What is a rescuing strike?

Since when was a winning goal in the sixteenth minute of a game, a rescuing strike?  

Yes, a goal in injury time could rescue crucial points for a team, like let's say, Manchester United's Vidic's 92nd minute tap in against Sunderland at the weekend.

But surprise surprise, Times Online decided to use the word 'rescue' in an Arsenal headline, perhaps feeling it would be less credible for a Manchester United side to be needing saving. 

Lack of biting edge

Both Arsenal's home game against Wigan and Manchester United's against Sunderland finished 1-0 and showed signs of a lack of biting edge.  

And yet Times journalist, Brian Granville at the Emirates Stadium, selected the more derogatory of headlines in:  "Adebayor strikes to rescue sluggish Arsenal" compared to Jonathan Northcroft's more positive slant for Manchester United in "Nemanja Vidic keeps United on track".

Arsenal needed a win to follow-up on their victory at Chelsea last weekend and regain some consistency and confidence.  But United too looked until the dying minute, that they were to produce a third goalless draw in five games.  

Both sides were culpable for missing chances - Arsenal's Denilson and Adebayor both hit the post and van Persie shot wide on a few occasions.  United's Berbatov headed high from six yards out.  

Northcroft himself said that United "so nearly paid for a tired, uninspired performance" and yet it is Arsenal that is described as "sluggish" as they missed chances to cement their lead.

Surely both teams could be deemed a little sluggish, but now back on track. 

Chelsea's dogged teamwork should see them Champions

Chelsea's five goals against hapless Sunderland yesterday, reinstored pride into Stamford Bridge once again after their disappointing defeat to Liverpool last weekend.

Speaking to a Blues enthusiast earlier, he had expressed his sadness that Chelsea “just seemed to give up altogether” against Liverpool.

None of that cowardice was shown against Sunderland who- as Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari had feared in his pre-match interviews – looked intent to merely defend from the start.

It was the home team’s readiness to be the first to the ball and close down Sunderland’s players in their opposing half that made it such a promising win for the home crowd.

Chelsea’s breakthrough came in the twenty-seventh minute when stand-in centre back, Alex, adopted the typical position for a centre forward, right in front of goal, so he was able to latch onto Joe Cole’s shot when Sunderland's keeper, Fulop, flapped.

Persistence

Good positioning and persistence characterised Chelsea’s forward play all afternoon. In the build up to their second goal minutes later, three Chelsea players closed down a Sunderland player in order to regain possession and commence another attack.

Frank Lampard retrieved the ball, passed to Deco, who released a ball down the right for Lampard to run onto and cross into the box, with an eager Alex and Nicolas Anelka waiting in the middle. Either player could have finished the move, but Anelka claimed it with the final touch.

The fluent build up play for Chelsea’s third – Joe Cole linked up with Lampard, who thread the ball to Florent Malouda, who then laid it off to Anelka – was reminiscent of “Arsenal the Invincibles”, who went for the entire of the 2003/04 season unbeaten whilst playing exquisite and committed football.

With players like Deco, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole, Chelsea are capable of consistently showing flair and vision. If they demonstrate the same degree of doggedness and grit in every game, they could well be champions come May.

(Image courtesy of Stewart Damonsing)