All in a day’s work for Terry

After days of debate, it took only a few short sentences from Petr Cech, the Chelsea goalkeeper, to explain why there was never any way John Terry was going to miss Saturday’s trip to the Emirates Stadium, despite a week that ended with the centre-back being found guilty of racial abuse by the FA.

“All his career, he’s shown that to play football is what matters to him,” said Cech. “So, he’s playing, he’s focusing on his game. All the other things are unfortunate but he’s on the pitch, he’s doing well, and that’s why we need him like that.”

That, in a nutshell, is Terry. This, of course, was by no means the first time the defender has faced the public tainted by controversy, but a rhino-hide and ferocious mental strength has allowed him to endure experiences that would prove overwhelming to others. More than that, he has frequently given the impression of revelling in the opportunity to parade in front of his critics and deliver, just as he did on Saturday, a particularly impressive performance.

As Cech says, that’s why Chelsea need him. And in football, all too often that is the only thing that counts.

Terry maintains his innocence, although he will not declare whether he intends to appeal against the four-match ban and £220,000 fine imposed by the FA following his clash with Queens Park Rangers’ Anton Ferdinand last October until he has received the written reasons for the independent panel’s decision, and it was clear on Saturday he is not without support. Staking his territory before kick-off, the Chelsea captain led his team towards the visiting fans who responded with chants of “there’s only one England captain”, a reminder of the price Terry has had to pay.

Those chants — a response to the loud boos, jeers and songs directed at the player from the majority home support — were again audible after the final whistle, only this time they were louder, bellowed in a spirit of celebration in the wake of a defiant 2-1 victory.

Contrition was most certainly not on the agenda.

Bookended by those moments was Terry’s role in a Chelsea display that inflicted a first defeat of the season on Arsenal and confirmed that, on the evidence of the opening weeks of the season, Di Matteo’s side are likely to be significant players in the race for the title.

On his first appearance after his clash with Ferdinand, Terry had also faced Arsenal, this time at Stamford Bridge, where his poise was shattered by an electric display from Robin van Persie and an embarrassing slip that contributed to the Gunners’ 5-3 victory at Stamford Bridge.

Then, Terry’s 30-something legs were receiving no help from Andre Villas-Boas’s attempt to impose a high defensive line and there were enough signs to satisfy the defender’s critics that his best days were behind him.

Twelve months on, Chelsea’s formation is more forgiving and while the demands of playing alongside an erratic David Luiz hardly helps Terry’s attempts to grow old gracefully, he offered the kind of leadership that has made him such a triumphant captain at Stamford Bridge.

Terry, then, had emerged successfully from his latest walk of shame. He will face a similar reception at stadiums up and down the country but, if Saturday is anything to go by, it will have little impact on the player.