Chelsea 1 Sunderland 0:ANDRE Villas-Boas spoke tentatively of his team's luck having turned. A third successive victory hinted at consistency and had been watched by Gary Cahill, a €8.5 million arrival from Bolton Wanderers, in the stands.
There was encouragement, too, to be drawn from Michael Essien’s first appearance this season, the Ghanaian restored more speedily than had been anticipated after a knee ligament injury. Yet the biggest fillip to propel Chelsea’s pursuit of the top trio was provided by the €60 million forward who has not managed a league goal in 115 days.
Statistics do Fernando Torres few favours these days, yet they belie the reality that the Spaniard is stirring again. This was arguably his most threatening performance in a Chelsea shirt, a display mustered as the anniversary of his British record arrival from Liverpool edges closer. Confidence is creeping back into his play at last. A fourth start in five matches has offered the 27-year-old rhythm that should be maintained while Didier Drogba is absent at the Africa Cup of Nations.
His movement on Saturday disconcerted Sunderland’s defenders. There was timing and majesty to admire in his 13th-minute leap and volley to connect with Juan Mata’s cross, and thrill to be had in his slippery dribbles into the penalty area. It sums up Torres’s Chelsea career that a fine attempt thumped against the crossbar – albeit for Frank Lampard to convert the rebound – while the dart into the box and tumble under challenge saw him bizarrely booked for diving.
“But he’s willing to change his own fortune and the goals will come,” Villas-Boas said. “He’s improving in form, confidence, he’s looking better and creating danger. A goal may make a difference on a personal, inspiration level.”
The drought in the league extends to the visit of Swansea City on September 24th when he scored and, with the adrenalin overflowing, was sent off for a wild lunge. Since then, he has been a provider rather than scorer.
“As a striker I’m always trying to score and I always want to score,” he said. “I’m hoping now I can find my best form again.”
Once conviction is fully restored, he can concentrate on being greedy again.
This contest was a tale of two strikers who could heavily influence the rest of this season. While Chelsea warm to positive signs from Torres, Sunderland can bask in the impact made by a forward who cost a fraction of the amount. James McClean, a €420,000 signing from Derry City last summer, has shone since Martin O’Neill’s appointment and was watched here by Giovanni Trapattoni.
The 22-year-old’s enthusiasm might have been expected to shrivel when he skewered Sebastian Larsson’s centre wide of a gaping goal. Instead, he recovered to tear into Jose Bosingwa with brutal relish on the flank. Such thick skin is needed in this unforgiving division. The Portugal defender wilted when confronted with McClean’s raw ability.
“It’s not in James’s nature to hide,” O’Neill said. “He’s beating himself up about the miss but he’s been fantastic. That was only his fourth start and he will be fine.”
McClean will make waves, whether or not he is selected for the Ireland’s squad for Euro 2012. He will surely thrive under a manager relishing his own return to the limelight and who seems such a natural fit on Wearside.
Guardian Service
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