Terrace Talk: Chelsea: Boring? Forgetful Arsenal need a history lesson

As the final few seconds ticked by at the Emirates the Arsenal fans sang “boring, boring Chelsea” — oh the irony. 

A club whose history was built on 1-0 arm-in-the-air offside trap football. Short memories.

I’m not really sure what they expected anyway. Everyone who has even a modicum of footballing knowledge would have called that before the game. Jose was never going to do anything risky when we are this close. And the team are well drilled in “you shall not pass”. But let’s face it, if Michael Oliver had had his specs on, or his magic shirt of impartiality, we could have won that by one, two even possibly three penalties. But then most Chelsea fans don’t expect to get penalties anymore — I think they have been outlawed by the FA where we are concerned.

It was a weird game for me as I was behind enemy lines in the Arsenal end — can’t say I enjoyed it much. It was semi-corporate — their “club” level. Strange atmosphere. If I didn’t know better, I’d have said that most of those around me didn’t even like football. It was more like being at Westfield shopping centre — middle class families, all clutching their club shop bags, eating hot dog and chips for £12 a throw (no, I’m not kidding). If this is what the other clubs aspire to, then God help us.

I imagine the majority of papers will bemoan the defensive tactics. But watching John Terry putting in the kind of display that confirms, should any confirmation be needed, that he is still the best defender in the country by quite some way should get the purists going, surely? Especially given the fact that he was unwell before the match. Azpilacuerta too, an unassuming, low-key player, who has made himself undroppable while playing on the “wrong” side. Willian’s work rate. Fabregas’s vision. There was much to admire. At the end of the day, whatever it takes to get us over that line is fine with me.

Also given that Remy and Costa were out, Drogba nearing his 104th birthday, what did anyone really expect? Oh and by the way, since Jose’s return to SW6 — the aggregate score between the clubs is 10-0 to Chelsea. So who exactly is boring?

A bit more info for those who think Chelsea are anti-football; we have scored most goals, have the best defence, most clean sheets, lowest number of league defeats. Oh, and we’re top of the league.

But the job isn’t done yet. Leicester won’t be a walk in the park, especially as they managed to get yet another win this week.We need focus and hope Costa may be passed fit. Jose has already confirmed Remy won’t make it.

All that said, I quite like the fact that opposition fans, pundits, papers have all got on their high horses about our style of play. How we don’t deserve it, the dullest Premier League win (possibly) in history. The green monster manifesting itself at the very mention of Chelsea. Should we win it, it will also prove all those doom-merchants who waxed lyrical on the fact Mourinho should never have come back, how he couldn’t do it again, how it would all end in tears.

I’d like to win it at home against Palace for a number of reasons; so more of our own can be there and celebrate it, obviously. But more because it would mean that Liverpool would be expected to give us a guard of honour. I’d really like to see the likes of Henderson and Gerrard doing that. Perhaps the Chelsea team could all wear t-shirts under their Chelsea shirts especially for Stevie which read “look what you could have won”.

Either way, this league will mean a lot, as it will have been fought hard against teams with far more resources than us, against teams who have had better luck in the injury stakes than us, and against teams who fare better against the officials and the FA than us. Chelsea have nothing to be ashamed of and those that do not give us the credit that we are due should look at themselves rather than us. Every title is won by the best team. This will be no different.