Didier Drogba makes his presence felt to guide Chelsea past Shrewsbury

Posted Wednesday, October 29, 2014 by theguardian.com

Didier Drogba scored Chelsea's first goal and had a hand in their second to book a last-eight place in the Capital One Cup.

A wet and at times uncomfortable evening in Shropshire for Chelsea ended with José Mourinho's team squeezing into the quarter-finals. Didier Drogba continues his refusal to be ignored on his return to the club, scoring the first goal for Chelsea and making himself a nuisance for the winner, which came when Jermaine Grandison turned the ball past his own goalkeeper, Jayson Leutwiler, with nine minutes remaining.

Mourinho will be relieved to return home with this game safely navigated as he prepares for Queens Park Rangers' visit on Saturday before the Champions League game with Maribor and the trip to Liverpool on 8 November.

Understandably he picked out the 36-year-old Drogba for playing a second match in two days after he starred in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Manchester United. Mourinho, though, was clear he expected more from some.

"If players who play 90 minutes two days ago were fantastic tonight, I expect people who are not playing a lot to raise the level to create me problems. I love problems of choices [in selection]. And it is easy to choose my team for Saturday," he said.

Pushed if André Schürrle and Mo Salah, who started against Shrewsbury, were two players he wanted to give him a headache, he said: "Yeah."

Mourinho said normally Diego Costa could play against QPR following a hamstring problem but of Drogba being able to make it a third match in seven days he said: "We will see. His character is bigger than his body. His character is stronger than his body. So what he did today was maybe because of his character and not because of his body. So let's see the reaction. This is what makes players special and if I was a kid player and I play with this guy on my side and I am 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 what can I wish more? So for the kids it has to be a privilege and they have to learn by example."

"Yes I was worried when they equalised. Shrewsbury put up a great fight. They are what the cups are all about."

The rain came down before kick-off and continued to soak the players during a first half that unfolded predictably. Shrewsbury were breathless and in the visitors' faces, while Chelsea preferred to wait and patiently prod and probe.

Two early corners won by Chelsea and taken by Schürrle came to nothing before Shrewsbury claimed their own via James Collins following a breakaway attack. When the ball arced in from the left Petr Cech did well to save a Nathaniel Knight-Percival header.

These teams last met 11 years ago. Then, Chelsea won 4-0 in an FA Cup tie with a side who included Gianfranco Zola, Emmanuel Petit, Graeme Le Saux, Frank Lampard and John Terry, who as a substitute here was the sole survivor from the encounter at old Gay Meadow.

The side named by Mourinho had a debutant – the 18-year-old Danish defender Andreas Christensen – and was led by Drogba, who showed flashes of his class throughout.

Micky Mellon initially selected the same side who defeated Portsmouth at the weekend, before James Wesolowski was replaced by Liam Lawrence before the start.

Drogba, who scored at Old Trafford, ended the half again finding the net but was adjudged offside.

The ground's capacity had been specially extended to 10,210 with 1,720 of these a travelling support who were celebrating three minutes into the second half. Schürrle found Salah and when he slickly played in Drogba this time the Ivorian did score, leaving Leutwiler no chance.

Yet in Ryan Woods, a diminutive 20-year-old midfielder, Shrewsbury had a player who was willing to try to run the game. It was Woods who won the free-kick from which Connor Goldson might have equalised. Lawrence floated the ball towards Chelsea's penalty spot and when it broke to the captain his shot ricocheted around the area to wrong-foot Cech before going wide.

While the score remained only 1-0 Shrewsbury had a chance of taking the tie into extra time. And, after Mellon's introduction of Andy Mangan for Collins on 75 minutes, that was were the contest was headed. Lawrence pinged in a corner from the left and after some scrappy play Mangan smashed home.

Mourinho had seen enough. Off came Salah and Mikel John Obi for Willian and Nemanja Matic. Seconds later Chelsea moved downfield and with Drogba in close attendance Grandison was the author of the dreaded own goal.