BlueLion.

We'll find out in the summer, but I think the only reason he's bought in Torres and Luiz is because we needed fresh blood to rejuvenate our title charge.

I find it funny how people criticise Malouda now, but think he was the best thing since sliced bread at the start of the season. Granted he is out of form, but he's playing in a different position (that doesn't suit him, he has to be played in a 4-3-3) and is probably quite tired: he's played more games than anyone. We can't forget he is deadly in front of goal still and is capable of some brilliant stuff. No-one wants Drogba dropped, but he's equally as impotent at the moment.

Chelsea 2-0 Manchester City FA Premier League - Sunday 20 March 2011 - Stamford Bridge Late goals from Brazilian duo David Luiz and Ramires saw Chelsea beat Manchester City at Stamford Bridge to leapfrog their opponents - potentially inspiring a late title push from the champions. After a frustrating and at times dour first half came to a close with the game predictably goalless, the scoring was finally opened on 78 minutes as Luiz scored once more against Manchester opposition; superbly glancing home a devilish delivery from substitute Didier Drogba. And a minute into stoppage time, Luiz' compatriot Ramires doubled Chelsea's advantage; superbly beating two City defenders before demonstrating impressive composure to finish beyond the advancing Joe Hart. The three points available to either side were looking incredibly precious to both Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Mancini after second-placed Arsenal and fifth-placed Tottenham dropped points against West Bromwich Albion and West Ham respectively - and the win for Ancelotti over his old rival sees the Blues leapfrog their opponents on the Premier League table. A very late push for the title may not entirely be out of the question - Chelsea would only be six points behind league leaders Manchester United should they beat Birmingham in their game in hand on April 20th, as well as having the opportunity to further close the gap with a trip to Old Trafford still to come - but second place suddenly looks a realistic target considering Arsenal's recent March capitulation, which has seen the Gunners lose the Carling Cup final, exit the FA Cup, drop valuable Premier League points as well as get knocked out of Europe by Barcelona. Dropped points by all other London clubs this weekend - Chelsea were the only side from the capital to win - ensures that qualification for next season's Champions League suddenly looks far more likely with the Blues' nearest challengers continuing to falter. With Tottenham and Arsenal again betrayed by a lack of a cutting edge up front and United less-than-convincing, at this stage, it would not be entirely foolish to say that Ancelotti's charges could at least make the title race remotely interesting considering their remaining fixtures. The Blues side that lined up to take on a Carlos Tevez-less Manchester City was one quite dissimilar from the team that sufficiently saw off FC Copenhagen in midweek - Florent Malouda, Fernando Torres, Salomon Kalou, Michael Essien and David Luiz all came in for Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka, Yury Zhirkov, John Mikel Obi and Jose Bosingwa. City, on the other hand, employed Edin Dzeko as a lone striker in the wake of Tevez' absence. City have earned notoriety for their unadventurous tactics against the other members of the Big Five this season - with September's win over the Blues their only three-point haul over such opposition this term. However, with credible 0-0s achieved at the Emirates and White Hart Lane, it came as little surprise that Mancini's side opted to crowd the midfield - still, the first chance of the game fell their way on a rare foray forward; Yaya Toure's goalbound drive palmed away by the virtually unemployed Petr Cech. That was to be one of the very few actions Chelsea's Czech custodian was to partake in, as the Blues set up camp near the halfway line. City were typically resolute defensively, as the Blues were finding it difficult to beat a wall of bodies that included the excellent Vincent Kompany, who twice denied Salomon Kalou as the Ivorian - a surprise inclusion - looked to tiptoe his way through the City defence. The one time he managed to slip his marker, he found his route to goal impeded by his own player as he was inadvertently tripped by Ramires. It was proving to be a frustrating afternoon already - promising build-up play was met only by a considerable rearguard action from the visitors, who were doing their best to turn this top-of-the-table clash into a snooze-fest. Ashley Cole lashed narrowly over from 25 yards as the ball fell his way, before Torres saw his route to goal expertly blocked by Nigel de Jong. It took 41 minutes for Chelsea to finally warm to the task and trouble Joe Hart, who will have been thankful that Kalou's excellent turn produced only a shot directed at the England international. Nevertheless, with Florent Malouda and Cole causing trouble down the Chelsea left and Kalou's movement creating space for the marauding Ramires, half-time came with a sense of renewed optimism about Stamford Bridge. And it was from a very positive move early after the interval that the lead was so very nearly won, as Malouda's effort was saved by Hart after some brilliant interchanges between Lampard, Kalou and Torres teed up the Frenchman. Under pressure, his shot was tamely-directed and Hart was able to pounce, but Chelsea were now demonstrating a cutting edge up front and the movement of the forwards was causing problems for Mancini's men. Michael Essien then tried his best from 25 yards but his effort was blocked by Kompany, before Ivanovic and Malouda followed suit in lashing over from distance. However, it was Ivanovic who was to come the closest with a second effort shortly after: his excellent goalbound header inexplicably turned behind by Kompany through a piece of exceptional defensive play as the Belgian directed the ball behind for an ultimately fruitless corner. It was to be another goalless afternoon for Fernando Torres, however, as he was replaced by Nicolas Anelka, but there are certainly no signs he is struggling to adapt to life at Stamford Bridge as he enjoyed another positive display. Granted his goalscoring exploits - or lack of - will come as great disappointment to Chelsea supporters, Torres' movement was once again excellent and his partnership with the equally effervescent Kalou gives Ancelotti another creative dimension up top. But it was Chelsea's other January signing who would steal the headlines. First he denied Dzeko a clear goalscoring opportunity with a timely block, before his presence in the penalty area was enough to distract the same City player as he attempted to guide a header past Petr Cech in a rare attack on the Czech's goal. However, it was at the other end where the stuff of legends is surely already being penned as Luiz dispatched an inswinging Drogba freekick in from six yards. He might have made it two just moments later when another Drogba delivery was deflected just wide of first Michael Essien and then Luiz' outstretched foot as Aleksandr Kolarov made a timely intervention, but Chelsea were not to be denied the second goal their utter dominance deserved, and it came courtesy of the right boot of Ramires. Picking up the ball 25 yards out from Essien, he first cut inside the hapless Gareth Barry before beating another City defender to surge into the box. A composed finish into the roof of the net from ten yards followed as the Brazilian celebrated his first goal at Stamford Bridge in stoppage time - and he was soon celebrating an absolutely massive win that moves Chelsea up to third in the Premier League table. Suddenly life does not look so bad from a Blue perspective - third place would be consolidated with a win over Birmingham City in mid-April, but our attentions must now be directed towards the other Manchester club as the Blues prepare for their Champions League quarter final tie with Sir Alex Ferguson's United. First and foremost, however, are Stoke City at the Britannia - and potentially three points that could have a massive bearing on the title race. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Chelsea (4-4-2): Cech; Ivanovic, Luiz, Terry ©, Cole; Ramires, Essien, Lampard, Malouda (Anelka 70); Kalou (Zhirkov 77), Torres (Drogba 70). Manchester City (4-2-3-1): Hart; Richards, Kompany ©, Lescott, Kolarov; De Jong, Barry; Milner (Johnson 80), Y Toure (Balotelli 80), Silva; Dzeko. The TalkChelsea.net man of the match was Chelsea's number 7, RAMIRES

Cech - 6 Ivanovic - 6 Terry - 7 Luiz - 9 Cole - 8 Ramires - 8 Essien - 8 Lampard - 6 Malouda - 4 Kalou - 7 Torres - 6

What a game! I woke up this morning when my dad slapped me round the face and showed me he had two tickets for the game, the old sly dog! Great performance, a little frustrating at times but signs the old Chelsea are back. Luiz, Ramires and Essien were absolutely sensational today!

I've put £2 on us to win 1-0, JT with the goal at 80/1 as well, you'd think the odds would be shorter...

Happy birthday Fernando! :cfc:

You won't find anyone who hates Arsenal more than Ollie... though I'm a close bet for second I can't stand that club, I LOATHE everything about them. Not only do I LOVE this time of season, but I've come to expect it and being right about Arsenal's mediocrity AGAIN gives me great joy.

Terry reinstated as England captain 20th Mar 2011, In Articles, by Alex Hinsley ________________________________________________________ John Terry has been reinstated as the permanent England captain – sparking the view that Fabio Capello isn't as much of an idiot as we all initially feared. The move comes about 14 months too late, unfortunately – we all saw the wonderful mess that some refer to as the 2010 World Cup (I, despite being a fierce patriot, prefer to forget England qualified for the tournament in South Africa in the first place) that came thanks to the decision to strip the captaincy from a man who had led the country through their most successful qualifying campaign of all-time. I'd like to reaffirm a point I recently made – I actually have a lot of sympathy for Rio Ferdinand. The bloke is a top defender, and though he isn't, at least in my view, a leader with the same qualities as Terry, he nonetheless has been a successful captain at Manchester United over the last couple of seasons. The way in which he has been treated by Capello is pretty disgraceful, mind. But with Ferdinand seemingly out for the season (just to add to the injury woes which have limited him to just four appearances out of the last 13 internationals), and vice-captain Steven Gerrard also being crocked, the appointment of a permanent fixture as skipper has been a must for some time. Capello took the piss when the armband was carelessly flung around in Denmark last month – granted Frank Lampard deserved to wear it in the first half, but seeing someone like Ashley Cole and then Gareth Barry with it will have come as a great insult to Chelsea's skipper. And the Italian has said enough is enough – Terry has had his "year of punishment" and winning the Double last season is just part of the reason why he should have been reinstated months ago. Granted that Rio's been treated badly – but he could have at least met with Capello at the weekend; instead allegedly preferring not to meet the England gaffer because he was so distraught. A box of Kleenex are en route to your hotel room, Rio, as well as my deepest sympathies. Ferdinand has become something of a serious Twitter-whore and usually plasters one's newsfeed with a variety of generic 'COME ON UNITED' bullshit (though the odd controversial comment and novelty joke come as a nice surprise now and again), but unfortunately, the ex-England captain has not been available to comment. I wonder if his wi-fi is down? The right decision has been made so we can all sleep easy. Even though its morning…. Maybe you'll sleep well tonight? I don't know. I won't use any more clichés. But at the end of the day (shit, sorry!), Terry deserves the armband back. He may be a money-grabbing twat like the rest of them, but at least he's a money-grabbing twat with an ounce of humility and demonstrates a genuine gratitude that he is where he is – as opposed to the arrogant, obnoxious piece of turd some Manchester United fans refer to as Wayne Rooney. You may not believe it, but Terry is actually a human being so perhaps some of you self-righteous zealots and sanctimonious arseholes should stop pretending you are so morally-superior to a person who is approximately 26 times the man you will ever be. That doesn't apply to the female journalists slagging Terry off, in which case he is twice the woman you'll ever be, as well. I'd like to see some underpaid writer of mundane stories (the sort of journalist who recycles the same mediocre, characterless writing every week without second thought) put up with the sort of stick Terry's had. They'd probably go and slash at their wrists after a few days of it all. Boo hoo. Fair enough, Our John's had his fair share of wrongdoings, but unlike Rooney, he didn't have to pay up front for his extramarital frolicking – proving he can come up with the goods home and away. Get in, JT! John Terry wears his heart on his sleeve. John Terry is a sincere man, and though he will never be forgiven by those pervasive, repetitive dickheads at The Daily Mail who spawn the same bollocks stories every Sunday morning, John Terry remains the best candidate for the job – and I guess that's what the England captaincy should be decided on. Which brings me to my (somewhat predictable) climax: John Terry – England and Chelsea Captain, Leader and Legend.

I think Kalou should start

Ramires has to play in this game. This is the sort of match his energy and work-rate will be absolutely pivotal. On a different note, I'm not confident about this game at all. Not because I doubt the players, but because Mancini seems to have some sort of tactical hoodoo over Carlo....

Shevchenko still scored 22 goals in 61 starts. I don't think that's at all bad to be honest, the only reason people are critical of that goalscoring form is his cost. If we'd have signed the player for £10 million then I think we'd say that's not a bad return at all - hence the reason price doesn't matter to me anymore. The world of football is fucked up and nowadays, spending £80 million on a player is the same to me as spending £8 on a pint of beer at Wembley.

With a penalty that goes in off the post after he slips. Absolutely agreed. Our John will, as they say: "fuck them up."

I feel very confident about this. Our recent record against Manchester United - home and away - is nothing short of brilliant, and I believe that man-for-man, our starting eleven is stronger than theirs. Plus we've only lost two of our thirteen games against English opposition in the Champions League.

SO FUCKING PSYCHED FOR THIS!

Chelsea vs Manchester United UEFA Champions League Quarter Final, first leg - Stamford Bridge (7.45pm kick-off) MATCH CHAT HERE

YES! So happy we got United!

I won't pretend to have ever seen this guy play. I also won't pretend to be excited, because the last young Latin American player we signed was called Franco di Santo, and that went really well. Him signing for this club is a death warrant for his career.

Dear John, Frank, and Ashley You are three of the best players of your generation and some of the most-respected footballers in the world - but only outside of England. Lampard's goalscoring form has always been valued by the Italian and Spanish giants, Terry's defensive prowess has earned him European recognition and the fact Real wanted Cole shows his footballing status. But in England, you're treated like shit and without respect by all bar Chelsea supporters. So in other words, retire you old bastards.

Steve is posting up mock ups, they are not supposed to be realistic; they're example colour schemes/templates. What don't you make some instead, you hypercritical moron.

I'd take any team except for Real Madrid or Barcelona to be honest. I don't like the thought of Shaktar or Spurs, but we can still beat them despite how good they can be. Similarly, drawing Man United would actually be a favourable draw

Cheers everyone

Bad news guys, I've just signed Kaka for Measham Welfare, screw you all. £500.

The ideal draw is Schalke. I don't mind as long as we avoid Shaktar or Spurs, they're wildcards and unpredictable.