“We didn’t enjoy the fact that we killed their dream”
Demba Ba has stated that Chelsea did not enjoy ending Liverpool’s title dream in 2014, but admits that he feels no guilt about pouncing on Steven Gerrard’s slip to score the crucial goal.
Chelsea, who were managed by Jose Mourinho at the time, secured a 2-0 victory over Liverpool at Anfield in April 2014.
Liverpool looked destined to win their first title in decades after a season-long battle with Manchester City, but Mourinho’s men all but ended their hopes with just two games left in the campaign.
Ba opened the scoring for the away side before a cleverly-worked counter-attack saw Willian double Chelsea’s lead.
Brendan Rodgers’ men also squandered a 3-0 lead against Crystal Palace in the following game to hand their rivals the title.
Despite scoring the goal that essentially killed the Reds’ title hopes, Ba has revealed that the Blues’ only focus was to secure three points and that he did not enjoy causing heartbreak at Anfield. Hmmmm.
The former Senegalese striker also stated that he wasn’t aware of the significance of the result until a few years later.
“It was traumatic for them,” Ba told the Athletic. “But we didn’t enjoy the fact that we killed their dream, we simply enjoyed winning.
“I only realised how big a deal that was a couple of years later, when people still talked about it. They still talk about it!”
The fixture will always be remembered for Ba’s goal, but what happened leading up to his opener is the topic that sticks in people’s mind.
#OnThisDay in 2014…
Steven Gerrard's infamous slip against Chelsea led to Jose Mourinho's side snatching a win at Anfield…⚠🔴 pic.twitter.com/Yv0kbA4MiH
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 27, 2020
Liverpool captain Gerrard was on course to win his first ever Premier League crown, but a first half slip saw Ba steal the ball and race through to score the game’s first goal.
The Reds endured a difficult end to what had been a scintillating 2013/14 campaign and the skipper’s slip has haunted both himself and the club for years that followed.
However, Ba has said it was simply part of football and that he felt no guilt about what happened, but was keen to praise the Englishman’s achievements in the game.
“No, not really, because that’s the game,” he added. “You make errors and others take advantage.
“What Steven Gerrard has done for the world of football is tremendous. But this is life, unfortunately. Not all stories can end in fairytales.”
The former Newcastle man also revealed how Chelsea boss Mourinho motivated his players for the important match, suggesting that the manager had urged the squad to show they were ‘more than just underdogs’.
“I remember Jose saying: ‘They think we’re a Mickey Mouse team! But we will show them!’ And we went out fighting,” he said.
“I was up against Martin Skrtel and Mama (Mamadou Sakho) and I played an unbelievable game. I felt like I did at Newcastle.
“This was the game that changed Jose’s view of me, I think.”
Ba – who has now retired – played for just two seasons at Stamford Bridge, scoring 14 times in 51 games.
Related links:
- Ex-Chelsea coach explains why Mourinho let Salah and De Bruyne leave
- Chelsea supporter facing jail sentence for anti-Semitic tweets
- Mourinho apologises for celebration after Roma’s last-minute goal
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