From my point of view, last night's dust-up at Goodison between Everton and Chelsea was one of the most dramatic, compelling and exciting matches the Premier League has produced this season, and a classic example of being right in the the thick of the action when a potentially decisive moment occurs.
Despite being goalless, it was one of those compelling games that lives long in the memory. It reminded me of Chelsea’s 4-4 draw with Spurs last season, although the scoreline was very different, because it was another game that erupted because of a bad tackle. On that occasion it was Ashley Cole's lunge on Alan Hutton. This time of course, it was John Terry's challenge on Leon Osman, and this time the referee produced the red card.
Goodison's a great ground to be pitchside at because you’re so close to the action. I was sat a few feet away from the dugout, right next to the tunnel leading to the changing rooms.
I interviewed both David Moyes and Luiz Felipe Scolari before the game and, as far as Scolari was concerned, this was an opportunity to take advantage of Liverpool’s failure to win on Sunday against Arsenal, and go top of the league at Christmas.
For me, what's defined this season is the failure of any of the top teams to take a grip of the league when presented with the chance to do so. Liverpool and Chelsea have had several chances to pull away from the chasing pack and, each time, failed to do so, so this was a great opportunity for Scolari's men to make a statement of intent at an important moment in the season.
From Chelsea and Scolari’s point of view, I get the impression they are a more attacking team than they were under Mourinho and Grant, but I wonder if they have sacrificed a bit of their invincibility accordingly and that’s been shown in Europe especially and at home, where they have dropped 14 points. This was a big game then for Scolari to counter the suggestion that his team aren;t as ruthless against teams they're expected to beat as they should be.
In his pre-match interview with me, Scolari seemed a little nervous. It's been a tough week for the Brazilian, having to contend with press rumours of player unrest, but what was interesting was his admission that he had failed in training to find a way of playing Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka together. Many Chelsea fans want Drogba in the team, not on the bench, but Scolari told me that it was difficult to find a way of playing both because the two strikers forget to mark. If a a manager of Scolari's calibre can't find a way of playing them together you wonder who can.
The game begun encouragingly for Chelsea, but their chances of victory were drastically reduced when Terry went in high and hard on Osman, and was subsequently dismissed by referee Phil Dowd. The official appeared to consult his assistants before reaching for the red card, which infuriated Cheslea's players and coaches. At half time I walked down the tunnel with a visibly furious Scolari who was a few feet behind Dowd, and appeared to suggest the crowd had influenced the decision to send Terry off. "Are you afraid, are you afraid, Oh my God, oh my God" said Scolari towards the official. Dowd said nothing and headed straight for his dressing room.
I then spoke to Dowd as he emerged for the second half - he confirmed to me that he had unilaterally decided to issue a red card, and was merely asking his assistants if any of them wanted to add anything when he'd appeared to be consulting them. None of them had, and so the card was brandished and Terry dismissed. Chelsea hung on for the draw of course, but the ramifications of the game could be far-reaching. Firstly, Terry will be suspended for three games as a result of his red card. Secondly, Liverpool strike an important pyschological blow by being top at Christmas.
I interviewed Petr Cech and David Moyes straight after the game, but after waiting 40 minutes for Scolari to emerge from the Chelsea dressing room, Steve Atkins, the club's Media Chief, told me and the other journalists that none of the team's coaching staff would be available for interview. They were upset with a number of decisions made during the game, according to Atkins, and didn't want to get themselves into any trouble with the FA by commenting. A shame, as it would have been fascinating to hear what Scolari's take on events would have been.