Terry, Gol Bunuh Dirinya Kandaskan Peluang Chelsea
Terry Own Goal Dents Blues Title Hopes
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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London (B2B) - Gol bunuh diri John Terry menjauhkan harapan Chelsea meraih gelar Premier League dan memberi jalan bagi Crystal Palace keluar dari zona degradasi dengan kemenangan 1-0 di Selhurst Park, Sabtu.
Kemenangan Palace itu menghadiahi anak-anak asuh Tony Pulis harapan besar untuk terhindar dari degradasi dan duduk di peringkat 16 papan klasemen dengan unggul 3 poin dari penghuni ketiga dari bawah.
Setelah menang gemilang 6-0 atas Arsenal pekan lalu, dan kekalahan Palace di Newcastle United, besar harapan klub asurah Jose Mourinho bisa meraih tiga poin dalam laga tersebut, seperti dilansir Yahoo Sports.
Tetapi, tuan rumah yang mengamuk mencatatkan kemenangan liga pertama atas Chelsea sejak 1990, meskipun karena gol bunuh diri Terry.
John Terry membuat gol bunuh diri pada menit 52. Joel Ward melayangkan umpan silang dari sisi kiri, dan kapten Chelsea yang menghadang Joe Ledley, tanpa sengaja menyundul bola masuk gawang melewati kiper Petr Cech.
Itu kekalahan menyakitkan bagi Chelsea, yang kehilangan harapan meraih empat poin di puncak bersaing dengan sesama penantang gelar, Liverpool dan Manchester City, yang juga bertanding akhir pekan ini.
Chelsea menyia-nyiakan kesempatan pada menit 18 ketika tendangan Andre Schurrle melebar saat memanfaatkan umpan Cesar Azpilicueta.
Tuan rumah mendapatkan kesempatan delapan menit kemudian, Yannick Bolasie berjuang untuk mengontrol umpan Jason Puncheon sebelum tendangannya gagal mencapai sasaran.
Setelah mendapatkan ancaman dari Torres, pada awal babak kedua, Palace melalui Cameron Jerome mencoba menjebol gawang Petr Cech, namun bola dari umpan Yanick Bolasie, masih melenceng.
Chelsea sebenarnya nyaris menyamakan kedudukan, ketika upaya Eden Hazard dihadang dengan gemilang oleh Speroni menit 73, serta melalui Puncheon menit 62, sebelum Terry menyundul bola tendangan bebas dari Oscar 60 detik kemudian, namun bola melambung di atas mistar gawang Palace.
Ledley juga dua kali hampir mencetak gol bagi tuan rumah pada menit-menit akhir, demikian mengutip laman resmi Premier League.
London - Chelsea suffered a potentially fatal blow to their Premier League title challenge as Crystal Palace boosted their survival chances with a stunning victory over Jose Mourinho´s men at Selhurst Park.
Chelsea entered the weekend as leaders, having played more games than their title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, and with an unbeaten record in London derbies this term.
It was the Chelsea´s second successive away loss following the controversial defeat at Aston Villa, which left Mourinho questioning referee Chris Foy´s performance.
Only Palace could have cause to complain at Lee Mason´s officiating, as twice in the space of two first-half minutes the referee rejected penalty claims when Gary Cahill challenged Cameron Jerome and then Yannick Bolasie. Both might have been given in other circumstances, but Palace, who were organised, resilient and dangerous on the counter-attack, put the incidents behind them to earn victory.
Tony Pulis´ men had chances before and after Terry rose above Joe Ledley to divert Joel Ward´s cross into his own net early in the second half.
Bolasie - and Andre Schurrle at the other end - were unable to convert menacing crosses, while Jerome hit a post.
Julian Speroni twice denied Eden Hazard, the second a stunning save when the Belgium forward was through one-on-one, as Palace ended a five-match winless streak with a much-needed victory.
Mourinho had cause to speak to a ball-boy in stoppage time after feeling the ball was being returned slowly as his side slipped to defeat ahead of Wednesday´s Champions League quarter-final first leg at Paris St Germain. The ball-boy incident showed Mourinho´s frustrations as his Chelsea side were second best throughout in front of a raucous Eagles support.
Bolasie and Jason Puncheon made life difficult for Branislav Ivanovic and Cesar Azpilicueta, whose fine cross might have resulted in the opener. Azpilicueta made an overlapping run and drilled a low cross into the six-yard box, but a fine Ward interception saw Schurrle beaten to the ball. A goal kick followed as a first-half decision went Palace´s way.
Chelsea struggled to unlock the Palace defence and repeatedly looked to Fernando Torres early, only for the hosts to crowd out the striker. Bolasie dragged a shot wide before missing a glorious opportunity after neat interplay on the right by Adrian Mariappa and Puncheon.
