With last weekend's FA Cup tie against Stoke City forcing Chelsea's players to wait to truly put to rest the memory of their Premier League capitulation against Manchester City, today's emphatic victory over local rivals West Ham United was just what the doctor ordered.
It was a familiar name that adorned the scoresheet in the 4-1 win, with Didier Drogba netting twice in a game the home side controlled throughout, but also could only make their superiority count in the second half.
For all their dominance in the possession statistics, however, the game could have gone in a very different direction if it hadn't been for one player — and not the Ivorian hit-man. Instead it was Florent Malouda who masterminded this victory, torturing Jonathan Spector throughout the first half and finding a cutting edge in the second that led to an assist (giving Drogba the easiest of headed chances) and a goal he fully deserved.
It was just the latest in a long line of impressive performances from the 29-year-old, who has been one of his side's most consistent performers this season. It is hard to remember the last time he had a truly poor game.
This is the Frenchman's third season in London, but he has not always enjoyed the best of times. The former Olympique Lyonnais star joined the club for around £13 million in 2007 with a big reputation, having just been voted the best player in Ligue 1, but initially struggled to make an impact in a new league and unfamiliar surroundings.
He was — prematurely, but perhaps not unfairly — labeled a bust, despite the likes of Drogba and Cristiano Ronald having similarly struggled to adapt in initial seasons before blossoming into stars of the highest order.
After settling down Malouda was making that sort of progress last season, although Luiz Felipe Scolari's unsuccessful tenure as manager rather obscured that fact. But his goal at the end of the season in the FA Cup final, under the watchful eye of caretaker Guus Hiddink, underlined the truth that everyone seemed to have missed — that he had finally arrived as a major threat in Chelsea's A-list line-up.
And then Carlo Ancelotti rode in, and Malouda had to prove himself all over again. Ancelotti's proposed diamond formation seemed to have no natural spot for the Frenchman, but he was gifted the spot on the left of the diamond after injuries to other midfielders and took the opportunity with both hands, developing a rapport with Ashley Cole that went a long way to propelling the Blues to their fantastic start.
Despite that, Ancelotti seemed reticent to play him in the biggest games — against Liverpool, or Manchester United — something that Malouda did not take kindly too.
"Before the match against Birmingham [on Boxing Day, a game in which he was sent off], I talked to the coach to tell him about my frustration," he told L'Equipe in a controversial interview late last year, where he also complained Frank Lampard received too much credit.
"The frustration is above all for the big games. I'm ready to look elsewhere. Finding another club is not a problem. But the club has closed the door to any departure, whether it be in January or in June. The coach is counting on me. We'll see from now until the end of the season."
And what we saw today was a winger at the top of his game. Malouda was at times unplayable as he weaved down the left and occasionally floated inside, and did more than any other player to ensure Chelsea got the three points they desperately needed.
What is more, he has been playing that way — with the odd exception — for a good month now. Ancelotti is quickly coming to rely on the player only six months ago he seemed unsure of. He acknowledged as much as he withdrew Malouda late on so Stamford Bridge could give him the round of applause his performance deserved.
Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Lampard are the traditional threats people think of when they assess Chelsea's danger. Malouda is quickly adding himself to that list — and for that he deserves a lot of praise.
It was a familiar name that adorned the scoresheet in the 4-1 win, with Didier Drogba netting twice in a game the home side controlled throughout, but also could only make their superiority count in the second half.
For all their dominance in the possession statistics, however, the game could have gone in a very different direction if it hadn't been for one player — and not the Ivorian hit-man. Instead it was Florent Malouda who masterminded this victory, torturing Jonathan Spector throughout the first half and finding a cutting edge in the second that led to an assist (giving Drogba the easiest of headed chances) and a goal he fully deserved.
It was just the latest in a long line of impressive performances from the 29-year-old, who has been one of his side's most consistent performers this season. It is hard to remember the last time he had a truly poor game.
This is the Frenchman's third season in London, but he has not always enjoyed the best of times. The former Olympique Lyonnais star joined the club for around £13 million in 2007 with a big reputation, having just been voted the best player in Ligue 1, but initially struggled to make an impact in a new league and unfamiliar surroundings.
He was — prematurely, but perhaps not unfairly — labeled a bust, despite the likes of Drogba and Cristiano Ronald having similarly struggled to adapt in initial seasons before blossoming into stars of the highest order.
After settling down Malouda was making that sort of progress last season, although Luiz Felipe Scolari's unsuccessful tenure as manager rather obscured that fact. But his goal at the end of the season in the FA Cup final, under the watchful eye of caretaker Guus Hiddink, underlined the truth that everyone seemed to have missed — that he had finally arrived as a major threat in Chelsea's A-list line-up.
And then Carlo Ancelotti rode in, and Malouda had to prove himself all over again. Ancelotti's proposed diamond formation seemed to have no natural spot for the Frenchman, but he was gifted the spot on the left of the diamond after injuries to other midfielders and took the opportunity with both hands, developing a rapport with Ashley Cole that went a long way to propelling the Blues to their fantastic start.
Despite that, Ancelotti seemed reticent to play him in the biggest games — against Liverpool, or Manchester United — something that Malouda did not take kindly too.
"Before the match against Birmingham [on Boxing Day, a game in which he was sent off], I talked to the coach to tell him about my frustration," he told L'Equipe in a controversial interview late last year, where he also complained Frank Lampard received too much credit.
"The frustration is above all for the big games. I'm ready to look elsewhere. Finding another club is not a problem. But the club has closed the door to any departure, whether it be in January or in June. The coach is counting on me. We'll see from now until the end of the season."
And what we saw today was a winger at the top of his game. Malouda was at times unplayable as he weaved down the left and occasionally floated inside, and did more than any other player to ensure Chelsea got the three points they desperately needed.
What is more, he has been playing that way — with the odd exception — for a good month now. Ancelotti is quickly coming to rely on the player only six months ago he seemed unsure of. He acknowledged as much as he withdrew Malouda late on so Stamford Bridge could give him the round of applause his performance deserved.
Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Lampard are the traditional threats people think of when they assess Chelsea's danger. Malouda is quickly adding himself to that list — and for that he deserves a lot of praise.
No comments:
Post a Comment