Translated material
Hunt for "aristocrats"
Chelsea unpleasantly surprised their fans
The day after Christmas is the same day off in Great Britain as the great holiday itself. Moreover, there are traditionally plenty of events related to it here. At first glance, it is called unusually - Boxing Day (literally - Box Day), and, notably, the reason for the origin of this name is not known for certain. According to one of the two most common versions, the holiday was named after the residents of English cities, who annually presented boxes with gifts to postmen who diligently did their work even on a holiday like Christmas. And on the other hand, thanks to wealthy owners who, the day after Christmas, thanked their servants with a box of uneaten food from the holiday tables.Sports competitions held on Boxing Day are also traditional in Foggy Albion. Fox hunting was especially popular on this day. The riders, having previously knocked back several cups of heated wine, saddled their horses without any weapons, but accompanied by greyhounds, they tested the endurance of the foxes, at the end of which their four-legged friends brought them caught prey in their teeth. However, there is another tradition in Britain - to play football on this day.
In Northern Ireland, for example, the calendar is designed in such a way that only bitter rivals meet on Boxing Day. In the English Premier League they haven’t thought of this - there is already enough fighting in every match.
London's Chelsea have seen this better than others. The national champions met with the modest Reading in front of the crowded stands of their native Stamford Bridge, but were content with only a draw - 2:2. Only one player played for the “aristocrats” at the usual high level - Didier Drogba. The Ivorian, who recently immodestly proclaimed himself the best player on the planet, with his actions on the field once again made us think about the veracity of these words. The African, who found almost no support from his partners that day, succeeded, if not in everything, then in almost everything. It was he who scored both of Chelsea's goals in this match. The Blues' midfield allowed their opponents too much, and the defence, still weakened by the absence of injured captain John Terry, looked ridiculous at times. First, Leroy Lita, who had been playing out lately, was left unattended, and in the second case, the visiting attackers were not even needed - Ashley Cole tried to clear the ball from the penalty area, but hit Michael Essien, who became the unwitting author of the own goal.
Manchester United could not help but take advantage of the misfire of its only competitor in the fight for the crown of champions. The Mancunians hosted Wigan and won quite easily - 3:1. True, in order to score the first goal, Sir Alex had to send Cristiano Ronaldo onto the field, hoping to get a well-deserved day off that day. The Portuguese replaced the unproven Darren Fletcher during the break and managed to score a double within three minutes. First, he responded to a cross from Paul Scholes' corner and drove the ball into the net with his head, and soon he was the fastest to react to the rebound after a penalty that he himself had missed. The forever young Norwegian Solskjaer brought the score to a big one after some time, and Litoy Baines scored a prestige goal before the final whistle.
Sometimes miracles happen on Boxing Day. One of them took place in London, where West Ham hosted Portsmouth. The southerners beat the hosts without any problems, and Alan Curbishley suffered his first defeat as coach of the Hammers. But what is surprising is not this, but the fact that defender Linvoy Primus became the author of two goals against the Londoners. The footballer, who had not scored in 58 games in a row, this time managed to score a double in 22 minutes. Moreover, the last time an Englishman, the only football player, by the way, who agreed to participate in a campaign to promote Christianity in cinema, distinguished himself at Boxing Day two years earlier. Portsmouth won 2-1 and, extending their unbeaten run to six matches, settled into fourth place. Bolton, who had already won their fourth victory in a row, moved up to third. The Lancashire team, losing to Newcastle during the match, finally achieved a victory with a score of 2:1, and the winning goal was scored by Nicolas Anelka, who had finally reached his level.
Results of the matches of the 20th round of the English Championship. Chelsea - Reading - 2:2. Tottenham - Aston Villa - 2:1. West Ham - Portsmouth - 1:2. Blackburn - Liverpool - 1:0. Bolton - Newcastle - 2:1. Everton - Middlesbrough - 0:0. Manchester United - Wigan - 3:1. Sheffield United - Manchester City - 0:1. The match "Watford" - "Arsenal" ended after the issue was signed for printing.
Leading: Manchester United - 50 points, Chelsea - 46, Bolton - 36, Portsmouth - 35, Liverpool - 34, Arsenal - 33 (18).