Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool: The one that went to extra time

Perspective is often overlooked in football - and no longer just by fans, but by the 'experts' for the sake of a snappy soundbite or engagement on social media. It's polarised every result into a turning point or the end of the world. There's no longer an in between. And maybe - that's not really the road we want to travel. Maybe, just maybe, it might be refreshing to take a step back and look at things as they are rather than feed into some narrative or another.

Liverpool vs Chelsea: The One David Luiz Made 100 PL Apps

Bottoms Up

Is there any fixture in the Premier League calendar that generates more nonsense in terms of narrative and delusion that Liverpool vs Chelsea? Before the match there were a number of comments about how ‘everyone’ was desperate for Liverpool to win this one, Jürgen Klopp included. As Liverpool fans seem to exist in a bubble, I suppose an argument could be made for them thinking it was everyone.

I suspect that sensible supporters, and I do realise that is an oxymoron, but supporters within touching distance of second would rather see both teams drop points. And I certainly find it unlikely that Manchester United fans were desperate to see Liverpool beat anyone, especially one that could draw them anywhere near top of the table.

Chelsea vs Liverpool: The One That Wasn't So Friendly

Criminals Always Return to the Scene of the Crime

Anyone who managed to get up at 4.30 this morning for Chelsea’s opening match of this meaningless tournament the International Champions Cup should be applauded. Or their sanity should be immediately called into question. I'm leaning towards the latter. Thanks to the magic of the interweb, I managed to watch the match in full when I woke up at a respectable hour. At this moment, I could not tell you why I thought that would be better than just watching the extended highlights.

Supporters making their way to the Rose Bowl must have been chuffed to witness this mid-table Premier League clash. 8th v 10th is quite a coup for the organisers of this prestigious tournament. As for those supporters, kudos to whoever got in a smoke bomb. However, you erased all of your credit the moment you partook in a Mexican wave. 

Chelsea v Liverpool: The One with the Guard of Honour

The desperate face of trying to keep up with Hazard

Although the official post-season tour begins in Thailand at the end of this month - it quite clearly began on Sunday afternoon. It’s difficult to fault all those tired legs for failing to keep their motivation up after winning but not yet receiving the trophy against Palace last weekend. But it doesn’t make for great viewing - for all you fans of ‘boring, boring Chelsea’ - now is your time to shine.

Of course, not having anything to play for does lend itself to a few relaxing afternoons out and the opportunity to watch some players that may not have got the chance otherwise. Ruben Loftus-Cheek being the most obvious example. He was given a brilliant reception by the home support AND the media who have loved his pass completion (100%). Loftus-Cheek’s performance was just what the media and Football Manager fan boys wanted. It’s all about possession for those crazy kids at the moment!

Liverpool vs Chelsea: The One Where Chelsea Forgot to Shoot

Luis explaining the importance of a headband for his 'look'

With Liverpool's exit from the Champions League a few seasons ago, supporters across the world were given a reprieve from watching them face Chelsea 60 odd times a season. But the League Cup* semi-final draw had other plans, it was feeling nostalgic for those days. Maybe it was the 'mind games', or the post-match 'banter' or the football that made you question what happened to the 90 minutes of your life that you'd never get back. Thankfully both sides have evolved beyond trying to bore the other into submission. More or less anyways.

After some pretty hapless performances from the home side as of late, it appears they saved all their vim and vigour up for last night's match. They started well and tested the re-instated Thibaut Courtois early and often. The partnership of John Obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic which had been so effective at Stoke looked sluggish or like they'd never met one another (they definitely have). Either way it left John Terry and Co. more exposed than usual. But it wasn't until the second half that there was any real damage to Chelsea's quest for another trip to Wembley.

Swansea vs Chelsea: Continuing the BA-ttle

"Hold Me Closer, Tony Danza"

If Sunday's early game did anything it was to throw Chelsea supporters into a bit of a wobble as they tried to do some quick math and put personal feelings aside. Which result would be most palatable pitted against which result would benefit Chelsea's title hopes the most. Taking a moment here to curse Pulis' Palace for this decision even having to be made and then moving on.

Mathematically, a Liverpool win was Chelsea's most beneficial result, as distasteful as it felt. If Chelsea went on to beat Swansea (spoiler alert: they did) it would mean that if Chelsea don't Palace it up again and win their remaining 4 (FOUR!) games with City dropping a couple of points in one of their 26 games in hand - we could see Mourinho wear a trophy like a crown once again.

Sounds easy enough. Chelsea have shown time and again this season that they know how to handle a big match matching title challengers and just about every step. The crux of that ,of course, is 3 of Chelsea's 4 remaining games are against relegation fodder. The fixtures that recall the recent trips to Palace and Villa or even the visit from London's Eastenders.

This Weekend in the Premier League ... Chelsea manage a win! City and Liverpool Do Not

Cech feels oddly protective of his
ball(s) around Cole 

As it's already Tuesday, there should really be some thought provoking analysis from the weekend in this space. And if that's what you're expecting, you may just want to stop now. Feel free to read any future pieces here though, don't let the haphazard nature of this one put you off. (Although the pictures clearly make your venture here completely worth it - words are overrated) My approach to this week's writing is similar to that of Chelsea's interim manager - cliched, formulaic and only successful by some whiff of luck.

If you were lucky enough to merely catch Match of the Day or -just- the scoreline from Chelsea's match with Wigan it was flattering to say the least. 4-1 was a bit harsh on a Wigan side that were organised and looked like they would draw level at any point. Chelsea's first half was what we've all come to expect at this point - although with excellent contributions from Azpilicueta (no need for the "Dave" bollocks here) and even one Fernando Torres. He may be the favourite whipping boy, but he looked lively and if it weren't for Al Habsi being on top of matters, would have scored. This all does of course mean, Benitez has blagged himself at least another week of like for like substitutions. #Fahct

Third Round of the FA Cup ... Before all the Replays Arsenal and United

When Frank went up to lift the FA Cup...
Sign him up!!

Magic of the cup... cupset ... er, insert generic footballing cliche here. Thought I’d get them all out of the way before I bang on about some of the high and lowlights from the latest edition of Budweiser’s Third Round of the FA Cup. Other poor American lagers are available. The highs, the lows, the hands .... We had it all.

Southampton v Chelsea

Chelsea scored 5 goals, 2 from the new boy in town. Sound familiar? It’s all so 2010. Demba Ba has taken his role as Sturridge’s replacement very seriously and began his Chelsea career in the exact same manner. Chelsea supporters of course will be hoping that he plays a bit better with others and learns the fine art of passing as well as poaching.

QPHa Ha Ha ... But This Time the Joke is on Chelsea

"I don't know how it happened either.
I just told them to go out and run around."

Hindsight is twenty twenty and all that, but no one needed hindsight to realise the team that the interim manager had selected was not going to be up to the task - even against bottom feeders QPR. It was remiss of said interim manager to look at QPR’s points tally only - as it wasn’t even half the picture.


The reality is Chelsea do not have the depth of squad they once possessed and do need to rotate if they are to remain competitive. Brilliant. But when you’re taking on a team that have only conceded eight goals on the road this season, it might have made some sense to consider an attacking minded lineup to get past that parked bus. Call me crazy, and I know you often do, but it seems pretty simple.

Combine that with the fact that Chelsea have a FA Cup match against a team that concedes loads of goals, and therefore could field a defensive team with some fresh faces .... And if the interim manager didn’t want to quite go that far, surely Mata or Hazard should have started while the other was rested. All thoughts and possibilities that surely would have had an outcome better than last night.

Handshakes, Gladrags and .. Batman - This Weekend in Football

The fallout from handshake gate continues ... or does it?

I can't say I was particularly looking forward to Chelsea's trip to Arsenal. Not for any concern of the result - but more for the possibility of a very flat match for my £62.

Last year the same fixture saw one of the dullest games I can recall and with both clubs coming out of Capital One cup matches and looking ahead to Champions League - this all had the stink of a gutless nil-nil game. I couldn't have had it more wrong. It's predictions like head that make my fantasy football team a dire failure year to year.

The FA and the H-word

Secrets from SoHo Square

I trust, football aside that you all enjoyed a rather pious holiday with your family, and by pious, I mean, drank as much as you could humanly consume in light of the extended bank holiday weekend.

The highs and lows of Easter weekend:

Highs:

• Chelsea legitimately beating Wigan with no offside goals at all*
• Chocolate.
• Mario Balotelli.
• Ivanovic doing a Joey Barton impression circa 2010-11.
• Lampard becoming the first midfielder to reach 150 goals.
• Liverpool’s home form. *this of course may be moved to a weekend low if you are in fact a Liverpool supporter reading this*
• Sp*rs losing to Norwich. Fun for the whole family. *not to be moved to a weekend low under any circumstances.*
• John Terry playing with broken ribs.

Lows:

• Ashley Young’s audition for <insert ‘hilarious’ diving partner’s name here>
• Standard OT red card+sending off for a dive from an offside position.
• FA’s punishment scheme: racism < a couple of red cards.
• Hangover.
• Ivanovic facing a three-match ban.
• The emails I’m about to receive about Lampard’s deflected goals (don’t forget to mention that he’s fat too).
• FA’s rejection of Derry’s red card appeal. Will now face an extra match ban for questioning a decision made at Old Trafford. 
• No one thinking they’d do Terry a solid and consider stopping Dempsey. Good one.

And as we’re all about a good list today....

There were a number of decisions required by the FA this weekend. As tricky as this normally is for them, the amount of actual information provided to them proved too much. They have resorted to the Magic Eight Ball (other balls of prediction are available) for all decision making from this point forward. In that, some decision are correct, some are wrong and some they need to ‘concentrate and ask again.’ You decide what the Magic Eight Ball got right:

• Ivanovic charged with violent conduct for a naughty punch on Maloney.
• Shaun Derry’s ban upheld for ‘knocking over Young with his musk’ via @waatpies
• Balotelli not facing an extra six matches for showing Song his new boots.
• Young. Plays for United. Absolutely no decision.

On to next weekend and now the notorious scheduling of the FA Cup semi-final. After seeing what Chelsea and Tottenham have been producing on the pitch these past few weeks its pretty safe to assume that football will more than likely -not- be the winner. After Monday’s matches against Fulham and Norwich respectively, I’m pretty sure that they are doing what they can to ensure Newcastle finishes fourth. Newcastle! Fourth! With a mere five matches to go, it’s impossible to maintain the patronizing tone of them giving it a good go and waiting for it all to go Campo-shaped. They are looking the most likely to make it happen, and supporters in London will have to hope that someone there gives it a good go.

Further to *that* date and the scheduling of the FA Cup semi-finals, I’m pretty sure that performances against City and Sp*rs should have been -some- indication that Chelsea need all the help they could get ahead of a little matter of the Champions League. But that would make sense, something the FA is very resistant to. It does of course make perfect sense to send 60 000 Chelsea and Sp*rs supporters to Wembley giving them a hefty 7 or so hours of drinking before kick-off. In no way could this turn out badly. 

***

Hypocrisy (def): wishing someone to die and / or laughing at their mother being dead when you incorrectly perceive someone to have disrespected the deaths of others.

The standard overreaction of Liverpool an unnamed club’s supporters to an Arsenal supporter’s comments was shocking even by their standards. ‘Comedian’ Alan Davies apparently has risked his own life by suggesting that their should be a discussion available for Liverpool to play on the 15^th. As an Arsenal supporter, he definitely is not holding any pro-Chelsea bias, but raised some valid points, which should have generated a reasonable discussion. Sure, he could have worded things better, but I that goes with just about anything he says. Whether you agree or disagree that the dates could be reconsidered, the number of death threats he has received since that point has been appalling. I mean, if he deserves threats, it’s for calling himself a comedian.

Good luck to everyone heading to Wembley this weekend.

In my completely biased unbiased opinion, I hope Chelsea the best team wins.

jb xx

*the truth of that may have been stretched mildly for feel good purposes.