Tonight see's us facing a do-or-die match up against The Special One's Inter Milan team, so how on earth do we overturn the 2-1 deficit from our first leg?

It is clear to see from the first leg those three long weeks ago that Jose has his Inter team lined up very similarly to the Chelsea team he took to back-to-back Premier League titles, so it is essential to exploit the very few weaknesses we possessed back in the day

THE SPECIAL ONE RETURNS. ©GETTY IMAGES

What a quiet week and a bit it's been in Chelsea-ville!

Part of me is hoping that one of our player's is outed as having an affair with Jose Mourinho's missus - if not just to psych out the special one for next week's tantalising second leg against Inter - probably the tie of the competition so far.

News this week is all of Joe Cole's impending exit, Anelka and Ballack signing new deals and Cech making his return to replace Hilarious earlier than expected and Captain fantastic John Terry thanking us, the loyal fans.

Of course we also have the upcoming match against the West Ham, of course managed by former Messiah Gianfranco Zola!

WELCOME TO THE JT GUN SHOW ©GETTY IMAGES

What a horrible week it has been for the Blues.

Starting with the defeat in Milan after a terrific team performance, compounded with the horror show that was the 4-2 defeat to Man City on home territory.

Seventeen years ago I was a fresh faced youngster attending, I think, my third ever Chelsea match against Manchester City. The last time we ever lost to City at home in fact, and yes you guessed it - we ended up losing 4-2.

Football is a funny old game indeed.

City have now taken 6 points from us this season, and with all melodrama aside, swept us off our feet in what is possibly one of the worst second half performances in a home game in my memory.

Not So Hilario-us ©AP Photos

One point ahead in the league, with a game in hand, and facing our old hero on Wednesday night in the form of Inter's Jose Mourinho. These are exciting times.

This is what football is all about, it's in the script as they so often say.

Mourinho has impeccable form at home in all competitions (hasn't lost one in eight years in either the league or the domestic cup) and Inter's form in Italy isn't great, with only one win in nine on Italian soil.

Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho ©Getty Images

Oh dear reader, it's been a very quiet week as far as Chelsea go. Even tabloid stories of our players' raunchy exploits have only adorned the front page of this nations' fine papers two or three times this week!

I'm even finding it particularly hard not to re-iterate the importance of every game, a boring phrase I'm getting sick of writing - yet will no doubt apply for every match for the remainder of the season.

After a particularly disappointing week where we not only lost ground in the title race, but lost a key player to our challenge, we really need to use this week to take advantage.

Whilst we have a free midweek Man United will be flying to Milan for the first of their, hopefully tricky, two legs against the rossoneri.

This weekend also sees us go to Wolves, whereas United will be travelling to Goodison Park to play Everton, who of course last week took all three against us, begrudgingly said, deservedly.

So this is our week to take a grip on the league, no more faltering. If Man United win by one, then we need to win by three. We need to rally together and stop stalling when United lose points – as they well could on Saturday.

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.

Ghana captain Michael Essien has been taken to hospital after suffering a suspected knee injury in training at the African Nations Cup finals.

The Chelsea star, who was prevented from starting Friday's 3-1 defeat against Ivory Coast by a hamstring problem, hobbled off the team bus following a training session on Sunday and was sent for medical tests.

"He was taken to a local hospital for a scan and we'll get the results back on Monday," Ghana's team press officer Randy Abbey said on Sunday. "We will then have a clearer idea of whether he can play."

With Didier Drogba (amongst others) heading off to the African Cup of Nations, its just as well that we have some quality strikers to fall back on. Daniel Sturridge proved on Sunday that he has the quality to take over where Didier Drogba left off.

With the games that are coming up over the next few weeks, Sturridge will have the chance to prove that not only does he have the pace and finishing prowess to compete with the best, but he also has the power to challenge the burly Premier League centre-backs.

The title race is back on! OK, so it was only a few days ago that Carlo Ancelotti was stating that Chelsea had it in the bag (well, that we had been the best side this season, and would continue to be), but with this weeks' topsy-turvy action, it seems that the Premiership will go down to the wire. It's not going to be as easy as we thought!

It looks like we'll be playing someone else in the Quarter Finals / Semis of the Champions League this year - our usual rivals Liverpool have been knocked out! Whilst we're all set to challenge in teh Prem and CL, spare a thought for the poor scousers, left with no money, no new stadium, and no trophies! Or just laugh at them! Anyone fancy going to Liverpool's end-of-season party? Ha ha!

It isn't only me who's saying it (Carlo and a whole host of other media pundits are saying it too) but isn't Didier Drogba's recent form AMAZING?!

I know we're all supposed to get behind the England team, and JT and Frank are even on show and key players, but there is nothing more boring that the international break!

Unusually, Charles Dickens seems to sum up Chelsea pretty well at the moment - It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. Whilst it might seem all doom and gloom in the immediate aftermath of the Wigan defeat, it's obviously as rosy as it has ever been post-Jose, and we have plenty of reasons to be cheerful. That's what my girlfriend told me on Saturday night in an attempt to drag me out of my usual Chelsea losing sulks, and I think, for once, she's right!

It isn't the end of the world to lose to a Wigan side that play good football, especially away from home. The ref didn't do us any favours (and neither did Rodallega, who reacted to what was the slightest of touches as if it had been a full bone-crunching tackle), but even when we were down to 10 men I thought we were unlucky not to equalise - we had a number of chances which, if they had fallen to the right man (Drogba normally!) would have been tucked away.

On Wednesday our beloved Commercial Director Peter Kenyon quit. Whilst I never particularly liked or trusted Kenyon as a person (least of all when he led the team up and wore a losers medal with pride at the Champs League Final in Moscow), but you can't help but think that he will be a massive loss to the club.

Obviously having come from Manchester United he had the big ideas that come from being at one of the biggest clubs in the world. The fact that we are up there now as one of the biggest and best is testament to the amount of work he has done.

I don't know - I go away on holiday and manage to miss all the big stories on Chelsea! God knows how we'll are from the ban on transfers, but just look at how well we've started - almost makes you remember the last time we started the season unbeaten...!

It might well be a sheer piece of fluke that Carlo's tried-and-tested diamond midfield works for us, and he might be lucky with his squad selection, but you can't deny how effective it has been so far. I can honestly say we don't look like getting beaten any time soon - Ancelotti has found Chelsea out!

Its just under two days until kick off, and whilst we may have had a taste of football through the Engladn team's travails and the Confederations Cup, nothing quite beats watching Chelsea! (Even if it is Hull!) What are you most looking forward too?

John Terry has finally decided to stay - thank goodness! It may have taken him a while to reach the decision (and lets face it, who wouldn't be interested in getting their wages tripled?) but he's made the right decision in the end.

Carlo Ancelotti has been CONFIRMED as the new manager of Chelsea! And I think that's fantastic news! We are getting a talented and motivated coach who has experience of working at the highest level - having won two Champions League titles as a player and a further two as manager - which should set us up to finally, win the Champions League next season!

Ancelotti was the only real candidate for the role. Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten have both done reasonably well with the Dutch national side, but neither has convinced enough to be regarded as one of the best in Europe. Jose has just signed a brand new contract at Inter, and Hiddink refused to drop back from his Russian responsibilities. Ancelotti, alongside fellow Italian Marcello Lippi, is perhaps one of the most astute and gifted coaches around, and the only one who was readily available and open to a fresh challenge.

Yes! The FA Cup is in the bag. Lets be honest, you lot have been telling me off for the last month, saying that I had been taking it for granted that we'd beat Everton. It's going to sound childish, but I was SO right!

Everton are a hard-working side, but lack any of the cutting edge that teams at the top need - Saha was alright, but can't be relied upon to run his legs off for a full season, whilst their other strikers have had seemingly similar seasons.

Arsenal have been playing with 'babies' all season - and winning plaudits for the attractive and attacking games they played in the Carling Cup. Manchester United put out practically a whole team of teenagers on Sunday, and still managed to beat a relegation-battling Hull side. Where are our next generation?

It's now become the biggest game of our season - The FA Cup Final. Yes it won't feel like its been the most successful season ever, but at least we keep Wenger and Benitez out of the trophy tables for another year (how many years is that Arsenal fans?!) The biggest game of the season needs our strongest team (even though I reckon our kids could beat Everton to be honest!) - who gets your vote?

It was a fitting farewell to a man who has won the hearts and minds of thousands and millions of Chelsea fans across the globe. The win was conclusive in the fact that Guus Hiddink has managed to rebuild a team from the ashes, and given us a new sense of confidence in our players and their abilities. If only he could stay on...

A crushing and convincing victory over Arsenal has secured our third-place spot in the Premier League. It was a good performance and helped the lads put Wednesday's disaster out of their minds. With the season practically over, its time to start looking to the future - with a new manager needed to claw back United's 12 point advantage for next year - but who takes over?

This is an absolute JOKE! Chelsea fans across the world are still in shock after being screwed by Drogba's reputation, a clown of a referee and probably UEFA. FOUR penalty appeals! FOUR, but not one given! It wasn't that we didn't play well, it wasn't that we messed up our tactics, it wasn't that we had the wrong players on - we're not going to the Champions League Final because of one man, and his awful decisions.

After we came away with a stunning draw in the Nou Camp, holding the great Barcelona for the full 90 minutes and stopping them from scoring for the first time this season, the Barcelona boys aren't happy!

Toure, Iniesta and even Guardiola have been calling for more bookings and sendings-off - even calling the referee "deplorable". What a bunch of cry-babies!

This is it - the time of the season we've all been waiting for! It gives me goose-bumps just thinking about it! Hopefully this time tomorrow I'll still have a smile on my face, as we build up to the biggest game of the season so far, against Barcelona! Come on you Blues!

A disappointing draw on Wednesday night against a hard-working Everton side sees us slip off the pace in the Premier League, and Super Guus has rightly written us off from winning the Premier League - with Man United looking like they're going to win their third successive trophy. Still, there are some positives to be taken from all of this...

With Chelsea's squad set to be tested badly over the next few weeks, I'll take now as an opportunity to detail where I think our squad is good, and where it needs strengthening. Love to hear your thoughts.

Obviously the goalkeepers are looking reasonable - Petr Cech is World Class, and Hilario seems capable when he has been called into action. Our youth team keeper Rhys Taylor has yet to be given his chance, but from what I hear he is a dependable third-choice.

Yes, I know I really shouldn't be celebrating this just yet, but with Manchester United crashing out of the FA Cup to Everton, the trophy is practically in our hands - and deservedly so!

Our squad looks in good form, especially after punishing Arsenal in the dying minutes of our own semi final, with Dider Drogba sticking the knife in once more, it seems that our name is on the trophy.

Its a great time to start a new job as Chelsea correspondent for ESPN Soccernet! Chelsea have overcome their fiercest rivals (in the Champions League at least) and we're on our way to Wembley. Wish me luck as I try to bring you the inside-track on 'Chelsea, Chelsea'!