Chelsea 3-3 Manchester United: The Howard Webb show

By: Jack | February 5th, 2012

What was a dream at 3-0 quickly morphed into a nightmare near full time for the Chels, as Manchester United – with a helping hand from good friend Howard Webb – clawed back to secure a 3-3 draw in a breathless encounter at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Yeah, that’s a difficult result to accept.

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Young Welbeck, diving right in

Fuck the Super Bowl. Today’s finest athletic fare was on display brunch time across the pond.

It was an odd old game, with United playing some excellent attacking football at times and Chelsea looking irresistible in patches. The match was also careless, sloppy and largely stop-start – thanks again to Howard Webb. Both teams were damn near atrocious with their passing during the opening half, too. But, damn, was it entertaining. Even for a Chelsea supporter, this has to be considered one of the matches of the season.

Yes, I’m still pissed. But I’m also not daft enough to suggest that wasn’t a proper advert for the sport in these United States. I just hope people were watching.

As for the match itself in regard to Chelsea, there was encouragement in several facets. To start, who here actually would have taken a point from that match considering our form leading into the game? Consider our list of absentees before answering: Once-England’s Brave John Terry, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Frank Lampard, Ramires and John Obi Mikel. Sure United are down a plethora of elite talent as well, but they also haven’t been playing quite as poorly as we have of late.

So, with all that being said, would you have taken a point? I know I would have. I also know that I would not have minded one bit had the match been postponed because of inclement weather. So, right out of the blocks, it’s a positive result. Maybe not as positive when looking back on how the match played out, but positive nonetheless. Let’s try to keep that in perspective going forward.

***

Other encouraging facets included:
• 4-2-3-1. No more need be said.
• Juan Mata in the hole. He looked reborn, as if the fatigue we’ve been discussing in recent weeks was no longer a factor. And that volley, wow. Probably going to be our goal of the season.
• This new-look double pivot of Michael Essien and Raul Meireles. Very promising. How long has it been since we saw Essien look that dynamic? I don’t think he even looked that good at the beginning of last season. He really dictated play in midfield during the opening half. And Meireles, well he responded to our various criticisms with a composed display.
• Jose Bosingwa. As I remarked prior to the start of the match: “Bos to pull off a blinder like he did at Spurs. A boy can dream, right?” It was no dream, my friends. Bosingwa was locktight for the most part. I think a lot of that had to do with the formation, which saw Florent Malouda on the left rather than Mata, whose defensive workrate is not nearly as high as Flo’s.
• Gary Cahill. He shut a lot of us up, including me, with what was generally a very good performance. It remains to be seen whether he can put in a consistent shift like that but it was no doubt a great debut.
• David Luiz. How good could this kid be? Yeah, he made a couple of mistakes but his overall contribution was immense. Not sure how many better offensively-gifted central defenders there are in world football.
• Bane. Killed it.

***

Now, for some discussion on the penalty incidents.

The first arrived inside 12 minutes when every United supporter except Webb was certain Cahill had fouled Danny Welbeck in the penalty area. A penalty and red card at least, they’re saying. Not so much. After Britain Soccer Premier League probably a dozen replays via my DVR, it’s clear that the challenge occurs outside the box. I’m not even sure it’s a foul; if anything, there’s slight contact with the ball initially and, while Cahill does take Welbeck’s legs, it’s well after the ball has gone. Never a red card, either, as David Luiz was in position to make a defensive play had Welbeck remained on his feet.

The second, on 57 minutes, sees Patrice Evra make an overlapping run into space down the left side. Ryan Giggs plays a quality ball into that space, leaving Evra alone with Daniel Sturridge. As Sturridge was preparing to make a play for the ball, Evra jumped in front of him to shield and Sturridge made contact with the fullback’s right foot. A soft penalty, as Evra leaped in front of Studge, but I’ve seen them given so I’ll let it pass.

The third, meanwhile, after 68 minutes, was just garbage. Wayne Rooney, freed by the introduction of Paul Scholes, saw Chicharito’s right-to-left run through the middle toward the left of the box. The run, an excellent one, obviously drew attention, specifically from Cahill, Luiz and Bosingwa. Ivanovic, tracking back, nicked the ball of Chicha but it trickled to Welbeck on the right of the D. Welbeck allowed the ball to run across his body onto his right foot and, as Bane was pulling out of his challenge, Welbeck let his trailing left leg run into Ivanovic, allowing gravity to do the rest. It was basically a slip and fall, of no one’s fault but Welbeck’s. Granted Webb was in a poor position, behind the play, but that lends itself to even more criticism of the official. You can’t make that call.

***

And, finally, I’d like to discuss what has been a largely debated aspect of the game amongst Chelsea supporters – Andre Villas-Boas’ decision to pull Sturridge and replace him with our young Spanish defensive midfielder Oriol Romeu.

Many are suggesting this was a tactical gaffe that cost us the match. I fail to see how that’s the case considering, for one, we had at least one dodgy penalty awarded against us, and, second, we had more legitimate scoring chances than United during Romeu’s time on the pitch. Plus, you know, that’s kind of what managers do – attempt to sure it up defensively after a concession of goals.

But let’s focus on the chances created. That’s right, we had more than United. They had possession, sure, but we were fairly incisive when we had the ball. Over the final 20 minutes, we created six excellent scoring opportunities compared to the visitors’ three, two of which arrived during the same move.

Want a rundown? Here you go:

• 74min: A Romeu giveaway leads to Little Pea lashing a low drive just wide of the far post from the right side of the box.
• 76min: Malouda picks out Torres in the middle of the box, who chests down and lays back for Essien. The Bison then, in space, wallops an Alex-esque strike toward goal that David De Gea barely sees but still manages to punch over his crossbar.
• 77min: Ivanovic heads on for Torres, who breaks into the box thanks to a cool chest and header down into his path. Goal at his mercy. Torres, however, does a Torres, attempting to cut the ball back onto his left foot. Chance vanishes.
77min: Mata tees up Malouda in the center of the pitch, 25 yards out. The Frenchman had all the time in the world to pick his spot, with Evans and Valencia tentative to come out to him, but can only whip a well-struck effort a yard over the bar. Had De Gea worried.
84min: Brilliant counter. Valencia runs the length of the field, picking up a return pass from Welbeck and then finding Rooney in the center of the box. Rooney forces solid save out of Cech.
84min: Giggs latches onto Cech’s save and lofts a great ball into the center for Hernandez. Cech gets a hand to Chicha’s header, but it’s far too good an effort to keep out. Looking at the replay of the goal, it appears that Romeu is the one caught out of position. Luiz is marking the back post, in the vicinity of Welbeck, while Cahill is guarding the near post. Romeu, meanwhile, is ball watching. All he really had to do was track the run and it would have been an easy clear.
87min: Malouda finds Meireles in the center of the box, six yards out, but the mohawked one can’t keep his header down despite the fact that his marker, Evra, was falling down behind him. Great chance, terrible header.
91min: Mata unleashes an unbelievable 25-yard free kick that forces De Gea into what likely will be honored as the save of the season. Sensational play from both parties.
94min: Cahill sends a swerving pile driver toward the top left corner that De Gea manages to bat away.

Conclusions? Romeu made some mistakes. He was nowhere near the level we’ve come to expect from him. But I don’t think his introduction, and the subsequent tactical changes that accompanied it, had a fatal effect on our performance.

***

To sum it all up? How about flawed but encouraging. There’s plenty to build on; there’s also plenty to forget. What we can’t do is let the way United rallied cloud our judgement. This was a pretty good result. We showed a lot of promise, sans a few dire moments in the early stages. If we take that second-half mentality with us to Goodison, we’re going to be fine.

Let’s just hope the boys choose to build on this result rather than succumb to it.

Some Related Chelsea Posts:

Category: Fixtures, Match Reports, Premier League

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Chenlsea

I hate the posture of Ashley Young, that stupid hunching move down the left and always cut back with his right foot.
King Setia

What I meant "won the game" was United were so happy to get a draw they don't deserve, and felt that they had won the game
King Setia

Excellent display by the Chels, but the dirty decisions by ref Howard helped Man U won the game!!! Truly anti-climax.....huhhhh
Maysam

As I said it before, Webb has got to where he is right now thanks to the support of British media and FA. The guy made obvious mistakes in UEFA and World Cup competition.
Unfortunatly, soccer is improving faster than referees in England. I think we will see a day that FA will hire international referees to ref big games in England.
Mateo

i actually think the first half penalty (Cahill´s) was the closest one and still in the replay it wasnt. the other two were just shamefull robbery by Webb. on the third Manure goal, i actually think i saw Cahill dodge the ball..but until then i thought he did a good job. Bane was amazing MOTM for me (Juan aside) Luiz played well for the most part with his classic Luiz movements. Bosingwa was actually better than expected, why? cuz he cant cross from that side. but still i dont think it was the right choice. Meireles was better than i expected and Essien was very consistent too. what i cant wrap my head around was the sturrigde Sub. id rather have a greedy hungry Danny than Slowmo, that contributed absolutely nothing to the game NOTHING. Mata was great as always but fuck he cant do everything by himself... but on that last free kick i didnt know he had that fire power. and in 99.99999% it would of been a goal. that save was just amazing. and torres was torres. good display, a couple of flashes, but still didint deliver.
Chenlsea

At time, I still notice Bosingwa is very slow in tracking back. But Malouda has pinned down Valencia pretty much in the match so that, the left flank isn't much threatened. But we miss the left attacking wing. Imagine what it would be if we have flying winger like Willian, Keven De Bryne, or Hazard, threading Manure's left flank. We will get there next season.
Jack

I actually thought Bosingwa was very good. He and Flo both did well to stymie Valencia. But I agree that we need to find ourselves a new Robben for the left side as Mata is a gem in the hole.
Sharinganfx

do other people come post here because we got the most active EPL offside blog?
Jack

Haha! I doubt that, but I'd take it!
matt

Webb has been giving United trophies for years....United wins in disgrace so frequently, that I think they should be now known as the GOP.
liridon_n1988

And about Howard webb what can i say the title speaks best but the man of the match should go to Webb as well, he played great part for United. United are only teams when they loose they know they would get penalties for compesation, SAF is not good manager in pitch but his the best manager off the pitch.
liridon_n1988

Why always faggy man utd fans commenting about chelsea when they definetly not going to win EPL unless coward webb and FA give united in front of the world once again the tittle, i see man utd in decline every single year ferguson older than ever without any proper replacement with HUGE debts no one willing to pay (not even sheikhs) plus the time is ticking when fair play rules are coming in play, what else can i say the united days are over and rightfully so, good for football no cheating at least. manchester neighbours are the one who gonna replace united but this time for good.
Harish890

chelski fan writing an article...what more can i expect......good explanation to cover the cahill incident...when he himself admitted to had fouled
TheSpecial1

We were also missing Lampard..I'm still sick over the result.
Jack

Shit, I did forget to include Lamps. Gracias for the shout.
ahmad_h

I am a United fan and i agree that we were granted a non-deserved penalty in the second half but cahil should have been sent off clearly regardless of whether the foul was inside or outside the box. Cahil was the last defender and he applied a scissor lock "WWE style" on Welbeck so i really don't know how it can be seen other than a foul... the draw is fair result because the ref messed it up for both teams.
ph0bolus

Sigh...I was swelling with rage when Torres decided to cut it back...JUST HIT IT! It's like he's afraid to see the ball hit the back of the net or something.
Jack

That's actually a piece I was thinking of writing - the idea that Torres is afraid of scoring. He has no problems just letting it flow outside the area, but in it, dude is clouding his judgment with too many thoughts.
Mateo

ive seen a pattern with him , he is always doing an extra cutback, to get in a better scoring situation. but it isnt working for him
Jack

It's a sign of uncertainty. He's looking for the sure thing when he used to simply rely on superior instinct in front of goal.
VN

@ Cama You proved Man United fans are the biggest hypocrites and idiots. I apologize to those of them who aren't.

First of all - "Clear penalty on Welbeck by Cahill but only a Chelsea fan would say it
wasn't!" I'm not a Chelsea fan, I support Arsenal and I agree 100% with the guy who wrote the article. It was never a penalty, because it was OUTSIDE THE BOX. I'm not sure it was a foul either, but it doesn't matter because as you might know fouls outside the box don't get awarded with penalties. "Meanwhile Javier Hernandez was barely grazing the 7 million pound mark,
scored one of the best headers this season, he's 5ft something!" - You are a complete moron. Best header of the season? He was unmarked! Poor defending by Chelsea.

"Webb-
our biggest fan- made Chelsea relevant in this game! Albeit with help
from out of form Evra! 'To sum it up', Welbeck made Sturridge a mere
shadow of a striker, reflecting Manchester United's dominance,
Webb notwithstanding!"

Welbeck is a diver like Rooney and like Evra. In fact Sturridge made Evra a complete shadow of a captain. Yesterday Manu had 4 goals in a row scored from penalties. Now my team for example gets the stonecold ones and quite rarely. United on the other hand got 17% of all penalties Howard Webb has given in the Premier League. And that's only Howard Webb. It is a well known fact that United get the decisions their way and they have the support of the FA. I don't know the reason why but if I supported United I'd be ashamed of the way they won the title last season. It is utterly disgraseful what happens in the PL and even tho Arsenal would have benefited from a Chelsea loss I feel bad for them because they are one of the teams robbed quite often.
Varun Das

in the last 7 games that we hv played which were officiated by mr. webb, we hv lost 4 and drawn 3... just saying...

great job by the boys... torres still seems not sure of himself in front of the goal, he just needs to shoot the damn ball. what is the worst that could happen?

malouda was surprisingly good. he just needs to pass a little more...
Nomvi

Oh!what a match, you have proven yourselves. Dont worry about yesterday's match, everyone should know by now that the guy referring is 12th man in the Manchester United squad. You will remember that he did same thing last week of giving his teammates 2 penalties.

Thanks for yesterdays peformance, and keep it up.

Nomvi.
Gue

Webb is a shit ref.
kama

Yap yap yap yap! And more yap then Howard Webb, then more yap! That game was over before it began! The only reason United didn't win was BECAUSE of Howard Webb! Quote from Rapper-cum-Chelsea manager, AVB:
"I'm not sure if he was compensating from anything in the first half, ....." Clear penalty on Welbeck by Cahill but only a Chelsea fan would say it wasn't! I mean, they're the same idiots who cheered when they bought the mop of the century for the price of a small island! Jonny Evans has scored more goals in Favour of Chelsea this year than your 50.... (In words: FIFTY MILLION POUNDS) mil worth of useless! Good value for money! Meanwhile Javier Hernandez was barely grazing the 7 million pound mark, scored one of the best headers this season, he's 5ft something! Webb- our biggest fan- made Chelsea relevant in this game! Albeit with help from out of form Evra! 'To sum it up', Welbeck made Sturridge a mere shadow of a striker, reflecting Manchester United's dominance, Webb notwithstanding!
youre a dumb@ss

stupid cunt chelsea fan,
CharlieFineman

Tip of the hat to David de Gea as well, the kid made some fantastic saves.
Ray

Agree except the part about Meireles...imo he did not play any constructive role at all either in offence or in defence. Lampard would have been better or even Mikel , Ramires.
Jack

Agree to disagree, good sir.
CharlieFineman

Some very valid points there Jack. On to the damn substitution thing - not a thing to say about Romeu coming on, but I would still argue that Malouda should've been taken off, not Sturridge.

Just watched highlights again, whoa. Unbelievable.
Jack

That's fair. Not to get into a debate, cause this is just my opinion, but I thought Malouda had a better overall game than Sturridge. Sturridge was hot in the first half, but faded badly while Malouda improved. He had some excellent crosses as the game winded down.
Varun Das

sturridge has become too hotheaded... he needs to understand that this is a team game and not a one man show..