London: Huddersfield Town’s sojourn back in the top flight was supposed to be fleeting, a one-season dalliance with the elite, but David Wagner and his side are not done with life at this level just yet. A point squeezed despite incessant Chelsea pressure will prolong their stay into a second year, effectively at Swansea’s expense. The joyous visiting players swiftly persuaded the management to cancel the team’s flight home in favour of a coach journey back to West Yorkshire. Beery celebrations were no doubt maintained up the M1 through the small hours.
Theirs has been a staggering achievement, one perhaps lost amid the plaudits strewn over sides overseen by Pep Guardiola and Sean Dyche, or others steered to safety by Roy Hodgson, Chris Hughton or Rafael Benitez. Wagner deserves similar accolades. “People said we had no chance and they were right,” he offered, his trousers hoisted back to his waist after an unfortunate and inadvertent flash as he was subjected to the bumps in front of the away support.
“We were anything but a Premier League club last summer, but we have given it a go. If you have the passion, desire and spirit you can compete with top, top quality.”
They have done just that, at Manchester City and Chelsea in successive games, to claim the unlikely draws to edge them to safety and effectively condemn Swansea — three points adrift of Southampton and 10 goals worse off — in the process. It was fitting Town should achieve a campaign’s objective with such a scrap of a performance, a frenzy of blocks and challenges to blunt Chelsea’s Champions League aspirations, with their resolve utterly unbreakable as the home side poured at them through the chaotic latter stages.
One madcap pinball in the visitors’ penalty area seven minutes from time summed up their refusal to wilt, players flinging themselves into a succession of blocks as the ball ricocheted off the mass of bodies. When it eventually broke free to loop up invitingly to Andreas Christensen, the Dane’s header back towards the far corner was tipped thrillingly on to a post and behind for a corner by the diving Jonas Lossl. They simply would not allow Chelsea in for the victory that would have thrust them level with Liverpool. Huddersfield were not to be denied.
They had briefly even enjoyed a lead here, plucked from one of their three shots. Willian lost out to Chris Lowe and with home players committed upfield, Aaron Mooy, a midfielder whose industry sets the tone, lofted a simple pass down the middle into space beyond Christensen.
On to the loose ball lumbered Laurent Depoitre, a striker previously without a goal this year and noted more for his brawn than any searing pace, to attempt to lift a shot over the onrushing Willy Caballero as the pair collided on the edge of the penalty area. As the Argentinian goalkeeper lay prone on the turf Depoitre retained his composure to lift a follow-up beyond a stumbling Antonio Rudiger and into the gaping net.
Yet, for all that Rudiger would miss two appealing opportunities from close range, that was the extent of the damage the home side would inflict. Christopher Schindler was vocal and inspirational organising his back-line, Lossl excellent in goal and the Mooy and Jonathan Hogg combination in midfield snapped into challenges to disrupt the home side’s rhythm. Chelsea could find no way through and, trailing Liverpool by two points on the final afternoon, have surely now given up any lingering hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.
The vast majority of the home support had ambled away as the players went through the motions of a post-match lap of appreciation, their body language almost apologetic. This may have been Conte’s last home game in charge. “It is for the club to judge the situation and then to take the best decision,” he offered through numbed disappointment. “We have another game to play, and the FA Cup final, and then the club — for sure — will do the best to improve the situation.”
The Italian is unlikely to be in the Premier League next season. Huddersfield most definitely will be.
