Chelsea 7-2 Sunderland: Thats more like it!
Well its been a couple of days since our demolition of Sunderland at Stamford Bridge and to be honest I am still buzzing. Ok granted as I p...
https://www.chelseadaft.org/2010/01/chelsea-7-2-sunderland-thats-more-like.html
Well its been a couple of days since our demolition of Sunderland at Stamford Bridge and to be honest I am still buzzing. Ok granted as I pointed out in my preview their team was hampered with numerous injuries and this is no disrespect to Sunderland at all, but we scored seven and it so easily could of been more. With a world class save from Fulop to push Anelka's stunning shot onto the cross-bar then the post. With saves from Anelka, Joe Cole and Frank Lampard, Fulop did well to keep the score in single figures.
In my preview I mentioned that Anelka would be back and predicted that maybe just maybe, Carlo Ancelotti would stick with the tried and trusted 4-3-3 formation with Joe Cole and Malouda either side of Anelka and my god did it work on Saturday.
Anelka was outstanding. He was everywhere on Saturday and when he is on form he is up with Drogba as one of the best strikers in the Premier League. In the 4-3-3 formation he plays really well as the link man to the boys wide and our midfield. He took both his goals well and looked hungry for the game which is only good for Chelsea in the coming weeks.
Once more Malouda was solid and played well. Took his goal really well and these days always looks calm and collected in possession of the ball. He provides great balance to the side with either Ashley Cole or Zhirkov getting forward to support him. Speaking of Ashley Cole WHAT A GOAL. First of all I have to it has been somewhat overlooked but what a fantastic first time ball from JT over the top to Ash. But to be fair his first touch was sublime, his second to fool the defender and the flick to finish was outstanding and if someone like Messi had scored a goal like that the football press would be raving about it for weeks.
Ash has been playing really well of late and has proved he is the best left back in world football and his goal on Saturday goes to prove he is back to his best. It was nice to hear the crowd chanting his name too!
The fourth goal from Lampard was good again. I mentioned that in the 4-3-3 formation (compared to the 4-diamond-2) the formation allows Lamps to get forward from deep alot more and his goal was the perfect example of that. The ball is played out wide, the defence are too worried about Anelka and Jole Cole in the box, so much so that Lampard steals into the box and volleys the ball home from 6 yards to make it 4-0.
JT and Ashley Cole were taken off to be rested at half-time and Alex and Zhirkov came on. Our fifth goal came from a fantastic cross from Joe Cole right onto the head of Ballack who headed home from 8 yards. Great cross and header and I have to say Ballack had a good game on Saturday too. In fact everyone played well. Our sixt goal came from a Zhirkov cross which Fulop couldn't punch away properly and the ball came to Anelka outside the box who took a touch and then half volleyed the ball into the empty net to make it 6.
Our seventh came from another move down the wing which was a major part of our game on Saturday, and Anelka drilled a cross into the box, Lampard 8 yards out gets his head to the ball and guides it into the bottom corner to make it 7.
The only downside to Saturday was the way in which we conceeded the two goals. Ex-Chelsea Bolo Zenden took his goal well. Ball played up to Kenwyne Jones who outmuscled our defence and headed the ball down to Zenden who has time and space to angle his shot into the bottom corner, Cech no chance.
Their second deep into injury time was a bit of a shambles as we couldn't defend a corner properley and that bloke Darren Bent who has a nasty habit of scoring against Chelsea poked the ball home from close range. I think we would of done better if JT and Ash were still on, but to be fair it was game over at half time. But a clean sheet would of been alot better!
So all in all it was a fantastic performance and a message to the likes of United and Arsenal that we have the squad to cope without the African players and we are well up for the run in. It was a majestic performance and a dominant show of force. Let's hope that we can take this performance into the next game. Same again please boys!
CAREFREE & KTBFFH EVERYONE!