Stoke 1-2 Chelsea

Up to the Britannia for an away tie with Stoke with yet more FIFa nonsense ringing in our ears. Now we cant even recall our own players who are out on loan - its a good job FIFA are so fair minded and even handed. Anyway, to matters at hand and Carlo makes 4 changes after the exertions of international week. Out go Rickey, Ess, Deco and Anelka with Ivanovic, Jedi, on Malouda and Kalou coming in as replacements. Stoke have set up with a back 5 so I guess we can guess their tactics for the game

Chelsea start brightly and are dominating possession in the opening 15mins but Stoke are getting stuck in - there'll be a few bruises today. The first Delap throw of the match arrives on 16mins and Kalou gets booked for jumping and actually getting a head on the throw. Bit strange that one. Stoke are getting a bit more adventurous and on 30mins Cech starts to come for a pretty simple cross, changes his mind and that leaves Faye unmarked to head home. The Blues are one down yet again in a game they've been bossing. Stoke loose Sovensen to a thigh strain which makes for 8mins of stoppage time and a long ol' first half but on 48mins a beautiful through ball from Lamps find Drogba who lets the ball run and the lashes home an equalizer. The half finally ends on 56mins.

We're off an running again with no changes and within a minute we could be ahead as Lamps and Ballack combine to release the Drog but he blasts over. The opening 10mins have been played almost entirely in the Stoke half but on 56mins a Delap throw causes panic in the blues box and from the resulting corner, Cech is again undecided but finally gathers. On the hour Huth comes close from another corner and that is the trigger for more substitutions - Anelka and Essien replace Kalou and Ballack whilst Tuncay is on for Stoke. A nice interchange between the Drog and Bozzy, 10mins later, releases Lamps but his shot is blocked. Chelsea are turning up the heat as Ess fires over from the edge of the box and then on 75mins Faye throws himself at a Drogba drive. The Drog drives into the box but his shot is well parried by Simonsen. Its desperate defending from Stoke but still 1-1. Belletti replaces the Jedi for the final 10mins and the desperate Stoke defending continues will bodies diving all over the place. There's 5mins of stoppage time and Lamps breaks free on the edge of the box but Faye again dives in to block. You have to admire Stokes defending but their defence is breached with 2mins to go - Essien plays the ball in to Anelka who sidefoots back to Malouda and his shot squeezes inside the near post. It ends 1-2 to the Blues

Still 100% - Come on U Blues