English Premier League: Winners of the fourth league weekend – Part 1
Another league weekend and more surprises and disappointments all around, it was a fantastic run of games as the English Premier League resumed after two weeks of international break. Club football brought about a fresh air of attacking football as International football’s monotonous tactical nature clouded the footballing atmosphere for the last two weeks.
Perhaps the most prominent (yet again) and the biggest (yet again) winners of the weekend were Chelsea. Chelsea under Jose Mourinho were effective, Chelsea under Mourinho were ruthless. 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 league seasons were dominated by Jose’s Blues but they never really won over the neutrals due to the Portuguese managers conservative tactics. So when Manchester United won three titles in a row from 2006-2009, it was quite enjoyable for the undecided viewers.
However, in 2009-2010 came Carlo Ancelloti. Many in English football thought that Carlo would bring about his Italian style of effective formations and tenacious defending but Ancelloti’s Chelsea have been much more pleasing on the eye than Avram Grants or Mourinho’s teams. He has brought in a caravan of creativeness, something that one didn’t associate with Chelsea before the 2009-2010 season. Grappling the title away from Ferguson’s United in 2009 gave Ancelloti a boost of credibility and most importantly respect.
His Chelsea team in the 2010-2011 season thus far has epitomized that sense of flair and guile. The Blues won first two games of the English Premier League with a barrage of goals, the next one against Stoke was won by a two goal margin and now more recently, West Ham United were put to the sword by the John Terry led Chelsea as Michael Essien and Co. powered three past the despairing Robert Green. These are indeed green days for Chelsea and such a start of to the season which has consisted of 4 wins from 4 matches has put pressure on Arsenal and United to keep pace with the Blue juggernaut.
If this wasn’t enough, Chelsea have shed their old tag of boring football and given themselves a new identity by off loading the likes of Michael Ballack, Juliano Belletti and Deco. With Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard not only do they have a strong spine to the team but Ramirez has provided them with a much needed young versatile back up for their ageing group of stars.
The London giants have already confirmed themselves as firm favourites for the 2010-2011 Premier League title and when one looks at the facts and acknowledges that each of their three previous Premier League titles was won with conviction and with a successful start to the season. In 2009-2010 Chelsea won all of their six opening encounters in the English league, in 2005-2006 season, they won their first nine and in 2004-2005 Chelsea gathered thirty two points of the total thirty nine available to them before the middle of November.
An individual who has been the difference maker for Chelsea so far in the new season is Essien. Last season the box to box Ghanaian midfielder was absent with a knee, therefore this season he is just like a new signing for the Blues. The most impressive fact about Essien’s performances for Chelsea has been that he didn’t even let the rest of his team mates feel the absence of their midfield maestro, Frank Lampard. He filled with two crucial goals against West Ham with two great headers.
Michael usually plays in a withdrawn position for Chelsea but his uncanny knack of getting goals whenever he pushes forward is a signal to the club’s coaching staff that when they consider replacements for Lampard, one might be present at the club already and might be the ex-Lyon midfielder.
Some questions though still remain evident about Chelsea. With the Champions League starting in midweek will their squad be able to cope with the pressure of competing on different fronts? Will stars like Drogba, Terry, Lampard and Anelka remain fit enough and perform at the highest level of form with the games coming thick and fast? These factors might define whether Chelsea conquer this season or be conquered as a result of their thin squad strength.
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