Carling Cup final beats Hollywood and Bollywood..

......And they say it's just a game.All the emotions, agony, pain, cheer, drama, anger, denial, distress, celebration and many many more, a clash between two big English clubs had it all on the fourth Sunday of February '06. Chelsea beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. Arsene Wenger puts on display the Arsenal youth (visible from the fact that average age of Arsenal players was 21!) because of a lot of injury issues for the gunners, and Jose Morinho playing a strong line-up. Terry making a come back strengthening the Chelsean wall with Carvalho and Cech.

Gunners kicked the match off in style and in the initial minutes only they looked like making an impact with a superb strike from Baptista, which was followed up by an authentic Arsenal one-two game, and young Walcott draws first blood for gunners. Twelve minutes and its already 1-0. Soon after on Ballack's pass, avoiding off side Drogba nudges one across the second choice keeper Manuel Almunia to make the scales level again. Nineteen minutes in the game, 1-1 tells the scoreboard.

The game moved to the interval in a steal and steal back manner with Fabragas, Diaby, Walcott showing skills in red dresses and Essien, Lampard and Drogba in blues. Chelsea made their first change and in comes Arjen Robben for Claude Makelele, an attacking move from Jose. A few more fouls, a few more moves for next few minutes before the moment of shock and despair came for the blues, accidentally in the crowded goal area, John Terry coming fresh from an injury gets a boot on his head attempting to head the cross behind the nets, Terry moves out of the field on a stretcher and has been given an oxygen mask, Mikel replaces him and the game restarts after a long six minutes break. The whole stadium gracefully farewells him off the ground, all prayers for him!

Now, Wenger makes a couple of changes Emmanuel Eboue replaces Armand Traore and then Hleb comes in for Diaby. And after 15 minutes Emmanuel Adebayor replaces Jeremie Aliadiere.

When it looked certain that we will witness another 30 minutes of great football in extra time, Drogba denies the thoughts and heads one behind the bars on another Ballack pass, and its panic in Gunner's house. 6 minutes of game play left and they are 2-1 behind. Just before the 90th minute Shevchenko hits one hard on the woodwork and Arsenals try it all to level it back.


Fourth officials tell that the injury time will be as much as 7 minutes, a little relief for the Arsenal fans, but then the real drama began. Clock says 95 minutes and Toure and Mikel leave soccer and start a little bit of wrestling and it turns into a mini royal rumble with Adebayor, Fabregas and Lampard also jumping in. In next 40 seconds Wenger and Jose are on pitch controlling players, and it is the unwanted anti climax to a great game. Mikel and Toure are shown the red card and they move out. Next card flash was for Adebayor, another red and he decides to play a rebel and tried to discuss it out with the referee, oh! this is absolutely absurd, Fabregas pushes him out of further controversy and he moves out furiously. Lampard and Fabregas get a yellow each.Game restarts for a few final seconds.

Kalou comes in for Shevchenko and with a free kick from Fabregas the game is over. Chelsea wins the Carling cup. Drogba gets the player of the match for his two strikes.

This story ended on a bitter note, but the first ever all London clash in the history of League Cup couldn't have asked for a bigger Oprah than this, long live the game, long live the glory!

Fighting Sequence

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