Newspaper reports

The Guardian, Paul Wilson: "Gaël Kakuta saw his last penalty of the shoot-out saved as Chelsea crashed out of the Carling Cup on a crazy night in east Lancashire. The 18-year-old reason for Chelsea's deferred transfer window ban probably should not even have been taking a penalty, let alone the fifth, which Paul Robinson beat out, but Carlo Ancelotti got every other aspect of his tactics wrong and was responsible for his side playing for well over 40 minutes with 10 men."

The Times, Tony Barrett: "A little more than a month after Chelsea’s disposition had been lifted to new heights, thanks to a 5-0 hammering of Blackburn Rovers, they were beaten after extra time and penalties in an enthralling and keenly fought Carling Cup quarter-final tie with the same opponents."

Daily Telegraph: "Chelsea made the expected wholesale...

Newspaper reports

The Guardian, Kevin McCarra: "For Arsenal the future has been postponed once again. This defeat was all too familiar. It was reminiscent, for instance, of the 3-1 beating here by Manchester United in the second leg of last season's Champions League semi-final. There was a pointed resemblance, as well, to the 4-1 drubbing when Chelsea themselves last came to the Emirates in May."

Daily Telegraph, Jason Burt: "Arsenal's title hopes took a significant, possibly fatal blow as they were brushed aside by the power and threat of Chelsea which was epitomised by a frightening performance by Didier Drogba. "

The Times, Oliver Kay: "There are wins, there are conquests and then, perhaps once or twice over the course of a title-winning season, there are resounding statements that indicate that a team ...

Newspaper reports

The Guardian, David Hytner: "Nicolas Anelka seems to reserve his best for closely contested Champions League ties. This was the third time Chelsea had won by the only goal in Group D and on each occasion the France striker has been the scorer."

Daily Telegraph, Jeremy Wilson: "To the wider world, this was a match of limited importance. To a meagre Porto crowd of 35,000, it was also a game of only occasional entertainment. Yet to Chelsea, and their manager, Carlo Ancelotti, it was yet further evidence that John Terry was fully justified in suggesting the players are recapturing the aura of invincibility that was so evident under Jose Mourinho."

The Times, Tom Dart: "[T]his Chelsea vintage have a savvy and solidity that recalls the title-winning sides under José Mourinho. ... A monochrome match was...

Newspaper reports

The Observer, Sachin Nakrani: "The only consolation for Wolves on a sodden day at Stamford Bridge was that they did not emulate their predecessors. The last time the Midlands club were in the Premier League they conceded five goals on each of the two occasions they faced Chelsea. It was only four this time around but that should not disguise the complete and utter domination of Carlo Ancelotti's side on a day when they once again performed like champions-elect."

Sunday Telegraph, Gerry Cox: "For most teams, losing the spine of your side through injuries to four international superstars might cause a problem or two. But Chelsea overcame the loss of Didier Drogba, Deco, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack to rack up a comfortable win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, increasing their lead at the top of the Premiership and setting a new club record of 12 successive home victories."

I've recovered sufficiently from a bout of suspected Swine Man Flu to drag my emaciated (yeah right) carcass to the computer to see what I have missed in the last few days.

Here's a lengthy selection of links for your clicking pleasure (if you haven't read them already).

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Injuries. Frank Lampard tore the outside of the thigh muscle on his left leg while training with England in Doha on Thursday and is expected to be out for three weeks. That would rule him out of the Premier League games with Wolves and Arsenal, the Champions League tie at Porto and the Carling Cup quarter-final at Blackburn Rovers in the first week in December.

Also while on England duty, John Terry suffered swelling to his ankle after blocking a shot from Jermaine Jenas in training. He hopes to be fit to play against Wolves on Saturday, "fingers crossed."

Ashley Cole has a depressed fracture of the tibia, which he aggravated in the win over Manchester United. It is unclear how long he will be sidelined...