, one on one with Ruddy. In fairness the ball fell just behind him, but by the time he had it under control, Ruddy had steadied himself and was able to save.

It would happen again on the hour: Willian and Hazard combined delightfully, and the Belgian pulled the ball across goal. Costa, though had held back for a pull back, which prompted Mourinho’s intervention from the bench. Frustration was evident all round.

Then came the free kick and the redemptive Costa strike. A few minutes later, a lovely Willian free kick was met by a superb flick by Kurt Zouma, which rebounded off the crossbar and out. Norwich though would have their moment, Robbie Brady picking the ball up in midfield and demanding an excellent save from Asmir Begovic from long-range on 68 minutes.

At the end, it seemed Nemanja Matic, much improved, might secure the win with an uncharacteristic mazy run through the Norwich defence which ended with him one-on-one with Ruddy, the Norwich keeper needing to be at his best to smother the shot.

But Chelsea had their win, the first in four Premier League game. Costa had his goal. And Mourinho, who greeted the final whistle with a little punch of the air, had some respite.