Translate

Monday 17 March 2014

Going to the wire: In the closest title race for years Sportsmail's experts predict how the top four will look in May

The title race is reaching a thrilling climax with Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all still in the hunt for the Barclays Premier League crown. 
City and Chelsea will be using recent experience to help them get over the line, while Arsenal and Liverpool have to go back a bit further to remember what winning the league feels like.
Our experts give their views on how the top four teams will be placed after the final matches on May 11. 
NEIL ASHTON
1 Chelsea 2 Liverpool 3 Manchester City Arsenal
As impressive as Liverpool's win at United was, they haven't got the experience of the home straight in a title race. It would be magnificent for the game if Liverpool could pull it off and Steven Gerrard will be straining every sinew to make it happen, it will be just too much.
Chelsea have the manager and experience to cope with the intensity of the run-in. 
VIDEO Scroll down to watch latest post-match reactions from the title-chasing managers
As it stands: The Premier League top four
As it stands: The Premier League top four
Been there before: Jose Mourinho knows what it takes to win the Premier League with Chelsea
Been there before: Jose Mourinho knows what it takes to win the Premier League with Chelsea
MATT LAWTON
1 Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal
It really is impossible to call right now. The best title race in years. Liverpool are the form team but Jose Mourinho is a serial league winner and something just tells me he's going to bag another one. 
On course for glory: Chelsea currently lead the Premier League despite their weekend slip-up
On course for glory: Chelsea currently lead the Premier League despite their weekend slip-up
MATT BARLOW
1 Manchester City Chelsea 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal.
I'm backing City's squad power to see them through. It is their only remaining competition and weary limbs can be refreshed to overcome a daunting set of away fixtures. Also expect Mourinho's know-how to keep Chelsea close, although the mindless red card for Ramires won't help.
Been there, done that: City won the title two years ago, can they repeat the feat?
Been there, done that: City won the title two years ago, can they repeat the feat?
LEE CLAYTON
Chelsea  2 Man City 3 Arsenal Liverpool.
Jose has been there, won it, seen it and sulked it. He might be morphing back into Lord Voldermort, but can Brendan Rodgers really deliver a Harry Potter-like magical ending? I wish he could. But I'm afraid it's Chelsea for me, especially as they're done with teams in claret and blue now.  
Eden Project: Can Hazard help Chelsea win the Premier League again?
Eden Project: Can Hazard help Chelsea win the Premier League again?

CHELSEA'S REMAINING FIXTURES

March 22: Arsenal (H)
March 29: Crystal Palace (A)
April 5: Stoke (H)
April 13: Swansea (A)
April 20: Sunderland (H)
April 27: Liverpool (A)
May 3: Norwich (H)
May 11: Cardiff (A) 

P30 W20 DLPts 66

LIVERPOOL'S REMAINING FIXTURES

March 22: Cardiff (A)
March 26: Sunderland (H)
March 30: Tottenham (H)
April 6: West Ham (A)
April 13: Manchester City (H)
April 20: Norwich (A)
April 27: Chelsea (H)
May 3: Crystal Palace (A)
May 11: Newcastle (H)
P29 W19 DLPts 62

ARSENAL'S REMAINING FIXTURES

March 22: Chelsea (A)
March 25: Swansea (H)
March 29: Man City (H)
April 6: Everton (A)
April 15: West Ham (H)
April 19: Hull City (A)
April 28: Newcastle (H)
May 3: West Brom (H)
May 11: Norwich (A)

P29 W19 DLPts 62

MAN CITY'S REMAINING FIXTURES

March 22: Fulham (H)
March 25: Man United (A)
March 29: Arsenal (A)
April 5: Southampton (H)
April 13: Liverpool (A)
April 16: Sunderland (H)
April 21: West Brom (H)
April 27: Crystal Palace (A)
May 3: Everton (A)
May 7: Aston Villa (H)
May 11: West Ham (H)
P27 W19 DLPts 60

COLIN YOUNG
1 Chelsea 2 Manchester City 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal
The difference between the top four is Jose Mourinho. Been here, seen it, done it, the Chelsea manager has the expertise to guide his team over the line, to go to Anfield and win, or certainly not lose, and apply the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini and Brendan Rodgers when they are least expecting. If Sergio Aguero was fully fit, the title would be returning to the Etihad. Liverpool still look vulnerable at the back, for all their electrifying brilliance going forward which will keep them in the hunt.
Late winner: Sergio Aguero won the title two years ago, but his fitness could give Chelsea an advantage
Late winner: Sergio Aguero won the title two years ago, but his fitness could give Chelsea an advantage
SAMI MOKBEL
Chelsea 2 Man City 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal 
Momentum will be key going into the final few games of the season. At the moment Liverpool have that, but I think the Jose Mourinho factor will see Chelsea win the race. Just. 
Seen it all before: John Terry has guided Chelsea to titles in the past
Seen it all before: John Terry has guided Chelsea to titles in the past
SIMON CASS
1 Liverpool 2 Chelsea 3 Man City 4  Arsenal 
It's simply a case of the momentum being with Liverpool and I fancy them to beat both Chelsea and City at Anfield.
Making the difference: Luis Suarez has been Liverpool's star man this season
Making the difference: Luis Suarez has been Liverpool's star man this season
MARK ALFORD
Arsenal 2 Man City 3 Chelsea 4 Liverpool 
I’ve been writing them off all season and they’ve defied my ‘expertise’ at every turn, so I’m going for Arsenal. A big result at Chelsea on Saturday will kick them on. I’ve been surprised by their resilience in the absence of Theo Walcott and Aaron Ramsey. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the new Gazza – with oodles more pace. If Arsene Wenger plays him centrally, Arsenal will scare defences and win games. My heart says Liverpool – what a story that would be. My head says City – they still have the best squad but Vincent Kompany and Sergio Aguero are out at a vital time. But my hunch is Arsenal. There, I’ve said it. Cue humble pie.   
Kings of north London: Arsenal won at Spurs to keep their title dreams alive
Kings of north London: Arsenal won at Spurs to keep their title dreams alive
JACK GAUGHAN
1 Manchester City 2 Chelsea 3 Liverpool 4 Arsenal  
There may well be serious questions surrounding Manchester City in a wider sense but, simply put, Manuel Pellegrini has the best squad in the Premier League. The best squad invariably wins the league. They have always been electric going forward but there is a steel to this side too. Even Martin Demichelis looked a competent centre half on Saturday. Come away with something from Arsenal and Liverpool and the title is theirs. 
Little master: David Silva helped 10-man City to an important win at Hull on Saturday
Little master: David Silva helped 10-man City to an important win at Hull on Saturday
MIKE ANSTEAD
Liverpool 2 Chelsea 3 Man City 4 Arsenal
When Liverpool hammered Arsenal 5-1 on February 8, you sensed a change in their confidence. They have a devastating combination of form, finishing and flair. Those games with Chelsea and City at a noisy Anfield are crucial. Oh, and Kolo Toure has been wisely ditched.
Kop kings: Liverpool have mounted a serious challenge this season
Kop kings: Liverpool have mounted a serious challenge this season
P.S.
This is a final table predicted by Bloomberg Sports. The analytics company have used seasons' worth of data and complex algorithms to predict the final standings of the current campaign.
They have factored in the importance of new players and, look at defensive and attacking stats such as tackles, interceptions, pass completion and shooting accuracy.
The final standings are all based on the most likely outcomes.
Predicted Premier League table
 
original post found here: 
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2582550/Going-wire-In-closest-title-race-years-Sportsmails-experts-predict-four-look-May.html

Moyes on the edge: Fans start to turn on United boss as crucial run of games loom... while rumours of Giggs fallout are denied

Another day, another problem to address for Manchester United and their imperilled manager David Moyes.
This time it was stories — quickly denied — of a falling-out with one of his coaches, Ryan Giggs. The United icon — so the rumour went — vented his spleen at Moyes in the Old Trafford dressing room in the wake of Sunday’s limp defeat to Liverpool.
‘Ryan is absolutely fuming over suggestions of a falling-out with the manager,’ said a United spokesman yesterday. 
When will the misery end? David Moyes cut a forlorn figure on the Manchester United bench as they slumped to a 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool on Sunday
When will the misery end? David Moyes cut a forlorn figure on the Manchester United bench as they slumped to a 3-0 home defeat by Liverpool on Sunday
Can't watch: Ryan Giggs was an unused substitute against Liverpool
Can't watch: Ryan Giggs was an unused substitute against Liverpool
As it turned out, Giggs was jogging on the pitch with other unused players when Moyes and his team began their dissection of Sunday’s disaster. Even Giggs can’t argue down the length of a players’ tunnel and through a brick wall.
As one fire goes out, however, other burning problems do not go away for Moyes. Fresh from Sunday’s 3-0 surrender to Liverpool, Moyes must raise his team for Wednesday’s Champions League visit of Olympiacos. 
Then, on Saturday, is a visit to West Ham in the Barclays Premier League followed by the arrival of Manchester City next Tuesday. If it sounds daunting  for Moyes, that’s because it is.
In the directors’ box on Sunday, United officials looked on aghast as the team succumbed meekly, while in the corporate lounges, guests from each of the club’s top sponsors — invited especially for the day — must have wondered what the club have been spending their money on.
The official line from United is that Moyes remains in no immediate danger. The plan, we are told, remains a long-term one.
The United manager, though, is in trouble, do not think otherwise, and a succession plan may well be put in place within 10 days if things continue to go badly.
On social network sites and fan forums on Monday, the groundswell of opinion against Moyes continued to grow. Even the more rational are beginning to tire of United’s insipid football and a manager who rarely seems to say or do anything to inspire confidence in his ability to reverse a downward trend.
Long walk: David Moyes reflects on another disappointing defeat by Liverpool as his troubles continue
Long walk: David Moyes reflects on another disappointing defeat by Liverpool as his troubles continue
Disaster: United's player trudge back to the centre circle after Steven Gerrard scores Liverpool's first goal from the penalty spot at Old Trafford
Disaster: United's player trudge back to the centre circle after Steven Gerrard scores Liverpool's first goal from the penalty spot at Old Trafford

WAYNE'S WOE...

Wayne Rooney said Sunday’s 3-0 defeat was ‘one of the worst days I’ve ever had in football’. But Rooney has not had a good day at Old Trafford in a while. The last time he scored there was on October 26. Since then, 22 players have scored at Old Trafford:
UNITED: Javier Hernandez (4), Danny Welbeck (3), Robin van Persie (3), Ashley Young (2), Phil Jones (2), Fabio, Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia, Jonny Evans, Adnan Januzaj.
OPPONENTS: Gerrard (Liverpool, 2) Oviedo (Everton), Cabaye (Newcastle), C Cole (West Ham), Adebayor,  Eriksen (Tottenham), Routledge, Bony (Swansea),  Bardsley (Sunderland), Sidwell, Bent (Fulham), Suarez (Liverpool).
However, the remarkable and prolonged support afforded United from the Stretford End during the last 10 minutes of Sunday’s defeat has worked in Moyes’s favour.
It was noted by the Old Trafford directors as a tick in a column of positives that was looking as empty as some of United’s performances.
What is abundantly clear is that nobody at United — apart from the odd disaffected player — wants to see Moyes sacked. What is also apparent, however, is that United will have to get rid of him if things don’t improve quickly.
As United fans and officials stare down the A580 at their resurgent Merseyside rivals, they can comfort themselves with the fact that, while Liverpool remain a big and important football club, United have grown into an international financial monster. 
As such, the defending champions are in a position to throw millions of pounds at their problems this summer. The only question is whether they can — or should — trust Moyes to spend it.
Moyes’s United have a shambolic look about them and they are getting worse. Other Premier League coaches talk privately of unimaginative tactics and square pegs in round holes.
And the rumours may not be true, but it nevertheless remains the case that Giggs has appeared to be a rather distant, detached figure at Old Trafford of late.
Support: It appears Moyes is not getting the backing he needs from either the players or the fans
Support: It appears Moyes is not getting the backing he needs from either the players or the fans
Hurting: Giggs is said to be upset by United's slump and there has even been suggestion he could replace Moyes as manager
Hurting: Giggs is said to be upset by United's slump and there has even been suggestion he could replace Moyes as manager
Unveiled as part of the new world order when Moyes succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson last May, the 40-year-old has been increasingly less visible on the touchline and indeed as a player as crisis has followed crisis at Old Trafford.
One theory is that Giggs may yet be the next United manager — temporarily or otherwise — and is merely biding his time. That, though, doesn’t fit with what we know of a loyal United servant who, rather like his friend Gary Neville, takes every defeat, at whatever level, as a personal affront.
Schooled at the Cliff, Carrington and Old Trafford, Giggs knows that success comes in cycles. He hasn’t seen much like this during his 23 years at first-team level, though. Dressing-room arguments — real or invented — pale into insignificance when the team are 18 points from the top of the Premier League.

original post found here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2582972/Moyes-edge-Fans-start-turn-United-boss-crucial-run-games-loom-rumours-Giggs-fallout-denied.html

Sunday 9 March 2014

Mourinho pleased to see Eto'o make fun of him with old-man celebration after Chelsea boss had questioned striker's real age

Samuel Eto’o showed he bears no hard feelings to Jose Mourinho over the Chelsea’s boss’s jibes about his age with a goal celebration mocking his OAP status.
Mourinho was caught on camera recently suggesting Eto’o was 35 rather than his stated age of 32, but the Cameroon striker looked like a teenager as he raced on to Jan Vertonghen’s disastrous back-pass to put Chelsea ahead against Spurs in the 56th minute of their 4-0 win on Sunday.
And his goal celebration — walking like a hunched old man to lean on a corner flag, feeling his back — brought a smile to his team-mates and Mourinho. 
Sense of humour: Eto'o aims his celebration at those saying he is too old for the Chelsea team

Sense of humour: Eto'o aims his celebration at those saying he is too old for the Chelsea team
Going ahead: Eto'o pounced on a mistake from Jan Vertonghen to put Chelsea into the lead
Going ahead: Eto'o pounced on a mistake from Jan Vertonghen to put Chelsea into the lead
Favourites: Chelsea players celebrate as they move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League
Favourites: Chelsea players celebrate as they move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League
‘I didn’t suggest the celebration but I knew about it,’ laughed the manager afterwards.
‘We thought it was good because the best way to defuse the situation is to make fun of it.’
Eto’o celebrates his 33rd birthday on Monday but Mourinho will not be joining in. ‘The players are not training on Sunday and Monday so I suppose Samuel will celebrate with his family,’ he said.
Animated: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho gesticulates from the touchline during the game
Animated: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho gesticulates from the touchline during the game
Meanwhile, Mourinho insisted he would not discuss the chances of an England return for John Terry out of respect for Roy Hodgson.
‘Roy said a couple of weeks ago it is no story. Roy and I are very professional — he doesn’t speak about Ashley Cole and I don’t speak about John Terry,' he went on.
Terry reiterated that he sees no way back to the international scene. ‘Those days are behind me now,’ he said.
All over: John Terry says his England days are over
All over: John Terry says his England days are over
Man-marked: Terry put in another impressive performance during Saturday's win over Spurs as he kept quiet Emmanuel Adebayor
Man-marked: Terry put in another impressive performance during Saturday's win over Spurs as he kept quiet Emmanuel Adebayor


When Jan Vertonghen gifted Chelsea their opening goal, the groans from Tottenham’s dugout would have been echoed in north London and the North-West.
There is less hope for Arsenal, Liverpool and even Manchester City to be champions. Chelsea lead the table by seven points and five of their next six opponents lie in the bottom half of the table.
‘Little Horse’ Mourinho can try to dampen expectations all he likes, but nobody is fooled. Chelsea are unbeaten in the League in 2014 and, as they showed on Saturday, once in front they are utterly ruthless.
For 56 minutes, the game plan set out by Tim Sherwood and Spurs to stifle Chelsea, with Kyle Walker surprisingly used as a winger and Aaron Lennon at No 10, had worked.
On target: Eden Hazard celebrates after putting Chelsea two goals ahead from the penalty spot
On target: Eden Hazard celebrates after putting Chelsea two goals ahead from the penalty spot
Finding the corner: The Belgian winger calmly slotted the ball past Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal
Finding the corner: The Belgian winger calmly slotted the ball past Hugo Lloris in the Spurs goal
Marching orders: Referee Michael Oliver shows Younes Kaboul a red card for a challenge on Samuel Eto'o
Marching orders: Referee Michael Oliver shows Younes Kaboul a red card for a challenge on Samuel Eto'o
Penalty: Eto'o lies on his front after going to ground under a challenge from Kaboul
Penalty: Eto'o lies on his front after going to ground under a challenge from Kaboul
Sense of humour: Eto'o aims his celebration at those saying he is too old for the Chelsea team
Sense of humour: Eto'o aims his celebration at those saying he is too old for the Chelsea team
Going ahead: Eto'o pounced on a mistake from Jan Vertonghen to put Chelsea into the lead
Going ahead: Eto'o pounced on a mistake from Jan Vertonghen to put Chelsea into the lead
Favourites: Chelsea players celebrate as they move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League
Favourites: Chelsea players celebrate as they move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League

Match facts

Chelsea: Cech 6, Ivanovic 6, Cahill 6, Terry 6.5, Azpilicueta 7, Lampard 5 (Oscar 46, 6.5), Matic 7.5, Ramires 6.5, Hazard 8, Schurrle 6 (Willian 66, 6), Eto’o 8 (Ba 76, 7)
Subs: Mikel, Salah, Schwarzer, Kalas.
Manager: Jose Mourinho 7.5
Yellow: Lampard, Azpilicueta
Goals: Eto'o 56, Hazard 60, Ba 88, 89
Spurs: Lloris 5.5, Naughton 5, Dawson 6 (Fryers 72, 5), Kaboul 4, Vertonghen 4.5, Sandro 6, Bentaleb 5, Walker 5.5, Sigurdsson 5 (Paulinho 61, 5.5), Lennon 5, Adebayor 5.5.
Subs: Soldado, Townsend, Chadli, Friedel, Kane.
Manager: Tim Sherwood 6
Yellow: Bentaleb, Naughton, Sandro
Red: Kaboul
Referee: Michael Oliver 7.
Attendance: 41,598
Man of the Match: Eden Hazard
*Player ratings by Alex Horlock at Stamford Bridge
Then, came Vertonghen’s double folly. First, the Belgian slipped as he tried to turn inside to stop Andre Schurrle closing him down. Then, in a desperate attempt to retrieve the situation, he stuck out a leg and succeeded only in playing the perfect pass for Samuel Eto’o.
The Cameroon striker, drafted into in the starting line-up minutes before kick-off when Fernando Torres injured his groin in the warm-up, finished easily.
His ‘old man’ celebration, poking fun at Mourinho’s recent comments questioning his official age of 32, lifted the atmosphere and transformed a close game into a Chelsea romp.
Spurs manager Sherwood, who refused to bite at Gary Lineker’s suggestion that he’d named a  ‘pick ’n’ mix line-up’, was peeved at referee Michael Oliver for giving a spot-kick after a tangle between Eto’o and Younes Kaboul.
But he saved most of his anger for his own players and their meek surrender after playing so well for an hour. ‘We have capitulated too often and again today,’ he said.
‘It is disappointing to see: 2-0 down to Chelsea you are not going to win the game, but you expect to see a little bit more gut and a little bit of feather-rustling.
I don’t want to be the only one who shouts at them (the players). I think they need to dig each other out. I am gutted, not about the result but on the capitulation the team have shown this season.’
Opposite emotions: Tim Sherwood shakes the hand of Jose Mourinho after the final whistle
Opposite emotions: Tim Sherwood shakes the hand of Jose Mourinho after the final whistle
Taking advantage: Demba Ba scored Chelsea's third and fourth goals of the evening
Taking advantage: Demba Ba scored Chelsea's third and fourth goals of the evening
Embarrassing: Eden Hazard rounded Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris early in the game but couldn't finish
Embarrassing: Eden Hazard rounded Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris early in the game but couldn't finish
Keep your composure! He had an open goal to aim at with no defenders in sight
Keep your composure! He had an open goal to aim at with no defenders in sight
Wasted opportunity: His shot went wide of the goal to the dismay of the home fans
Wasted opportunity: His shot went wide of the goal to the dismay of the home fans
 

Season at glance

  • Premier League
  • Championship
  • League One
  • League Two
  • Scottish Premiership
  • Scottish Div 1
  • Scottish Div 2
  • Scottish Div 3
  • TeamPGDPts
    1Chelsea293466
    2Liverpool283859
    3Arsenal282459
    4Manchester City264257
    5Tottenham Hotspur29053
    6Manchester United281548
    7Everton271148
    8Newcastle United28-243
    9Southampton29442
    10West Ham United28-431
    11Aston Villa28-731
    12Stoke City29-1431
    13Hull City28-530
    14Swansea City28-429
    15Norwich City29-2229
    16Crystal Palace28-1927
    17West Bromwich Albion28-1125
    18Cardiff City29-2825
    19Sunderland26-1624
    20Fulham29-3621
Of Tottenham’s top-four hopes now, he replied: ‘Slim.’ He added: ‘It all went Pete Tong (wrong) after the first goal. I appreciate referees have a tough job and have to make a tough call but it could well have gone against us. I think it is a soft decision because I didn’t think it was a penalty.’
Interestingly, Sherwood believes City can still pip Chelsea and deny Mourinho a third Premier League title because of their extra firepower.
Less plausible was Mourinho’s assertion that he would rather be in City’s position — nine points behind Chelsea but with three games in hand and a superior goal difference.
‘If they win all their matches, they are champions. We can’t say the same so I would prefer to be them,’ he said.
After a goalless first half, Mourinho the master tactician did it again, hauling off Frank Lampard, who had been booked, and introducing Oscar, who narrowed the gaps between defence and attack.
The manager said: ‘We can say the first goal was a mistake but the way Eto’o read it was fantastic. After that, it was easy to  pass, easy to control, easy for me to be calm.’
Until Vertonghen’s blunder, Stamford Bridge was getting edgy as the fans feared a repeat of the 0-0 draw against West Ham in January, although on this occasion Spurs could not be accused of ‘19th-century tactics’ with Sandro and Kaboul forcing Petr Cech into good saves.
Tricky decision: Samuel Eto'o also rounded keeper Lloris but when he went down no foul was given
Tricky decision: Samuel Eto'o also rounded keeper Lloris but when he went down no foul was given
Down: The Chelsea striker was left sprawling and required several minutes of treatment
Down: The Chelsea striker was left sprawling and required several minutes of treatment
Argument: The pair didn't quite see eye to eye on the incident afterwards
Argument: The pair didn't quite see eye to eye on the incident afterwards
Big men: Emmanuel Adebayor and John Terry were up against each at Stamford Bridge
Big men: Emmanuel Adebayor and John Terry were up against each at Stamford Bridge

DISTANCE COVERED STATS

                          MINS PLD      KM      MILES
Chelsea - total                      109.5     68.0
Nemanja Matic        90           12.0      7.4
Ramires                  90            11.2      7.0
Eden Hazard           90            10.2      6.3
Spurs - total                       104.2    64.7
Nabil Bentaleb       90            11.0      6.9
Sandro                  90            10.7      6.7
Kyle Walker           90           10.7      6.6
EA SPORTS player performance index

  • Data courtesy of the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index, the Official Player Rating Index of the Barclays Premier League
The fine finish from Eto’o between Hugo Lloris’s legs opened the floodgates however.
Just four minutes later, Kaboul felt aggrieved to be shown a red card though Eto’o had got goalside of him and there seemed to be contact.
Eden Hazard planted the penalty down the middle and Mourinho had little sympathy for Spurs. 
‘I have complained about referees before, as you know, but not when I lost 4-0. It has to be more than that,’ he said.
With Sandro being used as an emergency centre-half and other players still in unfamiliar positions, it was little surprise when Chelsea boosted their goal difference late on.
Substitute Demba Ba could not miss from four yards when Sandro fell in front of him. 
Even more bizarre was the final goal, Lloris and Walker attempting a ridiculous ‘one-two’ that fell kindly for the Senegal striker.
Athletic: Tottenham Nabil Bentaleb springs up to intercept a ball in the midfield
Athletic: Tottenham Nabil Bentaleb springs up to intercept a ball in the midfield
Watchful eye: Tottenham's Kyle Walker comes under pressure from Chelsea defender Branislas Ivanovic
Watchful eye: Tottenham's Kyle Walker comes under pressure from Chelsea defender Branislas Ivanovic
Tough challenge: Cesar Azpilicueta goes in studs up with Spurs' man Jan Vertonghen
Tough challenge: Cesar Azpilicueta goes in studs up with Spurs' man Jan Vertonghen
Annoyance: Bentaleb shows his frustration after missing a simple chance for Tottenham
Annoyance: Bentaleb shows his frustration after missing a simple chance for Tottenham
Physicality: Spurs' defender Walker feels the full force of a challenge from Nemanja Matic
Physicality: Spurs' defender Walker feels the full force of a challenge from Nemanja Matic
Head up: Matic plays the ball around Younes Kaboul as he looks to get Chelsea up the other end of the pitch
Head up: Matic plays the ball around Younes Kaboul as he looks to get Chelsea up the other end of the pitch
Famous face: Former tennis player Boris Becker was on of the interested spectators at Stamford Bridge
Famous face: Former tennis player Boris Becker was on of the interested spectators at Stamford Bridge
Giant leap: Chelsea's Andre Schurrle rises above Walker to head a chance
Giant leap: Chelsea's Andre Schurrle rises above Walker to head a chance
Wrestling match: The masked Ramires battles with Sandro in the middle of the park
Wrestling match: The masked Ramires battles with Sandro in the middle of the park
Animated: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho gesticulates from the touchline during the game
Animated: Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho gesticulates from the touchline during the game
Grabbing hold of: Kyle Naughton keeps a close eye on Schurrle as he tries to turn away
Grabbing hold of: Kyle Naughton keeps a close eye on Schurrle as he tries to turn away
Foul! Hazard falls flat on his face under a challenge from the enthusiastic Walker
Foul! Hazard falls flat on his face under a challenge from the enthusiastic Walker
All smiles: Man vs Food presenter Adam Richman (blue cap) sits in the Tottenham fans
All smiles: Man vs Food presenter Adam Richman (blue cap) sits in the Tottenham fans
On the wing: Tottenham's Gylfi Sigurdsson keeps the ball in play as Gary Cahill watches on
On the wing: Tottenham's Gylfi Sigurdsson keeps the ball in play as Gary Cahill watches on
Power play: Eto'o uses his body to hold off his marker Michael Dawson
Power play: Eto'o uses his body to hold off his marker Michael Dawson
Anger: There were protests outside Stamford Bridge aimed at Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich
Anger: There were protests outside Stamford Bridge aimed at Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich
Sensitive topic: Several of the protestors carried Ukrainian flags after the recent political problems
Sensitive topic: Several of the protestors carried Ukrainian flags after the recent political problems