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Chelsea Comment: Did the Premier League title dream just slip out of Blues' grasp?
Title challenge fades as Diouf exposes lack of a killer instinct...
21 Mar 2010 18:53:00
By Alex Dimond
In the same week as Chelsea’s Champions League ambitions went up in smoke, Blackburn Rovers' late equaliser sent the sparks flying around the Blues' diminishing Premier League title challenge.
If Chelsea had been outplayed in midweek — put to the sword by Jose Mourinho’s masterplan and a sub-par performance in response — then they had the chance to make immediate amends on Sunday, following rivals Manchester United’s win earlier in the afternoon with three points of their own.
The accusations from the media after that midweek catastrophe — that Chelsea were too soft, too reliant on Didier Drogba, lack a killer instinct and need an overhaul — could have been put to rest with a win on Sunday, until the next big game at least.
And, after going ahead inside six minutes, that looked like being the case after Didier Drogba notched his 28th goal of the season with a straightforward finish after Nicolas Anelka's incisive run.
But then, for the second time in five days, it all fell apart as Chelsea showed a real lack of a cutting edge after going ahead, failing to really test Rovers goalkeeper Jason Brown and never looking like scoring the second that would have effectively killed off the game.
Instead, Chelsea sat back slightly, subtly giving Blackburn a chance to get back into the game. Only when El-Hadji Diouf finally took advantage of a decent cross from Michel Salgado to grab an equaliser that didn’t always look like coming, did the visiting players realise the mistake they had made.
From that point on it was all Chelsea, as they determinedly prodded and probed for that second goal they should have long since scored. Instead, the final whistle came too soon, and the Blues were once again made to rue their lack of a killer instinct.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side now sit third in the table, with their destiny close to slipping out of their own control. With Arsenal enjoying an easier run-in and Manchester United still to host the Blues at Old Trafford, it is hard to see how a team that have shown such questionable big-game mentality this week alone can go on to lift the title.
“It is a difficult moment. We don’t have to lose our confidence. We are again in the third position, we have to run more but we don’t have to lose our confidence,” a clearly disappointed Carlo Ancelotti said after the game.
“We needed to win the game, we didn’t do this and it is more difficult now.
“It is more difficult now, but we still have a lot of chance to arrive in first place.”
Where does a trip to Ewood Park appear on a list of least-desirable games to follow a disappointing midweek defeat in Europe? Outside of a game against another member of the 'Big Four', it must rank very near the top — particularly as the Blues have a recent memory of losing there this season (in the Carling Cup, on penalties, late last year).
But that shouldn’t be an excuse for today’s dropped points, especially as Blackburn were shorn of as many, if not more, first-team players as the title challengers they hosted.
At the end of the game, the reaction of the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard underlined how important the players knew this game was, and how just one point from the three on offer has now made life a lot harder.
Having been Premier League front-runners for almost the entire campaign, Chelsea now find themselves playing catch-up — with their title dream growing ever more unlikely.
And they only have themselves to blame.
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If Chelsea had been outplayed in midweek — put to the sword by Jose Mourinho’s masterplan and a sub-par performance in response — then they had the chance to make immediate amends on Sunday, following rivals Manchester United’s win earlier in the afternoon with three points of their own.
The accusations from the media after that midweek catastrophe — that Chelsea were too soft, too reliant on Didier Drogba, lack a killer instinct and need an overhaul — could have been put to rest with a win on Sunday, until the next big game at least.
And, after going ahead inside six minutes, that looked like being the case after Didier Drogba notched his 28th goal of the season with a straightforward finish after Nicolas Anelka's incisive run.
But then, for the second time in five days, it all fell apart as Chelsea showed a real lack of a cutting edge after going ahead, failing to really test Rovers goalkeeper Jason Brown and never looking like scoring the second that would have effectively killed off the game.
Instead, Chelsea sat back slightly, subtly giving Blackburn a chance to get back into the game. Only when El-Hadji Diouf finally took advantage of a decent cross from Michel Salgado to grab an equaliser that didn’t always look like coming, did the visiting players realise the mistake they had made.
From that point on it was all Chelsea, as they determinedly prodded and probed for that second goal they should have long since scored. Instead, the final whistle came too soon, and the Blues were once again made to rue their lack of a killer instinct.
Carlo Ancelotti’s side now sit third in the table, with their destiny close to slipping out of their own control. With Arsenal enjoying an easier run-in and Manchester United still to host the Blues at Old Trafford, it is hard to see how a team that have shown such questionable big-game mentality this week alone can go on to lift the title.
“It is a difficult moment. We don’t have to lose our confidence. We are again in the third position, we have to run more but we don’t have to lose our confidence,” a clearly disappointed Carlo Ancelotti said after the game.
“We needed to win the game, we didn’t do this and it is more difficult now.
“It is more difficult now, but we still have a lot of chance to arrive in first place.”
Where does a trip to Ewood Park appear on a list of least-desirable games to follow a disappointing midweek defeat in Europe? Outside of a game against another member of the 'Big Four', it must rank very near the top — particularly as the Blues have a recent memory of losing there this season (in the Carling Cup, on penalties, late last year).
But that shouldn’t be an excuse for today’s dropped points, especially as Blackburn were shorn of as many, if not more, first-team players as the title challengers they hosted.
At the end of the game, the reaction of the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard underlined how important the players knew this game was, and how just one point from the three on offer has now made life a lot harder.
Having been Premier League front-runners for almost the entire campaign, Chelsea now find themselves playing catch-up — with their title dream growing ever more unlikely.
And they only have themselves to blame.
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Goal.com Poll
Poll runs from 22 Mar 2010 to 26 Mar 2010
Poll runs from 22 Mar 2010 to 26 Mar 2010
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