We are edging closer and closer to the end of the season, and closer and closer to the Premier League Title. The club as a whole has been running the marathon that is the Premier League, but we’ve got a few miles left to go. Ladies and Gentlemen, the final stretch is upon us.
Tomorrow, Chelsea face Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in what should be an entertaining clash with a great atmosphere. We hope to push on and make a statement : We’re top of the league and we’re going nowhere. However, Man U have really found their form as of late, and Van Gaal’s men will be hoping that they can put a spanner in the works. Van Gaal has been getting the best out of some of his players recently, and United are proving to be tougher and tougher to be beat. Tomorrow, tactics, and our players’ approach, needs to be just perfect. A big game is needed.
Chelsea have looked out of sorts in recent weeks, with some unconvincing performances and narrow wins coming against Hull, Stoke, and QPR. This has really set the stage for us to perform excellently and put on a magnificent show tomorrow evening. We have a big game mastermind in Jose, and I have no doubt he will have some tricks up his sleeve.
I believe the game could be won or lost in midfield. Lately, Nemanja Matic and Cesc Fabregas have not been at their best (although Cesc got the winner last weekend). They have looked tired and complacent at times. With Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata likely to be posted somewhere at the heart of United’s attacks, we will need to be fully alert. Jose could pull a surprise out of the bag tomorrow, hopefully in the form of Kurt Zouma. When called upon, the 20 year-old has been absolutely flawless. He even managed to keep a certain Sergio Aguero quiet for a whole 90 minutes. A 4-3-3 is an option for Mourinho’s men, with Matic and Zouma playing a little deeper than Cesc perhaps. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see. A convincing win tomorrow is exactly what Jose, the players, the fans, and the club as a whole needs. Time will tell.
Another challenge awaits us next week in the form of Arsenal, another team who have been performing very well lately. We travel to the Emirates next weekend, and I think our biggest objective will be that we don’t lose that game. Arsenal possess real quality in Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla, so it’s obvious that we will have to be cautious. Of course we possess world class talent ourselves, in Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas and many more. With Hazard looking to maintain his consistently impressive performances, putting on a show against both UTD and Arsenal could see him move ever closer to the POTY award, which he thoroughly deserves. Arsenal, offensively, have the potential to be lethal. We are going to have to soak up plenty of pressure, and accept that we will not always have the ball. Coming away from the Emirates with either a win or a draw would be very satisfying.
We have some other challenges in the weeks ahead, like Liverpool , Crystal Palace, and Sunderland on the last day of the season. There’s no room for complacency anymore. The siege continues. We have been top of the league since day one, and I’m sure we’d all like to see it stay that way!
