ARSENAL 1, CHELSEA 2
Didier Drogba's back on form
ONCE upon a time not so long ago, two very distinct schools of thought existed when it came to Didier Drogba.
One school hated him, the other simply disliked him.
He was the muscular embodiment of the plagues brought to these shores by foreign players.
He collapsed quicker than the pound in a credit crunch, feigned injury like a child looking for sympathy.
Click here for more great pictures from Arsenal v Chelsea
Click here for Rob Shepherd's verdict on a troubled goalkeeper
Guus Hiddink plans sparkling farewell - click here for the full story
And he whinged. Boy, did he whinge. He made Nicolas Anelka look like Little Mr Sunshine.
Pilloried by even his own fans earlier in the season, ridiculed nationwide, a symbol of all that was wrong with pre-Guus Chelsea.
Luiz Felipe Scolari wanted to make an example of him, Chelsea were prepared to bank the first decent cheque that came their way for him.
But redemption for Drogba followed a pace behind Hiddink into the Stamford Bridge dressing room.
And when he slid towards the hoardings, ripped off his jersey, kissed it and crossed his torso, that redemption was complete.
Drogba's journey has been a simple one. From folk hero to phoney and back to folk hero.
His swashbuckling displays against Liverpool carried Chelsea to a Champions League semi-final with Barcelona . . . now his opportunism and dynamism have opened the way to an FA Cup final meeting with Manchester United or Everton.
His late strike clinched triumph for Chelsea after Florent Malouda had cancelled out Theo Walcott's early volley. And in the scorer of the first goal and the scorer of the final goal of a beautiful evening, you have the contrast that sums up this game.
Walcott - 20 years of age, reed-thin and rose-petal delicate.
Drogba - 31 years of age, ebony-tough and bursting with Ivory power.
Arsene Wenger believes the former can already compete with the latter.
He is wrong. Sure, in the same fashion as many of Wenger's youthful projects, Walcott is developing. Witness his goal. Not spectacular but symptomatic of his creeping progress.
Emmanuel Adebayor surprised everyone with a simple pass, Kieran Gibbs crossed cutely and Walcott's well of confidence was brimming full enough to try a first-time left-foot volley.
A couple of years ago, first time and left foot were concepts as alien to Walcott as shaving and voting.
His effort was not struck with shoelace sweetness but it still had enough forward momentum to brush Ashley Cole's hand and find a way past Petr Cech's palm.
Not that it takes a shot of unerring accuracy or gun-barrel velocity to elude Cech nowadays. However, the hapless helmet could at least take comfort and confidence from watching his opposite number.
Lukasz Fabianski. Rarely have the opening three letters of any surname been less appropriate.
For a while there has been a growing consensus that Fabianski will soon change the debate from whether Manuel Almunia should play for England to whether Manuel Almunia should play for Arsenal.
And if you still think that, you've been on the same birthday juice as Fabianski. He set the tone before Walcott's opener - the Pole so far north that Drogba was able to loop a header goalwards from expedition distance.
Gibbs spared his blushes but was unable to help in the closing stages when Frank Lampard hoisted hopefully and Drogba flicked Mikael Silvestre aside as though the French defender was a spent Gauloises.
Fabianski was on another mad charge, bypassing Drogba in a bizarre blur and the Chelsea striker rolled the winner into an unguarded net.
At least Fabianski should not shoulder all the blame for Malouda's first-half equaliser. Merely a generous portion of it.
Emmanuel Eboue's idea of marking is to be within javelin distance of his man and it was hardly a chore for Malouda to pull a Lampard pass from the sky and turn inside the right-back.
Even so, Fabianski left a gap the width of Wembley's arch for Malouda to drag in the leveller.
Lampard's contribution, by the way, was much more than a couple of assists and, with every imperious late-season display, he makes a mockery of PFA voting deadlines.
Hiddink can take no credit for his form but the coach must be applauded for his impact. And Malouda might well turn out to be one of his most persuasive adverts. He actually looks interested under the Dutchman.
Ditto Anelka, who stepped in when Abou Diaby bizarrely tried to slalom his way out of his own area and curled a post-kisser with his left foot.
Yet it seemed increasingly likely it would take the special or the silly to prevent the tie heading towards dusk. The special nearly arrived with a Lampard volley that fizzed wide and the silly almost followed when Silvestre flipped the ball away with his hand.
Arsenal's discipline seemed to be disintegrating when Denilson appeared to lay his hands on the referee after a booking. The Brazilian was a lucky lad to last the distance.
Which is more than Adebayor and Robin van Persie did. With those pair hooked, Chelsea always looked the likeliest. Fabianski's rush of blood and Drogba's ice-cool blood made sure they did.
Quite simply, big-game quality told. And none had it more than Chelsea's immense centre-forward.
Ten years ago, Wenger refused to pay £100,000 for Drogba.
This morning, the Ivorian is back to what he once was and always should be for Chelsea . . . priceless.
This article has 5 comments
It never amazes me what Arsene Wenger does for Arsenal he moans about the pitch then that there wasn't any fluency in our football but he is the one who picks the team. How could he leave out Nasri, Arshavin and Song and expect us to win we had a good opportunity to win it this year it's very disappointing as a fan. To make matters worse he takes of Van Persie and Adebayor and brings Nasri on for the last five minutes what could he do in that time I think he should have played all three from the start as they are creative and can score goals as well so come on Arsene don't let us down I just hope we win something this year as four years is to long for a club like Arsenal to not have won a trophy in that time. I know we have injuries but don't insult us as fans we deserve more than that. I hope this wont a have an affect on the team lets hope we finish on a high an see if we can the Champions League.
By George. Posted April 20 2009 at 2:46 PM.
Well we are a long short of the T adams days.No heart no pride
I cannot beleave no nasri no arshavin no song wot a joke
Adebayor should never put a arsenal shirt again
Well done chelsea you wonted it more than arsenal
By graham harding. Posted April 19 2009 at 7:10 PM.
What on earth is wenger thinking about,we played one of the top sides in europe and we have not played the strongest side available!!Where was Arshavin,Nasri and Song?I suspect finishing fourth in the league is more important than beating Chelsea in the cup semi final,perhaps the money is the major factor or certain players will leave if we are not in the champions league next season,Wenger is to comfortable in the job,we have lost toomany big games over the last 3 seasons,the next being Manchester United!!Fellow Gooners whilst the professer in charge this will continue indefinitely.
By terry scott. Posted April 19 2009 at 2:05 PM.
Give cech a break eh. His still in his 20's and good keepers dont come into their own til their 30's. And everyone has the odd dip in form no matter how great the player.
In drogba we have the difference between a successful chelsea team and a team of also rans, when he plays well we play well and win games, when he doesnt we struggle, anelka might be the prems top scorer. but drogba is without doubt.....in this form.....the prems top attacker.
By Paul England. Posted April 19 2009 at 8:50 AM.
anyway, it is a supper match!!!!!!!
thank you!!!ARSENAL and CHELSEA
http://www.nowgoal.com/30.shtml
By abc. Posted April 19 2009 at 3:52 AM.