Chelsea Tekuk Liverpool, Arsenal Bertahan di Puncak Klasemen
Chelsea Make Liverpool Suffer, Arsenal Top
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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London (B2B) - Chelsea menaklukkan Liverpool 2-1 pada lanjutan Liga Premier Inggris pekan ke-19 yang digelar di Stamford Bridge, London, malam ini.
Liverpool sempat membuka keunggulan pada menit ke-4 melalui kaki Martin Skrtel yang memanfaatkan bola tendangan bebas Philippe Coutinho yang salah diantisipasi lini pertahanan Chelsea.
Namun tim asuhan Jose Mourinho menutup babak pertama dengan keunggulan 2-1 setelah Eden Hazard dan Samuel Eto´o mencetak gol pada menit 17 dan 34.
Pada babak kedua tensi pertandingan semakin meningkat. Menit ke-47 dan 50 dua pemain bertahan Chelsea, John Terry dan David Luiz harus mendapat kartu kuning karena kerepotan menghadapi lini serang Liverpool.
Pada menit 51 sundulan pemain bertahan Liverpool, Mamadou Sakho nyaris menyamakan kedudukan, sayang membentur tiang. Menit 74 tendangan Glen Johnson pun masih bisa ditepis Petr Cech.
Pada lima menit menjelang laga berakhir Fernando Torres masuk menggantikan Samuel Eto´o. Torres nyaris menambah keunggulan Chelsea namun tendangannya dari dalam kota penalti diamankan Mignolet.
Sampai babak kedua berakhir skor 2-1 keunggulan Chelsea tidak berubah.
Meski Chelsea menguasai jalannya pertandingan dengan 53 persen penguasaan bola dan enam tembakan ke gawang, Liverpool juga mampu melesakkan lima tendangan tepat ke arah gawang Chelsea.
Pada pertandingan ini Branislav Invanovic, Samuel Eto´o dan Joe allen harus mengakhiri pertandingan karena cedera.
Kemenangan ini menjaga Chelsea di peringkat tiga tabel klasmen dengan 40 poin, menguntit Arsenal dan Manchester City dengan selisih masing-masing dua dan satu poin.
Bagi Liverpool ini adalah kekalahan kedua berturut-turut dan membuat mereka terjungkal ke peringkat lima klasemen sementara.
London - Chelsea demonstrated their Premier League championship credentials by coming from behind to beat title rivals Liverpool 2-1 in an engaging and keenly contested game at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Martin Skrtel gave Liverpool a third-minute lead, but Chelsea hit back before half-time through Eden Hazard and Samuel Eto’o to give manager Jose Mourinho victory over his former protege Brendan Rodgers.
The game marked the first meeting between Suarez and Branislav Ivanovic since the Liverpool striker was banned for biting the Chelsea defender last season, and the Liverpool man came out on top in their first duel.
Af ter Samuel Eto’o caught Jordan Henderson with a high challenge on the Liverpool left, Philippe Coutinho curled in a free-kick and Suarez got in front of Ivanovic to knock the ball down for Skrtel to prod home.
Chelsea, for whom John Terry was making his 600th appearance, were quick to respond, with Glen Johnson hacking off the line to prevent Skrtel scoring an own goal and Gary Cahill heading wide from a free-kick.
Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet then produced a stunning one-handed save to tip over a shot from Frank Lampard, but in the 17th minute the hosts drew level.
A sharp Chel sea counterattack culminated in Mamadou Sakho inadvertently diverting a pass from Oscar into the path of Hazard, who swept a magisterial first-time shot inside the righthand post from 20 yards.
Chelsea then lost Ivanovic to injury, with Ashley Cole coming on, but it did not disrupt their momentum.
They went in front in the 34th minute and Mignolet, culpable for City’s winning goal in Liverpool’s 2-1 loss at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday, was again partly at fault.
Oscar’s low cross from the right was toed towards goal by Eto’o and despite getting down quickly, Mignolet could only palm the ball inside his right-hand post.
It was an impressive reaction f rom Mourinho’s side, but gradually Liverpool reasserted themselves.
Petr Cech produced a smart save to prevent Joe Allen from equalising with a deflected shot shortly before half-time, before Sakho headed against the crossbar early in the second period.
