Chelsea might have walked away 1-0 victors and opened up a 5 point gap over reigning champions Manchester United but the game was marred by some poor refereeing and a whole lot of ill-will.
The game was always going to be feisty, Chelsea play a very physical game and have the bodies to match up with anyone in world football while United won’t shy away from a fight.
Such a pity as both sides can play beautiful football when they aren’t preoccupied with systematically hacking their opponents down.
Ivanovic was the first of six bookings in this charged up contest, his tackle on Giggs which made contact with the Welshman’s knee as he was breaking down the left wing was appalling, the reaction of German captain Ballack to the booking even more so.
He protested Martin Atkinson’s decision with a selection of words that any amateur lip-reader could recognise right in the official’s face while on the sidelines Carlo Ancelotti and Ray Wilkins expressed their displeasure, indicating they thought Sir Alex Ferguson had played his part in the booking.
The next card was the biggest farce of the EPL season so far. Drogba and Evans “contested” a high ball just inside the box. Evans did his best Cantona-Impression catching the Ivorian, quite cynically and deliberately in the chest.
Drogba may have a history of going to ground too easily and of making a big deal of minor knocks but he certainly was well within his rights to remain on the ground after this challenge.
The Ivorian could have had broken ribs and possibly even sustained internal damage such was the force of the blow but the referee, in what is surely the single biggest stuff up of the season showed Drogba yellow and let Evans off scot-free when justice would have been a red card to Evans and a penalty to Chelsea.
Perhaps realising his mistake Atkinson gave a very marginal free kick against Fletcher just minutes after while replays suggest the Scot won the ball.
Lampard’s delivery was good but United should have been able to defend it, indeed Wes Brown – who had a fine match – was perfectly positioned only for Drogba to foul him, the ball ended up in the back of the net and the protests began immediately from United culminating in a booking for Rooney which seemed strange as his were hardly the loudest of the complaining voices.
The goal didn’t really fan the flames; it was more like throwing a 44-gallon drum of petrol on to the fire.
Carrick clipped Essien, Joe Cole hit Fletcher in the head off the ball, Evans went through the back of Carvalho, the fouls came thick and fast but the referee had long since lost control, he couldn’t book everyone but he couldn’t stop the fouls either.
Ballack was probably the worst offender, coming up against the raw pace and core strength of Anderson the German’s old age showed as he repeatedly fouled United players.
Ivanovic wasn’t much better and nor were Carrick and Fletcher for United as they hacked at their opponents every chance they got.
Indeed some of the smaller players found it impossible to get into the game.
Deco, all 5’8 of him was unable to influence the match at all as the referee offered him no protection on the ball.
Patrice Evra who also stands at just 5’8 suffered a similar fate as he constantly bombed down the left flank only to be knocked off the ball, on one occasion he was thrust horizontal into the air in his attempt to dribble past Ivanovic, the referee just waved away his complaints and ordered play to go on.
What was so disappointing – apart from United’s defensive 4-5-1 – was the fact that this game was bound to turn out this way and yet the referee didn’t have control from the off.
Just because Howard Webb is overseas doesn’t mean England’s second and third best referees should be so poor and Atkinson is generally a good referee, he just had a very ordinary night.
Further, something must be done about the timekeeping issue.
After the Manchester derby the topic was bandied about in the press for a week and since then we still haven’t seen any consistency as Chelsea substituted Alex in time-added-on only for Atkinson to allow an extra 3 seconds.
Such a drab and violent affair between the two best teams in the land resulting in such an ugly game is no advertisement for the Premier League.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6u0DqWEpuA
Pippinu
Roar Guru
Just noticed that Crouch has vowed to stop his nightclubbing ways: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/soccer/crouch-vows-to-tidy-up-his-act/story-e6frey4r-1225796519621 This made me wonder: has he been doing his famous robot move out on the dance floor?
Knives Out
Guest
We shall have to wait and see. There's a long way to go yet. A few months ago who would have thought that Liverpool would be in dire straits in Europe as well as the league, for example? I really wouldn't fancy making any predictions just yet.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
KO, you are right, the top-of-the-table (although this was 1 vs 3) clashes rarely are free-flowing end-to-end matches, both teams are preoccupied with defending and ensuring they don't concede and regardless of the tactics used they are entertaining simply because of the skill on show. I disagree that United would have been dismantled if they had come to play. Generally they play a fluid 4-3-3 which turns to a 4-5-1 when defending as Rooney goes out to the left and Nani (Park, Valencia and previously C. Ronaldo) out to the right. Obviously without Ronaldo they have lost that menace that they had for the last two years, no matter the scoreline, with Ronaldo on the pitch one always had the impression that United were a chance of scoring. Ferguson's caution in playing a 4-5-1 from the off is against everything United stand for. If the Brum can go out in a 4-4-2 against Liverpool away from home there is no reason that United should be playing so defensive. If Ferguson doesn't reinvest the 80 Million from Ronaldo's sale next summer and pick up a true superstar (Ribery would suffice), the young squad that he built will go to waste and you can expect next season to be his last.
Knives Out
Guest
'Such a drab and violent affair between the two best teams in the land resulting in such an ugly game is no advertisement for the Premier League.' To an extent, I suppose, but in most sporting events contests at the very top are generally tense affairs. That's the nature of of the Premiership. It is undoubtedly a war of attrition, but entertaining nonetheless. Generally the match wasn't a great spectacle, which like you suggest was partly down to United's formation. However, had United come down to play football then I think they would have been dismantled. I was dissapointed that Cole was not selected ahead of Deco and I am pretty sure that whilst Ivanovic is a good centre back he is not a good fullback. Lampard's free kicks continue to infuriate, but not half as much as Drogba's play acting.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Ivanovic was outstandingly dirty yes. Giggs was lucky, that is the sort of tackle that can end a players career and just because it wasn't "full-blooded" doesn't make it any better, he went in, studs up and caught him on the knee, a terrible tackle.
The Bishop
Guest
Ivanovic was outstanding. He is getting better and better every match.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
fair enough, inconsistency ruins many matches because it prevents the game getting into a rhythm.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
Andy, noone got the rub of the green in this game. The foul on Brown for the goal was obvious, Carvalho could have had 4 yellows, Carrick could have had at least 2 maybe 3 and Ballack should have had a couple too with his ridiculous mouthing off (even more ironic as he speaks such crappy english for a German), Ivanovic was just plain dirty, I think Anderson and Deco were the only two players on the pitch genuinely interested in playing football. I'm not complaining about Drogba not getting a penalty but the terrible inconsistency.
AndyRoo
Roar Guru
If you have a history of diving our not going to get the rub of the green from referees in England.
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
He's a footballer, not a rugby or AFL Player. They might get up and run it off but a footballer inevitably hits the ground and stays there, right or wrong that is embedded in the culture of the game.
DiCanio
Guest
The issue is if Evans keeps his foot down Its a clear foul by Drogba, he has no chance of getting the ball and is attacking the player. Evans did himself a disservice At the end of the day its up to the referees to discourage this behaviour, not just game to game, but through the course of their professional careers. As long as there is more to gain and less to lose through being a deceptive whiny baby or a cheater or a diver or a shin breaking 'hard man' the behaviour will persist
Freud of Football
Roar Guru
DiCanio, I recommend David Yallop's "How they stole the game" for some pretty well documented match fixing, quite amazing which games have actually been fixed in WC's over the last few decades. Generally I am supportive of the referees but this was a terrible game, especially Evans' foul on Drogba. Penalties aren't good for the game but this deserved one, I couldn't have had a problem with that being awarded even as a United fan so to see Drogba get a yellow card and Evans get off without a booking, I shook my head, quite sad when the refereeing is of such a poor quality.
Constantine
Guest
im undecided on the drogba-evans incident. drogba is such a brilliant player but such a tool at the same time. if the majority of the australian public ever saw him play and have a sook when somebody taps his shoulder it would lead to outrage. evans did foul him and it was dangerous, but you cant give penalties with him because he is such a little b!tch and play acts nearly everything. if he actually grew some genitals and stopped crying like a girl upon contact then he will be a better player and a decision like that would have led to a red card for evans.
DiCanio
Guest
Just watched a replay of the game. A complete Farce. Should not have been a free kick and Drogba clearly fouls Brown. With referee's coming out in other sports (NBA) talking about the rampant match fixing and with leagues like the Serie A always suspicious in that regard, one has to start wondering with all the money flying around in the EPL whether there is something more to it. It seems referee's are unable to properly adjudicate. They rules are simple. There is very little for 'interpretation' within the guidelines, and I am surprised at how often the call is just simply wrong. A solution. All clubs pay a flat rate to the Refereeing association that allows for higher paid, more competitive refereeing.
pernunz
Roar Rookie
I would object to the fact that the referee gave the marginal decision to Chelsea that they got the goal from because he gave Drogba the card. Drogba was on the ground for a long time (looked like he was having a fit) so the referee had plenty of time to make sure his decision was the correct one. Refereeing was shocking, the timekeeping will only make Man City more mad, especially because it is the same referee not applying similar standards over different games.