The Premier League title race has been blown wide open once again after Chelsea moved within two points of leaders Liverpool after a 2-0 win at Anfield, while Manchester City won at Crystal Palace.
Liverpool could have ended Chelsea’s title hopes with a win, but ran into the dark arts of José Mourinho. Time wasting and parking the bus were just two of the tactics that Chelsea used in the first half to stop what has been a rampant Liverpool attack this season.
In added time in the first half, ironically for Chelsea’s time wasting, Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard slipped close to the halfway line allowing Demba Ba to racethrough on goal and slotted a shot beyond Simon Mignolet.
Liverpool huffed and puffed in the second half, but Chelsea’s superb defense never looked like being breached, and Mourinho saw his side wrap up the win late when Fernando Torres setting up Willian to walk the ball into an empty net after a Liverpool attack had broken down in added time.
The result gave life to third-placed City, whose title dreams seemed left in tatters after their recent 3-2 defeat at Anfield. But after today’s 2-0 win at Palace, City are only three points back of Liverpool with a game in hand, and with a superior goal difference. Suddenly the title is Man City’s to lose.
There was drama at the other end of the table on Sunday also as Sunderland climbed out of the relegation zone with a 4-0 win of ten-man Cardiff City. Sunderland’s win dropped Norwich into the bottom three, and the future looks bleak for Cardiff, Fulham and Norwich.
