Print

Mail

wiki links

Chelsea makes rivals sit up and listen

Chelsea's Joe Cole, right, competes for the ball with Manchester United's French defender Mikael Silvestre during their English premier league soccer match at Stamford Bridge, London, on Sunday. PHOTO: REUTERS

Chelsea have proved their premier league title credentials are all perfectly in order with Sunday's victory over champions Manchester United.

Critics who carped at the ?111 million (US$150 million) spending spree by new billionaire owner Roman Abramovich and warned that money does not buy trophies may need to think again after Chelsea's convincing 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge.

United have dominated English football for the past decade, winning eight of the last 11 league titles with a team who stamped their authority in the crucial area of midfield.

On Sunday, with Paul Scholes injured and David Beckham now at Real Madrid, that authority was blown away by a Chelsea side with every reason to believe they can win the league.

Damien Duff, Adrian Mutu, Hernan Crespo and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink have hardly been prolific up front, but Chelsea's hermetically-sealed defense has proved that one goal a game is quite sufficient to reach the top of the pile.

Sunday represented Chelsea's sixth clean sheet in a row and their fifth consecutive premier league win -- no fewer than four of which have been 1-0 victories.

Chelsea's John Terry, top, celebrates with goalkeeper Carlo Cudicin after defeating Manchester United on Sunday. PHOTO: AP

Games against the likes of Everton, Southampton and Manchester City which more stylish Chelsea teams in previous seasons might drawn -- or even lost -- have become wins.

United manager Alex Ferguson, whose side had been eight points behind Arsenal in March before winning the league last season, was quick to point out that titles are not won and lost in November.

United are, after all, only four points behind Chelsea and three behind Arsenal, with about two-thirds of the season still to go.

But titles are won as much with the head as they are with the boots and United know better than any other English club that believing your team can win the title is the key to actually achieving it.

Chelsea are now starting to believe. Defender John Terry, captain on Sunday, summed up the mood by telling Sky Sports: "I think we've made a big statement. Obviously, there's still a long way to go, but psychologically this is going to be brilliant for us."

Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri, dubbed "The Tinkerman" by the press for his constant tinkering with team line-ups from one game to the next, is far more reticent about Chelsea's title chances.

Modesty is part of that reluctance to crow, though the memory of October's defeat by Arsenal is perhaps a more pressing reason for keeping both feet firmly on the ground.

"All the managers in my position think positive, but I'm thinking about my job day by day," he said.

"I want to be the first horse in this race, and so far so good. But the season is very long."

This story has been viewed 1875 times.