Asmir Begovic

By Gary Watton
October 20 2015

On a night when Arsenic defeated big bad Bayern Munich by two goals to nil, Chelsea had to make do with a goalless draw in the Ukraine against a lower-ranked team. Of course the glass half full brigade are talking up a solid performance from an improving team, complete with a second successive clean sheet. None of this is to be sniffed at, but it all pales into comparison with Arsenic's stellar result. For once, I envy the Gooners. Mind you, in the next round of matches, I fully expect the Blues to win at home to Dynamo Kiev, while Bayern should avenge their defeat. If such results are realised, then Chelsea will have seven points from four matches and Arsenic a mere three, so their current joy ought to be short-lived. 

If truth be told, I would have settled for a draw before this match in the east kicked off. Such are the low expectations of misfiring Chelsea nowadays. However, the away team were so dominant in the first half that it was something of a failure that they failed to convert their possession into a goal or two. When your team plays for an hour and a half and fails to record a single goal, it scarcely suggests a team on the verge of hitting the heights again. Consequently, it wasn't exactly the complete performance. Furthermore, the hosts finished quite strongly, and we could easily have been mugged by a late goal. Anyhow, Begovic and his defence did what they were paid to do, and it may be no coincidence that in the last two matches when Ivanovic was absent injured, the team have obtained two shutouts.

Nevertheless, Chelsea have their work cut out to finish atop this group, having dropped five points in their first three matches. To finish second would be criminal, as it merely leaves us vulnerable in the draw for the last sixteen to a contest with one of the truly elite teams. Arsenil know only too well the perils of finishing runners-up in your group, as the likes of Barcelona, Bayern, and Real Madrid may well be next on the agenda.

Hopefully Arsenic's success last night will ultimately propel them into the Europa League, although they are well capable of winning their final two fixtures, and performing a Houdini, just as Manchester Mercenaries did last year.

Meanwhile, the champions of England must now brace themselves for a trip to high-flying West Ham United who are six points above us. To lose that match would be a catastrophe, but fortunately the Hammers appear to be best suited to playing away from home. A draw will be a minimum requirement on Saturday afternoon, although an away win would be so much better. Who would ever have thought that the prospect of a Chelsea win at West Ham would be something of a shock result?

Dynamo Kiev 0 CHELSEA 0; half time: 0-0. 

CHELSEA team: Begovic; Cahill; Azpilicueta; Terry; Zouma; Matic; Fabregas; Ramires; Costa; Willian; Hazard. Used substitute: Oscar.

CHELSEA LEADING SCORERS:

Willian four goals

Costa three goals

Oscar two goals

Pedro two goals

Ramires two goals

Kiev

Discussion started by Chelsea FC (IP Logged), 20/10/2015 19:58

Chelsea FC
20/10/2015 19:58

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