Seldom can a Chelsea victory have felt less significant. With all the Premier League storylines unfolding elsewhere, and the Champions League final now on official countdown, all that mattered for Chelsea was a clean bill of health and an encouraging send off. With the exception of a hamstring tweak felt by Florent Malouda, both boxes were ticked.
It is probable that none of the team selected by Roberto Di Matteo will start at the Allianz Arena on Saturday night. The Chelsea coach was so intent on resting the chosen ones for the Champions League final he picked Sam Hutchinson, a player who had actually retired only to make a miraculous recovery, and came in on the back of only eight minutes played this season.
It had the feel of a training match. Roman Abramovich was picking his fingernails. The fans in the Matthew Harding Stand oohed and aahed as they got wind of results in the matches that matter. Gary Cahill was getting tapped on the back with goal updates concerning his old club Bolton. In the visiting corner, the "Kean out" chants were voiced from the visitors' section from as early as the first minute.
On the pitch it had all the makings of a one-way stroll, as expected in a contest between a club heading to the Champions League and another to the Championship. Blackburn's goalkeeper Jake Kean (no relation), making his Premier League debut, pulled off a few saves early on, as Romelu Lukaku made a nuisance of himself spearing the Chelsea attack.
Two goals in three minutes around the half-hour mark raised the atmosphere a few notches above total relaxation. Chelsea eased in front when John Terry ambled up to make his presence felt. Lukaku sent in a searching cross, and there was Chelsea's captain to plant a rising header.
Michael Essien jinked infield from the right, and although he was taken down on the edge of the box, the referee, Lee Mason, played the advantage, and Raul Meireles took advantage to drill the ball into the corner.
Blackburn pulled a goal back from a corner, when Scott Dann outjumped Terry at the far post to steer in a perfectly placed header.
Ramires almost scored a wonder goal when he flicked an improvised lob with the outside of his boot. The ball bounced off the crossbar. Read More
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