First...
Fulham 0-1 Chelsea (Crespo)
Tight game, Fulham obviously going for the goalless draw, but Crespo scored with an excellent header from a peach of a cross from Bridge.

Then...
Charlton 4-2 Chelsea (Hreidarsson, Terry, Johansson, Holland, Euell, Gudjohnsen)
Ended up laughing, because it was unbelievable the way our defence crumbled. Everyone pointed the finger at Dessa, who lost out in the air to Holland for the second goal, but I thought Terry had a worse game, with poor marking for Hreidarsson's header and letting Di Canio run rings around him for Charlton's third.

Bright spot was Guddy's performance when he came on in the second half, all our best attacks flowed through him.

Aston Villa 2-1 Chelsea (Angel, Cole, McCann)
Official Chelsea website report:
Chelsea crashed out of the Carling Cup 2-1 at freezing Villa Park tonight with a disjointed display from an experimental team. Joe Cole’s second-half equaliser to Juan Pablo Angel’s opener had briefly given the Blues hope until Gavin McCann’s late winner.

Just as against Bolton on Saturday, Chelsea enjoyed lots of possession but created very few clear cut chances. Like Bolton, too, Villa at times harassed Chelsea’s 3-4-3 formation into errors and hasty negativity.

Claudio Ranieri opted for three at the back and three upfront and, frankly, it did not work. Damien Duff looked restricted on the right of the attack and was subbed in the second half; Glenn Johnson was out of touch just behind him and was also taken off.

Celestine Babayaro and William Gallas saw lots of possession on the other side but could not make it tell. Even after a double substitution on the hour and a switch to a back four, the rearguard was often caught flat-footed.

And despite another feisty showing by Geremi, Claude Makelele looked like he missed sub Frank Lampard. The England midfielder who has had such a good season so far was inevitably brought on with the score 0-1 at half-time – but for the Frenchman, nursing a mild hamstring problem, rather than Cameroonian.

Villa’s first goal had been disappointing from Chelsea point-of-view but Angel – always a threat – struck the ball beautifully past Neil Sullivan, having capitalised on William Gallas’s misjudged header and John Terry’s too-hasty challenge.

By that time Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Joe Cole had flashed shots wide. Then, as Villa tired and Chelsea’s possession increased, Cole again went on a jinking run that ended in a 22-yard shot that Sorenson saved at a stretch.

Cole looked the most likely to create a genuine opening with his directness, and Delaney was booked trying to stop him, but it was his finishing that was required midway through the second half.

Action in the Villa box was fumbling and frustrating. Five minutes into the second half Gallas knocked down a Hasselbaink cross, but no one could connect. The Dutchman immediately whipped in a superb corner but again no Chelsea player got a touch.

Once Hernan Crespo and Jesper Gronkjaer came on Ranieri switched to a 4-4-2 and the impact was immediate, going forwards if not at the back.

Suddenly Chelsea came alive. On the hour Gronkjaer raced onto a great long ball and drove home but was dubiously flagged offside.

Now Crespo showed his quality in three consecutive moves. When Babayaro slipped a ball to him wide, a neat trick took the Argentinean into the box but his dangerous cross was cleared. Then his elusive run was met by Lampard’s deft pass but, one-on-one, he screwed wide of Sorenson.

Finally, on 69 minutes Crespo was again found in space on the edge of the box. He delayed his pass superbly and fed Joe Cole, whose side-foot went in off the Villa keeper. It was the one Chelsea move that had the finesse to open Villa up.

Within eight minutes, though, inept defending allowed Angel to shoot from deep through a mass of bodies. Sullivan parried into the danger area and Gavin McCann was first to follow up and score.

Chelsea tried to rouse themselves for another response. A Babayaro cross was knocked down by Hasselbaink but Crespo, falling, couldn’t control his drive from eight yards.

In injury time John Terry, earlier booked for a foul, had a power-drive header saved brilliantly at close-range by Sorenson, and Joe Cole hit the side-netting with a stinging volley.

It may not have been the most important competition to Chelsea, but how Claudio Ranieri would have loved to have won some early silverware.

And how the team need a win now against Fulham after back-to-back defeats and no win in three matches.

The crowd was 30,414.

Chelsea 1-2 Bolton (Crespo, N'Gotty, Terry [og])

Dominated first half, should have scored more. Duff sending in several dangerous crosses, some high, some low across goal, but all not capitalised on by Mutu and Crespo. Goal came from a corner, Terry headed the ball towards goal, where it probably would have been saved if Crespo hadn't nodded it in from close range. Bolton equalised with practically their only chance of the half, N'Gotty with an unsavable header from a free-kick.

Second half was much like the one against Leeds. Bolton clogging up play in their half, Chelsea giving the ball away stupidly at times and seeming too nervous. Then they delivered the sucker punch on 88 mins. Johnson just let Pedersen drift past him, and the shot from a tight angle deflected off Terry to leave Cudicini with no chance.

CL draw:
Stuttgart v Chelsea
Porto v Man Utd
Real Sociedad v Lyon
Celta Vigo v Arsenal
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
Sparta Prague v Milan
Deportivo La Coruna v Juventus
Lokomotiv Moscow v Monaco

Not too bad. Bayern v Real looks tasty.

Lyon, Arse, Monaco, Juve, Manure, Real, Chelsea, Milan are seeded for the next round of the CL.

The rest are Bayern, Locomotiv Moscow, Deportivo, Real Sociedad, Stuttgart, Porto, Sparta Prague, Celta Vigo.

Draw for next round tomorrow. Stuttgart looks the weakest possibility besides Sparta, whom we cannot draw.

Besiktas 0-2 Chelsea (JFH, Bridge)

Not mentioned much in the report was the crowd's behaviour. Throwing missiles and spitting at the players and the bench, so that the bench ended up huddling under cheerful blue-and-white umbrellas. The amount of toilet paper thrown into that corner could have been a whole forest, and was utterly silly. I sympathised with the stewards as they desperately dragged the stuff off the pitch while more streamed down from above. And the announcer kept trying to whip the crowd into a frenzy with "hysterical urgings".

Elsewhere, Sparta grabbed an injury time winner against Lazio, dramatically sending Besiktas into the UEFA Cup as well. Milan did no favours for Club Brugge when their reserves were beaten by Celta Vigo.

And more praise:
''Forget Tinkerman, Ranieri is all thinker''.......
By Matt Hughes, Evening Standard, in Gelsenkirchen
10 December 2003
Besiktas 0 Chelsea 2

Perhaps Claudio Ranieri is a tactical genius after all. The Italian has been widely mocked for changing his team more often than his trousers, but last night's selection was just right as Chelsea recorded a hugely impressive victory in a hostile environment.

Just when you thought he had run out of pots and pans the Tinkerman struck again, with a new shape and strategy. As well as the now-customary five changes Ranieri reverted to a back three and played Jesper Gronkjaer out of position up front, which worked a treat. Besiktas were never allowed into the game and the visitors' packed midfield ensured complete control. Despite his own desire to be called a tinkerer, Ranieri deserves to be known as the Thinkerman.

The modest manager refused to take credit for a result that ensured Chelsea will be seeded for Friday's second-round draw in Nyon, but the people that matter have noted his progress. Roman Abramovich is known to be very impressed with a man he had not heard of 12 months ago and it's no coincidence that Sven-Goran Eriksson has been making more positive noises about staying with England.

Ranieri said: "Abramovich was the first person in the dressing room at the end and he just said 'well done' to us. He's a very kind person.

"I am very pleased with my players and the feeling between me and them is very strong. This was a big step for us and a very good performance. We could still draw Celta Vigo or Porto and must be in a good condition in February."

Chelsea's progress in Europe has been even more impressive than their domestic form. Ranieri's side have won all three of their away games, scoring seven times without conceding a single goal, and dominated a group containing sides such as Lazio and Besiktas. Their fivepoint winning margin is a chasm in the group stages and, apart from the blip against Besiktas at home, they have been a class apart.

Despite the wealth of attacking resources at Ranieri's disposal and his expertise in rotating them, a sound defence has been the key. He is Italian, after all. Carlo Cudicini has been beaten just once in the last nine matches and should such parsimony continue then Chelsea could go all the way on all fronts. Frank Lampard, for one, believes that they have the ability to return to Gelsenkirchen for the Champions League final in May.

He said: "We've had a taster and want to come back here next year for the final. The pitch isn't the best but it's one of the best stadiums around. This is one of the best nights ever and is right up there. Lazio was fantastic for us, Istanbul for England was good, but this is up there. Against some really hostile fans this is a great result.

"We've looked a real class act throughout the group stages. Our away record is brilliant and that's something we have to carry through. It's very difficult in the Champions League but we know we can go away and get a result."

Having shrugged off a torrent of missiles and silenced a Turkish crowd that bayed for blood, Chelsea will rightly feel they can win anywhere in the world. While the 4-0 victory in Lazio was noteworthy for the breathtaking quality of their attacking football, this performance was in some ways more impressive, consummately professional in a game they did not even need to win.

Besiktas had just one shot on target, a limp one at that, and Chelsea had several chances to score before Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Wayne Bridge sealed the victory with late goals.

Celestine Babayaro and Geremi both missed good chances but the scorers deserved their milestones, Hasselbaink celebrating his first Champions League goal and Bridge opening his Chelsea account.

Lampard added: "We couldn't really have played better as a team. We passed the ball around when we could've come here and been sloppy as we'd already qualified, but we were really professional.

"The all-round team performance was brilliant. We've got a big squad now and it's really paying off. Everyone sticks together and no one moans when they're left out. Everyone who comes in does a job for the team."

For that the manager, above all, deserves the utmost credit.

Ranieri made his players train for 10 minutes on the pitch after the game before giving them today off, and he is now already preparing for Saturday's Premiership game against Bolton.

Hasselbaink said: "The boss is already talking about the next game, it's just the way he is. He knows we're happy but is already planning ahead. He doesn't want to let us dream and straight away, in nice English, tells us to forget about this and think about Saturday.

"That game is very important as well. I think it's going to be an extremely hard match for us, as every Premiership match is hard."

Hasselbaink is hoping his first goal in the Champions League proper will prove enough to keep him in the side.

He added: "It's important for me to score, as I want to hold on to the shirt. It's always a battle and only good for the team. We're all benefiting from the the competition.

"We didn't play as well as we could in the first half as it wasn't easy. In the second half we turned them over and created things. We looked really solid as a team and that was the most important thing."

Leeds United 1-1 Chelsea (Pennant, Duff)

Arr. That little Arsenal shite. How appropriate that he ruined the 1-0 scoreline that everyone was expecting.

Pathetic first half. Leeds were really up for it, and won the midfield battle. Maka stupidly lost the ball to Pennant, who skipped past Terry's tackle and turned Gallas easily before burying the ball past Cudicini. A few half-hearted attempts at goal from Chelsea, including a tame JFH shot after he did well to get into a scoring position in the box, and a fierce low shot from Lampard that should have been on target.

Crespo on for Cole for the second half, 4-3-3. A wrong tactical move IMO, because Leeds had five in midfield. However, Maka and Lamps were very poor throughout the match, so it was not all due to the formation. Crespo was poor, tame and lost possession stupidly on several occasions. Mutu was the most effective of the three strikers. JFH shooting wildly as usual, until he was finally subbed for Gronk, who could do little against the two men marking him. Only two occasions when we really threatened. The first time Leeds got away by some desperate blocks on the line after Mutu's shot from his run down the left, but on the 69th minute we got the long-awaited equaliser. JFH, receiving the ball with space in the box, fired in a low shot that Robinson deflected. Duff scored from close range, after I thought Leeds were going to make another clearance off the line as the ball ricocheted off a Leeds defender before landing in the net.

Fair result in all. We were poor, and Leeds fought well. Thank Ashley Cole for his two-footed challenge that cost Arsenal two points at Leicester. We're still top, but Manure thrashed Villa and are just two points behind.

Besiktas match to be played at Schalke's Gelsenkirchen stadium. Almost a home game for the Turks, who are the largest immigrant group in Germany.

Reading 0-1 Chelsea (JFH)

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink pounced in the second half to steer Chelsea into the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup courtesy of a 1-0 win, but Claudio Ranieri's star-studded side made hard work of First Division Reading.

Hasselbaink capitalised on some excellent work from Frank Lampard and Hernan Crespo to claim his ninth goal of the season but Chelsea were guilty of missing a hatful of chances.

Argentina striker Crespo was the main culprit and, although he dazzled on occasions with his devilish footwork and mazy runs into the box, he should have finished the match with at least one goal under his belt.

Lampard, Joe Cole and Marcel Desailly also went close, with the Blues skipper completing a full 90 minutes after spending more than two months on the sidelines with a hip injury.

Ranieri fielded five of the side which defeated Manchester United on Sunday - Lampard, Joe Cole, Geremi, Crespo and John Terry started - but it was not all one-way traffic.

Reading boss Steve Coppell said in his programme notes that his players would not be in awe of the collection of household names lining up against them at the Madejski Stadium, and so it proved.

They could have bagged the opener had Nicky Forster and Bas Savage showed a little more composure in front of goal and they dominated long periods of the second half, despite Hasselbaink's goal.

Ivar Ingimarsson went desperately close with 12 minutes to go and was left to curse Lampard's quicksilver reactions as the England midfielder cleared off the line with Chelsea's debutant keeper Neil Sullivan beaten.

The opening was one-sided, though, as Chelsea launched the first meaningful attack when Hasselbaink combined with Lampard, but the former Leeds striker squandered the opportunity while moments later Jesper Gronkjaer forced Marcus Hahnemann into a fine save.

A slick ball from Andy Hughes played in Forster only for the Reading marksman to blaze his shot over the crossbar, but the visitors' superiority was already beginning to tell with Lampard and Desailly both going close.

Desailly had the goal at his mercy but managed to head over the bar while Cole was also guilty of wasting a fine chance after gathering up Geremi's pass and pushing his shot wide of the left post.

Reading went close in the 18th minute when Savage met Nicky Shorey's cross only for the midfielder to nod inches wide as Chelsea's defence suffered a temporary lapse of concentration.

Crespo should have put Ranieri's side ahead in the 24th minute following Gronkjaer's jet-heeled dash down the left but his snatched shot missed the target with just Hahnemann to beat.

Chelsea then appeared to go off the boil as Reading began to scrap it out on equal terms but the visitors' fans were woken up by the sight of Crespo weaving along the outside of the area only for his final shot to hit a post and rebound across the goalline.

The Argentinian then went from the sublime to the ridiculous by firing off-target when he should have done much better as the visitors finished the half with a flourish.

Chelsea threatened shortly after the restart when Crespo split the Reading defence with a pinpoint pass but Hasselbaink dithered, allowing the defence time to reorganise and scramble to safety.

Coppell's side continued to hamper their top flight opponents, however, and Hasselbaink's booking for dissent was a clear sign of Chelsea's growing frustration.

But the Dutchman took his revenge in the 57th minute when Chelsea finally broke the deadlock. Lampard did the damage with a tremendous long ball which found Crespo before the former Inter Milan striker squared to Hasselbaink and he made no mistake.

Reading substitute Scott Murray forced Neil Sullivan into an athletic save as the home side failed to let the goal dampen their spirits and they enjoyed something of a purple patch as the Blues cooled off once again.

Ingimarsson saw his 78th-minute header cleared off the line by Lampard as the Royals pressed ahead in search of the equaliser but despite battering away at Chelsea's defence, they were unable to break through.

Ranieri hails Hahnemann

Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri paid tribute to Marcus Hahnemann after watching the Reading goalkeeper make several superb saves.

'I thought Reading's keeper did a fantastic job tonight,' declared Ranieri.

'He saved four or five great chances and kept them in the game. Crespo was particularly unlucky, but hopefully he will be able to score in training tomorrow.

'Their keeper meant it was an exciting game because it was still open until the end.

'It was a good match which the crowd will have enjoyed. Both teams worked hard and there were plenty of chances. I'm pleased with the way we performed.'

Ranieri made no apology for the clutch of household names he fielded after starting with five of the side which defeated Manchester United.

'I will always put out a strong team which can take care of every match,' he said.

'My squad is full of good champions and they deserved to play. We want to win every competition and we treat all our opponents with respect.'

Chelsea will now meet Barclaycard Premiership strugglers Aston Villa in the quarter-finals, but Ranieri insisted: 'There isn't an easy match at this stage of the competition, every game is difficult.

'All that matters is that we play well.'

Reading boss Steve Coppell was impressed with the spirit shown by his side after watching them resist until the end, but admitted his defence was at fault for Hasselbaink's second-half winner.

'I was half hoping they would play the reserves, but when I did see their line-up I thought it would be a great experience for my lads,' he said.

'They have spent many millions on their squad so I'm pleased we weren't passive.

'We were aggressive, positive and played a full part in the match and that was good. We didn't get frightened, we created a couple of chances and we kept going forward.

'But it was a shame the way they scored - it was all down to a miscommunication between my central defenders and Crespo managed to find some space.

'Even then my boys refused to lay down and die.'

Makalele was awesome.

Still unimpressed by Cole.

Was pissed when Duff did not start, but it turned out right in the end.

Fergie predictably whined about the penalty, and said Wiley was "not a top class referee".

Excellent reaction from the whole team at the final whistle. The sneers about us lacking team spirit are dying away.

We're now favourites. How fickle people are.