Liverpool Falls Short

            In a Champions League game today, Liverpool took on Arsenal looking to keep their tournament chance alive. Unfortunately, it has become obvious that their hopes have been lost, and even manager Rogers has admitted that their focus has switched towards the FA Cup. Despite rising back up through the Premier League table recently, two defeats to big teams have put them back in their place and effectively ruined their Champions League hopes. Against Arsenal, Liverpool lost 4-1. Opponents have easily seen weaknesses in their defensive side, and any pressure by Arsenal today led to mistakes in the back for Liverpool. They left themselves vulnerable and Arsenal made them pay, and against such a great opponent, Liverpool could not have expected to succeed the way that they were playing.

            It didn’t help the Reds that they had off-field problems that were equally (if not more) detrimental to their play on Saturday. Just prior to the game, Liverpool’s Raheem Sterling was found talking to the press about his refusal to sign a new contract with the team and how they didn’t provide the ambition that he displays as a player. While Sterling can have his reasons to sign or not sign a contract and that is just fine, it is not the sort of thing that he should be focused on and bringing attention to before such a game. Going against Arsenal shortly after, Sterling definitely brought conflict to the team and set himself and the team up to be disorganized. Then, after the game, Liverpool’s manager Brenden Rogers dismissed any blame on Sterling. He instead went so far as to call him Liverpool’s best player and to shift any blame for the lost onto the rest of the team, protecting Sterling. While Sterling was not the worst in the game, he certainly wasn’t playing well by any means. He missed a chance early in the game and didn’t help (or hurt) much in the following minutes. A player shouldn’t be praised for not being as bad as the rest.

            As for Brenden Rogers and the future and reflection of Liverpool, there were no real answers given. Rogers stated his reasons for Sterling’s place at the club, saying that it is good playing time for him in the Premier League. Also, he felt that the team’s improvement over the season has been good, saying "This summer was very difficult. Losing Luis Suarez, Daniel Sturridge being injured, the integration of so many new players. It was like starting again. It was like my first six months. The reaction after losing 3-1 at Crystal Palace was positive. The reaction and commitment of the players has been first class since then." (ESPN). Providing no answers for going forward, the placement of some players (including Sterling) may be questioned soon. 

Chelsea Stays Strong

            Today, another Premier League matchup entertained many, and gives insight to the title race. It was Chelsea against Stoke City, and despite Chelsea sitting comfortably at the top of the table and Stoke much further below, the game was by no means a blowout. Chelsea opened up the game and was moving steadily against their opponents, taking the lead towards halftime. Then, just before the break, an amazing 59 meter strike by Charlie Adam put Stoke back in the game. The hope didn’t last, however, and Chelsea was able to put another one away at 60 minutes, and the game was pretty well over. Although the final score was fairly close, Chelsea were in no way at their best, and really only matched Stoke to secure the win. They played the way they needed to, which seemed to work out for the team in the end. A large part of Chelsea’s success is due to Eden Hazard who took part in both goals for the team. Hazard was a game changer for Chelsea and will no doubt play a large role in their title run. On the negative side, an injury for Diego Costa is news that no Chelsea fan wants to hear. Coming on the field for 10 minutes before being forced off, Costa looks to be out of club play for a little while to come. Costa was brought on the team to increase the creativity in the attacking third that they lacked, and it will continue to be a problem with him sitting out. With this being such a crucial time in the season, Costa’s injury may prove to be vital (or detrimental, rather) to Chelsea’s season end.

            On the Stoke side, things were much different, but not necessarily bad. For one, they were able to hold the leaders of the league to a 2-1 loss. Also, Adam’s goal goes to show for their perseverance when the game looks bad. Chelsea had just scored and were at full speed, and Adam had the vision to see Courtois off his line and to drop one in at such a distance. While they weren’t able to defeat Chelsea, they put up a fight and held them off from scoring more. Even though Chelsea were not at their finest, Stoke was able to make a good game out of it. While Stoke City is never near the top of the Premier League, they return year after year and remain fairly successful, and this game was a good showing of that ability.