Chelsea ... a 2-0 victory over Liverpool

last SG · 2006-02-09T17:44:15+00:00

RB can help liverpool to improve next season. but frankly i feel that RB is not suitable for EPL.

miss_soojung SG

Hate to say this but by half time, I felt the match was in the bag. It was a matter of how many more goals Chelsea was going to score ... should have been at least 3-0.

Back to winning ways ... I hope Mr. Green

Hmm ... Benitez could've been alittle more gracious. Reina's red card didn't change the complexion of the game. Chelsea was the better team today Laughing

miss_soojung SG

CHELSEA 2-0 LIVERPOOL

Chelsea's quality of finishing proved the difference as they beat rivals Liverpool to move 15 points clear at the top of the Premiership.

William Gallas put Chelsea ahead when he diverted in a close range shot after Ricardo Carvalho's brave header.

Liverpool created some promising openings but failed to take them.

Hernan Crespo drove in an angled shot to seal Chelsea's win before Reds keeper Jose Reina was red-carded for shoving Arjen Robben in the face.

The two teams were meeting for the fourth time this season and predictably the familiarity resulted in the usual cagey start.

But it was Liverpool who wrestled the early superiority of the game after creating the first chance.

Steven Gerrard whipped in a corner to the near post where the unmarked Jamie Carragher failed to catch his header properly from six yards and the home defence cleared.

Liverpool were troubling the Chelsea defence with their balls into the box and Sami Hyypia headed wide from another corner while Peter Crouch nodded over from a John Arne Riise cross.

And, after Crouch again headed over again when Hyypia nodded a free-kick across goal, Chelsea took advantage of their visitors' generosity.

Ironically, the goal came from their first corner with Gallas swivelling to turn Carvalho's header into the Reds goal.

Joe Cole should have done better than put an angled rive into the side-netting after dispossessing Stephen Warnock.

Liverpool were once more left breathing a sigh of relief after Reina spilled John Terry's header with Crespo being ruled offside after sliding in the loose ball.

The visitors pressed for an equaliser with Gerrard seeing his well-struck drive parried by keeper Petr Cech.

But any hopes the Reds had of levelling were all but ended when Crespo was played on side by Warnock and lashed in an angled drive.

Liverpool's misery was compounded when Reina was sent-off for a push on Robben.

Robben seemed to make more of the incident than appeared necessary as he fell to the ground before a stormy clash between both sets of players.

But it did not affect Chelsea as they eased to their 50th Premiership win under manager Jose Mourinho.

- credit: BBC Sport

Next stop ... Middlesborough, Saturday 11 Feb '06!

stellazio SG

yep i felt benitez could have been abit more gracious..but well done to chelsea.. Laughing

hopefully we can start picking up form in time for barcelona..

eemtij SG

seems like every game we play nowadays, sure got red card. If it is not us it’s them.

miss_soojung SG

Liverpool's decided not to appeal Reina's red card, which'll see him miss 3 matches - against Charlton, Wigan & Arsenal. Hmm ... could it be that appealing and having the ref's decision stand firm might put an end to Benitez's sorry attempt at diverting attention from his team's performance to Robben making a bigger deal of the push in the face he got from Reina? Wink

Like no other professional footballer gets alittle dramatic at some point or other, not even one of his own boys? Mr. Green

miss_soojung SG

REACTION: PLEASED MOURINHO CALCULATES EIGHT MORE WINS

Post-match, José Mourinho refused to be drawn into a war of words with Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez who had accused Arjen Robben of over-reacting to a push by the visitors keeper Jose Reina, the shove earning Reina a straight red card.

Im not interested in what Rafa says because I have just finished a big game where we played very well and should win 3- or 4-0; a game where we scored one of the most beautiful goals in the Premiership this season which the referee disallowed; another win in the countdown to the title, our 50th victory in the Premiership in the last one and a half years, the Special One explained.

Out of nine games against Liverpool in the last one and half years, we have lost only one game and that proves that we are the best team in the country. So I am happy with all of these things.

Why should I comment on Rafas words. Sometimes we say things without thinking especially when we lose, Mourinho concluded.

Benitez, somewhat sarcastically, had criticised Arjen Robbens tumble at the hands of Reina, suggesting: I thought maybe he will be three weeks in hospital with a neck broken. Reina has made a mistake. Robben was talking to him and he turned and touched his face.

Chelseas other winger, Damien Duff made a brief substitute appearance lasting just five minutes before going off to an injury which looks likely to rule him out of the FA Cup game against Everton on Wednesday.

Its muscular but nothing big, explained the Blues manager. Maybe one week, ten days, two weeks maximum.

Mourinho maintained that scoring the first goal was vital to todays victory, a win which puts us 21 points ahead of Liverpool and 15 ahead of second-placed Manchester United.

If you score against them first, you have great conditions to do what we did in Anfield and what we did today. Today the game was tight until we scored the first goal. After that it was our game. Before that they are very solid and defend very well.

This is the kind of performance that makes everybody understand why we are champions and are close to be champions again, Mourinho stated.

With 13 Premiership games remaining, José explained the maths required to win the title again.

We need eight victories, its as simple as that. We need to win these matches as soon as we can. The important thing is to be champions again.

- credit: Gill Lester, Official Chelsea FC Website, 5 Feb 2006

eemtij SG

Although JM said 8 wins will do, the chasing pack will have to win every single game in order to catch up. Also, they must improve their goal difference.

Looking at the fixtures, it is very unlikely.

Furthermore, after the loss to Chelsea, Liverpool has to bounce back. From the looks of things on the game against Chelsea, I can see only people like Carragher, Hyypia and Riise looking steady enough. Even Gerrard seemed out of sorts towards the end of the game. Alonso and Garcia did not contribute much.

It was a very different Liverpool from the last time we met them at the Champions League.

By the way, Liverpool let in 15 goals this season, Chelsea accounted for 6 of the goals. If they could have stopped Chelsea, they would have been the best defensive team. Problem is, they can't score. Now who says Chelsea is boring.

dragg SG

from soccernet.

Updated: Feb. 7, 2006
Robben deserves an Oscar says Reina

Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina has branded Chelsea winger Arjen Robben an actor who deserves an Oscar for his performance at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

But Robben has hit back, claiming: 'I wasn't the one who lost control.'

Spaniard Reina was shown the red card for pushing Dutchman Robben in the face nine minutes from time in Chelsea's 2-0 league win.

Liverpool decided not to appeal against referee Alan Wiley's decision, which caused a storm of controversy because of Robben's theatrical reaction to the goalkeeper's tame push.

It means Reina will serve an automatic three-match suspension, starting with tomorrow's Barclays Premiership encounter with Charlton at The Valley. The ban will also include Saturday's early afternoon kick-off against Wigan at the JJB Stadium, and the Anfield showdown with Arsenal on February 14.

'I am furious with Robben for what happened. My red card was unjust, which makes it so sad for me,' Reina told the Daily Star.

'Robben is a big actor and he did well enough to win an Oscar. I would never hit out at another player and hurt them in the way Robben suggested by collapsing.

'Robben is an excellent player but he was deceitful with the way he behaved.

'He exaggerated what happened and therefore forced the referee to send me off. If we had been at Anfield, I would never have got a red card.

'There was also a lot of pressure from the crowd. My team-mates feel the same and are very angry.

'This has now harmed the team in the championship because at the moment we need all our players available and I will now be banned for three games.'

But Robben is stunned he is being blamed and, according to the Daily Mail, told Dutch television: 'Reina was the one who got carried away, not me. He made a crazy challenge on Eidur (Gudjohnsen) over by the touchline and I told him so when he ran past on his way back to the goal.

'I can't remember the exact words I used, but it was something along the lines of `That was a stupid thing to do, wasn't it?'

'The next thing I know, he swings round and reacts with his hands.

'I don't see how I can be blamed for that. I wasn't the one who lost control.

'I don't think people from Liverpool should be talking about me, either. They should be having a look at themselves.'

dragg SG

why cant RB and reina accept the red card gracefully?

or they cant accept the humiliation of the defeat?

eemtij SG

Have you ever heard or seen Rafa Benetez the following phrases or its equivalent :

1. My team played like shit today.

2. The opposition played better than us today.

3. Tactically, we were outplayed.

4. The referee was wrong not to allow Crespo's "goal"

5. "Name of opposing player" was giving us hell.

miss_soojung SG

Had a laugh when I read the report you posted, Dragg Laughing

So now Reina's blaming Robben for his three match ban and the possibility of the Reds losing points without him around?!? Shocked

Sigh ... when are the long ball specialists going to open their eyes to their own failings? Wink

miss_soojung SG

Laughing This reminds me of his reaction the last time Chelsea trounced them good and proper at Anfield ... he simply said, "My team played really well, I don't want to think about Chelsea". Then, when pressed further about the 1-4 thrashing, he says it's impossible to believe the scoreline judging from the way his boys played for first 25 mins.

But each game has two halves and lasts at least 90mins, Mr Benitez Wink

dragg SG

frankly chelsea is much better than liverpool and JM is much better than RB but they just refused to accept it.

miss_soojung SG

JM is a much better manager than many want to admit. They'd rather credit Chelsea's success to RA's bank account and completely blind themselves to JM's achievements before he arrived at Stamford Bridge Sad

Liverpool's down by 2 goals to Charlton right now. If it ends in a loss, I wonder if they're going whine on about Robben's "oscar winning performance" costing them the game Confused

dragg SG

consistency and depth of reserves is the key to winning a long and arduous premiership campaign.

eemtij SG

Liverpool's only consistency...... their coach, RB, refuses to blame himself or his players.

dragg SG

this i agree.

he is always finding excuses.

miss_soojung SG

CHELSEA REFUSE TO LET ROBBEN ROW LIE

Chelsea took another step closer to their first league and cup double with a comfortable victory over Everton, but their performance was once again overshadowed by a war of words surrounding Dutch winger Arjen Robben.

Robben, accused of getting Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina sent off during Chelsea's 2-0 Barclays Premiership victory over the Reds on Sunday, put the Blues on the road to a fifth round tie against League One leaders Colchester with the opening goal against Everton.

Robben's theatrical over-reaction to a push in the face by Reina has since been condemned by Liverpool coach Rafael Benitez and a host of professionals, both past and present.

But this time it was Chelsea who refused to let the matter rest with both Jose Mourinho and Steve Clarke raising the temperature before and after Wednesday night's fourth-round replay against the Toffees.

In a one-sided affair, first-half goals from Robben, Frank Lampard (penalty) and Hernan Crespo put the tie beyond Everton's reach and although Mikel Arteta reduced the deficit in the 72nd minute from the spot, Chelsea captain John Terry restored their three-goal margin two minutes later.

But the fallout from Benitez's comments refused to dissipate with Mourinho claiming the Liverpool coach had deliberately deflected attention away from his side's defeat by focusing on the antics of Robben.

Clarke, sent to face the media after their victory over Everton, backed Mourinho's assessment that Chelsea do not receive the credit they deserve and made a veiled reference to Reina's conduct.

"When I was playing I liked to think I could keep control of myself on the pitch," said Clarke. "I didn't make really crazy tackles and I didn't do stupid things. I tried to play in control all the time. If you lose control on the pitch you are asking for red cards.

"You can't say the game hasn't changed from 20 years ago when I was still running around. I remember touching some players on the face 20 years ago and they would go down just the same.

"The stick Arjen got was unjustified and we can't understand the criticism we get. We deserve a lot more credit. On Sunday we beat one of our big rivals for the title and we got no real credit for it because of comments made at the end of the game. It is not fair.

"Everything else was spoken about except how well we played to win the game."

Everton boss David Moyes accepted his side had been well beaten but said their cause had not been helped by the loss of goalkeeper Richard Wright with an ankle injury in the pre-match warm-up.

It forced Moyes to play 21-year-old rookie Iain Turner in his place.

Moyes said: "We did much better in the second half but losing the goalkeeper in the warm up was a setback. You don't want to lose anybody, especially a goalkeeper, when you have named your side.

"We have taken x-rays of Richard's ankle and there is no damage there but it was like a balloon in the dressing room.

"The second half performance was more like us but it is disappointing to lose goals to set-pieces."

-credit: Sporting Life

miss_soojung SG

If he can't find an excuse, he says he doesn't understand how they can lose a game.

How it is that Benitez manages to focus on the small portion of time Liverpool plays well and then falls apart the rest of the game is something beyond my comprehension.

iveco SG

No doubt Reina was at fault, Robben himself may have overreacted. THis reminds me of what happened at World Cup 98 between England and Argentina.

BTW, how about having Ghimpheng for mod? I believe he can make much contribution.