Football needs fans. That's the takeaway from the new version of the national game as Chelsea finally won away in 2020.
Artificial cheers tannoyed around soulless echoing stadiums are about as lifelike as presidential combovers.
The trouble with making 'authentic' crowd noise is that it relies on a bloke and a Bakelite knob; no matter how nimble his fingers it's not as swift as the instant howl of indignant fans.
The Blues, in black and orange, took three points from Aston Villa in a satisfying turnabout, having gone one down in the first half. It took an hour to shake the rust off as sub Christian Pulisic and – two minutes later – Olivier Giroud cemented Chelsea's push for a top-four finish, and European guarantee.
Frank Lampard's substitutions added fresh drive, but it was evergreen man-of-the-match Cesar Azpilicueta's stream of penetrating crosses from the right that did the trick.
"[Pulisic] was hungry; the ability he's got to arrive in the box, it's a big thing," said Lamps, after managing his 100th career match.
The silence when ref Paul Tierney blew to start, rather than a primeval roar, was chilling. Though the very next moment, where all 25 players and officials on the pitch took the knee, was a heartening show of support for the Black Lives Matter campaign. It was also a direct notification to any racists watching at home that both they, and their prejudices, have no place here.
One positive change to the rules for these pandemic times was listing nine subs... an inclusive boost to youth and second-string players.
Sunday afternoon sees the Blues in Leicester as the FA Cup resumes. Tammy Abraham, Billy Gilmour and Reece James all aim to start.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
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