RSS
ATOM
advertisement
Player Ratings: Chelsea 2-0 Stoke City
Lampard and Terry lead Blues on to another Wembley semi-final...
| Bet: | Returns: | Stoke City £27.00 | Draw £32.00 | Valencia £24.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Stoke City £28.80 | Draw £32.00 | Valencia £25.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Stoke City £30.00 | Draw £32.50 | Valencia £24.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Stoke City £28.00 | Draw £32.50 | Valencia £25.00 |
|
| Bet: | Returns: | Stoke City £27.00 | Draw £32.00 | Valencia £24.00 |
|
Mar 7, 2010 5:56:00 PM
By Alex Dimond
CHELSEA
Henrique Hilario - 6 - Nervous start from the newly-capped Portuguese international, understandable after his showing against Manchester City last weekend. Communication was occasionally poor but he made a few good punches and respectable saves in a sound defensive display.
Branislav Ivanovic - 6.5 - Gave his side width and good delivery from the right. Throw-in technique isn't quite the equal of Delap's, but gave the Englishman a good challenge, much to the delight of the crowd.
Alex - 8 - Showed great awareness of defensive dangers and made a number of important tackles and interceptions throughout the game. Relished the aerial challenges thrown at him and almost always came out on top. Very impressive.
John Terry - 7 - Dealt well with Delap's throw-ins, and an assist and goal to his credit must mean this goes down as a good afternoon for the under-fire captain. Still had a couple of nervy moments that underlined the fact he is still not quite at his best.
Paulo Ferreira - 6.5 - Understandably lacked the attacking incision of Ashley Cole or Yury Zhirkov, but nevertheless provided some decent crosses on his weaker foot. No frills, competent defensive display.
John Obi Mikel - 6.5 - Seems unsatisfied unless he has committed two or three pointless fouls in a match. Succeeded on that front today, but made one outstanding early goal-line clearance that really helped his side.
Frank Lampard - 7.5 - Was quiet in attack until his goal, a beautifully hit strike that deflected in via Faye. Had control of things in midfield from that point on.
Florent Malouda - 6.5 - Showed good trickery and attacking intent throughout, generally operating in a more central role than he has done in recent weeks.
Salomon Kalou - 6 - Showed poor positioning and awareness at times, but caused problems for his opponents at times without every making a really telling contribution.
Nicolas Anelka - 7 - Lively from the start, the Frenchman looked intent on ending what is becoming something of a goalscoring drought. Didn't succeed on that front, but that was through bad luck as much as judgement.
Didier Drogba - 6 - Didn't get the better of Huth as might have been expected. Went down on a number of occasions in the first half, a worrying sign for Blues fans. Was a nuisance without ever being particularly dangerous.
STOKE CITY
Thomas Sorensen - 6.5 - Made one good early save from Anelka, and denied Lampard with a good long range effort. Was unlucky for both goals as they came with the aid of late deflections, but was far from a stellar performance.
Andy Wilkinson - 6.5 - Made two vital goal-line deflections to deny Anelka and Alex in quick succession, but then nodded Terry's header over the helpless Sorensen for the decisive second goal. A mixed bag of an afternoon.
Abdoulaye Faye - 6 - Technically embarrassing at times, he had some good moments defensively and won a number of Delap throw-ins in the opposition box. Deflected Lampard's shot for the opening goal, and was turned inside out on a few occasions by the Chelsea attackers.
Robert Huth - 7.5 - Seemed to get the better of Drogba in an intriguing physical tussle. The former Chelsea man was uncompromising in the air in what was a generally impressive performance.
Danny Collins - 6.5 - Helped organise his side's early defensive resistance, but struggled to prevent Ivanovic, Anelka and Kalou causing him problems on different occasions.
Rory Delap - 6.5 - Throw-ins were, predictably, Stoke's most dangerous attacking option. Unfortunately at times his play with the ball at his feet didn't always live up to those high standards.
Dean Whitehead - 7 - Was robbed by Anelka early on for a chance that he was lucky to see go wide. Otherwise showed some good defensive awareness, and showed the most attacking intent of his fellow midfielders. Solid.
Glenn Whelan - 5.5 - Showed some diligence defensively, but was fairly anonymous throughout and an injury forced his substitution just before half-time.
Sanli Tuncay - 5 - Nothing really came off for the Turkish forward today, with an awful free-kick the highlight on a torrid afternoon. Unsurprisingly was withdrawn by his manager on the hour.
Mamady Sidibe - 6 - Won his fair share of balls in the air, something that no-doubt was key to Stoke's pre-match plan. But seemed unable to find his team-mates with his headers and was also removed from play around the hour mark.
Ricardo Fuller - 6 - Silent throughout, the Jamaican really didn't have a lot of service to work with. Never looked like scoring until he forced a smart late save from Hilario.
Substitutes
Danny Pugh - 6 - Early substitute for injured Whelan. Showed poor awareness at times with a number of silly passes, but got in good positions at times.
Liam Lawrence - 6.5 - Gave his side an injection of purpose in midfield, but that wasn't enough to spark a real response.
Dave Kitson - 6 - Suffered the same problems of the other Stoke attackers — a lack of service.
Henrique Hilario - 6 - Nervous start from the newly-capped Portuguese international, understandable after his showing against Manchester City last weekend. Communication was occasionally poor but he made a few good punches and respectable saves in a sound defensive display.
Branislav Ivanovic - 6.5 - Gave his side width and good delivery from the right. Throw-in technique isn't quite the equal of Delap's, but gave the Englishman a good challenge, much to the delight of the crowd.
Alex - 8 - Showed great awareness of defensive dangers and made a number of important tackles and interceptions throughout the game. Relished the aerial challenges thrown at him and almost always came out on top. Very impressive.
John Terry - 7 - Dealt well with Delap's throw-ins, and an assist and goal to his credit must mean this goes down as a good afternoon for the under-fire captain. Still had a couple of nervy moments that underlined the fact he is still not quite at his best.
Paulo Ferreira - 6.5 - Understandably lacked the attacking incision of Ashley Cole or Yury Zhirkov, but nevertheless provided some decent crosses on his weaker foot. No frills, competent defensive display.
John Obi Mikel - 6.5 - Seems unsatisfied unless he has committed two or three pointless fouls in a match. Succeeded on that front today, but made one outstanding early goal-line clearance that really helped his side.
Frank Lampard - 7.5 - Was quiet in attack until his goal, a beautifully hit strike that deflected in via Faye. Had control of things in midfield from that point on.
Florent Malouda - 6.5 - Showed good trickery and attacking intent throughout, generally operating in a more central role than he has done in recent weeks.
Salomon Kalou - 6 - Showed poor positioning and awareness at times, but caused problems for his opponents at times without every making a really telling contribution.
Nicolas Anelka - 7 - Lively from the start, the Frenchman looked intent on ending what is becoming something of a goalscoring drought. Didn't succeed on that front, but that was through bad luck as much as judgement.
Didier Drogba - 6 - Didn't get the better of Huth as might have been expected. Went down on a number of occasions in the first half, a worrying sign for Blues fans. Was a nuisance without ever being particularly dangerous.
STOKE CITY
Thomas Sorensen - 6.5 - Made one good early save from Anelka, and denied Lampard with a good long range effort. Was unlucky for both goals as they came with the aid of late deflections, but was far from a stellar performance.
Andy Wilkinson - 6.5 - Made two vital goal-line deflections to deny Anelka and Alex in quick succession, but then nodded Terry's header over the helpless Sorensen for the decisive second goal. A mixed bag of an afternoon.
Abdoulaye Faye - 6 - Technically embarrassing at times, he had some good moments defensively and won a number of Delap throw-ins in the opposition box. Deflected Lampard's shot for the opening goal, and was turned inside out on a few occasions by the Chelsea attackers.
Robert Huth - 7.5 - Seemed to get the better of Drogba in an intriguing physical tussle. The former Chelsea man was uncompromising in the air in what was a generally impressive performance.
Danny Collins - 6.5 - Helped organise his side's early defensive resistance, but struggled to prevent Ivanovic, Anelka and Kalou causing him problems on different occasions.
Rory Delap - 6.5 - Throw-ins were, predictably, Stoke's most dangerous attacking option. Unfortunately at times his play with the ball at his feet didn't always live up to those high standards.
Dean Whitehead - 7 - Was robbed by Anelka early on for a chance that he was lucky to see go wide. Otherwise showed some good defensive awareness, and showed the most attacking intent of his fellow midfielders. Solid.
Glenn Whelan - 5.5 - Showed some diligence defensively, but was fairly anonymous throughout and an injury forced his substitution just before half-time.
Sanli Tuncay - 5 - Nothing really came off for the Turkish forward today, with an awful free-kick the highlight on a torrid afternoon. Unsurprisingly was withdrawn by his manager on the hour.
Mamady Sidibe - 6 - Won his fair share of balls in the air, something that no-doubt was key to Stoke's pre-match plan. But seemed unable to find his team-mates with his headers and was also removed from play around the hour mark.
Ricardo Fuller - 6 - Silent throughout, the Jamaican really didn't have a lot of service to work with. Never looked like scoring until he forced a smart late save from Hilario.
Substitutes
Danny Pugh - 6 - Early substitute for injured Whelan. Showed poor awareness at times with a number of silly passes, but got in good positions at times.
Liam Lawrence - 6.5 - Gave his side an injection of purpose in midfield, but that wasn't enough to spark a real response.
Dave Kitson - 6 - Suffered the same problems of the other Stoke attackers — a lack of service.
| Sign up with 188BET for a FREE bet up to £25 – Great Prices, Every Game |
|
| Open an account with Sportingbet today and get up to £100 in free bets! |
|
| Sign up with William Hill for a free bet up to £25 |
|
| Sign up with bet365 for a free bet up to £200 |
|
| Sign up with Paddy Power for a free bet up to £50 |
|
Thank you for your comment!
Please enter your name
Please enter your location
Please share your comment!
50 Comments
Advertisement
Live!
Champions League LIVE!
Join Goal.com for all the Champions League action as we bring you the latest team news, press conferences and analysis. Contact us on Twitter @goal_intl with any questions...
Hosted by Stephen Crawford & Adam Scime
Hosted by Stephen Crawford & Adam Scime
2/15/12
And with that, we're going to call it a night, folks.
We've had two tremendous matches today, so lets hope the intensity keeps up in the next clashes!
Until next time, this is LIVE commentator Stephen Crawford signing off.
From everyone here at Goal.com, thanks for joining us!
We've had two tremendous matches today, so lets hope the intensity keeps up in the next clashes!
Until next time, this is LIVE commentator Stephen Crawford signing off.
From everyone here at Goal.com, thanks for joining us!
2/15/12
All this focus on the Arsenal and Milan game should not take away from another cracker earlier tonight between Zenit and Benfica. The Russians came from a goal down to lead 2-1 in the closing minutes before Oscar Cardozo levelled things for Benfica, but it wasn't over there as Roman Shirokov won the game for Zenit in the 88th minute.
Here's the thoughts of Benfica coach Jorge Jesus, who felt his side deserved a point from the game.
Here's the thoughts of Benfica coach Jorge Jesus, who felt his side deserved a point from the game.
2/15/12
Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny bemoaned his side's luck tonight but refused to give up. Here's some of his quotes:
"They were the better team on the night and that's the story of the day.
"We have to keep fighting, pick ourselves up, get the confidence back and challenge in the other competitions and in the second leg of this tie too.
"They punished us on every occasion; they scored some quality goals and they deserved to win."
Full story HERE
"They were the better team on the night and that's the story of the day.
"We have to keep fighting, pick ourselves up, get the confidence back and challenge in the other competitions and in the second leg of this tie too.
"They punished us on every occasion; they scored some quality goals and they deserved to win."
Full story HERE
2/15/12
Another Milan player who was willing to share his thoughts after the match was Mark van Bommel, who has urged caution ahead of the second leg in London.
“The score made it look like it was an easy game, but it certainly wasn't.
(Strange... it looked pretty easy from where I was sitting, but hey.)
“I do not think it's over yet. I remember a clash between Milan and Deportivo la Coruna when Milan was also ahead by four goals, and in the end Deportivo eliminated Milan.
“I went into the Arsenal dressing room after the match to speak to Robin van Persie. I had agreed with him to swap shirts – my sons are big fans of his and he brought two for them. They will be delighted.
Van Bommel went on to talk about a possible move to PSV in the future, but was quick to point out his terms for the move.
“I've spoken with PSV, but we don't have an agreement yet. The club has to decide what they want.
“If Louis van Gaal turns out to be the new coach, I won't go.”
“The score made it look like it was an easy game, but it certainly wasn't.
(Strange... it looked pretty easy from where I was sitting, but hey.)
“I do not think it's over yet. I remember a clash between Milan and Deportivo la Coruna when Milan was also ahead by four goals, and in the end Deportivo eliminated Milan.
“I went into the Arsenal dressing room after the match to speak to Robin van Persie. I had agreed with him to swap shirts – my sons are big fans of his and he brought two for them. They will be delighted.
Van Bommel went on to talk about a possible move to PSV in the future, but was quick to point out his terms for the move.
“I've spoken with PSV, but we don't have an agreement yet. The club has to decide what they want.
“If Louis van Gaal turns out to be the new coach, I won't go.”
2/15/12
Next up is the Milan maestro Clarence Seedorf. He only managed 12 minutes on the pitch, but watching from the sidelines he was delighted at how his team mates had dominated the game.
"Tonight everything went in the right direction and we did a very good match. You don't start a match thinking to win 4-0, but at the end i think we deserved it coz we played very well."
"Tonight everything went in the right direction and we did a very good match. You don't start a match thinking to win 4-0, but at the end i think we deserved it coz we played very well."
Inside Goal.Com
-
Champions League Player Ratings: AC Milan 4-0 Arsenal
Goals from Kevin-Prince Boateng, Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic handed the Italian side a victory that all but seals their progression to the next round of the competition
-
Champions League Player Ratings: Zenit 3-2 Benfica
Goal.com casts a studious eye over the performers at the Petrovsky Stadium as a late goal settles a thriller in the Russian's favour and sets up enthralling second leg
-
Serie A Player Ratings: Parma 0-0 Juventus
The Bianconeri missed a great chance to go back to the top of Serie A, but they caused the home side plenty of problems thanks mainly to Andrea Pirlo
-
Messi breaks Champions League knockout record
The Argentine, still only 24, is level with current record holders Raul and Andriy Shevchenko, but can surpass the two European greats with a solitary strike at Leverkusen tonight
-
Should 'Vanishing Spray' be introduced globally?
The spray, which has been designed to stop defensive walls from encroaching closer than 10 yards to the ball at free-kicks, is set to be discussed at next month's IFAB meeting
Advertisement
Advertisement
