Chelsea v Man City = Class fans. And Bolton.

Chelsea's away game at Man City was one of those rare games in football. One of the few times I've seen my team concede an important goal, yet still somehow managed to smile about it. One - nil up in what was probably on paper our hardest away game of the season, and then with five minutes left, Super Frank, on loan at Man City, scores against the team he served so great for 13 years to win his current team a point. Talk getting a taste of our own medicine! But what do the Chelsea fans do? Well, they were cheering and singing name before, after the goal and even after the game as he went to applaud them. Top class. And who says our fans our scum?

The game didn't start as well as the corresponding fixture last year when a Mourinho Monday Masterclass undone City at the Etihad. Although there were no clear cut chances, City looked the better team in the first half, although we mainly restricted them to long range shots. The same came in the second half, and prompted Mourinho to make changes, bringing Obi Mikel and Schurrle on for Ramires and William. Chelsea were given an advantage when Zabaleta was sent off for City for a second yellow card after a bad foul on Costa. With the amount of yellow cards the referee was dishing in the first half, it was inevitable that someone would get dismissed. Then the impact of the substitutions took effect as a Chelsea counter attack saw Hazard break away and supply a low cross for Schurrle to side foot home at the far post. Chelsea lead in what at that point would have been a serious case of smash and grab, but they do say the sign of a good team is a team that can win without playing well. Shortly after, Lampard came on against, it was so weird seeing him in a City shirt, playing against yes. So weird. The Chelsea fans gave him a great reception as he came on and sang his name, and rightly so of course. Back to the game and chelsea almost wrapped up the points as Costa hit the post. Shortly after he was replaced by Drogba ending his scoring run. Then with five minutes to go, enter an old friend. Lampard latching onto Millers pull back to volley home the equaliser. As the commentator said 'Well I don't know what Lampard makes of it!' and that pretty much summed up his reaction. Apologetic to his former team mates and respect to the Chelsea fans by refusing to celebrate. The look on his face summed it all up as he looked to the heavens almost in tears. What I personally loved though was, even after the goal and after the game, the reception Lampard continued to get from the travelling Chelsea support was top class. After the game the image of him going to the Chelsea fans and receiving a standing ovation with the fans singing his name was one the best moments in football I've ever seen and made me most proud to be a Chelsea fan. Van Persie signs for Man Utd and Arsenal fans burn his shirt. Mata signs for them and Chelsea fans wish him all the best and hold make banners at the next Chelsea game saying 'Thank you Mata'. Fabregas signs for Chelsea and Arsenal fans call him scum and traitor. Lampard plays and scores against Chelsea and still gets a superb reaction.

You can't buy class :)

The next match saw me and my brother attend our first match of the season against Bolton in the league cup, and a chance encounter with Paul Merson in the Broadway pub before the match! After three FA youth cups and once a runner up in the last five years, I was hoping for more of our kids to get a game, as I really want Chelsea to start bringing their youngsters through more and more, but then this is Chelsea. The standards and expectation for success now are so high, it seems very difficult for kids to get a look in these days, although we did start promising youngster Nathan Ake. Last season brought no trophies, and Mourinho Roman won't let him get away with that too often, so it should really have been a surprise to see a strong team but out of mainly fringe players. One of them, young defender kurt Zouma, actually signed in January but then sent back on loan to St Etienne before permanently joining us in the summer, gave us the lead early on, stabbing home from close range following a corner in front of the Shed Lower where me and my brother were sitting. The lead though only last five minutes and Mills glanced home a header from a free kick to equalise for Bolton. Chelsea did spurn a number of chances throughout the first half, mainly though Schurrle, who hit the bar from a free kick. Ake himself also came close with a blistering shot that the keeper pushed around for a corner. The second half saw a daisy cutter (I think thats what they call that kind of shot!) from Oscar who fired low and hard into the bottom corner past the keepers right to give Chelsea the lead again. Then followed more missed chances from Schurrle, who hit the wood work again in this half, later on the post. Despite a late surge from Bolton as they tried to force extra time, Chelsea ran out deserved winners and will now face Shrewsbury away in the next round.

Onward and upwards!