BlueLion.

Drogba is a different type of footballer to Pizarro. Pizarro is in the Latin American striker mould, a lot like Crespo. He is a true goal poacher, and it is that type of partner that Shevchenko benefits from. We only have to look at his record with Inzaghi and later Crespo to understand what a great end product he can give when playing with a fellow forward that he can feed off.

This is ridiculous. Look at Sir Alex Fuckuson, he's ten times as worse than our entire squad put together.

Cheers. Wright-Phillips was very good, I agree, but Kalou gave that telling contribution and could have made a greater one moments later.

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Hi, welcome back

Rosenborg Vs ChelseaRosenborg host Chelsea in Matchday Five of the UEFA Champions League, with Chelsea requiring just a point to ensure progress into the next round of the competition.The Blues sit at the summit of Group B with eight points from a twelve point maximum, having won two and drawn two of their first four matches. With Rosenborg closely behind on 7 points, this encounter will prove decisive in determining who will be in the Round of 16.Both teams enter this match in hot form - Rosenborg have won five of their last six matches whilst Chelsea are unbeaten in seven games. Having beaten Derby County at the weekend, Chelsea will enter this match the more confident of the two.Will Rosenborg continue to upset the odds by recoridng a famous win, or will Chelsea's stars get the job done? Discuss here.

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Cheers lads. Elliott, I think he wasn an idiot, but was his elbow any worse than the one on Pizarro moments before?

Yep, as you might have noticed, I've transferred all the important Prediction League and Match Report details over.

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Who's got a career running on F08? I've got one for Chelsea at the moment. 100% winning record

He could have ended another player's career yesterday. Dirty bastard.

Modric is a good player, he played well for Croatia in midweek. He certainly looks like a long-term successor to Lampard in the future.

That Hunt tackle was disgusting! That's a straight red, no complaints! If Essien got sent off for using an elbow, a Derby player should have had the same for knocking Pizarro in the face too!

Welcome back mate

Hi Feel special, this is the first time in ages I've not used my custom welcome post

People seem to forget that this man was once the best striker in Europe. You don't get shit overnight, but your confidence can be non-existant when you're not playing. If we are going to play Shevchenko, he needs a player to feed off. We need to play him and Pizarro together IMO. Pizarro is a clever striker, he gets himself in good positions.

I was watching on Setanta, I could only hear Derby when they were booing The atmosphere was quality, well played lads I would have gone, but I'd probably have puked up on someone

TerryGallasDesaillyPetrescuCarvalho

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Its just luck that isn't on his side. Its only a matter of time IMO, although its looking like its going to be a while

Derby County 0 - 2 Chelsea FC Premier League, 24 November, Pride Park Stadium, DerbyA cool finish from Ivorian Salomon Kalou put Chelsea on the road to a comfortable 2-0 win away to the Premier League's bottom club Derby.However, Derby were by no stretch of the imagination push-overs, as they put up a spirited performance in the second half to see Chelsea on the back foot. And with the FA Cup holders failing to find a stranglehold on the match, it was no surprise to see Derby boss Billy Davies opt for a more attack-minded formation later in the match, but excellent performances by John Terry and Tal Ben Haim at the heart of the Chelsea defence ensured that the West London side headed back to the capital with three points. Chelsea's breakthrough came in the form of Salomon Kalou, who latched onto Steven Sidwell's reverse pass brilliantly before coolly slotting home, before winger Shaun Wright-Phillips delighted the travelling fans with a second after Frank Lampard had struck the woodwork.The win leaves Chelsea fourth in the Premier League - five points behind leaders Arsenal. But with defending champions Manchester United losing 1-0 away to Bolton, this game was the perfect opportunity to apply the pressure on Sir Alex Ferguson's team. Chelsea are also the form team in the Premier League, having won five of their last six outings, and drawing the other at home to Everton prior to the international break. Avram Grant left Michael Essien on the bench as a youthful-looking Chelsea attack took to the field. Frank Lampard began at centre-midfield after scoring for England in their 2-3 loss to Croatia at Wembley, with John Obi Mikel and Steven Sidwell completing the midfield trio. Shaun Wright-Phillips and Salomon Kalou operated on the wings with Ukrainian Andrei Shevchenko spear-heading the attack. There were changes in the defence also - John Terry and Ashley Cole returned to the fold, as Tal Ben Haim started at centre-half after impressing against Everton as a substitute. With Petr Cech injured, Carlo Cudicini continued in goal.Kalou celebrates his fifth goal of the campaign.With five English players in the Chelsea starting eleven, it was no surprise that the home crowd had a jeer-fest, booing the likes of Lampard, Wright-Phillips, Ashley Cole and John Terry, despite the fact the latter pair did not feature as England failed to qualify for the European Championship finals next summer. However, it was another Englishman in the Chelsea side who made the telling contribution.Simplicity was the key as Chelsea's one-touch passing tore open the Derby defence. Mikel and Lampard combined before Steven Sidwell slid through Salomon Kalou. With just a defender and the approaching Steven Bywater to beat, Kalou's first touch took both opposing players out of the equation before a composed finish saw the ball nestle in the bottom corner.The goal was the only real action of an otherwise lacklustre first-half. Cudicini had been relatively untested as Terry and Ben Haim mopped up any Derby attacks, and Frank Lampard's effort from range was all Chelsea could offer as they looked to turn the screw. However, the England midfielder's effort was well over the Derby crossbar. Kalou wasted the only other attempt late on. Latching onto a poor header by Claude Davis, the Ivorian wastefully volleyed over when scoring looked an easier option.The second half saw a more determined Derby take to the field as the home side looked to make an early response. Derby had a couple of chances in the opening five minutes, but neither seriously tested Carlo Cudicini, as Fagin wastefully shot wide when teenager Giles Barnes had made a run into the Chelsea six-yard box, before firing straight at Cudicini from eight yards moments later. The Derby number eleven beat left Ashley Cole wrong footed, and his shot was directed straight at the approaching Chelsea goalkeeper. Chelsea's inability to keep hold of possession was telling as the home side enjoyed several minutes of pressure, but Ben Haim did well to clear for Chelsea when a breakdown in communications occurred in the Chelsea backline.Kalou wastefully fires over from six yards.Lampard tested Bywater with a free kick; the Derby goalkeeper tipping the effort over. Chelsea finally got their reward when Andrei Shevchenko tackled Giles Barnes in the Derby half. The Ukrainian fed the ball to Mikel, before continuing his run. Drawing two Derby defenders with him, Mikel used Shevchenko as a decoy and passed to Frank Lampard. The Chelsea vice-captain did brilliantly to skip past two Derby defenders before firing against the upright. However, Wright-Phillips was in the right place at the right time, as he fired into an empty goal to seal the victory.Derby could have set up a grandstand finish, but Steve Howard headed wide with Cudicini beaten. The game finished on a sour note as Michael Essien was red-carded for an apparent elbow on Kenny Miller, although replays suggest that whilst a hand was used, the sending off was harsh."It was not an easy game, we played against a team that played for their life," began Avram Grant; speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live after the game. "We controlled the game totally, the ball was in our control all the time, we were not worried." _______________________________________Derby: Bywater, Griffin, Davis, Moore, Leacock, McEveley, Fagan (Earnshaw), Oakley (Feilhaber), Jones, Miller, Barnes (Howard).Subs Not Used: Price, Mears. Chelsea: Cudicini (6), Belletti (6), Terry (7), Ben-Haim (7), Ashley Cole (6), Mikel (6), Lampard (6) (Pizarro(6)), Sidwell (7) (Essien (6)), Wright-Phillips (7), Shevchenko (6), Kalou (7).Subs Not Used: Hilario, Joe Cole, Alex. Sent Off: Essien. Booked: Ashley Cole. Goals: Kalou 17, Wright-Phillips 73. Attendance: 32,789 Referee: Andre Marriner. Man of the Match : Salomon Kalou

Schalke 04 0 - 0 Chelsea 6 November, UEFA Champions League, Veltins ArenaRicardo Carvalho was in formidable mood as his defensive master class ensured a below-par Chelsea backline remained intact, after a 0-0 draw in Gelsenkirchen.The performance was a shaky one from Chelsea, who were fortunate to leave Germany with a share of the spoils after a tense but highly eventful draw with Schalke. Struggling domestically and loosing 2-0 at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago, a European match against Chelsea was the last the German team wanted.However, this was to be far from the truth, as the Schalke side were desperately unlucky not to win the match, after both Rafinha and later Petr Lovenkrands hit the woodwork with two classy attempts. Chelsea went close on a small number of occasions, but it was Didier Drogba who was presented the majority of the clear-cut opportunities for the London side, looking to continue both their excellent undefeated streak of eight games and their attacking brilliance by scoring past the Schalke side.With Rosenborg beating Valencia 2-0 at the Mestalla, a win would have seen Chelsea into the final sixteen with two games to play. An away trip to Rosenborg at the end of the month awaits the team who remain unbeaten in the competition thus far this season, before the home clash against Valencia in December.But two carelessly-conceded freekicks from a Chelsea point-of-view lead to good chances for captain Bordon and set-piece specialist Rakitic, before Didier Drogba's low effort lead to an excellent save from German goalkeeper Manu Neuer in goal for Schalke. It was the best possible start for the young German, who had been left red-faced by Florent Malouda's early opener thirteen days previous.Heiko Westermann, forced to play in midfield due to injury to the home team was enjoying his attacking forays down the Chelsea right, and with Juliano Belletti off-colour, it was no wonder he produced one of the best opportunities of the match for the hosts.Racing past the Brazilian with 19 minutes on the clock, Westermann forced a strong save from Petr Cech. A powerful effort from long range bounced in front of the Czech international, but the big goalkeeper got two fists behind the ball to punch away. The resulting corner lead to another glorious opportunity, but Cech would argue to have had Larsen's effort covered as it hit the side netting.He tested Cech once more four minutes later, again ghosting past Belletti. Cech did well to block, getting everything behind the attempt. Bordon had an excellent chance to open the scoring moments later when he fiercely headed over from seven yards with the Chelsea 'keeper stranded. Cech was replaced by Carlo Cudicini during half-time after injuring his thigh when he attempted to gather the ball from a Schalke corner. The Czech was fortunate when Belletti stabbed the ball away after Cech had flapped at the ball.Chelsea could have taken the lead, albeit undeservedly, before half-time, but Drogba's shot was tame and did not trouble Neuer who eventually gathered. Strong play down the right from Joe Cole had lead to a great opportunity for the Ivorian, looking to continue his rich vein of domestic form, but fired straight at the German between the posts.The second half saw more desperate defending by Chelsea as the home side looked to take advantage of the West London team's poor defensive display, but Carvalho and Alex stood in the way of the German side, missing talismanic front man Kevin Kuranyi. Cudicini was also in fine form, making several excellent catches under pressure and an instinctive reaction save from a wonderful opportunist's effort by Ozil.But by the hour mark, Schalke legs began to go as the Chelsea midfield began to weather the storm by introducing John Obi Mikel to add some influence to the middle of the park. The Nigerian's introduction was immediately influential as his presence added some calm into the Chelsea team who began to pass with more confidence.But despite their growing form on the ball, Schalke were still looking deadly on the break as ex-Rangers man Peter Lovenkrands was taking on make-shift right-back Michael Essien, who took up defensive duties from Belletti after the Brazilian was substituted for Mikel.They could have lost when Rafinha's delicate chip hit the bar, with the most eagle-eyed of spectators noticing Carlo Cudicini got the faintest of touches to the ball. Lovenkrands almost made his presence felt when he finally broke down the Chelsea defence, only for his strike to hit the post.Schalke were desperately unlucky, but this point is a welcome one for Chelsea who were clearly second-best all night.Schalke 04: Neuer, Rafinha, Bordon, Krstajic, Westermann, Jones, Bajramovic, Asamoah, Rakitic, Ozil (Lovenkrands 60), Larsen. Subs not used: Schober, Grossmuller, Howedes, Azaouagh. Booked: Rakitic. Chelsea: Cech, 6 Belletti, 5, Alex, 6, Carvalho, 9, Bridge, 6, Lampard, 6, Makelele, 6, Essien, 7, Malouda, 5, Joe Cole, 6, Drogba, 5Subs Used: Cudicini, 6, Wright-Phillips, 6, Mikel, 7Subs Not Used: Shevchenko, Pizarro, Kalou, Ben-Haim. Booked: EssienAttendance: 53,951 Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland). Star Man6. Carvalho

Chelsea 2-0 Schalke 04 24 October, UEFA Champions League, Stamford BridgeGoals from Florent Malouda and Didier Drogba saw Chelsea dispatch Schalke 04 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to put the London club on the brink of qualification from their group, and ensure Roman Abramovich had an enjoyable birthday.The three points sees Chelsea three ahead of Norwegian side Rosenborg, who beat Valencia 2-0 in the surprise result of the night. Chelsea travel for the return game in Schalke in two week's time, knowing a victory there would almost guarantee qualification.For the game against the German Bundesliga runner's-up the season before, Juliano Belletti dropped to the bench as Wayne Bridge occupied the left-back spot; making his first start of the campaign. Paulo Ferreira began at right-back for the home side, with Claude Makelele playing alongside Essien and captain Lampard.The game began with Chelsea surging forward, showing signs of good promise. It was only the night before that Avram Grant was asking for more attacking football, and it took just four minutes for Florent Malouda to break the deadlock, albeit rather fortuitously.Frank Lampard floated a long ball to Drogba, who used his chest to feed the ball into the path of the French winger. Cut inside and out to leave covering defender Rafinha helpless, Malouda fired a tame shot which went through the hands of Schalke goalkeeper Manu Neuer. However, Chelsea began to sat back allowing Schalke to come forward and attack. The German side were missing talismanic striker Kevin Kuranyi, and their alack of attacking options was obvious as Ricardo Carvalho once again excelled in defence for the West London side. Chelsea were unable to turn the screw, despite have the majority of possession, and were almost made to pay on twenty-eight minutes.Schalke, missing eight players through injury, were left fuming when Carlos Grossmuller's excellent turn and shot was deemed offside, although replays indicated the Schalke player was marginally offside. Ernst went close; firing over with a long-range effort, and Joe Cole produced a decent save from the young goalkeeper between the Schalke posts.Neuer again thwarted Chelsea with an excellent save from a Michael Essien header; the German diving to his left and clutching the ball with two strong hands. But by the beginning of the second half, Chelsea were once again allowed to flourish, and early pressure again paid dividends.Paulo Ferreira was allowed space on the right flank and an excellent cross saw Didier Drogba connect with a fabulous diving header from close range to put Chelsea in the driving seat. Whilst the goal effectively killed the game, it was Drogba's 14th Champions League goal for the club, and his second in the competition thus far this campaign.However, Schalke were determined to make a game of the encounter, and went closest through a header from Larsen. The player's effort cannoned off the post and into the arms of a welcome Petr Cech; the Chelsea goalkeeper worried seriously for the first time in the game.Decent claims for penalties for either team were turned down when Alex tugged back Larsen inside the penalty area, but Drogba was then hacked down clearly by Bordon, the referee at least consistent.Chelsea: Cech, 6 Ferreira, 6, Alex, 6, Carvalho, 7, Bridge, 7, Lampard, 7, Makelele, 6, Essien, 7, Malouda, 8, Joe Cole, 8, Drogba, 7Subs Used: Mikel, 7, Shevchenko, 6, Kalou, 6Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Ben Haim, Pizarro, BellettiSchalke 04: Neuer, Rafinha, Westermann, Bordon, Rodriguez (Bajramovic 81), Ernst, Jones, Grossmuller (Azaouagh 76), Asamoah (Rakitic 61), Lovenkrands, Larsen.Subs not used: Schober, Howedes. Booked: Jones, Rodriguez. Attendance: 40,910 Referee: Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden).

Chelsea 6-0 Manchester City 29 October, FA Premier League, Stamford BridgeMichael Essien's early breakthrough put Chelsea on the road to victory at Stamford Bridge, as the home team hit Sven Goran Eriksson's Manchester City for six.Didier Drogba scored a goal either side of half-time, before Joe Cole put the game beyond all doubt with the fourth goal on the hour mark. Chelsea pressed on, and Salomon Kalou netted his fourth goal of the season before Andrei Shevchenko completed the rout to see Chelsea into fourth place.With Manchester City flying high, it was only a matter of time before a team burst their bubble, but even the most optimistic of Chelsea fans would not have expected such an emphatic display from their team, with faultless performances by Michael Essien, Juliano Belletti and Frank Lampard.Despite a man of the match performance in midweek, Florent Malouda was not included in the sixteen, and Shaun Wright-Phillips' exclusion from the squad raised several eyebrows. Avram Grant saw fit to bring John Obi Mikel into midfield in place of the French winger, with Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou supporting Didier Drogba in a 4-3-3 formation.There was a place on the bench for both Shevchenko and Pizarro, and the pair would be instrumental in the second half. The game was also Petr Cech's 100th Premier League appearance, the Chelsea stopper put in an excellent performance to hold back Manchester City and the in-form Elano Bulmer.But the early pressure was piled on by the visiting side, with Petr Cech reacting well to push away Elano's chipped pass to Stephen Ireland, who failed to make a connection with the ball. The Czech international then pulled off a stunning save, tipping away Martin Petrov's superb free-kick.These two signals of intent from City were enough to galvanise the Blues, and it wasn't long before Michael Essien gave the home side a much-deserved lead. Lampard's clever pass put Essien through, and the Ghanaian made no mistake, thumping home from eight yards. With Lampard taking much of the applause, it was no wonder to see the Chelsea captain enjoying himself.He had a hand in the second goal, with a wonderful pass to Drogba splitting open to City defence. The England midfielder bent the ball with the outside of his boot to Drogba and beyond Micah Richards, with the Ivorian talisman slipping home his fourth goal of the season.Chelsea were rampant and could have had five before the break. With two genuine penalty claims turned down, included a blatant trip by Didi Hamann, it took a fine save from Joe Hart to prevent Kalou from getting on the score sheet.However, City's resistance was short-lived, as two goals within the first fifteen minutes of the second half put the game beyond all doubt. Drogba showed a great deal of strength to burst into the box before hammering home from seven yards, before Joe Cole put Chelsea 4-0 to the good. Latching onto Drogba's cushioned header, the midfielder surged past Micah Richards and smashed home his first goal of the season. Kalou had skied over an earlier chance.Drogba could have had a hat-trick but fired wide, before Lampard had a shot on goal saved well by Joe Hart. The young goalkeeper berated his defenders, but with the midfield not helping out with defensive duties, it was no wonder to see City fall even further behind when Salomon Kalou scored his second goal in three league matches.Michael Essien turned provider, and picked out Kalou with a clever pass. The Ivorian striker planted the ball into the bottom corner before substitute Andrei Shevchenko fired home the sixth after Essien and Pizarro combined.The win is Chelsea's fifth consecutive victory in all competitions, and the Blues have yet to concede a single Premier League goal since September. With Leicester in the Carling Cup, followed by a trip to the JJB Stadium to play Wigan, top spot is certainly on the agenda for Chelsea Football Club.Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech, 7 Belletti, 8, Alex, 6, Carvalho, 7, Ferreira, 6, Lampard, 9, Mikel, 7, Essien, 9, Kalou, 7, Joe Cole, 8, Drogba, 9Subs Used: Shevchenko, 6, Pizarro, 6Subs Not Used: Cudicini, Ben Haim, MakeleleBooked: LampardMan City (4-4-2): Hart; Corluka, Richards, Dunne ©, Garrido; Johnson, Hamann (Ball 65), Petrov, Ireland (Vassell 63); Elano (Bianchi 71), Samaras.Booked: Richards, JohnsonAttendance: 41,883Referee: Mike RileyStar ManFrank Lampard