Sunday 8 December
Chelsea 2:1 Manchester City
The women really put a happy face on a weekend that started so dismally. They fell behind to a functional City side but two late goals close together from Beth England and Maren Mjelde put us back on top of the table for an hour or so before Arsenal beat Reading.
This season looks to be going down to the wire and we have a game in hand over the Gunners.

Tuesday 10 December
Chelsea 2:1 Lille OSC
The idea that we stumbled over the line is a little bit unfair given the dominance we showed throughout much of the match. Still, the late Loic Remy goal left a nervous ten-minutes at the end to keep you on your toes and stop anyone leaving early for the tube.
We started with attacking intent with a more mature line-up than recent months. Willian, once again, demonstrated the influence and control that he brings to the side. It was the Brazilian’s cutback that Tammy finished for the lead on 19 minutes while Emerson provided the corner for Cesar Azpilicueta to head the second.
And we should have had more. At least we were ahead at the break and held on for the win.
Ajax lost to Valencia in the other tie so the Spaniards went through as last season’s semi-finalists drop to the Europa League
Nobody is pretending that we are going to win the Champions League this season but the experience being gained across the group is invaluable. We will be in the second pot and will probably play one of PSG, Barcelona or Bayern München after Christmas. The draw os on Monday morning.
Yet you can’t shake the feeling that,, with intelligent acquisitions in January or next summer, this squad can be anything they want to be and Frank is leading them in the right direction.
Remy joins an exclusive club to have scored for and against us in the Champions League: Samuel Eto’o, Fernando Torres, Diego Costa, Michael Ballack, David Luiz and Willian are the others if you are preparing a pub quiz.

Chelsea U19 1:1 Lille OSC U19
This one about summed up the campaign for the U19s as they failed to add any gloss to a woeful campaign.
We couldn’t hold on to the own-goal lead we took half way through the opening period and failed to land anymore blows on an already qualified Lille side.
We haven’t been as bad as the final table shows but we haven’t taken our chances or defended leads.

Wednesday 11 December
Chelsea 1:1 Reading
We secured top spot in the league cup group and with it a home-draw in the quarters. We did lose the shootout. How of often do the crowd shout shoot and someone does? Deanna Cooper was thirty-yards out when she pulled the trigger for the equaliser.

Carlo Ancelotti found out how ruthless Napoli can be when he was sacked after a 4-0 thrashing of Genk saw the side qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League.
The management and board have been at odds in recent weeks and Napoli will rue this decision.
There are plenty of jobs for our ex-coach in the Premier League but let’s hope he stays abroad.
We might be able to sign players again after CAS threw out Fifa’s case against us but Nathan Ake is unlikely to be on the shopping list this window. The academy product and much sought after, versatile defender did a hamstring and will be missing for at least six-weeks.

Thursday 12 December
Fikayo Tomori signed a new five-ear deal with the club. It is the only good bit of news on a day when the public schools took over power.
You should be ashamed of yourself if you voted Tory. Why? They will cut the country out from under your feet, take your money and offer you far less in return. They are privatising the NHS, not building housing for anyone other than their mates and they are draining profit from every area of the economy into their own bank accounts.
Oh, and we are going to leave the European Union for no better reason than to get it done. As if self-harm was better performed quickly.
It would serve you all right if Uefa told us to sling it and refused English teams a place in the Champions League. Well, you were all so keen on leaving.