Chelsea 2 - 0 Sunderland

Home again to face Sunderland and three changes from the win against West Ham. Sheva comes in for Drogba (who'll be out for several weeks due to knee surgery), SWP replaces Sidwell to play in a 3 man midfield with Lamps and Jedi and Wayne Bridge makes way for Ashley Cole.

The opening 10mins is a relentless blue onslaught with 5 corners and Kalou hitting the crossbar. Both Sheva (coming too deep) and SWP (getting caught in possession) look out of sorts but its Sheva who settles first when on 20mins he gets on the end of a floated Kalou cross to head the blues ahead. Its 32mins before Carlo has to make a save and it comes from a scuffed Kenwyne Jones (their only real threat) shot. The half ends 1-0 and its almost too easy.

Second half begins with no changes, the continuing Blue torrent is matched by the now torrential rain. Its coming up to the hour and Sunderland are getting back into this game - loads of Blue possession but no cutting edge and the visitors are growing in confidence. Pizzaro comes on for Kalou on 66mins and that signals a change to 4-4-2 but Sheva's a passenger now and his touch is getting worse. SWP is still not doing enough in middfiled and keeps loosing the ball in dangerous midfiled possitions. We're gonna struggle without Drogs, maybe buying Anelka in the window is not such a daft idea.

On 73mins, and from a whipped in Lampard free kick, Alex is pulled back by Higginbotham and Lamps buries the resulting penalty 2- 0 and its all over now. Joe Cole goes off on 85mins to be replaced by Sidwell and its back to 4-3-3 with Pizarro on his own with Sheva and SWP on the left and right..... and that's how it finishes (despite Lamps hitting the post from a last minute drive).

Another home win, the unbeaten streak continues and no doubt we'll see a few kids (and maybe even Ballack) against Valencia on Tuesday night.

Come on u Blues.

Its been a busy (and successful) week ....

Rosenbourg 0 - 4 Chelsea

A superb away win and qualification as group winners, with Drogba effectivly killing the tie in the first 20mins with two superb goals. It was an hour before Rosenburg even got into the game and by then it was all over. Alex and Joe Cole chipped in with the other goals.

http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/FixturesAndReports/article_1178602
http://www.chelseablog.com/2007/11/29/champions-league-rosenborg-0-4-chelsea/

Chelsea 1 - 0 West Ham

a tough old London dery - a scrappy and bad tempered first half gave way to a much better and more fluid second half performance from the Mighty Blues and was ultimately settled by an excellent Joe Cole goal from a Drogba flick.
Not a classic by any stretch but 70 games unbeaten at home

http://www.chelseafc.com/xxchelsea180706/index.html#/page/FixturesAndReports/article_1180681
http://www.chelseablog.com/2007/12/02/premier-league-chelsea-1-0-west-ham-united/

Derby 0 - 2 Chelsea

Off to Derby for the late Saturday game with a chance to close the gap on Man U having lost 0-1 to Bolton earlier and Man City who scrapped a late 2-1 win. JT and Ash are back after injury but Drogba now joins Rickey C on the treatment table with a knee injury. Sheva, Kalou and SWP make up the attacking options whilst Carlo is still in goal. Jedi, Sidwell (in for a rested Essien) and Lamps in the middle.

Very sluggish start and nothing much happening until 17mins when a beautiful end to end move is finished off with Sidwell sliding in Kalou for one nil. Plenty of movement between SWP and Kalou and on 29mins SWP skins Griffin and snakes into the box but fires straight at the keeper.

The boos ring out anytime JT, Lamps, SWP or Ash touch the ball and frankly, even though we're all pi**'d by the England result earlier in the week, this is a bit pathetic - Derby are sitting deep, hoping to avoid a drubbing and that's just making their supporters even more restless. They're nearly punished on 38mins when a cross from SWP is headed straight back to Kalou by Derby's Claude Davis but Kalou skys it high over the bar from 10 yards out when it would have been easier to score. That's the end of a scrappy firts half and it really should all be over by now - let's hope this is not another Everton.

No changes for the mighty Blues in the second half but its Derby who start the brighter with a good chance for Fagan after just 5mins. Suddenly the Derby fans are singing rather than booing and Chelsea are rocking a little. On 64mins, JT gets caught napping and Kenny Miller loops the ball over Carlo but its (wrongly) ruled offise - we're extremely lucky to get away with that one and need to get a grip !! With 20mins to go it looks like the grip's gonna be coming from Essien, but Sheva goes down heavily (yes he is still playing - though you might not have noticed) so the change is delayed. In the intervening 5mins, Sheva chases back, wins a dodgy tackle and then releases Lamps who takes an age to get a shot away which hits the post only for SWP to slot in the rebound.... and now Essien comes on for Sidwell for the last 15mins.

Lamps comes off (for Pizarro on 89mins to predictable boos from the Derby fans only to be replaced with a loud chorus of "super frank" from the travelling Blues fans. But there's a final twist as Essien gets a straight red in the 92nd minute as he fended off Kenny Miller while attempting to shield the ball by the touchline. Its a sour end to an otherwise workmanlike away win.

You need hands - just hands

Chelsea 1 - 1 Everton

Back to the Bridge and this time with no Terry or Cech, Malouda doesn't even make a bench that has Sheva, Kalou and Pizzao but no Ashley Cole. The wide two are Joe Cole and SWP with Carlo in goal..

Chelsea start the brighter but its a scrappy first 15mins. Stephen Pienaar misses his kick to waste a great chance for Everton and at the other end Drogba has a neat free kick move with Lamps charged down. Rickey goes down heavily on 20mins and then spends the next 10 minutes hobbling around as a midfield passenger whilst the bench work out what to do - eventually he makes way for Tal Ben Haim. Everton are hanging on now as first SWP then Lamps have two great chances - the second bringing an equally great save from Tim Howard. Right on 45mins, Bridgey and SWP break from no-where down the left and the ball finds Drogba 5 yards out from an open goal which amazingly he misses.

Out for the 2nd half, no changes for the Blues, but Everton bring on Anicheb and McFadden for Neville and Yakubu - Everton are going with two up top but again its Chelsea who start the brighter of the two. SWPs having a mare - good positions but his crossing has been woeful and its no surprise when he's replaced by Kalou on 63mins. Lamps chips Howard from 25yrds and brings another amazing save from the Everton keeper and from the resulting corner the ball is cleared off the line - it looks like one of those days - its all Chelsea but the ball just wont go.

And then, just wen you though it would never come, Drogba comes to the near post on 70mins from a Kalou corner and he buries the header past Howard and its 1-0 to the Blues !!!

This is the new Chelsea, so no sitting back, on we press, looking for more, Lamps goes close from a mazey Joe Cole run and then Drogba does likewise but hits his shot tamely at Howard ... but yet you're always worried that the old Chelsea will return and throw this away. And then it happens. To be fair, an amazing overhead from Tim Cahill beats Carlo with two minutes to go. That's the price you pay for not taking your chances. The home record stays intact but it feels like a defeat.

Schalker 0 - 0 Chelsea

A very lackluster performance from the Blues (.. in day glow yellow). Schalker came out firing on all cylinders - fighting for their CL future and the future of their manager - and frankly Chelsea never got going. Belletti was run ragged for most of the night until he was replaced by Essien when the Jedi came on Midway through the second half. Cech had to leave the fray at half time with a calf injury that makes him doubtful for Saturdays visit of Everton.

All in all a tough night in Germany, far from impressive, very lucky at times (save twice by the woodwork) but Chelsea scrape through with a vital away point.

Wigan 0 - 2 Chelsea

Still travelling but at least this time I've got the BBC 5 live commentary online to keep me updataed on the progress of the mighty Blues.
Here are the text flashes from BBC online

1450: TEAM NEWS Chelsea make three changes from the side that beat Man City 6-0 last week. Shaun Wright-Phillips comes in for Joe Cole, left-back Wayne Bridge replaces the injured Paulo Ferreira and Florent Malouda starts ahead of Salomon Kalou. Wigan drop striker Antoine Sibierski and bring in midfielder Michael Brown in their one change.
1511: GOAL Wigan 0-1 ChelseaDidier Drogba finds Shaun Wright-Phillips on the right flank and he crosses for Frank Lampard to finish into the bottom corner.
1517: GOAL Wigan 0-2 ChelseaJuliano Belletti runs from well inside his own half and is allowed to advance to the edge of the Wigan box where he unleashes a glorious 25-yard shot which flies past Chris Kirkland.
1541: The Chelsea fans are happily singing the Great Escape as half-time approaches at the JJB Stadium. Victory will leave Chelsea three points off the top.
1546: HALF-TIME Wigan 0-2 ChelseaEasy for Chelsea.
1600: Chelsea's players are already out at the JJB Stadium. Bit keen but the games underway at 16:03
(ed) Second half under way and Wigan are pressing hard to get back into this game. Chelsea are not making much of a fist of the second half and its all Wigan
16:32 Kalou on for Drogba (who's carrying a yellow and is flirting with a red given his antics) and Sidwell also comes on for Essien
(ed) Looks like Wigan have run out of steam and Chelsea are happy to see this one out as it stands.

Chelsea move within 3 point of the top two (Man U and Arsenal) with their 7th consecutive win - Come on you Blues !!