EARLY KICK-OFF
Blackburn 0-0 Chelsea (1330)
LATER GAMES
Aston Villa v Middlesbrough (1500) Preview
Man City v Tottenham (1500) Preview
Fulham v Newcastle (1600) Preview
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606: DEBATE
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By Jonathan Stevenson
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1345: I'm guessing that Brazilian Luiz Felipe Scolari, who managed Portugal for a while, has had a few sunnier birthdays than this one. He looks glum, with Chelsea coat and hood covering a large part of his face as the rain continues to bucket down.
1342: "If that wasn't a penalty, shouldn't Anelka have been booked for diving?"
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1339: Deco has started spraying his magical passes around already and it could be a long afternoon for Blackburn. Jason Roberts is ploughing a lone furrow up top on his own, they will need to get plenty of midfielders around him if Rovers are to threaten Chelsea today.
1337: Drama. Nicolas Anelka latches on to a weak back-pass, rounds Paul Robinson and goes down, but referee Chris Foy does not give a penalty. On the replay, it looks like a spot-kick, but Anelka does fall rather theatrically.
1334: Keith Andrews blazes over from 25 yards after a good bit of Blackburn pressure down their right. It really is hammering it down, and it's pretty dark to boot.
1332: After a brilliantly-observed minute's silence, referee Chris Foy gets us under way at a gloomy, rain-drenched Ewood Park.
1328: The teams are out, they're warming up, and we're seconds away from kick-off at Ewood Park.
1326: "Brazilians don't wear socks... they really do let their feet do the talking. Oh look, my coat."
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1323: "I'm not a very happy City fan. I have what can only be described as the worst hangover ever and it's raining at Eastlands - meaning none of our Brazilians will turn up today. It's rubbish really."
Luke sat on the bumpiest bus in Manchester, via text on 81111
Yeah, might as well not bother, eh. Why not just go home? I'm sure there's something interesting on UKTV Food or whatever instead.
1319: See 1305 - a fair point a few of you have raised is that Mr Scolari is indeed from Brazil, not Portugal. So, nylon or cotton, then, fans of Brazilian socks?
1317: Blackburn are also winless in their last 13 games against the so-called 'Big Four', with a miserable collection of only four points from a possible 39. They will need to add to their paltry three home league goals so far this season to get close to breaking that run.
1315: "I have to say Paul Ince hasn't picked the right team. It's hard enough with Roque Santa Cruz injured, I think Blackburn will get destroyed unless they are willing to put in 100% effort for 90 the full minutes."
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1309: Chelsea quite like Ewood Park, as it happens. They have won five of their last six games at Ewood Park, including a 1-0 win last term. Rovers haven't won in their last five games, either, while Chelsea have won their last eight away league games. Today, they are going for a Prem record of nine in a row.
1305: "(See 1251) Why would his socks be cotton? Most Portuguese socks are nylon."
Vedran in Manchester, via text on 81111
1302: Blackburn boss Paul Ince, without Benni McCarthy (ban) and Roque Santa Cruz (calf), opts for Jason Roberts in a lone striker role for the visit of Chelsea, with Morten Gamst Pedersen, Zurab Khizanishvili, Vince Grella and Carlos Villaneuva restored to the starting line-up on the back of last week's 2-2 draw with West Brom. Birthday boy Luiz Felipe Scolari makes just one change to the Chelsea side that lost to Roma in the Champions League in midweek, Salomon Kalou replacing the injured Joe Cole.
1300: It's time for Stevo's Predos again. Sorry if you lose money on them, in advance:
Blackburn 0-3 Chelsea
Aston Villa 2-1 Middlesbrough
Man City 2-2 Tottenham
Fulham 0-1 Newcastle
Lawro's predictions
1257: "I think it's fair to compare Robinho with Maradona, especially now Maradona is into his late forties."
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1255: BLACKBURN v CHELSEA LINE-UPS
Blackburn: Robinson, Simpson, Khizanishvili, Nelsen, Olsson, Grella, Warnock, Villanueva, Andrews, Pedersen, Roberts. Subs: Brown, Samba, Kerimoglu, Mokoena, Fowler, Treacy, Derbyshire.
Chelsea: Cech, Bosingwa, Alex, Terry, Bridge, Lampard, Mikel, Deco, Kalou, Anelka, Malouda. Subs: Cudicini, Ivanovic, Di Santo, Sinclair, Ferreira, Mineiro, Belletti.
Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside).
1251: My colleague Sam, who you'd love, tells me it's Luiz Felipe Scolari's birthday today. The big man (he's not that big, actually) is 60, so Parabens pelo seu aniversario to the Chelsea gaffer. "The best present is the job I got at Chelsea," he said a couple of weeks ago. Bless his little cotton socks.
1247: "I only read today as to why the fans were clapping yesterday at the Arsenal game. Once the announcement was made that the Poppy-badged Arsenal shirts were going to be auctioned off for charity the Man United fans started clapping, to which the Arsenal fans responded in kind. I would like to really commend the Manchester United fans on that."
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You guys - you give football fans a good name. I'm so proud of you.
1243: So there's plenty to get involved in today. The text number, which you probably have tattooed on your brain by now, is 81111. And on 606, you can rest assured that there will be a debate you won't find anywhere else on the web today.
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1239: Yep, that's right. Manchester City's British record signing, the free-scoring Brazilian Robinho, has compared the adulation he receives to the greatest player of all: "They treat me like Maradona over here. I feel a little embarrassed at times, and I hope I can repay all this love on the field. It's funny, a black Maradona - the only thing is I can't score goals with my hand." I don't think that's the only thing, Binhs, but great quote anyway.
1235: Thanks for that. Now then, what have we today? Chelsea hoping to go top (again), Spurs hoping to climb off the bottom (again), Aston Villa hoping to sneak into the top four, Joe Kinnear hoping to weave yet more magic at Newcastle, and the black Maradona. Hang on, the what??
1230: Before we get stuck into the football today, let's just take a moment to pay tribute to the servicemen and women who lost their lives serving their country. Heroes, every single one of them.
Services remember British fallen
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