The Blues took one step closer to winning the Premier League title after a goalless draw against Arsenal, and two wins will mathematically secure the title for Chelsea. PHOTO: AFP
Sunday’s scoreless draw with Arsenal was greeted with chants of “boring, boring Chelsea” from home fans at the Emirates Stadium, although the point gained took the Blues closer to claiming the Premier League title.
The taunts came after fresh scrutiny on Chelsea’s style of play following a run of narrow wins that have helped them establish a 10-point lead at the top of the table.
But Chelsea manager Mourinho said on Monday it was ridiculous to suggest his side lacked flair, pointing to a tally of 65 goals in 33 league games so far this season — a total bettered only by second-placed defending champions Manchester City, who have scored 70 goals in 34 games — as proof of the Blues’ attacking instincts.
“If we are boring, and if the number of goals is what decides if a team is good or bad, boring or not, then we have in the Premier League 18 teams who are more boring than us,” said Mourinho. “In this criteria, only Manchester City are a team with more quality than us, if football is about just the number of goals you score.”
Meanwhile Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger reckons there is not much difference between his side and Chelsea and was adamant that the Gunners’ existing squad was not far off closing the gap next term.
“Overall the team was at their top level again and we are a bit frustrated because we always score here [at the Emirates Stadium]. Not to score means you go home and think, ‘What happened?’,” said Wenger. “You could see that [there is] not a lot [between the teams]. We missed the first part of the season — after six games we had one win and Chelsea were already five or six points in front, that played a big part in the run-in.”
Lallana still has Champions League in sights
Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana has insisted the Reds have not given up hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Hull City.
A goalless draw at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday left Liverpool floundering in their bid for a Champions League spot but were helped out by local rivals Everton after the Toffees beat Manchester United 3-0 at Goodison Park on Sunday.
United remained fourth but are now just seven points ahead of Liverpool, having played a game more.
And Lallana believes that if Liverpool win all of their final five games of the season — starting with Tuesday’s clash at the KC Stadium — they could secure a top-four finish.
“We’ll dust ourselves down, go again, go to Hull and try to get three points to hopefully put as much pressure on the teams above us as possible,” said Lallana. “I still feel that if we pick up maximum points from the remaining games, we’ll be unlucky not to get into that fourth spot. It’s still possible and while it’s still possible, we’ll keep giving it our all.”
Published in The Express Tribune, April 28th, 2015.
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