Torres shows strength of character against City

Torres shows strength of character against City

Marc Fox

The weekend's English Premier League fixtures offered a number of discussion points on the wealth of strikers in general and striking partnerships specifically currently playing in England.

Aston Villa's Christian Benteke or Everton's Romelu Lukaku?

Rooney and Van Persie or Suarez and Sturridge?

Sergio Aguero or Fernando Torres?

On Saturday night, Match of the Day pundits Alan Hansen argued about the identity of the premier striking partnership in the Premier League.

Hansen, who plumped for Rooney and Van Persie after both scored vital goals in their side's come-from-behind 3-2 win over Stoke City, dismissed Savage's contention that Liverpool's SAS front two were the most lethal despite them having 14 already this term from fewer matches compared with nine for the United pair.

Then on Sunday, Gary Neville, the excellent Sky Sports analyst, awarded Aguero as his man-of-the-match after a fine performance as a lone striker in Manchester City's forceful display against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Moments later, he wanted to change his mind when Torres capitalised on a howler from City goalkeeper Joe Hart to score a deserved winner.

While Torres' solo performance against City was still sprinkled with some low points, you couldn't help but admire his strength of character.

A week earlier and any comparison with Aguero despite costing substantially more would have been laughable.

Manchester City's Argentine has looked far and away the more complete player over the past 18 months and already has seven Premier League goals to his name this season.

By contrast, for Torres, his winner was not only his first in the league this season, it was only his second league goal in 2013 and it was gifted to him by yet another defensive shocker by the City rearguard.

Let's not forget that Torres missed a sitter in the first-half, too, when he lacked composure after beating the offside trap.

But it was precisely his attitude after that embarrassing setback that impressed so much.

While the Torres of a year ago might have hidden, only minutes later he rampaged past left-back Gael Clichy to set up Andre Schurrle's opener and his rediscovered confidence and tenacity were duly rewarded in the dying moments of the match.

"It was a fantastic performance from Fernando because it was built after an easy miss and that makes it even more valuable," Jose Mourinho said afterwards.

"He could have been affected for the rest of the game but it looked like that was the moment he said 'I will be man of the match'.

I have had a big surprise with Fernando from day one with the way he works. He has worked so much from the first day.

"Sometimes I have put him on the bench, sometimes he has not been selected, sometimes I have left him at home - but every day he has been the same. He has worked very hard."

Although Mourinho's praise will hardly strike a chord with those Chelsea fans that have seen nothing like that brand of hunger or work rate on the pitch since his 2011 transfer from Liverpool, the Spaniard's abilities when his focus is correctly directed are indisputable.

Certainly, he's lacked goals since joining Chelsea, especially in the Premier League, but it is notable that his assists tally is already more than that during his prolific (and twice as long) spell at Liverpool, as demonstrated yesterday for Schurrle's opener.

Of course, he would be the first to recognise that he faces a long road ahead if he wants to be reconsidered one of the leading marksman in England let alone capture a place in Spain's World Cup squad next June.

But maybe Mourinho's special brand of man management is beginning to work its miracles again.

© Marc Fox & Soccerphile.com