EPL Recap: Chelsea lose ground, Newcastle move into top-half
It was another exciting Super Sunday in the English Premier League that saw Chelsea dropping further two points but Newcastle recorded a vital win over Wigan which sent Latics closer to relegation zone.
It was a pulsating encounter at the Stamford Bridge and a team that had previously conceded only 4 goals at their home ground in 19 encounters conceded 3 in one game as they could only conjure a draw against a spirited Aston Villa side.
In a drab first half, referee Lee Mason made a controversial decision of awarding the penalty kick when James Collins climbed all over Florent Malouda in the box. Frank Lampard made no mistake and scored his 10th goal against the Villains- the
most he has scored against any side in the league.
Just at the stroke of half time, the referee gave another penalty kick but rightfully so as Michael Essien’s mistimed tackle on Nigel Reo-Coker deserved nothing less. Ashley Young blasted his penalty past Petr Cech to restore parity in the game.
Apart from the two penalty incidents, the first half was devoid of any worthwhile moments as both the teams failed to create any chances. However, Villa were considerably better than their illustrious opponents but their profligacy in front of goal let them
down.
Just after the restart, Villa went ahead as some smart work on the wings gave Stuart Downing enough room to cross in the box and Emile Heskey nodded home from a close shot.
But two goals in the last 10 minutes from Chelsea looked to have salvaged a miraculous comeback for the hosts only to be pegged back by an injury-time equaliser by Kieron Clark.
Didier Drogba slalomed a powerful shot past 4 defenders from close range to equalise for the second time for Chelsea and just moments later, John Terry netted for the hosts in the 87th minute to spark wild celebrations across Stamford Bridge but
there was still enough time left for some late drama in the game.
In the dying seconds of the game, Mark Albrighton fooled two defenders before looping a high ball into the box and Clark masterfully beat the offside trap to nod home from close range and leave the 50,000 fans in London gobsmacked.
It was an extraordinary conclusion to the game that brought back memories of the 2007 Boxing Day clash between the two sides when the match ended in a 4-4 stalemate.
Chelsea are now 6 points adrift of leaders Manchester United, having played a game more. They have also slipped a place further to number five.
In another match at the DW Stadium in the northwest of England, a first-half tap in by Shola Ameobi was enough to earn Newcastle a hard-earned win against Wigan.
Ameobi was only playing in the game because an injury kept the Newcastle’s leading goal scorer Andy Carroll out, but he justified his selection by scoring the winner.
Ameobi was the first one to react in a packed Wigan box when Ali Al Habsi blocked Joey Barton’s initial attempt.
The win was a welcome start for the new year for Alan Pardew’s side who had lost two consecutive matches but have now moved into the top-half of the table with 3 points at the DW Stadium.
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