Oh cheers, it's been a great week for all Chelsea fans. First that momentous UCL victory over Liverpool, and now our fantastic 2-1 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup semis at Wembley last night.
Great stuff. A pulsating match, packed full of drama and loads of entertainment even for the neutrals. Chelsea started sluggishly, the midweek Champions League hard-fought victory over Liverpool looked to have sapped them of life and energy. Arsenal dominated early play, applying pressure and running circles round the defense. And my worst fears were confirmed when Kieran Gibbs neatly sidestepped Ivanovic, crossed to Adebayor; who in turn played the ball back to Theo Walcott. The ball deflected on Ashley Cole's hand and into the net, past a despairing Petr Cech. 1-0 Arsenal. The Gunners fans went wild, especially since it was Ashley Cole who had played a major *part* in that opening goal.
The shock of falling behind seemed to be the perfect tonic to a still slumbering Chelsea side, and slowly but surely; they started asserting themselves, particularly in midfield. Finally on 33', Frank's spectacular 70 yard crossfield pass finds Florent Malouda and he lashes it into Lukasz Fabianki's near post. 1-1, Chelsea equalise!
From then on, it was, as Paul Masefield later put it, men against boys. The Blues won every challenge, outran and outmuscled the lightweight midfield and when Anelka hit the post; it was a hint that things were about to get much worse for Arsenal. The half-time whistle came too soon, and with it a feeling of dissapointment, because Chelsea were just about hitting top gear.
The second half was not as exciting as the first, with both teams starting out cautiously. You got the feeling that Chelsea were eager to find the net again to settle the match without extra time; while Arsenal were more content to sit a little deeper and defend. Delivery from set pieces was poor; and there were only a smattering of half-chances for either side. Finally, Wenger brought on Andrei Asharvin for RVP in the hope of unlocking the Chelsea defence and injecting some creativity into a midfield that looked short of their best.
The minutes ticked on, and frustration began to mount. I too, was annoyed because it was already nearing 2am and I didn't want to stay up too late in case the game went to extra time or worse, penalties. In the form Petr Cech was in, I dare say we didn't have a fantastic chance. Thankfully, on 84', Frank made a speculative pass forward to Drogba. Fabianski excitedly and perhaps stupidly came to claim it and completely misjudged it. Drogba easily shrugged off Mikael Silvestre and from a tight angle, rifled in a shot into the far post of the empty net.
2-1 Chelsea.
Joy for Chelsea, heartbreak for Arsenal; and Wenger brought on Samir Nasri as a last throw of the dice.
Too little too late. It was a nervous last few minutes plus extra time but when the final whistle sounded, the relief and ecstasy was evident on all the Chelsea player's faces. The cameras settled on Frank's happy face for a good few minutes, showing him going to the fans and pumping his fist in joy; hugging John Terry and joining in a group hug with the other players. And at the other end of the spectrum, the cameras panned to a dejected Lukasz Fabianski. His two howlers had gifted us a place in the final. Poor boy, and on his birthday as well.
But on a glorious return to Wembley, the better team had won. Manchester United probably awaits on May 30 but in our current run of form; I don't think even SAF would relish taking us on. Viva la Blues
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