It was billed as the match of the weekend and it definitely lived up to its promise.
To me, the thing to note after watching Chelsea take on Liverpool on Sunday night was the sight of five Brazilians trying to kick each other. It was a throwback to the Real Madrid and Barcelona spat created by that man, Jose Mourinho.
At the time, Mourinho tried and quite possibly ended making the Spanish stronger as a national team. Yes, they did go on to retain the Euro 2012 title despite Mourinho's attempts to divide them.
Back to Brazil, it was David Luiz, Willian and Oscar for the Blues against the Liverpool pair of Lucas Leiva and Phillipe Coutinho. The Chelsea trio and Lucas Leiva will all possibly be in the Brazil World Cup squad for the 2014 edition. However, Coutinho will need to work very hard to earn a chance.
There is the Spurs duo as well, Paulinho and Sandro, who will be contenders not only for squad places but starting berths. Then there is Chelsea's other Brazilian, Ramires who was in the last squad picked.
Most certainly, these are exciting times for the Brazilians in the English Premier League (EPL). What with such a competitive nature. However, rest assured that any Brazilian arriving at the World Cup from the EPL will be absolutely knackered. Good news for the rest, then.
Anyway, Mourinho continues to drive wedges between any relationship he can and the systematic fouling and tumbling over of the Chelsea players is proof that Portuguese is quite perhaps not so super confident anymore.
Credit is due to Liverpool for maintaining a high level of performance despite losing two very difficult games, back to back. It is simply an indication that Manchester City and Chelsea not only have bigger and stronger squads, but have been together longer.
Also, kudos to Tim Sherwood for affording freedom to his players to express themselves. A back to the basics 4-4-2, which demands tactical discipline, is looking more and more like a platform to build upon. The next stop is the Theatre of Dreams and Spurs will need to play with courage and purpose.
At Goodison Park on Sunday, the two best English players in the EPL went head to head and came out with their reputations growing.
The Ross Barkley show for Everton demonstrated a traditional Number 10 attitude - give me the ball and I will make the play.
Facing Everton were Southampton, and the Saints' Adam Lallana showed intelligent running and awareness of space coupled with visionary passing.
The battle within the battle was intriguing as both players excelled.
These two are ready for the big stage despite no European experience and how they can play and influence play too is of the highest order!
We hope, or at least I hope, Roy Hodgson will see through the "blind media" negativity that is sure to follow the selection of the World Cup squad and pick these two.
My mind goes back to the Mexico 1986 World Cup when a red card for Ray Wilkins and Bryan Robson's shoulder injury forced a rethink in midfield.
The Three Lions played Glenn Hoddle and Peter Reid in central midfield flanked by Trevor Steven and Steve Hodge and came alive. The defeat to Argentina in the quarter-finals stopped the English but the point is, select the best team and not the so-called best players!
Speaking of which, since today is the last day of the year, let me present here, my best 11 players in the English Premier League, who have made the first half of the season a joy for me.
GK – David Marshall has been outstanding for Cardiff so far.
RB – Mathieu Debuchy is equally adept in attack and defence. A rarity these days with fullbacks.
LB – Pablo Zabaleta is so good that he plays at left back for me.
CB – Dejan Lovren has been a revelation with his calm and composed defending and distribution of the ball.
CB – Phil Jagielka seems to get better every season.
DM – Lucas Leiva has been an absolute monster while his teammates take all the accolades.
CM – Yaya Toure!
LAM (Left Attacking Midfield) – Mesut Ozil has been everything good that has been said about him.
CAM (Central Attacking Midfield) – David Silva takes Manchester City to the next level every time he plays.
RAM (Right Attacking Midfield) – Eden Hazard makes one dizzy with his dribbles.
Striker – There can only be one! All together now, One Luis Suarez, There's only One Luis Suarez!
Feel free to challenge or agree with my selection. I welcome all comments, and will be happy to say why I would not choose some of your best picks.
Finally, I would like to thank my children, my family and the tight group of friends I have for all the love, support and encouragement during the worst year of my life. 2013, best forgotten.
And of course, my best wishes for a Happy New Year to all readers of The Malaysian Insider. – December 31, 2013.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Comments
Please refrain from nicknames or comments of a racist, sexist, personal, vulgar or derogatory nature, or you may risk being blocked from commenting in our website. We encourage commenters to use their real names as their username. As comments are moderated, they may not appear immediately or even on the same day you posted them. We also reserve the right to delete off-topic comments