GOALFLASHES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times BST)
| By Caroline Cheese |
From Infostrada Sports on Twitter: "It is over three years since Didier Drogba started on the bench for Chelsea and scored in a Premier League match."
1222: Cold, hard fact: Portsmouth will go down today if they fail to beat Blackburn, and Hull win at Stoke. If they don't win today, they'll go down tomorrow if West Ham beat Everton.
From Abu Fahad on 606: "Massive gamble by Ancelotti leaving The Drog out. However, with Malouda's movement and Cole's runs, I fancy Chelsea to take it 2-1."
1213: UK web users, manually refresh the page for Football Focus. International web users, close your eyes and dream of Mark Lawrenson.
From Whitey, Kent, via text: "Mrs out for the day. Front door locked. Phone off the hook. Cold beer in left hand, remote in right. BACK OF THE NET!!"
1209: Lots of clever people letting me know there are less than 200 countries in the world (see 1151), which I think just goes to show how big this game is. They've even invented some countries in which to show it. I read that 'fact' one of the grown-up papers by the way. Tsk.
From sam_havill on 606: "Biggest game of the season, yes, but not much of a spectacle without Rooney and Drogba. Fifty goals missing, I hope I'm proved wrong!"
From James, Leeds, via text: "Mistake! We need a big man to take on Vidic, and only Drogba can do that!"
1203: TEAMS Man Utd v Chelsea
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Giggs, Scholes, Park, Berbatov. Subs: Kuszczak, Carrick, Nani, Rafael Da Silva, Macheda, Gibson, De Laet.
Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Zhirkov, Joe Cole, Deco, Lampard, Mikel, Malouda, Anelka. Subs: Turnbull, Drogba, Ballack, Kalou, Sturridge, Belletti, Bruma.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Valencia, Fletcher, Giggs, Scholes, Park, Berbatov. Subs: Kuszczak, Carrick, Nani, Rafael Da Silva, Macheda, Gibson, De Laet.
Chelsea: Cech, Paulo Ferreira, Alex, Terry, Zhirkov, Joe Cole, Deco, Lampard, Mikel, Malouda, Anelka. Subs: Turnbull, Drogba, Ballack, Kalou, Sturridge, Belletti, Bruma.
Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)
From optajoe on Twitter: "Chelsea have won all six of their Premier League matches without Drogba in the starting XI this season, scoring 25 goals in the process."
1159: Well, well. Interesting move by Carlo Ancelotti. Didier Drogba wasn't involved in either of the games in which Chelsea hit seven (v Aston Villa, Sunderland) and the Blues won all five league and cup games when he was at the Africa Cup of Nations. I mean, I'm not saying he's rubbish...
1156: BREAKING TEAM NEWS Didier Drogba is on the bench for Chelsea.
1155: Now if you wish to defy me, you can on 81111 (UK) or +44 7786200666 (world), on 606, or on Twitter.
1151: Apparently, the game is being screened in 211 countries. I didn't even know there were 211 countries. And I'm not saying today is a MASSIVE day or anything, but Arsenal could get right back in the title race (for what seems like the umpteenth time this season), Portsmouth could be relegated and Newcastle could replace them. Or maybe none of those things will happen. We just don't know. That's the magic of football.
1145: Let's not beat around the bush: Manchester United v Chelsea is the biggest game of this Premier League season. I defy you to argue.
