Premier League: Woolwich Gypsies 1 Chelsea 1

By dixon9
May 7 2007

This was the day we mathematically lost our chance to make it three Premier League titles in a row yet I couldn´t help feeling a glow of pride when the final whistle went. One Chelsea fan put it very well: “I have been at many, many places in the years in between both in England and across Europe: Milan, Rome, Barcelona etc etc…

I was at Bolton when we won the league for the first time in 50 years, and yet being at Arsenal yesterday was one of my proudest days as a Chelsea fan. The players were awesome, the manager was a giant and the fans were simply magnificent.
It is the way you react to defeat that determines how long you have to wait for success and how sweet it will be when it comes - We won't have to wait long and it will be very sweet. “

With a strangley diluted side and down to 10 men after the dismissal of Boularouhz, Chelsea blue swarmed over Arsenal red for long periods in the second half.  It was a display of power and refusal to give in that I shall remember for years to come.  This was a side that had played 120 mins on the Tuesday and were away from home against one of their fiercest rivals and  playing with 10 men. I was a bit perplexed to see Mourinho field the side he did (Drogba wasn´t even on the bench!) and there was a brief moment when I thought he must have given up on the league already.  Quite stupid of me really!  Obviously, the plan was to get by Arsenal using minimal resources therefore being able to put out a much fresher side for what may have been the last throw of the dice on the Wednesday against Man Utd – or was it?  Of course, any such strategy could be seriously called into question bearing in mind we were playing Arsenal away from home but they also had a few missing and who knows, with 11 men on the pitch he may have pulled it off. Diarra began on the bench, Drogba had been ruled out with an ankle injury, Ashley Cole ankle injury, Makelele rested, Shevchenko groin opertation (and will miss cup final – apparently), Carvalho knee and Ballack has also had an operation but may be available for the cup final.The Emirates atmosphere came across more than the normal “library” standard with the Arsenal faithful strangely adopting the continental approach of whistling when their opponents were in possession and an even more bizarre strategy of an internet organized chant of “Liverpool”!!!  There must have been many a hard core Arsenal embarrassed by this and no doubt a fair few that have since passed on turning uncomfortably in their graves.It was a reasonably brisk start although the animosity from the stands wasn´t transferred to the players on the pitch.  There was hardly any remaining vestige of grudges from the Carling Cup Final handbags.  The opening period was competitive but chances were fairly non-existant for the first 35 mins;  Abedayor did force a save from Cech but it was when a ring-rusty and apprantly still not 100% fit Boularouhz misjudged a long Lehmen goal kick (with no shouts of “hoof!” from the Arsenal because they don´t do long balls!) and clumsily brought down Baptista from behind.  Gilberto dispatched the penalty confidently – 1-0.The second half then gave us one of the most remarkable Chelsea performances that I´ve seen in a long time.  Essien was at the pulse of the team and our incessant surges and long periods of possession irritated the Emirates crowd.Essien´s diving header brought the equaliser with 20 mins remaining and there were moments when the winner looked inevitable.  Joe Cole “thought he had scored” when he lashed in his shot from the edge of the box although he had clearly run into position when originally offside.  It hadn´t been all Chelsea though and Gallas produced a header which narrowly missed.  Essien then volleyed over from a corner and Lampard followed forcing a save from Lehmen. Kalou hit a 20 yarder which the German tipped over and then at the death Eboue rapsed a shot which went more across than forward and seemed almost to run along the face of the bar before going into safety.Wenger: We wanted to win the game and leading 1-0 with our 11 men against their 10 men we could have. "That's where we have shown we were too easy and we were punished for it. "We're still a bit too young to keep our focus, but credit to Chelsea for fighting to the last minute - that is why football is so great." Mourinho: "This was a game to remember and showed how big Chelsea are as a club. "I'm very proud of my players. Normally when a team has a lot of success and loses a championship it's lack of motivation, not the same spirit or ambition, but it was exactly the opposite.

"My team was brilliant."

Mourinhohttp://www.dailymotion.com/search/chelsea/video/x1x0c2_josemourinhoandchelseafans Arsenal: Lehmann, Eboue, Gallas, Toure, Clichy, Diaby (Hoyte 79), Fabregas, Silva, Denilson (Hleb 59), Adebayor, Julio Baptista.
Subs Not Used: Almunia, Senderos, Djourou. Booked: Adebayor. Goals: Silva 43 pen. Chelsea: Cech, Ferreira, Boulahrouz, Terry, Bridge, Mikel (Diarra 74), Essien, Lampard, Wright-Phillips (Sinclair 80), Joe Cole, Kalou.
Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Makelele, Sahar. Sent Off: Boulahrouz (43). Booked: Mikel, Essien. Goals: Essien 70. Att: 60,102.

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).