The Centre Circle

Chelsea travelled north to Ewood Park to take on Blackburn, not the most enticing fixture for Carlo Ancelotti and his side after being dumped out of the Champion’s League in midweek. Were they up for the fight? It seemed so after just 5 minutes when Nicolas Anelka cut the ball back for Drogba to clinically finish from 12 yards out. Kalou then missed a chance to make it 2-0 when his header went over the bar. Blackburn had their first chance from a Petersen freekick that Ross Turnbull in goal pushed away for a corner. Blackburn increased their tempo as they realised that to get anything from the game they would have to fight and the tackles began to fly, raising the atmosphere in the ground. After 40 minutes Blackburn lost possession in their own half and Malouda moved forward before unleashing a vicious drive that Jason Brown was unable to hold, the ball luckily flying to a Blackburn shirt.

Early into the second half and Blackburn had their best chance with Christopher Samba’s header cleared off the line by Zhirkov. Chelsea immediately replied, Frank Lampard, who had so far been quite quiet, firing narrowly wide from 20 yards. Samba was then lucky to stay on the pitch after clumsily pulling down Anelka when he appeared to be clean through, but the referee waved on play. After 70minutes, Blackburn levelled. A deep cross from Salgardo was met at the far post by El-Hadji Djouf who rose above Ferreira to head into the corner. Game on, and the first signs of concern from Ancelotti. A minute later Drogba won a free kick 30 yards out, but his effort smashed into the wall. The Blackburn players were really getting into the game, chasing and harrying Chelsea players all over the pitch. Late on in a frantic finish, Drogba fired a shot narrowly wide after a corner, and Lampard appealed in vain for a late penalty waved away correctly by referee Steve Bennett, as Blackburn held on for a 1-1 draw to dent the title ambitions of the London club.

At Fulham, it was always going to be difficult for the home side to reach the heights after their magnificent win against Juventus on Thursday. And so it proved with Man City taking the lead from a counter attack after a Zoltan Gera effort was cleared off the line. Craig Bellamy hit the post, with Roque Santa Cruz tucking away the rebound. One nil down and just before half time and it was to get worse for Fulham as Bellamy fed Carlos Tevez who cut inside central defender Chris Smalling before shooting Man City into a two goal lead. Into the second half and Adam Johnson nearly made it 3-0 when a swerving shot from Adam Johnson clipped the outside of the right hand post, however Fulham were to get a penalty when an unwitting Gareth Barry handled in the box. A touch unlucky for the England midfielder. Danny Murphy converted the spot kick to give Fulham hope and they could have had a second when the ball hit Vincent Kompany on the arm but this time referee Lee Probert failed to award a second penalty and Man City hung on to win 2-1 and to move two points behind Spurs. It is starting to look more like a straight fight between these two for the coveted 4th place.

Today’s first game saw the North West’s big two, Man Utd & Liverpool lock horns at Old Trafford. Liverpool hit the first blow after only 5 minutes. Gerrard picked up the ball after United lost possession in midfield. He passed out to Kuyt on the right who sent over a delicious cross to Torres, who unmarked in the box, sent a flying header past  a despairing Van de Sar in the United goal. United were not behind for long. Valencia made a surging run towards the box, and in an attempt to stop him, Mascherano pulled back the United winger. Valencia fell theatrically in the penalty box and Howard Webb the referee gave a penalty. The resulting spot kick taken by Wayne Rooney was saved by Pepe Reina, however unluckily for the Liverpool keeper, he could only parry it out to the United striker, who made no mistake with the rebound, burying it in the net. Replays later showed that the foul by Mascherano was committed outside the box. The sparring continued for the rest of the half, United going close on two occasions with Park headers. A warning to Liverpool which they were later not to heed.

The second half started in much the vein of the first half, both teams looking for supremacy. After 59 minutes, Rooney spread the ball out to Fletcher, he waited for Gary Neville to make the dummy run outside him, then swung a enticing cross into the box where Ji-Sung Park this time met it with a diving header giving Reina absolutely no chance. Third time lucky for the Korean. From that point on, Man United were in truth rarely troubled until just before the end when Fernando Torres miss-kicked in front of goal, the ball looping up for the substitute Benayoun, who sent a weak header into the grateful arms of Van de Sar. Manchester United’s win takes them back to the top of the league 2 points ahead of Arsenal and Liverpool’s 10th defeat of the season leaves them with a mountain to climb to achieve a Champion’s League spot for next season. It piles yet more pressure onto Rafa Benitez who only a month ago promised guaranteed a top 4 spot. He may live to very much regret such a bold prediction.