Player Ratings For Chelsea vs. Arsenal

Chelsea faced their biggest match thus far this season, in a match up against London rivals, Arsenal.  With the way the Gunners play and the new revamped Chelsea attack it was supposed to be a very open game, and that's exactly what it was.  Chelsea took the match in a 2-1 scoreline and walked out of the Emirates with 3 points.  Let's take a look at how all the Blues performed.

GK Petr Cech: 7.0

Typical Cech performance, made a great finger tip save to stop Podolski from grabbing a goal, but did let in a goal.

D Ashley Cole: 7.5

Cole was strong in defense and still lets no one by.  Ashley made many surging runs that led to Chelsea opportunities.  Good all around performance.

D John Terry: 8.0

The man seems to play better when facing controversy.  Terry was a stone wall in defense and cool as ever in stressful times for the back line.  Not many players can play like this facing a 4 match ban, I guess that's why he is a legend at the Bridge.

D David Luiz: 8.0

The Brazilian seems to have a clamp on the second central defending position.  Another great performance from Luiz, strong in the air and let nothing by him.  Quietly becoming one of Chelsea's best players.

D Branislav Ivanovic: 7.0

Didn't really have much to do, but when called upon, did very well.

M John Obi Mikel: 8.5

Shut down many Arsenal attacks, made no dumb mistakes and held possession for the club.  Mikel's great performances seem to go unnoticed, but this was one of the best of his career.  The Nigerian is becoming one of the best at what he does.

M Ramires: 7.0

Ramires is doing much better since returning to his natural central role.  Was great in defence and made many great surging runs, still loses possession far to much.

M Juan Mata: 9.0

Juan Mata has been class ever since rejoining the Chelsea squad.  Held possession great and was very dangerous the whole match.  Grabbed a assist and a goal, both from set pieces.  The chemistry between Mata and Torres is second to none.  Next to David Silva, Mata is the best midfielder in the Premiership.

M Eden Hazard:  7.0

Showed cameos of is world class talent, but once again compared to the way he started the season it was a average performance.  May be the hardest person to get off the ball in England but needs to be more selfish sometimes and look for his own shot.

M Oscar: 6.5

Oscar's first Premier League start was a pretty rough one compared to the way he played vs. Juventus.  His first touch was excellent but is just figuring out how to play in the league.

F Fernando Torres: 9.0

When Torres came to Chelsea he was asked to do certain things.  Score goals, draw fouls, hold up play and defend; he accomplished every single one of these things in this match.  Torres seemed to be his old self today and scored a delicious volley off a Juan Mata free kick.  He looked dangerous the whole match and always looked likely to score.  The Torres from Liverpool is finally back and El Nino looks ready to finally lead the Chelsea attack.

D Gary Cahill: 6.0

Came on for Luiz after he picked up a injury, didn't see much action.

D Ryan Bertrand: 7.0

Came on to bolster the defense and did a excellent job of it.

F Victor Moses: 6.5

Came on for a struggling Oscar, Moses looks dangerous every time he is on the ball, but has yet to find is spot at Chelsea.

Man of the Match: Fernando Torres

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John Obi Mikel Feels the Love From the Blues Faithful

Last Wednesday Chelsea took on Juventus in their Champions League opener and they started off strong.  Brazilian wonder kid Oscar led Chelsea to a 2-0 lead within the first 35 minutes.  Juventus then brought one back to make it 2-1 going into halftime.  The scoreline stayed this way all the way until the 80th minute when a misplaced pass was made from John Obi Mikel to lead to a equalizing goal from Juventus, but this isn't where the madness began.

Less than 24 hours after the match ended, it became known that Mikel had deleted his Twitter.  The Football Club then tweeted that abuse to Mikel was no part of this, which was clearly a cover up.  The Football Club also tweeted that racial abuse will not be accepted and will be reported to the authorities.  Which basically just proves that it was the reason Mikel deleted his twitter.  Behavior like this, from so called "Chelsea Supporters" proves who the real supporters really are. A real supporter will never abuse a footballer, especially in racist terms.  Instead of downgrading Mikel, we should be thanking him for being one of our best players over the last two years.  Mikel has always been tremendous in defense and been great in bolstering Chelsea's back line.  

John saved us many a time in the Champions League journey last year, and never asked for any credit.  Well Mikel it is finally time to give credit, where credit is due.  Tweets rang out from true Chelsea supporters once it became known that he deleted his Twitter, and it was a sight to see.  There were tweets such as, "Mikel, not the best in the world, but the best at what he does." Tweets left and right about the love that true supporters have for the Nigerian.  Although there was a lot of negative, events just like this can be seen as positive when you see such a outcry from the Chelsea faithful.

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Cries of Didier Drogba Heard at the Bridge

You may not like Fernando Torres, you may love him, but all Chelsea fans have one similar thought about him.  Anytime the Spaniard gets a chance at goal and duffs one, every supporter thinks the same thing; "Drogba would have buried that."  This was very evident in Saturday's match up vs. Stoke City.  Torres made a brilliant run and was fed by a even more brilliant ball from Juan Mata, but when the time came to finish it, nothing but a whiff.  This led to chants from the traveling Stoke supporters of, "Drogba would have finished that."  Drogba has left big boots to fill and will always have a special spot in Chelsea fan's hearts, and  Torres may never be able to fill them.

Fernando Torres seems to be back in scoring form, but the fact is he doesn't fit the Chelsea style.  The Blues have always been built around aerial dominant forwards and that doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon. Chelsea is always at or near the top of the league in corners for a season and Fernando Torres is far from dangerous on set pieces.  The style played at the Bridge consist of, many long balls, many headers and many one touch finishes.  These are all things that Fernando Torres struggles with.  Torres is still an elite talent and could easily score 30 goals at another club, but he is never going to fit the puzzle of Chelsea.

There are only two options to filling this center forward role, to give Romelu Lukaku, the young Belgium, the center forward role in January or a loan move for club legend Drogba until Lukaku finishes out his loan the way it was supposed to be.  The better choice is to go ahead and hand the reigns over to Lukaku.  Romelu claims he is not the "Next Drogba," but he is almost a mirror image of the Ivorian legend.  Lukaku is physically dominant, great in the air, a excellent finisher, and punishes defenders the same way Drogba did in his prime.  Lukaku has been very adamant that he wants to take over the center forward role at Chelsea and he is the best option out there and Eden Hazard or a mix of Moses/Sturridge will be the solution until January.

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Picking a Starting XI for Chelsea vs. Wolves

Chelsea are coming off a very close win against Stoke City, where Ashley Cole had to assert himself as the striker for the club to come away with three points.  The Blues will be taking on Wolves in the 3rd round of the Capitol One Cup and don't expect Chelsea's best lineup out on the field.  Here is the Lineup Chelsea need to go with.

Subs: Ramires 60', Lampard 75'

Man of the Match: Victor Moses

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5 Reasons Oscar Can Be World's Best

Chelsea have had was it most likely the most successful transfer season in club history.  The class of players they have grabbed seem to all have potential star power.  The class is led by the young 21 year old superstar Eden Hazard.   Hazard as already proved he is the best player at the club and soon, maybe the world.  A lot of people are calling him the "Next Messi" but he may have a teammate who is more well prepared to be the next king of world football.  This player is Oscar, who in his first start dazzled and impressed the whole world with one of the best goals ever at the Bridge.  Let's look at 5 reasons the young Brazilian can be the world's best footballer.

1.  Perfect Surroundings

There have been many great Brazilians in the history of football and all of them grew up playing brilliant football with their countrymen.  Oscar has been put in the perfect situation by signing with Chelsea.  The youngster will be learning from maybe the greatest Chelsea player of all time, Frank Lampard who is coming to the end of his glorious career.  Oscar will be playing every league game in the world's toughest league and will have no shortage of chances to prove himself.  Being Brazilian he will also be at the elite stages of all international competitions.  Brazil competes and usually succeeds in their international adventures.  Oscar being only 21, will be leading the charge for a long time.  No situation could be better than this and he is ready to prove he fits in the Blues future plans.

2.  Humble

A lot of young stars are very cocky and flaunt their talent.  With the talent Oscar has, you couldn't blame him if he did, but he isn't.  Oscar never looks to take center stage, he just naturally draws it.  Looking at fellow Brazilian Neymar and his conceited personality, it's very hard to believe that Oscar is so quiet and keeps to himself.  The youngster will never bring off the field headlines to the Bridge and will have not have a bad reputation with other players.  He is easy to like and has the great personality you need to be looked up upon.

3.  Versatility

Coming into Chelsea Oscar was seen as a great attacking player, but in his first start against Juventus he proved that he is much more.  Oscar was not only asked to help with the Blues attack, he was asked to personally man mark the elite talent of Andrea Pirlo, and he did a hell of a job.  While Oscar was on the pitch, Pirlo was seemingly invisible.  The kid will be able to play anywhere in the midfield and help Chelsea out anyway he can.  Oscar is going to keep the fans happy with goals and assists but also help bolster the defense.  Basically he has the attacking skills of fellow Brazilian Kaka and the defense skills of a regular defensive midfielder.  You can't ask for a better combination than that.

4.  Enthusiasm

There is always one thing that gets over looked when evaluating footballers, the so called "Little Boy Enthusiasm".  This is the attitude of loving to play the game and not what comes with being a professional athlete.  Oscar always looks like he is having fun while he is playing and has a deep love for the game.  He shares this attribute with Chelsea and Brazilian teammate David Luiz.  These two are quietly going to become the leaders at the Bridge with their lavish personalities on the pitch.

5.  The Moment Will Never Be to Big

It could easily be said that a Champions League Match against Juventus is a big match, but not for this guy.  Oscar did not play nervous at all in his first start at the Bridge and his first touch was class from the start.  It seems that anyone who wears the number 11 has ice in their veins.  He is going to be looked on in tough times and great times, and he will go at both the same way.  Oscar has the clutch gene and will not shy away from the big moments he will face at an elite club.

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Picking a Starting XI for Chelsea vs. Stoke City

Chelsea gets back into league play on Saturday with a matchup vs. Stoke City at the Bridge.  Right now the Blues are sitting pretty at the top of the table.  Most people watching this match will be looking for Brazilian star Oscar who dazzled in a 2-2 draw vs. Juventus.  He picked up a knock in that match and is not yet known if he will play.  Here is the Starting XI Chelsea needs to put out to come away with the three points.

Subs: Marko Marin 45', Moses 45' 

Man of the Match: Fernando Torres

Prediction: 3-1 Chelsea

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. Juventus

Chelsea began their Champions League title defence tonight at the Bridge, versus Serie A champs, Juventus.  Besides maybe Madrid and Man City, this was the most anticipated battle in the group stages.  The match ended in a 2-2 draw, even after Chelsea went ahead in the first half, thanks to two wonder goals from Brazilian starlet Oscar.  Both clubs had good performers and both had bad, lets take a look at the Blues Player Ratings.

GK Petr Cech: 5.5

Petr Cech isn't to blame for the goals that went in for Juventus, but he is to blame for the fact that the back line looks very out of sync at the moment.  Cech is a leader on the team and needs to sort out his defenders.

D Branislav Ivanovic: 6.5

Ivanovic did not make many mistakes, if any, but he wasn't really tested either.

D David Luiz: 8.0

David Luiz followed up his performance at QPR, with another great outing.  Luiz saved Chelsea many a time from letting a 2-0 lead, turn into a 4-2 loss.  David saved fellow defender John Terry more than once, when he made a mistake.  Luiz is finally becoming the defender everyone knew he could be and if he keeps it up, he'll be one of the world's best.

D John Terry: 5.0

The skipper did not have a very good outing, it was easy to tell he was not at 100%.  Terry made multiple sloppy mistakes, including a whiff on a slide tackle that led to Arturo Vidal goal.  More is expected from Terry in such a big match.

D Ashley Cole: 7.0

Ashley Cole doesn't let anything happen on the left side, still one of the worlds best defenders, but didn't see much action in this match.

M Ramires: 4.0

It still baffles me every time I see Ramires at winger on the starting lineup, especially the form he's in.  The last 5 matches for the Brazilian, are easily the worst of his career.  He is giving up possession almost every time he gets on the ball, and he contributes nothing to the game.  Di Matteo either needs to switch up his position or sit him down, simple as that.

M Frank Lampard: 5.5

Lampard isn't contributing anything to Chelsea right now, other than penalties.  The role he is in, doesn't fit him and he does not need to be going 90 minutes, as often as he is.  Frank is best served in a attacking role, and as a super sub.

M John Obi Mikel: 6.0

Mikel is a great defensive mid, and shut down many Juventus attacks.  He also made the error that led to the equalizing goal.  The Nigerian needs to finish matches with the same intensity he starts them with.

M Eden Hazard: 7.0

Hazard once again drew a clear penalty with his skillful dribbling, but the ref thought otherwise.  He had many great attacking runs, but compared to the way he started the season, this was a average performance.

M Oscar: 8.5

Oscar the young 21 year old Brazilian star finally made his first start for Chelsea, and he didn't disappoint.  The youngster came out firing and scored a long shot from outside the box, but he wasn't done there.  Two minutes after his first goal in the 31st minute, Oscar pulled off a masterful shot curving a ball around keeper Gianluigi Buffon, that left all viewers in shock.  If that wasn't good enough he shut down one of the best players in the world, the always cheeky Pirlo. Oscar had one of the best goals seen at the bridge and the kid has a bright future.

F Fernando Torres: 8.0

Fernando Torres did not find the back of the net against Juventus, but if you actually know the game of football, you will understand this rating.  As I said on Twitter earlier, "Most fans judge Torres on his goals, it's his attitude and focus that lost form, he's never gonna forget how to score."  Torres has been in scoring form for a long time, but he wasn't meant to score in this match.  Juventus played 3 CB's, all in the area where Torres is most deadly.  In seeing this Fernando came out and affected the game in other ways than goals.  He drew many set pieces for Chelsea, and his hold up play was magnificent.  The biggest change that Torres showed in this performance was his attitude.  He looked focused, and ready to help the team in whatever way that was needed.  You can't blame him for not getting the needed service.  Instead of complaining about not getting many chances, he went out and took control on other parts of the pitch.  The Spaniard didn't complain anytime a team mate played a bad ball and came back and helped Chelsea defend.  The goals will come, but with this attitude, there is no limit to how he can perform.

D Ryan Bertrand: 6.0

Not a Midfielder, that's all that needs to be said.

M Juan Mata: 6.5

Came on for a nicked Oscar and held good possession at times.

Man of the Match: Oscar

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Picking a Starting XI for Chelsea vs. Juventus

Chelsea open up their title defense, of the Champions League Crown, Wednesday vs. Juventus.  Juventus is one of the best clubs in the world and the biggest threat to the Blues not making it out of the Group Stage.  Roberto Di Matteo is taking a lot of flack for the lineup choices he's made lately and it's time for him to switch it up.  If Chelsea plays like they did against QPR or Atletico Madrid, Pirlo and the strong Juventus attack will blow the Blues of the pitch.  This being said lets take a look at the lineup Chelsea should go with.

Subs: Victor Moses 45' , Frank Lampard 60', Ryan Bertrand 75'

Man of the Match: Daniel Sturridge

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Player Ratings for Chelsea vs. QPR

Today was a match everyone was looking forward to, and it wasn't because of the football.  The pregame handshake took place and as expected Anton Ferdinand ignored the hands of John Terry and Ashley Cole.  After that there was actually football played.  Chelsea had a couple of good chances and should have taken this match, but it ended in a 0-0 draw.  Let's take a look at how each player performed.

GK Petr Cech: 7.5

Cech didn't have much to do, but when he was asked upon he made great saves.

D Branislov Ivanovic: 7.0

Ivanovic looked very good on the back line and doesn't look like he's giving up his RB spot anytime soon.

D Ashley Cole: 7.5

No one gets by Ashley Cole, easy as that.

D David Luiz: 8.5

Luiz finally showed his true ability in league play.  He was strong on the back and saved Chelsea many times.  The one thing that stood out was is willingness to stay back and not make to many surging runs.  Man of the Match in my opinion.

D John Terry: 7.5

The man isn't phased by off the field controversy, week in and week out he is always one of the worlds best.

M Ramires: 4.0

Ramires has easily been Chelsea's worst performer thus far through the season.  He doesn't deserve any playing time at the moment, he ruins Chelsea's attack and he needs to make way for fellow Brazilian Oscar.

M Frank Lampard: 6.0

Lampard is not a deep lying midfielder, he also doesn't need to be playing 90 minutes.  Frank would serve the team and himself best as a super sub in attack.

M John Obi Mikel: 7.0

Mikel was strong and bolsters the blues defense up well.  He had a all around good match until the duffed back pass to Petr Cech that luckily didn't cost us a goal.

M Ryan Bertrand: 6.5

Bertrand is not a midfielder and never will be, Di Matteo needs to stop trying to change who he is.

F Eden Hazard: 7.0

Hazard played another great match, he should of had a penalty but the ref thought otherwise.

F Fernando Torres: 3.0

Fernando Torres played a pretty average game on the pitch, but it is his actions after he was taken off in the 82nd minute that get him a low grade.  Torres immediately walked off to the locker room after he was replaced and didn't see out the game with the rest of his mates.  This shows no class from the Spaniard and he deserves some kind of punishment for his actions.  Torres has lost a lot of respect and support from Chelsea fans.

F Victor Moses: 7.0

Moses came on in the second half and looked great in attack, he set up a chance that Eden Hazard should of finished and he has a bright future at the club.

F Daniel Sturridge: 7.5

Daniel Sturridge has that little boy excitement when he's on the pitch, and that's what you want from your main striker.  He deserves the center forward role, and he has the talent to fill it.  Look for Sturridge to give Torres a run for his money.

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Picking a Starting XI for Chelsea vs. QPR

The international break is finally over and we are back to Premier League football.  Chelsea will be matching up against QPR, at QPR.  It looks as if Cech may be undergoing surgery for his elbow and John Terry is not fully fit.  With these two things in mind, here is the Lineup the Blues should go with on Saturday.

Subs: Frank Lampard 46th minute, Victor Moses 60th minute, Daniel Sturridge 70th minute.

Man of the Match: Fernando Torres

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Florent Malouda Downgraded to U-21 Squad

It seems another old member of the Chelsea squad is being disrespected by staff and management.  Florent Malouda has recently just been told he will be training with the U-21 squad and he is no where near 21.

This report comes less then a week after it was stated that Chelsea management will not offer any contracts longer than 1 year to any player over the age of 30.  This is exactly what's pushing Ashley Cole away from the bridge along with Malouda.  It is fully understood that Chelsea needs to get younger but there still needs to be veteran leadership.

The Blues will need Cole and Malouda both if they are going to win the Premiership and make a deep run in the Champions League. With the show Didier Drogba put on,  it was proven last year that the veterans can still play and Chelsea need to keep the ones they still have.

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Why Oscar should be Chelsea's Number 10

Chelsea's new signing Oscar wears number 11 on his kit but the number 10 tells who he really is.  The number 10 is the position of a great play maker and the player who controls the pace of play for their squad. Oscar is a great passer of the ball and is always looking for teammates as he displays every time he gets on the pitch.

The debate is truly only between Oscar, Frank Lampard, and Juan Mata.  Eden Hazard is a winger and is in no way a number 10, which lots of Chelsea fans want to see.  The argument for Mata is a lot bigger then the one for Lamps.  Lampard is a great midfielder and by no means done but he is not a man who's number one priority is to find his teammates.  With Lampard out of the race it leaves Mata and Oscar.    Mata is a unbelievable playmaker and coming off of a great year.  Oscar is a new signing with little League experience.  Mata however has been tried at this central position before and he was not as dangerous as he is on the outside.  Mata will always be most dangerous coming off the right side as he is left footed so he can not fill this role.  All this being said, this doesn't mean Oscar is just given the role because there is no one to fill it, he gets it because he has the game for it.  Oscar is by far the key to Chelsea's future success.  Oscar is cool and calm under pressure, the moment is not to big for him.  Oscar shows great control when he is on the ball and is always looking for his teammates.  He can control the pace of play for Chelsea and feed Fernando Torres again and again.  Oscar is very mature for his age and can handle this much responsibility and lead Chelsea to greatness.

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Ronaldo Could Be Heading to the Bridge

When Cristiano Ronaldo made a cry of sadness it was thought that it was because he did not have enough money is wallet, not the case.  It seems Ronaldo is not happy playing in the Spanish League at the moment and could be on his way to the Premiership.

It is well known that to get Ronaldo out of Madrid it would be at least a billion Euro purchase.  His buy out clause in his contract is at least that amount and then a transfer fee somewhere around 100 Million would have to be paid.  You might think that no one in the world would pay this amount, then remember who Chelsea's owner is.  Roman Abramovich has no shortage of money and for a player such as Ronaldo he would not hesitate to pay a massive fee.  This and maybe a move to Manchester Blue are the only people who would pay this kind of money for a 27 year old footballer.  If Ronaldo is keen on a move back, look for a move to Stamford Bridge.

Full Article: http://www.caughtoffside.com/2012/09/04/man-city-psg-chelsea-ready-to-launch-100m-bids-for-real-madrid-star-cristiano-ronaldo/

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What to Do With David Luiz

One of the biggest question marks on Chelsea is David Luiz.  Sometimes he looks like an elite defender sometimes he looks like he should be on the reserves.  One thing is for sure is that he has a unlimited amount of talent. In all honesty he could probably be a starting forward for one of the Premier Leagues lower teams.  Luiz will be as good as he wants but, unless he chooses to give it all on defense he will not be successful.  This is exactly why Di Matteo should give Luiz the role that Frank Lampard has at the moment.  Lampard is not a defense midfielder and he never will be, he needs to get moved forward in a more central role.  If Lampard is moved up and therefore Ramires is taken off the pitch, then that makes way for a spot that could be brilliantly filled by David Luiz.  I highly doubt Matteo will look at this option but I sure hope somehow he does.  Luiz loves to drift forward and attack every now and again, if he is in a midfield position it will be a lot easier to attack without being vulnerable to the counter attack.  Chelsea could then bring in Gary Cahill as a full time starter and then we would have four CB's on the pitch making the defense as good as it can be.  If this lineup change is looked at, it could bode well for our defense and our attack going forward.

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Premier League Table After 3rd Week

In Progress Awards:

Player of the year: Eden Hazard, Chelsea

Manager of the year: Michael Laudrup, Swansea City

Golden Boot:  Robin Van Persie Manchester United | Michu, Swansea City

Full Table Here : http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables/_/league/eng.1/english-premier-league?cc=5901

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3 Things We Learned From the Super Cup Final

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid played the Super Cup Final on Friday and it was ugly.  This is the match between the winner of the Champions League and the winner of the Europa League.  In all honesty, Chelsea didn't look to even belong on the pitch.  We were embarrassed and looked about as dead as a Premier League team could look.  Lets take a look the three biggest problems going forward that were exploited in the Super Cup Final.


1.  Oscar > Ramires

It is very clear now that Oscar should start over Ramires, heck I'd take anyone over Ramires.  Ramires has looked nothing like he did last year, he has been by far Chelsea's worst performer.  It seems Di Matteo still thinks he can be a winger, but it has been proved there is no chance.  Oscar has looked extremely comfortable in the little time he has been on and if he is given the starting role he will shine.  Something is very different about Ramires this year and until he figures it out Oscar should get the nod.

2.  Defense Needs A lot of work

I'll save the problem at RB for another day and just focus on Luiz and Cahill.  Luiz is one of the most talented footballers Brazil has ever produced and Gary Cahill is a young John Terry, and yet the back line has looked dreadful at best.  Even though Luiz loves to attack and is very good at it, it is time for Di Matteo to sit him down and tell him his attacking limits.  Luiz has just as much talent as his countryman Thiago Silva, who is seen by most as the best defender in the world.  Silva though actually wants to defend and that's the difference.  If Luiz plays like he did in the Champions League final, our defense will be fine.  With Terry coming back and Luiz promising to do better the back line should be good in future matches.

3. Torres and Sturridge

Fernando Torres was pretty much a no factor against Madrid and it wasn't really his fault.  No one supplied Torres with any chances and the whole Chelsea offense was flat.  Last year Chelsea fans asked last year why we couldn't see Torres and Drogba on the same pitch, now it must asked why can't we see Sturridge and Torres on the field together.  Torres looks like he is back in form but a lot of the match he looks alone up front, the same way Drogba looked last year.  Di Matteo needs to take out one of the many midfielders on the pitch and let the two play together, until he does, even with the way Hazard is playing it will be hard to score goals with just Torres.

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