Chelsea aren’t putting in their best performance of the season, but they’re still going into halftime with a 2-0 lead over Bolton at the Reebok Stadium. Their second goal was scored on a set piece, this time Florent Malouda. And it was an odd one.
Bolton Wanderers Vs. Chelsea: Florent Malouda’s Odd Goal Makes It 2-0
On the right side of the penalty area, very close to the goal, Florent Malouda worked with the ball at his feet, looking for a shooting or crossing opportunity. Why he thought he had a good chance at the former is tough to explain, since he was at an extremely acute angle to the far post with very little goal to work with. He first appeared to attempt a cross, but the ball deflected off of Gary Cahill and came back to his feet. His second attempt and doing something with the ball was much better, as he somehow slid the ball through a flurry of traffic into the back of the net. The commentators seemed pretty confused and stunned that the ball hit the back of the net, and understandably so. Also, it has to be pointed out that Jussi Jaaskelainen gave up his near post much too easily.
Bolton dominated the match before Didier Drogba’s opener and were the better team for about a half hour in total in the first half, but Chelsea definitely looked like the slightly better team in the build-up to the second goal. They don’t necessarily deserve a multiple goal lead, but they’ve played some decent football since Drogba’s opener.
See More:
