Winning Championships and the Management Factor: Chelsea 1-1 Stoke City

Ancelotti is in the same basket as Wenger. They are both limited as tacticians. Chelsea also had to win and were facing the troublesome Stokes. Drogba had brought Chelsea back into the game and with a 1-1 tie, Ancelotti made changes that diminished his team’s chance of winning. He removed Anelka and Ramires and brought in Torres and Kalou. That weakened Chelsea’s defensive and mid-field capabilities as Ramires is an end to end player and not being on the pitch made Stokes more of an offensive threat. Neither Kalou nor Torres made a difference. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.

szólj hozzá: Stoke Chelsea 1:1 highlights

The Chelsea Juggernaut Sputters

By
Bagga Wilks

The English Premier League has become unpredictable despite the financial separation of the rich clubs versus the poor clubs. This is particularly the case as the top teams often play in the Championship League during the week and unsurprisingly some of the key players perform as if they have been affected by “jet lag”.

Liverpool Gets Embarrased by Fulham 3-1

Bobby Zamora opened the scoring for Fulham before a great goal from Fernando Torres to equalize from 25 yards. Then Erik Nevland scored a timely goal to put Fulham ahead before Liverpool commit the unthinkable with a double sending-off.

Phillip Degen, granted a rare start, was given a straight red for an assault on Clint Dempsey before captain Jamie Carragher was dismissed for a professional foul on Zamora. He protested long and hard but Liverpool were done, with Fernando Torres already subbed for teenager Nathan Ecclestone. Dempsey gained his own slice of revenge with a late strike as Liverpool boss Benitez left the field a haunted man.

TORRES HITS 2 GOALS TO SINK CHELSEA

Fernando Torres struck twice in the dying minutes against Chelsea to keep Liverpool's title dream alive in a dramatic finale at Anfield. Rafa Benitez's side looked to be heading for another frustrating draw as Chelsea held out after Frank Lampard's second half dismissal for a lunge on Xabi Alonso.