Aston Villa 0-0 Chelsea / Arsenal 4-0 Charlton
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Chelski Fail To Close Gap
Aston Villa 0-0 Chelsea
Chelsea failed to break down Aston Villa to leave the champions six points behind leaders Manchester United.
The visitors dominated the first half and should have been well ahead by the interval, but both Didier Drogba and Ashley Cole missed gilt-edged chances.
Drogba miscued with a volley, while Cole headed straight at Gabor Kiraly.
Outclassed in that opening period, Villa provided a sterner test for Chelsea after the break and Liam Ridgewell went close with a header.
Chelsea had drawn their previous two league games, allowing leaders Manchester United to move seven points clear ahead of Tuesday's game with Villa.
Khalid Boulahrouz suffers a suspected ligament injury against Aston Villa.
Chelsea's defensive problems have been well documented and the visitors suffered another blow in that department when Khalid Boulahrouz limped off with a knee injury in the opening half.
But it was Chelsea's attack rather their defence that let them down in an opening half that saw the visitors fail to convert a host of chances from the surfeit of possession they enjoyed.
In scoring 13 league goals this season Drogba has probably been Chelsea's most effective player, but even the Ivory Coast forward seemed to be affected by the Blues' mid-winter malaise.
Drogba should have put Chelsea ahead inside the opening 10 minutes, but his volley from the 6 yard box went onto the ground and over the bar.
Cole was the next Chelsea player to miss, sending his header directly at Kiraly.
Just before the first half ended, Frank Lampard's surging run brought him to the edge of the Villa box, but he failed to spot Claude Makelele, who was free on the right, and the attack broke down.
Midway through the second half Andriy Shevchenko came on for Shaun Wright-Phillips as Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho opted to provide extra support for Drogba.
But the Ukraine striker proved as peripheral a figure as he has for most of this season and he rarely touched the ball.
Villa had barely an attack worthy of mention in the first-half, but as the game wore on the home side began to threaten from set-pieces and Ridgewell went close with a header from a corner.
In the closing stages Chelsea launched one final onslaught, but Lampard put the ball over the bar from close range, while Drogba headed over.
Drogba missed several good chances for Chelsea
Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill:
"I thought we played with a ferocious amount of determination, which we had to against a side like Chelsea. "We had to try to match them as much as we possibly could and I have nothing but praise for the players.
"They worked tirelessly and stuck it right to the end. We have played better and lost games."
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho:
"Six points at the end of this disgraceful period is not bad.
"We're leaving with a lot of hopes for the second part of the season.
"I think they answered my criticism. We got the point but more important was the attitude of the team. We are alive."
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Arsenal 4-0 Charlton
Arsenal captain Thierry Henry returned from his injury lay-off to inspire the Gunners to a win over 10-man Charlton.
Henry slotted home the opener from the penalty spot after Osei Sankofa was sent off for fouling Robin van Persie.
Henry then played a fine one-two with Justin Hoyte for the defender to slot past Scott Carson, who had already magnificently saved from Cesc Fabregas.
Van Persie scored another spot-kick after Souleymane Diawara fouled Henry and then chipped in a fine late fourth.
With Henry back after his well-documented 34-day absence, the skipper's team-mates appeared keen to welcome their leader back with a goal glut.
Arsenal poured forward from the first whistle and after Gilberto Silva and Van Persie went close, Fabregas was denied by a contender for save of the season.
A Fabregas shot from 30 yards got a wicked deflection and looped up on to the crossbar and as Van Persie surged towards the ball, Sankofa bundled him over.
The right-back was harshly dismissed by referee Mike Riley on just his seventh Premiership start and Henry nonchalantly sent Carson the wrong way from the spot.
Hoyte got his first Arsenal goal, Henry his 222nd for the Gunners
Just before the break, Hoyte got his first Gunners goal with an effort so beautifully crafted any of his illustrious team-mates would have been proud to call it theirs.
Van Persie finally got his name on the scoresheet from the spot with 14 minutes left after Henry bamboozled Diawara and was blatantly tugged to the ground in the box.
The Dutchman made it 4-0 in stoppage time, latching on to a Mathieu Flamini pass and delaying before executing a fine lofted finish over Carson and into the net.
The effortless victory moves Arsenal up to fourth, while Charlton remain a distant six points away from Premiership safety.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger on Henry's return:
"Of course it is a massive individual and psychological boost for the team to know he is back. "We worked Thierry hard on his fitness, which is why he looked so sharp.
"The penalty and the sending off was a turning point, we controlled the game before that but they didn't give us any space. We needed patience and got it."
Charlton manager Alan Pardew on Sankofa's sending off:
"My view was that Robin van Persie was offside anyway. But then he's ahead of my full-back who tried to get back and it's not really a foul. "I'm aggrieved he got sent off. To play Arsenal's best XI with five missing is hard enough, let alone with 10 men.
"But I was pleased with how we played and Scott Carson was just fantastic." -
all i can say is,
"Chelsea, forget it la. U cant score goals."
Note: no offence to chelsea fans .. -
over dependent on drogba?
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Wow... wasn't expecting this chelsea result... cos among all their games for the holiday period, Wigan away, Reading & Fulham at home... this was the one i least expect them to drop points... No disrespect to villa but they have not won for 9 games already and lost their last 4... No one would give them a chance getting anything against chelsea. Then again, like Steve McMahon said: On paper blue had the better team but football wasn't fought on paper is it...
Villa showed real determination in the second half... even without their captain Berry who was suspended for this match.
I guess The man who was death, the only Villa fan i know in the forum to date should be pleased with this performance...
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 41,006 -
looks like Chelsea solved one problem & left the other unsolved. They din concede goals this match but neither did they score.
Credit to Aston villa, they did not have their regular goalkeeper on hand. The defenders are the stars / "stars" for this round of EPL matches - kudos to Aston Villa for resolute defense. Kudos to Newcastle to holding Man U to a draw. And a debut defender to score - and catch Man U's defense napping. Earlier, Scholes's second goal was also the fault of Newcastle's defense.
West Ham's defense was not interested to play and hence the 6-0 drubbing by Reading.
Ok back to Chelsea, in my opinion, playing away to Aston Villa is always not easy. They matched Man U for the entire first half before conceding. for Chelsea, its not just only Terry & Cech coming back, its what happen when Drogba is injured or suffering from goal-drought.
From the match report, they lacked the final touch to put the ball away, thats something that's not easy to find. -
they had only one clear chance which drogba missed.
the villa keeper did not make any saves throughout the match. -
What's happening to Chelsea!?
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Aston Villa 0 Chelsea 0Originally posted by Parka: What's happening to Chelsea!?
After naming and shaming his underachievers last weekend, Jose Mourinho can add a few more to his roguesÂ’ gallery after ChelseaÂ’s failure to capitalise on Manchester UnitedÂ’s slip-up the previous day.
Sir Alex FergusonÂ’s side dangled an almighty carrot in front of the Premiership champions after the 2-2 draw against Newcastle, but Chelsea are choking under pressure.
They could have closed to bridge the gap with United to just four points had they won last night, but failed to seize the chance against Martin OÂ’NeillÂ’s well-disciplined side.
The champions drew for the third successive game and, although they had their chances, they couldnÂ’t find a way past VillaÂ’s on-loan goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.
Didier DrogbaÂ’s goals have been carrying Chelsea through a difficult period, and he should have added to his impressive haul in the seventh minute when he was left unmarked at the back post.
Drogba, who has scored 13 times for Chelsea in the Premiership this season, was lurking at the back post, and the Ivory Coast striker should have buried EssienÂ’s cross, but he volleyed over.
Despite being without a win in the Premiership since mid-November, Villa played without fear.
Although their defence creaked whenever Chelsea launched their frequent attacks, Gavin McCann and Stiliyan Petrov knitted together perfectly in the middle of the home midfield. Even when Chelsea got beyond the first man, Villa always had someone spare at the back.
They kept a close watch on Lampard, the source of ChelseaÂ’s attacking thrusts, and burst forward whenever they could. Petrov, one of the bargains of the season when signed from Celtic in the summer, provided the subtlety and McCann mopped up everything that came through the middle. -
i tot we could have done better, baros should have come on earlier for petrov who's been non existent attacking wise again.....should've kept davis on and maybe after this i hope bouma finally cement his place at left back......Originally posted by zocoss:Wow... wasn't expecting this chelsea result... cos among all their games for the holiday period, Wigan away, Reading & Fulham at home... this was the one i least expect them to drop points... No disrespect to villa but they have not won for 9 games already and lost their last 4... No one would give them a chance getting anything against chelsea. Then again, like Steve McMahon said: On paper blue had the better team but football wasn't fought on paper is it...
Villa showed real determination in the second half... even without their captain Berry who was suspended for this match.
I guess The man who was death, the only Villa fan i know in the forum to date should be pleased with this performance...
Venue: Villa Park
Attendance: 41,006 -
at least they didnt concede
and i tot henry was injured??
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It was mentioned earlier that he could make a comeback in Jan what...Originally posted by used:at least they didnt concede
and i tot henry was injured??
And yeah Bouma really did good yesterday... taking on Essien.
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when i see essien i think of keane.
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Not many interested in Arsenal.
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If u interested in Arsenal. Go to my soccer forum (link at my siggy) and find that Arsenal thread there. hehe.Originally posted by M©+square:Not many interested in Arsenal. -
? why?Originally posted by dragg:when i see essien i think of keane. -
chelsea's most wretched performance yet under Mourinho since he took over in 2004. never seen such an awful performance from chelsea, maybe missing 2 many players thru injuries and suspension.
no width, no wingplay cos robben and cole is out, SWP and Kalou, such terrible performances from them. -
haiz chelsea. congrats arsenal
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they have a lot of things in common.Originally posted by finoq:? why?
hard tackling, fierce personality, always very eager to attack.
i love both of them.
but essien is no doubt more dirty. -
Cannot just blame on missing injured players lah... Tactics and formation also might have played a little. Even with the team they had out yesterday, they could have easily bought a few teams with it... let alone A villa.Originally posted by marcteng:chelsea's most wretched performance yet under Mourinho since he took over in 2004. never seen such an awful performance from chelsea, maybe missing 2 many players thru injuries and suspension.
no width, no wingplay cos robben and cole is out, SWP and Kalou, such terrible performances from them.
Hilario ? $$$
Ferreira $ 13.2m
Boulahrouz $8.5m
Carvalho $19.85m
Ashley Cole $20m
Wright-Phillips $21m
Essien $23m
Makelele $16.6m
Lampard value $20m
Kalou $8m
Drogba $24m
Subs:
Shevchenko $30.8m
Mikel $16m
Geremi ? $$$
= $220.95 million. -
I dun think Essien is as good as Keane, not at least so far from what I have seen him play.Originally posted by dragg:when i see essien i think of keane.
Keane was already a very good player at Forest b4 forest was relegated in 92 season and they were forced to sell him.
He became an even better player when he joined Man U in 1993. He is a box to box player, tackle like a tiger, score quite a fair bit of important goals, but not as much as scholes scoring record. Quite like the Steven Gerrard type of player.
Sometimes keane also plays the role of playmaker when he need to.
As for Essien, he is a defensive midfielder in the mould of Makelele, not quite the box to box midfielder and playmaker type. -
One thing more Keane was also a leader on the field too. A far better one than Terry is today to chelsea.