Chelsea end United’s defence

Article by Lee Beevor

A Samuel Eto’o hat-trick put an end to any lingering hopes of Manchester United re-entering the title race. It leaves them a massive fourteen points behind Arsenal, with six teams separating them and the summit of the table. No doubt their supporters will hate reading this, but perhaps the defeat will ease the pressure on their beleaguered team. For now they can forget about retaining their title and instead concentrate on the more achievable aim of fourth place. To do so they need only to recover a six point deficit and overhaul slightly less formidable opposition.

The trio at the top are a class apart from the group below them, with this result a perfect illustration. Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea are all showing the traits associated with champions. All are showing increased defensive solidity than earlier in the season and are grinding out wins on their increasingly rare off days. I had expected Arsenal to fade away, but it seems they are there for the long haul.

Returning to the game itself, Chelsea were victorious due to superior mental strength and a little help from United’s soft centre. Both Jones and Vidic were at fault in each of the home side’s goals. For the opener they were unlucky on the deflection, but Jones committed the unforgivable sin of allowing Eto’o to come inside him. For the second, both centre backs were nowhere to be seen, allowing the Cameroonian acres of space at the edge of the six yard box, where there should be none. The third was a well worked set piece, with Cahill eluding Jones to make a strong header, from which the striker pounced for his hat-trick.

Turning to the intangible element of belief and confidence, it was noticeable how this drained out of United. By contrast, Chelsea was totally at ease from the moment they went in front. Once ahead, it was always likely that we would pick them off on the break, as Willian in particular surged out of defence. He has been inspirational of late, with his tireless work rate and strong running allied to his ability to pick a pass. With Oscar and Hazard also tackling and harrying relentlessly, it is clear the players are totally comfortable with what is expected of them when the opposition is in possession.

The spirit Mourinho is renowned for instilling in his troops is clearly visible in this 2014 Chelsea. The majority of the squad are totally onboard with his philosophies and appear completely committed to the cause. Today marked the return to fitness of Branislav Ivanovic, who was immediately restored to his position on the right side of the defence. This was bad news for Ashley Cole, who was benched in favour of Cesar Azpilicueta, who moved across to the left. More than anything that has happened before; this confirms Mourinho’s preferred back four as Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry and Azpilicueta.

Not that this unit looked exactly watertight, with space afforded in the central area a little too often for my liking. I suspect this will be rectified when the last piece of the puzzle, Nemanja Matic, slots in alongside Ramires to provide a higher level of protection. Matic made his second Chelsea debut when the match was effectively over, but the ten minute spell on the pitch should help him ease his way gently into the side.

Ahead of him, all looks well, with Hazard, Oscar and Willian looking awesome. Today Willian was the pick, but they will all have their day and to contain all three for ninety minutes is almost impossible. As centre forward, Samuel Eto’o has lost much of his electric pace, but none of his awareness around the penalty area. His ability to sniff a chance, as shown in his steal against Southampton and for his second and third against United, are reasons for optimism. He still looks some way short of maximum fitness, but has sharpened up considerably since his arrival from Anzhi. This is just as well, as it seems Mourinho is to make do with either he or Torres until the end of the season.

In conclusion, all is pretty positive at the Bridge. By contrast, United turn their attentions to a midweek League cup semi-final against Sunderland. Should they prevail, this will set up a Manchester derby in March’s Wembley final. On the evidence of this match, it could be another embarrassing day for those in the red half of the stadium!

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