Chelsea defensive wall holds strong
Blues move within five points of title after draw
George graham, from his perch in the stand, would in his own way have loved it. Not seeing arsenal fail to overcome Chelsea, of course. Just the manner i n which t he opponents executed their game-plan.
Chelsea didn’t need to win here. They just didn’t want to lose. So, after half-time, Jose mourinho threw a big blue blanket over the action in the way that graham did, on occasions, in his time at arsenal. Some of those players were still living off those lessons years later, when arsene Wenger won the Double with them.
Until mourinho gave the order to shut it down, the match had been highly entertaining. a few chances at either end, the standard smattering of vain penalty appeals. everyone ticked off with referee michael oliver, both t eams looking capable of victory.
But that l eaves matters to chance and mourinho is no longer in chance-giving mode. So he sent on Didier Drogba for oscar — who had played 30 minutes despite a blow to the head and was said to have concussion — and even with this attacking presence, the fun was over.
Wenger is still without a win over mourinho in 13 meetings. Chelsea kept possession, held arsenal at arm’s l ength and defended brilliantly, particularly captain John Terry, whose exclusion from the six- man shortlist for PFA Player of the Year looks more r i diculous with each match Chelsea close down on the way to the inevitable.
The home crowd enjoyed a few robust choruses of ‘Boring, boring Chelsea’ at the end but the champions- elect were too busy celebrating to notice.
The bottom line is this: all the teams that complain about the way Chelsea are playing had their chance to stop it and did not.
No doubt when graham looks at Terry he sees an echo of his own man, Tony adams — the last leader of similar authority in the english game. Terry epitomised Chelsea’s spirit yesterday and not just when sweeping up effortlessly as mesut ozil stood over a clear shot at goal.
he was magnificent. marshalling, filling in, standing tall, staying strong. For all of eden hazard’s qualities, the second phase of this campaign has been built from the back and arsenal never convinced as an attacking force. mourinho said this was Terry’s best game for him. high praise indeed.
In an echo of last week’s win over manchester United, Chelsea often conceded possession to arsenal while preventing them doing much worthwhile with it. a r are exception came when Willian caught Laurent Koscielny with a high boot. Thibaut Courtois for once came up short, patting at the free-kick which fell to Per mertesacker. he showed why he is a centre-half, hitting his shot wide.
The first half was marked by a series of penalty claims and Chelsea’s, i n particular, were strange ones. Both times they had a case, but instinct suggested oliver got them right.
In the 15th minute, a lovely through pass by Cesc Fabregas put oscar clear. he outpaced arsenal’s back line and deftly chipped goalkeeper David ospina. as the ball made its way to the goal, the Colombian’s rush took him into oscar at full force.
Yet ospina got away with it, and arsenal, too, as hector Bellerin cleared off the line.
The next appeal had merit, too, of sorts. Without doubt, Santi Cazorla’s outstretched leg was a mistake and his efforts to retract it may not have been successful. equally, Fabregas sought to establish greater contact, jerking out his left leg to deliberately catch Cazorla and accentuate the i mpression of a trip. oliver’s yellow card for simulation seemed reasonable in the circumstances.
arsenal were aggrieved after 34 minutes but, again, to play on seemed the fairest decision. It was a neat move, alexis Sanchez picking out Bellerin on the right, his cross being met with a low shot from Cazorla. The ball struck gary Cahill’s leg as he lunged full-length to block, flipping up to strike him plainly on an arm. Yet Cahill’s arm was not in an unnatural position and he could do little about the trajectory of the ball. outrage followed when oliver didn’t bite, but it was misplaced.
It would be wrong, however, to view the first half merely as a succession of moans and grudges. This was, initially, a fast, highly skilled game between teams who are expected to contend for the title next season.
There will be the usual bus- parking guff after this, of course, as there always is when Chelsea tough it out. The fact is, however, no team goes 10 points clear just by shutting games down. They go 10 clear by being the best attacking team, and then defending that lead.
Chelsea have shown control over both facets of the game and that isn’t easy. ask george graham.