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In Europe’s elite again – and did you see those Chelsea jitters?
AND so once again, it’s official: Arsenal – with Kieran Gibbs and Emmanuel Eboué at full back – are in the top four teams in the whole of Europe. They find themselves in the elite quartet after brushing aside Villareal.
Down to the final knockings, it’s the Gunners, Thierry’s mob Barcelona, Man United and Chelsea, who will still be pinching themselves that they are actually in the final four.
To think, there was Ashley Cole telling us that Liverpool were lucky not to be beaten by five in the first match. His cocky team of money-grabbing mercenaries were laughing on the other side of the cheek as, even in defeat, Liverpool appeared the classier team, fighting back against the odds. I saw fear in those Chelsea eyes as their lead almost completely evaporated.
In fact we all did, as ITV gave us the pleasure of watching their recently formed army of fans (with their free flags) frantically chewing through their nails until very late in the night. Frank Lampard was their hero and he celebrated with that lovely pump-action gesture. His goals belie the fact that it is his midfield partner Michael Essien who makes Chelsea look so strong in the final furlong. While Essien was out, Lampard oversaw a series of disappointing results. As soon as Essien comes back, Chelsea start winning. You do the math(s).
Unfortunately, Chelsea with Essien will probably be stronger than Arsenal with Gibbs at Wembley on Saturday. Here’s hoping for more jitters in blue shirts.
THE UEFA Shampeons Liig, as Steve McClaren refers to it in his flawless Dutch, is surprising us at every turn this season.
Not only did a bedraggled Arsenal side make it past the group stage, but now Chelsea and Liverpool, previously of 0-0 and 1-0 fame, have concocted an outrageous 7-5 thriller. No doubt it was an ingenious ploy to make us sit through another five years of defensive, apparently tactical tedium.
This goal glut, however, must be savoured. Both sides scored brilliant goals and conceded freely, while Ashley Cole got suspended for Chelsea’s game against Barcelona. It was almost the perfect football match, apart from Didier Drogba’s even more arrogant than usual display, and from the fact Chelski won.
Of course, Spurs shrewdly decided to finish 11th last year so that our players would get time mid-week to hang out with Danielle Lloyd in high-end Essex establishments.
Having comfortably beaten both Liverpool and Chelsea this season we’ve shown ourselves easily capable of dominating the Shampeons Liig and so will once again finish comfortably outside qualification to enjoy a mid-week booth at Faces.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are still struggling to affirm their status, as Emmanuel Adebayor cruelly observed: “If you want to be a big club, you have to win things”. Well, there’s always next season’s Europa League. |
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