EPL News: Carlo Ancelloti praises team after loss to Liverpool and confirms Michael Essien’s injury woes
Carlo Ancelloti, Chelsea’s first team manager has come out in a positive manner despite the fact that his team lost by two goals to nil against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. It was Chelsea’s second defeat of the season as their first loss came a few weeks
ago against Manchester City at the East Lands stadium in Manchester. Nonetheless, it was an interesting match which saw Fernando Torres return to form in fantastic fashion as the Spanish striker bagged both of Liverpool’s goals to fire the red to an historic
win against the English champions.
Chelsea started without their star striker, Didier Drogba who was suffering from a lack of fitness due to a fever he had caught a night before the match as Carlo Ancelloti went with Nicolas Anelka as the Blues’ main striker. Both of Fernando Torres’s goals
came in the first half of the match which saw Liverpool match Chelsea stride for stride. Drogba’s introduction came in the second half of the match for Chelsea but in the end, the Ivoirian’s impact was not sufficient enough to spark a Blue comeback in the
red half of Liverpool.
Carlo spoke about the game after the match to the media as he said, "Obviously the result is not good but the performance in the second half was really better and I am happy to see my team play like they played in the second half. I think we had strong pressure
in the second half and we deserved to score because we did a fantastic job in their half but we were unlucky not to score.”
Carlo was appreciative of Fernando Torres and his team mate Pepe Reina as well, as the two Spaniards were Liverpool’s standout performers on the night. In the second half, Reina made two amazing saves to deny Chelsea a route back into the game. The Italian
manager said, “Reina is a fantastic goalkeeper and he saved some opportunities, defensively all the players played for the team and for this reason they deserved to win. He scored two fantastic goals and he showed he was fit and has come back from not a good
moment. He is a fantastic striker,"
Carlo went onto comment on his team’s performance as he said, "We didn't play quick in the first half; we didn't have time to build play from the back and we didn't have the possibility to find space in the opponents' half. Liverpool defended very well in
the first half and counter-attacked, scoring two fantastic goals. For us it was very difficult to get back in the game. The second half was better when we played with strong intensity and had opportunities but it was not enough because Liverpool defensively
played well for 90 minutes. To come here and lose can happen but we have to be positive, we played a fantastic game in the second half. We are still top of the table. It is impossible to win every game and sometimes you lose but the team showed the same mentality
and strength. We don't have to react; we have to win the next game."
Ancelloti concluded by remarking on Michael Essien’s probable return to fitness for Chelsea’s next match in the English Premier League against Fulham. The Blues’ midfielder was missed the match against Liverpool. Carlo said, "He had a problem in the last
game in the Premier League on his toe and was not able [to play], I hope Wednesday he will be able to play." He concluded by saying, "Drogba had a fever last night and so was not fit 100 per cent, so I decided to put him [on] just for one part of the game."
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