Grand Slam Sunday!!!!

Holi was on a Saturday & I didn’t get tickets to go home. I was really sad because I somehow wanted a break from the routine life. But then, all I could do was resign to my fate & stay put. On Friday morning however, I somehow managed a return ticket. So, I took a train home & somehow managed to get there with a general ticket. “What a relief”, I thought to myself. Things hadn’t been going very well at Kharagpur in the past few days, & I definitely needed a break from all that, even if it was for a couple of days. Just to refresh my mind….n yes…get some FOOD in…I mean, REAL FOOD. Chicken, chicken and many other things followed by chicken. In case you don’t know…am fond of Chicken!!!
The weekend was spent moving around with my cousins & visiting my aunt & uncle. But the real treat was that I got to watch the Grand Slam Sunday in the English Premiership. Manchester United took on Liverpool & Chelsea took on Arsenal. Being a Chelsea fan, I obviously wanted them to do well. The recent 4-4 draw with the Spurs had Chelsea fans asking for a better performance. The ManU-Liverpool match came first & Liverpool were comprehensively beaten 3-0, following a controversial red card to Mascherano in the first half. Chelsea were hosting Arsenal at Stamford Bridge & after seeing the ManU-Liverpool fixtures, anybody could have guessed that there would be sparks flying all over the place. The match was equally important for both the teams. William Gallas, the ex-Chelsea defender & the current captain of Arsenal, led the Gunners out of the tunnel. He was quite motivated to perform against his former team. Even though Chelsea dominated the game right from the start, Arsenal drew first blood, Sagna’s neat header from a corner kick doing the trick. Once again, as in recent times, the Blues had conceded a goal from set pieces. Cudicini did his best in the game though & proved why he can walk into any world class team as a first team goal keeper. His presence foiled a couple more chances created by the Gunners.
The script however had a twist in the tale. Didier Drogba, Arsenal’s nemesis scored an equalizer throwing the game wide open. He did get a yellow card for the ELABORATE celebrations, but it was worth it. Then in a matter of minutes, there was his second goal & Chelsea were leading 2-1. It could well have been 3-1, had Almunia not saved another neat strike from Drogba. In the end, it was Chelsea who came out victorious, thus making the title chase even hotter. ManU still lead the tables, but don’t forget, they still have to visit Stamford Bridge, which has been a FORTRESS this season.
But I felt really bad when the Blues fans were booing William Gallas. The guy has given the Chelsea two Premier League titles in the past & deserves a lot more respect. In the post match presentation, even the Man of the Match, Drogba voiced a similar opinion about the booing. All in all, the game was played in a better spirit than the ManU-Liverpool encounter, and that’s precisely what you want to see when two world class clubs with world class players, play their heart out on the pitch.
So whatever be the result of the Premiership this season, I am satisfied if Chelsea put on a good performance & play like CHAMPIONS every game…. The BLUES rock!!!!!