Lampard delivers final blow

Manchester City’s unbeaten domestic run has finally come to an end this evening at Stamford Bridge. On a wet and breezy night in South West London the Premier League has once again come to life.

The game had started so positively for the visitors when Mario Balotelli rounded Petr Cech to give the league leaders the advantage in the second minute. After comfortable wins against Manchester United and Tottenham already this season it appeared that Chelsea were to be next on City’s title march. The most criticised defence in recent weeks was shaking and seemingly dropping deeper and deeper as the opening stages continued.

It almost appeared too easy for City as their midfield dictated the pace of the game and kept the ball from Chelsea with consummate ease. Against the run of play Daniel Sturridge dummied Clichy and got to the by-line, his right footed cross was turned in by Raul Meireles and suddenly the game was all square. With one side being so dominant it seemed almost inconceivable that the game should be level again, but it was.

The equaliser instantly injected the home side with more drive and purpose; the manager Andre Villas-Boas also instructed the team to play deeper which stopped City’s dominance of possession. Their early pressing had enabled the opposition to manoeuvre the ball around at will and once the manager had adjusted his tactics which suddenly brought his side into the game.

One major difference for Chelsea was the impact of Oriol Romeu who was fantastic in front of his defence. Not only is he technically gifted, he also the ability to compete physically with the likes of Yaya Toure and Mario Balotelli which made the Chelsea centre backs job far easier.

The home side began brightly in the second half with Juan Mata looking particularly impressive. The Spaniard appears to be far more effective when he moves into central positions and one such run against Vincent Kompany left the Manchester City captain on his backside. In the 58^th minute the game changed on its head with Clichy’s sending off; suddenly it was Chelsea who had to take the game to City and the remaining half hour would see the visitors sit deeper and deeper.

It took until the 73^rd minute for Villas-Boas to call on Frank Lampard and it seemed almost inevitable that he would be instrumental in a Chelsea win, if there was to be one. The moment duly came in the 82^nd minute when a penalty was awarded after Lescott handled in the penalty area. The much maligned Lampard smashed the resulting penalty straight down the middle of the goal.

This victory for Chelsea could prove to be pivotal in this season’s race for the Premier League title. It has shown that the home side are still very much in the title race and more importantly it shows that City are vulnerable and not quite undefeatable….just yet.

Chelsea evolving under Villas-Boas

It looks like being the start of an exciting new era at Chelsea this season under new manager Andre Villas-Boas. Although the team has by no means been unsuccessful they finally appear to be breaking away from the Mourinho mould that has remained, four years after he departed.

The spine of the side still remains from Mourinho’s days; Cech, Terry, Lampard and Drogba are all still there and remain part of the club’s furniture. However, the new Portuguese manager has come in with the intention of changing their style of play and making them a more progressive side. He has moved well thus far in the transfer window by adding good, technically gifted players such as Juan Mata who has been one of the buys of the season so far.

It is not as if Chelsea were failing with the old style but previous managers had certainly failed to move away from Mourinho’s tried and trusted methods. The previous manager Carlo Ancelotti attempted to do so last season and it was not a successful move. One issue that remains is that there are still several members of the squad who carry far too much sway within the dressing room and within the media. It is no coincidence that these players were the ‘Special Ones’ most trusted lieutenants.

By adding Mata, Meireles and Romeu, Villas-Boas has made his intentions relatively clear; he wants Chelsea to become a more possession based side rather than the direct style that has suited them over recent years. It is also a move necessary to get the best out of Fernando Torres who is already looking like a £50 million striker since Mata has been added to the side. Finally, there is a player who has the vision to find him on a regular basis and aid the Spaniard in his rehabilitation. The Chelsea performance in the second half at Old Trafford against Manchester United confirmed that it is a three way battle for the Premier League title this season.

Speculation has been rife recently regarding Frank Lampard’s Chelsea future and he has responded in emphatic style by scoring four goals in a week. It is not that Lampard is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge; it is simply that he cannot play every game at his age and also the side are more efficient and pacey without him. A midfield three that boasts Malouda, Meireles and Ramires is a dynamic and athletic trio which allows AVB to play the style he desires more frequently. Once Romeu is adjusted to the league he will play in front of the back four and will begin play faster than the current options; he is a good and tidy player who has come through the infamous La Masia training academy.

With Torres looking almost back to his best this Chelsea side will push both Manchester clubs close this season. With Ferguson blooding a lot of youngsters and with Mancini looking incapable of having a Plan B it is Chelsea who could emerge as winners this season. Villas-Boas has already shown he is capable of changing the system and looks to have good plans in place for certain opposition. He is an incredibly impressive young manager and considering his recent success it would be foolish to back against him.

England must make changes – and fast

After yet another abject display from England the time has surely come for a change in personnel. Whilst many fans feel the blame lies at the door of the manager Fabio Capello the problem lies with many of the players he continues to select. The World Cup finals highlighted the fact that many of the senior players are simply not good enough to bring success for the country.

There are too many players in the squad who have failed continually at International Level and are still picked. The emergence of Jack Wilshire has shown that the younger players are hungry for success and are capable of playing at the level required when playing International football.

The Under 21s have a European Championship coming up and it will be fascinating to see how they compare with their European counterparts. In the side that played at the weekend I believe there are five or six players who are ready to take the next step and earn full caps. In defence there is a steady centre back pairing of Phil Jones and Chris Smalling who have both excelled for Blackburn and Manchester United respectively this season. In midfield there was Jordan Henderson and Jack Rodwell; both have been linked with big money moves to top clubs this summer. Then there is Daniel Sturridge who enjoyed a wonderful spell at Bolton in the second half of the season.

It is surely time for the likes of Ferdinand, Gerrard and Lampard to step aside for the younger players. Their desire to succeed is actually stopping the development of the up and coming stars who are ready to replace them. Those three are prime examples of players who have not succeeded at International level and were well below expectations against Switzerland on Saturday.

I have written about Ferdinand’s physical issues before and his lack of mobility is really starting to cause problems for club and country. Against average players his reading of the game is enough to get by but against pace he is exposed every time. He has been a good player throughout his career but his understudy at United Chris Smalling is ready to take over. The whole Gerrard and Lampard debate is just painful now; they have never looked comfortable at International level.

The result on Saturday did not prove to be too costly as Montenegro drew with Bulgaria at home but the draw at home to Switzerland is simply not good enough. England are slipping further and further behind the other major nations in world football and failure to qualify for the European Championships would be a disaster; although they have no chance of winning it the tournament would prove invaluable experience for Hart, Wilshire etc.

Wembley was graced with craft, guile and genius last weekend. Unfortunately this time around it was graced with overpaid has-beens. The time for wholesale change was at the end of the world cup, it has to happen soon or England’s search for major honours will go on for even longer.