John obi Mikel has had to live with the unwanted record of not having found the back of the net in more than 250 appearances for Chelsea.

The Nigerian midfielder was signed back in 2006, but he had not found a single goal to his name despite being a first-team regular in all these years. He finally broke the unwanted record by scoring in the 2-0 win over Fulham. Normally used as a defensive midfielder, Mikel does not go up for corners. Mourinho, though, has been looking to use the height advantage in recent matches.

Thus, the 26-year-old found himself at the right place at the right time against Fulham. After Oscar had given Chelsea the lead, Mikel's goal just after 70 minutes gave the home team all three points. After the match, José Mourinho was in full praise of the player, who was one of his signings of the first spell. He is a regular goalscorer at international level with the Nigerian national team because he plays in an attacking role. Yet, many would have expected a defensive midfielder to come up with the odd goal. Mourinho thinks that the goal will provide Mikel with a lot of confidence.

After being a substitute during the early part, Mikel slowly appears to be forcing his way into the first-team. “Good for him, good for us. I think it is good for his confidence. And I think people enjoyed seeing John (Obi Mikel) score a goal. The goal was a shot in a set-piece, in a corner, a rebound, the finishing was good and he was in the position, but the important thing for me is he played a good game, he gave balance and stability. He kept very good control of the game, so I am happy with the way John is playing,” said Mourinho.