Terrific Terry lifts his tired troops

Roberto Di Matteo has rarely been tempted to open up since he was installed as the interim first team coach at Stamford Bridge, and so it was on Saturday when it was put to him that while Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs are hailed for their longevity at Manchester United, Chelsea’s veterans have been frequently written off.

It was clear, however, he agreed with the point that was being made.

Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and John Terry may not have performed as consistently well as Scholes and Giggs this season — the Premier League table provides confirmation of Chelsea’s frustrating season — but in the final weeks of the campaign, Chelsea’s old guard have come to the fore in a manner that could not have been imagined during the final days of Andre Villas-Boas’s reign.

On Saturday, Terry took centre stage and his presence in the heart of the Chelsea defence was central to another obstinate performance that prevented Arsenal from turning territorial dominance into goals. Playing without a pain-killing injection despite the lingering effects of two fractured ribs, this was the kind of performance the centre-back revels in and he was accompanied by Gary Cahill, another defender whoappears to take as much pleasure from blocking a ball with his midriff as hitting a well executed pass.

Lampard and Drogba were missing in this occasion, Lampard an unused substitute while Drogba received treatment on the knee injury Di Matteo expects to clear up before tomorrow’s Champions League trip to face Barcelona. Both will be central to Chelsea’s hopes in Spain, however, and their absence only underlined their importance to the side in recent weeks.

Di Matteo’s side reprised the smothering display that had frustrated the La Liga side last Wednesday except on this occasion they couldn’t conjure a goal. It was perhaps no coincidence that when they had succeeded in adding a cutting edge to their defensive resolve against Barca, Lampard had been one of the architects of chance that was converted by Drogba immediately before half-time. Even so, it was satisfying for the manager that after making eight changes, he was able to field a team that maintained the levels of discipline and organisation to claim a point.

Di Matteo’s success during his 14-game tenure has been to galvanise the squad, drawing fresh enthusiasm from those players who had been sidelined by Villas-Boas and imposing a return to the old, not always attractive, values that underpinned much of Chelsea’s success in recent years.

As an interim coach, brought in to halt a decline, that’s as much as he could hope to do and an appearance in at least one cup final points to a job reasonably well done.

That’s all it will be though, if Chelsea fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League. And to do that they must overhaul the four-point deficit that lies between them and fourth-placed Newcastle in the remaining four league games or win this year’s competition. Both are daunting tasks and reinforced the feeling that as much as Di Matteo insisted this was a point gained, it simply wasn’t enough.

Arsenal were similarly frustrated. Newcastle’s win means they lie three points behind the Gunners with a game in hand and at the moment, the momentum appears to be with Alan Pardew’s side.

Wenger’s side have stalled at an important stage of the season with this draw coming on the back of Monday’s home defeat to Wigan. Crucially, Robin van Persie has lost his touch in front of goal and has not scored from open play in six games.

Wenger admitted the striker was feeling the effects of a long season — Saturday was his 50th game of the season — and despite getting in good positions on four different occasions, Van Persie’s aim, so true for so long, was off.

It doesn’t help that the understated efforts of Mikel Arteta have been lost for the rest of the season and the absence of the Spaniard forced Wenger to ask Tomas Rosicky to play, despite the Czech international suffering from illness.

“To miss Arteta and Rosicky is too much for us right now on the creative side of our game,” said the Arsenal manager. “Even Arteta is enough for us already.”

If Van Persie was in his best form, Arsenal could withstand the loss of almost any other member of the squad. He is not, however, and Wenger’s side must keep their nerve over the three remaining games of the season or they will lose third spot, condemning them to a testing tie in Champions League qualifying round. Worse, fourth place could miss out altogether if Chelsea win the competition.

“We are still in the driving seat no matter whatever happens and it will depend on the games we make now,” he said. “We have to go to West Brom, to Stoke and they are not easy places. And play Norwich at home. But I think we need to win at least two of the next three.”