Match reports
The Guardian, Dominic Fifield: “Any sense of choking anti-climax which might normally have strangled Chelsea appeared to have eased by the time this squad strolled through their post-match lap of honour in the sunshine. The likelihood of their pursuit of Manchester United yielding the Premier League title had always been slim. In the end those efforts did indeed prove futile, though there were still smiles from the players and appreciation from the fans in the aftermath.”
Daily Telegraph, Clive Tyldesley: “The three point gap that separated United and Chelsea at the end of Avram Grant’s first game in charge last September, had been reduced to two at the end of the final fraught afternoon of the season. Beaten by a short head. Grant had the satisfaction of seeing another substitution pay dividends when Andriy Shevchenko put his team in front against an obdurate Bolton. But United were always in control of both theirs and Chelsea’s destiny at Wigan, and Grant’s day fell flat when Matthew Taylor scored a late equaliser for the visitors.”
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Match reports
The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: “Chelsea yet again paced themselves beautifully to stay in step with Manchester United. The reigning champions cannot exactly dread Sunday’s trip to Wigan Athletic when a victory will secure the title on goal difference, but they will go there with a discomfiting sense of claustrophobia because of Avram Grant’s team. Breathing space ceased to exist when Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad lost at Stamford Bridge 10 days ago.”
Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: “Cometh the hour, cometh the German: Ballack headed home his ninth of the season before Florent Malouda added a second. In all probability, United will need to win at Wigan, because Chelsea surely boast too much belief and firepower for Bolton.”
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Match reports
The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: “The road to the final against Manchester United in Moscow on May 21 was as long and hard as Chelsea expected. In their third Champions League semi-final against Liverpool since 2005 the Stamford Bridge team have vanquished Rafael Benítez’s side at last.”
Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: “Frank Lampard last night struck the most poignant and significant goal of his fine career, driving home an extra-time penalty to take the Blues to Red Square. As he wheeled away in celebration, Lampard sought out his father, sharing an emotional moment a week after the midfielder’s mother passed away.”
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