Premier League roundup: Chelsea’s Dr. Jekyll, Reading’s big comeback
Jan 12, 2013, 12:53 PM EDT
Getty Images There’s no explaining this Chelsea team. The ups and downs are too extreme, too often. In the last month, they’ve lost to Corinthians, Queens Park Rangers, and Swansea (the last two at home) while beating Aston Villa and Southampton by a combined 13-1.
Today was more of the latter, though they got some help. Two own goals from Jon Walters staked the Blues to a 2-0 lead. Sprinkle in insurance via Frank Lampard (from the spot) and Eden Hazard and Chelsea was back in the win column. Combined with Spurs’ draw at Loftus Road, the 4-0 result vaulted the Blues back into third place.
The scoreline was deceiving, though. Chelsea weren’t that good. Through most of the first half they looked the better team in talent but not in execution. The match was playing out as a game Stoke could steal via defensive mistake or a set piece.
But fortune went the other way, starting in first half stoppage time. Walters headed a cross into his own net to send Chelsea into halftime up 1-0. A second own goal in the 63rd minute and Lampard’s 194th goal for Chelsea (second on the club’s all-time list) two minutes later eliminated all doubt. Hazard’s tally was pure icing.
It’s the type of result that will obscure the fact Chelsea are still performing nowhere near their capabilities. People will see the lopsided score and make positive inferences, but it’s unclear this team is making progress. They may be within four points of second place Manchester City, but Chelsea are still more third/fourth place battlers than title contenders.
Which, incidentally, is right where most predicted them to land at the beginning of the season.
Mid-week, I rolled out the trite Dr. Jerkll and Mr. Hide analog (though I used it incorrectly). It’s cliché, but it’s an apt shorthand for Chelsea’s schizophrenia behavior, especially if you’re trying to avoid too many mental illness metaphors.
You really can’t predict which Chelsea team is going to show up. Today, the good one got three points at the Britannia.
Eight minutes, three goals, three points for Reading
When QPR drew this morning, we talked about the importance of going for three at home, especially if you’re fighting relegation. One point is nice, but at this juncture of the season, holding serve is not enough.
Through 80 minutes on Saturday, Reading weren’t even in frame for a draw. Nineteenth and 69th minute goals from Romelu Lukaku gave West Brom a 2-0 lead at the Madejski Stadium. The Baggies were on their way to snapping a two-match losing streak.
Then came the onslaught. Jimmy Kebe broke through in the 82nd minute, with mid-week hero Adam Le Fondre equalizing from the spot two minutes later. Not content with the lesser comeback, Reading got a winner from Pavel Progrebnyak in stoppage time to claim their third win in 22 games.
With neither Aston Villa nor Wigan winning, the three points loom particularly large. Not only did the Royals vault out of the basement, they’re now within three of both the Villans and Latics. Plus, Brian McDermott’s team holds the goal difference advantage on each.
The comeback underscores the importance of full points. QPR walked off the pitch at Loftus Road feeling good about their 0-0 with Tottenham, but after the result at Reading, Rangers are worse off than they were before the day’s opening whistle.
Elsewhere in England
Aston Villa 0-1 Southampton - Ricky Lambert’s first half penalty conversion holds up to move Saints into 15th place. Villa drops into the relegation zone. Make a list of the potential reasons you should replace a coach mid-stream then ask yourself whether Villa should move on from Paul Lambert. Given their recent managerial history, is easier said than done, but it’s hard to see how, based on what he’s done at Villa, Lambert’s the man to keep them up.
Everton 0-0 Swansea - Swansea hasn’t lost since a 1-0 at White Hart Lane on Dec. 16. In that respect, this is an understandable result for Everton, though for a team chasing a Champions League spot, this looks like points dropped.
Fulham 1-1 Wigan Athletic - A 71st minute Franco Di Santo goal gets the Latics a valuable road point, temporarily pulling them out of the drop. Fulham started all of Dimitar Berbatov, Mladen Petric and Bryan Ruiz but were unable to snare a crucial second goal before Martin Jol started changing things just after the hour.
Norwich City 0-0 Newcastle - Everything I said about Paul Lambert, above? Apply them to Alan Pardew. Newcastle snaps a three-match losing streak (in league) but are only two points above the drop.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham United - It’s the kind of result that makes you wonder if West Ham’s hat a wall. You can point to the absence of midfielder Mohamed Diamé, but it takes more than one man’s absence to explain conceding three times to Sunderland. Seb Larsson, Adam Johnson, and James McClean scored for a Black Cats side who’ve taken nine points from their last five games.
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The updated ordering in ProSoccerTalk’s ranking of Major League Soccer teams following 12 rounds of play:
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Officials from MLS, Yankees, Manchester City and NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg to speak tomorrow on expansion news
May 21, 2013, 3:15 PM EDT
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How very convenient that Manchester City just happens to be in the States for a brief two-game tour.
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A few implications of the ‘sister-club’ relationship between City and NYC FC
May 21, 2013, 2:05 PM EDT
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By forming NYC FC, City and the Yankees have created a ‘sister-club’ relationship – an innovative bond between a Premiership and MLS club.
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Notes from today’s big announcement on MLS, NYCFC the Yankees and the rest
May 21, 2013, 1:23 PM EDT
Early thoughts on the facility and the ripples of today’s big announcement on the 20th MLS franchise:
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Cavani for Dzeko swap could be massive for Manchester City
May 21, 2013, 11:45 AM EDT
By swapping Dzeko for Cavani, City can hamstring Manchester United and Chelsea, as both are rumored to be seeking a world-class striker.
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It’s official: Manchester City and the Yankees will own and operate Major League Soccer’s newest expansion team.
May 21, 2013, 11:16 AM EDT
The league’s 20th franchise will begin play in 2015:
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During his Premiership tenure Toure has proven himself a leader, captaining both the Gunners and the Citizens, as well as Cote d’Ivoire.
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Gareth Bale set to re-sign with Tottenham – But is it a good deal for the Welshman?
May 21, 2013, 8:37 AM EDT
Has Daniel Levy already forgotten about what happened when he tried to pin Luka Modric down with this ‘no sale’ line of bull?
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PSG, Ancelotti, and Real Madrid: Four basic facts of Carlo’s Spanish future
May 20, 2013, 11:58 PM EDT
Expect this one to get worked out.
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As far as transfer rumors go, Gonzalo Higuaín to Arsenal actually makes some sense
May 20, 2013, 11:23 PM EDT
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If Real Madrid’s going to shake things up, Higuaín could do worse than land at The Emirates.
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Reuters
Four players were on the original list. None of them may end up at Stamford Bridge.
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Silvio Berlusconi says he hasn’t fired Maximiliano Allegri. Yet.
May 20, 2013, 5:45 PM EDT
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For a moment, it looked like Milan had fired their coaching staff … via an open letter from a television show.
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Real Madrid won’t get any compensation from Chelsea for José Mourinho
May 20, 2013, 4:55 PM EDT
Real Madrid would have been in line for an eight-digit payday had they sold Mourinho to Chelsea.





