Grand Clash Weekend for the Big Four

Last weekend was the clash of the English Premier League titans. Chelsea took on hosts Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday while league leaders, Manchester United, visited Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium on Sunday. This rare fixture promised a thrilling weekend for EPL fans.

Things did not go well for Chelsea even before the match started. Center-back Ricardo Carvalho had to be taken out of the squad at the last minute because of a high fever. Chelsea had already high casualties with captain John Terry and Khalid Boularouz unfit for play. As a result, Chelsea fielded a very awkward line-up which saw the partnership of Paulo Ferreira and Michael Essien taking up the central defensive role and John Obi Mikel as the defensive midfielder. Petr Cech returned but wore rugby headgear as a protective measure.

It took Liverpool only 4 minutes to make Chelsea’s defense crumble. Dirk Kuyt slipped past the Chelsea defense before smashing a goal past Cech. At the 18th minute, Liverpool increased the lead to 2-0 with Jermaine Pennant scoring from a beautiful volley outside the box. Rafael Benitez certainly enjoyed his first Premier League victory over Mourinho.

Chelsea’s loss on Saturday meant that United had the chance to get 9 points clear if they could beat Arsenal at the Emirates.

Manchester United entered the Sunday match with a zero-injury squad and Sir Alex Ferguson had the luxury of picking his best eleven for his line-up. The first of half of the match at the Emirates was shabby with both teams going back to the dressing room goalless despite a few close calls.

The second half much livelier, United drawing first blood in the 53rd minute. Wayne Rooney converted a cross from Patrice Evra with a diving header into the net. The Red Devils looked to be on course for a 9-point lead over Chelsea.

However, Arsenal had no intention of giving up. Arsene Wenger unleashed substitute, Robin van Persie, followed by Julio Baptista to take the attack to United. Van Persie’s entrance turned the tide and he scored the equalizer in the 82nd second.

The Red Devils were quite ready to accept a 1-1 draw but 70 seconds from the whistle, Thierry Henry headed in an excellent cross from Eboue. Arsenal grabbed a dramatic 2-1 victory right under United’s noses and the Red Devils had to be contented with their existing 6-point lead.

In an extraordinary weekend fixture, the League’s top two lost ground to the third and fourth placed teams, raising hopes that it is now a 4-horse race to the league title.

By: Stanley Lee