Match ends, Cardiff City 1, Chelsea 2.
CardiffCardiff City1ChelseaChelsea2
Second-half goals by Andre Schurrle and Fernando Torres helped Chelsea come back to win against relegated Cardiff.
The Bluebirds took the lead when Craig Bellamy's left-foot shot was deflected off Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta and wrong-footed keeper Mark Schwarzer.
Below-par Chelsea finally struck back in the 72nd minute when Schurrle fired a rebound high into the net after David Marshall's save from Azpilicueta.
Torres's 11th goal of the season from six yards completed the comeback.
The result meant Chelsea finished third, but without a trophy for the first time in three years, while their 82-point total is their worst under manager Jose Mourinho who complained this week that they lacked a striker with "killer instinct" and after making six changes, watched his side toil for much of the game.
Meanwhile, Cardiff's first season back in the top flight after 51 years ended with them rock bottom of the Premier League, and the 2013-14 campaign was summed up as they struggled to deal with the visitors' greater quality, in spite of Chelsea's lack of penetration.
The day began with Cardiff owner Vincent Tan telling BBC Sport he was prepared to reconsider his decision to change City's colours from blue to red - provided they get back into the Premier League.
The fans made their feeling known by singing "We'll always be blue" before kick-off and hurling blue balloons onto the pitch, though it was the team playing in blue who prevailed.
Chelsea, captained by Ashley Cole on what may be his last appearance for them, should have been a goal up inside five minutes as Torres latched on to a mistake by Steven Caulker but having rounded goalkeeper Marshall and negotiated a crowd of blue balloons, the Spaniard saw his goalbound shot cleared off the line by Caulker.
Mohamed Salah and Oscar also wasted good chances after Bellamy - also possibly playing his final game for his club - had put Cardiff ahead, after which Schwarzer was rarely tested.
Chelsea were brighter after the break, with Salah posing problems as Eden Hazard threatened to open up the Welsh club's defence.
The equaliser came when Marshall, Cardiff's player of the season, was beaten by substitute Schurrle, while Torres's short-range finish three minutes later ended Cardiff's resistance and condemned them to 20th place.
For both clubs, the rebuilding starts now, as Cardiff boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer contemplates his first experience of the Championship.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho on his team's display:
"The performance was better than the result because the team played well from the first minute.
"The game was always in our hands and at half time the result is unbelievable because they didn't have a shot and they scored a goal.
"We were balanced to attack, playing good football and it was good because we played well, we won and not one of the boys goes to the World Cup with injuries, because we're always afraid of that."
Cardiff City boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "There's been loads of positives in many games, but today was another confirmation for me that when we stick together we're hard to beat and create problems.
"What we've struggled with sometimes this year is the quality to come back in games we've had to chase games and that's something we have to look at next year.
"It's very disappointing [to lose] because for the lads and the fans to come away with something today would have been a great boost for everyone."
Line-ups
Cardiff
Formation 4-5-1
- 1Marshall
- 4Caulker
- 6Turner
- 42John
- 35da Silva
- 17Gunnarsson
- 18Mutch
- 39BellamySubstituted forHealeyat 76'minutes
- 7WhittinghamBooked at 51mins
- 29DaehliSubstituted forCowieat 67'minutes
- 10CampbellSubstituted forJamesat 89'minutes
Substitutes
- 15Wolff Eikrem
- 19Cowie
- 25McNaughton
- 32Lewis
- 34Berget
- 37James
- 46Healey
Chelsea
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 23Schwarzer
- 33Kalas
- 3Cole
- 2Ivanovic
- 28Azpilicueta
- 21MaticBooked at 88mins
- 15SalahSubstituted forAkéat 79'minutes
- 12MikelBooked at 33minsSubstituted forSchürrleat 66'minutes
- 17E HazardSubstituted forSwiftat 89'minutes
- 11Oscar
- 9Torres
Substitutes
- 4David Luiz
- 14Schürrle
- 19Ba
- 24Cahill
- 27Aké
- 40Hilario
- 49Swift
- Referee:
- Michael Oliver
- Attendance:
- 27,716
Match Stats
Home TeamCardiffAway TeamChelsea
- Possession
- Home37%
- Away63%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away28
- Shots on Target
- Home3
- Away7
- Corners
- Home3
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home7
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Cardiff City 1, Chelsea 2.
Post update
Attempt missed. Oscar (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is too high from a direct free kick.
Post update
Fernando Torres (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Fabio (Cardiff City).
Post update
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by David Marshall.
Post update
Attempt saved. André Schürrle (Chelsea) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Fernando Torres.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Ashley Cole.
Substitution
Substitution, Cardiff City. Tom James replaces Fraizer Campbell.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. John Swift replaces Eden Hazard.
Booking
Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Nemanja Matic (Chelsea).
Post update
Jordon Mutch (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt missed. Eden Hazard (Chelsea) left footed shot from very close range is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by André Schürrle with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Cardiff City. Conceded by Nathan Aké.
Post update
Foul by Ashley Cole (Chelsea).
Post update
Fraizer Campbell (Cardiff City) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Oscar (Chelsea) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by André Schürrle.
Post update
Attempt blocked. André Schürrle (Chelsea) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Eden Hazard.
Post update
Attempt saved. Fabio (Cardiff City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
