Already before the starting whistle, it became clear - you won’t have to wait for a remake of the League Cup finals from the upcoming match, bursting at the seams from an overabundance of passions. Chelsea’s application did not include Didier Drogba, whose memorable goal brought the team so far the only trophy of the season. In the absence of the Ivorian, the rescue mission of the team of Jose Mourinho, trying to restore the five-point lead from the “MJ” in the match with a London neighbor, looked doomed. Yes, Chelsea more than once (and not two - but at least seven!) Increased the number of points due at the end of the match, despite the injuries of leading players and stubbornly ticking hours. But when the injury of the team’s best player of the season was added to the most tangible loss to Ricard Carvalho, the preference in the upcoming match was given to Arsenal - at least the bookmakers.
By the time of the London derby, Chelsea had a chance to cling to the mantle of an almost crowned rival - but the motivation of Arsenal, which got a chance to squeeze fingers to a principal rival at a crucial moment, was hardly significantly lower. Moreover, Arsene Wenger, unlike Mourinho, can safely put the past season into his liabilities - in addition to unplayed titles, Wenger actually lost a year of team building. The labor reserves of Arsenal, which reached the League Cup finals, should not mislead anyone - the starting line-up for the next season will most likely be identical to fall 2006. The return of Henry, van Persie and Rositsky will surely send half of the young people who joined the Emirates to the reserve - unless Freddy Jungberg's place is vacant.
The sour pre-match mood of both teams turned into starting boredom on the field. Jose Mourinho armed his team with a hitherto unprecedented trident of attack - Joe Cole, Sean Wright-Phillips, Salomon Kalou, but the effectiveness of an impromptu trio of light-legged half-attackers was initially low. Wright-Phillips had decided to fight for the ball with Gael Clichy, but wilted after the third attempt. Arsenal cheated on itself even more seriously - until recently, flank awnings in the penalty area were considered bad form in the team. However, Wenger’s wards quickly corrected themselves and carried out an exemplary attack in the eight thinnest passes, ending with Adebayor’s toothless strike at Cech’s legs. For a second, it seemed that Arsenal was going to title Manchester United in a situation similar to the expulsion of CSKA to the UEFA Cup. Glowing on the scoreboard 0: 0 as if predicted the final result.
However, the evaporated intrigue was condensed back by the Chelsea players, namely Khalid Bularuz. The conflict between the Dutch defender and Mourinho arose at the beginning of the season - then Bularuz complained that the coach did not allow him to play in his usual position in the center of defense and stubbornly placed on the right flank. The Dutchman appeared in his “native” place immediately after the injuries of Terry and Carvalho, but Mourinho chose to patch holes with Essien. Now it’s clear why - in the 42nd minute, Bularuz for some reason let out Julio Baptista face to face with Cech, and recollecting himself, earned a penalty and a red card. The deathly calm of the coach testified: Bularuz justified the distrust.
A goal scored and a break brought the “Gunners” to tone. The second half began with branded “Hungarian” attacks - there were a pass to Fabregas’s heel, Gleb’s strike, and a miss from Gallas’s ribbon. The territorial and gaming advantage of Arsenal stretched out for twenty minutes and set the desired rhythm for the game - when Chelsea saw an awakened opponent, it also decided to break out of Morpheus' embrace. The instigator of the team’s awakening was the tireless Michael Essien, who was sent with a light hand to Bularuz in his own penalty area. The defender involuntarily, running to the gates of Lehmann, evened the score from Wright-Phillips - with his head in the fall! Essien’s replicated feat (recall, he won the Chelsea draw in the first round match with a crazy long-range strike) became a catalyst for Joe Cole's dormant skill. First, the midfielder of the England team performed the “La Rabona” trick (a pass with the establishment of legs by foot), and after scoring a magnificent goal from the left from the U-turn - the fair line flag prevented the triumph.
The time remaining until the final whistle passed in the best traditions of the matches of the Big Four teams - cavalry attacks on oncoming courses, the exchange of dangerous attacks, fateful saves. Czech prevented the threat of Gleb, Lehmann disarmed Kalu. The last word in the match was left behind the crossbar of the Chelsea goal - she indignantly threw the ball away sent by Eboue. However, the resurgent intrigue of the confrontation did not live longer than the triple whistle of Alan Wiley - he announced not so much about a draw in the London derby, but about the Manchester United championship. However, Jose Mourinho’s post-match chopped gesture with his palm up his throat did not mean that he had enough - he called to keep his head higher. The construction of Manchester United on the well-deserved throne of the Premier League took place in absentia, but Chelsea has yet to shake it at a meeting on May 9.
Arsenal - Chelsea - 1: 1 (1: 0)
Goals: 1: 0 - Gilberto Silva (43, penalty), 1: 1 - Essien (70).
ARSENAL : Lehmann, Eboue, Gallas, Colo Toure, Clichy, Diabi (Hoyt, 79), Fabregas, Gilberto Silva, Denilson (Gleb, 59), Baptista, Adebayor.
Chelsea : Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Bularuz, Terry, Bridge, Obi Mikel (Diarra, 74), Essien, Lampard, Wright-Phillips (Sinclair, 80), D. Cole, Kalu.
Warnings : Obi Mikel (31), Adebayor (49), Essien (90 + 2).
Removal : Bularuz (43).
the 6th of May. Emirates Stadium, 19.00.
Judge : Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).