Earlier this week I stressed the need to let the football do the talking and the result yesterday created a welcome back to the topic of football.

For the first time in aeons (in real time a week) we won’t be hearing about a footballers’ private exploits, however hard the sports journalists are finding not to mention the JT episodes – or as one famous red top has touted as Terrygate.

Thankfully tomorrow we will be hearing about a resolute defensive display accompanied by a deadly double by Didier Drogba.

Rather than give the team all the credit though, more than a bit should come Carlo Ancelotti’s way.

Last night saw us drop two points to a side placed 18 league positions below us, but let’s be honest – it isn’t the end of the world.

The obvious conclusion to be made is that these dropped points make the tie against Arsenal on Sunday all the more important, but in reality three points has always been the only satisfactory outcome in five days’ time.

It isn’t ideal that we were firing blanks on a day when we could have opened up a four point lead on Man. Utd., but they are yet to falter this year – unfortunately neither are they likely to do so this weekend against Pompey.

You can’t help but think had this tie hadn’t been called off in early January the outcome may very well have been in our favour.

So why should we be cheerful?

We are forever hearing of footballers and their need to do the talking on the pitch - and for Chelsea and their captain there was no time better than this weekend to take this advice

Fortunately for Chelsea fans alike we can be thankful that our reliable (in footballing terms) Captain rose to the challenge, and Frank Lampard’s late corner, and earned us a vital three points at an equally vital time in the race for the title.

What people need to do is step back, take a breath, and realise that football is one world and the private life of a multi-millionaire twenty-something is completely different.

Hello to all and thanks for reading what is hopefully the first of many blog postings in my tenure as Chelsea correspondent for ESPN Soccernet!

I was about to launch into a rant on how saddening it is to see the talents of Eidur Gudjohnsen wasted - first on the sidelines at Barcelona (albeit successful on trophy terms), relegated to the talent barren wasteland of Ligue 1, and now reduced to a loan spell at perennial underachievers/over spenders, Tottenham.

However this new dawn needs a positive spin, not a trip down memory lane (lest we never forget that overhead kick against Leeds).

We need to not worry what’s happening down in the doldrums of Europa League contention and be aware that there is a great change upon us.

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