When you think of great football, it’s not out of place to think of Chelsea FC. This 118-year-old English club has played thousands of matches, some of which have won trophies and others fame. A complete list of the greatest games ever played by a club established in 1905 would be hard to compile.
Therefore, this article will focus on the best of Chelsea’s entertaining games from recent years. Chelsea’s stunning and memorable matches are a boon for betting football fans and bookmakers. But who else gets their facts right almost all the time except MightyTips – best football predictions? It is the go-to online hub for the most reputable bookmakers and valuable tips for football bettors in many countries.
Now to Chelsea history and their memorable matches, here are five of the most recent.
Chelsea 4 – 4 Liverpool (Second Leg of the 2009 Champions League Quarterfinal)
Before playing this game, Chelsea had achieved a massive victory by defeating Liverpool 3-1 at their home stadium, Anfield. As a result of their previous win over the home club in front of the Kop, Chelsea entered this match as the odds-on favourites to come out on top.
Despite this, the Blues got off to a rough start in the encounter, conceding an early penalty that was converted by Xabi Alonso and then saw Fabio Aurelio score from a set piece shortly after. As the first half ended, Chelsea had to play from behind, and the score was tied on aggregate.
The Blues came storming out of the locker room to start the second half, forcing Jose Reina to score an own goal when he made a mistake with the ball. Shortly after that, Alex buried a rocket of a free kick into the back of the net for Liverpool.
Two goals scored by the Blues in six minutes placed them firmly back in control of the game, but Liverpool were by no means on their way to an early bath. A remarkable comeback by the Reds resulted in goals from Lucas and Dirk Kuyt, which brought the score back to even with only a few minutes remaining in the match.
Lampard, who had already scored one goal, decided that it was now time to put the game to bed; his shot hit both posts before going in, bringing the club fans to their feet and bringing an end to one of the most entertaining back-and-forth games of football that Stamford Bridge had seen in some time.
Bolton 0 – 2 Chelsea (Premier League Match)
To say that Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Stamford Bridge was off to a great start is an understatement. The Blues won the Premier League in the ‘Special One’s’ first season as manager, which was also the club’s 50th anniversary. Mourinho not only expected his new club to win, but he had already chosen the Reebok Stadium as the venue for the celebration.
But Bolton had other ideas. With the “attack is the best form of defence” mentality, Bolton pounded Cech and his defence relentlessly. Despite their resilience, the Blues were unable to generate many scoring opportunities. At the hour mark, Lampard scored a goal for Chelsea FC from close range. Lampard scored twice and received the Man of the Year award, and the Blues finished precisely where Mourinho said they would.
Chelsea 4-2 Barcelona (Champions League Round of 16)
As is well-known, in the history of Chelsea FC, they are bitter rivals of Barcelona. In this game, for example, Frank Rijkaard, the coach of Barcelona, got into an altercation near the tunnel and had to be restrained.
After suffering a 2-1 loss to Barcelona in the first leg, Chelsea came out swinging in the second. Out of the locker room, the Blues came charging with goals from Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard, and Damien Duff, but the oddsmakers didn’t have Barca as the favorite to win the tournament because of their tendency to give up.
Ronaldinho scored twice in as many minutes to get Barcelona back into the game, and the final twenty minutes were filled with furious play that required an incredible save from Cech before Terry sent the Blues on to meet Liverpool with only fifteen minutes remaining.
Barcelona 2-2 Chelsea (Champions League Semifinal)
Barcelona has become a place where fascinating sports events happen. It lived up to this tradition at the Nou Camp for the 2012 Champions League playoff. Barcelona had scored an impressive 102 goals at the Nou Camp that season and an even more impressive 18 goals in their last five Champions League home games. As such, even though the Blues were ahead 1-0 after beating them at Stamford Bridge, they were still a dangerous team to play.
Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets put the home team ahead early in the game, and John Terry was sent off for violent behavior, making things worse for the guests. The Catalans ran hard at Chelsea’s goal and had almost all the ball during the game.
The home crowd was shocked when Ramires and Fernando Torres scored goals against the flow of play, sending Chelsea to the final. This is one of the most surprising matches in the history of Chelsea FC.
Bayern Munich 1-1 Chelsea (Champions League Final)
One of the best of Chelsea’s matches is the 2012 Champions League Final. This final is the kind of football game that every fan wants and fears. Up until the very end, the game was very tense. It came down to penalties to decide who would win the Champions League cup.
Many things made the day great for football. Even though Chelsea was the loser going into the game, both teams did everything they could to score until eight minutes from the end, when Thomas Muller put the home team ahead.
Before Didier Drogba scored the equalizer in his last game for the club, the game looked like it was going to penalties. As if penalties weren’t already very exciting, Manuel Neuer and Petr Cech both played hard and saved three penalties against some of the best players in the world.
Then, in what seemed like the ending of a fairy tale, Drogba calmly took the last penalty and scored, securing the trophy with his last kick for the club and winning the Champions League on May 19, 2007, for a club that was formed in 1905, making it the first Champions League trophy in Chelsea history.
Conclusion
Chelsea FC is undoubtedly one of the most priced football clubs globally. And for a team that has consistently appeared in UEFA Champions League matches, it’s no surprise they would have spectacular and memorable matches. The recent ownership change is taking its toll on the London club, but fans and players are optimistic that the storm will soon be over.