In the cash-rich world of modern football, there is plenty of room for cynicism; Sport360 has it for you in abundance every Monday. We take a sideways glance at the Premier League action starting with Chelsea’s ultimate underdog story.
– #360view: Pellegrini stubborness could cost City title
– RELIVE: Capital One Cup final – Chelsea lift first title of 2015
– #360debate: Have Manchester United improved under LVG?
– VIDEO: Batman and Robin score for Borussia Dortmund
On Sunday, Chelsea wrote footballing history by becoming the first team since football began to win two trophies on the same day despite playing only one match. First they won the Premier League title courtesy of Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Manchester City and then triumphed in the Capital One Cup with a 2-0 victory against Tottenham – a feat not even the greatest Brazilian sides or Pep Guardiola’s much praised Barcelona team could pull off. Love or loathe them, Jose Mourinho’s class of 2015 have earned themselves a place in football’s hall of fame.
Despite great adversity, Mourinho’s underdogs pulled off the impossible to win the Capital One Cup against much fancied Spurs. Going into the game the odds were firmly stacked against them, but like the proverbial cat with nine lives they were up for one last fight, nose bloodied and, in Cesar Azpilicueta’s case, head bandaged.
Consider the mitigating circumstances.
Their title rivals Manchester City flouting FFP rules while his own brave minnows have just Dh153 million (£27m) to spend on Juan Cuadrado; the FA’s dogged determination to see them finish the season empty-handed; Jamie Redknapp’s evil and persistent victimisation of Diego Costa; Nemanja Matic unjustly suspended for shoving Ashley Barnes; a band of largely incompetent match officials continually getting major calls wrong and ballboys refusing to return the ball back into play quickly. Mourinho’s team have come a long way to smash the established order and announce themselves on the big stage.
Chelsea fans right now. http://t.co/K6UuazCHIl
— Football Vines (@Vine_Football) March 1, 2015
It was the perfect afternoon for Chelsea. Kurt Zouma’s excellent Matic impression in midfield, John Terry and Gary Cahill dealing comfortably with Harry ‘Marcus Stewart Mark II’ Kane were all standout performances for their fans to purr over. The plucky underdogs came through unscathed despite no one expecting them to. Imagine what they’d achieve if they actually had some money to spend.
Another Saturday, another Premier League refereeing controversy.
At Old Trafford, the football on show was lifeless and in dire need of a spark. Louis van Gaal tried his best by replacing the woefully out of form Angel di Maria with Adnan Januzaj. Still, there was no sign of life in a turgid affair that could have made an insomniac nod off.
Obviously tired of the nonsense going on around him, referee Roger East stepped up to save the game. John O’Shea wrestled Radamel Falcao to the ground, out came the red card and off went Wes Brown for an early shower. O’Shea had used his hands to pull Falcao over and the Colombian was clearly falling by the time Brown came over to smother his shot. In other words, Brown’s only crime was being present at the scene of O’Shea’s. It was reminiscent of Andre Marriner wrongly sending off Kieran Gibbs for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s handball at Chelsea last year.
“As he thought Brown made a foul on Falcao as he was in the act of shooting, he dismissed Brown,” read a statement from the Professional Games Match Officials Limited, defending one of their own in the line of fire. Whatever you think of Mr East’s decision, he was just a man bored of the football on display and decided to add a little spice to proceedings. Off The Bar can’t wait for when it will be mistaken for more serious-minded jesters such as Louis C.K or John Oliver. It will be quite the day.
Football fans love their heroes. A lot. More importantly, football fans have a special place in their hearts for heroes who are capable of coming up with the goods one minute and producing a moment of sheer madness the next. Over the years, Zinedane Zidane, Diego Maradona and Gennaro Gattuso have seen themselves become fan favourites for both their skills and their short fuses.
Eager to join the pantheon of football greats, Glenn Murray stepped up to the plate on Saturday in Crystal Palace’s 3-1 win at West Ham. Fresh from his impressive cameo against Arsenal last week, the normadic striker scored twice before getting himself sent off for a second bookable offence. Murray was faced with a serious dilemma: complete his hat trick or get a second yellow card. Choosing the latter Murray fouled Winston Reid, leaving Mike Dean with no option but to send him off. It may have left his team-mates to defend stoutly for more than the last quarter of the game – they conceded in that period – but his act of foolishness has endeared him even more to Palace fans. What an absolute hero.
Being Philippe Coutinho is not an easy business. Every summer, Coutinho looks through Liverpool’s fixture list to see when Manchester City will come to town and from that moment, the Brazilian begins to plot how best to score the winner against the champions. Should he hit it first time on the volley, slot it through Joe Hart’s legs after a mesmerising run past four defenders or simply curl it into the top corner? It’s difficult to choose the most efficient method and usually Coutinho spends the best part of the night before the game mulling it over.
Last year, Coutinho smashed it in first time following Vincent Kompany’s botched clearance and this year, he went one better. Cutting inside, he curled it into the top right of City’s goal. For next season Coutinho is plotting an acrobatic, overhead winner – rifled in from a nigh-on impossible angle. You heard it here first.
QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND
“I never said it would be easy, I knew it would be tough and it’s getting tougher, but a win will come,” said Tim Sherwood after Aston Villa’s latest setback, completely ignoring that Villa’s situation requires more than just one win coming somewhere along the line.
