Ruddy's sterling performance kept out the likes of Torres throughout

Saturday 21st January 2012
Norwich City 0
Chelsea 0
Carrow Road

Spurned chances made sure Chelsea didn’t come away with three points from Carrow Road, after a battling Norwich side kept their first league clean sheet this season.

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

The importance of maintaining squad players through the years of success and failure has risen over previous decades.

One should observe Sir Alex Ferguson, who has built title-winning sides in effortless succession at Manchester United to supplement to the expansive careers of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.

An extreme juxtaposition was present, however, at Carrow Road on early Saturday afternoon, where viewers would have bore witness to two completely different forms of team-building.

At one end of the spectrum, there was Chelsea: a team that’s been fuelled by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s funds since 2003. Although they’ve sold, the squad’s formidability has been maintained. Players like Petr Cech, John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba have turned into club legends.

At their peak from 2004-06 under Jose Mourinho, the influx of European talent, which showcased the best of players such as Ricardo Carvalho and Arjen Robben, added to this fearful spine.

As the antithesis you had Norwich, whose momentous turnaround from a 1-7 League 1 home drubbing against Colchester in August 2009 has seen them grab consecutive promotions under the influence of up-and-coming Scottish manager Paul Lambert.

The Canaries have kept four players – Zak Whitbread, Russell Martin, Wes Hoolahan and Grant Holt – since the start of their divisional climb, thriving on cheap buys from the lower leagues. They spent roughly twelve times less than Chelsea in 2011 alone.

Lambert’s eleven showed no signs of being overawed despite the clear difference in monetary worth. A collective resoluteness was displayed where – despite the odd defence-tearing pass from Juan Mata – they stood incredibly firm. Whitbread and Daniel Ayala further established their partnership in the middle of defence, and John Ruddy’s man-of-the-match award spoke volumes in his surge for an England call-up.

Norwich had kept a clean sheet for the first time this season, but there was no keeping away from the fact that Chelsea did also. It seemed dispiriting for the new on-watching arrival Gary Cahill: this was one of David Luiz’s better days.

However it was another exhausting day for Chelsea. Chances went begging for Mata and Florent Malouda, whilst long shots from Ramires and Raul Meireles didn’t trouble Ruddy enough.

Villas-Boas was correct post-match: his side had “given everything”. They looked physically shattered. There was one player, however, who was mentally enervated.

Fernando Torres came into this contest having not scored in 13 hours of football, and did nothing to rectify the alarming stat. One exquisite shot with the outside of his right boot was expertly saved by Ruddy, but two clear-cut second half attempts went off-target.

The opportunities were perfectly made for him by Mata and Bosingwa, and so Torres looked extremely out of place.

Where Villas-Boas said at the beginning of the week, “He’s doing tremendously well for the team”, he seemed to contradict himself in the dug-out by lambasting the Spaniard’s derisory efforts.

Chelsea’s expensive squad does have the potential to challenge at the top.

Maybe it’s just not right for Torres.

Even Villas-Boas - despite his encouragement for Torres earlier in the week - seemed bemused by the striker's performance

Man of the Match: John Ruddy
The aspiring English goalkeeper produced save after save to display his now renowned consistency. Could be worthy of a call from England manager Fabio Capello soon.

Villain of the Match: Fernando Torres
Yet another game went by, and yet still we feel sorry for the striker, who should ultimately be blaming himself. Praise went to Norwich striker Grant Holt at the end of the game, yet he didn’t do too much more than Torres. What a burden the huge transfer fee brings.

John Terry (left) and Gary Cahill in Chelsea training earlier this week

Chelsea’s signing of Gary Cahill should see the blossoming of a promising centre-back pairing – at both ends of the football spectrum.

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

Reminiscing is difficult in football – wanting to remark on the slightest details to make points has faded as a way of description but remains very effective.

Not much thought is needed, however, when flicking back through this year’s Premier League archive to remember David Luiz’s horrific defending in Chelsea’s 1-3 home loss to Aston Villa last month.

So woeful was the defending that it didn’t warrant thorough explanation: the lack of communication between himself and compatriot John Terry was stark as he stood motionless.

Stiliyan Petrov cackled as he exploited the huge gap between the centre-backs with an incisive finish past the hapless Petr Cech.

Coincidentally as Gary Cahill’s move to the Blues from Bolton came to a close this week, a resurgent hope is present amongst the Stamford Bridge faithful as they look to ignite a fresh title challenge.

Like Luiz, Cahill has a knack for the flamboyant in his overhead attempts (see his stunner for Aston Villa against Birmingham six years ago) and articulate finishing – an unusual defensive trait.

Luiz has ‘done an Arshavin’ in his Chelsea career to date: performing a blistering few opening months as a January arrival, only to experience a huge drop in form.

Cahill, on the other hand, has displayed consistency in his determination to do right in a team where confusion has flourished. It’s this consistency which has seen him break the mould of the renowned Terry-Rio Ferdinand defensive English axis which manager Fabio Capello adored.

Defensive partner Zat Knight has recognised this most, saying earlier this month: “He’s a fantastic player but hopefully there’s a lot more for him still to give. He’s shown in the last few seasons how good he is.”

In arguably his mot difficult game of his career just two weeks ago away at Everton, Cahill exhibited those areas where he could “give”. Despite a tidy goal as the winner, his 66% pass completion wouldn’t be appreciated against the Brazilian Luiz.

It’s his tenacity, however, which exceeds all else: he won all of his aerial duels and tackles, making one further shot on target in the process. Despite the rumours behind the scenes, he left the pitch with the Bolton fans bellowing: “There’s only one Gary Cahill.”

Cahill has begun his subtle road to superstardom: he has seven England caps and has already scored for his national side, whilst his signing should further enhance the relationship between himself and Chelsea captain Terry in preparation for the Euros this summer.

Playing with players like Terry should only increase his reputation amongst Europe’s finest.

Ultimately though, it’s up to Cahill to iron out these habits and fulfill his potential as a complete centre-half: brutally competitive and elegant in the distribution. This can only increase the chances of him realising his dream: winning trophies for his most ideal club transfer to date.

Knight added: “He’s going to a fantastic club.”

The stage is perfectly set for England’s aspiring 26-year-old stalwart.

United goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard watches Demba Ba's inch-perfect opener sail over into the net

Wednesday 4th January 2012
Newcastle United 3 – Ba 33′, Cabaye 47′, Jones (O.G.) 90′
Manchester United 0
Sports Direct Arena

Manchester United suffered their second successive defeat at the hands of an overwhelming Newcastle side at the SDA.

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

As 89 minutes and 41 seconds had passed on the clock at the Sports Direct Arena, Phil Jones had a look of unparalleled despair across his face.

Having converted a woeful own-goal that cried of his inexperience as an uprising centre-half, the young Englishman took the few steps back towards the centre circle with an expression more bewildered than that of his manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

The recently-turned 70-year-old on the sideline was flabbergasted. His king-size puffer jacket gave him nothing in the way of support. He appeared to check whether he’d put on the correct glasses, such was the humbling they’d born witness to from an exceptional Newcastle side.

And as their shock reverberated around the Geordie walls one couldn’t help but recall their unabashed confidence just over 100 minutes earlier.

Despite the 2-3 loss to Balckburn at Old Trafford only four days before, Manchester United appeared almost smug as they warmed up at Newcastle – especially Wayne Rooney, fresh from his most recent off-pitch controversy. His memory was only of the six goals he scored in his last six games on Tyneside.

And it was not only the swaggering Rooney that created this optimism: Dimitar Berbatov came into the game with six goals in his last three games. In addition a comeback for Rio Ferdinand was further supplemented by the increasingly-versatile Antonio Valencia at right-back, completing a sturdy back five. The Red Devils organisation shone through their self-satisfaction and seemed to say: “Hey, we’re Manchester United, we can take a defeat.”

There was one element of the five, however, that reeked of uncertainty in the warm-up.

On the back of that home loss to Steve Kean’s rock-bottom battlers last Saturday, goalkeeper David de Gea had further increased his status as a liability.

The £18.6m signing from Atlético Madrid has done well to replicate fellow Spanish compatriots Iker Casillas (Real Madrid) and Victor Valdés (Barcelona) well at times with his shot-stopping and kicking distribution respectively. But horror shows in games against Manchester City (twice), West Brom and Benfica have seen him rival Fernando Torres for money wasted during transfer windows.

It was therefore replacement goalkeeper Anders Lindegaard who the young Spaniard exchanged awkward glances with pre-match, no doubt full of respect and consideration in the knowledge of what this job requires. The Dane had not conceded in his 7 games up until this contest.

Even so Lindegaard seemed agitated, with a frightful demeanour embodying the real task at hand. Whether it was the heightened expectations, or the augmenting atmosphere that had crept into Lindegaard’s comfort zone, a combination of nerves and history was weaving through every sinew of the Dane’s helpless anatomy.

Watching Lindegaard, De Gea seemed almost happy to be the bench warmer.

As it turned out, no one could blame Lindegaard for the goals conceded and he performed with aplomb where Gea would have failed, with his dropping of crosses and reckless thwacks at back-passes.

Moreover, it’s likely that Lindegaard was not up to speed with the history of the clash of these two clubs – providing some of the most Premier League memories, for its amalgamation of quite divine moments of football.

Going right back, one can remember Kevin Keegan’s infamous “I will love it if we beat them, love it!” speech directed at Ferguson in the 1995/96 season to spark the explicit rivalry between the two.

Where a difference in class has prevented an authentic friction between these two momentous clubs, there is history between them that has continued to delight audiences with glimpses of utter class. One could look to Rooney’s thunderous volley in the 2004/05 at Old Trafford, or Alan Shearer’s belting free-kick two years earlier in Manchester – his 200th Premier Legaue goal.

My personal top Premier League memory? Paul Scholes’ cameo in the reverse fixture of Shearer’s milestone year: a hat-trick, which saw him stake his claim as England’s best midfielder since Glenn Hoddle and answer the question as to what Sven Goran Eriksson’s side was missing in their quarter-final matchup with Brazil just nine months earlier in Shizuoka.

Sadly for United was there was no Scholes on a night where Newcastle did extremely well to replicate their form at the start of the season which saw them get three clean sheets in their first four games.

No one was present to unlock the fused partnership of Fabricio Coloccini and Mike Williamson. Ryan Giggs thread one sumptuous pass through to Rooney, but the striker’s acclaimed torturing of past Newcastle defences eluded him.

Ferguson brought on Anderson in the dying moments in the hope that he could provide some consolation through his Brazilian heritage. But apart from one lofted ball over a ridiculously high line that consisted of defenders who were already basically celebrating their win, he had almost nothing to show for himself.

And so the scene was set for Danny Simpson and Gabriel Obertan – a late substitute – to provide the biggest smiles at the end of the game against their old club. Ba had reduced two of the most renowned English centre-backs to bashfulness, whilst Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tioté had further enhanced their positions as two of the best central midfielders in England – the former scoring a staggering free-kick just moments into the second half to effectively seal the game.

Yohan Cabaye watches on as his stunning free-kick beats the hapless Lindegaard

At the back Tim Krul’s performances in goal provide reliability which puts him up there with the best in the league. Unfortunately for him, his competition on the national front for Holland comes in the form of Michel Vorm and Maarten Stekelenburg – both currently matching Krul’s standard for Swansea and Roma respectively.

Wherever you look things are positive for the Magpies: Davide Santon displayed his Italian roots in his first Premier League start, defending resolutely and beginning to deserve the “new Maldini” title he carried in his youth.

This therefore begs the question as to why no top four challenge?

As thrilling as it is that United have only taken one point from them this season, this win was only their first triumph over a top six side this term. Having lost to Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool and drawn with United, Arsenal and Spurs, their claim is more to Europa League football than the Champions League. This lack of consistency against the top teams, as well as against those in the lower half of the table, puts them in that exact position.

In hindsight, this is because they are simply a less-skilled Tottenham. With a courageous English manager who knows more than most how to deal in the transfer market, plus a sturdy back-line, a concrete midfield and a thin-looking squad, there’s much similarity between the two teams. It’s the differences between Modrić and Cabaye, in Gutiérrez and Bale, that see them slightly lower in the English top tier hierarchy.

In a pre-match interview, Demba Ba confessed that he can’t go a day without some strawberry syrup to fuel his hunger for goals.

Newcastle will be hoping that Ba – with 16 goals in his last 16 Premier League games -  can carry on getting his fix, diluting and confusing the stickiest of defences.

Man of the Match: Demba Ba
If there was one performance to prove the cliché ‘a constant threat’, this was it. Scored a fantastic goal to set the tone for his side’s win, got the foul for the second goal and ultimately did the job as a holding striker and threat further up the pitch. In his post-match interview he knew that he’d “put in 100%”. He sure had.

Villain of the Match: Nani
The Portuguese winger seems to either have fantastic matches or very poor matches. This contest proved to be one of his worse affairs, where his derisory crossing and overall lack of attention to detail in his dribbling and work rate showed him up as the game’s worst player.

Charlie Adam's saved penalty, which effectively cost Liverpool the three points

Wednesday 21st December 2011
Wigan Athletic 0
Liverpool 0
The DW Stadium

A sterling performance from Wigan goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi – who saved Charlie Adam’s second-half penalty – kept a frustrated Liverpool team at bay.

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

“This is probably the strongest Liverpool side we’ll have faced in the last three or four years”.

For someone whose confidence is well-known, Robert Martinez was showing some reticence the day before the contest between his Wigan and Kenny Dalglish’s Liverpool.

The more prominent mood was pride, enthusing about the hard-earned draw at home to Chelsea just four days previously. Unfortunately, however, for Martinez, The Latics came into this game with the worst attack in the league on goals scored. To compound the misery, it would be Liverpool – with the league’s most resolute defence – who would be keen to record a third clean sheet in a row.

While Martinez spent his pre-match day deliberating over the range of emotions that his side put him through in every game, only one such feeling could have been experienced on the red half of Merseyside.

A bout of hatred has spread right through to the very depths of the club. Luis Suárez’s eight-game ban for an alleged racial slur towards Patrice Evra in their game with Manchester United two months ago spurred a defiant response – albeit controversial – in the shape of a statement on the Liverpool website: a one-sided letter, written to provide mental aid to the player. But any sign of support seemed irrelevant in the presence of Suárez, whose entrance to The DW Stadium displayed a flash of confidence, almost smugness.

Having seen red, however, Suárez was chosen to play red the following day by Dalglish. Amidst The FA’s final decisions on the ban, one that also included a £40,000 fine for the Uruguayan, Suárez seemed destined to reject any troubles of the situation in reference to his play.

Despite the seriousness of the issue, the overall contravening views reached farcical levels. Liverpool players wore a t-shirt in honour of his imminent appeal, whilst the opening ten minutes consisted of the away faithful chanting Suárez’s name.

Liverpool players show their support for Suárez in their pre-game warm-up at Wigan

There was a complex, awkward atmosphere in the stadium: Wigan’s fans caught upon Suárez’s every move with boos and chants of “racist!” (most probably the most farfetched claim – his grandfather is black). Moreover, Maxi Rodríguez was preferred to the in-form Craig Bellamy. Martinez’s very own Catalonian attempt constructed his starting eleven in an unusual 3-4-3 formation.

Yet however elsewhere refined and European Martinez’s structural attempt was, there was no audacity to be seen on the pitch. Wigan complemented their fans’ worries with an uncertainty in possession which should have seen them concede at least three times in the first-half. Where the distinction was permitted between the two was in Liverpool’s forward play, although their finishing was suspect, with spurned chances from Dirk Kuyt, Jordan Henderson and Glen Johnson.

Before this game, Liverpool had won as many away encounters so far this year as they had the whole of last season, while Wigan had failed to win in their last six home games. Here, The Reds’ early fizz had disintegrated: long-range efforts from Mohamed Diamé and a general pressure increase from Wigan impaired their flow – they ended the half looking a little more like Barcelona.

If Liverpool aim to epitomise the typical British side – strongly shaped by Dalglish – that side showed up in the second forty-five, with a rampant forward display that was nearly as overwhelming as the club’s statement that had been issued just 24 hours earlier.

Where Wigan had gained confidence from their own advances in the first-half, Ali Al Habsi’s penalty save from Charlie Adam after Gary Caldwell had handled gave them little encouragement to go and win the match afterwards. This rescue from the horrors of going a goal down was individual, and left Martinez’s side bereft of the inspiration to get the three points – as a group, they felt dependent on Al-Habsi, who boasted save after save in defiance of Liverpool’s pressure.

Liverpool, on the other hand, collectively witnessed their Champions League hopes falter, the doubt thickening through the north-west air.

It seems to be a season too short once again for Liverpool, whose squad at present consists of a small batch of inexperienced Englishmen at its base, unable to solidify a particular formation – and style, therefore. With Henderson, Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing all so lacking in confidence and European know-how, there is little chance of Liverpool staking a claim as a potential Champions League contestant. The irregularity in their individual form creates a situation where Dalglish is not even sure what their best positions are, which in turn disrupts the formation. That the whole side revolved around the talents of ‘anchorman’ Lucas has further hampered potential stability, since his season-long injury.

This injury is fatal to the overall team, but could be beneficial to the likes of Carroll and Kuyt, who can take the opportunity to stake their claim as true centre-forwards. With a transformation from a 4-2-3-1 to a standard 4-4-2, the extra blessing of a striker’s flair should provide more goals. Based on Kuyt’s performance, he seems the likely replacement for Lucas in the further absence of Steven Gerrard. In Carroll, Kuyt’s competition’s reputation as a renowned header of the ball needs to turn into results, which will need to bucker up soon in the knowing that Kuyt started ahead of Carroll last night. However, no goals since May for Kuyt paves the way for further concern in the Anfield dressing room.

Wigan must use this result as a double-up to the Chelsea game last weekend: their adamant assertion that they can truly compete in this league. In the likes of Jordi Gómez, Diamé and Al-Habsi there is proof that they are a worthy Premier League side, let alone how well they’ve forged their way into Premier League history since their entrance in the 2004/05 season.

However, there is still a lingering falsity in the body language of some of the Wigan players, whose lethargy was heightened to the point where it looked as if they’d given up on everything. It’s this unwillingness to dare that could cost them heavily, something that Charles N’Zogbia brought to the club ready-made in his heyday last term.

There is a joy within the team, though, which is expressed most in the players’ evident love for Martinez: their pre and post-match interviews have become something of a weekly swooning session with the interviewee.

As the players hugged Al-Habsi and gloried in the purity of the final whistle’s divine sound, the concrete walls of The DW echoed this in its own acceptance of top-flight history; this result was a landmark of Wigan’s right to compete with the best in the Premiership.

This elation presumes that the games will get easier. Reality is, they won’t.

Man of the Match: Ali Al-Habsi
Staking a claim alongside Swansea ‘keeper Michel Vorm as the number one of the season so far. Although some of his saves are exaggerated and he seems to indulge in many a camera-friendly stop, the Omani goalkeeper’s reliability between the sticks is ever-increasing, as a leader of the team, and great executer of his job.

Villain of the Match: Victor Moses
Bar one extraordinary first-half run through the heart of Liverpool’s defence, the young Englishman failed to deliver on a night where Hugo Rodallega – who barely got any time on the pitch – would have thrived. Embodied the lack of care within the team that was seen at times, with himself kicking the ball nonchalantly, as if he would rather have been watching the game himself. He set a poor example as a potentially fruitful young talent.

Frank Lampard wheels away in celebration after his winning penalty against Manchester City

Monday 12th December 2011
Chelsea 2 – Meireles 34′, Lampard 83′ (pen.)
Manchester City 1 – Balotelli 2′
Stamford Bridge

Manchester City’s unbeaten run was ended at the hands of Chelsea, whose collectively supreme midfield performance overwhelmed a restless City.

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

In Roberto Mancini’s pre-match interview, there was an endearing tone of affirmation in his voice. Speaking of his side’s elimination from Europe’s biggest competition last week and its presumed effects, the Italian said crisply: “It’s no problem. They are two different competitions.” His subtext was obvious: “Look, we don’t get affected by anything. We’re Manchester City.”

And how this attitude has come to good effect. While most teams would succumb to the gremlin that is the Champions League début, City’s flourescent take on a 4-3-3 has allowed them to delve into the old-fashioned formation of the English game and adapt it. Quite an achievement, in an atmosphere where the common surroundings are the likes of Wigan and Blackburn, and not Bayern Munich or Napoli.

It’s this adamancy that supports City’s underlying assurance that this European trial can be easily forgotten. Given such supreme self-confidence, if Mancini’s side are unable to win the Champions League in the next five years, then questions will be asked. In their own foreign adventure last term, Tottenham proved the opposite case: by concentrating on the Champions League – in the knowledge that they may not achieve that status the following year (which they didn’t) – they sacrificed their utmost prosperity in England’s top tier.

Arrogance might come readily to a team that, coming into this game, had scored 24 goals in 7 matches away from home in the league; one that can be epitomised by either the preposterous actions of Carlos Tévez, the stone-cold, almost sarcastic celebrations of Mario Balotelli, or even the panache in the hairstyle of Mancini himself.

It is warranted, however. Despite minor defensive mishaps on the pitch (and miscommunications off it), Manchester City are well on their way to creating their dynasty, resting on the colossal pedestal for success that is Sheikh Mansour’s seven-foot long cheque. After 14 league games City had won all but two of them, equalled only away to sides that are renowned for their “fortress” home status in Fulham and Liverpool.

Arguably their biggest test so far was to come in this clash at Stamford Bridge. André Villas-Boas’ side had done well to knock away the journalists’ nitpicking and score six goals without reply against Newcastle and Valencia – both England and Spain’s third-placed teams on each occasion.

There was no such sign of this formidable record, though, by the turn of the second minute. Prior to kick-off, Chelsea’s Oriol Romeu had been noted as the man to stop Dávid Silva in his newly elected defensive midfield role, through the purposed removal of John Obi Mikel and ghostly presence of Michael Essien. But Romeu seemed to have not acknowledged the power that Liverpool anchorman Lucas had over the Spanish playmaker just eight days previously, and how he’d gone about using it. The youngster’s bad positioning left Sergio Agüero in minimal space – after a pass from Silva – on the inside right with John Terry on his back – but that’s all the space he needs.

Ten seconds later and the Argentinian’s darting half-turn run and dribble had dug into the cavities of the Chelsea defence, before a incisive pass of supreme egotism. Suddenly the formidability was no more [oh alright], as Balotelli’s expert run and elegant finish let out the insouciant demon of his post-goal revelry. As Branislav Ivanovic lay stranded, watching the young Italian Balotelli highlight the passing glory of his youth, Villas-Boas’ critics seemed to be due an extra field day. It may seem ridiculous to suggest, but Chelsea missed the athleticism of David Luiz in that situation.

Manchester City players celebrate the opening goal, scored after just 98 seconds through Mario Balotelli

But Chelsea were not down and out, as Villas-Boas’ inner Mourinho unleashed itself for the remainder. A resurgent Blues nullified the efficiency of Yaya Touré and indeed Silva to generate a compelling midfield performance which numbed City’s attacking potency. Romeu could have dwelled on his positional mishap, but instead surged on youthfully to dominate like the Makelélé of old. Ramires recalled an Essien in his prime as a box-to-box supremo, whilst Meireles’ fantastic anticipation for the equaliser and overall distribution was reminiscent of the young Frank Lampard. Fitting it was, too, that the Englishman came off the bench to score the winner – a penalty, after Joleon Lescott’s handball – no doubt as a recognition of his utmost loyalty. A player whose kissing of the badge drove passion into the etching.

In their two goal scorers and general performance – where a 20-year-old defensive midfielder staked his claim as a fixed first-teamer, and both an English vice-captain and £50 million striker were on the bench – Chelsea were holding a flashing sign above their heads, for all to see: “We’ve got a big squad, and we can compete for the title”.

For 70-odd minutes they had City scrapping for points. A possible turning point could have been José Bosingwa’s felling of Silva just inside Petr Cech’s box, had not referee Mark Clattenburg dismissed it instantly.

From then on Chelsea beat the drum hard, the reverberations weakening the legs of City. Indeed, whenever any of Juan Máta, Didier Drogba or Daniel Sturridge received the ball from a midfield ignited into artistry, Mancini’s men were quaking in their boots.

Post-match, Mancini still remained adamant: “This defeat changes nothing for us”. It’s a fantastic front for a team to put on: losing this game is merely a bad spot, a blemish on the beauty of their recent results, the subtext being: “Who else is likely to beat us?” Mancini was quick to mention the Chelsea players relishing their win, noting that it’s his team they’re relieved to have conquered.

On the other hand, City’s immaturity in dealing with the general weariness of the team shone through, and evidently lost them the match. Moreover, decisions were recklessly made.

For example, Balotelli would have loved Adam Johnson to come on. For all his lethargic celebrations, ‘Super Mario’ would have been willing to push an extra five percent for Mancini to get on the end of one of Johnson’s sumptuous passes, which seemed out of reach for Silva in the closing stages. The latter was perplexingly subbed in the last ten minutes for Edin Džeko, whose poise as a forward looks like a thickened giraffe learning to walk.

For me, City could have easily used a back three after being reduced to ten, but bringing on Kolo Touré set the negative tone for the rest of the match after Gaël Clichy’s second yellow card: going for the draw is not the sign of a side destined to be champions. Negativity will not be appreciated when they welcome Arsenal this Sunday, when the likes of Robin van Persie and Alex Song are in such monstrous form. And we know what happened last time City faced The Gunners with one man less.

Manchester City’s unbeaten run may be over, but I think this result will prove to be a minority in the heights of the superficial set-up.

Man of the Match: Oriol Romeu
His performance belied his tender age, where vigor and robustness shrugged off his mistake to create the fulcrum for Chelsea’s re-found confidence. They have not unearthed a Jack Wilshere, but Chelsea could have discovered a gem to restore the Makelélé-embodied history of the Mourinho days.

Villain of the Match: Yaya Touré
Stifled as an attacking threat, Touré also allowed certain scuffles to get in the way of his playing. He wasn’t marked in his deep-lying presence, but when Touré had time with the ball he never failed to amaze with his lack of energy; something that makes up his meandering style.

How will Mancini react to this elimination?

Wednesday 7th December 2011
Manchester City 2 – Silva 37, Touré 52
Bayern Munich 0
The Etihad Stadium

Manchester City completed the job against a weak Bayern side but weren’t able to get through to the knockout stages of the Champions League at the first time of asking. But how significant will this be?

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

City’s biggest Champions League night in history had come. But it isn’t yet 19th May 2012, and they weren’t playing in the Allianz Arena, where the final will take place. Ironically, it was Bayern Munich who made the trip northwest in this, the last of the group stage matches for this year’s competition.

In arguably their second most pivotal moment of the season so far – including the 1-6 humiliation of Manchester United at Old Trafford – the blue half of Manchester failed to replicate the atmospherical overwhelming they’d experienced just two weeks previous in Naples. Right up to 7:45 in this final group game there was a tentative optimism within the stadium that hung as tantalisingly as the threadbare patience being held by the City faithful for their Milan-bound forward Carlos Tévez.

Ultimately it was this collective mundanity and lack of effort that marked their European campaign until this contest. What had made Roberto Mancini’s team look at most reasonable was the fact that they had been able to ignore relentless pressure over five games, masking it with pieces of chance – with the extreme exception of their surrender to Bayern and demolition of Villareal. City epitomised the unease, where prematurity had been more evident than determination.

Their muted home following reinforced the ill-expectant mood: the only presence they had amongst the traveling Bayern fans was in the booing of Jerome Boateng – who had departed from Eastlands in the summer – and in the distant echoes of “City!” chants, which should be the thunderous backdrop to the everyday excellence of the likes of Dávid Silva.

It’s not as if this battle was bereft of the Spaniard’s artistry – his penetrating half-volley ruptured the right-hand corner of Hans-Jörg Butt’s goal as the 37-minute mark had turned. Yaya Touré’s second for City in the 52nd minute was another exquisite passage of play. But both represented mere slivers of City’s season when the 77th minute came around in the Villareal-Napoli game, where Marek Hamsik’s tap-in had doubled Napoli’s lead and extinguished the importance of even these stylish goals.

Watching the final minutes of Manchester City’s campaign, I wondered why it hadn’t quite clicked for them in this competition. Yes, their fate dumped them in a harsh group of clubs from Europe’s finest leagues, but essentially they were up against defences that not many would see as trouble. They could also rest in the knowledge that their current goal difference in the Premier League stands at +35 (bar the form Bayern were in when the away fixture came up).

It wasn’t that their formation was weak: their 4-2-3-1, which thrives in English competition, is the same as Bayern’s, who won the group. Bayern, however, supplemented this rigid appearance with a directness and fizz that gave them an availability to score at will. By comparison, Napoli’s case almost disregarded formation – it was the closest to Total Football that we’d got in years. What City failed to do was settle into a group which consisted of sides that made up for their slight hindrances defensively with potency in attack. Even Villareal gave them a scare at The Etihad, though their involvement in the group proved miniscule – a team with zero points next to ones that boasted the likes of Franck Ribéry and Edinson Cavani.

In the final analysis, Man City’s exit is a demeaning outcome, one that was completely of their own doing. Immaturity vitiated among the flair that was unable to be transferred from the newfound flamboyancy of the Premier League.

However, City will now be able to focus on what, for them, should be the most important prize of all: the English crown of all crowns, the Premiership title. This would not only flick the city’s mayday alarm switch from red to blue, but would also send out a signal to the rest of Europe that would squash any memories of how failed their first top-level European experience has been.

Even though Manchester City won’t be returning to the Allianz Arena come May 19th of next year, it’ll be brief romances such as these which will leave them bewildered at first, but thankful for the testing experience, ready for when the world’s footballing Gods call on them again in years to come. As they surely will.

The score-line that summed up all the shock at Old Trafford yesterday

What yesterday’s result at Old Trafford would have told many a bewildered spectator is that the blue half of Manchester has truly staked a newfound claim as being a cut above the rest. But to what advantage?

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

“Why we so afraid of revolution?” screams the voice within the bass-heavy artist Basshead’s most renowned track, ‘Art of Revolution’.

Defined as a fundamental change in power, philosopher Aristotle’s own view of the concept had two dimensions: either a complete change from one constitution to the other, or a modification of an existing constitution.

Generally, I’m wondering if the rise of mega-funded clubs like Manchester City implies a “complete change” or only a “modification” in the “constitution” of Premier League football? For what it’s worth I think a revolution is on the horizon – the Premiership was intended at first to be a relatively equal business, which makes City’s rise nigh on ridiculous.

This “complete change” has occurred, though. City’s combination of the two types of revolution has set them above the rest to a point where the kinds of limits that Michel Platini is trying to impose on clubs’ spending could be totally ignored – after all, there’s always the threat of a cash-based “breakaway” Euro league.

But going by these two hypotheses shapes only positivity in the mind. For me, a revolution signifies a newfound approach to a ritual that presumably has been outdated for its stark similarities, a compelling change that is made duly to affect the attitudes of its surroundings in a constructive manner. It’s difficult to combine the two.

In the case of Manchester City, however – who can – only an augmenting sense of fright can arise from the depths of this damning realisation in yesterday’s demolition.

To even use the word fright is an understatement. Roberto Mancini’s men made the short journey east from The Etihad and withstood early pressure from The Red Devils only to then annihilate them for the remaining seventy minutes of the contest.

However, it wasn’t even a contest. Manchester United had lost at home for the first time since April 2010, experiencing their biggest home defeat since 1955 (coincidentally still City as they won 0-5) and their first shipping of six goals on their own patch since 1930.

Even great teams eventually lose – but the statistics are genuinely shocking. City achieved twice as many attempts as United overall, almost doubled and doubled their shots on and off target respectively, made nearly twice as many blocks and acquired a 52% territorial advantage – not to mention the fact they scored six times as many goals as their flabbergasted opponents (if they can even be called that) in red.

It would be rash to jump to any sort of conclusion as a result of yesterday’s happenings. But it’s terribly hard to look seriously into a situation such as this whilst trying to bridge gaps between the norm and the extreme. In other words, what would City need to do more to make a telling impression? For The Citizens to score six at their rivals ground to only one reply is the sort of result that ignites aspirations of the highest order – and how ironic for that to be in the Theatre of Dreams. With the score at 1-4 after Edin Džeko had got his first from two as a substitute, what sprang to mind was United’s home fixture with Liverpool in 2008/09. Fernando Torres and co.’s emphatic concoction of composure and precision resulted in a 1-4 away win for Rafa Benitez’s men, only for Merseyside’s red contingent to finish second that year. That this score ended 1-6 however implies an utterly different story.

Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool had Benitez laughing. But Mancini would've been laughing harder after yesterday's result

We’re not looking at a short term blip here. This tale – as many are already afraid of – will run on for decades. Mancini’s charming appreciation of Sir Alex Ferguson’s side despite their humiliation – “After that [us winning the title] it might be different but until then United are better than us”, as well as his general suavity in hairstyles – hides the recurring darkness behind the scenes. There are devilish characters involved here, whose actions have done well to instill a tantalising uncertainty to all this recent acclaim. The incidents involving Carlos Tévez and Gary Cook go a long way to show the amount of complacency that emerges in the club’s journey between poor and rich and being a nobody to the Adonis of all business’, while the ongoing presence of the Sheikh means there’s a menace oozing from the club that prevents a reciprocation in the way of respect from rival teams for their personal joy.

This is not to say that there’s no ‘Art’ in this ‘Revolution’. David Silva’s intricate weaving through United’s dumbstruck eleven and brief dalliances with perfection put forward his claim as the Premier League’s most riveting talent. Silva worked tirelessly to create chances with the likes of James Milner, Mario Balotelli and Sergio Agüero; his pass for City’s final goal, Džeko’s second, defined the term “exquisite”, in its configuration, timing and accuracy. Moreover, Mancini has been able to discard the tactically morose style he avidly practiced at Inter and transform it into a glittering spectacle that even ‘Super Mario’ Balotelli would approve of.

But even on the pitch, City suggest that Mancini still indulges in the more thuggish evils. Even though they committed three less fouls than United (15-12) and notched one less yellow card (4-3), it was hard to see why a team that was in such control going forward was guilty of such carelessness in retreat.

Micah Richards and Vincent Kompany, for all their valiant displays – and you won’t see many better than yesterday’s – encapsulated this tendency. The two tend to bring a brash and hasty element to the game, an enlightening embodiment of the typical English lad-like footballing bully. They are harsh in the tackle and all-round ritual deceivers; Richards made four fouls, completed half of his aerial duels and succeeded in half of his clearances. Milner would also have fallen victim to this tag had his performance not been so explorative in the forward areas; his trip on Ashley Young showed a distinct lack of composure, naked to exploitation in his side’s absence of attacking potency at that point.

Silva (left) and Richards: the two ends of the City spectrum

An underlying smugness is evident at the core of the squad; Kompany’s garish chucking to the floor of United forward Danny Welbeck was greeted with a yellow card that he clearly wasn’t bothered about, secure in their lead and resplendent dominance of the match. Of course other teams are committing near cheats such as these. However, the way that City forge their recklessness with pulchritudinous attacks, and warming to officials, feels particularly unjust; an unattractive arrogance to match the materialistic confidence that their money is bringing them from here on in.

It was, however, this vigour, coupled with their flair and devotion to efficiency, that won them the match. But do we want such a scheming production to be the exemplar of the brilliance that we bring as a nation to Europe’s biggest competition? That City have so far been taught a lesson in the Champions League comes as a breath of fresh air to some, who have witnessed to date lucky, late goals coming to Mancini’s rescue after Neapolitan, Bavarian and Valencian massacres – at home on two of those occasions.

But with such a formidable financial power behind him, surely Mancini should be expecting this kind of luck, no matter what? Well, that would be the case in his eyes; for him the lack of limits means anything is possible.

We can put this into a wider context. On the 9th December 2006 Ferguson’s men ran away with a comfortable 3-1 win over their Mancunian rivals as Wayne Rooney, Louis Saha and Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals were enough to overpower a solitary City strike from Hatem Trabelsi. That year United claimed the first of their successive treble of Premier League titles, whilst City finished a miserly fourteenth.

It’s no wonder, then – nearly 59 months and £260 million of well-spent money later – that City’s charges are now battering at the walls of those who share their territory, and mocked them mercilessly; once an example, but not any longer. Manchester has been coated in red for the past twenty years of English football, and now whilst a blue revolution may feel like a depressing one for many, it’s where this country is headed.

The harsh reality is that City will by thirty years time have negatively effected everyone’s mental frame, especially those who experienced it initially. You could call it global warming, albeit in football terms. As Al Gore said: “I consider [global warming] to be a moral issue”. On the surface, City is a spectacle of perfectionists going about their everyday work. But the inner meaning of their revolution brings on a much more gloomy anticipation: the possibility of brainwashing the minds of all football followers around the globe in the most cynical of fashions. Just as we struggle for resources in the future but continue to overuse them in the present, likewise many will give in to the excellence of City without acknowledging the shocking excess behind the scenes.

If City’s stature and conduct aren’t addressed as they glory in the pleasures of fame then we face a time of unrivalled single-club power, to the point where their competitors disintegrate with nothing but a shrivel of hope.

After all, in the transition of this radical supremacy, the threatening screams will be coming from the “noisy neighbours” (as City were labelled by Ferguson) as they give their answer to why not only United will fret at City and their newfound dynasty.

We are all so afraid of City’s revolution.

Jamie O'Hara nets Wolves' second goal, the equaliser, in the 86th minute

Saturday 22nd October 2011
Wolves 2 – Doyle 84′, O’Hara 86′
Swansea 2 – Graham 23′, Allen 35′
Molineux Stadium

A late Wolves’ comeback made sure theirs and Swansea’s respective bad runs were put to a halt at a febrile Molineux.

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

Coming into this game at Molineux, any observer would accept the general truth that the ninth weekend in a Premier League season doesn’t prove particularly crucial for relegation prospects.

Having lost their last five games in the league – their worst record since 1991 – Wolves came into this clash with Swansea bereft of the confidence that saw them retain their top flight status last season (albeit on the final day). Even though two of these defeats had come against a third of the supposed ‘top six’ (Liverpool and Tottenham), two had also come against teams that will be seen as rivals come the end of the season in QPR and West Brom. Above all what was most evident was the fact that in each of their last five games they’d been outclassed, showing a team in complete antithesis to the resilient one of last season – beating three of the top four at home and producing a fresh England international in the process, Matt Jarvis.

The supreme intrigue in this contest was the fact that the opposition, Swansea, had fallen victim to their last four challenges away from home. In this match, Brendan Rodgers’ side faced an equal challenge; their free-flowing approach was proving hard to transfer into their opponents’ grounds to good effect. In the shape of Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Norwich, The Swans had also been given a harsh lesson in footballing terms from superior adversaries, their openness proving vulnerable to destruction.

As soon as the match had hit the 35-minute mark, however, Mick McCarthy’s men were being left to wallow in their own self-pity. Despite an opening twenty-minute rally from the home side in which attempts from Karl Henry and Kevin Doyle were matched by ‘keeper Michel Vorm’s instinctive shot-stopping, Swansea responded by efficiently closing down and utilising possession – resulting in two well-worked goals to support the run of play.

Back in February of this year, before his side’s 3-0 home win over Doncaster, Rodgers had boldly commented on his main idol in terms of approaching games: “The model of my coaching life has been based around Barcelona. I have spent time in Spain watching them and they are my big influence”.

Judging on their general organisation from the start, you couldn’t doubt his thought process. Unusually rapid in compressing the midfield and providing assurance in defence, The Swans moreover supplied some tremendous flair up front.

Danny Graham notched up his third goal in as many games. He got on the end of a sumptuous chip from Mark Gower, sliding under Wolves’ ‘keeper Wayne Henessey after some awful defending – a woeful offside trap wasn’t kept, with captain Roger Johnson left flailing in a desperate plea for help from his stranded compatriots. Gower’s part in the goal represented most the increasing promise of the Swans’ attack, having been dispossessed too easily just minutes earlier by Doyle whilst dwelling in possession.

In their overall distribution at the core, Gower and midfield partner Leon Britton formed a Xavi-like hard-working hybrid. Graham posed well as the lone striker, while right-sided winger Nathan Dyer did his all to forge a likeness to Lionel Messi, in his craft and experimentation on the ball.

The second goal, even though lacking Dyer’s spontaneity, came directly from Swansea’s right side. Faced with a congested obstacle in the packed midfield, right-back Angel Rangel’s delightful lob over the top to Graham – whose run was timed to perfection, drawing Wolves’ centre-back Christophe Berra out of position – screamed of the kind of service that Dani Alves regularly provides to Messi. Graham’s patient collection of the ball was met by midfielder Joe Allen’s composure. He converted the ex-Watford man’s low cross with aplomb.

Joe Allen wheels away after doubling Swansea's lead in the 35th minute

Having arrived at this fixture with a derisory away form, it was a significant forty-five minutes for Swansea, who for the first time exhibited the fluent football that had become ritual for them at The Liberty Stadium. For Wolves, the worry was visible throughout the regressing eleven and manager McCarthy: the feelings spread to the fans, who expressed their disgust with relentless booing.

The collective despair of the Wolves’ faithful was gradually backed up by a damning reality: Rodgers’ men commenced the second forty-five with an extra vigour that should have seen them score two or three more. The tears of the young fans’ at their teams performance only amplified the negativity of Wolves’ collapse.

Apart from the distinct contrast in stability, only the wasteful manner of Swansea winger Scott Sinclair prevented the match from going out of sight for McCarthy’s men. With the points destined to go back to south-west Wales, only a piece of tactical mastery would stop Swansea getting their first away win of the season, such was their control.

This moment came, however, as an inspired double substitution from McCarthy turned his and his supporters’ fortunes from silver to gold. The ex-Ireland manager’s decision had been mocked at first, with chanting of “You don’t know what you’re doing!” as Matt Jarvis and Adam Hammill were relieved of their duty. But it was soon clear with twenty minutes to go that the introduction of Adlene Guedioura and Nenad Milijas had conjured a resurgence within the Wolves side.

With an extra menace to their play, Wolves piled on the pressure in the final fifteen minutes, climaxing in a breathtaking finale for a share of the points. Firstly, The Swans’ forever lingering problem with corners was exploited once again as Jamie O’Hara’s drifted delivery was nodded down by Johnson and then met fiercely by substitute Sam Vokes, whose strike could only be parried by Vorm into the path of Doyle. From two yards, he ignited the comeback with ease.

Two minutes later Wolves then achieved to do what they’d failed to do the whole match in Jarvis’ presence – get at Swansea’s right-hand side. Wolves determination was turning frivolous. They spurned an opportunity for Doyle who had been released down their left; the Irishman’s cut-back turned provider for O’Hara, who sustained the vigorous tempo by thumping into the roof of Vorm’s net from just inside the box. For a schizophrenic few minutes, the Wolves fans entered a state of false delirium. Swansea’s crowd were seen waking up to realisation of the Premier League’s unrivaled cruelty: hundreds of cries of “You’re not singing anymore!” rose up from the home support.

Even though the Wolves rally continued into the dying minutes, a third Swansea goal was not conceded. That The Swans’ had defied their own history – a 1982 top tier game with West Ham, where two-up at half-time they ended up losing in full time being the last time this happened – was a huge plus as a result of their fortitudinous defensive display towards the end.

The Wolves fans’ elation was misjudged at the end; McCarthy’s side shouldn’t have got themselves into this position in the first place. Being at home to a newly-promoted side should prove a relatively straightforward task for Wolves who show strength and solidarity at home. That it could have been a loss shows even more underlying troubles.

However it was the Swansea fans who were caught weeping by the end, their impressive seventy minutes brought back down to earth by a degrading twenty of madness and shock.

Nevertheless there is hope left for them. If they iron out their defensive prematureness and mistimed lethargy, they will reach new heights, in the knowledge that the flair in their team is unmistakable.

Bolton – who sport the worst goal difference in the league – at home, awaits.

Man of the Match: Joe Allen
The constant troublemaker within the Swansea side, a nifty presence whose weaving in and out of the midfield to maintain the fluency of The Swans’ passing gave Swansea their fluidity in acting as the fulcrum. Fantastically well-taken goal in opening up to Graham’s prompting cross, and proceeded to control the game with his personal certainty.

Villain of the Match: Matt Jarvis
A far cry from the winger who gained his first international cap last season, Jarvis failed to create and was even forced out of the picture when it came to set-pieces of all sorts. Having displayed short sparks of substance at times, his early substitution was significant for the Englishman, whose lack of consistency shows him to be a different player altogether than last season.

Luis Suárez celebrates his first and Liverpool's second goal with Raul Meireles, who got the assist

Saturday 20th August 2011
Arsenal 0
Liverpool 2 – Ramsey (O.G.) 78′, Suarez 90′
The Emirates (HT 0-0)

Two late Liverpool goals gave them a crucial away win against a depleted Arsenal side.

By Connor Whitmore (see poll at bottom)

Come the end of the Premier League season in May, certain positions in the table will be sorted that would not have been so easy to figure out at the start.

The championship will be decided in what could be one of the most enticing title challenges yet, as Chelsea will look to shatter the forecasts of our top two for years to come: the red of the present and the blue of the future that sit on each side of Manchester. This could be new Chelsea manager André Villas-Boas’ only chance in just his first year.

Furthermore, the candidates for this year’s relegation battle will participate in what may be seen as as one of the most unpredictable races ever. While there are new-boys QPR, Norwich and Swansea, teams such as Blackburn, Bolton and Aston Villa have sold heavily and will most likely see staying up as their foremost target. Add the fact that squads such as Wolves’, Newcastle’s, West Brom’s and Wigan’s are quite threadbare and you’d be quick to conclude that slipping into this year’s eviction process will be an easy thing. But one burst of form could make it plain sailing for any one of these to rise out of contention for the exit, and who can make the break first will be the question.

There are other suspects that could be placed in this group of expected top-flight failures, such as Sunderland, Fulham and Stoke. However these teams share a common approach, instilling their ethic as more solid and tight-knit clubs. Staying true to their style whilst also adding reinforcements to their cavalries will improve their integrity, and as a result they will most likely find themselves tussling with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Everton for a Europa League spot.

One tantalising issue that splits most critiques, however, is their choice for who will grab fourth spot at the end of the ten months, the elusive final Champions League spot. At the second week of this season, the most renowned contenders to grab that chance contested at the Emirates, in a rather unusual placement of the fixture.

Kolo Touré scores in Arsenal's first encounter with Liverpool at The Emirates

Even though last season’s encounter for both sides took place at Anfield, the last time a home Arsenal match between the two has happened before December was in The Gunners’ first season at The Emirates (which Arsenal won 3-0). With December arguably being the month in which the season decides to take its shape, it’s a harsh realisation to the fans – and even neutrals – that contrasts must be drawn between the two squads from the start; a time of transition, where teams have not yet gelled.

Any football fan would have noticed the stark differences between the sides just from the line-ups. Arsenal began the match with their usual 4-2-3-1 formation, although injuries to Kieran Gibbs, Johan Djourou, Armand Traore, Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby and Tomáš Rosický held back Gunners’ manager Arsène Wenger from fielding a healthily fervent squad. Further depletion through the bans of Gervinho and Alex Song made sure Arsenal’s side was an extremely fragile and inexperienced one. Whilst first team regulars Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna, Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny and new captain Robin van Persie started, youngsters Carl Jenkinson and Emmanuel Frimpong gave the home side its slightness. Fringe forwards Theo Walcott and Andrey Arshavin also began, sandwiching the controversial Samir Nasri who was greeted to a chorus of boos when his name was announced just before kick-off.

Liverpool on the other hand were almost at their strongest, showing off four of their new signings in José Enrique, Jordan Henderson, Charlie Adam and Stewart Downing to begin with a 4-5-1 formation. Just behind centre-forward Andy Carroll was a midfield three including Henderson, Adam and Lucas Leiva, with Dirk Kuyt and Downing holding their places on the wings. A usual back four started the proceedings with Enrique’s second start for Liverpool gaining support from Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher and 21-year-old Martin Kelly at right-back. With Pepe Reina in goal, only captain Steven Gerrard was absent (due to a groin injury) from this formidable-looking British side, freshened up with a tinge of finesse.

The first forty-five minutes were spent evenly, as Liverpool’s soaking-up of Arsenal’s pressure was exploited on the counter, with the lively Downing providing the main threat, stretching the young Jenkinson to every sinew in his body. An exasperated Arsenal displayed their frustration through long range shots from Frimpong and Nasri, and were further let down when yet another injury surfaced in centre-back Koscielny from a back spasm, taking their defensive injury list to four players. Liverpool went close through acute headers from both Carroll and Henderson, only to be expertly equalled through Szczesny’s brilliance in the Arsenal goal.

As the north London downpour over the half-time period increasingly loosened up the carpet-like pitch, a rich tale was beginning to unfold from this contest. Liverpool did well to carry their fluid approach into the second half, exploiting the space that Welshman Aaron Ramsey was leaving just in front of his back four – his lack of experience in the defensive midfield position being manipulated to the full by the expansive Adam, who dictated the game alongside the laborious Henderson. Arsenal’s pressing was best expressed through the animated Frimpong. Although having to make up defensively without the support of Ramsey, Frimpong was reminiscent of a certain Alex Song, hustling his own way through the Merseysiders’ midfield to join in his team’s attacks and getting back to defend when needed.

L'dépourvus Wenger (the bereft Wenger)

By the 70th-minute however, for all his endless energy, the vivacious Frimpong’s exploits were fated to contribute to Arsenal’s downfall. Just after Robin van Persie had gone agonisingly near with a close-range shot, the young Ghanaian collided with Lucas in what was seen as quite an experimental challenge, slightly into Liverpool’s half. As the two cannoned off each other in the relentless rain, only the Brazilian Lucas was left in brief agony on the floor, with referee Martin Atkinson seemingly oblivious to the incident. When Atkinson turned, seeing Lucas writhing on the ground, a second yellow was given to Frimpong to accompany his other from the first half and earn him a red card on his first Premier League start for Arsenal.

A bereft Wenger was in emotional tatters on the side of the pitch, as the shocked Frimpong trudged off into the distance through the tunnel. His antithesis was the hopeful Kenny Dalglish, who made use of the numerical advantage immediately by bringing on Raul Meireles and Luis Suárez for Kuyt and Carroll, the latter a heavy disappointment.

What followed was an all-too easy task for Dalglish’s men, who in the last twenty minutes tore Arsenal to pieces in a ravenous romp. The game became more open, and the manner in which Liverpool went about their play left the Gunners’ fans speechless.

First, a slight mix up in the Arsenal area was capitalised on by the energetic Suárez who caused substitute Igansi Miquel’s rash clearance to come off the unsuspecting Ramsey and loop over the hopeless Szczesny. This lead on from some effective build-up play involving the other replacement Meireles: and ten minutes later he sealed the game by passing to Suárez in the open, who tapped into an empty net – the Uruguayan surrounded by a wave of desperate Arsenal defenders, whose fortitude was slammed by the universal booing when the full-time whistle sounded.

Aaron Ramsey's unfortunate own goal, Liverpool's first after Frimpong's sending-off

Although this was only the second game of the season, Liverpool had done well to stake a claim and send out a signal to the rest at the top: we mean business.

Man of the Match: José Enrique
In only his second start for Kenny Dalglish’s side, the Spaniard proved to be a deciding figure in the match, mirroring Liverpool’s patient persistence with his darting runs down the left channel, exact passing and tracking back. Kept Theo Walcott even more quiet than usual.

Villain of the Match: Andrey Arshavin
Was a far cry from the magic Russian who delivered five goals within the space of 8 months at Anfield, with an awful track-back rate further worsened through his lazy passes and indirect dribbles. The pass for van Persie’s chance was his only moment of brief excitement, with a typically dire and lethargic performance.