Chelsea’s stalling tactics frustrate Liverpool
JOSE MOURINHO HELD back some of his first-choice team from starting at Anfield but included the likes of Andrea Schurrle, Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta. Mourinho knew he needed to stem the Reds’ flow in the first-half to have any hope of claiming an away win.
Liverpool have scored 58 first-half goals this season but could not add to that as Chelsea slowed down play as much as possible. Throw-ins and goal-kicks were pondered by Chelsea players and three of their players lay on the pitch with minor injury niggles in the opening 45.
With Chelsea needing the win, it may have seemed like a strange tactic but Mourinho knew his side would get a chance, or two, on the break and backed his players to make it count.
Steven Gerrard’s one-man mission, to right a wrong, fails
Having coined his team’s quest for the Premier League title with the ‘We go again’ mantra, Steven Gerrard was forced, on 44 minutes, to pick himself off the turf and dust himself down.
Having failed to read a simple pass from his teammate, Sakho, Gerrard slipped. It left Demba Ba with the task of racing 40 yards up the pitch and nutmegging Simon Mignolet.
Gerrard attempted to make up for his error by pinging shots at Mark Schwarzer from every conceivable angle and distance. Four shots from between 20 and 30 yards were comfortably caught by the Australian, two went wide and a bullet header was well saved. In trying to make up for his mistake, however, Gerrard put the blinkers on and failed to spot good runs, and positions, of teammates. It was a day to forget.
Chelsea are not out of it yet
Jose Mourinho’s badge-thumping reaction to Willian’s goal was pretty impressive for a man who was so sick [man-flu] that he travelled separately from his squad. He was forced to play a weakened team thanks to injuries, suspensions and the upcoming Champions League semi final second leg with Atletico Madrid.
And yet, his team went out onto the Anfield pitch and played to their coach’s instructions. Demba Ba was a nuisance up front, Andrea Schurrle was fantastic at relieving pressure and keeping Liverpool on their toes and 20-year-old debutant Tamas Kalas looked solid in the heart of defence.
Chelsea are still the trailing nag in a three-horse race but, with Liverpool away to Crystal Palace and Man City away to Everton, the Londoners may yet pip their rivals to the post.
Yaya Toure returns at just the right time
Well, okay, the right time would have been the Sunderland game that Man City drew but Manuel Pellegrini must have felt fantastic as he handed in a team-sheet with the Ivorian’s name on it.
Toure picked up right where he left off, before he hobbled out of the Liverpool game, and ran the show for City. He picked out Edin Dzeko with a nicely whipped cross, as the City got up and running after only three minutes. Then, with Crystal Palace pressing for an equaliser before the break, he embarked on a mazy run, ghosted past several players, exchanged passes with Samir Nasri and curled in a delightful goal.
Toure’s return will give City fans an even greater sense of hope as they target three wins from their final three matches, including a visit to Everton.
Miracles keep happening for Gus Poyet
Sunderland have came back from five and a half feet under and, courtesy of a 4-0 win over Cardiff, have climbed out of the relegation zone. Following a win over Chelsea and a draw against City, the Black Cats set up a relegation six-pointer with the Welsh outfit. They tore into Cardiff from the off and were rewarded when Connor Wickham opened the scoring.
The game was effectively over when Juan Cala was sent off and Fabio Borini slotted home the penalty. Emanuele Giaccherini and Wickham — a player recalled from a languishing loan deal in the Championship — rounded out the scoring. Sunderland next play Manchester United at Old Trafford before playing West Brom and Swansea at home. A miracle escape is most definitely on the cards.
