Chelsea not so indestructible as chasing pack given hope
It was the opening those in hot pursuit were desperate for and a result very few would have predicted but Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat at St. James’ Park has just breathed new life into a title race many felt was being contested by just the one horse.
That one horse blundered their first hurdle as Papiss Cisse scored twice to continue Newcastle’s incredible revival. For Chelsea, talk of going through the season unbeaten has been binned and, if truth be told, it could benefit Jose Mourinho’s side.
Of course they would have loved to negate the season unscathed but by trying to match the Invincibles’ peerless achievement, there was that added distraction. Now, they can just focus on winning the title and not the sideshow of going unbeaten.
Chelsea are still the clear favourites to win the title come May but this blip offers the chasing pack a glimmer of hope. It was interesting to hear Mourinho say afterwards that the ‘best team lost’.
Newcastle’s tactics were hardly surprising given they were playing the runaway league leaders. Does Mourinho expect teams to go hell for leather against the Blues by throwing bodies forward and leaving themselves vulnerable at the back for Hazard, Fabgreas, Costa et al to pick them apart at will? No teams are going to outplay Chelsea but Alan Pardew’s side defended resolutely, played with tenacity and took their chances when they arrived.
Mourinho has to accept Chelsea are not untouchable because teams will learn from today and while the majority won’t succeed, we now know the Blues are far from invincible.
The final straw for Wenger
Last week, a section of the Arsenal support at the Hawthorns unfurled a banner lambasting Arsene Wenger. Their actions were largely overshadowed by a Gunners win but they would be fully justified to let their feelings known after Arsenal’s reversal at Stoke this afternoon.
A second-half comeback may have added some gloss to the scoreboard but this was an ignominious defeat for the Gunners at a ground where they have historically struggled – not to this extent, however.
This was a performance that emphasised the enduring problems that have beset Arsenal for years. It was an abject, pathetic and downright shameful display by players who are paid inordinate amounts of money.
The tone was set after just 19 seconds and while it’s always difficult to recover from such an early blow, the ease at which Stoke bullied the visitors was remarkable: it was men against boys.
If the defending left a lot to be desired for Peter Crouch’s opener then what was to follow must have infuriated Arsenal fans. While Bojan’s goal had a touch of class about it, Jon Walters’ goal just before the break was far too easy and predictable.
Indeed, Wenger has had to contend with a litany of injuries but his pure ignorance not to recruit a centre-back – or two – during the summer is now coming back to haunt him. It doesn’t matter how good you are going forward, a leaky, makeshift defence will always be exposed and undermine all the good work at the other end.
Wenger, once more, attempted to cover-up another feeble display by putting the blame on referee Anthony Taylor. There can be no more excuses for Wenger, there is no hiding place anymore.
Calum Chambers’ dismissal capped off another miserable and embarrassing afternoon for Arsenal and Wenger. How many more will it take for him, or indeed the board, to realise his departure would be a step in the right direction for the North London club.
Rodgers’ decision to rest Gerrard backfires
The brouhaha surrounding Brendan Rodgers’ decision to rest Steven Gerrard on the 16th anniversary of his Liverpool debut last week was inevitable. His move was ultimately justified as the Reds beat Stoke (just) and then recorded a vital away win at Leicester midweek, inspired by a refreshed Gerrard.
But, with Basel on the horizon, did Rodgers take it too far by benching the Liverpool skipper again today? The win at Leicester only highlighted Gerrard’s enduring worth and influence so to leave him on the bench for a game against a tactically sound Sunderland side was a risk. It didn’t pay off.
In Gerrard’s absence, the hosts laboured and were disjointed during a first period which saw the Black Cats enjoy the better of possession. Wes Brown headed over from close range on the brink of the interval and the game continued in the same vein thereafter, although Liverpool, underpinned by Raheem Sterling, did pose more of a threat attacking the Kop.
It wasn’t until the introduction of 34-year-old Gerrard that Anfield came to life and Liverpool looked likely to penetrate a Sunderland defence that had shipped four goals midweek.
For their part, Gus Poyet’s side must be applauded. They came to Merseyside with a game plan and executed it to perfection. If anything, the Black Cats might have left feeling as if they should have got more. While they were defensively rigid, they also showed no lack of willingness to throw bodies forward. They fired blanks on this occasion, a problem that continues to plague Liverpool.
Home comforts for QPR but Spurs’ White Hart Lane struggles continue
Has any side been such a vastly contrasting proposition then QPR are at home compared to when they play away? Harry Redknapp’s side, by virtue of today’s win over Burnley, have jumped outside the drop zone. Next week, they’re likely to drop back inside the red. The reason? Because they play away.
At Loftus Road, the R’s have won four games and are sixth in the Premier League home standings. It’s a different story away from West London, however: played seven, lost seven is their record. But if they can continue to make Loftus Road a hostile ground for visiting teams to come to then they have a good chance of staying afloat.
Tottenham, meanwhile, continue to struggle at home. Today’s stalemate with Crystal Palace comes on the back of a heavy defeat to Chelsea during the week and after an encouraging win over Everton, it is a case of one step forward, two steps back for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Incredibly, Spurs have won just three out of their eight matches at White Hart Lane and are floundering in tenth position without a sense of direction or purpose. The manager hasn’t shied away from criticising his own players, today lamenting their ‘lack of freshness’.
Aguero injury overshadows City win
Whilst Manchester City closed the gap at the summit to three points, much of the talk around the Ethiad was regarding the fitness of striker Sergio Aguero. The Premier League’s top scorer has been in imperious form of late but limped off, in tears, after just a couple of minutes of City’s unconvincing 1-0 win over Everton.
As soon as he collapsed to the turf, clearly in pain, it didn’t look good for the Argentinian. It remains to be see what the extent of the damage is but regardless of the length of his absence, it will be felt by City.
With the busy festive period on the horizon, Manuel Pellegrini would have targeted the next few weeks as a pivotal juncture in City’s quest to defend their title while this week’s do-or-die Champions League game in Rome could shape the rest of their campaign.
To be without Aguero would be a massive dent in their ambitions and chances of defying the odds and progressing to the knock-out stages in Europe. They have the firepower to cope but Jovetic or Dzeko don’t quite have the same presence or goal scoring prowess as Aguero – not many strikers do.
His absence wasn’t felt against the Toffees but it’s difficult to envisage City not suffering if Aguero is sidelined for any period of time. They will await the news of his injury with bated breath.
For Everton, it’s another defeat as their indifferent form continues. They were probably unfortunate not to get a point for their efforts in the late kick-off and many will feel the penalty awarded against Phil Jagielka was a tad harsh but it’s now three games without a win for Roberto Martinez’s side.
Originally published 20.03
