October ended with Chelsea looking imperious and pulling away from the chasing pack at the top of the Premiership. The side seemed to playing with such verve and spirit that I simply couldn’t see where any worthy challenge could come from. Manchester United were struggling to hit any real form, but continued to pick up points other sides would lose. Arsenal being Arsenal, looked amazing one week and then lost a game from nowhere. Manchester City continued to play as if expression was something to be feared.

Liverpool and Aston Villa were struggling to cope with the hangovers from summers of upheaval and Tottenham are still getting used to being involved at this end of the table. Then from nowhere, Chelsea hit the skids and suddenly, we have a title race again. November has been a hellish month for the Blues, with the Wilkins situation, Lampard’s continued absence, Terry and Alex both struggling, Essien suspended and Drogba’s illness sapping him of his strength and power. Then from nowhere Frank Arnesen announces his departure and you begin to think just what is going on at Stamford Bridge.

Crucially though Chelsea seemed to have no luck both on and off the pitch in the last four weeks. The game against Birmingham was one of the most one sides defeats I’ve seen in years. Chelsea absolutely battered Birmingham but couldn’t make the crucial breakthrough to score. When you play that well and the ball simply will not go in, then you really think things are conspiring against you. It’s unfortunate when 5 of your top stars all get sidelined for various reasons and most sides would struggle to cope with that level of disruption to their first team squad.

The Wilkins situation has, regardless of what the clubs hierarchy have said, had an effect on the dressing room and been a contributing factor. Tactical mistakes too have played their part, as the defeat to Sunderland had a lot to do with playing 3 right backs in a back four left them unbalanced and positionally unsure when defending. By not playing a recognised centre back, the impetus was offered to Steve Bruce’s side and they took full advantage playing with pomp and prowess.

The additional pain of being dislodged from the top of the table on Saturday was not only had Manchester United pulled two points clear, but by thrashing Blackburn Rovers so convincingly, goal difference had been drawn level. All of the advantages that Chelsea had, coming up to a tough December had been eaten away by a series of unfortunate injuries, suspensions and tactics.

Now Chelsea face 5 tough matches in the league, 4 against the current top 6. Visits to Tottenham and Arsenal, coupled with home games against Everton, Bolton and of course, Manchester United. At least it seems Terry and Lampard will return in the next week or so, but Alex faces a lay off for an operation and the front line is still struggling for goals. The old adage in English football is the title is usually decided at Easter, but Christmas could come early for Chelsea’s rivals if their dreadful month continues in to December. The club need to make sure that regardless of the off field problems, things need to get back to normal on the pitch.

Another weekend in the Premier League brings another mouth watering clash as London big boys Arsenal and Chelsea meet at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. A Chelsea win would see the Champions go seven points clear of Arsenal in the first week of October, a comfortable distance early on. While the two teams stand in third and first respectively, the tantalizing early season test for Arsenal away from home could prove daunting.

While Arsenal have played some fine football through the first few weeks of the season, they’ll hope last weekend’s shock home loss to West Brom won’t set the tone for the encounter, a much tougher test. Arsenal rebounded midweek with a 3-1 win away to Partizan Belgrade in the Champions League, hoping momentum from the match will carry over to the league.

Chelsea too are coming off of a loss in the league, like Arsenal, their first of the season. As Chelsea rebounded also in the Champions League v Marseille, they’ll want nothing but three points to prove their strength, having lost their first real test of the season last weekend. Vulnerability is a dish best not served.

Although it’s debatable that Carlo Ancelotti got his formation and tactics wrong at Eastlands last gameweek, Chelsea’s impotence at creating numerous clear cut chances in the match may have been a direct result of Manchester City’s competence. While the 4-3-3- that blitzed everything in its path through the first five weeks was missing Frank Lampard, and while Lampard looks set to miss Sunday’s match as well, Chelsea remain favorites in the league because of their experience and ability to score goals.

Chelsea gained all six points on offer last year with a combined 5-0 scoreline. While neither team has changed enough over the summer to warrant a major turn in the likely outcome, the addition of Marouane Chamakh up front for Arsenal will look to test John Terry and Alex in the air. The emerging talent of Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere, should he play a part, makes him one to watch.

The Chelsea starting XI, minus last week, embodies a fluid attack. Through Florent Malouda, Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka as a forward three, they’ll look to press Arsenal high up the pitch and test a back four who conceded three goals last league match against a newly promoted side. Chelsea’s midfield will likely be made up of Mikel, Essien and possibly Yuri Zhirkov in to replace Ramires who looked off the place at Eastlands.

Zhirkov seems to have had a tough time settling into life as a Chelsea player and gaining regular first team football. He’s battled fitness and form over the last year, but he’s a decent enough left winger (who can also play left back), skilled and quick. Chelsea’s back line of Cole, Terry, Alex and Ivanovic (Cech in goal) has been incredibly solid this year conceding only two goals in six league matches.

Arsenal will have to meet Chelsea still without some key players. Theo Walcott, Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner will all miss with injury, while the in form Samir Nasri, Chamakh and Jack Wilshere will lead the attack. Defending against Chelsea’s capable attack will prove most challenging for Arsenal’s back line of Bacary Sagna, Sebastien Squillaci, Laurent Koscielny and Gael Clichy. Arsenal have let in seven goals this campaign to Chelsea’s two. The up and down Alex Song, Abou Diaby and Andrei Arshavin could occupy the remaining midfield and attacking roles.

The one glaring question that remains for Arsenal is goalkeeper. Besides saving a Chris Brunt penalty last weekend, Manuel Almunia had an outright stinker as he was directly responsible for a few goals. Lukasz Fabianski replaced Almunia during midweek with a fine performance having also saved a penalty. Time will tell whether or not Arsene Wenger will drop Almunia for the game v Chelsea, while if it’s not this weekend, it should be soon. Yet many Arsenal fans still debate that there’s a viable replacement currently at Arsenal that can do the job. Surely the North London side approaches January with the intent of securing another top keeper. Almunia’s form cost Arsenal at least a point in the game against West Brom, the kind of home matches they need to win if they’re to challenge for the title.

That form and those errors simply aren’t good enough for a top Premier League side who has realistic ambitions of capturing silverware. However, we’ve known this for some time. What we haven’t yet figured out is why Arsenal, specifically Wenger, elects to stick with Almunia while points slip away.

While both teams look to recover from a loss in the league last time out, the stage is set for a dramatic showdown on Sunday. On current form and results, Chelsea should be favored. Their ability to attack, both down the left and down the center through multiple avenues make them dangerous in possession and on the counter. As previously stated, or until they start leaking goals, they boast the best defense in the league.

To overlook Arsenal would be slightly silly. Arsenal, more than ever, are a team looking to prove themselves, win silverware and shed this tag they have of a team with no heart or the ability to get stuck in when it counts. Sunday’s match has the potential to be a coming out for Arsenal players like Marouane Chamakh, Jack Wilshere and the furthering of Samir Nasri’s evolution as a Premier League-caliber footballer.

Arsenal and Chelsea fans, feel free to leave your predictions, picks for starting XI’s and potential star performers in the comments section below.

You have to feel for a player of the calibre of Michael Ballack and for fans of Germany. Things haven’t always gone swimmingly for Ballack at Stamford Bridge since he joined in 2006, but there is no doubt he is Germany’s most accomplished player of his generation. Be it at Munich, Leverkusen or the national side, Ballack has been one of the most consistent performers in the last 10 years of European football.

My first reaction to the challenge by Kevin-Prince Boateng on Saturday was it was a nasty little challenge. Numerous replays have simply strengthened that belief and it was the end to a little spat that had been running for the previous 15 minutes in the F.A. Cup Final. Now, Boateng is not alone in having a spiteful side to his play, but the irony of the impact it would have on his and Ballacks summer is now becoming apparent.

June 23rd has now gained a new significance in the World Cup as it is the date that Ghana play Germany in South Africa. Now normally, any game which features a player going against a side who have lost a player due to a nasty challenge would be interesting. Add the fact that the player is Germany’s captain and talismanic leader and the stakes are indeed raised, but there is an even more tantilising twist to this tale.

You see, up until April, Kevin Prince Boateng was classed as a German international, having represented the national side at both Under-16 and Under-19 levels. Now he has been granted permission by FIFA to represent Ghana at full international level and is expected to make the cut for the World Cup squad named by Ghana’s manager Milovan Rajevec. It’s a new move and one that should be applauded, though I doubt FIFA had this kind of comeback in mind when they allowed him to join up with Ghana.

Now the game has a whole new dimension for both sides. It was always going to be a pivotal game for both sides, with the dangerous Australians and Serbia making up a tough group. I’m not one for advocating revenge, but I’ve a feeling certain members of the German squad will be gunning for Boateng. Not only for the injury that Ballack has sustained, ruling him out of the World Cup but for turning his back on his country of birth.

I appreciate the draw a country could have on a player, but the decision seems to be made based on taking the easier option for me. Boateng’s career has certainly stalled whilst he’s been in England, he has the air of a player that sometimes looks like he can’t be bothered. His appearance for Portsmouth against Coventry in this season’s F.A. Cup run was peculiar to say the least. At one point in the second half, he was too injured to run but magically had the ability to dribble and shoot when the ball was played to him.

Since being at Portsmouth, he’s certainly gained some playing time, but his spell at Tottenham was a dreadful indictment of the previous regimes slapdash transfer policy under Daniel Commoli.The only thing that shocked me was that Tottenham managed to get anywhere near the £5 million they paid out for him.

Poor Michael Ballack, suspended for the 2002 World Cup final, will now probably never play in a World Cup again. He’ll be 37 by the time Brazil rolls around in 2014, so time and common sense is against him. Boateng, all being well, could be on the cusp of a wonderful career for the Black Stars over the next decade or so. So all German eyes will be on Johannesburg on June 23rd as the two sides clash. By the way, did I mention Kevin Prince Boateng could be there with his brother, Jerome. Trouble is, Jerome’s been picked by Germany in their provisional squad. Talk about a twist having a twist.

No matter whether you’re a fan of a particular Premier League club, the league itself or soccer in general, the above two videos should be required viewing so you can get a taste of how English soccer has changed as well as how the TV production of the beautiful game has changed considerably over the years.

The two videos feature Chelsea playing at Stamford Bridge. The first is from the 1974/75 season against Arsenal. The second is from the 1980/81 season against Queens Park Rangers, who used to be a force to be reckoned with in the top flight of English football.

If I had to list all of the interesting observations I saw in these two videos (both are the first ten minutes of the broadcast from The Big Match TV show from England), they would number more than a dozen. However, I’d prefer to keep the element of surprise so you can see for yourself through your own eyes all of the interesting differences both on and off the pitch.

After watching the videos, post your interesting observations in the comments section below. One observation I’ll point out is how the two players in the Chelsea against Arsenal match got injured in a clean tackle, but how both of them quickly got up and tried to shake their injury off rather than sprawling around on the grass and pretending they had been shot.

The Marquis De Sade was never short of a quote or two, but one that currently could be applied to certain members of Chelsea’s first team squad at the current time sprang to mind after today’s latest off field crisis at Stamford Bridge. “Lust is to the other passions what the nervous fluid is to life; it supports them all, lends strength to them all ambition, cruelty, avarice, revenge, are all founded on lust.” Now if there is one thing that I can’t abide in these celebrity soaked times, it is the celebrity sex scandal. Unfortunately, at this current time in the U.K., we can’t escape them

Especially when it seems to be a repeat performance emanating from the Kings Road in West London with a tiresome familiarity. Here we are, on the cusp of a World Cup, England’s overrated golden generation’s last chance to justify the guff, spin and marketing spiel that has surrounded them for the last decade. Just when it seemed the correct manager was in place to finally pull these egotistical bottlers to heel and create a side that finally delivered, we discover that several of them just can’t behave.

Now, I’m of the opinion that Ashley Cole is the best left back in world football, by quite some considerable distance, yet he’s such an unlikable character that it’s difficult to keep your personal view of him from tainting that fact. If there was ever a poster boy for what happens when you blow smoke up some one’s backside, throw money at them and allow them to behave as the wish with no thought of the consequences, then Ashley’s the result.

That animosity towards Cole probably began with his very ill advised autobiography, back in 2006 and one particular quote. “When I heard Jonathan Barnett (Cole’s agent) repeat the figure of £55K, I nearly swerved off the road. He (former Arsenal Director David Dein) is taking the piss Jonathan! I yelled down the phone. I was so incensed. I was trembling with anger. I couldn’t believe what I’d heard.”

Swapping North London for West London in an undercover deal that was sprung in a restaurant didn’t help either and saw William Gallas swap places for Cole. It seems if you constantly give Cole the sensible option or the detached from reality option, he will always go for the latter much to everyone’s chagrin. Like a moody teenager, Cole seems to be his own worst enemy, creating a personality so loathed that the media queue up to take pop shots at him.

Now, I’m not spinning this tale out due to his wife’s unfeasible success here in the U.K., as it seems she is now held up as the nations sweetheart somehow, but if all this off field nonsense was bad enough, Cole fractured his ankle two weeks ago and faces a race to be fit for the World Cup. Recovery from injury is a tough enough ask, but when you’re faced with both a 15 week window, if not less, to prove his fitness and an impending and very costly divorce, life for young Ashley couldn’t be worse.

Of course, the irony in all this is that one of his dalliances has been outed as an employee of Liverpool F.C. and one lets out a sigh of inane boredom by the sheer stupidity of the situation, entirely of Cole’s own making. Capello has got England playing their best football in years, giving them a swagger and a confidence that had been completely destroyed under the dark 15 months of Steve Mclaren’s reign. I’m not angry that Cole’s cheated on his wife for what seems like the umpteenth time, I’m angry that he’s been stupid enough to put Englands chances of winning the World Cup in jeopardy.

Yes, he may have not got there through injury, but we needed our best team to be completely focused on his football. It seems being married to a pop star, earning £110,000 per week and playing for Chelsea and England simply isn’t enough to keep this mans mind on his game. Going on current form, I doubt he’s got much of mind to use, but still, its like the lunatics have taken over the asylum. It seems that England’s chances are being derailed by the behavior of certain players detached from the position they hold in country’s psyche. Grow up the lot of you, the joke isn’t funny anymore.

Well, I had to check a couple of times that I’d read the paper right on Sunday morning such was the surprise that I viewed Carlo Ancelotti’s comments about Chelsea’s shock defeat at the D.W Stadium. Perhaps it was  the shock at playing at one of the worst named grounds in England, but either way it was so refreshing to hear one of the big four managers actually not try and wash over the event.

There is one thing that incenses me when I listen to post match comments and that’s when a manager blames everyone else but themselves for a defeat. The prime example of this idiotic line of defensive commentary is Neil Warnock. I have never, ever heard him in a post match interview admit his side were beaten by a better team. Never. In  nearly twenty years of listening to him whine, he has never lost a game to a better team.

He whined at Notts County, he whined at Huddersfield Town, at Oldham, at Plymouth and it was everyone else’s fault at Sheffield United. It was always the referee, or the opposition cheated or anything but face the fact that he’d got it wrong. Again, time after time and it became simply pathetic.The main reason Sheffield United were relegated was that the manager bought badly, played too defensively away from home and paid the price. Of course West Ham United cheated, but if he’d got anything about him, United wouldn’ t have been in that position.

Ferguson last season after Liverpool had absolutely ripped Manchester United to pieces at Old Trafford with a 4-1 win was in danger of being sectioned after his summary. “I thought the best team lost” he countered. Really? Honestly? Seriously? Liverpool absolutely tonked United that day, no question about it. To say anything else simply made Ferguson seem silly.

So thank you Carlo Ancelotti for coming out and saying it like it is. Wigan were immense on Saturday, they really were and Chelsea were completely out of sorts all match. It was like a performance under Phil Scolari rather than the exuberant style of play Ancelotti has managed to stamp on Chelsea so soon in his managerial career at Stamford Bridge. I doubt however that Chelsea fans need worry about a return to those days. It was simply a bad day at the office. Nothing more, nothing less and the manager recognised it as such.

By stating he didn’t know what had gone wrong, he showed a new side to the fans. He picked the best team, gave them the tactics and they couldn’t put it in to place. It happens. Of course the sending off didn’t help, even though I thought it was a little harsh, but it certainly was a penalty. He didn’t even dispute that decision. Astounding. Football managers do not do this kind of thing, but I wished more of them did. It gives them kudos for being honest rather than the usual defending terrible displays with criticism of the officials. It makes them seem more real, more unbiased and more like the viewer.

Sometimes post match comments are so insipid, so bland that it makes you want to throw something at the screen. The banality of some footballers and managers post match comment could put an insomniac to sleep. One former Premiership manager’s inability to talk  without using the word yerknow every four words simply made him sound dreadful, but I doubt anyone will give him another chance for quite a while.

Ancelotti really has impressed me since he arrived at Stamford Bridge and Saturdays humble and erudite summary of the game coupled with his honesty makes me appreciate him even more. I won’t hold my breath for the others to follow suit though but more’s the shame because of it. It really makes a refreshing change and shows they are human after all.

Now I’m certainly not going to start defending Chelsea’s players or the reactions of certain fans after the final whistle back on May 6th. Yes, the referee had a nightmare, yes Chelsea should have had two penalties at least and yes to some people it was easy to understand the reactions of some of the players after Tom Henning Ovrebo’s performance that night.It doesn’t excuse the behaviour of the players and fans after the game at all.

What I am astounded at is UEFA fining Chelsea £85,000 for failure to control their players and fans. Not because I disagree with it, but because UEFA continually ignore the issue of racism at football matches and issue a stream of pathetic, pointless little fines to teams who allow they’re fans to pollute football with their backward mentality towards non-white players. When you look at Chelsea’s punishment and then consider it in the scheme of failure to control players and fans, you’ll see what I mean.

In UEFA’s little world, racism isn’t an issue that warrants serious attention. They pretend it doesn’t happen and we’re all one big happy footballing family. Two years ago, England Under 21′s were fined £2000 for failure to control thier players after taking exception to Serbia’s players and fans who had racially abused the black members of the England Under 21 team throughout and after their European Championship match in 2007. Serbia were fined £16,500 and allowed to continue in the competition. This is UEFA’s zero tolerance approach to racism, paltry fines and allowing racist idiots to continue to perform.

In 2004, England’s black players were heckled throughout the 90 minutes of a “friendly” against Spain in Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium. The Spanish FA were fined the crippling amount of £44,500 from a game that generated 4 million pounds. 1% of the revenue that match created for the Spanish F.A . Once again, UEFA showed zero tolerance. That’ll show them won’t it?

Of course some Croatia fans infamously formed a human swastika in 2006 during a game against Italy but were only fined £10,000 even though it was the third racist incident by their fans in 4 years. Once again, UEFA showed zero tolerance.

It astounds me that the UEFA continue to punish clubs and players so leniently and then wonder why incidents still happen in certain countries. When a club receives a bigger fine for showing petulance and anger towards a match official than teams that unfurl racist, anti-muslim or anti-semitic slogans and banners at games then it shows how scared to tackle the issue they really are.

Of course Chelsea didn’t do themselves any favours by their behaviour that night, but does it justify a fine of such a value when compared to far more unsavoury incidents? For UEFA to punish Chelsea so sternly in comparison is an easy decision by UEFA. It’s an easy way out for them as it was so widely publicised around the world but in the scheme of football what causes the game more damage? Racist morons or emotionally charged football fans?

Drogba though is rather lucky in my opinion to have only received a 4 game ban from European competition; though he does have the threat of a further two games that have been suspended if he oversteps the mark again. Boswinga, who rightly apologised after calling the referee a cheat in the Portuguese media, strangely received a 3 match ban. He withdrew his comments as quickly as he had made them and even rang Overbo to apologise, so can feel harshly done by in comparison to Drogba. Michael Ballack meanwhile is quite possibly the luckiest player at Stamford Bridge, as he’s got away scot free for his body checking and pulling of the referee. Perhaps they were impressed with his star jumps?

In UEFA’s mind, swearing at a referee or calling him a cheat is a worse offence than racially abusing someone and that for me is a sad indictment of the governing bodies attitude to the fight against racism in football. Until they get their priorities right and throw teams out of competitions or hit them with seven figure fines, the racists will continue to abuse and divide. Now that is the real disgrace about Chelsea’s fine.

Torres was visibly irritated when subbed off in the 74th minute with the scoreline still two-nil. He wanted his hat trick against Blackburn, but Rafa Benitez’s message was clear: save it for Chelsea.

As Liverpool visit Stamford Bridge needing to score at least three goals to survive in the Champions League (0-3 would mean a Liverpool win, 1-3 would push the match to extra time), they’ll have some fuel for the fires of confidence despite Chelsea’s first-leg 1-3 thrashing…

1. Beating United: Most important is Liverpool’s result from their visit to Old Trafford. Even the most optimistic Liverpool diehard must have been surprised when Liverpool scored four goals to Manchester United’s one. Liverpool’s second come-from-behind win against their arch-rivals was one of their greatest victories in recent times, more so since the Reds never beat United under Benitez until this season. If Liverpool can score four at Old Trafford, they’ll believe they can score enough goals to do the job at Stamford Bridge.

2. Goals, Goals, Goals: Liverpool’s impressive scorelines against Real Madrid, Aston Villa and Blackburn will also aid them in their belief. Five unanswered goals against Madrid over the course of two legs, five against Villa and four against Blackburn. While Blackburn’s performance was one of the worst I’ve seen this season, the momentum of finding the back of the net four times will be carried over for Liverpool as they strive to put the ball past Petr Cech.

3. John Terry’s Suspension: Terry’s collision Pepe Reina in the first leg led to the Chelsea captain’s fifth yellow and so he misses today’s match. While Chelsea have plenty of cover in the back, Terry is a leader and a lynchpin. In the last couple years when Terry has been out with injury, Chelsea have suffered for it, at times struggling with form and results. No Terry means a better chance for Liverpool attackers to break through and score.

4. Javier Mascherano’s Return: Mascherano was the missing link in the first leg. Lucas Leiva was not strong enough to hold down the midfield fort as well as Mascherano can. As a result Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard were not able to press forward as much as they like, as they had to hang back and help Lucas with defensive duties. Many say it was Essien who contained Gerrard, but Gerrard couldn’t enjoy his full role without a strong defensive midfielder behind him. With Mascherano back, not only will Gerrard and Alonso have a bit more freedom, but the Argentinian will be a great help in shutting down Drogba’s runs. Drogba was able to get through the Liverpool defense far to frequently in the first leg, largely because the back four were without the defensive insurance policy that is Javier Mascherano.

5. Bolton’s Three Goals: Bolton Wanderers nearly rescued a point after being 4-0 down at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, scoring three for a final scoreline of 4-3. If Bolton can score three away to Chelsea, Liverpool have as much of a chance as anyone. The Reds just have to make sure Chelsea don’t score four first!  While the Bolton result may cause Chelsea to tighten up, it may just as easily have been enough to rattle the Blues the way Liverpool rattled United a week before Fulham beat them.

6. Fernando Torres: Torres is the king of creating a chance out nowhere. Give him a bit of space and an extra second on the ball and he can produce a wondergoal. Look at the first goal against Blackburn, he chested down Carragher’s long ball between two defenders, let it bounce once, and shot it into the far corner of the net. With Terry out, Torres may have more space than Chelsea normally allow. This may be enough to make all the difference. And he’s still hungry having been denied the third goal on Blackburn.

7. Liverpool Always Play Until The End: It may be a cliché: play until the final whistle. But no side has epitomized this like Liverpool this season. The equalizers and winners that have been scored in the dying minutes show that Liverpool will not give up until there is no more match to play. Right now it is halftime and Liverpool have ninety minutes to make something happen. That’s twice as much time as they had after going three down against AC Milan.

This is a mountain to climb. No doubt. And Chelsea may already be through to the semi-finals. But if Liverpool can score first and score early, it may just be enough to put the Blues off balance in their own stadium. If Liverpool can score two, it’s game on.

Three is a lot to ask, but stranger things have happened for Liverpool this season alone. Are we about to see a routine match for Chelsea? Or a legendary one for Liverpool?

We’ll know in a couple of hours.

Can anyone remember the last time Hull City won a Premier League game? December 6th at home to Middlesbrough was the last time. Since then, they have been very much in freefall.  When Hull first arrived in the Premiership, they were tipped to go straight back down but decided to tear up the script and go to well established top flight sides like Arsenal, Tottenham and Newcastle United and win. How dare they!

 Since then however, Hull have had a bit of a reality check. Despite two very credible draws at Anfield and Stamford Bridge, a couple of resounding batterings from Manchester City and Sunderland, accompanied with some less humiliating defeats and the odd draw have seen Hull fall into thirteenth. By all means this is a respectable position but the worrying thing for Phil Brown’s side is that they are looking over their shoulder now, rather than towards the dizzy heights of Europe that their early season form suggested.

The run of form that they are in at the moment suggests only one thing; a relegation scrap. This is the last thing that they would have wanted or expected at the time of their last league win but have struggled to maintain the kind of form that shocked the world before Christmas. Credit to Brown, he acknowledged their slump and tried to shake things up by bringing in some new faces, most notably Manucho on loan from Manchester United (to replace the outgoing Marlon King) and record signing Jimmy Bullard from Fulham. The latter however seems to have backfired for the time being as Bullard required further surgery to his troublesome knee and is out for the remainder of the season having only made one substitute appearance for the Tigers.

A problem that is still rectifiable this season though is their home form. The KC Stadium has hardly been a fortress having picked up just three wins in the league there all season. Perhaps this is because it is a welcoming venue for travelling teams with nice facilities and doesn’t boast the most hostile of atmospheres. If a team is to avoid the drop, it is often their home form that will decide it. Stoke City are a good example of a side who are making the most of their home territory and in turn made themselves very difficult to beat there. Hull’s next three home games all come against sides who are in the relegation mix and the phrase ‘six pointer’ starts to take on some real meaning. Sunday’s match against a rejuvenated Blackburn Rovers is a crucial match and a win for Hull could spark a run that results in a comfortable finish to the season and doesn’t require the need for a positive result against Manchester United on the final day. Newcastle United and Portsmouth are the following home games for Hull while upcoming trips to Fulham, Wigan, Middlesbrough and Sunderland suggest that Hull should pick up enough points to survive.

Most neutrals would like to see Hull stay up, purely because of the way they shook things up in the opening weeks of the season and think it would be a waste to then throw it all away. Hull have achieved a lot in a short space of time and sending them back to the drawing board now would be harsh. However, you only stay up if you’re good enough and time will tell.

Ever since The Observer newspaper reported that Chelsea were seriously contemplating a move from Stamford Bridge in west London to a new stadium site next to Battersea Power Station, executives at the Blues have been acting very fidgety.

First, some background. The distance between the two locations is exactly three miles, but psychologically the locations are worlds apart. Stamford Bridge is in the very affluent boroughs between Hammersmith and Fulham. Battersea is south of the Thames river in the borough of Wandsworth. Chelsea is synonymous with the fashionable shops of nearby King’s Road. Battersea is best known for the Battersea Power Station, made famous for being featured on the cover of Pink Floyd’s album, Animals (pictured above). While the power station is a London landmark, it is so for all of the wrong reasons — giant smokestacks that pierce the London skyline.

So how and why have Chelsea been acting weird about the whole situation? First, Chelsea were very quick to deny the story but they contradicted themselves in the first two sentences of the official statement. The first sentence read “This story is total nonsense.” The second sentence then read “Chelsea is not actively considering moving to this site in Battersea.” The emphasis on the words “not actively” were added by me, but the message is clear. Chelsea is not refuting that they’re examining Battersea as an option. They’re just using doublespeak to diffuse the situation before Chelsea supporters become enraged at the thought of leaving their sacred home where they’ve been since 1905.

Three miles may not seem like much, but it’s a one hour walk from Stamford Bridge to Battersea Power Station. But more importantly, it’s a big psychological difference. North of the River Thames is synonymous with riches. South of the river Thames signifies the working class. As you move further outside the city centre of London to the west and the east, the north south divide becomes less important. But near the heart of London, it’s a massive deal.

Don’t forget that Arsenal played their early part of their existence in Plumstead, nestled south of the River Thames before they moved to north London and Highbury in 1913. That was after property magnate and Fulham chairman Henry Norris tried to merge Fulham and Arsenal together, but failed. By moving Arsenal to north London, Norris rescued the club from certain bankruptcy and extinction.

Here’s a satellite image of London to show how close but far apart Stamford Bridge is to Battersea. Notice how the smokestacks from the power station cast a shadow over the Thames directly above and to the left of Battersea, identified by the letter B below.

Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon was interviewed yesterday on Sky Sports and was asked about the stadium move. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to find a video of the interview, but you can tell from the following interview about Chelsea’s financial situation that Kenyon appears uncomfortable answering the question and is quite fidgety.

The potential move from west London to Battersea must be of huge interest to Roman Abramovich especially considering that the Russian billionaire holding’s have lost as much as $20 billion in paper value according to one source. The opportunity for Abramovich to redevelop Stamford Bridge into luxury apartments is immense. According to The Observer, “While Highbury is one of the more expensive areas of the capital in which to buy property, it is dwarfed by the value of land at Stamford Bridge’s west London location. While Arsenal were restricted to 711 apartments at Highbury, as the old stadium was a listed building, Stamford Bridge has no such limitations. With its far greater area, including the club’s Chelsea Village complex and extensive parking, at least 1,000 properties could be built.”

Despite Chelsea’s denials, the potential move from Stamford Bridge to the site next to Battersea Power Station makes economic sense. It would provide the Blues with a  state-of-the-art stadium with a much larger capacity than the current Stamford Bridge (capacity 42,055), which doesn’t have much room – if any – for redevelopment. It would establish Chelsea as a much bigger Premier League heavyweight with a ground closer in size to the two biggest club stadiums, Manchester United’s Old Trafford (capacity 76,212) and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium (capacity 60,000).

For Chelsea, it makes economic sense and is a move that the club and its fans seriously need to consider. Roman Abramovich won’t be around forever. Chelsea needs to start planning its financial future today to cope when Abramovich isn’t there to sustain the club. Battersea Power Station may be the answer.