ARSENAL 0 CHELSEA 1 (PREMIER LEAGUE MATCH DAY 29)

My free-scoring Gunners finally came up against an insurmountable hurdle as we slumped to our 4th defeat of the season – all at home by the same score line – to throw the title race wide open. It was the first time in 7games we’d been blanked – in that time we’d amassed a whopping 21 goals – but now we hold a slender 2pt lead at the top, albeit with a game in hand.

We started off well enough, Fabregas fashioning our first chance inside a quarter-hour when his pinpoint cross from deep on the right found Henry, who broke from the uncharacteristically unresponsive Chelsea backline to fire at goal. However Petr Cech isn’t considered one of the world’s best for nothing, and he spread his body well to block Henry’s point-blank shot, allowing Gallas to clear the danger. But Chelsea fired their own warning shot immediately when Wright-Phillips’s cross was met by Drogba under pressure, who managed to steer his first-time effort shy of the far post. Essien then skied a shot well over.

On 25mins, it was Fabregas and Henry again as the youngster’s cross found his captain in the box. Henry spun brilliantly to evade Gallas and shot one-time, but Cech was again up to it and parried the shot for Essien to pick up and clear.

But it all went awry just 2mins later, when a quick counter caught our defense out of position. Robben picked up a pass from Touré and ghosted past the horribly out-of-position Eboué to start the move. Drogba picked up the ball and headed for the corner flag under the close attention of Yobo, moving in to cover for Eboué. However Drogba passed back to Wayne Bridge, who lofted a cross into the box for Essien to rise to uncontested and nod past the helpless Lehmann. Ashley Cole and Eboué had drifted into the box to defend, but both were vertically challenged ball-watchers as Chelsea seized their priceless lead.

We tried to remain calm and positive, but were unable to make any more offensive inroads and Chelsea looked the more likely to score on the counter. Drogba and Robben linked well on the right, with the big Ivorian striker drawing no less than 3 players out of position before allowing Robben a dangerous cross into the box with Lampard’s name on it. Yobo’s attention was enough to throw him off slightly for Lehmann to deflect the ball away, and Ashley Cole cleared for a corner.

Robben sent in the corner and following a minor melee in the box Eboué redeemed himself by hoofing heavily just off the line.

Fabregas blasted over from a corner, and a one-two between Lampard and Essien allowed the former to unleash a shot that Lehmann parried, before Drogba later sent a shot harmlessly wide to end the half.

I unshackled my players for the 2nd half, and straight from the kickoff Henry fed a cross for Fabregas, but the youngster’s header was well parried by Cech for his defense to clear.

Just before the hour, Makélélé pinged a great cross into the box for Robben to head above Eboué, sending it into Drogba’s path but his shot was charged down and blocked superbly by Lehmann. Essien picked up the rebound and shot, but Lehmann picked himself up to tip fabulously over the bar. Hleb and Fabregas got in one another’s way to botch a clearance, and the hyperactive Essien took advantage to have another pop on goal, which Lehmann once again parried well.

Bojinov came on for the anonymous Hleb as Fabregas moved into the center, but the action sprung out from the left flank. Cole and van Persie linked up well to feed Henry, who floated another cross into the area for Fabregas to rise and head, but his effort was caught by Cech.

But Chelsea got stuck in, preventing us any room through the center as they killed the game but resuscitated their title bid with the sort of clinical, ruthless efficiency that has become the hallmark of Mourinho’s boys in blue.

ARSL 0
CHLS 1 (Michael Essien 27′)

ARSENAL TEAM RATINGS: Jens Lehmann: 7 – Emmanuel Eboué: 6 (Gaël Clichy [74']: 6), Kolo Touré: 6, Joseph Yobo: 6, Ashley Cole: 7 – Francesc Fabregas: 6, Aliaksandr Hleb: 6 (Valeri Bojinov [63']: 6), Gilberto: 6, Robin van Persie: 7 – Vincenzo Iaquinta: 6 (Fredrik Ljungberg [81']: 6), Thierry Henry: 6

MoM: Arjen Robben (AM RL – Chelsea)

EPL Standings are as follows:

EPL Standings at the end of 29th/30th Round of Matches

~ by savageternal on March 16, 2009.