Home UEFA Champions League Chelsea suffers a shock 3-2 defeat at struggling Stoke City.

Chelsea suffers a shock 3-2 defeat at struggling Stoke City.

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Chelsea were handed their 3rd league defeat of the season by Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on saturday. Oussama Assaidi came off the bench to score a superb winning goal as Mark Hughes’side stunned Chelsea 3-2 in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s Blues slipped to third in the table, behind Liverpool. Before today, Stoke had never beaten Chelsea in 10 previous Premier League attempts and had not previously scored against them since April 2011.

Mourinho left Frank Lampard on the bench, which was one of two changes from Wednesday’s 4-3 win at Sunderland, with Willian out of the squad altogether and John Obi Mikel and Andre Schurrle coming in.

Jonathan Walters returned to the Stoke side after missing his first league game in 103 in the 0-0 draw with Cardiff, while Marc Muniesa made his debut at left-back for Erik Pieters, who has a groin strain. On-loan Liverpool winger Assaidi dropped to the bench.

Chelsea went ahead after nine minutes, John Obi Mikel passed forwards to Andre Schurrle, whose ball control was excellent and meant Ryan Shawcross could not be sure which way he was going. The German then struck a low accurate shot which went past Asmir Begovic and into the bottom corner.

Charlie Adam had to be replaced after picking up an injury, with Steven Ireland being the man to replace him.

Chelsea had one obvious let-off when Walters headed wide from a Marko Arnautovic cross, but they were to go into the break level due to a poor piece of goalkeeping from Petr Cech.

The Czech keeper came to try and claim a corner-kick delivery from Arnautovic that he was never going to reach. Peter Crouch kept his head and saw his low shot from six yards go through the legs of both Ramires and Cech for the equaliser.

Five minutes into the second half, Stoke took the lead when Walters pushed over Cesar Azpilicueta on the right, and Chelsea wanted a foul. But the Republic of Ireland international escaped down the wing and found Ireland who curled a superb shot towards goal and saw the ball bounce in off the base of the post.

Three minutes later, Chelsea equalized when Juan Mata’s free-kick came off Crouch’s thigh and the ball was heading out of the area, only for Schurrle to send it back with a crashing left-foot volley that flew in for his third goal of the season.

Soon afterwards, Schurrle saw another effort clip the top of the crossbar while Ireland had an even better chance at the other end. Crouch chested down Nzonzi’s left-wing cross and set up Ireland, who was just onside, for a shot from six yards out but he spooned his effort horribly over the top.

Demba Ba came on for Fernando Torres, before Lampard and Samuel Eto’o were later introduced for Schurrle and Mikel.

Assaidi replaced Walters in the 84th minute and within six minutes he had scored a wonderful winner. The Moroccan collected the ball in the left channel from Ireland’s pass, before cutting infield behind Branislav Ivanovic and then firing in an excellent right-foot shot to put Stoke ahead once more, and there was no way back for Mourinho’s side.

Chelsea host Steaua Bucharest in Champions League Group E on Wednesday before playing Crystal Palace next Saturday, when Stoke travel to face Hull.

Written by Martins

@MartinsChokoe

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