Monday 25 February
Kepa has been fined a week’s wages for refusing to be substituted at Wembley yesterday. The fine blows away the narrative that the whole incident was a misunderstanding and confirms that the ’keeper was disobeying his manager.
Tuesday 26 February
Brendan Rodgers walked away from Celtic to become the new Leicester City manager. Brendan and the board were at loggerheads over the summer about investment strategy but even then to turn your back on trebles and the Champions League for Leicester is still a little eccentric.
Beth England extended her contract today. Our leading scorer will be staying until 2021 – by which time we will be flying around in jet packs and holidaying on the moon. 2021 is officially the future.
Wednesday 27 February
Chelsea 2:0 Tottenham Hotspur
It is nice to get back to beating Spurs. Over the years it has been like the turning of the seasons, the phases of the moon, Easter, the state opening of Parliament, three points from Tottenham used to be part of the natural order.
Tonight, after the strong performance against City at Wembley, we probably expected to win but what we found was two teams out of form and struggling to mount an attack or organise their defence.
That we won was down to a neat control and finish on the run from Pedro for the opener and the goal-of-the-season, goal-of-this-or-any-other-season from Kieran Trippier as he confidently stroked the ball home as Hugo Lloris came to meet him. The ball took so long to reach the goal there was time for the whole stadium to laugh before it hit the net.
It is good to get back to the simple things in football.
Thursday 28 February
Uefa will take no action against the club for racist chanting away at MOL Vidi back in December. We had been reported for singing anti-Tottenham songs but ‘no further’ action means Uefa don’t have any evidence rather than the offence didn’t take place.
Fulham have clearly been spooked by our recent good form, so spooked they sacked Claudio Ranieri after fewer than four months in charge and handed the caretaker role to old boy Scott Parker.
Friday 1 March
Tottenham Hotspur U23 1:1 Chelsea U23
Pah, a frustrating night as they took the lead through an unfortunate own goal and hung on with ten-men after we equalised.
Saturday 2 March
Aston Villa U18 0:1 Chelsea U18
George Nunn scored for us between two home penalties saved by Nicolas Tie in our goal. You could say we got away with this one.
Sunday 3 March
Fulham 1:2 Chelsea
Sandwiched between Brendan Rodgers’ sobering return to the English top flight and Liverpool dropping points to the delight of the Gwladys Street we achieved a hard-working win against our little neighbours.
Fulham really put on a show but a flowing move and deadly finish from Gonzalo Higuaín and a beautifully placed effort from Jorginho meant the slip at the corner that allowed Callum Chambers to equalise – unmarked at the back post from a corner, really, do we practice anything during the week? – didn’t cost us too dearly.
It was then up to Kepa Arrizabalaga to prove he was worth his recall as he pulled off a string of saves in a man-of-the-match display.
It wasn’t the flowing attacking football we were promised but it was effective and some of wounds of recent weeks seem to have be healing.
