Jase

This.

Marin is injured...again. http://www.chelseafc.com/news-article/article/2956565/title/level-setting-for-shakhtar P.S That was quoted from the second paragraph in the article.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/blog/_/name/kickingandscreaming/id/124?cc=4716 An article written by an Arsenal fan on Mata and this game. Wonderful piece!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/oct/22/henrik-mkhitaryan-shakhtar-donetsk An article by Jonathan Wilson on one of Shakhtar's dangerman ahead of this game.

Bosingwa-esque defending. If you look at one of the angles in the repeat of Mata's second goal, you can see that Walker had a look at where Mata was but didn't even bother to track him. Tottenham's greatest ever right back? HA!

That's because he had the better players and ones that are more suited to pressing than the team AVB managed last season.

The referee for this game will be Damir Skomina from Slovenia. He has previously officiated two of our games, the 2-1 home win against Benfica last season and that 4-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid earlier this season. Skomina has also officiated a game involving Shakhtar before and that was way back in 2007, where they lost 1-0 to FC Salzburg. His most recent match in the Champions League that he officiated is Madrid's 3-2 win over City last month. Just to add, Shakhtar are unbeaten at home against English oppositions, having won 3 and drew 1 of the 4 meetings and funnily enough, all of those came against London teams. They beaten Tottenham and Arsenal(twice) there. Only Fulham escaped with a draw against Shakhtar in Ukraine back in 2010 in the Europa League. Here's the UEFA Match Press Kit, if anyone is interested with all those said information in it as well as others too.

Funny how this story comes up after Mikel had an excellent game against Spurs. Sounds like BS transfer story from the media, trying to unsettle the team in any way they can. As some have pointed out, can't see Barcelona selling him when he's pivotal to the way they play.

Not sure if PVA would want to stay and play as back-up to Bertrand though. At his age now, he would want to be playing week in week out to develop his career and himself further.

In your book, that would be yes.

Not necessarily. We have been fortunate to have always faced a lower league opposition in the past 7-8 years at home in the 3rd round. That streak is bound to end at some point.

And next up for them is a trip to the Emirates Stadium. Easy.

Yeah but depending on the opposition. No way we should just forgo the FA Cup, not after when we have won 4 of the last 6 FA Cup seasons. Think it's a trophy that most fans likes and want us to win it.

Said "as player and manager". Being an assistant doesn't count.

Sounds like a BS transfer story to me. We have Romeu playing as back-up to Mikel now and Busquets is pivotal to how Barcelona plays. Why would they even let him go in the first place?!

Wouldn't say our defence have been watertight either. Norwich caused several us problems defensively and created some good chances last week. Then yesterday, there were some poor marking from set pieces as well as our failure to prevent crosses coming into our own penalty box. Really need to sort that out ASAP.

Cech. He's the immediate person to take the captain's armband if both Terry and Lampard are not playing.

His presence will be sorely missed when he goes to the ACON in January. Hope Romeu can come in and do a good job in his place.

More worried about Van Persie. He has been terrific goalscoring form since joining United and of course, he scored a hat-trick at the Bridge last season.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2012/oct/20/roberto-di-matteo-chelsea?CMP=twt_gu http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2012/10/villas-boas_headline.html Two articles praising us and our new exciting style of play after the win yesterday.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/salomon-kalou-why-i-am-still-happy-to-back-terry-8219478.html A good interview with Kalou to read. Also spoke about Terry in relation to the recent racial issue.

Falcao said this... http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/8184583/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=twitterfeed

As amazing as that was, it was still a risky thing to do. Had he lost the ball there and Spurs went on to score, he would probably have been slaughtered for over-elaborating there.

Here's what a Spanish journalist said.