10 things we learn on Sunday
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Didier Drogba is sublime and ridiculous, plus nine other things we learned from watching Chelsea v Liverpool
Two of the Big Four locked horns at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon in what, to be fair, was not a classic. But what did we learn from it all, ask Ian Cruise and Steve Anglesey?
1) Is Fabio Capello the new Sven Goran Eriksson? The Swede was reckoned to have a body double when he first moved to England such was the volume of matches he watched. Well, Mr Capello managed two yesterday as he saw both Arsenal-Blackburn and Chelsea-Liverpool. So over the next 12-18 months or so, expect him to have an affair with an FA receptionist, oversee inglorious failure in South Africa next summer and then rock up at League Two Burton Albion as the new soccer Czar.
2) Talking of Capello, how the hell did he manage to get from north to west London in about 45 minutes - a genuine feat at the best of times, as anyone who's ever tried it will tell you.
3) Liverpool have long been regarded as a two-man team. Judging by Sunday's display, those maths might be a bit optimistic. Can Liverpool's fans, manager and - most importantly - owners really expect them to mount a serious title challenge while they trail in quality of personnel? Only three players - Gerrard, Torres and Reina - would have made Sunday's Chelsea starting line-up and the same will be true when the Reds play Manchester United in three weeks' time.
4) It didn't help that Liverpool's crucial three were all off colour at Stamford Bridge. And it doesn't help their Premier League aspirations that, arguably, Manchester City are also now well clear of them in a head-to-head talent count.
5) Patrick Vieira was in the crowd at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea and Liverpool huffed and puffed their way through a pretty uninspiring 90 minutes. His mate, Thierry Henry, was at Arsenal to see them hump Blackburn 6-2 in a masterclass of passing football. Merde!
6) Didier Drogba's ball in for Nicolas Anelka's goal - sublime. Amount of time spent by Didier Drogba writhing on the floor - ridiculous. The invisible west London sniper strikes again.
7) David Pleat, released by ITV in pre-season, is back as an analyst with Five Live. And bless him, he still appears to believe Liverpool's Israeli midfielder is called Benny Noon!
8) Pepe Reina' all-yellow kit was something of an eyesore. But it was Jamie Carragher who was left looking a lemon on another uncomfortable afternoon. He was found wanting as Anelka ghosted away from him for the first goal, and then made to look a mug by Drogba as he created the second. We asked the question last week, but has Carra really lost it?
9) Are Frank Lampard's new responsibilities in the Chelsea midfield really benefiting him or the team? Or England? In a World Cup season, Lampard is no longer arriving late to penalty box situations as he has done so successfully over the past eight seasons and as a result, has scored only once this season from open play - and that was for England against Croatia.
10) The last team to win the title after losing three of its first eight games was Manchester United in 1966-67 - a massive 43 years ago. Liverpool will not be joining them on that list.