Chelsea are good and this will obviously be a very difficult game, but it just looks like we have a completely different energy and aggressivenes at the start of this game compared to so many others against poorer sides this season. Not sure why that is. Possibly it has something to do with a bit of pressure being taken off us playing away to a better side, but if we played like this more consistently we would be way higher up the table.

I don’t think we’ve got a ‘best’ 11.

I know he's a defender but Holding has to do better with that cross.

Goal of the season

Get in

Even more horrible. By them this time.

Thanks very much.

And Chelsea gives us one in return!

With his left foot too, incredible finish

1-0 Smith Rowe - a gift!

Emile Smith Rowe!!!!!!

Comedy gold

Chelsea probably need this to secure top 4. Interesting game from here.

So what would have happened if we hadn't scored that? Chelsea's GK deliberately handled a back pass to prevent a goal, the ball was inches from going in. Surely that is the equivalent of a defender handballing the ball on the line, you can't get a penalty for a GK handballing a back pass you only get an indirect free kick but could there be a case for the GK being sent off? denying a clear goal by foul play?

I think he’s allowed to handle it no? Just not pick it up. I’ve seen keepers save back passes before, what are they supposed to do just let it go in the goal?

Their pressing will do us if we're not careful.

Comms on my stream saying it would have been an indirect free kick on the 6 yard line.

I swear I’ve seen GKs save sort of chest high back passes. Maybe I haven’t. The comms on BT questioned it too, suggesting there’d been an infringement when he handled it.

holding blocks a certain goal, hits his hand but his hand is probably in a natural positon and it is from close range. given the bizarre and seemingly ever changing rules around handball its one that another var ref might have given

Not allowed to handle it at all, to not commit the foul they've have to kick, head, chest away. So in a sense the GK is allowed to do what he wants with it but handling it is a foul.
If we hadn't scored it would have felt a bit of a let off for them to only face an indirect free kick 6 yards out when the 'foul' stopped a certain goal because every other foul stopping a certain goal is punished far more heavily

Matter of when not if Chelsea scores it seems. Hope we can sneak in a counter attacking goal before that happens.

Leno doing the business for us. Just think if he was a crap keeper it would be 2-1 to them.

Mount buzzing around giving us problems. What an excellent player he is. Unfortunately.

999 own goals since the PL started according to the play by play.

I like the way Oodegard runs to the ball and into space unlike the rest of our team.

We've dropped off a bit since the goal, Chelsea are looking dangerous. Need to ride this out until halftime.

chelsea pressing very high, but there was a passage of play there where we dealt with it, moved them around and kept the ball very nicely. Nothing significant came of it but it felt like the players felt comfortable and confident doing it - which it certainly hasn't always been!

We're struggling to get Saka in the game

Under the cosh here

“ If the back-pass was committed inside the six-yard penalty area, the kick will be taken from the point of the six-yard box where of the offense happened.”

So on the goal line then?

Chilwell really pushing Saka in to a right back role. Although lets see Chilwell defend as a right back against Saka flying down the left wing.

Big 6 mins to hold on to half time here

I think I enjoyed football a whole lot more when Seaman used to just hump it in the direction of Kevin Campbell

Strange seeing us play like this. The strangest part is how it’s working. So far.

Has there been a foul in this game?

On Partey early on. But not many others!

Oop, there you go!

Phew. Well we’ve got to half time (a la Sam Allardyce)

It’s not just us everyone is doing it.

It’s just like watching some twisted sick dance at both ends of the pitch and occasionally and only occasionally some football breaks out

Turgid bollocks

The football Gods have been with us so far.

There was that bit with Bergkamp, Vieira and Henry that was alright too.

nice to see when we won it high there Aubameyang was sprinting straight in behind and smith rowe knew he was and couldnt wait to send the first time pass.

Need to give a bit more in attack because if it just keeps coming back its difficult to see us withstanding that kind of pressure for another 45 minutes