Chelsea have started the second half a lot better, having replaced Oscar with Ramires. He started the season as their best player, but seems to have gone off the boil a bit recently. Mata's departure?
Both sides making positive substitutions. Chelsea go with two up front, while Everton replace Osman with Barkley. Good to see.
Mourinho allowed to go onto the field to complain about a correct call, and influences the ref to call the next one wrongly in his favor. The way most officials let themselves be bullied by "stars" is shameful. Surely going on the field should result in the other team getting the ball. While Townsend thinks he's a much better shooter than he is, Barkley thinks he's a much better dribbler than he is. He keeps losing the ball when he should pass. Outrageous comedy dive from Torres. And now Barkley misses an easy pass by a mile.
Balls. Own goal by Howard. Dubious dive from Ramires for the free-kick too, though there was some contact.
The officials have succeeded in giving the points to Chelsea. Disgusting. The goal was legitimate, but every call and non-call has gone against Everton for the last 20 minutes. Oh, well. Bad news for Arsenal.
Probably a little generous, but only a little. Five separate second half subs, Naismith's injury and a fair bit of Everton timewasting. Didn't matter either, as they scored early on in injury time.
It's hard for me to forget my hate for Chelsea's owner and some of their players, not to mention the clear bias they've gotten from their officials, but tbf this group of Chelsea players have won things by managing to win crucial games often by hook or by crook when others don't. The contact on Ramirez was knee on knee. It look like a legit foul, though Ramirez may have simulated afterwards. On the other side, Tim Howard can't bundle the ball into the net in extra time of a scoreless game at Stamford Bridge.
What the hell is Poyet doing at the Emirates? His team are standing off completely and making it so easy for the Goons. 1-0 already and they're going to stroll through this game unless he does something drastic. Awful.
Arsenal 1-0, game over. Sunderland form an honor guard while Arsenal pass the ball into the net. They look yellow. They also look like they'll be plying their trade in a lower league soon, and that they deserve to be.
Ugh. 0-0 would have been a good result for us. I hope the FA are going to look at Moaninho's encroachment onto the pitch, touchline ban please. Oh well, on the positive side if we win tomorrow then we're 8 points clear of Everton and that's them pretty much out of the race for 4th place.
Nothing looks wrong with Arsenal that banishing Ozil from the team doesn't solve. I wonder if he can be trusted to slice oranges.
Mourinho will laugh it off. He got his message across to the officials: "Look, we need these three points, and if you don't get them for us, I'll make life plenty hot for you." The officials responded by letting Mourinho have his way with them. Any chance the PL could hire that Dnipro ref? He got all three close calls exactly right, and I can never remember saying that about a PL ref. Too bad about the outfit.