Sunday's game at Stamford Bridge continues to dominate this week's talk and while Didier Drogba was the main topic of conversation at first, columnist Pat Nevin introduces a new name to the discussion...
There was more than a little pressure on Chelsea to beat Arsenal on Sunday. Two defeats in a row in the league would have been jumped on by the rest of the game, they would have suggested that the great start had really only been about the 'easy draw' against the so called lesser teams.
In the end it was a very similar performance to the last time the Gunners visited the Bridge, they might have had more possession, they even created a few chances, but after the first goal was scored Chelsea were very unlikely to be beaten.
Of all the positive performances in the game I think it was the relatively unsung heroes who were the ones who stood out most. Alex of course will get a few headlines and thank goodness that net was in the way of his goal, there was a definite chance that shell of a shot could have taken someone's head off.
Another player who had one of his best games in a Chelsea shirt was Mikel. He will never be as free scoring as Frank Lampard, but that isn't who he should be compared with. I ask myself now, how many goals Makelele scored per season, you get the point.
Mikel broke up a huge amount of Arsenal attacks, his tackling and timing were perfect. Time and again he filled in spaces when defenders were drawn out, which is the most important role in the central defensive position. His ball retention was perfectly good and as such the boss will have been delighted with his contribution.
Carlo might have been even happier with the 83 minutes played by Ramires. It hasn't been an easy start for him as there were many adjustments to be made. He had to get to know his new team mates and learn their strengths and weaknesses, such as they are. There was the settling in period in a new country with a different culture, but most importantly there is also the difficulty of getting used to the English Premier League. Quite clearly that has taken a little while and even at the start of the Arsenal game Ramires lost the ball just too often for comfort, which is not exactly the accepted Chelsea way.
There did however appear to be a turning point and as the game wore on he appeared to grow stronger and increasingly confident. He doesn't have the build of Mikel but his balance and tenacity were easily enough to get him through in that congested midfield area, witness his tackle which led to the first goal.
He also managed to arrive into the box at important moments, there was one occasion when he bust a gut to arrive at the back post and would have had a tap in had Didier Drogba squared it instead of going for glory from an acute angle.
His very last contribution to the game was another heartening moment. It was another lung bursting lightning run, this time through the middle that was only just offside. In fact he wouldn't have been offside had the pass been better timed and by rights he really ought to have been through one on one with the keeper. Up until this performance I wasn't convinced that he really could get to the standard of the others around him in the Chelsea midfield, at least in the domestic game. Now I am convinced that he is eventually going to be at the very least a vitally important and regularly utilised squad player and maybe even a first-choice pick more often than not.
I have to say that I deliberately tried to make last week's quiz just a little bit harder than the week before, but there were still plenty who managed to dig out a correct answer. The question was regarding the name of a current Scottish Premier League player who is related to a former Chelsea striker. I was quite pleased with this one because amazingly there are actually four correct answers. They are:
1. John Sutton of Motherwell, brother of Chris Sutton. (Chelsea 1999-2000, 39 apps)
2. Nigel Hasselbaink of Hamilton, nephew of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. (2000-04, 177 apps)
3. John Fleck of Rangers, nephew of Robert Fleck. ( Chelsea 1992-95, 48 apps)
4. Tom Hateley of Motherwell, grandson of Tony Hateley. (Chelsea 1966-7, 33 apps)
Any single correct answer got you in the draw and the randomly chosen winner this week is Helen Payne from Bierton. Well done, the prize will be sent out soon. This week to have a chance of winning a season review DVD signed by members of the squad, could you tell me apart from nationality, what does Ramires have in common with the great Pele? Answers as ever to me at pat.nevin@chelseafc.com
