Battle of the Bridge

Perhaps the defining hours of this season’s Barclay’s English Premier League will be those between 18:00 and 20:00 CAT, when the league’s top four all play each other.

Chelsea host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, where they haven’t lost for four years, to, non other than, the Gunners. The two sides have been the formula for a breath-taking fixture in the last 3 seasons. Chelsea have had the lion share of victories, with the North Londoners winning only one of the last eleven games in all competitions, and that one being Sunday’s corresponding fixture. A Willian Gallas first-half header was enough to separate the two teams when they locked horns earlier this season at the Emirates. Their league positions go further in accentuating the competitiveness of the match, as both sides have realistic hopes of lifting the silver-ware at the end of the season. With only eight games left for both sides, Arsenal, three points less, closely trail Man United, who lead the race with 70 points. Chelsea follow immediately behind, two points behind their Sunday opponents.

The Blues will be hoping for full recovery from Wednesday’s thriller at White Hart Lane, where the back of the net was slammed eight times. One thing, however, they will want to take with them to the Bridge, from the Spurs’ game, is the fluidity and quickness with which they played. With Drogba at his scoring self again, and Frank Lampard and Michael Essien in fantastic form, Avram Grant can afford something of a smile, surely. And as if that’s not enough, the tactician has got enough width in his side, with England midfielder Joe Cole playing some of his best football, and namesake Ashley beginning to pick up from where he left – on the other side of London.

Five draws in six games is not a statistic Arsene Wenger will be too pleased about. The Gunners seem to be seeing the title slip from their hands, after some disappointing results in the last couple of weeks. They will definitely need to raise their bar on Sunday, if they hope to get anything out of the game; and if they really are to challenge United on the summit, they will need to get something out of the Battle of the Bridge. But can they raise their bar so promptly? That, we know, they can do; just like they’ve done so often under the leadership of inspirational Wenger. They will need to be in AC Milan mode on Sunday if they are to challenge such a robust, stern and psychologically potent Chelsea. Like their North London rivals did in the midweek, Arsenal will be looking to play a quick, counter-attacking game, while keeping it impermeable at the back. This means Belarus magician Alexndre Hleb and England wonder-kid Theo Walcott being nowhere short of their best. A resilient Emmanuel Adebayor will also need to be in top-notch form as he will probably be expected to take the lone role up-front.

There will be no love lost when the two giants meet, with Ashley Cole, Nicholas Anelka and William Gallas all facing their former clubs. An away victory for the Gunners will mean a Premiership double over one of their fiercest rivals. And a victory for the Blues will not only mean revenge for their undoing at the Emirates, but an invaluable one point above their London foes.

Prediction
Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal

West Ham United were hammered at home against a ruthless Chelsea who, themselves, were coming from a painful Carling Cup Final exit a week earlier. The Blues recorded an emphatic 4-0 away victory even after playing a good part of the game without influential midfielder Frank Lampard.

The celebrations started as early as 120 seconds into the game when John Terry’s parried header was slotted home by new-boy Nicholas Anelka, only for the Frenchman to be told that he was off-side. Chelsea did not despair, though. With 17 minutes on the clock, Frank Lampard put the away team in the lead after Salomon Kalou had been tripped in the box by Antoine Ferdinand for a Chelsea penalty.

Three minutes later, former West Ham midfielder Joe Cole broke Hammers’ heart with a well-guided low shot after an equally superb control. The Bubbles just weren’t forming; because, two minutes later, Germany captain Mickael Ballack cemented last year’s League Cup champions’ lead with a fine, angled shot, making the most use of Frank Lampard’s cross, who was, by now, everywhere, including, in the 33rd minute, in the referee’s book. What looked like a tangle on the ground between the Englishman and West Ham’s Boa Morte ended in dismay for the former, who was having an excellent game thus far.

But it seems Chelsea are just as dangerous without one man as they are with one, if not more potent. Two Mark Noble shots were all the home team had to show before half-time.

Chelsea managed to keep their defense tight-lit in the second half until late when Carlton Cole should have scored after managing to squeeze the ball past and beyond Petr Cech only for captain John Terry to clear off the line. That was all the conformation they needed for a mediocre evening, but former Arsenal left-back made sure of the points when he reacted quickest from Joe Cole’s parried shot to side-foot the ball into the net from an acute angle.

The win keeps Chelsea’s title-aspirations alive after league-leaders Arsenal crucially dropped points at home against Aston Villa. West Ham United will feel bitter, but not too so, since they will know they had played with a side teeming with unspeakable talent and determination.