The destination of the Premier League trophy might not yet be officially confirmed after Saturday’s rumble at Old Trafford but the fact that it has suddenly started talking with a London accent may provide a clue to its next home.
As title deciders go, this Manchester United-Chelsea dust up was short on excitement until the last ten minutes. However, it more than made up for that in tension because despite the protestations of both managers, the stakes couldn’t get any higher.
Coming into the match, both Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti had tried to convince us that a loss for either club wouldn’t be damaging, I beg to differ. This was the match where they could both potentially kiss the title goodbye. Arrivederci United?
I thought the star of the show was Ancelotti who was bold before a ball was even kicked. To leave the Premiership's second top scorer, Didier Drogba, on the bench was an act of supreme courage regardless of what the team had achieved in their two previous high-scoring league outings.
This move no doubt injected his players with the required confidence and they responded in kind with a superb first-half performance that, tactically, was a masterpiece. United were simply not allowed into the game as they quickly figured out that Chelsea aren’t Bolton.
Freshness was also a huge factor, with Ancelotti admitting that the enforced week off after being knocked out of the Champions League allowed him more time on the training field - that’s the last place you want to allow an Italian.
Chelsea had that extra spark, while United looked a little leggy after their midweek exertions against Bayern Munich but Ferguson knows that this is the price you sometimes have to pay for success.
I can’t help feel that the Scotsman was conservative in his approach. By going with his old timers, Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, United lacked the high energy provided by a Nani, a Rafael Da Silva or a Michael Carrick, who were left on the bench until too late or didn’t see action at all.
And in all honesty, that bench is looking increasingly thin as we enter the final furlong of an exhausting campaign.
From looking like contenders for a unique treble, United may be left holding the booby prize of the Carling Cup unless they can outsmart Bayern Munich on Wednesday and Chelsea hands back pole position in the league. Rooney cannot come back soon enough.
One could point the finger at referee Mike Dean for having an undue influence on the result, which Sir Alex, was quick to do. I’d certainly side with him in regards to Didier Drogba’s offside effort and it is a mystery as to how Dean’s assistant didn’t see the Ivorian stray.
I can only think that he may have lost Drogba as he made his diagonal run. However, the Blues striker isn’t the kind of diminutive striker who gets lost in the crowd.
You could argue, though, that Dean gave one right back after Federico Marcheda bundled the ball over the line a few minutes later with more than a hint of handball. Decisions evened out then?
As for the penalty calls, I thought Nicolas Anelka had more of a case after being bundled over by Neville than Ji-Sung Park did after Yuri Zhirkov left a leg hanging but both of those calls could have gone either way.
Ferguson was big enough to admit that the Blues were the better team in the first half though and it’ll be interesting to see whether he makes a move for Joe Cole who would’ve done his England chances no harm with some improvised brilliance.
Florent Malouda also gets lots of credit and hardly looks like the player who many though Chelsea had wasted close to $20 million on. His struggles in the first two years of his London stay seem like a mirage, as he’s turned himself into yet another potent Chelsea match winner.
My only concern for the Blues, and they hid it very well, is Petr Cech. He doesn’t look secure, in fact, he looks downright nervy and if United had to do it all over again they should’ve sent in an aerial bombardment regardless of who could get on the end of it or not.
The run-in now looks like this:
Chelsea: Bolton (h), Tottenham (a), Stoke, (h), Liverpool (a), Wigan (h)
Man United: Blackburn (a), Man City (a), Tottenham (h), Sunderland (a), Stoke (h)
They feel similar don’t they?
The bookies make Chelsea the favorites. Ferguson says they’re the favorites and I can’t see them stubbing their toes again.
Until then, I’ll see you at the far post.
