Saturday 31st March

Premiership preview: Watford v. Chelsea

7 Comments

I find international breaks unexciting these days. It's hardly surprising given the state of the English national team. Sven-Goran Eriksson dulled my passion for England; Steve McClaren has killed it altogether.

My apathy meant that I took time out this past fortnight from checking football news every five minutes; it made a refreshing change. The blog suffered because of it - sorry for the lack of updates - but blame McClaren for that.

Of course it was nigh on impossible to completely avoid the on-going joke that is England. I confess to periodically perusing my RSS feeds to see if John Terry had given any indication of his true feelings about McClaren, or if Frank Lampard had been blamed for the current Iranian hostage crisis.

Thankfully we can all now look forward to an uninterrupted six weeks or so of proper football before the England spin machine fires up again - starting with a trip to Vicarage Road to play relegation favourites...

Tuesday 20th March

FA Cup review: Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 2 Chelsea

43 Comments

Match reports

The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: "If the first meeting had been enthrallingly spectacular, the replay of this FA Cup quarter-final intrigued with its element of surprise. No one could have anticipated the finish with which Andriy Shevchenko opened the scoring or the volley from Shaun Wright-Phillips that doubled Chelsea's lead."

The Times, Matt Dickinson: "Even the misfits are firing now. And, as Chelsea step up their chase for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies, that is an ominous sign for all who hope to stop José Mourinho’s blue machine."

Monday 19th March

FA Cup preview: Tottenham Hotspur v. Chelsea

12 Comments

Here we go again.

Just two days after demolishing Sheffield United, Chelsea travel the short distance to White Hart Lane for an FA Cup sixth round replay.

The first meeting at Stamford Bridge produced a classic (for the neutral) 3-3 draw which will be spoken of for many seasons to come. Trailing 1-3 at half time, Jose Mourinho engineered a brilliant comeback during which he had just two recognised defenders on the pitch.

I'd hazard a guess that most of us don't want to witness a similar scenario in this game.

Chelsea's unbeaten record at White Hart Lane stretched back to 1987 prior to last

Sunday 18th March

Premiership review: Chelsea 3 - 0 Sheffield United

7 Comments

Match reports

Independent on Sunday, Jason Burt: "Jose Mourinho was able to rest and rotate. Neither Didier Drogba nor Michael Ballack started; neither Frank Lampard nor Andrei Shevchenko completed the match. When the latter, who had scored a sublime opening goal, was withdrawn there was another half-hearted little handshake from Mourinho and, afterwards, a sprinkling of praise. "He is a happy boy," he said of the 30-year-old former winner of the Ballon D'Or, "and still improving"."

Sunday Times, Brian Glanville: "Tomorrow Chelsea must resume their FA cup battles at Tottenham. At least they can be relieved that this...

Saturday 17th March

Premiership preview: Chelsea v. Sheffield United

5 Comments

The third of four games in nine hectic days.

Wednesday's insipid but effective 1-0 win over Manchester City closed the gap on Manchester United to six points.

By the time this game kicks off Jose Mourinho will know the result of United's lunchtime clash with Bolton Wanderers. If all goes to plan, three points could be all that separates Chelsea and Alex Ferguson's side come 5pm this evening.

Mourinho is expected to be without Michael Essien after the Ghanian suffered a knee injury in the FA Cup quarter-final draw with Tottenham. Wayne Bridge is out for a few weeks with a similar problem while John Obi Mikel is suspended.

Michael Tonge and...

Thursday 15th March

Premiership review: Manchester City 0 - 1 Chelsea

33 Comments

Match reports

The Guardian, Daniel Taylor: "Manchester City's season is beginning to resemble a plunge through football's lift shaft. Chelsea are merciless opponents and a night of significance at either end of the table concluded with Manchester United's lead at the top of the Premiership table reduced to six points and, simultaneously, fresh doubts about whether Stuart Pearce's position as City manager has been terminally poisoned."

Daily Telegraph, Tim Rich: "Having berated Manchester United for their ability to win matches when playing badly, the Chelsea manager watched his own players do much the same. Grinding...

Monday 12th March

FA Cup review: Chelsea 3 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur

49 Comments

Match reports

Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter: "Jose Mourinho once accused Spurs of parking the "team bus'' across the goalmouth at Stamford Bridge, but yesterday they performed like a stylish limo, driving all over Chelsea before running out of gas following Thursday's trip to Braga. In a high-octane FA Cup quarter-final, Spurs' counter-attacking was terrific. So was Chelsea's resilience, if not their organisation."

The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: "A glorious race against time ended in a dead heat. Tottenham had been in action late on Thursday night to beat Braga in Portugal and could not overwhelm Chelsea before the energy levels...

Saturday 10th March

FA Cup preview: Chelsea v. Tottenham Hotspur

4 Comments

Remember, remember the fifth of November?

Four months have passed since that fateful day at White Hart Lane - the day Tottenham finally lifted the hex Chelsea held over them since 1987. No more Three Point Lane taunts.

There are no points to play for in this game, just a place in the next round and an equally impressive record that Chelsea won't want to lose: Spurs have not won at Stamford Bridge since a 1-2 top flight triumph on the 10th February 1990.

Jose Mourinho will not want to suffer the ignominy of losing both Chelsea's unbeaten records against Spurs in the same season.

A defeat in this game would also be Mourinho’s first domestic home defeat as Chelsea manager.

The biggest decision facing...

Friday 9th March

Champions League draw: Chelsea v. Valencia

14 Comments

Chelsea will play Valencia in the quarter-finals of this season's Champions League.

All three English sides left in the competition were drawn against foreign teams.

Quarter-final draw:

AC Milan v. Bayern Munich PSV Eindhoven v. Liverpool Roma v. Manchester United Chelsea v. Valencia

First legs to be played on 3rd/4th April and second legs on 10th/11th April.

The winners of the Chelsea versus Valencia tie will play the winners of the PSV Eindhoven versus Liverpool tie in the semi-final.

In other news, Andriy Shevchenko has denied giving an interview to a German website in which it was claimed he was made the scapegoat for Jose...

Wednesday 7th March

Champions League review: Chelsea 2 - 1 Porto (Agg: 3-2)

38 Comments

Match reports

Daily Telegraph, John Ley: "Having drawn 1-1 in Portugal, Chelsea started as favourites but a goal from Ricardo Quaresma in the 15th minute left Chelsea chasing the game and with Jose Mourinho's future in doubt - until the 48th minute when Arjen Robben's tame shot was mis-handled by Porto's hapless goalkeeper, Helton, and the ball found its way into the net."

The Times, Matt Hughes: "Robben’s ball to Lassana Diarra down the right was returned to him in a more propitious position on the edge of the area, with his low left-foot shot somehow finding its way...

Tuesday 6th March

Champions League preview: Chelsea v. Porto

8 Comments

Will this season be the last chance Jose Mourinho gets to win the Champions League with Chelsea? It might just be; the winds of change appear to be picking up velocity at Stamford Bridge.

"If the club decides to sack me because of bad results, that's part of the game. If that happens, I'll be a millionaire and I will get another club a couple of months later. I have a happy family, my kids are healthy, I have a lot of friends and I live a good life," Mourinho said in yesterday's pre-match press conference.

His words give the impression that Roman Abramovich will use failure to deliver the Champions League this season as a reason to show him the door.

But what better way to prevent such a scenario from arising than to win the competition, starting with a victory over Porto at the Bridge this evening.

Andriy...

Monday 5th March

Premiership review: Portsmouth 0 - 2 Chelsea

20 Comments

Match reports

The Observer, Amy Lawrence: "John O'Shea may be many things, but as far as Chelsea are concerned he in no way resembles a fat lady singing. Manchester United's snatched lunchtime win at Anfield might have offered compelling evidence that the title is bound for Old Trafford. But Didier Drogba and Petr Cech inspired their team to snap out of it. As long as Drogba continues lurking with intent and Cech is patrolling the net at the other end, the champions will not give up without a few dogged results of their own."

Sunday Telegraph, Duncan White: "Chelsea's conviction was eroding in front of the turbulent home support as Didier...

Saturday 3rd March

Premiership preview: Portsmouth v. Chelsea

15 Comments

Chelsea could go into this game 12 points behind Manchester United.

But first Alex Ferguson's side will have to become the first team to take 3 points off Liverpool at Anfield in 31 games.

Much will depend on Rafael Benitez's starting eleven. With one eye on Tuesday's game against Barcelona, he could be tempted to rest a number of players.

Should Liverpool win, Chelsea will be nine points adrift with two games in hand - and United still have to visit Stamford Bridge.

The first of those games in hand is against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

John Terry has been ordered to rest after his head injury in last weekend's League Cup