ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE
Chelsea 3Â
Watford 0
LONDON • This encapsulated Chelsea's bizarre campaign of extremes.
There had been heckles from the home support as the players went into the interval with the hosts fortunate still to be level, all the festering doubts over Maurizio Sarri's stewardship exposed yet again, only for those jeers to be choked within the opening few minutes of the restart by a taunting of Tottenham.
Maurizio Sarri's team ended the afternoon in third place, having leapfrogged Spurs, and one win from Champions League qualification.
The doubts will resurface while the Blues' displays veer from the sublime to the ridiculous so regularly, but Chelsea are still likely to achieve their objective of a return to Europe's elite competition.
Watford, such a dominant force through a one-sided opening period, were dismissed in those frantic exchanges at the start of the second half with a difficult occasion suddenly transformed into something of a breeze.
Sarri even threw on Gary Cahill for a first appearance since November for the final few minutes, granting the club captain the send-off he deserves.
That helped ensure the post-match lap of appreciation was conducted in a more celebratory mood than what had seemed unlikely when Watford were running rings round the home side.
For once, Sarri's half-time team talk had instigated an immediate upturn with Eden Hazard, previously peripheral, revived and Ruben Loftus-Cheek injecting urgency to Chelsea's approach.
The England midfielder had headed the hosts ahead, reaching Hazard's gloriously clipped cross to power his effort beyond Ben Foster. Within minutes, David Luiz sprinted late into the box to meet Hazard's corner and effectively complete the victory. Even Gonzalo Higuain, so desperately ponderous in his play up to the interval, chipped in an exquisite third.
Higuain, Olivier Giroud and Pedro might have added further plunder as a side who had initially appeared so deflated tore into the FA Cup finalists with relish.
There is no fathoming Chelsea's form at present. They are wildly unpredictable but, according to the Premier League table, the third best team in the country at present.
THE GUARDIAN
Football: Fandi brothers Irfan and Ikhsan score again for BG Pathum and Raufoss respectively The Straits Times. SINGAPORE - The Fandi brothers are proving their fine vein of form is no fluke as both scored midweek for their respective clubs again.. Read more at
İrfan Can Kahveci News, Stats, Photos - Turkey - Football
You know, I think Barca will be fine. 29 April 2013. By Nicol Hay. Football fans have a curious love for certainties - knowing that this player was definitely better than that one, that one club is clearly bigger than the other - that seems to be a product of the untidy nature of the game itself.
AC Milan Online v4.0 | The Archive
London (AFP) - Premier League stars will be among the footballers taking part in a 24-hour social media boycott on Friday as part of a protest against racist abuse online. The campaign, which is being co-ordinated by England's Professional Footballers' Association, urges players to stay off all s
Premier League players to boycott social media in racism
Two other defiant goalkeepers. LES SEALEY (MAN UNITED) Sealey was the first goalkeeper who refused to leave the pitch during an English League Cup final. But, unlike
Best Soccer Goalkeepers in the World | Stadium Talk
Football: Neymar's father says PSG extension more likely than
SHANGHAI (AFP) - Italian World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro was named coach of China on Friday (March 15), spearheading the ambitious country's attempts to become a footballing force.. Read
Italian legend Cannavaro named new coach of China | Sport24
English refs can't execute VAR: Sarri. Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane tumbling to the ground in the penalty box after being fouled by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. He converted the
VAR: another embarrassing night for English football | The
The Toffee's last league victory came in a 5-1 defeat of Burnley on Boxing Day, but the Merseysiders are without a win at their Goodison Park base in fifty-one days. Despite being two teams who have rarely threatened at either end of the table, previous meetings between Everton and Bournemouth have led to incredibly entertaining fixtures.
Heads You Win by Jeffrey Archer - goodreads.com
Earlier, PSG condemned "Patrice Evra's homophobic insults aimed at us on social media" after a bizarre spat in which Evra used the French word "pede", a derogatory term for homosexuals, to
Evra denies homophobia after social media spat with PSG
Eriksen's free-kick rescues point for Spurs as they finish fourth after draw with Everton Curbishley demands strong finish. But the Addicks boss is determined to stay focused on club
Marco Silva demands strong finish to the season from Everton
Ramsey moving to Juve on five-year $62m deal, Football News
LIVERPOOL (AFP) - Liverpool were left to regret two huge missed chances by Mohamed Salah as Everton held out for a 0-0 draw in the Merseyside derby on Sunday (March 3).. Read more at straitstimes.com.
Liverpool held at Everton to surrender top spot in Premier League
0 comments:
Post a Comment