|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 16:59:25 GMT
The last time Norwich came to Stamford Bridge was in January 2018 for the FA Cup and I remember it well for it was a riot. A District Line breakdown delayed kick-off, VAR made its first noted impact on the game with pundit Shearer - rightfully, it has turned out - labelling it "a shambles" from the off, an injury time equalizer for Norwich, extra time in which Morata and Pedro were both sent off for Chelsea, a penalty shoot-out which saw Norwich's first kick saved and which proved to be the losing kick. It was a cracking encounter. I seem to remember that game's thread on here being quite fun too MrFurious Fast forward to now and Norwich are down and Chelsea are jostling for a Top 4 finish. Nothing can be taken for granted tonight. Norwich may be fighting for some pride, Chelsea could get nervous and loose in defence. Match betting Chelsea 1/8 Norwich 16/1 Draw 17/2 Top 4 betting Chelsea 1/4 Man Utd 1/4 Leicester 6/4 Wolves 11/1 Sheff Utd 100/1 |
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 19:11:39 GMT
5 changes for the home side, and Kepa's not one of them. Norwich make four.
Chelsea: Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Zouma, Alonso, Loftus-Cheek, Jorginho, Kovacic, Willian, Giroud, Pulisic. Subs: Christensen, Barkley, Abraham, Pedro, Caballero, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, James, Tomori.
Norwich: Krul, Aarons, Godfrey, Klose, Lewis, Tettey, Hernandez, McLean, Rupp, Cantwell, Drmic. Subs: Vrancic, Emi, Stiepermann, Trybull, Pukki, McGovern, Idah, Thomas, Martin.
Simon Burnton is here with an optimistically blue preamble :
|
|
|
|
Post by DrKrippen on Jul 14, 2020 19:15:18 GMT
Weird noises for what would be the team presentations.  Where do they get this shit? |
|
|
|
Post by DrKrippen on Jul 14, 2020 19:16:51 GMT
Obligatory Black Lives Matter fists in the air salute. Play ball.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 19:38:14 GMT
Giroud on '20 with a tame half-shot on goal but it's easy for Krul. The game needs s kick up the ass. Lots of ado but little end product.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 19:43:22 GMT
Looking at Daniel Farke's playboard there with little round coloured magnets placed around a pitch outline. I thought at first he was holding the world's biggest I-Pad but, no, he's gone old school.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 19:48:22 GMT
0-0 could be a goer here. Only Alonso looks near clinical.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 19:54:33 GMT
Krul denies Pulisic's fierce drive from inside the box with an admirable one-hander. Half time is coming soon and it's still 0-0.
|
|
|
|
Post by DrKrippen on Jul 14, 2020 20:04:39 GMT
Pulisic puts a nice cross in to the box where Giroud easily heads it into the net.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 20:05:07 GMT
47 minutes of Assault On Precinct 13. Did they get out alive in that? I can't remember, but Norwich almost survived a barrage of assaults, not all of them red-blooded but still dripping with meat-hungry saliva. The fork just couldn't stab the steak deep enough to let the knife do its job, until the head of Giroud flew well to turn it in from Pulisic's delicious cross on '48.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 20:22:37 GMT
Norwich emerge from the tunnel a good two minutes after Chelsea have come out. I like how the fuzzy green bottoms of their shirts merges with their green shorts. It's like Switzerland's kit in EURO 96 where the shoulders of their red shirts were heavily sprinkled with white like the snow-capped Alps. Neat.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 20:30:33 GMT
Defensive frailties exposed again on '53 as yellow shirts surge forward on the counter but the ball is intercepted near the box and cleared. Norwich certainly sensed an unlocked door there.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 20:39:04 GMT
That 'clinical' element that Lampard keeps on about needs displaying now. Half an hour left at 1-0. There's a strike from Norwich but it goes wide. You can't trust Chelsea to hold a one goal lead, especially versus Norwich because you can't trust people from Norfolk. Look at Ed Balls.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 20:58:16 GMT
Pulisic goes off to what would have been a hearty round of applause. He's had an important 80 minutes.
|
|
|
|
Post by DrKrippen on Jul 14, 2020 20:58:38 GMT
Chelsea just can't seem to get that second one.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 21:02:26 GMT
Giroud surely from Willian's short ball in. No, he can't get there, there's a Norwich boot in the way. And that's Giroud's last action as Abraham comes on for him. Four minutes on the clock. Let's hope Norwich are daydreaming of beaches golden and sunsoaked.
|
|
|
|
Post by staggerstag on Jul 14, 2020 21:09:14 GMT
The referee has blown up. Chelsea go 4 points clear of Leicester who are at home to Sheff Utd on Thursday and 4 points clear of Man Utd, away to Palace on Thursday. But it was no easy feat, Norwich or no.
|
|
