By Gareth James
Calum Chambers has again been hailed as vital to Cardiff City’s hopes of climbing away from relegation trouble.
Bluebirds manager Omer Riza praised Chambers before his team’s trip to Middlesbrough at the weekend and was full of admiration for him afterwards following his stunning strike in a 1-1 draw.
The experienced defender, who had not scored in nearly three years, delivered a crucial goal to boost Cardiff’s fight for Championship survival.
Though still second from bottom in the table, the Bluebirds extended their unbeaten run to three matches thanks to Chambers’ equaliser, which cancelled out Emmanuel Latte Lath’s opener.
Former Arsenal player, Calum Chambers scored THIS goal yesterday, to give Cardiff City a leveller vs Middlesbrough. ️pic.twitter.com/iANP9F9COb
— DailyAFC (@DailyAFC) January 5, 2025
It was a vital contribution from a player whose composure and versatility has proved pivotal for Riza’s side.
“It was worth the wait,” said Riza, clearly thrilled with the impact of his player.
“It’s brilliant that it’s while he’s with us. He took it very well, I’m just delighted for him, delighted for the team and just very happy to come away with a point.
“Calum has experience, he’s played at the top level, and I knew he could do it and he has done a brilliant job out of position.”
The goal was Chambers’ first since March 2022, when he found the net for Aston Villa.
Over the course of a career spanning more than 250 games, Chambers had scored just nine goals before the weekend.
As Cardiff battle to escape the relegation zone, Chambers’ experience and leadership have become invaluable.
The former Arsenal man, who has played in a variety of roles throughout his career, has brought a calming presence to the Bluebirds’ backline.
Omer Riza says he is disappointed Callum Robinson will be forced to miss three games with suspension.
Cardiff appealed Robinson’s red card against Coventry City, but he missed Saturday’s draw with Middlesbrough and will be unavailable for their next two matches ⚽️#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/SJJ6ddSFR6
— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) January 5, 2025
His versatility, highlighted by Riza’s willingness to deploy him in different positions, was on full display at the Riverside.
Riza was full of praise for his side’s resilience after the match. “I’m very pleased with the point,” he said.
“Middlesbrough are a very good team. There are no easy games in this league. Everyone is fighting for points, everyone needs points so no game is easy.
“When you come to places like this you have to make it hard for the opposition or they will dominate you and score three, four or five goals which they’ve done all season. But they’ve conceded at times as well which has left them without three points.
“We had to do that job today and to a man my team worked excellently and I think we deserved the point at the end just purely on our continued work-rate and work ethic.”
In contrast, Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick expressed his frustration at his team’s inability to capitalise on their dominance.
“We have thrown away too many points this season,” he admitted, highlighting the lack of incisiveness in Boro’s attack.
The game started poorly for Cardiff, with Latte Lath scoring for Middlesbrough in the 13th minute.
The hosts dominated possession and looked likely to extend their lead, but Cardiff goalkeeper Jak Alnwick made a vital save to deny Dan Barlaser early on, keeping the Bluebirds in the contest.
Cardiff, however, refused to roll over. With Chambers leading by example, they showed grit and determination to frustrate their opponents.
Chambers’ equaliser was the result of Cardiff seizing on a moment of defensive indecision from Middlesbrough.
A routine ball into the box wasn’t dealt with by Anfernee Dijksteel or Dael Fry, and Chambers took full advantage.
Omer Riza Reckons Solid Calum Chambers Can Be The Rock Cardiff City Build On
