Yes, Chelsea produced yet another defensive masterclass in a big, big game against the Gunners yesterday. No, it wasn’t pretty, but it was mightily effective. More on that later, but hold our hand as we walk you through the weekend that was. Don’t be shy.
Premier League
The weekend saw three more huge games, with implications for the top, kind-of-top and bottom of the Premier League.
First, Man City took on Aston Villa and scraped their way past, to claim what could be a crucial three points. Of course, the performance was at times as convincing as a Manchester United offside trap but, unlike that example, it got the job done.
City were grateful for the mother, father, uncle and distant cousin of goalkeeper errors from Brad Guzan, but didn’t take full advantage until Aleksander Kolarov’s brilliant free-kick. Back came Villa, displaying all the fight, perseverance, battling qualities and other clichés that Tim Sherwood loves saying. Even Tom Cleverley got on the score sheet, and it looked like being enough for a point, until Fernandinho’s late, late intervention.
Then we had a very strange game at Goodison Park. With both Everton and Man United in excellent form, it was expected to be a tight, tense encounter. It would have been just that, had United had as much accuracy shooting at goal as they had shooting at their own foot. Three times, they made defensive errors, three times they were punished by the hosts.
For United, the Champions League ‘Rat Race’ goes on, in spite of their best efforts to pour rat poison all over it. For Everton, they are now flying, and unbeaten in five games. As is often the case with manager Roberto Martinez; once the clocks go forwards, so do his team’s seasons.
And then we come to what was meant to be the game of the day; a key clash between the two best teams in the country. Of course, it wasn’t a bad game, but Jose Mourinho is the master of these games. It was almost as if the whole match was played out as if Chelsea were defending a lead in stoppage time; defend deep, defend well, and attack on the break.
The Arsenal fans were not impressed, as cries of ‘Boring, boring Chelsea’ rang out around the Emirates. The Chelsea fans or players won’t mind – the victory parade they’ll be having in a few weeks is likely to be anything but boring. As for the managers, this now means that Jose Mourinho hasn’t lost any of his 13 games against Arsene Wenger, and has not conceded a goal against him in his last four clashes…they have scored eight. Boring? Hmm…
The Championship
And so, after a season with twists, turns, thrills and spills, the major issues from this year’s promotion battles are almost resolved. After an eight year absence, Watford will return to the Premier League, after a few near-misses along the way. Behind them, Middlesbrough and Norwich slipped up badly, meaning that Bournemouth can join the Hornets in the promised land with a win tonight against Bolton. What a story that would be…
Watford booked their passage with a comfortable enough win at Brighton, with Troy Deeney once again doing the business. Who will join them next season? Well, the play-off picture remains beautifully complicated, so prepare for a final day more head-scratchingly dramatic than a Fortitude episode.
West Indies v England
Oh, Jimmy Jimmy! James Anderson produced a virtuoso display on the final day of the Second Test in the Caribbean. Three wickets bowling, two efforts catching and a run out to bring about the victory. If he wore five gold rings, the Barmy Army would have the basis for an excellent song.
England then knocked off their small target with a minimum of fuss, with Alastair Cook scoring another fifty. A first century in over two years eludes him still, but he is getting closer, and approaching something close to his best form. Long may it continue.
So that was another brilliant week of sport on NOW TV. With Man United, Man City and Tottenham in action next weekend, don’t be surprised if we see even more drama next time around.
