Stoke City 0 - Chelsea 2: Initial reaction and community rating form

The Blues took the lead very, very early on Monday, but didn't seal the game until very, very late. After John Terry opened the scoring just 95 seconds into the game, it was a physical affair untile Cesc Fabregas doubled the lead with just over ten minutes left to play.

With the win, Chelsea now sit three points clear of Manchester City at Christmas, and are still on pace for 94 points this campaign. There's just two more matches to play before the midway point of the campaign, and winning both would put Chelsea back on pace to break the Premier League points record. Here are a few thoughts following today's rugby match:

• Phil Bardsley is quickly becoming one of my least favorite players.
• Diego Costa, on the other hand, is doing the opposite. Even when his finishing left a lot to be desired, he was a menace to the Stoke back line all evening.
• Thibaut Courtois might be good enough to single-handedly carry a club like Arsenal or Liverpool into a title fight. Thankfully, he'll likely be at Chelsea for the next 15 years.
• Eden Hazard went down in what appeared to be a lot of pain in stoppage time. Hopefully it's nothing serious, and he'll be good to go on Friday.
• The games are going to come fast and furious now. To borrow a phrase from Terrell Owens, get your popcorn ready.