Borrowed Quotes: Match report Liverpool 2:0 Chelsea. Title hopes fading away..

I've probably just witness what may be the biggest blow to Chelsea's hopes of retaining their Premiership crown for a 3rd successive year. There's been so much talk about the build up to this weekend. Because the big 4..Liverpool , Chelsea , Arsenal and Manchester United were going to play each other. A slip up by either team...and they will have their title chances serverely dented and probably ruined the rest of their season...as they would leave themselves with a huge Mountain to climb. I'm a Chelsea fan...so i'll just speak on how this weekend would effect them...I could go on about the other clubs ...but i don't think that's needed. Before worrying about other people's problem ...worry about your own problem 1st...as a saying goes.

Build up to this match hasn't been ideal....There were positives and negatives. Starting with the good stuff. Chelsea welcomed back Goal-keeper Petr Cech between the post for the 1st time since suffering a fractured skull against Reading earlier in the season due to a clash with Stephen Hunt...Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho also described the return of the giant Czech Goalie as "signing a new 50m pound player"// That was how much the return of Petr Cech meant to Chelsea. The season was declining since he was injured but circumstances were still bareable. After a poor run of form ...Chelsea also seem to hit top-gear with a 4-0 demolition of Wigan...and it seemed that things were slowly returning to plan....

In other corner, for the negatives. Chelsea have not been in such good form because the backbone of their sucess which is their rock-solid defence has looked as though it's been on quick-sand that can sink the titanic. The reason for that is the lost of inspirational skipper John Terry to back injury...ever since he was injured the Chelsea backline as looked to be in shambles...Nobody knows what is their role...and just kicking the ball around blindly. No sense of direction ...no leadership. I'm not be-meaning Frank Lampard's leadership ability but let's face it He's no John Terry. To add fuel to the already burning fire...Chelsea have lacked center backs all season...nobody can understand why Jose Mourinho decided to sell off Robert Huth and William Gallas to Middlesbrough and Arsenal respectively. Only having Boulahrouz a.k.a the cannibal...as extra cover. And with unfortunate circumstances...It seems like this decision has back-fired on Chelsea...and benefitted everyone around them.

Short of cover at the back for this game...forced JM to play Ferriera ( Right back ) in the middle together with make shift center back Michael Essien for the don't know how many-th game already. And the 2 "center-backs" never looked comfortable for a minute of the game...School-boy and unprofessional mistakes had lead to Liverpool's expected opener....When Dirk Kuyt ( FYI, i sold him in my fantasy football....DaRn IT.) nodded down a long punt by Jamie Carragher from the Liverpool half...and slipped through two Chelsea players Geremi and Ferriera and clamly side footed the ball into the Chelsea net leaving Petr Cech stranded and with no chance to save it. Liverpool dominated majority of the game and they nearly made Chelsea pay when Riise had a shot saved from Cech. It really should have been 2-0 by then...and game over. Riise happen to take the shot with his weaker right foot and scuffed the ball in the process...if it had been his left...there would be a hole in the net i'm sure.....

Chelsea slowly but surely clawed their way back into the game ....evening up the midfield battle. Though injury struck Arjen Robben and he was replaced by Shaun Wright-Philips early on. Well, Chelsea fell behind to what i would described as an unstoppable shot..any goalie would have failed to stop that shot....the cross came in and the ball was cleared out of the Chelsea box as far to Jermaine Pennant at the edge of the box...or maybe slightly further..And he took a whip at the ball ...and it was a dipping shot...that just clipped the bottom of the post leaving Petr Cech absolutely helpless and it was 2-0 by then.

For some reason , i'm usually very optimistic about Chelsea fighting back. But in this game everytime Chelsea attacked the Liverpool goal..they seem like tooth-less lions...Meanwhile, everytime Liverpool inched towards the goal...It seemed like they could score from anywhere...Riise proved it with a shot from the just infront of the half-way line and he hit the post!....I thought that could only be done in Computer games...Seeing how Chelsea play was not anything like the Chelsea that won the league for the past 2 seasons....something is obviously not correct. Well that's not my problem ...not for me to worry...

In closing, I Believe that there will be a new premiership champion this season...i'm not saying it's Manchester United or Liverpool or Arsenal...but i know it won't be Chelsea. People say that you must believe in your team...but i think that you gotta wake up and face reality ...and reality is ..Chelsea ain't playing as how they ought to be playing..."Champions Football"...

Signing off ,

Kevin