The biggest news of the Easter weekend in the world of the 'Beautiful Game' was neither the 6-3 mauling of Valencia by Real Madrid nor the 5-0 thumping of Birmingham by Liverpool. It was the fact that one Fernando Torres, that fiery striker, finally got his name on the score sheet after 732minutes without one for Chelsea and 903 minutes for both club and country. That’s over 15 hours of non-stop football FYI. Actually this was not just any other news. It was BREAKING NEWS.
That’s just how low the former Liverpool hitman has fallen this season. After making an astonishing £50m British transfer record move from the Merseyside to his new employers at Stamford Bridge, most people expected El Nino to hit the road running with a goal after another even though his penultimate time at Liverpool suggested that his form was sulking. But after featuring in a game after another for the Blues, Torres had been unable to find the back of the net, so much so that there has been speculations that he could leave Chelsea during the summer transfer window with a return to Atletico Madrid, the club where he announced his arrival in the international stage, in pole position of snatching him.
That’s just how low the former Liverpool hitman has fallen this season. After making an astonishing £50m British transfer record move from the Merseyside to his new employers at Stamford Bridge, most people expected El Nino to hit the road running with a goal after another even though his penultimate time at Liverpool suggested that his form was sulking. But after featuring in a game after another for the Blues, Torres had been unable to find the back of the net, so much so that there has been speculations that he could leave Chelsea during the summer transfer window with a return to Atletico Madrid, the club where he announced his arrival in the international stage, in pole position of snatching him.
After scoring an offside goal against West Brom last weekend, Torres could only start on the bench again as Carlo Ancelloti instead settled for Florent Malouda and Solomon Kalou flanking Drogba on either side of the attack. The heavens at Stamford Bridge opened before kick-off but Frank Lampard put the home side ahead just two minutes before the break when he latched onto an Ashley Cole cross from the left after some good work from Drogba. It was Lampard’s first goal at the Bridge against his former club.
Torres was introduced after 75minutes with Drogba making way. It took him only 8minutes thereafter to open his Chelsea account. A long goal kick from Petr Cech was headed down by the West Ham defence, only for Anelka to collect the loose ball and place it on the path of Torres who worked his way inside the 18-yard box. The ball then appeared to have been stuck in water confusing the Hammers defence. However, Torres turned sharply and unleashed a left-foot strike that beat Hammers goalkeeper Robert Green and ended El Nino's 15hour goal drought for club and country, sending the Stamford Bridge crowd into delight as his teammates mobbed him.
Florent Malouda added the third for Chelsea in stoppage time but there was no doubt whose day this was. The win moved Chelsea to within 6 points of leaders Manchester United who edged ever closer to their 19th title with an 83rd minute Javier Hernandez headed winner over Everton.
But Fernando Torres was not the only player breaking his goal-scoring duck this weekend.
Manchester City’s £27 million signing from Wolfsburg, Edin Dzeko, scored his first Premier League goal after 573 minutes on the pitch to give Roberto Mancini’s team a 1-0 win over Blackburn at Ewood Park. The Bosnian international scored the only goal of the game in the 75th minute to help The Citizens consolidate their 4th position in the league and open a 4-point lead over Tottenham and a 7-point gap over Liverpool.
In Spain, David Villa ended his own Torres-esque goal-scoring drought when he scored the first goal for Barcelona in their 2-0 win over Osasuna. The goal ended ‘El Guaje’s 11-game run without finding the back of the net.
After the West Ham match, Torres said, “It was not beginning I was expecting when I signed, but it’s never easy when you arrive in January at a massive team like this... there’s less pressure for me now, now I can enjoy it.” His boss, Ancelotti said, "It was a fantastic moment. It will help him move on quickly. I think that the bad moment is gone and now his future will be fantastic here, at this club with his team-mates."
Even his teammate, Didier Drogba savoured the moment. "I was in the changing rooms but just wanted to run and jump as well," he told ESPN.
So has Fernando Torres Scored for Chelsea? Find the answer Here and compare to; Has Andy Caroll scored for Liverpool?
And That's thesteifmastertake!!
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