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The task facing the Blues to stay in the competition and reach the quarter-finals is now an almighty one.
Chelsea left with a mountain to climb
Chelsea’s approach in Paris was undeniably brave, taking their hosts on at their own game and seeking to press as aggressively as their hosts. By the end, though, you were left wondering whether this had been more naivety than well-placed courage.
Chelsea’s line was oh so high. Wesley Fofana went darting into midfield to press Ousmane Dembele aggressively, with Moises Caicedo sometimes dropping in as cover — to Chelsea’s relief — and sometimes, terminally, not doing so.
The thought process was there, using the fastest defender to restrict PSG’s best player, and it was not just Fofana who was getting at PSG. It did not work, though.
Wesley Fofana impressed in Paris but ultimately could not contain Ousmane Dembele
AFP via Getty Images
Too many bodies were committed for a Cole Palmer chance which was saved by Matvei Safonov in the first half. Just 14 seconds later and Chelsea were 2-1 down because Caicedo went in for a challenge rather than holding his ground and Chalobah did the same.
Simply, easily, Desire Doue rounded him, played Dembele through on half a pitch of free and open turf. Dembele flew through and scored on the break with Fofana on the floor and Jorgensen beaten.
Chelsea paid such a heavy price for allowing PSG the space and time to counter at searing pace in those final 16 minutes. They all but ended the tie for the Blues.
Rosenior’s brave call backfires
If it was a huge call by Liam Rosenior to drop Robert Sanchez and start the far less experienced Filip Jorgensen at Villa Park a week ago, it was an even bigger selection decision to pick Jorgensen at the Parc des Princes.
This was effectively a message to say that the Dane has replaced Sanchez as Chelsea’s No1, at least for the time being.
In the French capital, there was primary evidence to be pushed by Sanchez for him to be restored as No1, for that decision to be immediately and unequivocally reversed.
Jorgensen put in a confused and inconsistent display, conceding five goals and at fault for the third, directly, and for the fifth by letting Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s second shot squirm through his hand.
Filip Jorgensen’s moment of madness triggered Chelsea’s dramatic collapse
AFP via Getty Images
There was nothing he could do to prevent Barcola’s gorgeous strike which opened the scoring and very little to keep Dembele’s effort out, and the rest of his performance was looking assured, composed and, crucially, confident — featuring an elastic save to push Dembele’s fierce drive against the post from a tight angle at a crucial time in the match, to deny PSG a 2-0 lead.
But on a night where the majority of his distribution was clean and confident, one error proved very costly indeed, as Barcola blocked his short pass and Vitinha lobbed him with ease.
When he conceded that fifth to Kvaratskhelia, Chelsea’s race looked run. Maybe Jorgensen’s is too, before it has even got going.
Altercation causes tempers to flare
It was early in stoppage time, with the score 4-2, when Pedro Neto, who had been excellent for Chelsea, went over to collect a ball to take a quick throw-in.
When the ball boy did not oblige and kept the ball in his grasp, Neto, keen to get the game back in play, shoved him, something for which he came out and apologised publicly after the match.
Pedro Neto let the pressure of the occasion get the better of him as he clattered into a Parc des Princes ballboy
Ben Whitley/PA Wire
While the ball boy’s reaction was over the top, rolling around on the ground, PSG players were understandably incensed and came racing over to make it known to Neto of their displeasure.
Reece James and Marquinos, the two captains, could be seen embracing and trying to bring the temperature down as players crowded each other and the referee by the side of the pitch.
The ref, Alejandro Hernandez, spoke to plenty of them, including Neto, James and PSG manager Luis Enrique had a heated exchange, and eventually there were loud jeers from the PSG fans who felt the situation had gone on quite long enough and that it was high time the match continued.
When it did restart, there was just enough time for they and Kvaratskhelia to score yet again, to punish Chelsea yet further. A three-goal deficit appears irrecoverable ahead of next week’s second leg at Stamford Bridge, even though Chelsea’s job is ultimately to believe and prove it is not.
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