Liverpool draw, Chelsea lose. Wake up call for English clubs, or something more serious?

Is it time for English football to wake up or was yesterday evening just a minor blip on the road to European domination again?

Semi-finalists

Last season, three of the four Champions League semi-finalists were from England and it may well have been all four if Arsenal and Liverpool had avoided each other in the quarter-final. This season had looked like something similar could happen again. At least it did to us in England.

Chelsea, top of the Premier League, went to Roma yesterday full of confidence. Eight goals without reply in their two games since the slip-up against Liverpool and looking to guarantee qualification with a couple of games to spare. Roma had lost four games in a row and are heading slowly but surely towards the relegation zone of Serie A. Pretty simple to work out what was going to happen?

Far from unbeatable

What actually happened was that Chelsea dominated proceedings early on as Roma looked understandably short of confidence, but Roma seemed to gradually realise that Chelsea were far from unbeatable and they scored some great goals to go 3-0 up. John Terry pulled a late consolation back for Scolari’s men but it was too little, too late. To add insult to injury, Deco got sent off for two yellow cards, the second of which was for trying to take a quick free-kick.

In the other game involving an English team, Liverpool entertained Atletico Madrid. The reds had been hanging on a bit in their clash in Madrid when they got a 1-1 draw, but in front of the famous Kop at the famous Anfield there was no doubt that Liverpool would over power them and get the victory they needed to ensure early qualification to the knockout stages. Liverpool sit joint top of the Premier League whilst Madrid sit sixth in La Liga some nine points behind the leaders. Pretty simple to work out what was going to happen?

Less than impressive

What actually happened was that although Liverpool had a majority of the possession and had what looked like two decent shouts for a penalty turned down by the less than impressive Swedish referee, Madrid dealt quite easily with most of what Liverpool had to offer. Madrid took the lead towards the end of the first half and then defended with great organisation and determination.

The second half belonged to Liverpool yet from open play, they lacked a sense of urgency and penetration, while Atletico maintained their discipline and their counter-attacking threat. The equaliser, when it came well into injury time, was another disgraceful decision by the referee. Gerrard appeared to jump into Madrid full-back Perea and inexplicably a penalty was awarded. Gerrard picked himself up and confidently despatched the penalty giving Liverpool a hard earned and not very impressive point.

Certainties

Whilst the English teams were doing their best to show the rest of Europe that they were by no means certainties to do well in the competition this season the main teams from elsewhere hardly took up the mantle. Barcelona managed just a 1-1 draw at home to Basle after their 5-0 victory in Switzerland. Inter struggled to a 3-3 draw in Famagusta and Werder Bremen went down 3-0 at home to Panathinaikos.

So it is fair to say that nobody from amongst the favourites sent any sort of positive message to the others in yesterday evening’s games. Tonight, Villarreal go to struggling Aalborg, Arsenal entertain Fenerbahce, Manchester United make the short trip to Celtic and Real Madrid ands Juventus face-off at the Bernabeu.

Anything could happen

Will any of tonight’s teams make more of a claim to be favourites for the title? Well, absolutely anything could happen at the Bernabeu so I doubt whether either of those sides will send much of a message. Arsenal should beat Fenerbahce relatively comfortably but their vulnerability is clear for everyone to see. United will have a particularly tough task in the Celtic cauldron where few teams get very much. The only team who might do well tonight are Villarreal, but even they face a team who are looking to impress a new manager, always a dangerous proposition.

It remains to be seen whether last night was simply a wake-up call to those in England who thought that the Champions League would be fought out between the English teams again this season, or whether it signifies something more significant. My instincts tell me that it was simply a blip, but I am far from sure about that.

Equally talented

Maybe it would be a good thing if it was more than a wake-up call and English football could give itself a bit of a reality check and realise that there are other leagues and teams in Europe who are equally talented. Maybe those in charge of the Premier League need to find out that the rest of the world has interest in some football other than their own product.

We shall see. I still think an English team will win it though!