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John Terry has defended Chelsea ’s style of play against critics, saying that “tippy-tappy football” was not always the path to success.
Chelsea were jeered by Arsenal fans on Sunday afternoon, and derided as “boring” , after grinding out a crucial 0-0 draw at the Emirates. Jose Mourinho responded after the game by describing Arsenal’s 11-year Premier League title drought as “very boring” while Terry, speaking soon after, said that pretty football – of the type that Arsenal play - was not always the best way.
“We are definitely not boring and if we do go on to win it, nobody’s going to remember the performances when perhaps it’s not been that exciting,” Terry said. “But we’ve dug deep and other teams haven’t done and that is why they are so far behind us.”
“Possession is great, we could see that from the Manchester United game last week,” Terry said. “Possession and tippy-tappy football is great, but if you are not winning games you’re not going to win the league.”
Terry pointed out that, before Christmas, Chelsea had played good football and only injuries and suspensions had held them back.
“Let’s not forget the first half of the season, up until Christmas, we were the best side by far,” Terry said. “The football we played with Cesc Fabregas and his assists, the goal at Burnley [scored by Andre Schurrle] and goals after that. The play was different class.
“Things then went us against us and the manager, came up with the way to get us through games. That’s where he’s at his best. Let’s not forget we was the best side up until Christmas for sure and we have actually beaten the teams who have made things difficult for us.”
Show all 24 1 /24Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings David Ospina - 6 On another day he would have conceded a penalty for rampaging into Oscar and effectively headbutting the Brazilian, but he got away with it and Arsenal were all the more grateful when he saved Ramires’s one-on-one effort shortly before the break.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Hector Bellerin - 8 Used all of his pace and then some to head the ball off the line when Oscar lobbed Ospina, and Arsenal looked at their most attacking when he pushed forward on the right. It was his run behind Cesar Azpilicueta that set up the chance for Cazorla in the first-half, and can go down as another promising performance from the young Spaniard.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Per Mertesacker - 7 Poor punch from Thibaut Courtois saw the ball fall at his feet from a corner, but his composure deserted him as he pulled his shot well wide of the target. Solid at the back and especially in the air.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Laurent Koscielny - 6 Rarely tested given the lack of a striker against him for the first-half, but let himself down on the one occasion he needed to turn up as his misjudgement allowed Oscar in behind him.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Nacho Monreal - 7 Grew into the game on the attacking front and his cross as the clock ticked into injury time gifted Danny Welbeck a chance to score, but it couldn’t be taken.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Francis Coquelin - 8 Arsenal look so much stronger at the back when he’s there to protect the back four, but his battle with Eden Hazard ultimately saw him booked in the 34th minute. A nasty clash of heads on the nose he’s already broken twice this season left him dazed, and he was replaced by Danny Welbeck when Arsenal went searching for a win.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Santi Cazorla - 6 Saw a shot from the edge of the box stopped by the arm of Gary Cahill, but the Chelsea man knew little about it. Kept quiet by the looming presence of Nemanja Matic, and dropped back to cover when Ramsey surged forward in the final stages. Had a shot at goal in the 76th minute, but dragged it wide.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Aaron Ramsey - 7 Two lovely touches in first half showed he was playing with the confidence he oozed last season, and he was Arsenal’s most assured midfielder on the ball. Became a bit ragged towards the end, and was booked for pull back on Hazard in the closing stages as Chelsea countered.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Mesut Ozil - 5 A poor game by his standards and his lack of pace was exposed as Arsenal looked a little toothless when on the break. Controlled possession quite nicely and linked up with Sanchez well, but it was his inability to find Giroud that cost the Gunners.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Alexis Sanchez - 6 Not his finest performance by a long stretch, and gave the ball away more times than could be remembered. His sloppy ball missed an open Olivier Giroud midway through the first half, and he shot wide of the left post not long after he was found free inside the box.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Olivier Giroud - 6 His quietest game for some time, but that’s to be expected against a strong defence such as Chelsea’s. Just looked to be on a different wavelength to those behind him, though that’s not his fault. Replaced by Theo Walcott with Danny Welbeck shifting through the middle.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Best of the Bench: Danny Welbeck - 5 Fresh legs gave Arsenal some impetus and his break down the right saw Courtois forced to save a deflected effort, but should have converted Monreal’s cross late on.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Thibaut Courtois - 6 Looked nervous under pressure as he put two clearance kicks into the stands, but his shot saving was as good as ever and always looked to come off his line to claim the high ball.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Branislav Ivanovic - 6 How he managed not to get booked until the 70th minute, only Michael Oliver knows, but the one he did see yellow for was a nasty rake on the calf of Alexis Sanchez – the man he fouled no fewer than three times. Defensively sound though, and stopped most attacks that came his way, forcing Sanchez to seek the ball elsewhere.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Gary Cahill - 7 Knew little about the handball claim against him when Santi Cazorla’s goal-bound shot his outstretched arm. Apart from that, he had little to do as Arsenal failed to convert their possession into clear-cut chances.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings John Terry - 8 Important clearance when Mesut Özil was through on goal midway through the second half, and marshalled the back four as well as ever. His celebrations at the final whistle infuriated the home crowd, but it demonstrated that today was the day he knew Chelsea had effectively won the title.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta - 5 Looked to be Chelsea’s weak link at the back as Bellerin managed to get behind him on more than one occasion, but the Gunners failed to expose this and when he was called upon in the second half, he had the legs to deal with the opposition, who were fading by the minute.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Cesc Fabregas - 6 Booed and jeered on his return to the Emirates, and it looked to effect him early as his passing was far from his best, giving the ball away three times. However, he needed one chance to free Oscar early, and grew into the game before being withdrawn in the second half. Again he was booed, only for them to be drowned out by warm applause for the former Arsenal captain.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Nemanja Matic - 7 Fouled Mesut Özil shortly before half-time to give Arsenal a chance that they couldn’t take, and otherwise put in a solid shift in what we’ve come to expect from the Serbian.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Ramires - 7 His pace was one of the biggest threats that Arsenal faced as he was able to bring the ball out from deep at speed. Should have finished with a chance that drew a good save from David Ospina, and drew a foul from Nacho Monreal as he hustled the Arsenal left-back late on to relieve the pressure on Chelsea, and performed well with as much energy as Chelsea’s post-full-time celebrations.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Oscar - 6 Could have no complaints with his first penalty appeal being turned down by Michael Oliver, but Chelsea should have had a spot-kick when Ospina charged into him as his shot was cleared off the line. The collision left him possibly concussed, and was replaced at half-time by Didier Drogba.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Willian - 6 Started very brightly as he looked to combine with Eden Hazard on the counter, but went into a shell as the game wore on and no longer pushed forward when the opportunity presented itself. His high boot on Laurent Koscielny saw him booked in the 68th minute, and it could have been worse had he connected flush.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Eden Hazard - 7 Dazzled when the ball was at his feet but Hector Bellerin marked him well and the match-for-match pace meant he was unable to have an effect on the game. Ballooned a late shot high into the stands and switched wings to try and find success, to no avail.
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Arsenal 0 Chelsea 0 player ratings Best of the Bench: Didier Drogba - 5 Brought a presence in the air that Chelsea lacked in the first half. First sight on goal was tame and easily gathered by David Ospina.
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Terry was delighted with his man of the match performance at the Emirates, which Mourinho described as the best since he had known him. “I got on the end of a lot of crosses and cleared a few,” Terry said. “You can feel when things are going well, and during the game I felt it was. But to hear that from the likes of the manager, who stands there and assesses you day-in, day-out, is really nice.”
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