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Masch has a Monster and Drog hits the Bar.
Published by Ian John on November 30, 2009
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What a great weekend of EPL soccer! For once most things lived up to the hype and some questions were finally answered. Not least at the Emirates Stadium where a Didier Drogba inspired Chelsea ran rampant against a toothless and clueless Arsenal defence to record an exceptional 3-0 victory. Architecht of Arsenal’s demise were two key elements, firstly Robin Van Persie being laid up in Serbia with horse afterbirth smeared over his ankle instead of playing, and secondly the imperious Didier Drogba who is rampaging through most Premier League defences at the moment and who was far too strong and powerful for Arsenal’s less than watertight defence to cope with.
Ancelotti’s impact has been little short of miraculous at Chelsea. Only Jose Mourinho’s 2005-06 Premier League champions Chelsea had a start that matched Ancelotti’s at Stamford Bridge. Players who had perhaps been written off by some pundits as being too old, such as Lampard or Ballack, have been producing superb form week in, week out. That combined with Anelka and Drogba forging a real partnership, the return from injury of Joe Cole and the return to form of Ashley Cole and John Terry means that Chelsea look set to be the team to beat for the remainder of the season. Arsenal, for all their graceful football, just do not have that indomitable will and inner strength against the top sides. They capitulated badly at Old Trafford earlier in the season and Chelsea were by far the better side yesterday. Food for thought for Arsene Wenger indeed.
The Merseyside derby was a strange affair really. The bare statistics say that Liverpool won 2-0 and while many will argue that they are the only statistics that matter, it doesn’t really give you an idea of the game itself. Everton were by far the better side in almost all areas. The difference was Liverpool were very, very lucky and took their chances. Everton could and perhaps should have had something from the game. That they didn’t wasn’t down to Liverpool’s defensive brilliance, but their own innate failings in front of goal. Not to score a goal with two chances from less than six yards out is criminal. It’s not been the best week for David Moyes. New stadium plans shelved, Louis Saha the latest player to go down with injury, a derby defeat in a game they should have won and worst of all, linked with the Scotland managers job. Liverpool’s best player was Mascherano who had a Monster-Masch of a game (did you see what I did there?!). Steven Gerrard was clearly unfit and struggling making a mockery of Benitez claims he is on the way back to full fitness. I’ve seldom seen him so ineffective in a big game in a red shirt.
Manchester United were impressive in their 4-1 dismantling of Portsmouth. Not even the award of a mysterious penalty for the home side was enough to help Avram Grant to a victory in his first game as Portsmouth’s manager. Wayne Rooney celebrated his first hattrick since 2006 and informed us that now he is on penalty duty at Old Trafford, he wants to score many more goals. No doubt Sir Alex will be encouraging officials, particularly at Old Trafford, to help him on this endeavour.
Manchester City seem to have inherited Liverpool’s malaise of last season and keep drawing games they should have won. The weekend’s draw with Hull at Eastlands being the latest two points dropped in Mark Hughes’s attempts to get himself fired from the post without actually losing a game. Hughes must be concerned at the way his team cannot hang onto a lead. Suddenly the decision to sell Richard Dunne to be replaced by the largely ineffective but utterly expensive Joleon Lescott seems not to be the best piece of business. Rumours also that Micah Richards is being targetted by Manchester United and Tottenham as the England man is unhappy at his lack of first team chances at Eastlands. He will be the first of many throughout the course of the season I am sure.
The FA Cup third round draw saw Leeds United or Kettering earn the plum tie of a visit to Old Trafford. Liverpool have what looks a testing trip to Reading, a place where they have lost before. Chelsea will take on Watford, in a match which manager Carlo Ancelotti is excited about as he thinks he will get to meet Elton John! The plum tie of the round is West Ham taking on Arsenal and no prizes for guessing that this game will be the prime time live game that weekend.
Until next week. Saynoara!
Image Courtesy of ***ChelseaFC-2009*** at Flickr.com
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Nabyl Charania on Mon, 30th Nov 2009 10:23 am
Was a great weekend for football. Watched the Arsenal/Chelsea game live, and Chelsea looked a more decisive team in attack and were defensively strong. For all their pretty passing Arsenal lacked bite infront of goal. Drogba’s goal was great. How about el clasico
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