Champions Chelsea left standing at the final bell
The celebrations went on long into the night in west London, and after the dust had settled, the presentation stage dismantled, and the tickertape cleared, Chelsea were left with only the memories of a golden season – well, that a few severe hangovers.
Champions for the third time in six years, for the first time under Carlo Ancelotti – and at the Italian’s first attempt too – few can deny that the Blues are worthy winners. They were the most consistent team in an inconsistent season, but when they clicked they were simply thrilling to watch.
It wasn’t the eight goals that they put past a 10-man Wigan Athletic on Sunday afternoon that won the title, but they were a fine example of the often rampant football of a team who, when they want to, can absolutely destroy the majority of the sides in the division.
They hit the back of the net a record 103 times throughout the campaign, scoring seven or more in a game on four separate occasions. Didier Drogba was the division’s top goalscorer, Frank Lampard its’ top goal maker, while they beat Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool both home and away.
Yet they still only finished on 86 points.
It was the lowest winning margin for seven years, and ensured that Chelsea – often this swaggering, unstoppable force – finished on the same amount of points as runners-up Liverpool did last season, and the Reds were hardly remembered for long.
Their margin indicates an increased competitiveness throughout the campaign. Chelsea may have steamrollered the rest of last season’s top four, but they lost home and away to Manchester City, and were defeated at Everton, Aston Villa and Wigan. They only drew five times but that included ties at Blackburn, Hull and West Ham.
Yet everyone was doing that. As Chelsea managed to keep their squad together over last summer, the perceived wisdom was that the rest of the title contenders had got weaker – Liverpool spectacularly so – and so as the league panned out, the heavyweights were heavily rocked by more shuddering blows than usual.
The Blues are rightly being lauded today, but they only finished one point ahead of Manchester United in the end, that one point difference probably down the their powers of recovery more than anything.
They may have scored seven goals at home to Sunderland, Aston Villa and Stoke and eight against Wigan, but those wins still only produced three points each time. The flair and rampaging attacking qualities they produced in them merely won them style points from observers.
Drogba, Lampard, Florent Malouda, Nicolas Anelka, Salomon Kalou. All have demonstrated their bewildering attacking qualities throughout the campaign and all deserve their medals today.
But the real praise must surely lie with Ancelotti, who has guided his team with good grace and honesty throughout the campaign, making what had seemed like an impossible job – he’s not José Mourinho after all – look easy at times.
He and Chelsea are champions today, the last heavyweights standing in a season that seen the established elite frequently challenged by up and coming forces.
They are worthy champions, but the next task is to retain their crown.
Ancelotti will already be thinking about that, when the hangover wears off.
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