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Should be a really good game. There is not much difference between from us 2 apart from they have 2 clinical strikers who will score if we slip up in the slightest but on paper we are both evenly matched. They are a much bigger force compared to the team we beat 3-0 at Paris a few years ago. Ibra against Terry should be an excellent battle though. Look forward to it. But there is something about us that when we play in the UCL I believe we can get past anyone. Just look at some of our historic matches in the past. Second leg at our ground hopefully is a bonus. Has helped us a lot of over the years. Liverpool, Barca, Gala, Napoli... and most of the times the games have been absolutely epic and thrilling to watch.

Strike is right. It is Alex and Silva the preferred two. Marquinhos gets the odd game but in a big game, most times you will see Alex and Silva. Marquinhos gets a lot of game time though. He is rotated in a lot but for the game against us expect too see Silva and Alex if they are fit.

IMO, that is where they are lacking recently. Last week when they edged past Spurs, they were lacking in the pace department. When Walcott is unavailable they have to rely on the flair and technical ability of their players. Pace is not a problem which we should be concerned about on Saturday unless they play Chamberlain on the wings but he is no Walcott and when Walcott is not playing Giroud is more ineffective. I see no reason as to why we can't win on Saturday. Hope Mourinho goes out positive and we beat them because they have more to fear of us than we fear of them.

You can't appeal against two yellow cards so Willian is definitely unavailable.

Got to disagree with you there. We went OT earlier in the season and drew 0-0. They went OT and completely destroyed them. While I agree we deserved the win at Stamford Bridge against Liverpool we were very fortunate in the fact that 2 of their key players in Gerrard and Sturridge were out injured and they should of had a clear penalty. If Gerrard and Sturridge was playing you could easily argue that the result may have been different, who knows. Liverpool will strengthen in the summer, especially with the lure of CL football and I think Rodgers has done an excellent job. He is improving them and with him in charge are going in the right direction. I think it is quite naive and oblivious to right of Liverpool looking at their fixtures and the fact that both us and City are playing Liverpool at Anfield.

Would be ludicrous to even consider selling Lukaku. As Drogba said himself when he was around the same age he was playing second division football in France IIRC. He has got into double figures in arguably the best league in the world for 2 seasons running at the age of 19/20. Magnificent achievement. Even people who criticise him must take into account that he is only 20. By the time he gets to the age of 23-25 we may have a truly complete striker who might be considered as one of the best forwards around. Mourinh must know that. For the long term future of the club it would be vital to keep him as he has got everything you want in a forward: pace, strength and goals. There would be no sense in selling our best striker who is only 20 and knows how to find the back of the net and is always improving. Should not even contemplate selling him.

As soon as Ramires was given the yellow I just knew he was a bomb waiting to tick off. Just knew he was going to get sent off. He really can be clumsy sometimes, it is absolutely ridiculous. Same match last season he got sent off as well for another stupid challenge. We will move on. Foy is just a total prick and ruined it for us. Hope we prove this game was a one-off as I am confident of us beating Arsenal next week. But once again I thought Azpi was very good. Played his heart out for the team and impresses me match after match. With Arbeloa out for 2 months and possibly more I hope Azpi can keep proving that he is deserving of that RB slot.

Whatever team you choose Mourinho, just please don't play Ramires at RW. Hope we just go out there and play our normal game with the natural players playing in their natural position.

And he is still in school. The amazing thing. He is not even counted as a first year scholar yet which is amazing.

Our youth team have made it to the semi-finals for the fifth consecutive year after beating Newcastle 3-2 at St James Park. Goalscorers were Solanke, Kiwomya and Boga. We now face Arsenal in the semis. Bring it on!

I never accused you of calling him naive. I am stating that Mourinho in other words would be underestimating Villa by dropping him. I don't like to call ourselves a one man team but we can see that Hazard is just too good to leave out. I mean even though Schurrle got a hattrick against Fulham, it was Hazard who was at the forefront of most goals. I agree with you that Mourinho will want to make sure we do not drop points and that is why I expect Hazard to play the whole game unless we are battering them then he decides to rest him. Mourinho will know although there is a huge points difference between ourselves and Villa, games like this are very hard tests and sometimes is just an odd goals that separates the game. You don't expect us to drop points against teams like Villa but we shouldnt go with the attitude that 'it is a game we should win so let's rest our best player'. There are 9 cup finals left and we should expect to see Hazard starting every single one of them if I am to be honest. It should not deflate us at all by thinking he needs to play for us to win. Ronaldo plays like every single game for Real when he is fit and he is the difference. He is too good to leave out and while Hazard is not as good as Ronaldo he is certainly on another level to most players in our team and in the Prem. He has had a full weeks rest so he should start 100%. Anything else and I would be shocked.

Mourinho is not naïve to leave out Hazard and he certainly will not risk Salah to start ahead of him for this match. The Villa game is the main priority then once that is done we can focus on Gala. Our key players like Hazard will start. "Something about this fixture" is that going to Villa Park has never proved easy and that is why we will see our strongest line up with maybe 2 changes but not Hazard.

Of course Hazard is not going to be rested. He is our best player and Mourinho reiterated the other day that he is too important to rest right now. We will have a whole week's rest till Saturday so no need to rest him despite the UCL game in the week and Arsenal following up. We don't rest our best player in vital games like these. Right now the PL is a much more realistic target than the UCL and every game counts. One slip up might just cost us so there is no time for complacency. Hazard must and will start. This is not an easy game.

He is scoring and that is good for him and us. However he is scoring in the Championship. Ba scored around 17 goals or so for Newcastle last season or so iirc but is finding the step up to Chelsea more difficult. With all respects to Bamford I reckon he is a dark horse to make it here but if you ask me would he get into double figures at us or another team in the PL right as of now I would say no. The step up is completely different. Playing regularly at Derby will improve llhis development rather than waiting here to play. He is also behind Lukaku who has played a full season in the PL and still finds himself out on loan and is better than Bamford. He might take part in the pre-season friendlies but I expect him to go out on loan again as imo and Jose's I would assume he is not ready to make the mark at us just yet.

Yes and that is why he has come on in matches when we looked bereft of ideas attacking but he never really changed the game and then Schurrle got form and edged Salah away from the team. Well I won't say it like that but a reason we have been winning recently is because of the team blend and some individual brilliance and right now just don't think Salah has as that team chemistry as he has not been here that long.

So because we bought him that means he should play? That is what you are suggesting. Be serious. You don't take chances when you are chasing the title. You might rotate the odd 2 players but apart from that you want to see more or less your best team or players who have been playing regularly. Salah has just joined and he needs some adjusting time. We want to win the league, not play around with it. This is not friendly matches. I think Mourinho has used Salah in the right way, especially when you see that we are top of the league.

Just seen some of these posts not but that is ludicrous to suggest Bamford is better than Eto'o or even Ba. Bamford is scoring goals but it is not the PL. If he made the step up to the PL right now he would struggle. Just because you see him scoring goals don't be naive to think he is better than our current strikers because he is not at all ready for us and him being out on loan will benefit him. If Ba was at that level he would be scoring goals galore. Just remember his goal record at Newcastle. He just has not had the same impact at Chelsea. There is a huge difference in quality between the PL and Championship.

Don't be so gullible to every rumour you hear. The story about PSG bidding £40m is probably full on bullshit.

There is no way Salah is going to start. He has not started a game for us so far and as expected with the adjustment process, he has looked a little out of place when he has been involved. If Mourinho has not started him since he has joined he will not just throw him in for a game like this. Every game we now have is a cup final. I don't expect him to start any games tbh as I reckon all games will count in the PL race and it might just well go down to the final day so Mourinho certainly will not be starting him imo, especially as he already indicated Salah is a player for next season. Also no reason to rest/rotate Azpi. He will start and Cole will either be on the bench or remain sidelined.

Well it balances itself out. Scored one in the first half and messed up a counter attack which he should have done better with. Second half he done brilliantly to get the ball of Vermaelen and played in Barkley brilliantly but he was not able to convert the chance. Not a brilliant game and not a poor one. But I would rather concentrate on the fact that he has 2 goals in 2 games since returning from injury and I am hopeful he will add to his tally against Cardiff next week.

Arsenal were relieved when Drogba finally left us. Lukaku is going to pick up just where Drogba left off by being a constant thorn for Arsenal

Belgian coach confirmed he will not use him for more than 20 mins. Thanks god for that

The same people who say it is only 1 game and that does not mean anything etc also have to understand he is a young player who is in his first season in the PL and has scored a few goals this season and while there is room for improvement he will get better and like we saw at Leverkusen I am sure he will score more as well.

Has also been excellent this season in the Uefa Youth League and if the U19 progress and he continues with his form he probably will end up player of the tournament for this season as well. Yes, fully agree with Solanke. Massive talent and what will help him progress here over other strikers we have is that he is extremely powerful and fast. He is still only a schoolboy as well so he is not even a 1st year scholar yet. Should develop into a top notch centre forward and hopefully with us!

Got a feeling that Baker might just be the next big thing after Terry to make a mark here. He is a proper CM. Can pass, shoot, brilliant technically with either foot, physically strong, excellent set piece taker and he is only 18. No wonder he captains the U21. Natural leader, composed and makes things look so easy. He pretty much has the full package and hopefully it is not too long before he gets a U21 call but he will need proper first team competitive football first. Expect him to go out loan next season which hopefully will be brilliant for his development and our assessment to see where he is at. Not to mention that his goalscoring record for someone a CM is absolutely brilliant. Second season in a row he is in double figures IIRC. Nearly on 20 or so it seems this season. Top talent!