Chelsea 2-1 Manchester United

29'- Rooney
53'- Luiz
80'- Lampard

Chelsea think that they have reignited their title hopes with a fantastic 2-1 win over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge. The hosts came out on top only after a controversial penalty gave them the win in a match where both teams went all out for the three points. But the victors performance certainly earned them the spoils in a match that could have ko'd their title hopes in' the English Premier League.

The game got off to a flying start with Chelsea on the attack.

David Luiz won the ball in the back and hit Florent Malouda on the wing, who had his legs taken out from under him while Nicolas Anelka jumped on the loose ball, cut into the box and missed his low strike wide right.

The back-and-forth affair was a pleasure to watch for fans.

In the 7th, Patrice Evra did well to get down the left wing and play a teasing ball across the face of goal but no one was home.

Anelka had another chance moments later when Torres switched the field of play to find him on the counter. He did well to get into shooting position, but again missed a low shot wide of the far post.

United were right in the match throughout the first half. Wayne Rooney should have done better in the 21st when he clumsily missed a free header and the ball slammed off of his shoulder.

Rooney made due on his second chance in the 29th minute. He took a short ball from Nani outside the box, then took two precise touches before blasting to the near post and past the outstretched Peter Cech.

Chelsea somehow didn't equalize in the 38th from a Frank Lampard free kick, which bounced off of van der Sar, and then off of Branislav Ivanovic. The right back went for the deflection with the goal at his mercy, but van der Sar heroically got his hand up and swatted the ball away just before the Chelsea man could pounce.

Three points was the only option to keep Chelsea's miniscule title hopes alive. And they came out in the second half throwing everything forward.

The aggressive strategy paid dividends immediately. In the 53rd, Ashley Cole threw a cross into the box which Ivanovic flicked across goal, the ball bounced twice before falling to the waiting Luiz, who unleashed a perfect volley to the near post for the equalizer.

Chelsea were flying afterwards while the visitors began to look rattled.

Didier Drogba entered for Anelka in the 61st as the Blues continued to attack.

The match was wide open and Chelsea were enjoying over 60% of the possession in the second half. But United did manage a solid counter when Rooney and Nani did well to combine again and the Englishman got behind Michael Essien before firing his shot embarrassingly wide.

The Blues kept coming forward. But their lack of quality combined with some fine last ditch defending from their opponents kept them at bay. Torres provided a good example of that when he launched a bending strike at least ten rows deep in minute 68.

Rooney got a glimmer of space in the box in the 75th, but shot right at Cech while under pressure from Luiz.

There was controversy aplenty in the 77th. Luiz clearly took away the legs of Rooney off the ball, which should have seen him sent off for a second yellow card. But referee Martin Atkinson missed the incident and the center-half escaped.

Just one minute later, it was Chelsea who emerged with the goal they desperately needed. Chris Smalling was adjudged to have fouled (highlight starts at 3:05) substitute Yuri Zhirkov in the box. At the very least, the center half was unfortunate, as a lucky bounce off of his leg saw the Russian regain possession just in time to make contact with Smalling.

Lampard stepped up to take the penalty. And he boldly finished top shelf to give his side the lead with ten minutes to go.

Chelsea looked the more likely to score after the goal. Zhirkov was desperately unlucky not to score after his long strike was headed goalwards but came off the leg of Nemanja Vidic and deflected off the post and out.

Vidic's second yellow card added insult to injury, as he lost his cool and yanked Ramires down as Chelsea ran the clock down.

Opinion

The "Battle at the Bridge" didn't disappoint.

There were so many great performances to choose from in a match played at an absolutely breathtaking pace. I loved that both teams attacked from the outset. You could tell that Sir Alex Ferguson and company came to London determined to deliver the knockout blow to Chelsea's title hopes. Meanwhile, the Blues could settle for nothing less than three points without ending all hopes of an already unlikely title push.

Both teams were flying from the opening whistle. The first half was fairly even, with both sides playing attacking football.

Rooney's goal was an absolute peach of a strike. He turns, picks his head up, makes up his mind quickly, and has a go for goal. He might have done a little better with a couple more chances in the match, but he is once again looking dangerous. If there's any positive that United can take form the loss, it's the return to form of Rooney, who has now scored in three consecutive appearances.

Sir Alex Ferguson was fuming at the referee post-match. Luiz was great, but he absolutely should have received a second yellow for clattering into Rooney. And the penalty kick that came immediately afterwards was also a controversial decision (start video at 3:05).

While Atkinson missed the call on Luiz, I can see where he's coming from when pointing to the spot later on, as their is clear contact in the area. But you've got to say that Smalling was unlucky to give it up, as he doesn't have time to get out of the way, and Zhirkov has certainly gone down easily.

I was a little surprised to see United show so little fight after the penalty. They hardly had a sniff of the ball in the second half before or after the goal. Once again, they showed that Chelsea is the one team in England that can rattle them.

United didn't look at all nervous in the first half. They held the ball well in the midfield while Rooney and Javier Hernandez were giving the defense problems. Plus got the goal they needed from Rooney in a relatively even 45 minutes. But it all went sour for in the second half.

It didn't help that Nani was uninvolved, and you have to give Ivanovic a bunch of credit for keeping him quiet. Without the most creative of center midfielders, United rely on the winger to make runs into the middle and make defenses scramble. But he was unable to do so today, and Chelsea made the adjustments neccessary at half to key in on Rooney and Chicharito.

As for Chelsea, they have played some fine halves of football this season. After all, they have scored seven goals in a match four times this year. That being said, they've never played a better half than the second 45 minutes against Man U. The stakes are rarely higher. The crowd was tense throughout, uneasy about being forced to stomach the image of Ferguson's side ending their season on their own pitch.

All in all, Chelsea were up against pressure that they hadn't yet faced this season. And they rose to the challenge sporting the combination of toughness, quality, and swagger that brought them silverware last year.

The Luiz goal was simply fantastic. I've got to say, he looks to be worth all of that money they spent.

I didn't know a ton about Luiz at Benfica. Plus you never know how a newly signed center half will adjust to the rigors of the EPL (we've seen much more well heralded ones fail before). But this guy has what it takes. He's got to learn to be a bit more disciplined as he gave up a poor penalty last week against Fulham and should have been sent off against Man U. But he's a fine defender with great lateral quickness and ball control.

It was a pleasure to watch Luiz and Rooney go against each other. Rooney's goal was fantastic, but to me it was Luiz who continually showed his quality. Several times, he would anticipate a pass to Rooney and step in front to intercept. On other occasions, he would get right behind the in-form striker and force him to quickly release the ball or take him one-on-one. Luiz got the better of him in those situations, and helped keep the United tally to one goal.

Furthermore, he is a fine player on the ball. His touch is fine, and he plays a great ball out of the back. The goal he scored was a great one. But it was no mistake. If you're thinking that was a once in a lifetime strike from a center half, you're dead wrong. Luiz has great technique on the ball and passes extremely well. At just 23, we might be witnessing the coming out party for the next great Brazilian center half.

Vidic and Rio Ferndinand have been the top center back pairing in England for some time now. But I think Luiz and John Terry could give them a real run for their money.

Now that I've revealed my man crush for Luiz in full, let's get back to the match itself.

The Plot Thickens...

We're in for a race to the finish regarding the title.

Arsenal can move to within one point of Manchester United with a win at home against Sunderland on Saturday. United could increase the lead back to four on Sunday against Liverpool, but the Gunners would have a match in hand.

That trip to Anfield looks a difficult one. Man U will play Sunday without vaunted center backs Vidic (suspension) and Ferdinand (injury). Smalling will continue to deputize for Ferdinand. But with Johnny Evans unavailable, Ferguson will turn to Wes Brown in the back. Luis Suarez must be licking his chops, but that's a thought for another time.

In closing, all I can say is that we are in for one hell of a title race. Chelsea claim they still have a hand in it, but it's Arsenal who will really be nipping at Man U's heels if they can beat Sunderland (a terrible road outfit) on Saturday. Remember, the Gunners host Man U at the Emirates later this season and don't have to play Chelsea or Manchester City again. The race is on, my friends. And it's going to be damn fun to watch.

Chelsea-Manchester United Preview

What do you think? Leave comments and predictions!

One of the greatest and most intimidating elements of Manchester United is their versatility. They've combatted a variety of styles during Sir Alex Ferguson's 25 seasons in charge. And they've done so successfully. Ferguson's sides are always designed to get the result, no matter how ugly or pretty they have to play. Sometimes they'll even appear to be cruising, more interested in not making a mistake than attacking with any sort of urgency. They are a side obsessed with getting the result, no matter how it looks on the pitch.

In past seasons, Ferguson's teams have has had the clear mental advantage over other EPL sides. It's shown against the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City, who seem nervous and shaken up against United.

But if there's one team who has beaten the Man U Voodo, it's been Chelsea. There's something about the Blues that makes United quiver.

United will go head-to-head with their nemesis in a few hours. In fact, they must face them twice over their final 11 matches, while second place Arsenal doesn't play Carlo Ancelotti's bunch the rest of the year.

Unquestionably, today's trip to Stamford Bridge is a major point in the title race, even though Chelsea is hardly involved in what has become a two-team battle between Man U and Arsenal. But while the Blues have not been themselves this season, they remain the last team that United want to see on the fixture list.

One reason the Blues gives United fits is that they are tough to prepare for, as they can attack and beat you with a variety of styles. Fellow contenders Arsenal and Manchester City beat you in a specific way, while Chelsea can do it in several manners. It's not that Man U can't counteract the Blues' tactics, but you can tell they're somewhat on their toes when the two meet, nervously not knowing what to expect.

Chelsea may come out looking to take down United with some lovely football. After all, they are at home, and likely can't wait to unleash Fernando Torres against a side that he tore to shreds while at Liverpool. They can play that beautiful style of football that we love to watch with their skill (Malouda, Torres), creativity (Lampard, Drogba) and finishing (Drogba, Anelka, Lampard etc.).

If Chelsea try and show their attacking flair, United will go into "Arsenal Response Mode" as I call it, sitting back defensively and letting the opponents pass around in their half and defending comfortably without breaking a sweat, before pouncing on a turnover on the counter. Take a look at the second and third goals they scored on the Gunners last season. That's vintage United. They recognize that many a team are at their most vulnerable when they're on their front foot. All they need to do is execute on the counterattack and in the end, they may very well be the team creating the most chances despite having much less of the ball. That was certainly the case in that match against Arsenal last season, which they won 3-1. The formula worked again this season, as they beat the Gunners 1-0 in December.

Chelsea have also had some success playing on the defensive. They have great size and play a physical style that wears opponents down. That's a bit more similar to the tactics of Manchester City, or even an opponent further down the table (Stoke, Sunderland, Blackburn).

Should we see that "physical and committed" element of Chelsea, we'll witness "Manchester City Response Mode" from United. Ideally, the Red Devils will just hold the ball, not take too many risks as they slowly reel their opponents in. And then once again, they'll pick their spot and pounce with authority. Just look at the opener from Nani against City last month. United had the ball for much of that half but were often frustrated by City's defense. But they kept pressing forward, knowing that they'd just need to create a single chance to force City out of their shell. Ryan Giggs recognizes a rare chance to break down the City defense from a sudden attack, and the Portuguese International does the rest.

What makes Chelsea unique is that they are comfortable playing both of those styles. That's what makes them so dangerous, and that also makes them the only side in the EPL that Man U really struggle to prepare for. It's shown in the results, as Chelsea have been the only side able to consistently beat Man U in recent seasons.

Against most teams United look comfortable. They know exactly what's coming and they certainly know that they have the ability to score a goal of their own when they need to. The man most responsible their confidence is Ferguson, who has his team's extremely prepared for every fixture.

But every now and then, they have to worry about a team like Chelsea that can break them down in so many ways, it's impossible to be 100% prepared for what is to come. For that reason, today's result should come down to Man U recognizing, and responding to which ever side of Chelsea they see.

Weekend in Review

Arsenal Heartbreak... Again

Highlights

It's been nearly six years since Arsenal last won a trophy. And Sunday's heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Birmingham in the Carling Cup Final means they'll have to wait a little longer to grasp silverware.

The defeat left the Gunners in despair. But the way they lost will hurt even more, as a comedy of errors involving Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny in the final minutes allowed for an extremely soft game-winning goal in the 88th.

The Gunners had the more chances overall of the two teams as well. But Ben Foster came up with a man of the match performance in goal, while the underdogs also must be credited for turning in one of their best shifts of the season.

In typical Cup Final fashion, the match was played at a high pace throughout. And Birmingham should have had a penalty just three minutes in when Szczesny took out the legs of Lee Bowyer in the box for what was clear cut penalty kick. But the midfielder had been incorrectly ruled offsides and Arsenal escaped.

Although Birmingham started off on the front foot, it was Arsenal who took control during an exciting opening 20 minutes.

Andrei Arshavin had the first opportunity for the favorites, spinning around a defender and firing a left-footed blast directly at Foster, who did well to save.

Johan Djourou should have done better with two headed chances from consecutive corners in the 10th minute. But he missed both attempts badly.

Samir Nasri did well to juke his defender and set up on his right foot in the box in the 14th. But he blasted his attempt over the near post from a difficult angle.

The Blues were right in the match, looking dangerous on the counterattack and set pieces. They took the lead via the latter in the 28th minute. A nice corner found the head of Roger Johnson at the top of the box, who flicked towards goal as the Arsenal defense scrambled to get into position. Nikola Zigic reacted quickest, sneaking in between a host of defenders, and heading past the onrushing Szczesny from close range.

Arsenal came back immediately afterward and nearly equalized on a header from Robin Van Persie.

Birmingham had Arsene Wenger's side on the ropes thereafter. The Gunners needed several last ditch clearances on dangerous crosses as the presence of 6-7 Zigic was clearly giving the back four issues. He nearly netted his second in the 34th, finding a quick opening in the box only to see his shot pushed away by Szczesny.

With their backs against the wall, Arsenal managed to get back into the match, and netted the equalizer through Van Persie in the 39th. It all started when Jack Wilshere's long range effort slammed off the crossbar and back into play. But the Gunners gave BFC no time to exhale, as Arshavin ended up with the ball and turned Liam Ridgewell before crossing brilliantly onto the right foot of the Dutchman, who buried his full volley attempt home.

The equalizer was not all good news for Arsenal. Van Persie's right knee slammed into Martin Jiranek during the goal. The injury would force him off the pitch in the 70th minute for Nicklas Bendtner.

The two teams went to the half having both showed their best football over the first 45. And there was plenty more great play to come.

Tomas Rosicky came close in the 47th on a low volley from a Sagna cross.

Birmingham came within a whisker of their second goal in the 58th when Keith Fahey fired past Szczesny and off the post.

Both sides slowed down over the next ten minutes. Birmingham occasionally looked dangerous on the counterattack but were typically stifled by some valiant Arsenal defending. Meanwhile, the Gunners were controlling the ball but not creating much of anything.

Arsenal started to come to life in the 74th and 75th minutes when Ben Foster thwarted efforts from Samir Nasri and Bendtner.

The Gunners continued to look the most likely to score. In the 78th, Bendtner created space in the box, but his right footed blast was partially blocked and saved by Foster.

One minute later, substitute Marouane Chamakh got free and played the ball across the face of goal just past the outstretched Rosicky and Bendtner.

Nasri was again involved in the Arsenal onslaught, but Foster did well to parry his curling his from 22-yards in the 80th.

And then, from out of nowhere, the Gunners found themselves behind with virtually no time left. A miscommunication between Laurent Koscielny and Szczesny saw the Pole spill the ball in the box. It fell to Obafemi Martins, who could hardly believe his luck as he passed the ball into the wide open goal for the winner.

What a Final!
First and foremost, you have to credit to Birmingham. Although much of the talk from the match has surrounded Arsenal's most recent implosion, one must realize that Alex McCleish's team were game from the opening whistle, creating chances and doing well to exploit their size advantage via Zigic. They put the Arsenal back line under pressure and made things increasingly difficult for them. In all honesty, they were unfortunate to be down at the half as Arsenal's equalizer had certainly come against the run of play.

Zigic appears to be coming into his own after a rocky start in England. He has the size to give defenders hell, as you can never forget where he is. Ideally, that would open up space for others as well, but his addition had yielded mixed results this year. That's all changed a bit recently, as the Serbian has scored four goals in five matches. Surely it's no coincidence that the results have taken a turn for the better during that time. The Blues have lost just once over the period, moved closer safety in the EPL, and now have some silverware to add to their trophy case.

You've also got to heap the praise upon goalkeeper Ben Foster. The Manchester United outcast was viewed as damaged goods by some. But McLeish was right to give the promising youngster a chance and it's paid massive dividends. If not for his heroics, the Martins goal doesn't even matter.

As for Arsenal, this defeat was of the devastating variety. Tears were streaming from the eyes of young Wilshere, whilst several players fell to ground in agony after the final whistle. The reaction was steep for a team still heavily involved in three other competitions. But finally winning a trophy would have been a huge boost to the Gunners' psyche, and would have signaled to everyone that all the promise of Wenger's side is finally starting to yield great results. Instead they have yet another dissapointing defeat to think about, and that will surely get everyone asking questions about their mental strength for the umpteenth time.

How the Gunners respond from this is absolutely crucial. There is still plenty of season left and there are some massive fixtures right around the corner. They face an FA Cup replay with Leyton Orient tomorrow, and then head back to the league on Saturday before the crucial second leg against Barcelona at the Camp Nou next week.

To Arsenal's credit, they have responded well from tough results this season, but surely this defeat was the toughest of the season to swallow, and we've seen them fall apart after similar misfortunes in years past.

United Roll

Wigan entered Saturday's matchup having lost 14 in a row to league leading Manchester United. It's 15 straight defeats now after a convincing 4-0 trouncing extended United's lead back to four points over Arsenal, who had previously closed the gap to a single point after a win in mid-week.

The match surely would have been different had the Latics finished their chances in the first half. Victor Moses broke through in the 13th down the left side, but saw his near-post effort saved by the shoulder of a charging Edwin van der Sar.

United showed the finishing touch that the hosts could not in the 17th. A nice one-two between Rooney and Nani saw the winger in down the left side, and he rolled a beautiful ball across the box for Javier Hernandez, who easily slotted home for the lead.

Wigan should have equalized just moments later. A nice flick from Hugo Rodollega left James McCarthy all alone at the far post, but again van der Sar came up big and saved the strike from short range.

Holding a 1-0 lead, the visitors began to take over. Nani nearly gave them a spectacular two goal lead when his lazer of a strike slammed off the crossbar and bounced out in the 29th minute.

The second half was a simply brilliant performance from Sir Alex Ferguson's side.

The visitors were fortunate not be two goals down early on after United missed a host of chances.

The first opportunity came through Nani, who cut back onto his left foot in the box, but should have done better and missed wide.

United kept pressing, and they nailed the clincher in the 74th. Rooney did well to play Hernandez through behind the leaky Wigan defense, and "Chicharito" did well to control and settle himself for the finish.

United poured it on afterwards. Darron Gibson's long ball hit Dimitar Berbatov with one defender to beat, and he passed across the box to Rooney for an easy tap-in to make it 3-0.

Fabio scored the fourth in the 87th, taking down a long ball from close range before driving home the score.

It was another impressive victory for the Red Devils, who appear to be heading into their best form of the season as we speak. Things may well have been different had McCarthy or Moses been more clinical in the first half, but United settled in nicely after the first goal and took complete control of the match.

The first half may have been a little dicey, but Man U got exactly what they wanted after the break. Ferfuson's side controlled possession and pressed on until the pressure was simply too much to handle for Wigan.

United fans also have to be thrilled to see Wayne Rooney coming on strong. The frontman was heavily involved in three of the four goals. You could see the Wigan defense was beginning to scramble when he had possession in the second half, unsure of whether he was going to run at the back four and take a defender on, or distribute to United's more dangerous offensive players (i.e. Nani, Berbatov, Hernandez). When Rooney is rolling like that, he's as good as anyone in the world, and United will hope the performance at the DW is one of many to come over the rest of the year.

Madman Mancini

The bizarre season at Eastlands continued on Sunday, as Man City turned in a lackluster 1-1 draw against Fulham.

Mario Balotelli opened up the scoring for City in the 26th, notching a fantastic long shot that came against the run of play.

The Whites came out of the break strong and quickly equalized through Damien Duff.

The home side looked poor as they tried to take the lead back, creating very little and playing at a slow and listless pace. The poor result saw City get booed off the pitch by the home fans. Considering the draw came at home against a team that has a dreadful away record, they probably deserved it.

City just a frustrating team to watch at this point. All of that quality is yet to translate into a truly great run of form.

I have to wonder whether the tactics of Roberto Mancini match the personnel within the squad. We're talking about a team that has spent big bucks on the likes of Carlos Tevez, David Silva, Balottelli, Edin Dzeko and James Milner, yet hired a manager that wants his teams to defend first and foremost.

If you ask me, Mancini is not a bad manager. In fact, I'd say he's a borderline excellent tactician and his success in Italy speaks volumes. But this club is not a good fit for him. Yesterday, he strangely substituted Patrick Viera for Dzeko 15 minutes into the half, shoring up the center of midfield and defense in a deadlocked match where his team needed the three points. Did Mancini really think a 1-1 draw against average Fulham was an acceptable result?

In the end, City will find themselves in yet another dogfight for a Champions League spot. In my opinion, Mancini should be shown the door even if they do qualify. Not so much because they have greatly underachived this season, but because they need an increasingly attacking minded manager who gives Sheik Mansour's lucrative signings more freedom on the pitch.

Germany and Spain Wrapped Up?

What do Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona have in common? Well, both look to have already wrapped up silverware in their domestic leagues after massive results over the weekend.

Young Dortmund has been a bit sloppy recently, as their double-digit point lead in the league may have left them overconfident. But they reminded everyone how they jumped out to that lead in the first place with a master class performance against defending champions Bayern Munich. The 3-1 victory upped the gap to 16 points over Bayern, and 12 over second place Bayer Leverkusen, who drew 2-2 on Sunday.

If you haven't watched Dortmund yet, you're missing out. They have a fantastic young lineup with rising stars such as Nuri Sahin, Kevin Grosskreutz and more Shinji Kagawa.

Sahin is my favorite of the bunch. He's a versatile center midfielder that does all the dirty work. But he's also a major threat going forward with a dynamite long range shot (just look at this cracker he scored against Bayern), coupled with a deft touch and great vision/clever distribution. Trust me, this guy is going to be doing big things in the years to come, and I wouldn't be surprised at all to see one of the big boys from England make a move for the young Turk.

In La Liga, Barcelona cruised to another "routine" 3-0 win in Spain. Meantime, Real Madrid were poor in a scoreless draw with Deportivo La CORUNA. They trail the Catalan Giants by seven points. In a league where dropped points are few and far between for the top two clubs, one must think that Barca are very close to wrapping up this race for good.

Tuesday Review

Chelsea 2-0 Copenhagen

Chelsea went to Denmark and left with a stranglehold on their tie, while Real Madrid got the away goal they needed and dominated in their matchup with Lyon.

The Blues' domestic struggles have not effected their European form. They stayed true to that concept yesterday with a relatively routine 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen.

Chelsea controlled the match throughout, getting the crucial first goal early in the match before a second half goal gave them a fantastic result.

One may have expected them to come out shakily against FC Copenhagen in a wild atmosphere. That wasn't the case.

Nicolas Anelka netted a brace on the day. He scored his first in the 17th when Jesper Gronkjaer gave the ball away just past midfield, and the Frenchman pounced on the ball and made a beeline for goal before finishing well to the far post.

The Danes tried to fight back into the match. But Chelsea were firmly in control and continued to look the more dangerous side, as Torres fell short on a nice chance soon after and a curling effort from Anelka sailed over the bar.

The Lions hoped to spur a second half comeback. And they did manage a half-chance just 20 seconds in when Martin Vingard's shot from 20-yards fell into the arms of Cech.

Anelka doubled the lead in the 54th. A fine ball from Lampard played Anelka in behind, and he rifled his right footed shot past Johan Willand.

The Blues continued their domination. Torres did well to create an opportunity in the 59th, putting a nice move on to create space before seeing his low shot saved brilliantly by Willand.

Copenhagen leading scorer Dame N'Doye was quiet on the evening. Only managing a long strike that swerved wide of the right post in the 76th.

Opinion

These sorts of matches are rarely easy for the away side. Yesterday, I discussed how pesky and committed sides have troubled the Blues this season. But that was not the case on yesterday. Chelsea were the far superior side not just from an ability standpoint (which we knew coming into the match), but also in terms of discipline and composure.

The first goal changed everything. It took the air out the crowd and their opponents, as the Lions had to know they were facing a major uphill battle after falling behind at home. They pressed Chelsea at times, and even had the bulk of the possession. There was some nice interchange and combination play in the midfield (particularly of the one touch variety) from the hosts, but they never looked truly dangerous as Chelsea gave them no breathing room in their final third.

The visitors simply dominated, looking comfortable on defense and dangerous on offense.

The only negative is the Fernando Torres situation, which continued to yield negative returns, as the Spaniard had an astounding seven shots but no goals.

Despite the struggles of their 50M man, the Blues kept rolling. Anelka's second goal came from a brilliant spinning through pass from Lampard. "Lamps" wo was pulling the strings all evening and may have even scored himself if not for a few poor efforts from distance.

All I can do is applaud Ancelotti's boys for a job well done. They were clinical (minus Torres), composed, and creative, and now head back to London with a ticket to the quarterfinals all but secured.

Lyon 1-1 Real Madrid

Los Galacticos survived a dicey first half, and then responded with a fine performance in the second 45 that probably left them dissappointed with just a draw.

The Ligue 1 side had the best of the play in the first half. But they failed to create many chances. Their best opportunity fell to Bafetimbi Gomis. The normally sure-handed Iker Casillas fumbled a nice cross from Michel Bastos, and it fell to Gomis close to the penalty spot. But his left footed strike lacked accuracy and sailed well over the bar.

Real came out a different side in the second half. This time looking the more dangerous going forward.

They hit the post twice in the 48th and 49th minutes. First Ronaldo's gorgeous curling free kick from the left side beat Lloris but bounced off the post. Then Sergio Ramos' looping header beat the keeper again but slammed off the cross bar.

Real kept pressing. And they probably should have had a penalty in the 62nd when Ronaldo's free kick slammed off the raised arm of a Lyon defender in the box.

It seemed only a matter of time until Real broke through. They did so in minute 65. A clever bit of skill from Ozil helped find Ronaldo at the top of the box, and he played a perfect one-touch to Benzema streaking into the area. The former Lyon man evaded two defenders, before slotting his side-footed strike between the legs of Lloris for the goal.

More desperate than before, Lyon pressed forward in search of the equalizer. Their efforts were rewarded when they netted the tying goal with seven minutes left.

Miralem Pjanic's free kick from 40-yards hit the one-man wall of Ronaldo, and took an unexpected deflection into the box. Cris picked up the altered aerial route of the ball quickly, and flicked on for Gomis, who volleyed into the left corner from close range.

Opinion

This tie is headed for a similar scenario as last season, with Real entering their home matchup after securing a decent enough result in France. But Les Gones shocked everyone last year, going through thanks to late goal from Pjanic in Madrid.

Lyon should be criticized for their lack of attacking impetus in the first half. They defended quite well, while Real looked more interested in holding them scoreless than netting one of their own. Bastos and Cissokho were dominating up the left side, and they were holding the ball in the Madrid half for long periods of time.

But despite having the visitors on the back foot, the French side took very few chances going forward. If you look at what happened in the second half, it's clear that Lyon missed a major opportunity to force Real's hand. Why were they not throwing more bodies forward to get the first goal? Surely they must wish they had done so now.

The second half belonged to the favorites.

Once again, Jose Mourinho showed his managerial prowess. His team endured the home side's best shot, then sought to pounce on them with their superior quality and skill in the second half.

Real were brilliant. Ronaldo was bringing defenders with him and then distributing to the likes of Ozil, Benzema, and Adebayor.

In the end, the result may very well leave Real with a sour taste in their mouths. Had they not been so unlucky (two off the post and a missed penalty call from the referee), they could be heading home with a similar lead as Chelsea.

You have to credit Lyon for fighting back. And it's certainly clear that they are confident against the star-studded lineup of Real after beating them last season.

We're set up for a very intriguing second leg between these two. I'd have to call Madrid the favorites, but that was the case last year, too. Just about anything could happen When these two meet in a fortnights time.

Chelsea's Trip North

Copenhagen v. Chelsea

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Chelsea's season in England has burst open at the seams over the last three months. However, they maintained their good form torwards the end of the Champions League group stages when their domestic struggles began back in October. Then they likely had the most favorable matchup of the eight group winners when they drew tiny Copenhagen for the Round of 16, who surprised many by advancing out of Group D with ten points.

The Blues make the trip north insisting that they will take the Lions seriously. Carlo Ancelotti gave us the normal coachspeak, telling the press that his team will be wary of the Danish side's organization and spirit.

You'd expect Chelsea to come through the two legs comfortably. But trips such as these have proved tricky in the past. They goal for the men from London will be to secure a result that takes the pressure off of them for the second leg.

But first, let's talk about FC Copenhagen (never thought I'd write that). Honestly, I know very little about them. They impressed me in the group stages with their discipline and attention to detail on the pitch. They did not overly impress me with their football but they made things difficult on their opponents, especially at the Parken.

Now the second half of Copenhagen's season begins with their hardest tie to date-- a first leg visit from Chelsea. They will surely know that they're up against it, but they also must be aware that their best chance to spur the upset in the tie will require a strong performance today at their home pitch.

Stale Solbakken has a full squad to choose from for the teams' first match back in two months. While physical fitness is at a high level following the conclusion of preseason, the teams' sharpness is at least a big question mark.

Handling Fernando Torres and Nicolas Anelka will be no easy task for Solbakken's side. But he insists that they are full of confidence. Mikael Antonsson and Mathias Zanka Jorgensen are the center-halves, keep an eye on them as they try and corral Torres up top.

Surely Solbakken will realize that his chances of scoring are far greater at home than at Stamford Bridge. That's why things will be especially interesting. You'd have to expect his side to go for it when they get a chance. Any time they can find a bit of space in the midfield, they should press forward quickly as they look for a goal off the counter. That means the performance from speedy Costa Rican international Christian Bolaños and former Chelsea man Jesper Gronkjaer will be essential. Gronkjaer is the name you probably know best from the Superliga team, having employed his trade at CFC, Ajax and Birmingham.

The goalscorer is Dame N'Doye, who has scored 13 times in 18 matches.

Chelsea's performance in this competition is of paramount importance after failing to secure silverware in their EPL (barring a miracle) and domestic cup campaigns.

The Fernando Torres signing is yet to pay dividends. But Ancelotti will keep him in the first 11 tomorrow, relegating Didier Drogba to the bench. Fellow January signing David Luiz is cup tied after already appearing in the competition for Benfica. Branislav Ivanovic deputizes for him.

Quality in the final third will be the key for the Blues. You have to assume that they will have around 60% of the possession, but Copenhagen will work tirelessly to close down any space, so they'll need that little bit extra in order to score. Much of that onus will fall at the feet of Torres, who has looked increasingly dangerous since joining the Blues but has lacked that quality in front of goal.

Torres will need good service from Lampard and Anelka. The Frenchman will be relied upon heavily to hold the ball up and maintain possession, while the playmaking Lampard needs to improve on lackluster performances of recent weeks. He's the guy that can create and get his teammates into dangerous positions, stretching the Copenhagen defense and forcing them to make tough decisions.

In some ways, that makes this match very similar to an EPL trip to a West Brom or Fulham. Chelsea will have the possession, but can they create and finish their chances against an inspired side (buoyed on by their home fans) that will play determined football as long as they're in it?

In past years, Chelsea have shown a propensity for grinding out these types of matches and getting the result they need. But that has not been the case this season. And that makes this match all the more interesting.

The greatest key will be the first goal. If the Blues can get that vital opener, things will immediately get easier for them. A lead means they can afford to be more conservative with the ball and avoid risky passes (meaning fewer possible giveaways and counterattacks in the process), and will eventually have more space to work with as Copenhagen will have no choice but to throw bodies forward.

Clearly, this a match that Chelsea will be favored in. However, trips to face a greatly motivated, but relatively unknown squad have spelled trouble in the past for big clubs. Add in the fact that these types of matches in particular have given the Blues trouble this season, and I think we may well watch a very interesting 90 minutes in the Danish capital.

Gunners Glory

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Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona

26'- Villa
78'- Van Persie
83'- Arshavin

When Arsenal and Barcelona met last year at The Emirates, Arsenal came back from a late deficit to put the pressure on the favorites as they headed to the Camp Nou for the second leg. It was a similar situation Wednesday as Barca jumped out to an early lead, but couldn't extend the gap, and then could only watch as a strong Arsenal side came back to score not once, but twice in the final 12 minutes to take a crucial lead back to Spain.

The Gunners were shorthanded last season (missing the likes of Song, Vermaelen, Van Persie, Fabregas, and more over the two ties). That was not the case this time around as Samir Nasri made his return from a hamstring injury to replace Arshavin. Meantime, Arsene Wenger was able to field a nearly full strength lineup, only missing the suspended Bacary Sagna in the back four.

Barca were without Carles Puyol in the middle. Eric Abidal slid inside to replace him while Maxwell deputized out left. But otherwise Pep Guardiola's side were also at full strength.

Barca came out holding onto much of the possession. But it was the Gunners who fought their way back into the game to create the match's first chance early on. Theo Walcott did well to cut inside from his right wing position and play a nice square ball for Fabregas in the box. The former Barca youth player received the ball, took a touch, and promptly scooped it over the head of the defense for the in-form Van Persie, who ran onto it before seeing his shot saved well by Victor Valdes.

The Gunners continued to press, but lacked the quality in the final third to create another chance.

Then the visitors took over. Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta began to carve open the Gunners' defense with some fantastic passes.

Messi went close after Villa played him in behind down the left, but Wojciech Szczesny did well to close down the angle, and the Argentinean phenom's chip went just wide of the far post.

Barca kept pressing, and had Arsenal on their heels. They would take a lead that seemed inevitable in the 26th. Messi caught Gael Clichy defending too deep and found Villa onsides behind the defense. The Spaniard made no mistake, putting a low strike through the legs of Szczesny for the lead.

Pedro could have made it 2-0 just minutes later. But his shot from close range was stopped by Szczesny.

Van Persie squandered yet another opportunity in the 29th after Jack Wilshere's perfectly weighted diagonal ball saw him in down the left side. But he hesitated in the box before putting a sub-par effort well over.

Minutes later, Pedro got through on goal once again. But Szczesny was off his line quickly to make the save. Messi headed the rebound into the net, but he was offsides when Pedro shot and the goal would not stand.

The rest of the half saw an increasingly desperate looking Arsenal holding on for dear life. The visitors looked dangerous, but couldn't carve out another clear opportunity before the break.

Arsenal looked a bit more composed on the defensive side as the second half began. And they started to grasp control of the match.

Van Persie blasted a long shot over the bar in the 57th. Then he couldn't get on the end of a low cross from Nasri as Gerard Pique challenged him.

But Barca began to dominate soon after, as it appeared that Arsenal might be left to rue their missed chances. A failed clearance from Eboue helped Messi burst through on the left side of the box, he tried to beat Szczesny near post but found side-netting.

Then it was Arsenal's turn to step on the gas. And this time they were rewarded.

In the 78th, Gael Clichy lobbed behind the left side of defense, Robin Van Persie hooked onto that the close to the end-line, then caught Valdes leaning the wrong way and beat him to the near post for a stunning equalizer.

Five minutes later they had the lead. Fabregas found Nasri streaking down the wing with one defender to beat. The Frenchman cut inside and rolled the ball across the area to Arshavin, who finished beautifully with a curling effort to the far post.

Arshavin nearly went from hero to zero when his poor header back to Szczesny allowed Dani Alves to pounce on the ball in the right half of the area, but the Pole once again charged off his line to make the save.

Soon after, the referee whistled for full time, and the Gunners had beaten the Spanish giants for the first time in their history.

Opinion

Arshavin's goal capped a magnificent night for Arsenal, who fought tooth and nail throughout to stay in the match. And they probably deserved at least a goal after a host of near misses throughout the match.

The Gunners' actual goals ended up being created by their best attacking players. But if it wasn't for several other players stepping up, Barca could have been out of sight before RVP's equalizer.

Arsenal's stars did come through on the two goals thanks to RVP's finish (it must be said the goal was aided by a terrible goalkeeping error from Valdes, who didn't cover his near post), and the fantastic counterattack goal from Arshavin (set up well by passes from Fabregas and Nasri).

However, one would have to argue that Arsenal's most dangerous players did not perform well. Fabregas had one of his worst night's in European Football, as he gave the ball away a multitude of times and was not clinical in front of goal. Meanwhile, Van Persie missed a pair of great opportunities in the first half and didn't make Valdes work on two shots from distance in the second 45. Nasri, returning from injury, looked off the pace and was hardly involved before cleverly finding Arshavin for the final score. Walcott was also uninvolved, and was subsituted in the 76th minute for Nicklas Bendtner. Alex Song, who many consider the anchor of the Gunners' defense as he holds down the midfield when Wilshere/Fabregas venture forward, was off his game, as an early yellow card made the physical defensive midfielder a non-factor. He was substituted for Arshavin in the second half.

While Arsenal's big names weren't getting the job done, several Gunners made unexpected contributions.

Laurent Koscienly turned in a man of the match performance at center-half. He stifled attack after attack for Barca, was never out of position, and somehow went the entire match without losing a one-on-one battle with Messi, Villa, or Pedro. It was surely his best performance in an Arsenal kit.

Furthermore, it's important to note that Koscielny has withstood a lot of abuse from Arsenal fans and the media, much of it unfair. A closer look tells a different story. Yes, Koscielny has been guilty of a few egregious errors in the back that have resulted in goals this season. But his mistakes are not fundamental issues with his defending, they are more of the silly variety, which are easily fixable. His ability should not be questioned, as he is a creative player who can set up the attack with a nice pass, or break up an attack with a well timed challenge.

How a player could endure so much criticism for not being a flawless center half in the EPL from day one is beyond me. Not everyone can be Thomas Vermaelen, people. The Frenchman has been improving and adjusting to the game every week. And if you look at the job he has done on the whole, he's actually been quite good, and clearly has potential to turn into a fine defender.

I find myself lost for words when describing the maturity of 19-year old Jack Wilshere. Can someone check the kid's birth certificate? He continues to be completely unfazed in each and every situation he's placed in.

Yesterday, he was the Gunners' best attacking player. He rarely gave the ball away, and was still able to make several dangerous moves forward from his deeper role in midfield. Here we have a youngster playing on by far the biggest stage of his career, and somehow he looked the most composed and effective on a side featuring some of the world's most established players.

There was one more fine performance from one of Arsenal's less experienced players. It came from the goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny. The 20-year old was Arsenal's fourth-string goalkeeper in preseason, but was widely recognized as a top prospect, especially after his loan spell to Brentford last year had the Bees fans comparing him to past greats.

On Messi's first breakway, the 23-year old looked surprised after the young goalkeeper had stormed off his line without hesitating, and then managed to keep his arms up as he went to ground, making the chip from Messi a difficult one. He made a similar play on Pedro later in the first half to keep the Gunners close.

Then he came up huge in the final seconds, leaving his line to deny Alves after Arshavin's poor header saw the Brazilian in one-on-one with the Pole. He did well to close off the angle, and then showed great poise by not diving in, when doing so would have surely causing a penalty kick.

I'd say the trio of Wilshere, Szczesny, and Koscielny saved the day for Arsenal. And between the three of them, the Gunners have several fine players for many years to come.

Looking Ahead

With the second leg looming, you'd still have to consider the EPL side as underdogs. Barcelona scored the crucial away goal at The Emirates, and now know that any combination of goals and a clean sheet (which has been their specialty this season) will see them through.

Obviously, Wenger would prefer to see his team not concede at the Camp Nou. But let's be honest here, and realize that the Gunners' chance of shutting out Barca are unlikely at best. Especially when considering their typical insistence on playing attacking football.

One would have to think that they would enter the second leg with a bit more caution, but certainly with plenty of attacking intentions. Without question, Arsenal's best defense will be their offense, as matching Barcelona on away goals seems a much more likely scenario than holding them scoreless.

If you ask me, the second leg should be more of the same between these two. After all, both teams will enter the match at the Camp Nou knowing that the quality of their offensive performance will play perhaps the greatest role in the final result.

The Arsenal fan in me is nervous about that tie. But the football fan in me simply can't wait.

Spurs Shocker

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Tottenham 1-0 AC Milan

80'- Crouch

It was a wild evening at the San Siro, as a match chalk-full of hard tackles, physical altercations, and a massive late goal for visiting Tottenham made for plenty of talking points.

In the end, it was a match that could have gone either way, and looked headed for a 0-0 draw late on. But a fine bit of counterattacking football helped the visitors to just the type of result they dreamed of before taking the pitch. Now they head back to White Hart Lane with a lead in the tie after a fine performance in Milan.

Spurs looked poised and confident throughout the match, and even had the hosts rattled and frustrated for much of the 90 minutes. Surprisingly, it was Tottenham that looked the more experienced of the two teams, as Milan lost their cool in the second half while Harry Redknapp's team defended well and pounced on their one opportunity for victory.

The match featured plenty of action, but there wasn't much to discuss until the second half.

It was Spurs that controlled the proceedings in a scrappy first 45. However, they failed to create any serious chances aside from a few long distance efforts courtesy of Rafael van der Vaart.

Meanwhile, Milan were dreadful in the first half. The service from the midfield was non-existent, as Ibrahimovic and Robinho had little to work with, while the ever-dangerous Pato started the match on the bench.

Massimiliano Allegri signaled his intent to attack by substituting Pato into the match for Clarence Seedorf to start the second half.

Van der Vaart nearly scored a spectacular goal early in the half when he chipped substitute keeper Marco Amelia from 20-yards. The chip had the Italian beaten, but landed just wide of the right post.

Soon after, Mario Yepes came desperately close to putting the Rossoneri in front. His header appeared headed for goal after a nice cross from Gennaro Gattuso. But Heurelho Gomes made a stunning save, as his lightning-quick reactions saw him push the ball over the bar.

With Milan pressing forward, the match began to open up. And a major altercation soon after only further stirred the pot.

It all started when Mathieu Flamini took out the legs of Vedran Corluka with a two-footed tackle at midfield. Although replays showed Corluka had managed to avoid the brunt of the challenge, the Frenchman's malicious tackle got enough of him to force a substitution. Flamini received a yellow for the challenge, and things got chippy when he and van der Vaart exchanged words at midfield as AC players accosted the referee and tried to pull the injured Corluka to his feet so play could continue.

Gattuso, no stranger to a game of physicality, simply snapped thereafter. First he shoved Peter Crouch after the two collided post-whistle, then he had a go at Tottenham assistant Joe Jordan during a stoppage. He would finally receive a yellow for a dangerous challenge in the 76th, ruling him out of the second leg in London.

Buoyed on by the home crowd, the home team pressed relentlessly, while Redknapp told his team to defend, playing everyone but Peter Crouch behind the ball.

But a little bit of space was all Aaron Lennon needed to help give Spurs a shock lead in the 80th. It all started after Milan gave the ball away in the Tottenham final third, and Modric poked the ball up to the speedy Englishman, who took off with acres of space in front of him. The winger scurried up the right side into the Milan half, then touched the ball around a slide tackling Yepes, before quickly finding Crouch in front of goal for an easy finish.

Milan almost grabbed the equalizer on two different occasions in stoppage time. First Robinho nearly beat Dawson and Gomes to a ball inside the 6 after the two miscommunicated and let the ball fall between them. Then Ibrahimovic appeared to have scored spectacularly after blasting a Rooney-esque bicycle kick into the corner. But referee Stephane Lannoy made a big decision by ruling that the Swede had pushed off on Dawson. Replays would show that the call was correct.

It looked like things might boil over during the match. But it turned out that wouldn't happen until after the final whistle. A frustrated Gattuso returned to Jordan after the match, and the two went eye-to-eye. In a moment of complete madness, the Italian head-butted the assistant and an altercation between the two teams ensued for a few moments before cooler heads prevailed. That wasn't the case for Gattuso, and several players had to hold him back minutes after the initial altercation.

Opinion

The win was of the historic variety for Spurs. And they deserve a massive amount of credit for it. Van der Vaart and William Gallas were the only starters with any experience in these sort of matches. But you wouldn't have known that from the performance. The Whites withstood the pressure of an incredibly intense match in front of 80,000 fans, and had to hold off a barrage of attacks from ACM before netting the crucial away goal.

Center half Dawson didn't look out of place in the biggest match of his career, while backup center mids Sandro and Palacios controlled the match.

Milan couldn't be happy that the winning goal came when they were looking their most dangerous. But the road side certainly deserved it on the whole, as the match went exactly according to plan.

The work rate in the first half was top notch, as Spurs hassled the slower duo of Gattuso and Seedorf in the middle, didn't let Robinho into any dangerous areas, and possessed the ball enough to make Milan's defense work, too.

They tried to attack in the second half. But ended up on the defensive, where they were able to effectively stifle the Milan offense.

We're talking about an inexperienced team facing a veteran-laden squad that's currently sitting atop Serie A. And guess what? Rednknapp's bunch looked not just to be the better of the two sides over the full 90 minutes, but the more composed one as well. There's something to be said for that.

Spurs now are the favorites to move on to the quarterfinals. And you can't count them out in terms of going deep into the competition. When they defend well, everything falls into place for a team that has attacking quality all throughout the squad.

There are still 90 minutes to be played. But after what we saw on Tuesday, you'd have to think this tie is Tottenham's for the taking.