Well Chelsea did it. Took the unbeaten league record off the 'Scum.' So Scum now start singing 'You've got no history, You've got no history.....' if you dare. We have taken a part of your history away from you!!!
Go back to February 2004 when Arsenal became the last league victors at Stamford Bridge and fast forward to this afternoon when on 15 minutes Chelsea old-boy who got a massive reception when his name was read out, put the visitors ahead.
From a soft free-kick awarded against Carvalho by substitute ref Steve Bennett, the ball was floated in and missed the heads of Carvalho and Haim but hit the head of a Birmingham player, Cech dived one way to but the ball struck Forssell and ended up in the other side of the net.
Fair play to Forssell you could sense his satisfaction at scoring but it took a lot of willpower not to celebrate too keenly and too enthusiastically in front of the home support.
Two minutes later parity was restored when Pizarro, a surprise starting choice, opened up his Chelsea account from close range after good work by the excellent Shaun-Wright Phillips. Chelsea then took the lead when Malouda scored on his debut making two players of the day scoring their first goals in the Blue of Chelsea.
Kalou was unlucky not to have scored THE goal of the season - no doubt. He received a pass inside the City area, flicked it over his head and his marking defender, before turning and controlling the ball on his knee before hitting a shot on the volley direct into the chest of the visiting goalkeeper, Doyle.
Birmingham's equaliser was a mixture of brilliance and Chelsea comedy. The Birmingham striker Kapo picked up the ball deep into Chelsea's half right on the touchline, he made a mug of Johnson's weak tackle and Kapo drilled a diagonal shot across the despairing dive of Cech. Without John Terry, Chelsea looked desperate in defence and some of Cech's decisions to come for high crosses didn't help the confidence but to be fair all afternoon, the hardest work Cech had to do was to pick the ball out of the net twice.
We know Chelsea will be in for harder games, and as soon as JT returns the better as leadership, control will follow.
Having said that Chelsea's football was exciting, free-flowing and exhilarating - Jose must have taken on board the criticism's from last season and Shaun Wright-Phillips has taken the bull between the horns. His pre-season play deserved a chance to start today and by God did he take it. I know he his a little guy but if I was him tonight or tomorrow in training I would be telling those men in front of me, 'I supplied decent crosses to you today, where were you'?
Shaunie was all over the place and caused City no end of problems and it was Shaunie's reverse lay-off that allowed Essien to strike Chelsea's winner five minutes into the second-half from twenty-five yards.
Drogba came on as a sub for the excellent Pizarro and after a low clearance from Doyle, the ball found its way to Drogba on the half-way line. Drogba looked up and rifled a shot back at the unattended goal. The shot just missed but had it gone in, we would have all been debating another 'goal of the season.'
During the Summer Chelsea spent £13.5m on Florent Malouda, scoring on his Premiership debut and at home, this bloke looks like a quality act. As does Pizarro who also scored on his debut but the plaudits and my man of the match goes to Shaun Wright-Phillips. He was all over the place and with the formation that Jose operated with today, Shaunie looks so at home.
Whether or not Jose sticks to the same formula remains to be seen.
Next game is away to Reading on Wednesday night - 15th August 2007, kick off 8pm (UK time)
KTBFFH