Chelsea’s Premier League title dream all but died on Sunday as they were held to a goalless draw by Norwich City in a disappointing result that may have represented a curtain call for three of the London club’s greatest players.
Following the final whistle on Chelsea’s last home fixture of the season, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry took part in a “lap of appreciation” at Stamford Bridge with their teammates.
All three will be out of contract at the end of the season and there was a hint of poignancy in their waves to the crowd and as they posed for photographs together.
Photo: AFP
The trio became Chelsea stalwarts during manager Jose Mourinho’s first stint in charge and the Portuguese responded evasively when asked if they had played their last home game for the Blues.
“They are with the club on their future,” he said. “Now is the time to wait a little bit. The summer is a long summer, for us. For the media with the [FIFA] World Cup, it’s a different story. For the players in the World Cup, it’s a different story, but for the club it’s a long time, to be calm and sit and discuss and analyze the options, and the market and the possibilities.”
Lampard, 35, is Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer and Terry, 33, is the club’s most decorated captain, while 33-year-old Cole was first-choice left-back until losing his place to Cesar Azpilicueta this season.
The draw against third-bottom Norwich secured Chelsea’s place in the group phase of next season’s Champions League, but left their title challenge hanging by the most slender of threads.
They will be eliminated from the title race if Liverpool won against Crystal Palace yesterday or if Manchester City win one of their two remaining games.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea dominated Norwich, with Andre Schurrle and David Luiz both striking the woodwork, while Eden Hazard had a strong penalty claim turned down after Ryan Bennett took a wild swipe at him.
On Hazard’s penalty appeal, Mourinho said that he “went back to the dugout laughing” after quickly watching footage of the incident in his office inside the tunnel.
Asked why he had laughed, he replied: “Because I can’t cry.”
Mourinho has repeatedly complained about the lack of proven goal-scorers in his squad and said that Sunday’s game emphasized Chelsea’s need for a new striker.
“Our strikers are good strikers, there’s no doubt about that, but they’re players with specific qualities,” he said. “They’re not the kind of players who, in 5m2 with three or four players around them, can dribble one, see the space, make a shot.”
The Portuguese had seen his side eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by Atletico Madrid four days earlier, but he said the Blues could be satisfied with their efforts this season.
Alluding to his belief that Chelsea have been penalized by disadvantageous officiating, he said: “Without the ‘festivals’ it would have been a better season, but it’s a very dangerous league and we managed always to be there.”
“From day one till the end, we were always there. In the end we didn’t manage to finish and win it, but we were always around. And in the Champions League, the same. We managed to go to the second leg of the semi-final, so I think for the group we have and for the potential we have, we did OK,” Morinho said.
Norwich interim manager Neil Adams felt that his side were denied a “stonewall” penalty in the first half after Terry felled Martin Olsson as he prodded a shot toward Chelsea’s goal.
The point kept Norwich safe, but they will effectively be relegated tomorrow if fourth-from-bottom Sunderland avoid defeat at home to fifth-from-last West Bromwich Albion.
“We need results. We need a bit of luck,” Adams said.
Earlier on Sunday, Arsenal celebrated their qualification for next season’s Champions League with a 1-0 win at home to West Brom.
France striker Olivier Giroud scored the only goal of the game when he headed in a 14th-minute corner.
Everton’s 3-2 defeat by Man City on Saturday meant Arsenal kicked-off at the Emirates Stadium knowing they could not be caught in the race for fourth place in the Premier League and a spot in next term’s Champions League.
“I believe the mentality of the team was outstanding [in reaching the Champions League],” said Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose side will look to end a nine-year spell without a major trophy when they face Hull City in this month’s FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium in London.
“We still have games in front of us. You can be pleased of the attitude, but frustrated because we were top of the league [for 128 days] then we dropped off. We were perhaps too cautious and not confident enough. We paid a heavy price for it,” the Frenchman said.
Sunday’s result left West Brom three points above the drop zone, but still with two games to play.
Although Sunderland and Norwich are still below his side in the table, Baggies manager Pepe Mel refused to accept that the Midlands side had beaten the drop.
“No, an extra point we need, we have two matches and one point to get,” the Spaniard said ahead of his side’s match at Sunderland tomorrow.
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