Chelsea close the gap with Anfield win (PA) Sunday 27 April 2014 Share Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho got his tactics spot on to punch a huge dent in Liverpools title dreams at Anfield and keep alive the Stamford Bridge sides hopes of an unlikely double. In a battle between a home side committed to attack and visitors intent only on defending, the latter triumphed, which may not have made for a good spectacle, but Chelsea - and Manchester City - were not complaining. Much has been made of this being the season when Reds captain Steven Gerrard ends his long wait for a championship medal, so it was cruel that his mistake led to Demba Bas crucial opening goal in first-half injury time. Substitute Willian scored a breakaway second in the final seconds. Victory took Chelsea within two points of their rivals at the top of the table. The UEFA Champions League is still be the primary objective for the Londoners and to that end they fielded a slightly weaker side. It showed seven changes from the midweek goalless semi-final first-leg draw at Atletico Madrid, but it still boasted more than 500 international caps with an entire squad value of about £200m. Tomas Kalas, with just two minutes of action in two different competitions this season, made his English Premier League debut at centre-back and, surrounded as he was by massed ranks of blue shirts, he coped well. In time-wasting and breaking up play Chelsea denied their opponents any opportunity to establish the sort of rhythm which has regularly blown away teams in the first half. It was a classic Mourinho destruction and frustration ploy and infuriated Liverpool so much that Gerrard engaged in a bit of push and shove with the Chelsea boss in trying to get the ball back into play and Suarez stood to applaud goalkeeper Mark Schwarzers time-wasting. But Mourinho will argue the ends more than justified the means against a side which had won their last 11 league matches and dropped just five points at Anfield all season. That Ashley Cole had an early shot parried away by goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was almost surprising considering how much possession and territory Chelsea were happy to concede. A rehearsed corner saw Glen Johnsons shot deflected behind and Philippe Coutinho volleyed Suarezs cross into the side-netting before Cole cleared off the line from team-mate John Obi Mikels deflection and Mamadou Sakho blazed over from the breakdown. Chelseas mindset was exemplified when Andre Schurrle found himself one-on-one with Martin Skrtel on the halfway line, but five seconds later the ball had been passed back to Schwarzer. Gerrard slip proves costly Optimistic shouts for handball against Jon Flanagan were waved away, while, at the other end, Suarez failed to capitalise on Coles mistake in giving away possession by curling a shot over. Ba was not as wasteful when Gerrard slipped in possession ten yards inside his half to present the Senegal international with a free run on goal and he did well, considering how little of the ball he had seen, to finish expertly. If Liverpool were frustrated in the first half they knew they would face much more of the same after the break, but in addition they found Schwarzer in fine form as he produced a great save to keep out Joe Allens first-time effort, although Mignolets denial of Schurrle was equally as good. Gerrard tried his best to redress the balance, but twice found Schwarzer with shots from outside the area and once from a header inside it. For once, though, even the Reds often inspirational captain could not get his side back into the game and even the return of striker Daniel Sturridge from a hamstring injury as a second-half substitute did not puncture a hole in Chelseas thick blue line. Suarez had one last chance in added time, but Schwarzer punched over his volley. Instead the match ended with the familiar sight of a jubilant Mourinho running down the touchline to celebrate substitute Willians late breakaway goal.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Apr 2014 17:02:45 +0000
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