Sunday’s 3-1 win over Manchester United proved to be an afternoon to remember for many reasons; a fifth consecutive Barclays Premier League victory, a Samuel Eto’o hat-trick and Jose Mourinho’s 100th league win as Chelsea manager. Here, the official club website looks back on the game through images…
Supporters begin to arrive at Stamford Bridge in the afternoon sunshine.
Shortly before kick-off, John Terry and Frank Lampard were presented with awards in recognition of the duo reaching 600 appearances for the Blues. The presentation was made by Peter Bonetti and Ron Harris, the only other two players in our history to play 600 games for Chelsea.
Samuel Eto’o celebrated his opening goal by running over to the Chelsea bench and seeking out team-mate Demba Ba. With Fernando Torres now injured, the two strikers will be responsible for leading the line in the coming weeks.
Mourinho won the tactical battle with David Moyes, while his decision to play Eto’o ahead of Torres couldn’t have been more inspired. Here, he offers some instructions to Oscar.
Sir Alex Ferguson, a man Mourinho has gone head-to-head with so many times in the past, was in the stands to watch his former club in action. It was an afternoon to forget, however, for the ex-Manchester United manager.
Four minutes into the second half Eto’o capped a wonderful day on a personal level by scoring his hat-trick, becoming only the third player in our history to score three goals in one game against United.
The Cameroonian was replaced by Torres as the game drew to a close, allowing the Stamford Bridge faithful to show their appreciation for his performance. Tem-mates Branislav Ivanovic and Ramires are equally delighted with his display.
A miserable afternoon for the visitors was compounded late in the game when skipper Nemanja Vidic was shown a red card after scything down Eden Hazard as the Belgian broke at pace.
Having already beaten both Manchester City and Liverpool at home this season, United went the same way, and the defensive players on show couldn’t hide their delight at the final whistle.