Chelsea have been placed into Group F of the Champions League this season and have been given a relatively tough group. They will have Dortmund, Napoli and Besiktas to compete with for top spot.

After a demanding fixtures in August, Chelsea had an easier fixtures to breathe and Chelsea did exactly that. They went unbeatable in all four games of the premier league and dominated the league like the true PL champions. The form that started in August continued throughout September with Everton and Stoke. Chelsea kickoff their Champions League season with a colossal victory against Besiktas but failed to deliver against Dortmund but that mattered this month was to get back to the title defense and that's exactly what Ancelotti made Chelsea do. Defense looked strong, the attacking force was off the charts and the midfield was holding the play effortlessly. Overall a monumental month for Ancelotti and his boys.











September was not exactly successful In terms of European football but we managed to keep our roots firm by winning all the Premier League games. We started off the month in style when the team destroyed Bournemouth. Other matches were on the same line. My concern was for our European football. We faced an embarrassing loss at the hands of Dortmund but managed to win against Besiktas in an emphatic 5 goals to nil thriller. We also managed to secure our Carabao Cup third round victory over Hull and are through to the next round. It showed that we have been focusing more on Premier League and that is what I wanted to do. I wanted a huge start to the season but it was not to be after the defeat against Arsenal in Community Shield and to City in the opening fixture so getting right back on track was the main focus for us and I am glad that my team delivered. We currently reside in second place and the title defense begins to look like a reality.

September was undoubtedly 'the' month for the Spaniard. Not only did he win Chelsea's Player of the Month but also claimed the award for Premier League Player of the Month. The world class striker was already starting to show glimpses of his red hot form in August but the outburst came in September when he netted 8 goals in 4 matches. He was unlucky in Europe where he hit goal posts two times. This might be the start of the red hot devastating form that defined Morata in Spain and Italy.

A disappointing loss against Dortmund but a good month apart from that. Positive signs

Going strong in the league and cup, defeats like Dortmund will happen in the CL but will also provide a big learning curve

An abysmal month for Ancelotti and his boys. Chelsea failed to win their two games of premier league and faced a major setback in Europe when they were defeated by Napoli in the opening fixture of October. The only respite was a hard fought victory over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup which took Chelsea to another round.

Overall, a harsh month for Chelsea who would be kicking themselves for dropping points against West Ham and Watford. They currently stand in second with 4 points gap. Chelsea need to start their engine and roar through Europe as one more defeat might hurt their chances of getting into the knockout stages.






Our journey in Europe faced another upset when we lost against Napoli. We could not cope with Napoli's attack and due to my tactical changes, our defense leaked 3 goals. But our premier league journey was in ruins as well when we failed to get three points at home against West Ham. It was a defensive disaster and my team needs to work on the defense more then attack. Hazard was the saving grace in that match. Our win against Arsenal in Carabao Cup was one little light in plethora of darkness all around October. The disappointment continued when we were pushed back to a defeat against Watford who themselves are on a verge of doing another "Leicester" in the PL. Overall, not a fond month to remember but an important one as we can learn where we are at fault and what should we do to get back on track.

The saddest thing about this is that looking at the results, none of the players deserve this accolade. Everyone was pretty average but for the sake of this acclaim, it is Eden Hazard who could not achieve the magic in Europe but managed to get Chelsea a draw against West Ham and played relatively better against Arsenal. Morata was second in line but him failing to gather even a single shot against West Ham denied his chance to win the october's player of the month.

Ancelotti recently sat down with TalkSport to answer some of the questions about the squad, first team details and his adaptibilty to Stamford Bridge.

Here are some key questions:

Q: Its been 4 months since your second coming as the Manager of Chelsea. How do you feel?
Ancelotti: Thank You for inviting me. Yes, it has been a good start for me here at the Bridge. The backroom staffs are great. The players have accepted me as their boss. It was always hard to fill the shoes of Antonio Conte but the squad and the Board helped me a lot to settle. It will take time to reach achieve the targets but we are on the right track.

Q: How is your releationship with Mr. Roman Abramovich?
Ancelotti: I have a decent professional relationship with Abramovich. He is one of the finest persons to have a business conversation. He actually cares about the club. Not like other owners who just splash the cash and never even care to see what happens to the money. Abramovich and I had a very long discussion before my joining. He made it very clear that Chelsea should defend the title or atleast give their 100% effort. Mr. Ambramovich and I have a good forward thinking relationship.

Q: What is your view on the instability in Managerial Positions with Chelsea?
Ancelotti: it might not be a question for me to answer. Ofcourse I have views but I don’t think it’s the right time for me to share those with you. I have been blessed with the Head Coach role at Chelsea and my only view right now is to how to take Chelsea to newer heights.

Q: What about the squad? Are you happy with the squad right now? Are you happy with the way Morata has started his Chelsea career?
Ancelotti: Yes, I am very happy with the squad. We have a very strong squad assembled together to get Chelsea to newer heights. We needed a correct strike force and that’s why I signed Morata and Belotti. We might not have kepted a lot of clean sheets but the training has been rigorous and the results will soon follow. Morata has been brilliant for us and I hope he continues his ascend to the top with fine performances like this. It is hard for Spanish players to adapt so easily with English atmosphere but Costa did it and Morata is doing the same thing.

Q: You had your second ever loss as at the hands of Watford. Will this loss affect your chances, seeing that the team which defeated you is surprisingly your title rival.?
Ancelotti: Right now every team is a rival for us. Every team is fresh and fired up. Of course, it was a bitter loss at the hands of Watford but we have since picked ourselves up and marched on. I never expected us to be unbeatable but I have said it before and even now again that Chelsea might be the only team right now in Premier League that can actually defend their titles.

Q: Last question Carlo, you had two losses in the Champions League. Will this loss affect your chances to qualify for the knockout rounds?
Ancelotti: It was an embarrassing loss at the hands of Dortmund and Napoli but it was at their homes. We have still to face them at Stamford Bridge and I am sure we will overcome the odds. With a one year gap, it takes time to get back on the bandwagon in Europe but we are working towards making our game adaptable to European football once again.

2nd in the table things are going pretty well, Ancelotti seems to be enjoying his return to Stamford Bridge

2017-11-15 03:59#247269 mgriffin2012 : 2nd in the table things are going pretty well, Ancelotti seems to be enjoying his return to Stamford Bridge

A good month indeed but it too soon too say if Chelsea can defend their titles. Ancelotti sure is having a good start for his second innings. But injuries are pretty much shaking up his gameplans

November was one of those months where every thing went right for Chelsea. With six games played, Chelsea managed to win 5 of them with getting a stalemate against Besiktas. Chelsea began the month with their sweet revenge against Napoli and ended the month with a bang - decimating Liverpool 4 goals to nil. Its the month every manager and teams dreams to have but only few suceed to achieve it and Chelsea would be praising themselves for such mamoth achievement. To put cherry on the top of all this was a total defense masterclass. A total of 5 cleansheets out of 6 games was a surprise to all fans and Ancelotti but a deserving one.

What came out of all this efficient strike force and a magnificient defense - Finally getting at the top of the mountain.








Chelsea's strike force performed exactly how they were expected to perform but my gratitude and praise goes to my defense line that proved that with correct tactics and hard work, Chelsea can be impenetrable and unstoppable force to reckon with. I decided to work with some rotation due to fixture congestion and it worked out well. We did not let any team read our previous teamsheet clearly which helped us take them by surprise with few line up changes here and there. The defense had the most rotation with Christensen stepping up after Cahill got mild cold. Rudiger played a well rotation option.

With full backs, Zappacosta got as much as gametime i could afford to give him and I am glad that he did not disappoint. He is still new to the club but seeing him perform with such ease makes me believe he will soon be comfortable with us. The midfield remained the same with the occasional rotation of Drinkwater with Bakayoko and vise versa. The point that I got from this was that Chelsea needs another defensive /central midfielder.

The forward remained the same and performed the same as well with Morata continuing to bang the goals and Hazard and Willian (after a month of absence due to injury) creating fabulous chances and scoring some as well.

Overall a very affecting month for us. We shot right at the top of the table after Watford lost and drew their matches. Its time now to keep the momentum and continue to strive towards keeping the position to ourselves.

Chelsea set their eyes on Van Djik

Virgil van Djik may not be a Southampton player for much longer after reports arose linking him with the move to premier league champions Chelsea.

The blues are believed to be ready to discuss terms on a deal which could be worth £50M.

When asked about the passing interest of Chelsea on Vjik, Saints manager Mauricio Pellegrino said "I believe they are genuinely interested, but they are not the only ones. Anyone who wants Virgil is going to have to stump up the cash.

Chelsea Director of Football also stated that there is definitely some interest from their side but its too soon to say if there is legitimate deal on the table.

Van Djik is also a current international and has represented Hollan on eighteen occassions.

Barcelona target Chelsea superstar Eden Hazard

• Hazard chased by both Barcelona and Bayern Munich
• Hazard on a great form with 8 assists and 5 goals to his name
• 'Teams need to pay a lot to get Hazard' according to Chelsea Director of Football

World class winger Eden Hazard has emerged as a transfer target for in-form Bayern Munich and Spanish giants Barcelona.

According to recent reports, Bayern are gathering the amount and January could be the month where the deal will happen.

Barcelona are extremely keen on signing Hazard and would do what ever it takes to get Hazard. Bayern Munich on the other hand are expected to not go above 80M if the asking price goes high.

Hazard is a highly expirienced international and has represented Belgium in 83 occasions, scoring twenty times. Hazard was the part of side who crowned English Premier League champions in 2017.

van Dijk should be a great signing but you can't under any circumstances allow Hazard to leave, surely?