Chelseafc.com continues a look back over another eventful year at the club with the words reported at the time. November will be remembered for too many draws.

Burnley were our next Carling Cup opponents in what became another night to forget at Stamford Bridge.

A rotated side should still have had enough to progress past the Championship side towards a third successive Final in this competition, but penalties proved our downfall, meaning we are still to win a shootout since 1998 when we beat Ipswich.

Didier Drogba was in the starting line-up, as was Mineiro, in what would be his final first team outing. Wayne Bridge was captain for the first time, and even kept the armband when Lampard replaced the injured Belletti after 25 minutes.

Despite the defeat, which would come when Mikel's spot-kick was pushed away by Brian Jensen, it was the Ivorian grabbing the headlines.

Within a minute of Lampard's introduction he had 'brilliantly played the ball up to Drogba who turned inside the last defender Duff and placed his shot to the right of Jensen,' we reported. 'A world class instant impact and a world class finish. Drogba was booked in the aftermath of the celebrations.'

What emerged was that the forward had been pelted with a shower of coins, and threw one back into the crowd. He would later be suspended for three games.

It was after his substitution that Burnley equalised, Ade Akinbiyi, remember him, turning home after Carlo Cudicini had parried a low shot. Chances would follow, notably for young Franco Di Santo, but eventually it was penalties and elimination.

Chelsea 1-1 (AET) Burnley at Stamford Bridge on 12-11-2008. Burnley win 5-4 on penalties.
Chelsea(4-1-4-1): Cudicini; Ferreira, Alex, Ivanovic, Bridge (c); Mineiro; Kalou, Belletti (Lampard 24), Deco (Mikel h-t), Malouda; Drogba (Di Santo 68).
Scorer Drogba 26
Booked Drogba 27
Burnley (4-2-3-1): Jensen; Alexander, Duff, Caldwell (c), Jordan; Elliott, Gudjonsson (McDonald 96); McCann, Blake (Mahon 76), Eagles; Paterson (Akinbiyi 59).
Scorer Akinbiyi 68
Booked Caldwell 58, Akinbiyi 68, Eagles 72
Sent-off Caldwell 114.

'What has happened is the same as in some other games,' Scolari complained. 'We made many mistakes when we arrived in front of goal. Four or five times. Burnley had two chances to score and made one goal. We had five chances and we lost.'

Games were coming thick and fast. A tea-time trip to bottom club West Bromwich Albion was next, and three points were expected.

Despite their poor run of form, the Baggies had earned praise for the way they played the game, crisp passing football as directed by manager Tony Mowbray. Stats will often tell you more than style though, and with the league's worst goal difference, WBA were entertaining the team with the best, and with 16 goals in six away league games.

Cudicini and Branislav Ivanovic were required reinforcements for Cech and Alex, the latest injury victims, but the result was never in doubt as a club record 10th away win was delivered with two more goals from Anelka and a pearler from José Bosingwa.



Three first-half goals deflated a West Brom side that had pushed us hard in the first half-hour, while the returning Michael Ballack was given a stress-free run out in the second half.

Three more points ensured winning momentum in the league and a return to top spot. Tottenham's top flight 10 consecutive away wins had been equalled, and could be broken against Bolton in early December.

West Brom 0-3 Chelsea at The Hawthorns on 15-11-2008
West Brom (4-4-2): Carson; Zuiverloon, Meite (Donk 68), Olsson, Robinson; Koren, Valero, Greening (c), Morrison (Teixeira 58); Miller, Bednar (Kim h-t).
Chelsea(4-1-4-1): Cudicini; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (C) (Ferreira 85), Bridge; Mikel; Kalou (Ballack 67), Deco, Lampard, Malouda; Anelka (Drogba 74).
Goals Bosingwa 33, Anelka 37, 45
Booked Terry 51, Bosingwa 57, Ivanovic 77

After the game Fabio Capello was due to name his England squad to face Germany in a friendly. There had been rumours that Michael Mancienne, on loan with Wolves, would earn a call-up, and so it proved.

The 20-year-old defender was still to make his Chelsea debut, but joined Terry, Bridge and Lampard in the squad, while Coles Ashley and Joe sat out with injury, as would Ballack for the Germans.

'Michael is very good,' Terry said on the news. 'We all gain from experience. You go out and you have to stand on your own two feet. If he can do it at Wolves, he has the chance to come back and do it at Chelsea.

'Wolves have had four wins since Michael has been there and he has a bright future ahead of him.'

In a rare quiet week at Cobham, Ballack admitted before the clash that England v Germany was a special one on both sides. 'I think I will be watching German coverage though because I have to know what is going on!' he laughed.

Chelseafc.com reminded the midfielder, that his last outing against England was the 5-1 defeat in Munich back in September, 2001.

'You always remember just this game! You forget every other game!' he cried, quickly reminding us of the World Cup qualifier that preceded it, a 1-0 win for the Germans in the last ever game at the old Wembley. 'With the second team as well, we had eight players out and still won!'

On this November night though it was the English who would be laughing as JT headed home for a 2-1 win, ensuring training ground bragging rights.

A day later, it was Scolari's turn to speak to the club's official website. The Brazilian explained that he was a happy man in England, and particularly liked Surrey, but his main reason for happiness was a look at the league table.

It showed his side above all others with a third of the season complete, and a goal difference of +28.

'I think this season I like more than the others when I was a club coach because it is different. Passion, emotion, beautiful games, difficult games, it is very good for a coach,' he explained.

Perhaps he spoke too soon, as we didn't win again in November's three remaining games.

Newcastle United were already on their second manager of the season when Joe Kinnear brought the Magpies south to take a point.

Against a side who never once looked like finding a way past the returning Petr Cech, Scolari's side camped in the opposition half throughout the game but were denied the breakthrough by the offside flag on one occasion, a matter of centimetres on another and a couple of good saves by Shay Given.

It was a Chelsea display that lacked penetration too often, even with some important players returning. Lampard was fit to start and Joe and Ashley Cole were back. There was still no Alex so Ivanovic played alongside Terry and the round-trip to Brazil with Portugal didn't worry Scolari when it came to selecting Deco and Bosingwa.

The full-back's crossing looked like being a source of goals but there would be none, Lampard's early header, pushed away by Given being perhaps the best chance.

Chelsea 0-0 Newcastle at Stamford Bridge on 22-11-2008
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), A Cole; Mikel; J Cole (Ballack 81), Deco, Lampard, Malouda (Kalou 71); Anelka
Newcastle (4-4-2): Given; Beye, Coloccini, Bassong, José Enrique; Gutiérrez (N'Zogbia 76), Butt, Guthrie, Duff; Martins (Ameobi 60), Owen.
Booked Guthrie 85.

Fortunately for us, nobody else at the top managed victory either. Liverpool and Manchester United were also held to goalless draws, while Arsenal slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Manchester City. Their title challenge looked over already, but would be partially resurrected by the time Advent arrived.

Reserve team coach Brendan Rodgers was appointed manager of Watford on November 24, and he would go on to save them from relegation from the Championship, while also facing the Blues in the FA Cup on Valentine's Day.

Back with Chelsea, it was on to Bordeaux with a Champions League win expected.

Once again overseas, there was disappointment, but no catastrophe. Ivanovic made his European bow while Ballack was in for suspended Deco.

'What looked a smash-and-grab Chelsea win against the run of play was spoiled by an 82nd minute Bordeaux equaliser, leaving plenty of work still to do in the final group stage game,' Chelseafc.com reported.



'Nicolas Anelka had given Chelsea an undeserved second-half lead from his side's first chance but bad defending let the French team draw level and an unhappy close to the game was continued with a red card for Frank Lampard.

'Chelsea found it tough from the start against opposition whose 4-2-3-1 shape was intended to do more than just defend.'

Bordeaux's equaliser came from a corner, where their captain Alou Diarra headed home unmarked. That was the first goal over the next six weeks or so that would leave Chelsea defenders scratching their heads and pointing fingers.

Bordeaux 1-1 Chelsea at the Stade Chaban Delmas on 26-11-2008
Bordeaux(4-2-3-1): Valverde; Chalme, Planus, Diawara, Jurietti; Fernando, Diarra (c); Gouffran (Cavenaghi 66), Gourcuff, Wendel (Obertan 74), Chamakh.
Scorer Diarra 82.
Booked Gourcuff 21, Jurietti 54, Chamakh 82.
Chelsea (4-1-4-1): Cech; Bosingwa, Ivanovic, Terry (c), A Cole; Mikel; J Cole (Ferreira 83), Ballack, Deco, Lampard, Malouda; Anelka (Drogba 62).
Scorer Anelka 59.
Booked Terry 21, Lampard 27, A Cole 29, J Cole 67.
Sent-off Lampard 84.



The performance in France had been disappointing, but an expected victory against Cluj in two weeks' time would see us through to the knockout stages. All was not lost.

Spirits were raised before Arsenal's weekend visit by the youth team, who were 3-2 winners in the FA Youth Cup at Old Trafford, eliminating a Manchester United side boasting the first team experience of Danny Welbeck, and the soon-to-be-very-famous Federico Macheda.

Paul Clement had led the side in the north west, despite being appointed as the new reserve team manager. By the end of the season he would be working with the first team.

To be continued…