So that concludes an interesting week where Manchester is involved.

First came the revelation of the mouth-watering, teeth-chatteringly exciting challenge facing us against United in the Champions' League quarters, and yesterday the reaffirmation of our recently found form with a win against City to take us up to third.

Up to 3rd, thanks to more quality Luiz action! © Getty Images

Let us start this as we mean to go on. David Luiz.

Out of all the excitement of transfer deadline day with cash being thrown all over the place came a little diamond amongst the rough.

Yes, this diamond cost £21m but he looks worth every penny at this moment in time, truly the Carvalho replacement that we required months ago.

Once again he was exceptional, and for those who worried after his full debut against Fulham, there wasn't a sign of one even slightly dodgy tackle.

He loves to get stuck in there, whether it is in the centre of the pitch or his own half, and yesterday he did it with impeccable timing and rendered his fellow January transferee, Edin Dzeko, useless.

He is going from strength to strength as each game goes on and as well as having big hair, has a big head on those 23 year-old shoulders of his.

A tale of one city, but a tale of two seasons for Malouda. Starting off imperiously in the first quarter of the season followed by a slight blip (as the team was mid blip too) and now in the form of a player who shouldn't be making the first team.

Florent was exceptional last season, and this cannot be forgotten, but this latter half of the season has been one to forget. Yesterday was frustrating because even if a player is playing poorly they have to show initiative and drive. He certainly displayed neither.

Kalou was a welcome surprise, for the first half at least. He seemed our biggest threat and did very well on the ball. In fact I'm going to leave the barbed comment out because this time he is worthy of nothing but praise. He put in a good session for the team.

Torres. Again signs of "the Old Torres" but still yet to find the G-word. The G-word can wait, once again - like Kalou - put in a good performance. He wasn't setting the world alight but he worked hard and would be unfair for him to come under criticism.

Essien again was in good form, recently he was subject to a ribbing from me but I put my hands up then that I was never forgetting his past form, it is just a relief to see that is returning. He overshadowed Lampard in the centre of the field yesterday, and if it wasn't for a certain little Brazilian counterpart would've been the pick of the central players.

Ramires, though, has become a man possessed. I don't think anybody in their wildest dreams expected his transformation to be so dramatic, but also so hasty. I once described him as being similar to a Brazilian wax - he'll have you pulling your hair out.
Well, now I can only wax lyrical about our little star in the midfield. He was the second ball magnet yesterday, each and every time the ball was loose in the centre of the park he got to it and made it Chelsea's.

He was an indication of what we need so often in games like yesterday's where it is tight and there is little leeway. Somebody who will pick the ball up in the middle of the park and distribute it to somebody in a position to make an attack, or at least a move of some sort. So often the ball went loose and within seconds Ramires was on the end of it creating an attack or passing it to a better positioned player to get it forward. Top quality yesterday - and not just because of his goal of the month contender in the 92nd.

It was mentioned last week that we have our Plan B back. The 70th minute double substitution certainly showed that was the case. Drogba and Anelka came on to provide a different sort of prospect, and that they did. Anelka didn't have much of a chance to create too much, but still he was fit and a threat. Something a tired defence will be wary of at that stage in the game.

Drogba obviously had a great impact with his free kick he crossed so neatly for Luiz to knock past Joe Hart. One thing we miss when he isn't on the pitch is his physical ability to take a hoofed pass his way and hold it up for a promising attack, and his ability from the set piece.

The Plan B is something we thrived on last season, and can simply be attributed down to having a larger squad - and less injuries. Man United and Arsenal are both finding out to their detriment that the injuries they are now suffering are seriously hindering their chances, and giving us the faintest glimmer of hope to steel in there and steal away the silver!

Our realistic hope, and majority of focus, should now be on the Champions' League. For sure we have a terribly difficult tie, but it is even more difficult to call it which makes it such an exciting prospect. Current form counts for nothing in the Champions' League, its all about the night. All English ties make it extremely difficult to predict because both teams are more than capable of bagging one or two away goals.

If you were to go away to the Bernabeu or to the Nou Camp you would no way endeavour to come home with two goals, go to Old Trafford though and the possibility is certainly there.

So, things are finally on the up. 3 straight league wins have given us something to cheer about. The Champions' League Quarter Final is going to be an amazingly exciting tie (at least it should be!) and we are not 100% out of the title race.

There's only one more thing to do then.... Keep The Blue Flag Flying High!

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