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.