Premiership: Chelsea 3 - 0 Manchester City
Monday, 21 August 06, 09:40 PM · Comments (12)
Match reports
The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: "The team is not yet as finely honed as Mourinho will ultimately demand. All the same, Chelsea can busk it and still produce results that are sweet music to their fans."
The Independent, Sam Wallace: "The outstanding performer was Essien, who dominated the midfield once again. Mourinho said the only problem he has his with Ghana international is trying to control his instinct to cover every blade of grass, "because then I won't have him in the areas I need him". He also promised that Essien would not be dropped after this performance."
Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: "Michael Essien, Accra's finest, earned rave reviews for dominating proceedings against Manchester City, Didier Drogba headed a magnificent goal while Andrei Shevchenko exuded everything but a finishing touch which Chelsea's coach, Jose Mourinho, insisted would come. "We just have to let the birds fly with confidence," philosophised the Special One."
The Times, Matt Dickinson: "Jose Mourinho has changed his haircut, his formation (4-4-2 yesterday) and some of his hugely expensive squad but, for all the talk of a galáctico culture enveloping Stamford Bridge in the wake of the arrival of Shevchenko and Michael Ballack, the Portuguese will fight fiercely to protect his team’s core values that rank unnecessary frills below hard graft, organisation and subservience to the manager himself."
Official Chelsea FC Website, Paul Mason: "So the end result was three goals and a clean-sheet for Carlo Cudicini that puts him second in the all-time Chelsea list for shut-outs. If this was what an under-prepared, not fully-fit Chelsea side can achieve, all looks promising for the weeks ahead."
The Herald, Karen Giles: "For those who questioned Chelsea's motivation this season and the possible negative reaction to some high profile, summer signings, early indications suggest Chelsea are as committed and united as before and possibly even stronger."
The good
- The performance. Despite a short, rushed pre-season and last weekend's so-so display in the Community Shield, not to mention the number of injured players, yesterday's performance was up to the standard we've come to expect at Stamford Bridge. Granted, Manchester City weren't the strongest opposition but you can only beat what's in front of you and the players did that with something to spare. That's now forty-five Premiership games unbeaten at the Bridge.
- Michael Essien. Was quite simply outstanding, the driving force in midfield from the first minute till the last. Got the assist for Frank Lampard's deflected goal, and had a great strike of his own saved by City's 'keeper Nicky Weaver. Showed a petulant streak when grabbing Bernardo Corradi's hair after the Italian hacked him down, but Mourinho was immediately on his case and will no doubt have had words with him post-match. Mourinho's stated that he will now find it impossible to drop Essien for Wednesday's game at the Riverside. He played the whole 90 minutes with a broken bone in his wrist too.
- Wayne Bridge. Had a very good game at left-back and looks to be regaining the form he showed prior to his career-threatening ankle injury.
- Didier Drogba's goal. Great diving header after some good work from Arjen Robben and Bridge, who put in a decent cross which the big Ivorian connected with perfectly to power the ball inside Weaver's right-hand post.
The bad
- Essien's petulance will cost the team if he's not careful. Mourinho said after the game: "It was not intelligent ... he may regret this card in a few months' time."
- If I was to be overly critical, I don't feel Shaun Wright-Phillips is doing enough to give Mourinho a selection headache once Joe Cole returns to full fitness.
Man of the Match
Michael Essien. Great during pre-season, the Ghanaian was magnificent and just seems to be getting better and better.
Final thoughts
A great start to the new campaign; ruthlessly efficient but a pleasure to watch. With a number of players set to return from injury in the coming weeks, we can justifiably feel optimistic about retaining our title.
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Yes solid performance all round from everyone with the exception of SWP, perhaps we may see a January exit, unless he improves!
Agree with Peter on Sam Wallace so called reporting, total myopic drivel, was he watching the same match as everyone else?
Re Sam Wallace. What we have to accept is that unless we win every game 5-0, playing breathless, incessant, all out attacking football, like Barcelona on crystal meth, then we will get this kind of sniping.
A slagging off of Chelsea is what most punters want to read, if the papers simply wrote 'You may as well give up now', no one would read them. TalkSport - whose presenters I fervently hope die painfully - have virtually built a radio station on the back of slagging Chelsea off.
James Lawton is another one, Alan Green yet another. These people know their stock will rise if they take a stance against Chelsea. This bumbling half wit Wallace is just the latest in a long line. Nor are his derogatory remarks anything more than run of the mill, there is far juicer stuff on the net.
It is true SWP was just not in focuse. However the whole team was just great for this time of season. Shevchenko definitely had the strong case for penalti. Showed good performance inspite of not scoring. I do agree with everybofy Essien was just outstanding.
I thought we played great against Man City but SWP was bitterly disapointing and justified being left of the england squad. Although I much prefer having english players like Lamps, J.T., J. Cole and hopefully A. Cole - SWP just isn't good enough for CFC. I hope the lad proves me wrong as he can be electric at times - there are better options for us out there.
4-4-2 was a joy to watch, always felt nervous with 4-3-3 as the wingers were so crucial. Drogba wil be great this season with Sheva and Kalou. I just hope selling Gudjohnson and loaning out Crespo don't bit us in the ass in case god-forbid either of the big guns fall silent.
I hope we win the EPl this season more then the CL. CL would be amazing but is such a lottery (i.e. those lucky Scouse FC) and Porto (under our Jose). The F.A. cup and EPL should be our main objectives for this campaign.
Also - I hope Jose does not leave us if we win the CL. I pray that he wants to do a fergie with us and manage us a for over as decade. If not - I hope we get Benetiz as his replacment.
God bless Roman
However spiriting watching yesterday's performance was, I was worried about a few things.
It's obvious that Boulahrouz is a back-up if Gallas does decide to leave this summer, which I sincerely hope won't happen, seeing as it's unlikely his replacement will be as good. I'd like to see Gallas still here when the transfer window closes and back in the first team for our home game against Charlton (or maybe even this coming Sunday against Blackburn, we'll probably need him!)
I'm also worried about how the new kids on the block like Kalou and Mikel will do when the chips are down, we need them and we're losing an important match e.g. any cup match against Liverpool. (!) Hopefully, they'll adjust to our league and style of play quickly and show us they've got what it takes. The quicker Joe Cole, Cech, Ballack and Gallas are back in the team, the safer I will feel.
i saw the chelsea game on sunday and i was impressed with a such lack of options chelsea seemed organised and played some good football.
I thought SWP was poor, i mean i have seen a decent game from him seriously. He seems only interested in proving his worth by taking on defenders but always fails. If you look at shevchenko he rarely looked eager to score rahter he came deep and made decent passes.
i think if swp plays for the team rather then for himself, he would have a better chance in getting the chelsea first team.
After watching essein play can there be a future for makalele in the chelsea holding role position essein was outstanding in the charity shield and he was outstanding again in the game against man city.
Also i was impressed with robeen who was involved in all three goals, and looks like his old self. question is when j cole, ballack, makelele are back how is our midfield gonna look like.
i expect mourinho to line up a 433 formation with:
---------------Essein
--------Lampard ---- Ballack
Cole-------------------------------Robben
----------------Sheva
mourinho has mentioned chelsea will play a more attacking style of football, well i still feel this is the case with the 433 formation above. Last season maka and essein played a holding role and lampard was given the free role to attack. This season mourinho will allow lampard and ballack the free role to attack leaving essein to cover every blade of grass.
12 Comments · Add yours
Very solid performance yesterday. Thought everyone did well with the exception of SWP who kept losing the ball and running into people.
Carvalho, Terry, Essien and Lampard were all outstanding.
The third goal was fantastic - feel slightly mifffed that none of the press mentioned the 17 passes in the build up.
The Drog might be more useful with Shevchenko along side him as it takes the pressure off somewhat. I really (along with the rest of the Bridge) wanted Sheva to score. His all round play was superb.
Was very peculiar visually to see Chelsea line up in a flat 4-4-2.
Nothing much more to be said, bar the usual sniping at the media - check out Sam Wallace's drivel in the Independent: 'Chelsea's second goal was a rare piece of artful passing...' er, what about the third goal for starters.
'lampard looked back to himself without ballack alongside'. er, how many games have ballack and lampard played together? less than half (unless wallace watched the friendlies, which seems doutbful).
plus, all we're going to do is knock long balls for shev to chase. yes sam, that's how we won the league back-to-back, by knocking the ball into corners and hoping for the best... Why do they even bother going to matches if all they're going to churn it out is dross like this?