Consigned to the history book

Match report: Chelsea 3 Man United 0

Saturday, Apr 29, 2006

Chelsea have become the first London club to win back-to-back championships since the 1930s after a game that could not have gone any better had it been scripted. From William Gallas’ early opener, to Joe Cole’s magical second to Riccy Carvalho’s fantasy third, this was truly a blue day.

When it came to the crunch, Mourinho reverted to his tried and trusted 4-3-3 team selection. That meant recalls for Joe Cole and Arjen Robben to play alongside Didier Drogba in attack while in defence, William Gallas and Paulo Ferreira resumed as the full-back pair with a return to the centre for Ricardo Carvalho.

In the opposition ranks there was just one change from Man United’s last game. Fit again Louis Saha was back as Wayne Rooney’s strike partner, confirming Ruud van Nistelrooy’s new status as second choice.

Stamford Bridge, already a bubbling cauldron at kick-off reached boiling point after only four minutes. Chelsea won a corner. Lampard, whose tackle on Ronaldo in the centre-circle had originally won possession took it. Drogba climbed high in a way no Man U player could match, headed towards the target where Gallas, like so many times before had wheeled away free from his marker.

From five yards out, one of the true stars of the season headed home. It was the dream start to every Chelsea fans’ dream game.

But within minutes it suddenly looked like the afternoon had taken a distinct turn for the worse. Terry, who had set the tone for the determined opening with an inspirational charge out from the back and intercepting tackle with the game just seconds old, stretched for another loose ball.

Rooney, a fraction later on the scene caught the skipper with force on his shin. Terry stayed down, clearly in agony. That was a sight no-one took lightly.

After a few minutes of treatment a stretcher was called for as the Bridge let out a collective groan. What was Sven making of the collision between two of his World Cup team certainties?

But then the iron-man rose. He was hobbling aided, then unaided. He would be fit to continue. What a player!

On 21 minutes there was big let-off. Man U broke through Rooney. Initially Terry intervened but when the ball came back to the England forward he out-smarted and out-paced Carvalho and Ferreira but blasted wide with just Cech to beat.

Around the half-hour Man United started to retain the ball better and press forward as Chelsea took stock of the good position they were in. But then came a sweeping Blues move forward, Robben driving down the right, playing the ball through Drogba to Essien who shot low but well off-target.

Makelele became the second Chelsea booking on 34 minutes for obstructing Park’s run. Cech had earlier been cautioned for racing 30 yards out of goal to protest about the Rooney challenge on Terry.

Cole went in hard on Neville but escaped censure as Eriksson continued to choke on his hot dog.

As half-time approached, the visitors were enjoying a little more territorial advantage and control of the ball than Mourinho would have wished but Chelsea made it to the break unscathed, thinks to Cech saving a Rooney shot heading low into the corner.

Gallas became the third Chelsea caution for deliberate handball on 52 minutes. A long diagonal ball from Cole almost picked out Drogba at the far-post but the big striker just failed to bring down a difficult chance. Then Essien found Cole who patiently waited for a gap in the red backline before curling a shot just a yard outside van der Sar’s post with the keeper beaten. It was Chelsea best spell since midway through the first-half.

By that stage Ronaldo, an ineffectual performer, had entered the notebook for a succession of fouls.

On the hour came one of the moments of the season. Joe Cole picked up a ball that Drogba had chested on but was totally hemmed in by red shirts. One shuffle of the feet later and Rio Ferdinand was trailing in his wake. Neither Silvestre nor Vidic could get back either as Cole advanced and unerringly slammed the ball between near-post and keeper. Cole was booked for his shirt-off celebration. He'll be bothered about that!

Cech, at full stretch did well to tip away a ball that was dangerously drifting across his goal to preserve the advantage a minute later and Chelsea began to settle down.

Robben decided on a shoot-on-sight policy, twice blasting into the Matthew Harding stand in a matter of minutes.

Van Nistelrooy replaced Ronaldo as Ferguson shuffled his last cards. Rooney committed a nasty foul on Drogba and was booked after rejecting the Chelsea man’s conciliatory embrace in a burst of bad temper.

Duff replaced Robben with 25 minutes to go and Richardson came on for a limping Giggs as the Bridge sung ‘Fergie, Fergie, what’s the score!’ and ‘Boring, Boring Chelsea!’.

If Fergie had been tempted to answer 2-0, he was right — but only for a few moments. On 73 minutes, Carvalho strode out from his own area and continued his run as Chelsea broke forward through Lampard and Cole. Picking up Cole’s pass wide out on the left of the area, the Portuguese stopper looked every inch a master centre-forward as he whacked the ball in.

Man United’s dreadful afternoon at the office was about to become even worse. Rooney, after a superb tackle by Ferreira on the edge of the area, tumbled and looked to have hurt his foot. This time the stretcher-bearers trip to the middle wasn’t in vein. Chelsea’s championship win may have just been bumped off the back pages.

There was so nearly a fourth goal when Gallas’ cross was headed on by substitute Crespo and Drogba turned it just the wrong side of the post. It was the striker's last contribution as Maniche was given a run.

There would be no more incident apart from the momentous final whistle. South-west London, prepare to party!!

Chelsea (4-3-3) Cech; Ferreira, Carvalho, Terry (c), Gallas; Essien, Makelele, Lampard; J Cole (Crespo 75), Drogba (Maniche 85), Robben (Duff 66).

Man Utd: (4-4-2) Van der Sar; Neville (c), Ferdinand, Vidic, Silvestre; Ronaldo (van Nistelrooy 63), O’Shea, Giggs (Richardson 73), Park; Rooney (Evra 81), Saha.