While the media was celebrating, Chelsea put one foot into UCL

Liverpool is rightfully champion of England, but that did not need to overshadow Chelsea’s big win against Manchester City.

Chelsea did it again then. The “only team in London” secured yet another Premier League title.
If you did not follow football though, you could be forgiven for not knowing that Chelsea, or for that matter, Manchester City even played a game on Thursday evening.

Chelsea’s impressive win over a City side who looked comfortable in possession without really creating too much was the best game since the Premier League returned. It was a game that deserved so much more credit than it was given by a media intent on anointing “their” Premier League Champions.

Of course, in beating City, the Blues actually crowned Liverpool as champions of England for the first time in 30 years. The media coverage, at least in the United Kingdom, was as biased as it was nauseating. Uncomfortable as it is for a Chelsea fan though, Liverpool deserve their hour or so in the sun, they have been (deep breath) imperious this season.

Liverpool fans celebrated Christian Pulisic’s goal and Willian’s penalty as fervently as any Mohammed Salah or Sadio Mane have scored this season. Pulisic’s goal, in particular, was as worthy to rejoice as any other seen in this convoluted season. It was a thing of beauty. Chelsea was set up by Frank Lampard to play on the break and how well the American executed the plan.

For Chelsea, at least since Roman Abramovich came on board, winning trumps taking part. It may not always be as easy on the eye as some would like but football is not an exact science. There is more than one way to bake a cake and certainly more than one way to win a game.

Thursday’s game did, however, highlight a consistency in Chelsea’s season. Score two goals and concede from a set play. It is certainly not Jose Mourinho’s “boring” Chelsea, where a goal lead could stifle the opposition into submission. In fact, it is just the opposite. For Lampard and his cohorts on the bench it must be nerve jangling. For the fans, currently united with the supporters, it is the edge of the seat stuff.

Following Chelsea has never been, nor ever should be, for the faint hearted. For those that want the beautiful game week in week out, other teams are available. In recent seasons, Chelsea have suffered with the ball, under Maurizio Sarri and without the ball with Antonio Conte. At times, during the 70’s and 80’s, they did not even know what the ball was.

Chelsea versus City at an empty Stamford Bridge had everything but supporters. It was as good a game as you could hope to see in the current climate but, thanks to the intervention of the media none of that mattered. Christian Pulisic’s man of the match performance was overshadowed by scenes of Liverpool fans celebrating together like they were in the stadium, despite the current restrictions on social distancing. Former managers and players alike eulogized over the “enigmatic” Jurgen Klopp.

Would Chelsea fans have behaved in the same way. Probably. Would they have celebrated a Jordan Henderson goal that gave us the title. Definitely. Would the Sky Sports and BT Sport have immediately changed their schedule to slot in a stream of programming about the event. Never. It is a Chelsea Thing.