Chelsea 4 - 3 Bolton

A potentially tricky tie at home to Bolton with minds on Tuesday 2nd leg against the scousers. Guus pairs JT with Rickey to give him a run out and keeps Ivanovich at right back. Jedi comes in for Ess who we hope is just being rested.

After a bright start from Bolton the game swings firmly in our favour with Lamps, Jedi and Ballack bossing the play. On 24mins, Lamps rifles in a low free kick which Jaaskelainen is lucky to palm the ball wide. Its all Chelsea and after a few careless misses from the Drog and the denial of a stonewall penalty on 31mins following a foul on Ash, the deadlock is finally broken on 39mins. Ballack works a nice one two with Kalou on the right and then drives into the box and buries one past Jaaskelainen. Bolton are barely getting out of their half but right at the death a ball is lobbed into Kevin Davies an his snap shot flies just wide.

No changes for the Blues at half time and none needed as within 3mins Kalou is brought down on the right and the resulting free kick in driven in low by Lamps and drilled home by the Drog. its 2-0 and cruising. On 55mins Ivanovich chips in to the Drog who flicks the ball back to Lamps who volleys just wide. Bolton have hardly been out of their half in the opening 10mins. On the hour Ballack feeds lamps in the box and his cross hits Steinsson on the arm. Its a soft penalty but Lamps steps up to makes it 3-0. Boltons goal is under siege as a Kalou cross is knocked out for a corner from which Ivanovich gets a neat head on for the Drog to shoot past Jaaskelainen. That's 4-0 with 68mins gone and its rest time for Lamps and the Drog as Deco and Anelka join the fray.

Bolton substitute Andy O'Brien pulls one back a minute later after Cech fails to collect and a minute later Chris Basham connects with a Kevin Davies header and its 4-2. Surely the Blues wont throw this one away - maybe minds are turning prematurely to Tuesday night ?? But with 12mins to go its 4-3 as a route one ball splits JT and Ash and Matt Taylor heads past Cech. I know the Drog and Lamps are off but we're not playing with nine - we just look like it !! Cool heads are needed as Bolton are just hoisting balls into the Chelse box - its not pretty but its effective.With 3mins to go the ball breaks to Gardner wide on the left; he cuts in past Ballack but thankfully drives well over. A mix up in the Bolton goal and Anelka scuffs a connection but but the ball is cleared off the line. There are 4 very tense minutes of added time to come. Ballack finds Malouda on the edge of the box but his shot is well parried by Jaaskelainen. Last throw of the dice as Bolton win a corner - Cech flaps but the loose ball goes wide.

Jeez that was as bad as Wednesday was brilliant. Liverpool must be heartened by that as they need to score three - g-d I hope not. Come on U Blues.