Really enjoyed Liverpool’s 2-1 win at Chelsea.
Best game of the weekend by far.
Four teams are now on 22 points : Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal. Those four are all three points behind Newcastle, who are third.
But remember: Spurs have two games in hand.
Spurs-Aston Villa is on Sky tonight.
Redknapp was a Defoe fan, not a Bent fan. Capello takes the opposite view.
Darren Bent is now England\’s centre forward. But Jermain Defoe isn’t in his squad.
Can Villas-Boas modernise Chelsea\’s style without changing the players?
On recent evidence, no chance.
His worst performers against Liverpool were Terry and Drogba. Terry looks shot and Drogba looks old now. If you hit Drog with long balls, he can’t win them or knock them down to Lampard any more. It\’s clear that Malouda hasn\’t bought into the AVB project and never will.
The Chelsea team, with Mikel in the anchor role, was a pig\’s breakfast.
That eleven cannot play knockdown 4-3-3 method football like the old Chelsea. And it can’t play pressing football like Porto either.
Liverpool, quick and inventive, were led by the fiery strikers Suarez and Bellamy, who sparked moves and hunted down defenders, as did Kuyt. We saw Suarez run right through an attempted tackle by David Luiz.
The movement of Suarez in the box is the best I\’ve seen in the Premier League. With Suarez around, Chelsea were never going to keep a clean sheet.
Liverpool moved the ball more quickly, more slickly, more inventively. Co-commentator Gary Neville noted the mood : “The crowd’s anxiety, you can feel it.â€
Liverpool were superior in the first 30 but wasted a few good positions in the front third. Then Charlie Adam gambled, tackled Mikel as he dawdled on a throw from Cech, the ref allowed play to continue as passes pinged around : Bellamy to Suarez to Bellamy to Maxi.
Maxi slotted for 0-1 in 33 minutes
Sky commentator Martin Tyler had earlier noted that Maxi had played in both of Liverpool’s victories over Chelsea last season.
But he has only played 18 minutes in the league this season. What\’s that tired old cliche? Courses for horses? Something like that.
At half-time Chelsea were losing 1-0. A defeat would put them 15 points behind Manchester City. So Villas-Boas brought on Sturridge for Mikel, switching Mata infield and Ramires to the anchor role. By now I was thinking : If Liverpool score again, it\’s over.
After Malouda\’s mis-hit shot reached Sturridge, who tapped in from three yards for 1-1 in 55, the game turned round, and Reina had to make a fantastic save from a header by Ivanovic.
It was a good noisy battle with plenty of tackles and yellow cards.
Dalglish decided to consolidate by bringing on Jordan Henderson for Bellamy in 66 and by then I was thinking : A 1-1 draw would be very good for Spurs.
In 75, Malouda volleyed wide from an Ivanovic cross. It was all Chelsea now with 15 minutes left. But Suarez roasted Luiz, survived a Ramires challenge and was stopped by Ivanovic, who got a yellow card. Torres and Meireles came on far too late for Drogba and Ramires : 84 minutes.
Pulsating stuff, Kuyt missed a good chance, Sturridge had a very tame shot from a silly angle when four blue shirts were racing into scoring positions.
Then Charlie Adam switched the play to the right and Glen Johnson, a fine athlete, exploded inside Ashley Cole and slotted a beautiful shot with his left foot.What a goal !
Johnson said he’s been out a long time but thinks he’s getting his fitness back now.
Goal of the Month, I hope.
Chelsea have not kept a clean sheet at home this season. Having only suffered six home defeats in their last 144 games, they\’ve now lost 5-3 to Arsenal and 2-1 to Liverpool in consecutive league matches.