One for Bridgey as Blues batter sorry Chelsea

A masterful and completely unexpected performance from the Blues this afternoon saw us leap back into fourth spot and deal Chelsea's title hopes a real blow. Two goals apiece from Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy led to only our second victory at Stamford Bridge in Premier League history as we outwitted Carlo Ancelotti's men. Frank Lampard also grabbed a brace.

Nigel de Jong returned to the centre of midfield, with Vince Kompany shifting back into the defence and Nedum Onuoha making way. Winger Adam Johnson and returning top scorer Carlos Tevez came in for Stevie Ireland and the suspended Emanuel Adebayor in a 4-5-1. Indeed, Ireland didn't even make the bench.

Chelsea stuck with Florent Malouda as a stand-in left-back given the injuries to Ashley Cole and Yuri Zhirkov. Hilarious continued in goal, with Anelka and Joe Cole starting wide of Drogba. Sadly, Danny Sturridge couldn't add to his one full league appearance for the season.

The Terry/Bridge nonsense obviously continued as the biggest talking point of the day, the whole affair overshadowing the game to the extent that you wondered if folk were there to watch it at all, or just to see if two grown men would shake hands or not. Our lot went through the usual procedures, Wayne decided not to bother, fair play to him.

Chelsea dominated the majority of the first half, so much so that i'm sure i wasn't the only Blue anticipating us being on the end of a good hiding. Malouda's sweet strike from well outside of the area in the eleventh minute sailed over Given's bar, and some hesitant defending from Micah Richards followed; firstly giving Chelsea a free-kick in a dangerous area, then slipping to allow Ivanovic in before recovering.

An Adam Johnson free-kick was easily gobbled up by Hilario, but the £7m signing from Boro, despite struggling to find his feet, began to cause Malouda problems by drifting infield. Michael Ballack's punt upfield to Drogba sailed wide and found Cole who cut in onto his stronger right foot and forced Given to parry away. Ivanovic, who had an excellent first half, whipped a cross in with his left peg, but the off-colour Drogba headed over.

The home side continued to carve out chances, and on another day would have opened the scoring much earlier than they did, but our defence, including what to me looks like our best centre-half partnership of Kompany and Lescott, were resolute. Anelka roamed infield and shot straight at Given, Kompany sliced over his own bar, Drogba again fired over, and they began to get frustrated.

Just as the interval was in sight we conceded. Joe Cole collected in the centre of midfield and knocked a delicious weighted ball through to Lampard. Kompany's stepping out left the England man free in acres of space, and he made no mistake, firing across Given into the far bottom corner. It was a deserved lead, and the afternoon ahead suddenly felt like a longer and tougher prospect.

Almost out of nowhere, though, we managed to claw ourselves level. A hoof out of defence was misjudged by Mikel, his header back leaving Carlos Tevez to run at Terry and Carvalho. Turning the Portuguese international inside out Carlito's tame strike trickled across the face of goal and past the despairing Hilario. We might have even gone in ahead, Craig Bellamy's free-kick reaching the unmarked Lescott at the back post but his header fell disappointingly wide.

The first incident of note during the second half saw John Terry booked for a foul just outside his penalty box. The ground buzzed in anticipation as Bridge lined up the free-kick. Sadly it didn't make the net bulge, instead hitting the wall. Thankfully we didn't have to wait long to edge in front, Craig Bellamy away down the left, running at his marker, Mikel again, and lashing left-footed into Hilario's far corner. Questionable positioning again from the 'keeper, but a great strike.

SWP was introduced on the hour, Johnson replaced. A coming together between Tevez and Terry could have saw the philanderer receive a second yellow, raising his hand to the Argentinian and a bit of handbags followed as Chelsea typically forgot what sportsmanship is when trailing. Their afternoon should have got worse, Ivanovic making a great last-ditch challenge on Bellamy when through on goal.

From there on in Chelsea's attempts because desperate and half-hearted. A free-kick landed at Drogba's feet at the far post but he couldn't get an accurate shot off. Ballack tried from around thirty yards, straight at Given. They had the look of a beaten team, and the result was put beyond doubt in the 75th minute, Belletti bundling Barry over in the area when through and getting his marching orders. Tevez stroked home to send the thousand or so travelling Blues into raptures.

Bridge was allowed an early bath once we'd extended our lead, Mancini upsetting the naysayers by bringing on a striker when two up away at the best team in the country. Ballack's second booking, for a cynical challenge on Tevez saw then reduced to nine men, but if anything they began to play better despite that, as we allowed them possession far too easily and they bombarded our defence without too many real clear-cut chances.

Just as the afternoon couldn't get any better we bagged another, again a slick move on the break. Carlos Tevez found sub Wright-Phillips on the right, his driving run and low cross across goal tapped in at the far stick by Bellamy. Unbelievable. Frank Lampard, who missed a vital spot-kick in the Eastlands fixture, made no mistake late on after Gareth Barry had mistimed a challenge.

I can't recall the last time that Chelsea were beaten in such a way on their own patch. We absorbed all they had first half barring one moment of clocking off, and came storming out of the blocks after the break. We've not witnessed too much of the fluid, counter-attacking football so far under Mancini, but then we've rarely had Bellamy and Tevez both available and fully fit. Three of our strikes today came on the break, and at times we were at our devastating best.

It's hard to really pick faults with the team, or the boss. Mancini's tactics were again spot-on, he picked the best side and formation, as he did last week, and generally has, in my opinion. We got away with the odd bit of naive defending early on, and after being unable to string three passes together early doors grew into the game and earned a thoroughly deserved victory.

For me, today's result is as enjoyable as any i can remember. We showed bottle, organisation, work rate, and in the end battered one of the very best club sides in Europe. Tevez' bullying of both Chelsea centre-halves should receive special praise, ditto fellow doublist Bellamy. Barry, too, was exceptional, but everyone played their part. I never saw that coming in a million years, and whilst none of us would have been upset to see the Chelsea captain get clattered by all comers today, going to 'fortress' Stamford Bridge and giving them a whipping has proved much more enjoyable.

Team:
Given, Richards, Bridge (Santa Cruz '78), Kompany, Lescott, de Jong, Zabaleta, Barry, A.Johnson (SWP '60), Tevez (Sylvinho '89), Bellamy