Going into this game, we’d repeatedly heard it would be our first real test seeing as we apparently hadn’t actually played anyone worth playing in our first five games – not sure the sides we’ve played would necessarily agree but whatever. Anyway, the Manchester derby was out of the way and the pressure was on us to give a good account of ourselves – and we definitely did that.
It was a pretty full-on start to the game, with chances at either end. Drogba looked all set for the opener 5 minutes in, but for the linesman’s flag. I was always under the impression the decision should work in the attacking player’s favour unless it’s clearly offside although unfortunately not all officials are of the same opinion it seems. Bosingwa was the next to go close, smacking a shot that had Cudicini beat but unfortunately not the bar. Spurs had their chances in the first half as well, with Cech just stopping Defoe with his feet and both Huddlestone and Jenas had shots from distance.
In fact, Spurs looked ok for the first half hour really but if you take their inability to take their chances out of the equation, there was something else they definitely lacked – composure. Maybe I was watching a different game to everyone else, I don’t know, but Spurs had a touch of the old ‘victim syndrome’ about them. They seemed to be under the impression that every decision was going in our favour, but for the life of me, I couldn’t see it. Yes, we got the odd decision but it certainly wasn’t one-sided. From where I was sitting, Jermain Defoe was getting away with bloody murder and not a booking in sight. And yet Spurs were whingeing like little bitches at every given opportunity – they were winding themselves up unnecessarily – and it cost them.
Just after the half hour mark, Didier Drogba (who, by the way, turned Spurs inside-out all day), sent a beauty of a low cross in from the right and whilst Corluka switched off for a second, Ashley Cole dived in with his head to bury it past Cudicini. Spurs put up a bit of a fight before the break but we still went in a goal to the good.
Just three minutes into the second half, Ledley King went off injured and it was all downhill for Spurs after that really. For a start, if Drogba had been hard to handle before King’s departure, he made life just about impossible for Spurs after it. And then came the almost inevitable bit of controversy as Ricardo Carvalho caught Robbie Keane in the box for what could and probably should have been a penalty – if Keane hadn’t gone down late enough to confuse Webb. I’d have to say Keane chasing Webb and almost pleading to be booked kind of confirmed he’d simply been trying to stay on his feet but I’d have paid good money to see Webb give him a yellow as requested.
As if to add insult to injury though, the lads had barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before just three minutes later, Drogba bangs it goalwards and with Cudicini failing to collect, Lampard flicks it back to Ballack to knock it in. It wasn’t all positive from Drogba by any means, with his ability to stay on his feet a real issue in this one, not to mention his inability to get back up again. Fair play to John Terry though, because clearly as embarrassed by the Ivorian’s antics as the rest of us, the Chelsea captain was seen having a bit of a word with him about it. Theatrics aside though, Drogba was at his rampaging best and got his rewards in the 62nd minute. Picking up on a ball over the top, Drogba blew Corluka away with his pace, getting a bit of luck as Corluka’s tackle comes off his foot and breezing past Cudicini, the Ivorian tapped it home.
Comedy moment of the game was provided by Bassong who, not content with getting away with wrestling Drogba to the ground, forced Webb’s whistle into his mouth when he repeated his sumo move on Mikel. The resulting free-kick from Lampard proved Webb’s eyesight wasn’t any better where we were concerned either, as the ball was sent up over the wall with the help of a blatant Assou-Ekotto handball.
Not that it was a decision that was going to help them at 3-0 down. It really wasn’t going the way Redknapp had hoped but it was about to get even worse as Bassong, who looked to have jarred his head on the turf as he’d bundled Anelka to the floor, ended up with the full-on casualty scene and a stretchered exit. Spurs weren’t to have the monopoly on stretchers though, as Didier Drogba – who to be honest I thought had gone down more out of embarrassment from a miss-hit shot than anything – had the next stretcher available. Unfortunately, unlike the earlier game in the day, there wasn’t a Michael Owen type waiting to come on but seeing as our scoreline was little less uncomfortable, we could just about withstand Kalou overplaying the ball for a short spell. And with the game heading for an 8 minute spell added on, it was nice to see Borini get on.
Overall then, whatever will undoubtedly be made of the penalty they didn’t get, I just think we had too much for Spurs, and whilst they’ll no doubt point to that as a turning point, my argument would be that as well as the frustration they’d allowed to creep into their game from the first half, the fact they had nobody capable of getting a grip on Drogba all day – even less so the minute King went off – were the real reasons their embarrassing record at Stamford Bridge continues. We looked good for the win, Ancelotti’s Chelsea has a good feel to it right now – a feeling of unity that’s transferring itself to our game. Is it about the ban or was it there before? Who knows, but on top of the solid, more organised game we’d welcomed under Hiddink, Ancelotti’s system gives us options in attack we seem to have been missing for too long. And whilst I’m still not convinced this system doesn’t detract far too much from Frank Lampard’s game, whilst the results stay the way they are, I guess it isn’t up for criticism really.
Job done, another convincing 3 points tucked away – happy days. Was somebody saying we couldn’t play against sides in the top half of the table btw?
TEAMS
CHELSEA: Cech, A Cole, Terry, Carvalho, Bosingwa, Essien, Malouda, Ballack (Mikel), Lampard, Drogba (Kalou), Anelka (Borini)
SPURS: Cudicini, Corluka, King (Hutton), Bassong (Kranjcar), Assou-Ekotto, Palacios, Huddlestone, Jenas, Lennon, Keane, Defoe (Crouch)
GOALS
A Cole (32), Ballack (57), Drogba (62)
Blue is the colour
