BlueLion.

Chelsea 2-0 Bayer Leverkusen Winning start for Blues as Ballack makes Bridge return David Luiz scored on his return to the Chelsea side as André Villas-Boas' men recorded a fourth straight opening night win in the UEFA Champions League. The Brazilian defender superbly fired home just past the hour mark to give the hosts the lead from Fernando Torres' pass - only after a combination of the linesman's flag and some excellent goalkeeping by Leverkusen stopper Bernd Leno had denied the hosts an earlier lead. And former Valencia winger Juan Mata completed the scoring in stoppage time to add a layer of gloss to an efficient and at-times classy performance as he fired home from close range, with Torres again supplying the assist with some selfless play when through on goal. All the pre-match build-up had been dominated by the Spaniard's alleged interview with a Spanish television channel, where he supposedly criticised his "old and slow" team-mates. Clear to put any possible past transgressions behind him, el Nino was a lively character throughout and was only denied a first goal since April out of his own error-prone decision making and a number of narrow margins. Another key talking point centred around the return of Michael Ballack, who had spent four seasons at the club between 2006 and 2010. Returning to a rousing reception, Ballack had claimed to have been treated poorly by the club in the final year of his contract as the board elected to veto then-manager Carlo Ancelotti's demands for a contract extension, resulting in the former Germany captain leaving in acrimonious circumstances alongside Joe Cole. However, a typically commanding performance from the ex-Blues man justified his reputation as an international football superstar, and whilst his trophy-laden spell at the club did not necessarily produce the German's absolute best, Ballack still endeared himself to Chelsea supporters across the globe and his contribution to the cause was duly noted with a rapturous round of applause. Refusing to let the big-match environment overwhelm him, Champions League débutante Villas-Boas opted to name a vastly-changed side to the one that was knocked out of the competition by Manchester United in April - the suspended Ramires, the rested John Terry and the injured Didier Drogba amongst the notable absentees. Petr Cech captained the side with Frank Lampard only earning a place on the bench, but Daniel Sturridge's game-winning exploits at the Stadium of Light on Saturday were enough to convince the Blues coaching staff to give the ex-Manchester City forward valuable European experience. Sturridge did not disappoint, and, in fairness, neither did Chelsea. Though the varied attacking threat was at times a little lacklustre - mainly out of tiredness, rather than half-heartedness - and sometimes the lethargy that had cost Ancelotti his job made miniature cameo appearances, the team's progress from the side that barely managed to overcome West Bromwich Albion in August was clear to see thanks to a performance that was galvanised by the summer additions. Once more, Juan Mata was the creative hub of the team whilst Raul Meireles was excellent in his distribution and was typically tenacious in the tackle. Unfortunately there was to be no sighting of Romelu Lukaku, who was excluded from the European squad by Villas-Boas, and whilst Sturridge certainly impressed with an effervescent performance, Josh McEachran was again overlooked - begging the question as to whether he should have left on loan before the transfer window slammed shut. Like the Sunderland match before it, this was a team effort with plenty of outstanding individual showings. Captain for the evening Petr Cech produced a handful of fine saves to record a first club clean sheet since mid-August, whilst Luiz and Branislav Ivanovic were rock-solid in the absence of John Terry. Even the substitutes, the recently much-maligned Frank Lampard included, played a part in a strong team showing - something that will no doubt buoy both Villas-Boas and the paying patrons in a noticeably empty Stamford Bridge. But whilst Ron Gourlay may be pricing fans out of European matches with a hefty £42 charge per seat, those people inside the ground were treated to a whirlwind start from both teams. Clearly feeling they had nothing to fear, Leverkusen ought to have taken the lead. They had already demonstrated their intent with a shot from Stefan Kießling after just fourteen seconds, before captain Simon Rolfes saw a header ruled out for an apparent infringement in the penalty area. The referee had blown for a foul on Florent Malouda, but it was an incredibly harsh decision to deny the Germans an early opening goal. The officials would later return the favour in kind to the Blues. At the other end, a move of genuine quality that would set the precedent for many a Chelsea attacking move saw the Blues denied a goal in similarly harsh circumstances. Juan Mata's cross was instinctively flicked towards goal by the rampaging Torres, who had earlier seen a hooked volley fizz just wide of the corner of crossbar and post, only for the referee to signal Raul Meireles offside. The Portuguese midfielder had looked to become involved in play but he made no contact with the ball. Again, no goal was awarded. An incident echoing John Terry's goal against Manchester United in November 2009 at Stamford Bridge, where an offside Didier Drogba had clearly looked to connect with the defender's header yet failed to do so, Torres can count himself unfortunate for some strict refereeing - even if it was ultimately the right decision! Swings and roundabouts, or so they say! Young Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno was enjoying a busy night between the posts, and after having swatted away a low, close-range effort by Torres from inside the six-yard box, the young stopper was almost caught out by an audacious effort by Florent Malouda as he looked to head home the goalkeeper's loose clearance. Unfortunately the effort dropped feet wide, but the next headed effort was far closer to the target; Torres nodding Malouda's cross just wide of the near post. The Spaniard was in threatening form. Half-an-hour was showing on the clock when Daniel Sturridge took possession out wide and with everyone expecting the cross, he unleashed a surprise left-foot effort which Leno had to claw out. It was an inspired save by the goalkeeper, who for a second looked like he would be caught out by the instantness of the shot - a moment of brilliance looked as if it would settle this encounter. Ivanovic was making a nuisance of himself from set-pieces and a flurry of Mata deliveries into the box were finding the Serbian's forehead. Twice he saw headers deflected wide, and a third attempt just before the half-time whistle saw the Chelsea number 2 find Leno's gloves. It was a presentable opportunity - and the man who netted six times last season would have fancied his chances to open the scoring. The second half followed a similar pattern of counter-attacking play and a lot of attacking endeavour from both sides. However it was the visitors who were the first to truly threaten and former Chelsea man Ballack was at the heart of it all. After volleying a left-footed shot into Peckham, the German star came much closer to opening the scoring when he raced through one-on-one, only for Petr Cech to make a captain's contribution with a fabulous close-range save. His gloves would again be tested when he parried a Schurrle effort after the visitors dissected the Chelsea defence apart with a brace of give-and-gos on the edge of the box. The West Londoners then came close themselves when another Malouda cross was headed down by Torres, only for Leno to make a smart low save to smother the ball. It was another golden opportunity for the Spaniard but again some fine goalkeeping had denied him a first goal since April. Chelsea's play from the flanks had been consistently threatening throughout the match but it was through David Luiz that they would open the scoring. Moments after the introduction of Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard for Daniel Sturridge and Raul Meireles respectively - two players who had enjoyed fine evenings - the Brazilian stormed up the pitch, demanded the ball back from Torres and then spectacular caressed the ball into the corner with Leno grasping at thin air. The goalkeeper - seemingly impossible to beat - had done brilliantly beforehand to deny Sturridge with his final kick of the game; turning the young man's shot onto the post before he departed, and he had only been bested by a truly wonderful cultured finish from the Brazilian centre-half. Leno then twice denied Mata with a brace of excellent saves. First he plucked the Spaniard's curling effort out of the air after it looked as if the diminutive winger had managed to beat him, before a full-stretch dive saw him paw the ball over. A brilliant save, the 19 year-old was certainly determined to make a name for himself in the absence of usual Leverkusen stopper Rene Adler. Lampard and Anelka, the two second half substitutes, then went close and Anelka even had the ball in the net. After Leno had beat away a shot from Lampard, Anelka's header was ruled offside after Ashley Cole was judged to be offside when replays confirmed he was quite clearly level. It was the third goal of the evening ruled out for an infringement, and it was also the second wrong decision on the part of the French officials. One-all on that particular front. But with the final whistle approaching, Torres burst forward, cut inside, and selflessly opted to square to Juan Mata, who had the simplest of tasks to stroke the ball into the bottom corner for his second Chelsea goal to secure a deserved victory and a perfect start to the Blues' Champions League campaign. The small matter of a visit to Old Trafford is next on the agenda.... Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech ©; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Luiz (Alex 75), Cole; Meireles (Lampard 64), Mikel, Malouda; Sturridge (Anelka 64), Torres, Mata. Leverkusen (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castro, Reinartz, Toprak, Kadlec; Bender (Balitsch 79), Rolfes ©; Schürrle, Ballack (Augusto 65), Sam (Derdiyok 72); Kiessling. The TalkChelsea.net 'Man of the Match' award goes to Chelsea's number 2 - Branislav IVANOVIC

5 votes for Torres? Yeah he got two assists but he was otherwise no better than usual. I'm yet to be convinced.

I'm too tired to write a match report tonight, you can wait til tomorrow

The obvious votes go to Mata and Luiz. However Ivanovic was a cut above for me tonight.

I thought this would be "You are shit, you are shit." I am impressed with your creativity.

Well done Stuart!

NO KALOU, FUCK YEAH

Looks like I've been overruled then. I wouldn't say I'm properly anti-TX, purely that his constant [diplomatic]occasional[/diplomatic] self-righteousness really got on my tits. I'd say my unwillingness to budge in my decision was more token than anything, plus I enjoy winding people up because this is, afterall, an internet forum. I've always rated him as a member, even he will acknowledge the fact I was one of a select few to stick up for him when he first joined, but then the hypocrisy and the endless moaning really started to annoy me. Either way, if he acts with a bit of maturity I won't complain. For a while. I know you get hard on this sort of commendation TX, just don't let it go to your head - and try to stop acting like a bellend. Love from Alex xxxx I nominated him ageeeeeees ago and completely forgot to change his group! ZanSnake is officially a TalkChelsea Legend. There is nothing petty about it, it seems to me that people think there is some genuine disdain towards me and TX, and that I'd probably kill him if I ever saw him. The reality is that this is untrue. Truthfully I'd probably only brutally bludgeon him with a cricket bat. Plus, he isn't really targeted. It is purely token abuse, he nominates himself with his high opinion of himself, which - unfortunately for him - detracts from the fact he is actually a good member who raises some good points.

"Anelkalouda will play a starring role in 3-0 win as Torres is dropped" - you can imagine the headlines already!

I don't care if we win silverware with or without Torres scoring, I care about the club, not just individual players.

I'm fully behind Torres, but he cost us £50million and he has to start firing soon. We've had our best performance of the season without him, although I desperately want to see him alongside Mata and Dan.

Just arm Meireles to the teeth and instruct him to hunt down Shrek and Cheese Dorito and we have nothing to fear.

Either débutante or débutant is correct, you are quite right that with an 'e' it is the French feminine.

The accent on the 'e' is accurate for the English use of the word

I thought Anelka played very well for the team and linked up well with the wingers.

Vote for your MOTM.

Sunderland 1-2 Chelsea Mata and Meireles impress on full débuts as terrific Blues earn deserved win John Terry and Daniel Sturridge scored as Chelsea recorded an impressive win against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light - propelling the Blues to third in the Premier League. England captain Terry - fresh from having led his country to back-to-back victories over Bulgaria and Wales - opened the scoring in the first half as he converted from close range after Spanish winger Juan Mata had hit the post with a free-kick, as Andre Villas-Boas' side dominated an entertaining first half. After the break, deadline-day signing Raul Meireles then played a perfect through-ball for Daniel Sturridge to wrap up the win with just his second league goal for the club; superbly back-heeling the ball beyond Sunderland goalkeeper Simon Mignolet under pressure from former Manchester United defender Wes Brown to give the Blues a two-goal advantage. The home side did pull back a late consolation goal when Ji Dong-Won fired home from Nicklas Bendtner's knock-down to set up a tense finale, but with Branislav Ivanovic and goalscoring skipper Terry in fine form defensively, Chelsea held firm to record a third consecutive Premier League victory and their seventh straight win away in Sunderland - despite the lack of a much-needed clean sheet. Ultimately, a 2-1 scoreline flatters the home side, who were emphatically second-best to Villas-Boas' charges for much of the match. The Blues were able to boast the vast majority of a game of limited goalscoring chances, and they offered their best showing of a low-key start to the season with a flowing passing performance. Slick interchanges and invention out wide was testament to the formation of an understanding between wide duo Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge, both of them equally lively alongside Nicolas Anelka, who was preferred to the under-fire Fernando Torres. Dominating the match in terms of chances and possession, sub-par performances against West Brom and Norwich had left a lot to be desired in terms of the side's attacking qualities, and Mata obliged with an impressive full début. The creative pivotpoint of the team, every meaningful attack came through the Spanish wing wizard, whilst the influential Meireles was equally as competent on his first team bow for the West London outfit following his big money move from Liverpool. Whilst the final score does not necessarily reflect the balance of play, the improvement from the previous two matches was clear to see, with the Blues seemingly having removed the shackles from their attacking efforts. Meanwhile, they were also closer to their usual defensive rigidity, with the returning Petr Cech offering confidence to a back four that had been error-prone and shaky at-best in the Czech stopper's absence. But whilst the visitors began with purpose, with two probing attacks down the left almost creating goalscoring chances for Sturridge, but the first true chance of the game fell the way of Steve Bruce's team. Seb Larsson's ball from deep evaded the Blues defence, allowing Nicklas Bendtner the chance to head goalwards, but the Danish centre forward could only glance his effort wide when he ought to have at least tested Cech with a relatively uncontested header. That chance had come from a free-kick and it was a similar dead ball opportunity which allowed Chelsea to open the scoring on 17 minutes. Brown had hacked down Anelka on the edge of the penalty area, and the resultant free-kick saw Mata expertly lash the ball goalwards, only to be denied by the base of the post. The Blues recycled the opportunity and it was Terry who managed to fire the ball home beyond Mignolet, with his effort deflecting in off Phil Bardsley, a scorer in last season's corresponding fixture. An element of controversey threatened to overshadow the goal as the free-kick was awarded for what the home support judged to be an inoccuous incident, but Terry's first of the season was ample reward for an impressive, high-intensity start to the match. Suddenly in the ascendancy, the goal seemed to buoy last season's Premier League runners-up whilst Sunderland were conversely on the ropes. They were also perhaps lucky to retain their contingent of eleven men as Jack Colback breathed a sigh of relief after only being shown a yellow card for a studs-up challenge on the marauding Ramires - the Brazilian showed no ill effects, however, as he recovered to combine with Mata and Anelka, only for the latter to screw his shot wide. Ramires himself then curled wide after a run from deep, whilst new boy Meireles produced a fine save out of the Sunderland goalkeeper when his long-range effort took a slight deflection off of Titus Bramble. Anelka, heavily involved prior to the interval, then had another shot blocked from the edge of the area, before Jose Bosingwa's cross just evaded Sturridge inside the six yard box - had the England Under 21s star gambled it would surely have been the second goal the Chelsea performance warranted. That was to be the last guilt-edged chance of the first half, though Cech was finally tested when he parried away a stinging effort from Sessegnon as the first half drew to a close with Chelsea in the lead. The same pattern would be repeated in the second half, with Villas-Boas' side enjoying the majority of ball possession and dominating in terms of territory. Débutante Meireles was enjoying a dominating performance alongside Frank Lampard and Ramires, with the ex-Porto man alternating with his Brazilian team-mate in making runs from deep. Strong ball retention was key to the Blues' attacking attempts with Meireles exemplary on his first Chelsea appearance. And it was the Chelsea number 16 who created the second goal; his inch-perfect aerial through-ball beating the Sunderland defensive line for Sturridge to give chase to. With a combination of pace and strength, he held off his marker before audaciously spinning and knocking the ball beyond Mignolet with his heel. It was a wonderful piece of inventive play, with the shock element of the strike catching the Black Cats off-guard as the ex-Manchester City starlet netted his first Premier League goal for Chelsea since April 2010. Despite scoring what would be the game-clinching strike, Sturridge was soon withdrawn from the field after 61 minutes, with Florent Malouda being introduced. That switch almost paid immediate dividends as the Frenchman forced a stop out of Mignolet - but Sunderland soon found a footing and went close when substitute Connor Wickham looped a header onto the roof of Cech's net. Having been critical of their side for much of the match, the locals had found renewed vigour in their support of the Black Cats and the home side responded with an improved showing. Chelsea had taken their foot off the gas after going 2-0 up, deciding to play within themselves ahead of Tuesday night's opening Champions League encounter with Bayer Leverkusen, allowing Steve Bruce's men a route back into the contest. Sunderland responded with a shift in formation to a more attacking 4-4-2, but the next chance fell the way of the West Londoners as Malouda almost played Ramires in, only for the Sunderland keeper to just do enough to put the Brazilian off and lift his effort well wide of the target. Refusing to die down, however, the Sunderland revival that had taken two Chelsea goals to instigate found new life with the introduction of Ji Dong-Won from the bench, and the young South Korean duly fired home on his début from Bendtner's flick to give the hosts a fighting chance of rescuing an undeserved draw when he converted in stoppage time. In light of something of a mini aerial bombardment as the game drew to a close, Ivanovic and Terry marshalled the defence sufficiently enough to prevent any unlikely comeback, whilst another new signing, Oriol Romeu, looked equally as assured as the Blues secured a third straight win and continue the side's unbeaten start to the season. Whilst the two Manchester clubs continue to set the pace, Villas-Boas' men continue to revel in the title of underdogs for the Premier League crown - and a continuation of the side's winning league form in the Champions League will make for a satisfactory start to the new campaign. Sunderland (4-2-3-1): Mignolet; Bardsley (Elmohamady 61), Bramble, Brown, Richardson; Gardner, Cattermole © (Wickham 65); Larsson, Sessègnon (Ji 81), Colback; Bendtner. Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry ©, Cole; Ramires, Meireles, Lampard; Sturridge (Malouda 61), Anelka (Romeu 79), Mata (Torres 73). The TalkChelsea.net 'Man of the Match' award goes to Chelsea's number 10 - JUAN MATA

He was never a Chelsea legend, but he certainly is a legend in the game of football for his achievements with Bayern, Chelsea and Germany.

I'm not saying Drogba was crap. I have always been one of his biggest fans. But not everyone shares my appreciation of the player yet the majority of the fans awarded him patience and time to truly prove himself.

Don't worry, we still have to worry about Niclas Bendtner In 8 months Sunderland have lost Gyan, Wellbeck and Bent...

Chelsea FC vs Bayer Leverkusen 13 September - UCL, Home - 1945 BST kick-off :cfc: MATCH CHAT HERE :cfc:

http://www.safc.com/news/20110910/gyan-to-leave-sunderland-for-al-ain_2256213_2446604 Asamoah Gyan loaned to Al Ain.

Just give him the same time you gave Drogba and Shevchenko. Juandando will eventually fire us to glory

Agreed, Juandando will fuck the Sunderland backline up. EDIT - Chelsea fans in Sunderland are apparently singing 'FERNANDO TORRES CHELSEA'S NUMBER 9' in all the pubs and on the streets, a nice gesture.

I hope he gets a wonderful ovation, I'm sure he will. Chants of "one Michael Ballack" would be a nice touch too.