Meanwhile, take a gander at the lovely finish below…

Whatever you want to call them, Chelsea had ‘em this season — in abundance. From Super Frank’s absurd chip against Hull to Essien’s mother of all volleys against Barcelona, it was truly an unforgettable year for Blues goals.

The question is: Which was is the best (c. Essien)? I put it to you proud readers of Chelsea Offside, let your voice be heard. Last season, just 60 people voted in our annual goal of the season poll. This time ’round, I expect more than 100 votes. So run and tell a friend; alert your mom, even your mistress. Let’s make this happen, people.

Let the voting begin.

Bosingwa v West Brom

Lampard v Ipswich

Alex v Liverpool

Essien v Barcelona

Lampard v Hull City

Terry v Wigan

Anelka v Sunderland

Lampard v Stoke City

Malouda v Blackburn

Belletti v Middlesbrough

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Chelsea, in its current form, is strikingly similar to the forceful, emotionless train of excellence that typified Mourinho’s first year in charge; a team seething with a dark swagger — every game a pocket three points. What is compromised with this air of invincibility — that’s eight wins in a row — is style. It’s as if the Blues’ suck the life out of not only the opposing team but the game as well. Regardless, we are again feared and it’s a great feeling. Sidenote: Comedic great Avram Grant may not be as Special but is proving a worthy successor (at least for the time being), even if his so-called “beautiful football” is nowhere to be found.

As for the match, Nic Anelka finally popped his cherry at Chelsea, dispatching a Belletti chip with the most clinical of finishes. He, then, set up SWP for an open-netter in the 82nd minute. Other than that, and a wonder volley from Cialis candiateTony Sibierski, the game was a bore — not to be confused with a wild boar.

Match Highlights

Oh Yes!!! Essien’s last gasp winner against Valencia in the Mestalla, and Chelsea’s progress to the Champions League semi-final secured!!!

Oh my how times change and how quick fortunes in football can change.

Chelsea return to the Mestalla on Wednesday, without you know who and struggling for form and plagued by an injury list as long as your arm.

Lampard and Essien out, JT (might have to do a fine impression as the ‘Mask of Zorro), Bridge out (sent off in tonight’s reserve game incidentally), Carvalho, Ballack to name a few.

Players not in form. Sheva, Malouda, Alex perhaps. Players who have been out through injury and suspension – Mikel and Drogba.

I know one thing, Scott Sinclair isn’t in Spain – he has just scored for the reserves against Fulham and at this point Chelsea are losing, with Wayne Bridge having already been sent off!!

But although this is a Champions League group game, this game is not as important as the game back in April. A defeat in the Mestalla isn’t the end of the World, but after the Rosenborg debacle, a defeat will make qualification to the knockout stage that more difficult. However, this is Chelsea and this a ‘backs to the wall’ Chelsea that I know so well.

It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest that Chelsea come away from the Mestalla, with a win and a performance that Chelsea produced last week at Hull in the Carling Cup and then go to Bolton on Sunday and get stuffed 3-0, 4-0 or 5-0!!

Seriously it wouldn’t. Why you might ask? Well I have seen it all before. Flatter to deceive in the competitions that are ‘DEEMED’ important (as in Rich Boy and like me want the Champions League this season) and well ‘hell’ to rest.

Not me. I am a hardcore fan and have been ‘Since 66,’ and I have always wanted Chelsea to win anything and everything Chelsea can.

This year I said I wanted the Champions League more than anything else, if I am honest, after the last few weeks since Jose’s departure, Chelsea will be ‘lucky’ to win the Carling Cup!!!

But this is Chelsea and now we are David against Goliath and with no disrespect to Avram Grant – he has one serious job on his hands – despite being rich boy’s puppet for his Chelsea plaything – to win any silverware at all!!

On that note till tomorrow, Chelsea Reserves lost 3-2 to Fulham Reserves and that was playing with 10 men for the best part of an hour.

I WAS THERE WHEN WE WERE SHIT

I’LL BE THERE WHEN WE ARE SHIT (AGAIN)!!!!

KTBFFH

There is one point that I want to make that seems to be missing from the pre-match build-up, if Gerrard who is suffering from an injured toe plays this afternoon, why is he being allowed to miss the England friendly against Germany on Wednesday? Either he is injured or he isn’t!!

I can see the headlines now!!!

KTBFFH

After seeing my beloved Blues lift the Premiership crown two years in succession after a long, very long wait of over 40 years, never did I think that ONE single season this season (and any other season) could better than the previous two.

Season 2006/2007 did just that and more.

The promise of the Summer signings of Ballack and Shevchenko failed to materlise although Shevchenko was more of a success than the signing of Ballack – Sheva worked hard for the team and still managed to score fourteen goals. Ballack however was just lazy and strolled around like a player who thought he owned every single football ground in the Country.

My dreams of this partnership were completely shattered as I kept on visualising Ballack dominating the midfield area and sliding inch pefect, slide rule balls through opposition defences for ‘The Shev’ to run onto and have a more the equal chance of scoring goal after goal.

The season was made more memorable when the first FA Cup Final for seven years went back home to Wembley and I was there to sing ‘when John went up to lift the FA Cup.’ Chelsea made history that day by becoming the first team win the FA Cup at the ‘New’ Wembley and the last team to win the FA Cup at the ‘Old’ Wembley.

The season started with a 3-0 win against Man City at Stamford Bridge followed by a surprise 2-1 defeat at Middlesbrough a few days later. Sheva scored his first league goal and we all thought it would be the start of many.

Wins against Blackburn, Charlton, Liverpool (remember Dids first and one of many superb goals?) and Fulham saw Chelsea continue their presence at the top of the Premiership before a surprise loss of two points at home in a 1-1 draw against Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa.

Saturday 14th October at new-boys Reading’s Madjeski Stadium was one of the most (of many) pivotal days in Chelsea season as well as the most horrific I have ever witnesssed. Not two minutes had been played when Petr Cech came to smother the ball and ended up with a fractured skull for his troubles. An injury that was to rule him out for the best part of three minutes.

A minute before full-time substitute goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini was clattered and stretchered off the pitch unconscious with his neck in a brace and barely breathing. Up stepped John Terry to take up the goalkeeping challenge and Chelsea held firm to record a 1-0 win. Also in the game, Mikel lost his rag and was shown the red card.

The ramifications of Cech’s and Cudicini’s injuries rumbled on and on, whilst the perpetrators Hunt and Sonko protested their innocence.

Hilario made his Premiership debut in the 2-1 win over Portsmouth at Stamford Bridge and the following week he saved a penalty in the 2-0 win over Sheff Utd at Bramall Lane. Ballack marked his appearance with a headed goal.

The second pivotal moment in Chelsea’s season and for me THE game that cost Chelsea the title was the 2-1 defeat at Tottenham. After taking the lead from an unlikely source, a superb Claude Makelele volley, Chelsea and Jose threw the game away in the second -half. The reason? Ferreira was withdrawn at half-time and replaced by Boulahrouz, twenty odd minutes later Boulahrouz was withdrawn with Chelsea leading 2-1.

With all the fight, determination, resilience that Chelsea had shown this season making two crucial defensive changes were too much for an embattled Chelsea side to recover. Not only we did lose ground on the race for the title, we lost our PROUD unbeaten record against Tottenham spanning sixteen years and 33 games. There was more to come later on in the season to gain sweet revenge over Spurs.

We lost John Terry after he was sent off by Graham Poll and lo and behold we lost JTs services for a back and leg injury. I cannot get my head around that JT’s ‘injury’ absence conincided with allegations of JT being racist towards Ledley King during the spat prior to JT’s sending-off. Not a lot was made of it in the press and media but the chatrooms and unofficial websites were buzzing and rumours that JT DID abuse King were circulating like a vicious forest fire. All in all JT missed a total of 14 games, which started not long after JT appeared at a FA discplinary hearing.

Was there a cover-up? Or is this just a conspiracy theory? After all the England Captain CANNOT be seen to be a racist!!

Hilario missed the next four Premiership games with Carlo doing a great job by only conceding one goal. Chelsea won three of the four. The draw against Man Utd at Old Trafford showed Chelsea’s intentions that they were not about to give up the title lightly.

Hilario returned for the Premiership and played in every game until Petr Cech’’s return at Anfield in January. The memorable highlights in that period for Chelsea were: Essien’s wonder-strike against Arsenal which ultimately won Essien the fans goal of the season award. the game ended 1-1. Everton away where Frank and Diider scored a tremendous goal each in the last few minutes to secure a valuable 3-2 away win. Arjen Robben’s last minute stunner against Wigan.

Following that, Chelsea’s next three games all ended in draws and more pivotal moments title changing moments in a truly momentous season. With JT out. Essien continued in an unfamiliar centre-back role and despite doing an excellent job Chelsea dropped points at home to Fulham and Reading with Essien unfortunately conceding an own goal then against Aston Villa away just after the new year, Chelsea could only draw 0-0 and Khalid dislocated his elbow.

Wigan was trounced 4-0 at the Bridge and then up at Anfield the following weekend, the return of Petr Cech complete with a protective skull cup wasn’t enough to prevent Chelsea going down 2-0. No Ricky, who fell ill on the morning of the game and no Terry which left us with Essien and Ferreira having to deal with Kuyt and Crouch. This was the game that Ballack and Dids contrived to F**K up that famous free-kick, the one that worked so well at Newcastle in the Carling Cup a month or so ago.

After the Liverpool defeat Chelsea were unbeaten in the Premiership and remain so until the Premiership starts again in August.

For the record Chelsea haven’t been beaten at home since February 2004 (managed by Claudio) when we lost to Arsenal, a run of 63 games and a unbeaten home League record that Chelsea share with Liverpool. In fact since Jose Mourinho became a manager (including Porto), he has never lost a home league game.

Once we avoid defeat in the first game of the 2007/2008 season we take away the proud record that Liverpool have held for many a year.

For the record our remaining League results since the Liverpool defeat read as follows:

Blackburn H 3-0
Charlton A W1-0
Middlesbrough H W3-0
Portsmouth A W 2-0
Man City A W 1-0
Sheff Utd H W3-0
Watford A W1-0 a last minute Kalou goal kept us in the title race

Spurs H W1-0
West Ham A W4-1 two Shaun Wright-Phillips goals won this game for us

Newcastle A D0-0
Bolton H D2-2
Arsenal A D1-1 The day the title went!!
Man Utd H D0-0 The day we applauded Man Utd reserves onto the pitch as Champions
Everton H D1-1 The day we equalled Liverpool’s unbeaten home League record

Look out soon for Part II which covers the Cups and anything else I feel is appropriate!!

In the week leading up to yesterday’s final I had this feeling of excitement like a kid at Christmas in knowing that I was going to be in a crowd of extremely lucky people to witness the first FA Cup Final at the ‘New’ Wembley.

For me the result was immaterial. It was the occasion, the pomp, the ceremony and being able to say ‘I WAS THERE.’ I will never know what my feelings would be had Chelsea lost. It was only when Dids goal went in that I truly believed that Chelsea would lift the FA Cup AGAIN!!!

Lots of people during the week had asked me my prediction – even travelling to Wembley yesterday I was convinced the game would go down to the wire and go to penalties.

Thanks to the ‘Drog’ – it didn’t!!!

Prior to the kick-off in yesterday’s FA Cup Final at the ‘New’ Wembley, Chelsea had acheived a wonderful and successful season. After a tense two hours of football and a sublime Didier Drogba goal five minutes from the end of extra time, Chelsea’s wonderful season had turned into a FANTASTIC one.

Alright Man Utd have got the Premiership title, but Chelsea completed the ‘domestic cup double,’ which brings Jose trophy haul in three years to six – 2 PREMIERSHIP TITLES, 2 CARLING CUPS, 1 FA CUP and 1 COMMUNITY SHIELD!!!

As well as winning the trophies, Chelsea became the first winners of the FA Cup at the ‘New’ Wembley, seven years after winning the last FA Cup in 2000 at the ‘Old’ Wembley. A unique piece of history. Yesterday’s success was the fourth time that Chelsea has lifted the FA Cup (1970, 1997, 2000, 2007) and now that ‘horrible’ day in 1994 can be firmly laid to rest.

The stadium itself is absolutely wonderful. Getting inside was easy, there are escalators to take you to your seat level. The seats themselves had more leg-room than most aircraft and the atmosphere generated by Chelsea fans was brilliant. Exiting the stadium was quick and easy, by means of a combination of stairs and walkways straight out, back onto Wembley Way.

It does take a while to get back into the station, but once there you are away from the area as soon as you can get on one of the many trains, servicing Wembley Park station.

I was back home inside two hours which can be the same time it takes me to get home from Stamford Bridge.

Finally Chelsea scored a goal in Europe against the ‘Scum’ of Liverpool. Five matches and finally a goal. What makes Joey’s first half goal so special in last night’s enthralling encounter was the goal became the first LEGAL, WITHOUT DISPUTE, WITHOUT CONTROVERSY goal scored between the two teams in recent Champions League competition.

The goal was Chelsea at their best. Carvalho picks the ball up from the edge of his own area, strides forward and then releases a textbook pass to the outside of Dids right foot on Chelsea’s right, Dids then flicks the ball back inside of the defender and makes a pass across the ‘Scum’s’ area for the onrushing Joe Cole to smack the ball pass ‘Papa’ Reina.

It is such a pleasure to see Coley back. If you thought the ‘winker’ in Ronaldo takes step-over lessons, Coley does more and his are performed ‘tongue-in-cheek.’

If you haven’t watched Joe Cole play, then the ‘tongue-in-cheek’ statement has gone straight over your head!!

The noise at Anfield will be incredible next Tuesday and the ‘Scum’ are already spouting off and reminding everybody how they beat Chelsea in the League back in January, 2-0.

What the ‘Scum’ failed to mention, Chelsea’s defeat included: Cech’s first game back in goal after being out for three months. JT was injured and Carvalho fell ill on the morning of the match. With no defence – no disrespect to Ferreria and Essien – what would you expect with Crouch and Kuyt up front??? An easy time!!!

Next Tuesday, Essien should return, Ballack should return (although I certainly didn’t miss him last night) and Chelsea WILL be prepared to face ‘The Kop.’

Chelsea will score at Anfield (just like Chelsea scored in Valencia, and they did TWICE). Can you believe Liverpool scoring at least THREE!!!! against a defence of Terry and Carvalho (a possible Chelsea Player of the Year).

ATHENS HERE WE COME

Oh!!

Here’s is Joey’s goal again.

‘Shaunie Wright Wright, Shaunie Wright Wright.’

Almost two years at Chelsea and a bit part player. But didn’t he take his chance last night. Who would have expected Shaunie to come up with TWO quality goals in the space of six first half minutes when he has hardly had a first team Premierhip chance??

His first was an absolute gem. Ball fed in he turned and twisted, he then dropped his shoulder left Spector on his bum and shot with his weaker left foot to leave Green grasping at low altitude.

Thirty-one seconds after Tevez equalised for West Ham and Cechie boy knows he should have done better – Bridge down the left and a wonderful cross saw Shaunie turn his body out and rifle in a wonderful volley with his right foot.

Six minutes into the second-half, Frank Lampard showed what a total professional he is. Whipped by the West Ham boo-boys, he whipped in a cross that saw Dids shoot against Green and Kalou snap up the rebound for Chelsea’s third.

By the hour it was definitely all over. From a Lampard through-ball Dids took a slight touch beyond West Ham’s defence and coolly slotted the ball home to make the score West Ham 1-4 Chelsea. At best this is THE score, at worst I thought it would be a very close 2-1 to Chelsea!!!

Now for the Barcodes on Sunday!!

Enjoy ALL the goals again!!