Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea: goals change games
In the end, Chelsea were comfortable, and effectively won the title today against a poor, tired Liverpool side that didn’t get a shot on target until the 91st minute of the match – but Liverpool had started the stronger.
The home side were without their regular full-backs, and chose to deploy Javier Mascherano at right-back, and Daniel Agger at left-back. Alberto Aquilani started as the most advanced of the three midfield players.
Chelsea used the same shape as in their 7-0 defeat of Stoke – a fluid 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 system where the forward players rotated throughout. Branislav Ivanovic was in at right-back, and Michael Ballack took the deep-lying midfield role.
The offensive slants of both midfields resulted in an enjoyable, attacking game in the opening half hour. Of the six players in the central midfield zone, only Lucas would be categorized as a ‘holding’ midfielder. The absence of Michael Essien, Jon Obi Mikel and Javier Mascherano from that zone created a game easy on the eye, especially considering how tight many of the games between these two have been in recent years.
With Florent Malouda and Frank Lampard getting into advanced positions, Michael Ballack was slightly overrun in midfield – on more than one occasion he was forced into ‘cynical’ fouls in the centre of the pitch, and Liverpool had considerable space in front of the Chelsea defence – Lucas, Aquilani and Yossi Benayoun all got into good positions, but all missed the target – Aquilani coming closest, scraping the bar.
Liverpool’s relative lack of pace in advanced positions meant Chelsea played a highish line, although this made it easier for Liverpool to get their midfield players forward in support of Dirk Kuyt, who as ever worked hard but didn’t have a great game. Chelsea’s front players weren’t tested enough defensively - Agger and Mascherano were (as you might expect) not a considerable attacking force. Mascherano got forward but his delivery into the box was poor, whilst Agger was the opposite – comfortable in possession but not willing to hug the touchline.
This Chalkboard shows how Mascherano got forward manfully, but his crossing was awful:
So, Liverpool were dominating the game without ever looking too threatening, until Steven Gerrard’s crazy backpass let Didier Drogba for the opening goal. And after that, Liverpool suddenly collapsed. Their passing was slower, Aquilani stopped being an influence on the game and Gerrard didn’t manage to atone for his error, and Chelsea could have been 3-0 up before half-time, when first Lampard and then Kalou found themselves in goalscoring positions.
Liverpool were forced to replace the injured Maxi Rodriguez with Ryan Babel just before half-time. In theory this was a helpful change – Babel’s pace was exactly what Liverpool were crying out for, but he struggled to receive the ball from Liverpool’s midfielders, and couldn’t test Chelsea’s full-backs.
Nicolas Anelka had a quiet game but still found the space to roll the ball across the six-yard box for Lampard to slide in and convert, and the game was effectively over. Chelsea attacked more cautiously after that, but still looked the more likely side to score.
Ancelotti, then, has (almost) won the Premiership despite the fact he hasn’t really found his best formation. Having used a 4-4-2 diamond, a 4-3-2-1, a standard 4-3-3 and a 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 hybrid at various points throughout the campaign, we’re left wondering quite what Chelsea’s best shape is. Questions still remain about whether Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka can play together in the same side – but Ancelotti’s achievement has been to bring the best out of Drogba, Lampard and Malouda at various points in the campaign. Many expected Ancelotti’s side to be defensive, solid and consistent – perhaps boring their way to the title – but they have actually turned out to be attack-minded, fluid and patchy. Very unItalian.
If Chelsea win next week, they will win the title with 86 points – the lowest total for the champions since 2002/03. It has not been a glorious season and this is not a glorious Chelsea side, but Ancelotti deserves immense credit for winning the title in his first season. The switch from Serie A to the Premiership is not easy, and let’s remember – Ancelotti will be only the fifth manager in Premiership history to win the title.
Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea: goals change games
Perhaps not finding a best formation suits Ancelotti, he can mix and match formation and personnel depending on the situation. FA Cup Final, leading the league going into the last day, lost in the CL to the favorite in the final… I’d say its been quite a good year for Carlo.
Can’t wait to see if he makes an overhaul of the squad this summer, but with the group he used in Milan, I’d say he’ll only make a few minor changes (excluding the Aguero deal)
I agree; Mourinho has said that in Italy he is constantly having to adjust his formations even when up against smaller teams since the tactical game there is so micro-managed, almost like a chess game. No wonder Ancelotti brings this approach to the Premier League.
Of course, many pundits may interpret this as a sign of equivocation or weak-mindedness, but I think Ancelotti has gone about these changes quite coherently.
Ranieri was derided for this approach at Chelsea before helping them to second place. English football is getting more open minded, but the average pundit/bar stool fan/manager is still mired in 4-4-2 and three channels to play in.
Maybe this will rub off in the Premier League. As much as I love Arsenal’s fluid play, I really wish we’d change it up from time to time. I think part of the reason we lose to lesser teams like 3 or 4 times a season is because it’s obvious what our plan is and our formation will be, so if you defend deep and narrow, we can’t pass it through you. Sometimes I just wish we lined up 4-4-2 and played direct, just to confuse everyone lol.
But Arsenal’s problem this season has not been one of dropping points against lesser sides. Their problem is that they have lost all games against the other title contenders, Chelsea and United. If you take away these four games, Arsenal would be top of the table. The fact is, they have managed to overcome teams defending deep an narrow. But they have been overpowered (and outsmarted) by the best sides.
you could just as easily say that if Arsenal had won in place of losses to Spurs, City and Wigan, and/or converted draws at City, Everton etc. into wins they would be top and their performance against “top sides” wouldn’t matter.
There’s an element of both. Which is why Wenger’s approach needs to be to both bolster the quality of the squad, but also to develop an ability to play in different ways. Arsenal are far too predictable in the way they play.
Arsenal need to learn how to “shut up shop” for starters. That way they’d be better at defending leads (Chelsea and Man Utd are far better at this than Arsenal) but also could play a counter-attacking style against opposition like Chelsea, Man Utd and Barcelona.
A second tactical option for Wenger to develop has to be a crossing game to counter narrow tactics. There’s no shortage of height (Van Persie, Bendtner, Chamakh and Diaby) but the players don’t often make runs into the box, and when they do, the delivery is off. Wenger needs to drill this sort of play into the players in training.
Of course the squad needs to be improved too, both with increased numbers (so injuries can be adequately coped with) and greater quality and experience (more players like Van Persie and Sol Campbell, less players like Carlos Vela and Mikel Silvestre).
Correct me if I’m wrong but won’t Chelsea beat the goal-scoring record in the Premiership history if their side scores 3 goals against Wigan?
actually the highest record of goal scored in premier league is 128 goals by aston villa.
see this http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=767213&sec=soccernet.com&root=soccernet.com&cc=3888
filipe is right. while the record for goals scored in the top division in one season is indeed 128, ariston, the page you quote specifically mentions (at the same time) that the premiership record is 97.
That wasn’t in the Premier League.
the whole concept Frayed and ZM rely on here is whack. The top league in the country is the top league in the country, and discriminating between when the leagues/levels/clubs used to be in it together and when the rich clubs decided “Fuck all y’all, we’re out for the loot” seems a distinction without a difference, meaningless for the purpose of statistical records. Of course there is a big, meaningful difference in how much you can respect English football on a larger level before and after the PL, but maybe we shouldn’t ruin a nice blog by getting into politics.
Well it isn’t whack as the Aston Villa side of that time had four more games to make a record :p. Although I know Chelsea still probably wouldn’t break that record with four more games but I thought I’d just make that point.
I really don’t understand why many people’s assumption was that Ancelotti was a boring, defensive manager – after all, he managed a Milan side that would play Pirlo, Seedorf, Kaka, Shevchenko, Inzaghi plus Cafu and Maldini as attacking full-backs, all at the same time!
Milan might’ve played an attacking-brand of football compared to other Italian teams, but they certainly relied on their defence first and foremost. And Maldini was hardly an attacking-fullback when Ancelotti coached Milan. He played mostly as a centre-back.
yeah that first goal did change the complexion of the game. and yeah Ancelotti will most probably lift the trophy next week. but aren’t we forgetting something?
what the heck was Gerrard up to?
As a ManU fan, I in no way question his intentions regarding the poor back pass…merely a mistake and nothing else; but his lack of drive to atone for his uncharacteristic error is a sign of resignation and burn-out. Let’s hope it does carry over to the World Cup!!!
I’ve got a funny feeling that Stevie G’s hilarious/terrible backpass wasn’t simply a mistake; hes done it before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOIzXEdVDa0
After all, if he hadn’t made that ‘mistake’, United would (most likely) have won the title, overtaking Liverpool’s record of 18-which would be absolutely horrible for Liverpool.
A very strange game all round really. Liverpool started the brighter but the crowd at Anfield seemed to be locked into a “we don’t really care what happens” philosophy and this appeared to be transmitted to the players after Gerrard’s mistake. At one point the commentary team for Super Sports mentioned that you can even hear an airplane droning overhead – not exactly a cauldron atmosphere!
All in all, as a Chelsea fan, I can only be pleased with the result even if the performance was pretty patchy for a potentially title winning game. Still work to be done at Wigan but it is looking like Carlo will have a very successful first season. If they hit 5 against Wigan they will also hit that magic 100 goal mark…
I have been a long-time admirer of Ancelotti and was very pleased when he was appointed to the Chelsea job. Almost immediately I noticed a change in mentality where fluidity of movement, as opposed to focusing on shape, was the key difference. I like the fact that he has chopped and changed the system throughout the season and has included players according to when they are playing well rather than just sticking to his guns. He has made good decisions, like leaving Drogba out of the starting lineup when visiting Old Trafford, but also looked out of sorts when trying to influence the Inter game at Stamford Bridge (but then again so did Guardiola at the Camp Nou).
It will be interesting to see what Ancelotti does next season. Perhaps he will settle on a single system or perhaps he will be seen to change his shape according to the match as seen this. I am also looking forward to young players being given the chance to develop, which may impact on how Chelsea play.
As an above poster mentioned the idea that Ancelotti would be defensive because he is Italian is a bit of a misnomer. His Milan side of 2002-07 was a joy of movement and attacking intent as amply illustrated in ZM’s “Sides of the Decade” article.
Mascherano was absolutely awful today. He showed on thursday that he is clearly not a right back with a dreadful performance, which I did not think he could worsen, yet I was unfortunately wrong. Chelsea clearly targeted him, definately favouring their left hand side with malouda/kalou constantly getting the better of mascherano. Not only was his positioning awful (which is perhaps understandable seeing as he was playing out of position) but he just couldn’t seem to tackle. His crossing, as mentioned by ZM, was also atrocious.
This was highlighted on thursday when he was poor, at fault for atletico’s goal, so why benitez insisted on playing him instead of degen, I do not know. Yet another example of Benitez’s poor personnel decisions, which I hope, as a Liverpool fan, that will be repeated at most only once more…
First of all, Degen can’t defend. If you can’t see that then I suggest you go and look at some of his performances. He plays like an out of place winger, when he should be playing right back. Johnson was injured, so was Kelly, who would probably be our first choice right backs. Skrtel, Aurelio and Insua was out as well (5 defenders that is). I dont know if you noticed, but Ayala made up the rest of our defense, that says it all really. Then Carra also went off injured, which left the 4th and 5th choice CB’s on the field, with one of the first choice CB’s covering on the left.
I didn’t watch the whole game, but if you have 5 defenders out injured and your first choice CB limping off in the game which brought the total to 6, most of the others also being first or second choice, meaning that we had a second string defensive line up, similar to the ones played in the league cup, then you can hardly put that down as bad management or decisions. More rightly it is bad luck. Maybe we should never have sold Murphy, cos with him went most of our luck
, but as ever things are always clearer with hindsight.
Granted liverpool did have a lot of injury worries, but playing mascherano out of position was not going to help, becuase not only did he play badly at right-back, we lost his ball winning ability in the centre of midfield, where lucas once again proved he is not a holding player.
I no degen may not look like a proper right-back, but i would much rather him and a battling masch in midfield than masch at right-back and lucas once again struggling in midfield. The fact that masch showed on thursday that he cant play at right back is why im questioning benitez’s decision to stick with him.
Well if rumours of hodgson coming to liverpool are true, then maybe murphy will be come with him!
Agree totally regarding Mascherano’s deployment. I dont think you have to be the most tactically astute person in the world to realise that Lampard was given licence to roam without Mascherano in midfield to clog up that space in front of the box that the Englishman drifts into so well. Two prime examples being where Lampard found himself on the edge of the box with plenty of time to place his shot, only for him to somehow (very strangely) scuff both shots wide. Another day and they are hitting the back of the net.
How Rafa didn’t see this coming I’ll never know. Maybe he thought Lucas would somehow provide this cover.
I don’t rate Degan, though I doubt his crossing and postioning could have been much worse than Mascherano’s.
Given the circumstances, it was the best decision to put Mascherano at right back. Just turned out he had a bad game.
Not that strange. For all of Frank’s goalscoring exploits he actually takes a lot of shots on, and plenty are ballooned over the bar or scuffed wide.
He gets goals because he’s always getting into good positions and shoots on sight.
A strange game indeed. Even stranger to see Aquilani harrying and snapping at the heels of Chelsea’s players, a refreshing performance (if only for the first few minutes) compared to that of some of the other Liverpool players who seemed to be already on holiday.
I couldnt help but wonder if only Fernando Torres was fit, the impact he may have had on this game, especially the wonderful Gerrard cross that almost grazed the head of Maxi Rodriguez. How the Spanish hitman would eat that up!
The title is no doubt heading to Stamford Bridge this season and rightfully so. When Manchester United come to rely on a fatigued Liverpool to see us regain top spot, then things are getting desperate.
Credit to Ancelotti for getting the best from the players at his disposal, Malouda notably who has improved immensley.
Good point about Ancelotti getting the best out of Malouda where previous managers have failed to do so.
i think this game shouldnt be here at all, its just a roll over
holy geezus, is this the very “competitive” and “best league in the world” i keep hearing about? A league in which only 4 managers have EVER won the title, 5 if Ancelloti wins it this year? That can’t be right is it? That doesn’t make much sense. Only 5? Is this the total since the EPL came into existence in 1992?
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=english+premier+league+winners
Four of those five managers are Arsene Wenger, Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho.
Considering how much Wenger and Mourinho are sought after by leading clubs on the continent, and Ferguson and Ancelotti could probably walk into any job they wanted, it’s not exactly a bad stat.
This game yet again highlighted Ancelottis lack of ability when it comes to inspiring his players.
Chelsea have been running away with the league at least twice this season, only to be pegged back by insipid, boring uninspired performances.
I personnally doubt that Ancelloti is able to handle some of the egos on the team, at least compared to Mourihno and Hiddinck. OK its great to win (and I think we will), but it seems to me that neither Arsenal nor Manchester Utd are at their strongest this season.
Ancelloti’s handled big egos before. I think Chelsea’s “struggles” (I say that relatively, because winning the title, banging in 103 goals, an FA Cup final and going out to the favourites in the Champions League final is hardly struggling) are more to do with a squad that’s probably in need of some freshening.
Some players are growing stale and new signings will be more motivated to win trophies with their new club.
Chelsea will (rightly) start next season as favourites if they freshen the squad up. United and Arsenal are miles behind.
what is this “very UnItalian” nonsense? What, because the Italians value the defensive side of the game. Watch Palermo, Genoa, Sampdoria, Cagliari and Napoli and tell me Italians are defensive.
It was said in relation to the expectations of Ancelotti’s management style from the British media, which was basically “he’s Italian so he’ll be defensive”.
I’m more of a Serie A fan than a Premiership fan.
Как хорошо было Адаму: когда он произносил что-нибудь умное, он был уверен, что до него никто этого не говорил.
What a good thing Adam had. When he said a good thing, he knew nobody had said it before. (С) Twain
Думаю, Вы уловили к чему я привёл эту цитату…..