Chelseafc.com continues a look back over another eventful year at the club with the words reported at the time. October took in Romania and Roma.

The first Champions League away game of the season saw Chelsea transported to Transylvania for an encounter with a new name in the tournament, CFR Cluj. The Romanians had already shown form, beating Roma in Rome with a team not unfamiliar to Luiz Felipe Scolari, packed as it was South Americans and Portuguese.

Drogba was available again after European suspension and he was preferred to Anelka up front, but the game was a disappointment. The Blues were now missing the early season incisiveness of Deco and were not helped by a poor pitch.

In the second half Drogba tried his best to reach a Malouda ball into the area but collapsed in pain as his leg buckled underneath him. His team-mates were soon indicating the need for a substitution.

The wretched injury luck was marching along unabated although before the team left Romania, fears began to abate that the player had suffered a knee injury as serious as first feared. He did not need surgery.

On 86 minutes, it took a one-handed Cech save to prevent Cluj from snatching another win against a big name. They had spurned other chances but it ended 0-0. For the first time since an FA Cup defeat at Barnsley back in March, Chelsea had failed to find the net.

CFR Cluj 0-0 Chelsea at Dr Constantin Radulescu Stadium on 01-10-2008
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry (c), Bridge; Mikel; Kalou (Anelka h-t), Ballack, Lampard, Malouda (Di Santo 73); Drogba (Belletti 57).
Booked Alex 38, Anelka 77.
CFR Cluj (4-2-3-1): Stancioiu; Tony, Cadu (c), De Sousa, Alvaro Pereira; Muresan, Dani; Dubarbier, Trica (Didi 87), Juan Culio; Y Koné.
Booked Pereira 70, Dani 90.

If the club was in need of a boost, it came in the next match at home to an Aston Villa side who were proving away game specialists. Martin O'Neill's outfit were also unbeaten against us in the Premier League in five games.

Ahead of the weekend fixtures, Chelsea and Liverpool were undefeated in the league. Manchester United had lost once and Arsenal twice with Hull their recent conquerors.

Against Villa, Branislav Ivanovic made his first start in a Premier League game. The Serbian international took over from injured Alex in central defence.

What followed was a display that was reported on Chelseafc.com to be 'as efficient as it was attractive, with passing moves constantly catching the eye, and bamboozling the outclassed visitors.'

Joe Cole slammed home the first goal after a flowing team move that had included namesake Ashley, Malouda and Lampard as the ball went from left to right. Anelka then hit the bar and was linking play in Drogba-esque fashion.

The Frenchman scored the second goal before the break, Ashley Cole reaching the by-line and crossing low to Ballack. The German side-footed straight at the keeper, Friedel parried once, then twice as Anelka closed in, but couldn't prevent the 29-year-old's second follow-up going in.

Injuries to Anelka and Joe Cole disrupted the rhythm in the second half but the chances came again and it was a puzzle more weren't scored. It was one of the home performances of the season, ridiculing pre-match talk that our 85-game home league unbeaten record was under threat.

'I thought Chelsea were brilliant today,' admitted O'Neill afterwards.

'It was a harsh lesson. I felt they were absolutely terrific, but we didn't help ourselves. This morning I really felt we would win the game, so I'm a bit daft, but we had been playing well and came into the game with plenty of confidence. We could have learned a lot today.'

Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on 05-10-2008
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), A Cole; Mikel; J Cole (Kalou 56), Ballack, Lampard, Malouda (Belletti 82); Anelka (Di Santo h-t).
Goals J Cole 20, Anelka 42
Aston Villa (4-4-2): Friedel; L Young (Cuellar h-t), Davies (Milner h-t), Laursen (c), Shorey; Reo-Coker, Petrov, Barry, A Young; Agbonlahor, Carew (Harewood 71).
Booked Cuellar 67, Petrov 77, Shorey 84

It was time for another of the international breaks that make the beginning of a season in recent years so stop-start, but it at least gave chance for some injured bodies to repair.

The trip to Middlesbrough was the third time the interval had been followed by an away game but the team's record had been 100 per cent so far in those games. In fact the away league record was still 100 per cent overall, and on Teesside came the biggest away victory of them all, keeping Chelsea top of the league on goal difference over Liverpool.

The weekend also saw Frank Lampard equal Peter Osgood's 380 match appearances, joining the King in 10th place on Chelsea's all-time list. With Cech injured, there was a rare start for Carlo Cudicini and Juliano Belletti was asked to play as an attacking midfielder.

He would respond with one his special long-range strikes, the second goal in a 5-0 win that heralded Boro's ultimate relegation strife.

Belletti was also involved twice in the opener, first spinning a ball out to Bridge and then shooting when the left-back's cross was only half-cleared beyond the far post.

There was a touch of good fortune when the ball ricocheted twice off red-shirted players but Kalou didn't care as he turned the ball in from just six yards out.

For the third, Malouda collected a long pass by Bridge and squared inside to Kalou who struck the target via a deflection. Lampard made a typical surge into the box to meet Kalou's cross unmarked and head in for the fourth and goal number five came when Anelka cut in from the right and struck a shot was straight at Ross Turnball - but the keeper spilled it onto the post for Malouda to snap up a gift. Both Kalou and Malouda as wide players had enjoyed a good day.

Middlesbrough 0-5 Chelsea at Riverside Stadium on 18-10-2008
Chelsea(4-1-4-1): Cudicini; Bosingwa, Alex, Terry (c), Bridge (Ferreira 65); Mikel; Kalou, Belletti, Lampard (Deco 72), Malouda; Anelka (Sinclair 78).
Scorers Kalou 13, 52, Belletti 50, Lampard 63, Malouda 66.
Middlesbrough (4-4-1-1): Turnbull; Grounds (J Johnson 54), Riggott, Wheater, Taylor; A Johnson (Alves 64) O'Neil, Shawky (Digard 64), Downing (c); Aliadière; Mido.
Booked O'Neil 26, Alves 76.

'The way we set about the game right from the starting moment was brilliant with our movement and our passing,' said Lampard after Chelsea's biggest ever win on Teesside. 'That is the best we have played for a long time. I have said that a couple of times already this season, but it's been true.'

'Roma lost 0-4 to Inter at the weekend, making it five defeats in nine Serie A and Champions League matches to date,' reported the Pre-Match Briefing ahead of our midweek home Champions League match.

'Roma have a poor record on English soil. In 14 European matches they have won only one, drawn four and lost nine.'

They weren't about to improve on that against Chelsea, even though they could count on talisman Francesco Totti who was back from injury to play as a deep-lying centre-forward.

Players were returning from injury for Chelsea too, Cech, Deco and Carvalho included. The home side controlled the possession and tempo throughout but an Italian side more resilient than recent form suggested defended deep to deny Chelsea time-after-time.

Terry snatched a 1-0 win deep into the second half with a trademark move to the near post, heading home Lampard's corner. The win kept the Blues at the top of Group A in the Champions League and the goal was the perfect way for the captain to mark the 10th anniversary of his Chelsea debut that passed the following week.

Chelsea 1-0 Roma at Stamford Bridge on 22-10-2008
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Carvalho, Terry (c), Bridge; Mikel; Kalou (Di Santo 76), Deco, Lampard, Malouda (Belletti h-t); Anelka (Ferreira 90+2).
Scorer Terry 76.
Booked Malouda 29, Terry 71.
Roma (4-3-3): Doni; Cicinho, Mexes, Panucci (c), Riise (Tonetto 71); De Rossi, Aquilani (Perrotta 60) Brighi; Taddei (Menez 80), Totti, Vucinic.
Booked Mexes 23, Panucci 84.

To be continued…