Cardiff vs Chelsea: Ruben Loftus-Cheek strikes late to earn precious win for Blues - five talking points

Ruben Loftus-Cheek headed a winner for Chelsea in stoppage time to stun Cardiff and boost their hopes of a top four finish.

The victory came in controversial circumstances with Neil Warnock furious at Cesar Azpilicueta’s equaliser standing after the Spaniard’s offside position after Marcos Alonso’s flick-on.

Cardiff took the lead in the second half through Victor Camarasa, who guided home from the edge of the area with a controlled finish.

It pushed Sarri to desperately search for a way back into the game, bringing on Eden Hazard, who was initially rested, and they received good fortune through Azpilicueta’s equaliser, which the assistant referee failing to notice his offside position.

And Loftus-Cheek, on as a substitute, headed in the winner in stoppage time to cruelly deny Cardiff a point and and move within a point of Manchester United in fourth.

The clamour for Callum Hudson-Odoi to start for Chelsea has reached a feverish level this week following glimpses of brilliance for England against Czech Republic and his first start for his country against Montenegro.

Oozing maturity for an 18-year-old and displaying surprising calm despite itching to demonstrate his quality on the pitch, Hudson-Odoi could have scarcely done more to earn Sarri’s trust.

Under normal circumstances, the progression in his time on the pitch would have been adequate, but with a race against time to convince the player to commit his future to the club, Sarri took several risky decisions with his team selection. Firstly resting Eden Hazard, given the intense competition for a top four finish, but then to continue to test Hudson-Odoi’s patience by selecting Pedro and Willian ahead of him. It was a decision that showed the Italian simply does not care about anything beyond obtaining results his way.

We’ve seen this story before, haven’t we? Chelsea dominate possession and actually showing neat and tidy combinations around the half-way line, notably through Ross Barkley and Mateo Kovacic. But that’s where it ends.

Familiar moves circling the resilient block set up by the opposition on the edge of their area continue to fizzle out. An alternative route is rarely sort and to be fair to Sarri, the isolated excellent chance in the first half, this time with Marcos Alonso, was spurned again.

The restart, as Sarri bemoaned recently, continues to signal a change in mentality, with Victor Camarasa left free on the edge of the area to swipe home the opener ensuring the international break has changed little about Sarri’s Chelsea.

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Maurizio Sarri’s position appears ever more precarious when there is an evident discord between himself and the fans.

Disillusioned and adamant they have had the joy sucked out from watching their side, Chelsea fans demonstrated once more their lack of affection towards the Italian tactician.

“F*** Sarri-ball” was belted out after just 33 minutes with the Blues controlling possession, though admittedly blunt in attack, with the scores level. Short-term fixes, including greater involvement for Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, continue to be spurned, with the full potential of Sarri-ball, and thus harmony at the club, somewhat distant.

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Seemingly displaced a few weeks ago by Emerson, Marcos Alonso earned a baffling reprieve, yet there is little evidence to suggest he merits this sustained loyalty from Sarri.

While not the only culprit in this dysfunctional side, Jorginho continuing to circle the space vacated by the Spaniard appears problematic, with the most basic of runs from Junior Hoilett causing panic.

His carelessness inside his own box continued, too, following the penalty conceded against Everton. The Spaniard was fortunate to avoid doing so once again here after a tug on Sean Morrison.

With Alonso still ever willing to involve himself going forward, which usually compensates for his fragility at the back, a glorious chance predictably fell his way. But his clumsiness in the final third saw him shoot with his weaker right foot as the ball dropped at a corner, slicing wide. A spell out of the line-up surely awaits if Sarri knows what is good for him.

To still be battling for survival is somewhat impressive from Cardiff, with a limited squad in terms of quality, yet the arrival of Victor Camarasa has supplied quality in one of the most important areas.

Now the Blue Birds’ top scorer with five in the league, Camarasa has delivered in home games against three of the top sides: Chelsea, Man United and Arsenal.

It is not only the No 10’s goals, he now leads Neil Warnock’s side in assists and chances created too, underlining what a shrewd move it was to bring him in on loan from Real Betis.

Denied a point by Chelsea’s late show, Cardiff will lean on Camarasa if they are to pull off a great escape.