Deep into stoppage time on Saturday, Chelsea boss Jose
Mourinho stood on the edge of his technical area gesticulating more in hope
than anything else.
His Chelsea side had battled hard against an extremely
talented Everton team, and with 92 minutes gone the score was locked at 0-0.
Then Frank Lampard swung in a dipping free kick that John
Terry looked to have got a touch on, as U.S. international Tim Howard saw the
ball ricochet off his leg and into the back of the net to break Everton hearts.
Stamford Bridge erupted, Terry and Chelsea’s players wheeled away in jubilation
and Mourinho punched the air with delight.
Saturday’s late 1-0 win was Chelsea’s fifth clean sheet
in their last six games and stretched Mourinho’s unbeaten home record in the PL
to 74 games. While failing to play up the confidence boost a last-minute strike
will give his side in the title race, Mourinho lauded yet another top defensive
display.
“The team showed big stability, it was another great
defensive performance by the whole team,” Mourinho said. “It was the work of
everybody, the team is strong defensively. The defensive organization is really
strong.”
Chelsea skipper Terry returned to the team after missing
three games through injury, and the crucial goal was later awarded to Terry,
although it is likely to be examined by the dubious goals panel, as the fans
favorite came up with the goods at both ends of the field.
Throughout the match Terry and his central defensive
partner Gary Cahill look composed and solid. They both blocked superbly in the
first half, as Chelsea’s league best defense looked impenetrable for most of
the match as Cech only had one top save to make from Osman’s rasping long-range
effort in the first half. Across the board Chelsea’s defense threw themselves into
the action and really rolled up their sleeves, as they have done for much of
the season.
Chelsea’s captain has been instrumental for a team that’s
only conceded 21 goals all season but Mourinho waxed lyrical about his entire
defense.
“It is not just about John Terry, because the back four
all defended superbly,” Mourinho said. “When you have your captain, your voice,
he brings complete stability. Terry has a good partnership with Cahill. It was
good, we missed him after he has been out for three games.”
Mourinho is adamant his team will keep fighting to stay
top, and believes every slip up will be punished by those the chasing pack.
This is far from over.
“Today if we only have one point, if the teams behind us
win, we lose that position,” Mourinho said. “The difference is very small, you
win the game you keep the position. You lose the game you lose your position.
This is the reality. We just want to try to keep the position. Not to give
anything for free to our opponents, the position that is our position. We have
to fight, we have to play. To me the better feeling was that the players did
everything, the team wanted to win. We were the team that was really trying to
win. A point for us is not good. I think we deserved to win.”
After yet another defiant defensive display and a late
surge to score, Chelsea keep getting it done the same way. Grinding out wins is
the stuff of Champions.
Culled from Prosoccertalk
0 comments:
Post a Comment