CHELSEA 1 - BURNLEY 1 (BURNLEY WON PENALTIES)

Burnley are through to the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup after
sensationally knocking Chelsea out on penalties. The match was tied at
1-1 after 90 minutes, before both team failed to score anymore in the
extra-time.

Chelsea opened the scoring after 37th minutes through Didier Drogba,
who has just returned from injury. However, Burnley equalised by
Akinbiyi goal in the 70th minute. The scored tied until the end of
extra-time. Obi Mikel and Wayne Bridge failed to score from the spot.

TERRY SALUTES ANELKA

Chelsea captain, John Terry hailed Nicolas Anelka after the
Frenchman's rich vein of striking form saw Chelsea return to the top
of the table with a 2-0 win over Blackburn Rovers on Sunday. Anelka
grabbed both goals at a rain-soaked Ewood Park to give him 10 goals
for the season and take him clear as the Premier League's top scorer.

Anelka's form means Chelsea are hardly missing Didier Drogba, who is
still not ready to return to first team action after injuring his knee
whilst on Champions League duty against CFR Cluj in early October.
Anelka's brace took his weekly goals total to five after hitting a
hat-trick in last week's 5-0 demolition of Sunderland. Chelsea's first
goal came after Jose Bosingwa's long-range shot hit Anelka and
deflected in.

Premier League Leading Goal Scorers @ 10/11/08
Nicolas Anelka 10
Amr Zaki 8
Darren Bent 7
Robinho 7
Jermain Defoe 6

CHELSEA 2 - BLACKBURN 0

Chelsea are back on top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win over
Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. The shot from Bosingwa was deflected
by Nicolas Anelka to wrong-foot Rovers' keeper Paul Robinson for the
first.

The French striker doubles the Blues' lead with another goal in the
68th minutes from a through ball by Frank Lampard which is also his
10th of the season. Despite the rain, Blackburn made it a difficult
task for Chelsea to collect a full 3 points from Ewood Park. Finally,
the Blues' victory was achieved without Didier Drogba, but Anelka has
established himself as the club's current favourite.

THE PREMIER LEAGUE IS VERY PHYSICAL

Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari is enjoying managing in the
physicality of the Premier League. The committed nature of England's
top flight has been called into question following Arsenal's loss to
Stoke City last weekend.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger intimated that some Potters players sought
to injure his squad during the encounter. Scolari concedes the Premier
League is a combative division but is not of the belief that players'
safety is in jeopardy.

OWEN IS HEADING FOR STAMFORD BRIDGE?

Michael Owen can be at Chelsea in January, as reported by a few British media. The Newcastle striker is expected to join Stamford Bridge for £5million, as the Blues is looking for some cut-price forwards. Their main target, Luis Fabiano of Sevilla, is now too expensive, at £25million.

Owen's contract set to run out next summer, the Stamford Bridge outfit hope they will be able to land their target on the cheap, although whether they will be keen to match his approximate £120,000-a-week salary is another question. Chelsea might face competition from North London rivals Spurs, also interested in Owen, who consider the Newcastle man a cheaper alternative to another of their reported targets, White Hart Lane old boy Jermain Defoe.

BOLA BOYZ CHELSEA

ROMA 3 - CHELSEA 1

Chelsea suffered the first loss of their UEFA Champions League campaign after going down 3-1 to Roma in the Stadio Olimpico. Two costly errors by John Mikel Obi sent 10-man Chelsea crashing to shock defeat to Serie A strugglers Roma.

 

The hosts stormed into a three-goal lead inside 58 minutes thanks to Christian Panucci and two goals from Mirko Vucinic. Chelsea reduced the deficit through captain John Terry in the 75th minute. It was not enough to save them from a humiliating defeat, their worst since 5-1 thrashing by Barcelona in 2000. Their miserable night ended in more woe with Deco dismissed for a second bookable offence in the 80th minute.

 

BOLA BOYZ  CHELSEA  

BALLACK IS STILL GERMAN'S SKIPPER

Michael Ballack will remain Germany's captain after apologizing for and settling his differences with coach Joachim Loew during a private talk. The German football federation took nearly 24 hours to give a statement on the meeting that took place on Thursday evening.

 

Ballack caused an uproar last week when he criticize Loew's selection of players and accuse the coach of showing disrespect to some older players in a newspaper interview to . Loew reacted by requesting the Chelsea midfielder to explain his statements in person.

 

BOLA BOYZ   CHELSEA

ESSIEN COULD BE OUT TILL MARCH

Injured Chelsea star Michael Essien has admitted it could be as late as March before he returns to action. The Ghana midfielder needed surgery on a knee injury after landing awkwardly during the World Cup qualifier against Libya in September.

 

Chelsea manager Luiz Felipe Scolari claimed earlier in the week that Essien could be back by January but the 25-year-old, currently at the Centre Technique National Fernand-Sastre (CTNFS) in Clairefontaine, France, believes he could be sidelined for longer.

 

BOLA BOYZ   CHELSEA

LAMPARD PICKS RONALDO AS BEST PLAYER

Frank Lampard feels Cristiano Ronaldo would be a worthy recipient of the FIFA World Player of the Year award. The Chelsea midfielder feels that with Ronaldo's 42 goals in a season, performances and wins the league and the Champions League is going to be hard to beat.

 

He also agrees with Ronaldo;s remark that The World Player of the Year award should go to a top player, and it goes generally to those that have won things as well. Both midfielders were named on the shortlist for the prestigious gong this week.

 

NO HAL   GOOD FOOD   MAT KEPOH   TIME FOR LAUGH

CHELSEA 5 - SUNDERLAND 0

A hattrick by Nicolas Anelka proves that he is still the man to watch at Chelsea. The teeming rain which drenched Stamford Bridge didn't stop The Blues from recording a big win over helpless Sunderland who lost manager Roy Keane after half-time verbal argument with the officials.

 

Chelsea opened the scoring through Alex, and Frank Lampard didn't want to miss the joy too as he scored the fouth goal of match. Joe Cole and Deco also played their best football as they created so many scoring chances for the forwards.